Faculty of Education Summer 2011
community organizations where they begin to appreciate that teaching and learning happens all the time beyond the confines of school classrooms .
Our first five course certificate , offered completely online to individuals across the province and the world , was our certificate in Adult Education and Training . We also offer , both in Regina and at a distance , a 10-course , post-degree certificate program in inclusive education . Over the past 2 years this program was offered in Swift Current and drew a cohort of practicing teachers from across the southwest region of our province . Some of those courses are delivered online . This certificate program is currently being offered in a similar format in Prince Albert — face-to-face instruction on the weekends , one course at a time , supplemented by online support , activities , and readings . The demand for this certificate program continues to outstrip our ability to deliver , but many hope similar courses , perhaps at the graduate level , can soon be offered in La Ronge .
Continued high demand across the province has been for communitybased , graduate-level programs as a critical form of professional development for teachers . We have partnerships with school divisions and regional colleges across the province . Our first cohort , in adult education , was held in Yorkton 4 years ago . Since then we have completed two more Master ’ s of Education programs in curriculum and instruction , one in North Battleford and one in La Ronge . This summer , two new
3 cohorts started in Meadow Lake and in Estevan / Weyburn with students studying educational administration and leadership . In January , another group will start a similar program in Moose Jaw . In addition , in alliance with other western Canadian institutions , we have created a primarily online Maitrisse en education francais for francophone teachers . All of these community-based Master ’ s of Education programs culminate in action research projects which participants complete in the home communities in which they live and work .
Again , responding to local demand and in partnership with local school divisions and regional colleges , we are beginning the first semester of a 4-year BEd undergraduate program in Meadow Lake . Some of the courses in this program will be offered online . It is our hope that with appropriate funding and partners , we will be able to do more communitybased programming in the future .
Being in and of community means building community . Establishing a community of learners and making meaningful connections to community take many forms . Everyone in this province knows the importance of a school to the continued vitality of a community . Taking education programs out to communities in a variety of ways ensures that we are truly a provincial university , providing greater accessibility and diverse experiences to a wider number of students at undergraduate and graduate levels .