633 Clark Street Evanston, IL 60208

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1 Teacher Education Unit 633 Clark Street Evanston, IL Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon, Ph.D. 618 Garrett Place Evanston, IL (847)

2 NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK (Revised ) Northwestern University I. Introduction A. Description of the Teacher Education Unit (the Unit) B. History of the Northwestern University (NUCF) II. Goal, Vision, and Mission A. Goal and Vision B. Institutional Missions 1. Northwestern University (NU) 2. School of Education and Social Policy (SESP) 3. School of Music (SoM) 4. School of Communication (SoC) 5. Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS) C. Unit Mission III. Unit Philosophy, Purposes, and Goals A. Vision of Learning 1. Theories, Literature, and Research 2. Dispositions 3. Alignment to Standards 4. Influence on Policy and Practice B. Vision of Learners 1. Theories, Literature, and Research 2. Dispositions 3. Alignment to Standards 4. Influence on Policy and Practice C. Vision of Teaching 1. Theories, Literature, and Research 2. Dispositions 3. Alignment to Standards 4. Influence on Policy and Practice IV. Commitment to Diversity A. Candidates B. Faculty C. Curriculum and Experiences V. Commitment to Technology VI. VII. VIII. Assessment System A. Assessment of Candidates B. Assessment of the NUCF Appendices A. NUCF/Standards Alignment Grid B. Digital Portfolio Rubric C. Committees Within the Northwestern University Teacher Education Unit D. Assessment Cycle E. Criteria for Assessment of Transition Points F. Overview of Candidate Transition Points (OCTP) Table Works Cited Page 2 (of 45)

3 INTRODUCTION Northwestern University Description of the Teacher Education Unit (the Unit) The Teacher Education Unit (hereafter, the Unit) at Northwestern University is comprised of four schools: the School of Education and Social Policy (SESP), the School of Music (SoM), the School of Communication (SoC; formerly known as the School of Speech), and the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (WCAS). Appendix C details the members of the Unit and its associated subcommittees. SESP is the home of two teacher education programs, one at the undergraduate level and one at the master s level. Both programs prepare candidates to receive a Type 09 (6-12) initial teaching certificate in the following fields: English, foreign language (French, German, Spanish, and Latin), mathematics, science (biology, chemistry, and physics), and social studies (economics, history, political science, and sociology/anthropology), and visual arts. In accordance with new guidelines from the State, foreign language and visual arts teacher candidates completing either program in the academic year or later will be recommended for a Type 10 (K-12) special certificate rather than a Type 09. In addition to the above, the master s level program prepares candidates to receive a Type 03 (K-9) general certificate to teach at the elementary level. SoM prepares undergraduate and graduate teacher candidates to qualify for a Type 10 (K-12) certificate in music education. SoC prepares undergraduate and graduate teacher candidates to qualify for a Type 10 (K-12) certificate in the following fields: Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS1) and Speech-Language Pathologist. While there are both graduate and undergraduate programs in these areas, no one can be recommended for either certificate without the master's degree. Some undergraduates continue for a fifth year to complete the master s degree and qualify for certification. WCAS provides subject matter courses for candidates who will be recommended for a Type 09 or Type 10 certificate by the teacher education programs in SESP. In addition, a number of students earning a bachelor s degree from WCAS complete pedagogy coursework in SESP, and thus may be recommended for a Type 09 or a Type 10 certificate in one of the approved program areas. History of the Northwestern University (NUCF) The Northwestern University (NUCF) was developed over time through many conversations with key stakeholders including Northwestern University (NU) faculty from all four schools comprising the Unit, teacher candidates, alumni, and K-12 public and private school educators. The mission of the original NUCF, implemented in the fall of 1999, was: fostering change and innovation through inquiry grounded in reflection and research. This mission was supported by three interrelated visions: A Vision of Learning 1.1. understanding student thinking; 1.2. learning as a social practice; 1.3. authentic experience; and 1.4. use of technology to extend thinking and learning. Page 3 (of 45)

