The Interdisciplinary Studies in Curriculum and Instruction Program is in close philosophical alignment with the strategic plan of the University as expressed in the University Mission Statement (2000) which states in part:

Central to this mission is a commitment to life-long and active engagement in learning&NLU links tested theory and practice with the on-going experiences of its students&Purposes&[include] Support teaching, scholarly activity and service that lead to the integration of theory and practice.

The philosophy of this program is grounded in our beliefs about the interactive nature of teaching, learning, curriculum, and the social and historical context of schools. The study of these issues reveals links among the structural conditions of schools, the personal values that guide teachers, and the decisions they make daily about teaching and learning.

The development of the program, emphasizing experiential learning and process as well as content, has its origins in interpretations in progressive education and social psychological theories of John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, and others, including NLU founder Elizabeth Harrison. The program draws upon phenomenological, interpretative and constructivist philosophy and research. This program:

• Is constructivist
• Encourages reflective practice
• Requires teacher research
• Builds on the practical knowledge of experienced teachers
• Builds community
• Values personal history
• Is concerned with issues of equity and social justice for all children.

Therefore, the field-based M. Ed. program expectations for student outcomes include:

• Striving to be critically reflective about one's teaching and profession,
• Identifying issues and problematic in teaching, learning and schooling,
• Engaging in action research on personally and professionally relevant topics that will contribute to teaching, learning and schooling,
• Helping build a community of learners that engages in meaningful conversation about critical issues of education and teaching practice,
• Reflecting critically on teaching and learning within the context of one's own life history and teaching career,
• Exploring ways to integrate technology with their professional life.

The Interdisciplinary Studies in Curriculum and Instruction M. Ed. Field-based program is designed to support experienced teachers in the process of inquiry. Teachers are encouraged to acquire, use and reflect upon professional knowledge and its relevance to their practice. They experience a variety of perspectives on curriculum and engage in dialogue about and application of instructional strategies, which contribute to student learning. The integration of theory and practice with classroom and school applications is a continual and essential dynamic of the interdisciplinary program. Teachers are supported in the process of rethinking issues in education. They experience new views of curriculum and apply what they have learned. Teachers work in groups exploring multiple meanings, points of view, and perspectives in a pluralistic society which values diversity and democracy.

In the groups, and in every aspect of the program, we seek to model the critical role of the affective in education. Teachers have an opportunity to see and practice in the group the important contribution of relationship, feelings, and self-understandings to all kinds of learning. Such understandings are both implicit and explicit in the program, as they are both lived and talked about through the life of the group. The importance of emphasizing multiculturalism and diversity in this program cannot be overstated.

The Interdisciplinary Studies program seeks in its groups to create self-governing democratic communities that model learning, cooperation, and effective problem solving for the larger world and for the classrooms in which teachers are a part. Teachers read professional literature, learn about and practice teacher action research. They report that research in written and other forms. In addition to their Action Research project, teachers pursue personal and professional development through independent and field studies with opportunities for sharing insights and information with other teachers in the program.

The program requires teachers to engage in teacher action research in their classrooms. They engage in self-examination and reflection on their lives as teachers. Teachers discover that interpretive research is an appropriate method for improving learning opportunities for K-12 students. As teachers reflect upon the learning environment they have created with their students, they uncover new levels of complexity in teaching and learning, and they open themselves to new possibilities and directions for their own and their students' growth.

Within the cohort group, an emerging curriculum and the program are shaped by continual input from teachers engaged in critical self and program assessment. A variety of formative and summative assessment methods, including journaling, end of term evaluations, and alternative assessment strategies, are used in this process.

A primary goal of this program is to help each teacher gain a renewed sense of what it means to be a teacher. In the groups, teachers develop a deeper understanding of their place in society as well as a personal centeredness in their work. The ultimate aim of the program is to enable all learners to create their own educational world. To this end, the program promotes democracy, diversity, inclusiveness, and personal creativity in as many aspects as possible. Through readings, discussions, and experiences, the program encourages teachers to develop expanded visions, not only for their own teaching, but of their students, schools and communities as well.
[Revised 10/24, 1997//1-19-01]