Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Contact Info

Reich College of Education
730 Rivers Street
Boone, NC 28608

Phone: +1-828-262-2232
Fax: +1-828-262-2128

Conceptual Framework

AN OVERVIEW of the RCOE Conceptual Framework*

In Pursuit of Knowledge:  A Community of Practice Linking the Past and Present to the Future

The RCOE Conceptual Framework provides the basic set of principles that govern interactions among and between faculty and candidates in the professional education programs at Appalachian State University.  The five core principles are:

  • Learning occurs through participation in a Community of Practice (CoP).
  • Knowledge is socially constructed, and learning is a dynamic activity within the Community of Practice.
  • Learners proceed through stages of development from Novice to Expert under the guidance of more experienced and knowledgeable mentors in the Community of Practice.
  • An identifiable knowledge base that is both general in nature and also specific to program areas emerges from the Community of Practice.  This knowledge base falls into three categories:  knowledge of learners, knowledge of subject matter and curriculum, and knowledge of teaching.
  • All members of the Community of Practice develop a set of dispositions that reflect the attitudes, beliefs, and values common to the Community of Practice.

As a result of work in programs of the professional education unit at Appalachian State University, graduates and faculty will:

  • Provide positive professional contributions within the various CoPs of which they are members;
  • Embody the view that learning and teaching are active, social, and transformative processes that are enhanced when new learning is linked to prior knowledge;
  • Use theory and research to inform practice and use experience from practice to inform theory and research;
  • Become adaptive experts by proceeding through stages of development from Novice to Expert under the guidance of more experienced and knowledgeable mentors in the CoP;
  • Plan and adapt teaching and learning experiences, assessments, and interventions with reference to the learners’ diverse needs and characteristics;
  • Demonstrate a commitment to three key dispositions:
    • Meeting the needs of all learners;
    • Engaging in ongoing reflective practice and lifelong learning;
    • Embodying the highest standards of professional and ethical practice.

*The Reich College of Education (RCOE) serves as the designated unit at Appalachian State University with the responsibility for managing or coordinating all programs offered for the initial and continuing preparation of teachers and other school personnel, regardless of where these programs are administratively housed. Consequently, the terms “RCOE,””unit,” or ”professional education unit” should be viewed as synonymous in references within the RCOE Conceptual Framework. An executive summary and the full text of the Conceptual Framework can be found at www.ced.appstate.edu.