A Revised Program to Activate the VISION

Some changes are needed to bring the vision to fruition. These changes incorporate both shifts in philosophy and structure. After deliberating about standards, trends in reading, institutional restraints, and the realities of our population, we decided to temporarily keep the same set of courses but potentially make expanded use of REED 700, the project or thesis. We realized that courses needed revision and in the future we may change catalog descriptions and course titles. Presently, we plan to actuate the vision through a major revision of course content and a new set of requirements operating concurrently with the courses. A constructivist vision has been planned into the program. The interwoven components provide the student with many opportunities to view a topic from many different perspectives in order to make connections and to construct knowledge. We believe:

• The program promotes learning by providing many paths for the student to construct knowledge.
• The program integrates learning so that topics are connected across the program components.
• The program provides for learning through engagement with peers and others to  build groups and learning communities such as Literacy Peer Coaching Teams.
• Each student in the program belongs to a collaborative learning community and has a responsibility and opportunity to make choices allowing the student to shape his/her program to make it personally relevant.
• The program requires action, analysis, and reflection of areas of knowledge and  skills through the revised program components especially in areas of assignment choices.
• The InTASC Core Teaching Standards and Learning Progressions for Teachers are revisited in each course and are evident throughout the program components.
• The program promotes leadership through the program requirements of the development of an in-service, membership in ILA, support from a Literacy Peer Coaching Team, and programmatic requirements within each course's assignment choices.