Conceptual Framework for Preparing Reflective and Caring Technical Educators for a World of Technology and Diversity At New York City College of Technology
Introduction
In developing the conceptual framework, we first reviewed our knowledge base. This knowledge base is informed by the following:
- Pragmatist and constructivist philosophies and influences, represented by the works of John Dewey (1916, 1938), Charles Prosser (1949), and Miller (1996);
- Research on teaching and learning, including the works of Piaget (1952), Vygotsky (1978), and Tiene & Ingram (2001);
- Nature of professionalism, especially the views of the Holmes Group (1995, 1986), John Goodlad (1994), Linda Darling-Hammond (1997), and Miller & Miller (1998);
- Significance of reflective practice in teaching, including the woks of Goodlad (1994), Yoo, (2001), Chester (2001); and Collier (1991);
- Technological literacy for effective social participation, represented by Martin (2002), Israel (1995), and the International Technology Education Association (ITEA, 1996);
- Diversity as a social and moral imperative, for example, the works of Goodlad (1994), Darling -Hammond (1997), and Larke & Larke (1995);
- National, state and local content standards and best practices, including the New York State Standards for Preparing Classroom Teachers (NYSED), Standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the New York State Learning Standards (NYSED), the International Technology Education Association (ITEA) Standards for Technological Literacy, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) Vocational Educational Standards for Board Certification.
From this knowledge base, a number of significant themes and factors emerged and became the basis for the resulting conceptual framework. The first of these is the recognition of the specialized nature of the subject matter content that teacher candidates are being prepared to teach, namely, career and technical education (CTE) and technology education (TE). Until recently referred to as occupational education, CTE is the broad term for the diverse group of educational programs that have different purposes in the public schools. In a very narrow sense, CTE programs provide students in CTE high schools with the required knowledge and skills for gainful entry-level employment in skilled occupations. In a broader sense, CTE includes programs that serve both employment purposes and those that serve general education purposes such as technology education, family and consumer sciences, and general agricultural education.
New York City College of Technology (City Tech) is the recognized senior college of technology of the City University of New York CUNY). The Career and Technical Teacher Education and Technology Teacher Education programs are unique to City Tech and to the CUNY system. They are the only such programs for preparation of CTE and technology education teachers within the CUNY system; they are also the only such programs in a public university south of Albany. Against this background, it was considered essential for the conceptual framework to reflect the technology focus of the content that the teacher candidates are being prepared to teach.
The second factor that was considered in developing the conceptual framework is the necessary professional qualities and competencies that this group of teacherS must possess. We believe that teaching is a caring profession and that any public school teacher who is worth the name must have a sound knowledge of the developmental needs of children and must possess a caring disposition. In addition, we believe that reflective practice is an essential ingredient of effective teaching. Finally, we believe that, in the age of digital technology, effective teachers must be competent in the use of modern computer technology to facilitate and improve teaching and learning.
The third and final factor in the development of the conceptual framework is the recognition of the diverse, social environment of urban classrooms of today and the future. We believe that teacher candidates must be aware of the diversity that characterizes not only our urban classrooms where they work but also the diverse nature of the communities that they serve.
The conceptual framework that embodies the mission, philosophy, purposes, professional commitments and dispositions of the unit are, therefore, grounded on the underlying themes of Professionalism, Technology and Diversity ( P/T/D ).
© New York CityTech Department of Career and Technology Teacher Education 2007
