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.”