General Program Overview.

The programs leading to the Diploma of Teaching and the Diploma of Education include seven areas of study that provide the student with a firmly principled, soundly theoretical, and highly practical teacher education program:

• Religious Studies.  These studies are comprised of three strands: the study of the Bible, the study of the history of the church, and a course in ethics. Courses in this area equip prospective teachers with knowledge and skills for teaching Bible and church history to children and for applying biblical guidelines to the issues and controversies of daily life.

• Education Studies.  These studies are designed to help prospective teachers develop a biblically-sound view of the nature and purpose of Reformed education, understand their role in developing and delivering the school curriculum, and engage in critical examination of educational theories and practices in the light of both secular and Christian curriculum orientations.

• Studies in Educational Psychology.  These studies include child development, learning theories, assessment, and special education. A primary emphasis in these courses is the development of a sound understanding of the child and his/her uniqueness as a creature of God in the context of schooling.
  

• Curriculum Methods Studies.  Methods courses equip students with background knowledge and an understanding of the nature and purpose of the subjects in the elementary and/or secondary school curriculum. Students are also equipped with skills for planning, teaching, and assessment in the context of specific subject areas. Methods courses are linked to the expectations outlined in Ontario’s Ministry of Education curriculum guidelines.
  

• Academic Studies.  Courses are designed to help prospective teachers appreciate, analyze, and critique literary works of their culture and to develop a discerning mind to evaluate changing world views and paradigms.

• Teaching Studies.  Teaching studies courses help students bridge educational theory and practice by preparing them for field work and exposing them to the teaching and planning skills needed for the classroom.

• Field Experience: Practicum.  Students learn to put theory into practice when they are placed in the classrooms to observe and practise the skills of teaching in the context of Reformed schooling.