|
The Educational Heritage, Mission,
and Philosophy of Roberts Wesleyan College
Graduate education programs at Roberts Wesleyan College affirm the College's Christian heritage and mission of "education for character." Roberts Wesleyan College (RWC) was founded in 1866 by Benjamin Titus Roberts who, with the other founders of the Free Methodist Church, affirmed the view of Christian teaching, personal piety, and social action taught by John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. In explaining his purpose in founding the school, Roberts wrote, "While we cannot prize too highly the benefits of mental culture, we should not lose sight of that moral and religious culture which lies at the foundation of correct principles and good character."
.
RWC graduate education programs share the College's belief that education must address the whole person as a physical, rational, psychosocial and spiritual being. Professional education is strengthened by the College's historic Christian concern for the communication of human values and the development of the whole person. All RWC programs are based on awareness of both the complexity of the world and the diversity of human nature. No one method of inquiry or verification is regarded as the sole route to knowledge, and no one set of professional skills or methods is regarded as sufficient for professional practice.
.
.
Educational Goals
of RWC Graduate Programs in Education
All RWC graduate education programs affirm the wider institution's goals that students will:
.
- appreciate the inherent human worth and dignity of all persons as individuals created by God.
- recognize and respect their own heritage, as well as the cultural, intellectual, and religious traditions of others.
- cultivate personal integrity and social consciousness leading to responsible stewardship and service.
- act as caring participants in moral communities marked by interconnectedness and accountability.
- develop competence in the use of information technology and instructional technology.
- understand the presuppositions and inquiry methods of the disciplines they teach and of the field of education.
- develop their abilities to collect, analyze interpret, and reason from quantitative and/or qualitative data.
- formulate and solve problems using appropriate resources, heuristics, technology, and reasoning.
- develop habits of reflection, attitudes of inquiry, and patterns of lifelong learning.
Philosophical Orientation
of RWC Graduate Programs in Education
Roberts Wesleyan College graduate programs in education are committed to promoting and supporting the initial preparation and on-going professional education of teachers and other educators who are:
- committed to the well-being of children, families, and communities.
- accomplished in and passionate about the content they teach.
- excellent and reflective practitioners of research-based and theoretically-grounded instruction.
The vision of teaching excellence that informs RWC's graduate programs - across all content areas, developmental levels, and levels of certification - is informed by a timeless and rich heritage of classical and Christian educational thought as well as by contemporary advances in educational research and educational theory. While each individual program is designed to meet the specific requirements of the certificate for which it prepares students, each also reflects a common vision of teaching excellence that integrates:
- reflective practice
- ethical formation and leadership
- advanced content knowledge
- instructional excellence
- ongoing personal and professional growth.
This integration is supported throughout each program's course of study and exhibited in each student's culminating thesis or curriculum project.
.
.
.
. |