4 A Vision of Learners 2.1 lifelong learning in social contexts; and 2.2 diversity as a resource. A Vision of Teaching 3.1 connecting theory to practice. The mission, visions, and associated subcomponents were discussed each subsequent year as the Unit engaged in critical reflection regarding its own professional standards and perspectives on excellence in classroom teaching. In 2003, recognizing that not all changes are necessarily positive, the Unit modified its mission, replacing the word change with the word improvement. The mission now reads: fostering improvement and innovation through inquiry grounded in reflection and research. In winter 2004 the Unit expanded the three visions and tied them more directly to our mission statement. The changes are noted below in bold-faced print. As active participants in the field of education, our candidates will strive for improvement and innovation, based on inquiry that is grounded in reflection and research. The candidates will have A Vision of Learning that focuses on: 1.1. understanding student thinking about the subject matter; 1.2. reflection and research as a means of learning; 1.3. learning as a social practice, which encourages collaborative learning in which people clarify doubts, examine beliefs and work together to address questions and concerns; 1.4. authentic experience, where class sessions and assignments are designed to engage students interests and to have implication for the student beyond the classroom; and 1.5. the use of technology to extend learning opportunities and thinking. A Vision of Learners that focuses on: 2.1 lifelong learning and development shaped by social contexts; and 2.2 student diversity as a resource for the educational community. A Vision of Teaching that focuses on: 3.1 connection of theory to practice, where the candidates understand that theories suggest questions and ideas about practice, and practice suggests modifications of theory; and 3.2 professional conduct that is responsible and ethical. In addition to revisions noted above, in spring 2004, the Unit Committee approved seven candidate dispositions, which grow out of the NUCF and the Unit Mission. It is our goal to help candidates acquire the following dispositions to the level of proficiency: 1. Willingness to systematically reflect on one s own practice. (NUCF 1.2, 3.1) 2. Commitment to understanding students thinking about the subject matter. (NUCF 1.1) 3. Belief in the value of seeing students as individuals. (NUCF 1.3, 2.1, 2.2) 4. Enthusiasm for learning and teaching through collaboration. (NUCF 1.3) Page 4 (of 45)

5 5. Willingness to take the risks associated with engaging students interests through real world experiences. (NUCF 1.4) 6. Energy for incorporating innovations in teaching, including the use of new technologies. (NUCF 1.5) 7. Commitment to conducting one s self professionally and responsibly. (NUCF 3.2) VISUAL DIAGRAM OF THE NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: Page 5 (of 45)

6 GOAL, VISION, AND MISSION OF THE INSTITUTION AND UNIT Northwestern University Goal and Vision The three complimentary visions of the NUCF the Vision of Learning, the Vision of Learners, and the Vision of Teaching combine to form a unified vision of the educator. The educator systematically reflects on his/her own practice, continually attempting to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. He/she is committed to understanding the ways in which students perceive and think about the subject matter addressed in the classroom. Recognizing students as individuals and believing that each one brings valuable knowledge and resources into the classroom, the educator collaborates enthusiastically with others to incorporate their unique contributions to the learning situation. Willing to take the risks associated with truly engaging the interests of the students, whether those interests lie in books and ideas or in real world experiences, the educator energetically incorporates technology and other innovations into teaching. Never forgetting the importance of the role of the teacher, the educator conducts him/herself professionally and responsibly at all times. It is the goal of the Unit to help our teacher candidates explore its conception of the educator, and in so doing acquire the dispositions listed previously and discussed further below. The mission of the Unit, fostering improvement and innovation through inquiry grounded in reflection and research, combines and grows out of common threads in the mission statements of the four schools comprising the Unit, as well as the mission of NU itself. To understand the development of the Unit s mission, we must first consider the five institutional missions supporting it. Institutional Missions The Northwestern Undergraduate Catalog includes a brief history of the university which helps place the university s mission in context. Excellence has been Northwestern s goal since nine pioneering Chicagoans met in 1850 to establish an educational institution that would rival any in the eastern United States. That group a physician, three attorneys, two businessmen, and three Methodist clergymen envisioned a university of the highest order of excellence to serve the people of the Northwest Territory. Northwestern University was officially founded on January 28, 1851, when its act of incorporation was passed by the Illinois legislature. In 1853 the founders purchased a 379-acre tract of farmland along Lake Michigan 12 miles north of Chicago as a site for the new university. The location so impressed founder Orrington Lunt that he wrote, I could not rid myself of the fairy visions constantly presenting themselves in fanciful beauties of the gently waving lake its pebbly shore the beautiful oak openings and bluffs beyond. After completing its first building in 1855, Northwestern began classes that fall with two faculty members and 10 male students. In 1869 it enrolled its first female students, thereby becoming a pioneer in the higher education of women. By 1900 the University was composed of a liberal arts college and six professional schools, including the schools of law and medicine, with a total of 2700 students. With the establishment of the Graduate School in 1910, Northwestern adopted the German university model of providing graduate as well as undergraduate instruction and stressing research along with teaching. Page 6 (of 45)

