2024-2025 Academic Catalog

Education

JOE HELBLING, PH.D., Director of Teacher Education, DEPT CHAIR

KATHY GILBOY, ED.D.

MICHELE VANASSE, PH.D.

Mission

The mission of the Teacher Education Program is to prepare students for lifelong learning, intellect, imagination, self-confidence, and motivation, while preparing them for the teaching profession. Students investigate, reflect, analyze, and judge reality and truth through inquiry and discussion. Committed to educating each student as a total human being, the teacher education unit helps students to receive, respond to, organize, and characterize values. Specifically, students develop values about teaching, society, health behaviors, moral issues, education, and political influences. We ask our students to think boldly about the opportunities and responsibilities presented to us by a rapidly changing world. Students within the Program are encouraged to live Carroll College’s mission by participating in community service and by interacting with children and adults from diverse cultural, religious, economic, and intellectual backgrounds.

Teacher Education advances this mission as it works within the Carroll College’s Teacher Education Conceptual Framework. That framework is built upon a liberal arts education, structured by traditional educational philosophies, and embraced by an atmosphere of dignity, which values justice of all persons.

Student Learning Outcomes

The goal of Carroll College’s Teacher Education Program is to support students in developing teaching competencies in their chosen fields and assist them in becoming education professionals capable of responding to their students’ individual needs. Teacher education graduates from all programs will demonstrate competence in the following Montana teaching standards:

demonstrate understanding of how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, behavioral health continuum, and physical areas, and individualize developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences for learners of all cognitive abilities;

use understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities, including American Indians and tribes in Montana and English Language Learners (ELL), to ensure inclusive environments that enable each learner to meet high standards;

work with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation;

demonstrate understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) the candidate teaches and create individualized learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content, and include the instruction of reading and writing literacy into all program areas;

demonstrate understanding of how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues;

use multiple methods of assessment, including formative and summative assessments, to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making;

plan and implement individualized instruction that supports students of all cognitive abilities in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context;

use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections and build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways;

engage in ongoing professional learning and use evidence to continually evaluate candidate practice, particularly the effects of candidates choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapt practice to meet the needs of each learner;

interact knowledgeably and professionally with students, families, and colleagues based on social needs and institutional roles;

engage in leadership or collaborative roles, or both, in content-based professional learning communities and organizations and continue to develop as professional educators; and

demonstrate understanding of and ability to integrate history, cultural heritage, and contemporary status of American Indians and tribes in Montana.

Majors and Minors

The following majors and minors leading to Montana Teacher Licensure are offered at Carroll College:

Majors:

Minors:

In order to teach with a minor, students must also have a major in a teacher licensure area.