Year 4 Courses

Professional Semester

Courses offered in Year 4 of the program are offered at OISE in the framework of the Professional Semester (from January to April each year).

The Professional Semester is positioned in the winter term of Year 4 of the Program (January to April). During the Professional Semester, candidates focus solely on the Bachelor of Education components and carry out an extended practicum.

The extended practicum allows candidates to build relationships with students and staff over a long period of time, as well gain experience in a school over two months. The integration of course work with the practicum creates an integrative learning process in which candidates can apply theory to practice.

Psychological Foundations of Learning

This course builds on, and extends, the introductory Psychology course on Child and Adolescent Development. It delves more deeply into how development influences learning and also examines general issues related to how students learn. In recent years, several important evidence-based principles have emerged about the nature of learning. For example, we know that learning is a constructive rather than a receptive process, that the structure and organization of knowledge profoundly impact our thinking, that self regulation of cognition are important characteristics of effective learning, that motivation and beliefs direct learning, that social interaction and discourse play an important role in cognitive development, and that to develop competence, a deep foundation of knowledge is needed. We also know that individuals learn differently. How well a teacher understands and appreciates the psychological factors that influence student learning, student motivation, and the learning environment plays an important role in effective teaching practice. There will be a strong emphasis on “application”, with students being encouraged to think critically about learning as they connect course content to both in-class case studies and facets of actual teacher practice observed in their practicum.

Social Foundations of Schooling

This course builds on issues introduced in the prerequisite Equity and diversity in Education course by helping new teachers understand how they can support diverse students’ learning in classroom, school and school system settings. The course helps teacher candidates develop understandings of opportunities for teacher development in school settings; family, community and peer characteristics that shape students’ experiences of schooling; classroom social dynamics and teachers’ curricular and pedagogical choices; program and school organization, and how teachers can work effectively with other teachers and administrators; as well as how educational policies shape the conditions of teaching and learning. Course participants will develop observational skills in order to understand and intervene successfully in classroom, school and policy/system dynamics. By linking with the Practicum in the Professional Semester, the course allows students to observe, experiment with and reflect upon actual teaching experiences and to connect those observations and experiences to larger debates in the educational literature about the goals, purposes, and limitations of schooling.

Curriculum, Instructions and Assessment 1

This course emphasizes subject-specific methodology. Students are introduced to curriculum documents appropriate to their division(s), evidence-informed pedagogical practices, and assessment and evaluation methods. Information about the specific Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment courses is available in the Initial Teacher Education Calendar 2011-12.

Mentored Inquiry in Teaching 1

This course draws upon, and integrates, foundational and curriculum theory and field-based learning. It is designed to prepare new teachers to make connections between theory and practice by linking course work and field experiences. Teacher candidates observe and develop understanding about classrooms, schools and communities. They begin to develop a sense of professional identity and collegial working relationships in the context of a field placement. Through inquiry, teacher candidates engage in reflective practice related to issues and challenges, problem-solving and questioning of assumptions about teaching and learning from a range of educational perspectives. This course includes an in-class component, as well as MIT field experience days and will be linked to the e-Portfolio.

Practicum 1

The practicum consists of two main components: 1) orientation to schools, communities and systems and 2) opportunities for classroom practice related to the candidate’s specific program. During the Professional Semester in Year 4 Teacher candidates are assigned to a 7 week (30 – 35 day) practicum session in schools or other settings approved by the Ontario College of Teachers. This does not include the field experiences candidates are involved in throughout their program. More information about the practicum is available on the School-University Partnerships Office (SUPO) website.