7 Today Northwestern enjoys a position as one of the country s leading private research universities. NU s tradition of excellence plays a central role in its mission statement, which emphasizes research, innovation, and growth elements that can be found in the mission statements of all four schools comprising the Unit. The mission of NU as stated on the university website reads: Northwestern University is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research, and the personal and intellectual growth of its students. This statement is elaborated in the Undergraduate Catalog as follows: Through a combination of close interschool cooperation and a flexible academic calendar, both undergraduate and graduate students and faculty are able to customize education and research across disciplines. Northwestern is a place where faculty work closely with students and each other and where students at all levels interact as part of an innovative and technologically sophisticated learning community. Northwestern s emphasis on effective communication, regardless of field of study, fosters the ability to think analytically and write and speak clearly and persuasively. The result is that Northwestern graduates are exceptionally well prepared for academic and career success and become leaders in their fields. This statement further underscores NU s dedication to research and innovation, as well as adding an emphasis on technology and leadership. Research and innovation play central roles in the Unit mission statement, and commitment to technology and leadership can be seen in NUCF 1.2, 1.5, 3.1, and 3.2. As quoted from the SESP website: [The mission of the School of Education and Social Policy is] to understand and improve learning communities schools and classrooms, workplace settings, families and neighborhoods: to study lifelong learning and to improve lives through policy. Here, research takes a social aspect, as SESP students study lifelong learning, a concept that appears in NUCF 2.1. The diverse academic community of the NU mission is expanded to learning communities which extend beyond the university itself and into schools and the community at large. Improvement, growth, and excellence go hand-in-hand, as improvement and growth are nothing if not the continuing quest for ever-increasing excellence. As quoted from the School of Music Graduate Handbook : The mission of the School of Music is to provide the highest order of education in all major aspects of music. This statement is elaborated as follows: We endeavor also to expand musical experiences and understandings of students throughout the University, and to enhance the quality of our community s musical life. While continuing to animate the vital traditions of music s past, we encourage creative and dynamic visions of its future. Page 7 (of 45)

8 The School of Music pursues this mission through professional undergraduate and graduate programs for a selective student body of highly qualified musicians who also meet competitive academic standards. We attempt to integrate the artistic and intellectual aspects of our students education and to provide a depth and breadth of musical study that equips them with a continuing capacity to grow in their musicianship and to adapt to changing professional demands. Our faculty members strive to be inspiring teachers as well as musical and intellectual leaders. They are actively engaged in expanding knowledge about music through their research and scholarship; in preparing students to be performers, composers, teachers, scholars, and informed audiences; and in enriching their community s culture through their own artistry. In keeping with NU s central mission, research and scholarship play in important role in SoM s mission to expand musical understandings, leading to the personal and academic growth of both students of SoM and of the university community as a whole. Innovation can be seen in the emphasis on creating of a dynamic future, and as with the NU mission, SoM emphasizes the goal of fostering leadership, both musical and intellectual, among its students. As quoted from the SoC website: [The School of Communication s] mission is to improve systems and processes used in human communication as well as people's abilities to use communication to achieve their purposes. This statement is elaborated as follows: Our key term is performance: performance is both our primary object of study and a vehicle through which we teach and learn about communication. The School is committed to building the basic and applied sciences of communication; developing theory and critical perspectives on communicative performances; creating new technologies for communication and new modes of artistic expression; and helping students to be more effective in their work, at home, and in civic life by applying principles of communication. Understandably, communication is at the core of SoC s mission. The goal is to improve communication, which is accomplished through research and innovation, including the use of new technologies. When seen in this context, the SoC mission is consistent with the core mission of NU. An abbreviated version of the WCAS mission statement reads: [The Mission of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences is] to provide a superior undergraduate liberal arts education; to offer graduate education of the finest quality; to encourage in all its students an active intellect; to recognize and nurture the creativity and diversity of thought of its faculty members; and to attain distinction in teaching, learning, and research. The full text of the WCAS mission statement reads: [The Mission of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences is] to provide a superior undergraduate liberal arts education, in which breadth of study is assured by introductory courses focusing on diverse areas and modes of inquiry and by certain interdisciplinary programs, and Page 8 (of 45)

9 depth is achieved by specialized courses, independent study, and student research organized into concentrations for required majors and optional adjunct majors and minors; To offer graduate education of the finest quality. Producing scholars and teachers of the first rank who will contribute to disciplinary knowledge, educational leadership, and society; To encourage in all its students an active intellect: an appetite for learning and for new knowledge, development of analytical skills, pursuit of moral awareness and action, rigorous thinking, and effective communication; To recognize and nurture the creativity and diversity of thought of its faculty members; and To attain distinction in teaching, learning, and research. The elements of inquiry, scholarship, and research figure prominently in the WCAS mission. The concept of an active intellect which constantly strives to learn and attain new knowledge is in keeping with the commitments to innovation and intellectual growth found within the NU mission, as well as the idea of lifelong learning found in the SESP mission and the NUCF. An emphasis on leadership and a commitment to society are also consistent with the NU mission. Unit Mission In considering the mission statements of NU and the four component schools of the Unit, we have attempted to identify common threads that could be woven into our own mission. The goal is to be consistent with the five mission statements described above, but at the same time produce a mission that is focused and reflects a clear vision for the Unit itself. Improvement, innovation, and research played prominent roles in all of the above mission statements. We have added the concept of reflection to our mission, and tied all of these threads together through inquiry, resulting in the mission statement for the Teacher Education Unit at Northwestern University: Fostering improvement and innovation through inquiry grounded in reflection and research. Page 9 (of 45)

