FIELD OF STUDY FACT SHEET

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

ONE YEAR SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM

CYCLE 2005

(JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2006)

 

            1.  Training Goals and Objectives

The goal of the one year socially responsible teacher education program at the University of Arizona is to train CASS scholars to improve basic education and promote civic participation in the Central American and Caribbean nations that they represent.

 

The objective of the program is to develop the pedagogical and technical expertise of the teachers through coursework and related field experiences in school and other community settings.  A related objective is to develop the leadership skills of the teachers through their participation in service-related activities.

 

2.      Program of Study 

The curriculum will consist of courses in education supplemented by a series of

workshops addressing various theme-related issues. 

Participants will:

a.                              Master new methodologies for teaching literacy, numeracy, environmental sciences and critical thinking.

b.                            Learn new methods to design effective materials and strategies for working with students and their families.

c.                             Learn strategies to serve as advocates for all children.

 

3.      Job Shadowing and Professional Linkages

The CASS teachers will be involved in service learning four mornings a week in three local elementary schools.  The participants will work in bilingual education classrooms assisting bilingual teachers with instruction of the core curriculum in Spanish.  CASS teachers may be asked to teach small groups of students, to tutor individual children, and to make presentations about their home countries in the classrooms and schools in which they volunteer.

           

4.      Skills Needed

1.      Participants must have well developed reading and writing skills in Spanish.

2.      Participants must be excited about the opportunity to live outside of their linguistic and cultural comfort zones for twelve months.

3.      Participants must be highly motivated and self disciplined.

4.      Participants must be committed to educational and community change in their home countries.

5.      Participants must be willing to take risks.

 

5.      Competencies Gained

Participants will acquire new pedagogical knowledge and experience, leadership skills and practices, basic competence in English, and theoretical concepts that will help guide their future as socially responsible teachers.