Dear Prospective Student,
Pioneer University has one School The Graduate School of Education (GSE). The GSE provides a unique educational opportunity for the credentialed teacher or administrator seeking to become a professional educator. The professional educator is defined by the knowledge and expertise he/she brings to the table in the areas of curriculum, instruction, cognition and pedagogy as well as his/her understanding of school finance, law, business, and administration. The professional is the complete package and is ready to lead in the classroom or organization based on current knowledge of the latest educational research.
Similar to the other professions (law, medicine, engineering, architecture, etc.) the professional educator at the K-12 level has a unique skill-set that is honed both as a learner in taking specialized coursework and as a practitioner under the tutelage of a more experienced professional. Some professions call these practicum internships, residencies, or associateships, but the end result is the same: a fully educated and trained professional who displays both the confidence and the expertise to be counted as a full member of that profession.
Pioneer University provides a course of study that is tightly coupled with practical application to prepare the professional educator for the demands of K-12 schooling and begins the process of professional dialogue, collaboration, and consultation that defines our profession at the highest level. The program disassociates itself from the notion that teachers are separate from school administrators. Instead, students will learn that administration is an extension of teaching and that professional educators are able to move seamlessly between the many facets found in the K-12 educational environment.
The curricular emphasis of the program follows the research of Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, Papert, and others who posit that students learn best by doing. Project-based learning and both group and individual inquiry will be emphasized. The graduate student will learn how to both mentor and be mentored, how to work collaboratively with other professionals and how to conduct research to support his/her instructional and organizational decisions.
The program is developed around a cohort who will move through the graduate experience together. Professionalism requires commitment and the student must commit to being a contributing and dedicated member of the cohort. Classes that are missed may not be made up until they are offered again in the next cohort and will, undoubtedly, delay a student’s graduation date. In addition, students should be fully aware that this endeavor is a new one. As such, Pioneer University is not yet accredited by a regional accreditation agency. While the University is actively pursuing this goal, the student should carefully consider the non-accredited status of the University before completing an application.
We look forward to working together with serious students who have a desire to become true education professionals. For more information call our offices at 760-843-7700 or visit our website at PioneerUniversity.net.
Sincerely,
Kim P. Moore, Ph. D.President, Pioneer University