10 UNIT PHILOSOPHY, PURPOSES, AND GOALS Northwestern University Following a progressive tradition that builds from the work of John Dewey, Northwestern University teacher education programs draw on the power of a professional community established and continuously shaped through inquiry and reflection. We are committed to fostering educational change through the design and evaluation of learning environments and other supports for the development of children, adolescents, adults, and families. We believe that educational change should advance the achievement and development of all candidates, enabling them to meet rigorous academic standards. We believe that such change can be augmented through the preparation of strong educational leaders. We design coursework and field experiences in our programs so that theory becomes understood as it is stated through practice and refined through research. This design work requires our faculties to have strong grounding in both theory and practice. It requires them to be systematic in reflection and in the posing of questions. Thus, the teaching and the research activities of our faculties are guided by inquiry and reflection so as to promote positive educational change. In a similar vein, we design courses of study, learning, and field experiences that serve to apprentice those who are and will be educators (henceforth referred to candidates throughout this document) to value and incorporate systematic inquiry and reflection into their practice and to aim to act as agents of change in their professional lives. We prepare candidates to engage in research on teaching and learning, with the idea that they will, as professionals, be teacher researchers and teacher leaders. Hence, we believe that candidates should be themselves open to change and should be committed to fostering positive change in their classrooms, their schools, and their students. We believe that personal and professional transformation is best achieved when the notion of reflective practitioner is a reality for all involved in teacher education. Unless educators engage in critical reflection and ongoing discovery, they stay trapped in unexamined judgments, interpretations, assumptions and expectations (Larrivee, 2004). Reflection and inquiry are so crucial to initial and ongoing professional growth that the Unit names these particular constructs within its mission statement: Fostering improvement and innovation through inquiry grounded in reflection and research. A look at the literature reveals a common definition of reflection as a deliberate, consistent, systematic effort to uncover those assumptions that we hold, often unconsciously (e.g. Larrivee, 2004; Brookfield, 1995; Sparks-Langer & Colton, 1991; Knowles, 1992; Argyris, 1990). However, assumptions and beliefs operate on a number of different levels for new as well as experienced educators: social, cultural, political as well as historical. When teachers take a critical look at who they are, what influences shape them, how they function in the classroom, and how curriculum gets developed, along with issues of power and authority, they have moved into an area called critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970). Our use of critical reflection throughout our programs provides candidates with the opportunity to understand that all decisions made regarding students and curriculum affect the lives and learning of students. Multicultural perspectives assist faculty and students as they attempt to improve and innovate in classrooms. NU teacher education programs work to help teacher candidates realize that they must develop the skill of seeing situations from multiple perspectives. Inquiry and reflection are dynamic learner/learning-centered theories that go hand-in-hand. While reflection seeks an increased consciousness of assumptions underlying questions, issues, and responses in the classroom, inquiry is the driving force by which those questions and issues get generated for reflective investigation. At NU, inquiry-based education provides a path to end traditional notions of teacher talk as the primary means of knowledge acquisition. We study the role of the teacher as facilitator and mentor engaged in the same quest as the younger learners they seek to teach. Page 10 (of 45)

11 Starting in the disciplines of science and mathematics, there has been a growing recognition of the constructive nature of learning (Bruner, 1990; von Glasersfeld, 1989) which, as one of its outcomes, has led to a renewed emphasis on the inquiry approach that Dewey advocated over a century ago (Dewey, 1902). From a quite different direction has come strong support for cooperative learning and the importance of tasks carried out in small groups (Johnson, Johnson & Holubec, 1993; Sharan & Sharan, 1992; Slavin, 1983). These references exemplify the theory and research that supports the study of education as it is carried out in the undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs at NU. Our professional development curriculum across all programs is grounded visions of learning, learners, and teaching that grow out of our mission. These are described in what follows. Vision of Learning There is a set of principles that grounds a model of learning, valued by our faculties: a model that informs all of the experiences that we design for candidates. This Vision of Learning incorporates attention to student thinking about the subject matter (NUCF 1.1); reflection and research as a means of learning (NUCF 1.2); learning as a social practice, which encourages collaborative learning in which people clarify doubts, examine beliefs and work together to address questions and concerns (NUCF 1.3); authentic experiences, where class sessions and assignments are designed to engage students interests and to have implication for the student beyond the classroom (NUCF 1.4); and the use of technology to extend learning opportunities and thinking (NUCF 1.5). Theories, Literature, and Research We believe that perspectives on learning matter. Conceptions of learning guide what we see and what we do with our observations. Current social and cultural theories provide a lens for the teacher education programs at NU. We assume that learning is, in its essence, a fundamentally social phenomenon, reflecting our own deeply social nature as human beings (Wenger, 1998). Further, we assume that people learn best within communities of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991) in which members engage mutually in an enterprise and, in the process of participation, develop a shared repertoire including concepts, discourses, artifacts, tools. Not only do people learn with and from each other, in the process of community participation, they can literally transform who they are. The immediate extension of these constructs in our programs is that we value the work of community building and teach to its power. Likewise, we nurture this ability in our candidates so that they may construct communities of practice within their own classrooms (NUCF 1.3). Our perspective views learning as transformation of one s understanding and oneself rather than acquisition of factual information (Light & Cox, 2001). Hence, we maintain that reflection and research are the means to learning, much as Dewey maintained (Dewey, 1916; NUCF 1.2). For transformation (learning) to occur, teachers need to: 1) understand student thinking as influenced by social and cultural experiences (e.g. Heath 1983; NUCF 1.1), 2) understand learning as a social practice (Vygotsky, 1978; Lave & Wenger, 1991; NUCF 1.3), and 3) understand the value of authentic experience (Wiggins, 1998). In our teacher education programs, we define authentic experience as experience that results from activity that is undertaken for its own sake (NUCF 1.4). Often, it is activity that has value and implication beyond the classroom. Such activity may be carried out for a reason that the learner, in addition to or instead of the teacher, deems important. Decades of research in the cognitive sciences have advanced our understandings about how children and adults develop understanding and how they build structures of knowledge within situated contexts. Authentic learning allows students to explore, discover, discuss, and meaningfully construct concepts and Page 11 (of 45)

