Degrees for Education

The vision of the Cannon-Clary College of Education embodies all that God would have us to be as Christians engaged in touching the lives of people. We see ourselves and our task as part of a larger mission to change lives of people through learning and serving. To this end, the mission of the Cannon-Clary College of Education is to equip and sustain reflective, life-long learners who are competent, confident, compassionate, and courageous professionals, who, in turn, will inspire and enable those they serve.

By following this vision and its accompanying mission, the Cannon-Clary College of Education strives to develop principled professionals who possess the knowledge, skills, and disposition to:
Integrate their faith, learning, and living to serve their communities as models and mentors for moral and ethical leadership.
Respect and recognize variance in those they serve and have knowledge and skills to accommodate those variances.
Develop critical thinking skills within those they serve so they can make responsible choices about their learning and behavior.
Challenge themselves to grow professionally through rigorous study, reading, reflection, and research.
Possess superior knowledge of the discipline(s) they teach or practice as well as a general knowledge of all disciplines.
Seek to establish collegial relationships for meaningful collaboration.
Effectively use and apply emerging technologies in changing environments.
Possess skills which enable them to effectively serve in a variety of settings.

The M.Ed(SEN) is a part-time two-year postgraduate degree programme designed for teachers and other professionals involved in the education, care and management of persons with special educational needs and disabilities. The general purpose of the M.Ed(SEN) programme is to develop and enhance participants’ knowledge of discourse and legislation related to SEN, of modes of provision and educational practices, as well as models of support and management for persons with special educational needs, whether in mainstream special education, clinical or other settings. The specific aim of the programme is to prepare teachers and other professionals to work with a diversity of students with special needs in the most inclusive and least restrictive environments. The core defining characteristic of the M.Ed(SEN) is that it is multidisciplinary in its approach to the education and care of young persons with special educational needs. External contributions to the M.Ed(SEN) programme include inputs from expert practitioners working in a variety of professional settings. This multidisciplinary emphasis reflects current and accelerating changes in the legal, political, educational, medical, therapeutic and organisational contexts of special needs provision, both nationally and internationally.

The M.Ed(SEN) programme is of two years’ duration. The first year of the programme comprises two twelve-week teaching semesters, of which one week per semester is free for independent study, reading and research. During the first year, the attendance requirement is two evenings per week, with lectures/tutorials commencing at 4.30/5.00 pm. During the second year, students attend lectures two evenings per week during the first semester (September-December).

Within the conceptual framework of the College of Education and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, both the Reading Education (Reading) and Reading Story and Story Arts (Storytelling) programs reflect the importance of the process and products of education and the need for graduates to be flexible thinkers as they deal with an increasingly diverse and changing society. Both programs exhibit collaboration with schools and other agencies. The two programs differ from each other in the specific elements the comprise goals. The specific goals of each option are designed to produce competent professionals with expertise in each major field of study.

Reading students will be competent, caring, reflective teachers who will be dedicated to helping children and/or adults acquire improved literacy skills. The candidates will be competent to fill a variety of public and/or private school jobs that require expertise in reading education. Reading students will learn those elements of technology that will enable them to teach from commercially prepared programs that is technology dependent and to use technology to create student and teacher developed materials. Reading students also learn about licensure standards for special teachers of reading.