College of Education

Department of
TEACHER EDUCATION

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The Department of Teacher Education administers the professional education component of all undergraduate and graduate teaching programs.

For more information about the department's Transitional Certification Program, see the Graduate Catalog.

Department Mission

The Department of Teacher Education is committed to the principle that teaching is a moral endeavor and that the primary purpose of education in America's schools is the preparation of our youth for the role of citizen in our social and political democracy. This basic belief forms the foundation of our mission. The mission is predicated upon the four moral dimensions espoused by the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER): (a) the enculturation of youth into a social and political democracy; (b) access to knowledge; (c) nurturing pedagogy; and (d) stewardship. The themes of democracy, diversity, and technology are also central to department courses and programs.

Department Objectives:
  1. To provide premier undergraduate and graduate programs for the preparation of preservice teachers and the professional development of in-service teachers.
  2. To encourage the habits of independent and lifelong learning among undergraduate- and graduate-level students.
  3. To foster the development of effective and committed educators who are responsible, collaborative, and reflective. To this end, department undergraduate and graduate courses provide a broad knowledge base, applied skills, competencies, dispositions, and appropriate field and/or practicum experiences.
College of Education - Desired Outcomes - Initial Certification Morally Responsible Professionals in a Social/Political Democracy

The University of Nebraska at Kearney recognizes the importance of education in and for a democratic society and has identified the following desired outcomes. Therefore, by the time UNK students complete their education program, they will:

  1. Demonstrate Knowledge of:
    • (Ka) teaching area content.
    • (Kb) learning theory, instructional strategies and management practices that accommodate and enhance learning of all learners.
    • (Kc) purposes of schooling in a diverse and democratic society.
    • (Kd) data collection and interpretation procedures necessary to maximize learning for all learners.
  2. Demonstrate Skills to:
    • (Sa) develop and implement lesson plans that utilize appropriate P-12 content standards and subject matter.
    • (Sb) utilize student data to implement multiple instructional and management strategies.
    • (Sc) use technology effectively in the school setting.
  3. Demonstrate Dispositions of:
    • (Da) collaboration: Demonstrates ability to work productively with colleagues and students in school and community settings.
    • (Db) reflection: Demonstrates self-assessment abilities and adjusts/adapts teaching and learning strategies to enhance learning of all learners.
    • (Dc) responsibility: Assumes accountability for professional and ethical behavior to promote a safe and supportive learning environment.

Go to: Admission to Teacher Education
Admission to Student Teaching

ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE GRADES/EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MAJOR

Three options are available in this major:

  1. Elementary Education Teaching Field Endorsement - Bachelor of Arts in Education Degree
  2. Middle Grades Teaching Field Endorsement - Bachelor of Arts in Education Degree
    or Middle Grades Teaching Field Endorsement - Bachelor of Science in Education Degree
  3. Early Childhood Inclusive Teaching Field Endorsement - Bachelor of Arts in Education Degree

SPECIAL EDUCATION MAJOR

Three options are available in this major:

  1. Special Education K-12 Teaching Field Endorsement - Bachelor of Arts in Education Degree
  2. Special Education K-6 Teaching Subject Endorsement - Bachelor of Arts in Education Degree
  3. Special Education 7-12 Teaching Subject Endorsement - Bachelor of Arts in Education Degree

Minors in Early Childhood Education, Educational Studies, Special Education, and Training and Development in the Workplace are available in the department.

A supplemental endorsement is offered in English As a Second Language.

Courses with the prefix TE and TESE are offered by the department.

For more information about the department's Transitional Certification Program, see the Graduate Catalog.

16 May 2016

ugradcatalog@unk.edu