12 relationships in contexts that involve real-world problems and projects that are relevant and interesting to the learner (NUCF 1.4). Candidates in our programs learn to observe student thinking as they (the students) engage in authentic learning (Donovan, Bransford, & Pellegrino, 1999) and form genuine questions they wish to address (Haroutunian-Gordon, 1991). Technology enhances and extends student learning and candidates observations (NUCF 1.5). Our candidates begin to learn the value of technology as they begin to prepare digital portfolios and attend courses in which technology is integrated. Research (e.g. Abbott & Faris, 2000; Angrist, J. & Lavy, V., 1999) and the wisdom of practice have helped us understand the crucial role that technology can play in extending authentic learning (NUCF 1.5). The hope is that students, through (participation) in these activities, will come to understand the deeper structures of the disciplines that they are studying, not just the surface-level information that makes no useful sense unless given context by the deeper structure (Lebow & Wager, 1994). Dispositions Given the central role that our Vision of Learning plays in the NUCF, it is fitting that six of the seven candidate dispositions approved by the Unit Committee in spring 2004 are implied by this vision. 1. Willingness to systematically reflect on one s own practice. (NUCF 1.2, 3.1) 2. Commitment to understanding students thinking about the subject matter. (NUCF 1.1) 3. Belief in the value of seeing students as individuals (NUCF 1.3, 2.1, 2.2) 4. Enthusiasm for learning and teaching through collaboration. (NUCF 1.3) 5. Willingness to take the risks associated with engaging students interests through real world experiences. (NUCF 1.4) 6. Energy for incorporating innovations in teaching, including the use of new technologies. (NUCF 1.5) One cannot learn through reflection and research (NUCF 1.2) without being willing to systematically reflect upon one s own practice as well as that of others (Disposition 1). Understanding student thinking about the subject matter (NUCF 1.1) requires a true commitment on the part of the candidate (Disposition 2). Collaborating with others to examine beliefs, questions, and concerns is a necessary aspect of learning as a social practice (NUCF 1.3), and cannot be accomplished without seeing students as individuals and enthusiasm for collaborative learning and teaching (Dispositions 3, 4). Authentic experience (NUCF 1.4) is a cornerstone of the NUCF. We recognize that engaging student interests in such a way as to provide such experiences is not without risk risk of departing from lesson plans, spending classroom time identifying individual interests and questions, and perhaps defining unanticipated objectives. Our candidates must be willing to take those risks (Disposition 5). Finally, the educator we wish each of our candidates to become must have the energy required to incorporate new technologies and other innovations into classroom teaching (NUCF 1.5, Disposition 6). Alignment to Standards We have aligned the NUCF to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards (IPTS), Language Arts Standards for All Teachers (LAS), and Technology Standards for All Teachers (TECH). The alignment of these standards with NU s Vision of Learning is detailed below. A brief visual overview of the following, the NUCF Standards/Alignment Grid, is included in Appendix A of this document. IPTS #1 Content Knowledge: In order for a teacher to understand how a student thinks about the subject matter as stipulated by NUCF 1.1, the teacher must first have a firm grasp of the subject matter, including knowledge of the central concepts, methods of inquiry, and overall structure of the Page 12 (of 45)

