Department of Teaching and Learning
OVERVIEW
Welcome to the Department of Teaching & Learning. We offer a wide range of majors for aspiring teachers seeking a Bachelors or Masters degree in the field of education. Taught by a caring and culturally-responsive faculty, our education programs provide safe and effective learning environments in VSU's state of the art facilities, while also exposing students to real-world teaching environments as part of the degree. We are proud to highlight our signature programs "I Too Teach" and the "Hybrid Education Residency Opportunity."
Our Curriculums are designed to help graduates become licensed by the Virginia Department of Education. In addition, we also offer a non-licensed undergraduate program in community-based education that is designed to develop professionals to work in community-based settings that focus on children and youth, adults, and the elderly. Another aim of the community-based education program is to identify leaders for community-based agencies.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the department is centered on a common conceptual framework that is aligned with the mission of Virginia State University: to prepare effective and reflective practitioners who are competent, caring and culturally-responsive.
The conceptual framework is continually evolving as it is influenced by current research on teacher education and feedback from advisory boards, evaluations from clinical faculty partners from Virginia school districts, and other community stakeholders. The department’s overall objective is research-based and grounded in the following basic tenets:
- To provide candidates with the tools necessary to become reflective practitioners that are competent, caring, and effective.
- To prepare candidates who exhibit adequate knowledge of subject specific content.
- To develop candidates that foster a respect for diversity and cultural differences including gender, ethnicity, race, socioeconomics, and exceptionalities that will assist in meeting the needs of all people for an evolving global community.
- To cultivate candidates that promote the application of research and evidence based practices in their post graduate careers.
- To prepare candidates that will be able to use educational and informational technology to enhance student learning and use technology based assessments for data driven decision making.
- To produce candidates that will demonstrate a commitment to professionalism and respect for the accepted legal and ethical norms in education, schools, and communities.
- To develop candidates that are critical thinkers committed to service and value lifelong learning.
