Reflections Magazine Issue #51 - Summer 1999 | Page 9

tion program upholds many of the same expectations as in the past. Crane, who joined the faculty part-time in 1988 and full-time in 1991, replaced Sister Eileen as program director in 1994. Crane tries to pass on to future teachers an understanding that their students are individuals with “bodies, minds, emotions, intentions, hopes, dreams, cultures, and souls.” Crane hopes her students will touch the lives of their own students, creating educational environments that address the whole individual. Crane also has adjusted the program to keep Siena graduates “more marketable and competitive.” One of those adjustments was the development of a 16-member Teacher Education Advisory Board. The board advises the teacher education director on policy changes and the program’s future, along with selecting students for acceptance into the program. One recommendation from the Advisory Board was adding a new course: Urban Education Experience. This course, implemented in 1996, requires 60 hours of observation in an urban classroom setting. Most students observe in Jackson, Toledo, or Detroit. “It’s quite a culture shock for many of our students who come from rural settings,” Crane said. “There’s a drought in teachers for urban classrooms, so we want our students to be aware of different settings.” Another recommendation of the board was to raise the required cumulative grade point average for student teachers from a 2.0 to a 2.75. In 2000, that requirement will increase to a 3.0. In addition, as technology has become part of everyday life, staying up-to-date in educational technology has become a major focus of teacher preparation, Associate Professor Dee Crane coordinates today’s Teacher Education Program. Crane said, noting that children 5 and 6 years old often have a better understanding of computers than their parents. Mandated by the State of Michigan, all teacher education graduates now must be computer literate. Siena students must demonstrate this skill before being fully accepted into the teacher education program. Today’s teacher education graduates are very competitive in the teaching marketplace. In the early years of the program, many students were already teaching, and the high demand for teachers almost guaranteed students jobs after graduation. Demand for teachers decreased in the late 1970s; and placement rates for Siena graduates with teaching certificates dropped to 60-70 percent in the year following graduation. This year, with demand increasing for teachers with excellent preparation, 90-95 percent of Siena’s 1999 teacher education graduates can expect to find full-time teaching positions in the semester following graduation. Like her predecessors and her colleagues, Dee Crane demands a lot of herself, her students, and her program. After all, she says, Siena Heights “has a long tradition and reputation for quality teacher education.” Astounding placement rates, superior instruction, and the high expectations of everyone involved in the program seem to guarantee the continued strength of the teacher education program at Siena Heights. Teaching Excellence 9 Graduate Education Program continued pants are seeking their post-baccalaureate initial teacher certificates. The program aims to empower graduate students to positively impact the lives of K-12 students, retain the credentials necessary for various positions and responsibilities, and satisfy state requirements while gaining knowledge of the current “best” practices for teaching. Siena offers graduate programs and endorsements in early childhood education; elementary, middle and secondary education; school counseling; elementary and secondary teaching degrees; early childhood certification; middle level certification; reading certification; and school counseling certification. Siena Heights is the only private institution in Michigan authorized to give the graduate-level middle school endorsement. A needs assessment is underway this summer, and may result in another program being added to the graduate teacher education offerings, Myles noted. Overall, the graduate education program focuses on curriculum, assessment, classroom management and the art of teaching. Self-assessment and self-improvement enable students to reflect on their own teaching processes as they also learn from each other. “In this era, some people prefer video courses to further their education,” said Myles, and those people are not likely to choose Siena. “Those who come to Siena Heights for graduate work want to interact with others,” she said. “This interaction trickles down to the students in their classrooms.”