13 discipline. This includes an understanding of specific content area learning standards. Matrices submitted to the ISBE with our program reports detail the specific ways in which the content area standards are met. The Master Grid of Standards and Courses summarizes the matrices for all program areas within SESP. NUCF 1.4 focuses on creating authentic experiences in the classroom, which is the means by which we feel that teachers are able to make content meaningful and relevant to students. Authentic experiences are those pursued out of genuine interest in the subject matter. When the study of content is of interest to the students for its own sake, it has meaning for them. IPTS #3 Diversity: In NUCF 1.3, we recognize that learning is a social practice, which means that learning occurs when people work together and learn from each other. Whether reading, viewing, or talking, interaction with another is a condition of learning. IPTS #4 Planning for Instruction: Planning for instruction is a complicated matter, which is why it relates to so many of the points in the NUCF. Understanding how students think about the subject matter (NUCF 1.1) is the first step toward designing a relevant lesson. Knowledge and appreciation of the social nature of learning (NUCF 1.3), the developmental needs of the learners (2.1), and the diverse communities to which learners belong (NUCF 2.2) help the candidate design authentic learning experiences which have implications beyond the classroom (NUCF 1.4). Technology is an invaluable tool for lesson planning, as it can help illustrate concepts or make available information that might otherwise be remote or difficult to grasp (NUCF 1.5). IPTS #5 Learning Environment: We provide opportunities for candidates to see that learning is a social practice (NUCF 1.3). We also emphasize the use of technology to extend learning opportunities and student thinking (NUCF 1.5). One advantage of technology is that it can provide new means to engage students in learning. Interactive computer programs, for instance, allow students to take a more active role in learning than textbooks or filmstrips. IPTS #6 Instructional Delivery: The importance of providing authentic experience (NUCF 1.4) guides our view of instructional delivery. Authentic experience allows inquiry to occur in the classroom, as students are trying to solve a problem or answer a question because it is important to them, not because a teacher has asked them to do so. Small-group discussions focus upon cultivating and pursuing the resolution of genuine questions. The learning experiences that students pursue depend upon their interests and developmental needs. IPTS #7 Communication: We believe that learning is a social activity (NUCF 1.3) that occurs throughout one s lifespan, and is always influenced by the social contexts in which one lives and interacts (NUCF 2.1). As such, communication is vital to our teacher education candidates. We place a great emphasis on discussion and collaboration. IPTS #8 Assessment: Like planning for instruction, assessment touches upon several points in the NUCF. It is our belief that assessment and lesson planning go hand-in-hand, as lessons aim to reach goals, and teachers try to assess their success. Our candidates work to understand how their students think (NUCF 1.1), which is the first step toward assessment. Authentic experiences (NUCF 1.4) and collaborative learning activities (NUCF 1.3) provide a base from which appropriate assessments, as well as appropriate lessons, can be developed. Just as technology can be used to illustrate concepts or make information available which might otherwise be remote or difficult to grasp (NUCF 1.5), it can also be used to develop innovative methods of assessment. IPTS #9 Collaborative Relationships: We view learning as a social practice, which encourages collaborative learning in which people clarify doubts, examine beliefs and work together to address questions and concerns (NUCF 1.3). This collaboration is not limited to the classroom. Rather, it is a Page 13 (of 45)

14 vision of learning that extends to other teachers as well as the community outside the school, including social organizations, individuals, and families. Northwestern University IPTS #10 Reflection and Professional Growth: Reflection is at the core of our mission statement, and thus fuels our entire NUCF. Reflection and research together constitute a powerful means of learning (NUCF 1.2), both for our candidates and for their students. As student thinking continually changes, understanding student thinking (NUCF 1.1) requires constant reflection and consideration. The reflective teacher asks: Has a lesson furthered a student s understanding of the subject matter, or has it hindered understanding in some way? How might subsequent lessons be shaped in light of experiences? LAS #1 Techniques to Develop Every Aspect of Communication: To understand student thinking about subject matter, teachers need to listen, speak, write, read, question, and engage students in discussion and reflection. In so doing, they will help students to develop reading, writing, speaking and listening, questioning, and reflection skills themselves (NUCF 1.1). LAS #2 Model English Language Arts Skills: Again, in coming to understand student thinking, teachers will exercise communication skills reading, speaking, writing, questioning, listening, and reflecting. To draw out students ideas, teachers need well-developed skills in these areas. Teachers should set the standards for communication skills that the students acquire (NUCF 1.1). LAS #3 Give Constructive Feedback to Students: In order to meet the instructional needs of students and help them learn, the teacher needs to understand how the student thinks about the subject matter (NUCF 1.1). Such understanding becomes possible when the teacher recognizes the needs that learners, coming from different social/cultural contexts and ages bring to the study of the content (NUCF 2.1, 2.2). TECH #1 Basic Computer/Technology Operations and Concepts: Throughout our programs, we focus on the use of technology to extend learning opportunities and thinking (NUCF 1.5). This includes the use of computer software within the classroom, as well as the use of technology to help plan and carry out lessons, maintain records, conduct research, and disseminate findings. TECH #2 Personal and Professional Use of Technology: All of the technology standards relate to NUCF 1.5. In addition, we emphasize reflection and research (NUCF 1.2), both professionally and personally, for which technology is of great use. Technology allows for collaboration and the creation of social groups not limited to a single classroom. This is extremely important for our programs, as we view learning as a social practice (NUCF 1.3). Understanding student thinking (NUCF 1.1) includes understanding how the new and larger social groups bound together by technology affect our students outside the classroom as well. TECH #3 Application of Technology in Instruction: All of the technology standards relate to NUCF 1.5. Since we view learning as a social practice, we focus on collaborative learning where students can learn from each other (NUCF 1.3). To this end, the diverse backgrounds represented by the students within a classroom are a vast resource for the entire educational community (NUCF 2.2). An awareness of student diversity and the different social contexts in which the students live helps the teacher to understand how each student thinks or approaches the -subject matter of a given course (NUCF 1.1). All of these understandings guide the use of technology in instruction. TECH #4 Social, Ethical, and Human Issues: All of the technology standards relate to NUCF 1.5. As technology changes, the nature of communication, the workplace, and society as a whole change as well, thus modifying the social contexts in which people live. Because of its effect on student Page 14 (of 45)

