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Coming in 2003:
Consecutive Teacher Education at Trent!
There
is a buzz on campus this fall among students interested in teacher education.
And with good reason.
Trent is launching its own School of Education and Professional Learning, the key component of which will be an independent, consecutive Bachelor of Education program. Dr. Deborah Berrill was recently appointed director of the new School, which will offer 115 full-time student spaces and the equivalent of 120 part-time spaces.
"I am so excited about the opportunity that is presented here," says Ms. Berrill. "Peterborough has been a community that supports teacher education, going way back to the Peterborough Teacher's College. As well, the faculty response to this program has been overwhelming, which is positive and bodes well for the type of innovation we want to see in this program."
Not only does the city of Peterborough boast a long-standing teacher education history, but Trent itself is well-known its partnership with Queen's University in offering a successful concurrent teacher education program. Students are admitted to the concurrent program at the beginning of their university education. They take various education courses in conjunction with their B.A. or B.Sc. courses, and the final year of their program is spent at Queen's University and in classroom placements. The introduction of a consecutive teacher education program means that obtaining a Bachelor of Education is now possible for students who first complete their B.A. or B.Sc. and then decide to pursue a career in teaching.
Consecutive teacher education programs already exist at some Ontario universities but there are a few factors which make the new Trent program unique. Perhaps the most noticeable factor is the introduction of a flexible part-time option.
"This is the first part-time program of this nature, designed to meet the needs of individuals who wish to become teachers but may have family responsibilities or are pursuing alternate careers," explains Deborah, adding that another exciting component to the Trent program will be the building of relationships with many community partners, including local educators. "We want the program to function through collaboration with faculty, the community, partnerships and relationships with business and industry. I am excited about the professional learning part of this program for existing teachers and school administrators - there are exciting possibilities there," she explains.
"Many faculty and staff of the University played an integral role in bringing this School to fruition. Their ongoing commitment to this initiative has made this shared vision a reality," says Trent University President Bonnie Patterson.
The initial accreditation process for the School of Education and Professional Learning is underway, and an official government announcement about the opening of this program is expected early in the autumn. In the meantime, prospective B.Ed. students can call the Office of the Registrar at 748-1011, ext. 5025, for more information. It would be appreciated if calls could be delayed until late September to allow the Office of the Registrar time to process information related to the 2002/03 academic year. Information will also be available in the near future at www.trentu.ca/education.
Photo: School of Education and Professional Learning Director Dr. Deborah Berrill reads with 4-year-old Otis Fatona-Pinet (centre), 6-year-old Prag Rajdev (bottom left), 4-year-old Nikhil Rajdev (top left), 8-year-old Hannah Lavender (top right) and 6-year-old Cory Lavender (bottom right). Ms Berrill is committed to providing the best teacher training possible through Trent's new consecutive education program.
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