15 thinking (NUCF 1.1), an awareness of the continually changing nature of technology and its effects on society is critical as our candidates examine social, ethical, and human issues related to computing and technology. TECH #5 Productivity Tools: All of the technology standards relate to NUCF 1.5. In addition, understanding student thinking in the content area (NUCF 1.1) requires the teacher to grasp not only what the students believe about the subject, but also how technology can enhance student understanding. TECH #6 Telecommunications and Information Access: All of the technology standards relate to NUCF 1.5. We emphasize research and reflection (NUCF 1.2) in our candidates, for which technology is an invaluable tool. Technology also affords opportunities to create new social groups unbounded by classroom walls or even by geographical proximity. As we envision learning to be a social practice (NUCF 1.3), the opportunity to form groups supporting members skills and interests is indispensable. Additionally, technology allows candidates to quickly access information and resources, which can help them, understand their students (NUCF 1.1). An Internet search can help a teacher understand references made by students in the classroom, and this information can in turn suggest a novel way in which the teacher might approach the teaching of subject matter. TECH #7 Research, Problem Solving, and Product Development: All of the technology standards relate to NUCF 1.5. Research is one of the key elements of our mission statement, and is reflected in NUCF 1.2. Our view of learning as a social practice encourages collaborative learning (NUCF 1.3). The collaboration can occur within the classroom among students, or beyond the classroom with the professional community outside the school, city, state, or nation. Teacher research, collaboration, or product development is fueled either by an understanding of student thinking about the subject matter or by a desire to obtain that understanding (NUCF 1.1). TECH #8 Information Literacy Skills: All of the technology standards relate to NUCF 1.5. The information literacy skills skills in using technology --are acquired as part of learning to understand student thinking about the subject matter (NUCF 1.1). The skills are learned so as to access and evaluate that understanding. They are also used to extend that understanding (NUCF 1.5). Since learning is conceived as a social practice (NUCF 1.3), the skills in using technology are acquired so as to enhance learning among people in groups, for example, as they identify and pursue questions of concern to group members. Influence on Policy and Practice In course and field experiences, candidates are apprenticed to observe and draw on student thinking (NUCF 1.1) as they design learning opportunities for K-12 students. For example, one of our subject matter methods courses, MS_ED 426, Mathematics in the Elementary School 2, is taught in such a way that candidates are able to reconstruct their own mathematical knowledge as well as develop new views of a mathematics classroom. They participate in a model mathematics classroom in which they work in groups, explain their thinking and strive to understand and help others understand, but at the same time reflect on mathematical pedagogy. Candidates are taught multi-digit multiplication in base 8 rather than the base 10 with which they are familiar. This allows them to assume the role their future students will take, knowing nothing of multiplication before the lesson. They use base 8 physical materials that enable them to construct their own mathematical methods of multiplying. Thus, they reconstruct their own concepts and methods of multiplication, but now with understanding. Then they discuss their new mathematical understandings, their feelings at the point of initial lack of understanding, and the role of the community in facilitating their engagement and learning. Page 15 (of 45)

16 Reflection and research (NUCF 1.2) are emphasized throughout the Unit. One clear example is the Master s Project Sequence (MS_ED 406, 407, and 408) 3, which is required of all candidates completing the Master of Science in Education Program. Candidates first identify a point of concern relating to the practice of education and then develop a research question based upon this point of concern. Once the question has been formulated, candidates read and analyze existing literature on the subject. During field experiences, they conduct research in their own classrooms to further study the question at hand. The data is collected and analyzed throughout the sequence, and presented in a final Master s Project, which also identifies avenues for further research on the topic. The candidates engage in experiences of learning as a social practice (NUCF 1.3) through group projects in many of their classes. For example, in MS_ED 406, Research and Analysis in Teaching and Learning I: Discussion and Question Development, they work in collaborative groups to design worthwhile questions and to conduct interpretive discussions in K-12 classrooms. In MS_ED 424, Foundations of Reading and Language Acquisition 4, they work in collaborative groups to design learning activities that involve modeling complex concepts and strategies in reading comprehension. A strong sense of learning in communities develops throughout the field experiences in SESP, SoM, and SoC as candidates work both in the field and in seminars. Authentic experience (NUCF 1.4) is critical to all of the programs within the Unit. Teacher candidates in SoM begin studying the artifacts of practice in MUSIC_ED 260. They teach a short segment about any topic and the teaching sequence is videotaped and discussed within a group context. As part of the internship experience, teacher candidates in Music Education videotape their teaching and reflect on that practice with NU and school based mentors as well as their peers. These activities engage them in generative problems within the discipline of music and its teaching. Likewise, in classes such as MS_ED 424 Foundations of Reading and Language Acquisition, candidates evaluate student work from actual classrooms and go into schools to conduct individual reading inventories to evaluate students strengths and weaknesses in reading comprehension. Working in urban and suburban schools, reflecting on their engagement with students and designing learning tasks that involve students in real world problems are ways that candidates routinely learn through authentic experience. Because we are committed to the use of technologies to develop student learning (NUCF 1.5), we design opportunities for candidates that ask them to use such tools to conduct inquiry-based projects. We believe that if candidates are grounded in uses of these technologies while at NU, they are more likely to view such tools as resources when they go to work in schools, in whatever capacities. For example in SoM, music technology is stressed in every music education course, including a specialized course MUSIC_ED/MUSIC_TECH 259, Introduction to Music Technology 5. Furthermore, because many faculty in the Learning Sciences design computer based tools to support learning, candidates explore uses of these tools in many courses. Hence, Professor Brian Reiser s research using the BeGuile software tool 6 to explore evolutionary biology is incorporated into the science methods coursework (LRN_SCI 435) 7. Candidates in MS_ED 424, Foundations of Reading and Language Acquisition, work with the Collaboratory Notebook designed by Professor Daniel Edelson and explore the notebooks designed for teaching novels constructed by Professor Carol D. Lee. We believe the direct use of such cutting-edge computer based tools in the candidates professional development enhances the likelihood that they will feel comfortable using this technology in their classrooms and that they will be in positions to provide leadership in technology in the schools. Vision of Learners Our Vision of Learners encompasses more than the traditional view of a learner as a student. All people at all stages of life are learners: children, students, parents, and teachers. We view the candidates as Page 16 (of 45)

17 learners who come from particular communities with particular social and cultural histories. We also seek to help them think about their students in developmental terms, to design learning environments that are responsive to the developmental needs of children and adolescents, and to conceptualize teaching as responsive to the cultural experiences of the students they teach. Our Vision of Learners focuses on lifelong learning and development shaped by social context (NUCF 2.1) and student diversity as a resource for the educational community (NUCF 2.2). Theories, Literature, and Research In the 20 th Century, educators have moved away from an individualistic notion of the learner as one who learns alone to new understandings that point to the social origins of intelligence (Dewey 1920; Vygotsky, 1978). The teacher education programs at Northwestern University have rejected a traditional view that learning is the accumulation of knowledge. Instead, it is our understanding that learning is a lifelong endeavor with construction of meaning as the central process, not storage and recall of inert facts (NUCF 2.1). The Centre for Research in Lifelong Learning, a joint initiative between Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Sterling formed in 1999, reports survey data that reveal strong associations between patterns of participation in learning on the one hand and broad social categories such as class, gender, and age on the other (2003). The work at the Centre focuses on cognitive aspects of social relations and social interaction. The Foley Center at Northwestern, under the direction of Professor Dan McAdams, carries out research into learning and development over the lifetime. Work such as this informs our understandings of situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991) and social contexts, and their influence upon lifelong engagement in learning in a pluralistic society (NUCF 2.1). Diversity in the United States is created by many factors, including but by no means limited to different languages and ethnicities. In such a context, differences among learners can be viewed as a deficit or a resource. The teacher education programs at NU view differences among learners as a resource for learning (NUCF 2.2). Guided by multicultural research and theory (c.f. Nieto, 1996), our vision of learners, is one characterized by respect for all, including those from groups historically marginalized in this country. Students are viewed as capable of and responsible for creating change through action, both in their own lives and in the broader society (Cummins, 1996). Candidates in our programs not only study issues related to diversity, they live a curriculum in which they interact and collaborate across cultural and linguistic boundaries in preparation for constructing their own multicultural classrooms. All learners come to us with funds of knowledge (Moll, 1992) impressive resources developed outside of school that can be used to enhance instruction. Chief among these resources is the language of the learner s home. Research (Cummins, 1989) has shown us the positive impact that recognizing and affirming students languages can have on their learning and developing sense of who they are. We teach our candidates that language diversity needs to be placed within a sociopolitical context to understand why speaking a language other than English is not itself a handicap. On the contrary, it can be a great asset to learning (Krashen, 1981; Tatum, 1997; NUCF 2.2). Dispositions Our Vision of Learners implies one of the seven dispositions noted earlier in this document a most crucial one. 3. Belief in the value of seeing students as individuals. (NUCF 1.3, 2.1, 2.2) Page 17 (of 45)