Wilfrid Laurier University Undergraduate Academic Calendar - 2012/2013
Canadian Excellence
Faculty of Education  Bachelor of Education  Primary/Junior Program 

Primary/Junior Program

The Bachelor of Education: Primary/Junior (consecutive) program is a one-year full-time program open to students who have completed a Bachelors degree from a recognized university. Once candidates have successfully completed this program, they can apply to the Ontario College of Teachers for Primary/Junior Qualification.

Additional Information
 
Program Regulations

  1. Students must complete the required courses listed below. Note that the Field Placement Experience (EU450) requires teacher education candidates to be in the school two days a week throughout the duration of the BEd program.
  2. Students must pass three practica (listed below) prior to graduation. Attendance at the Professional Teaching Orientation Week (August) and Professional Development Day (May) is mandatory. Failure to attend will result in their ineligibility to graduate at convocation.
  3. Students must provide to the Faculty a copy of an up-to-date "clear" Vulnerable Sector Screening (police check). Individuals with a police record will not be able to work in a Professional Development School and will not be able to fulfil the program practicum and placement requirements.
  4. Students will be asked to sign a statement acknowledging that the leased laptop must be returned by a specified date, regardless of their intention to purchase, or they will be ineligible to receive their diploma at convocation.

 
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Course Prerequisites

Because the program is a one-year consecutive program, the entry requirements identified in the Admissions Section are preparation for the required courses in the program. The Level I and II courses in language literacy and mathematics are sequential, such that the Level I course in each subject is prerequisite to the Level II course (as identified in the course descriptions below); however, these requirements are normally met through the scheduling of the courses.

 
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Program Requirements

Students must complete the following:
EU401, EU402, EU404, EU405°, EU406°, EU407°, EU410, EU411°, EU412, EU413°, EU414°, EU415°, EU422°, EU423°, EU450, EU451 and ONE of the following electives:
EU430°, EU431°, EU432°, EU433°, EU434°, EU435°, EU437°, EU438°, EU439°, EU440°, EU441°, EU442°, EU499°.

 
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Progression and Graduation Requirements

Bachelor of Education (BEd) students progress and graduate if they successfully complete 5.0 EU credits with a minimum grade of C in each course, an overall grade point average (GPA) of 8.00 (B), and a Pass grade in all practicum placements.

 
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Practica Requirements and Expectations

Professional programs are designed to assist students in developing skills and knowledge needed for them to function as a member of their chosen profession. Virtually all professional programs mandate practical or field-based experience. Laurier’s program is designed in recognition of candidates’ need to learn from expert teachers in the context of such field-based experiences. In education, practicum placements or practica are required in provincial legislation though Regulation 347/02. The Laurier Teacher Education program exceeds the mandatory time requirement for practica.

The practicum experience is designed to assist TECs in accomplishing the following:

  •  forging connections between theory and practice;
  • integrating and applying knowledge;
  • applying knowledge and skills from academic course work to meet the needs of diverse learners within the socio-cultural context of the classroom; and
  • working collaboratively with other professionals to improve student learning.

As the Laurier program is based on a Professional Development School (PDS) model, TECs will be assigned to one site from the last week in August (one week before school begins) through the last week of April. TECs will be required to work at these school sites for 1.5 days a week (field placement days) and complete their practicum placements there as well. Being associated with one school for eight months will allow the TECs to build collaborative professional relationships that will prepare them for effective integration into the broader education community of practice.

The TECs are assigned to the same PDS site for their three block practica and their Field Placement Experience (EU450), which occurs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the weeks when on-campus classes are held. The practica (EU451) include one two-week, one three-week and one six-week block. In total, TECs will spend 54 days in their PDS sites during the three block practica and 30 days in their PDS sites during their field placement days. As required by Regulation 347/02, all TECs will be assigned to both primary and junior classrooms during their practicum experiences.

The practica and field placement experiences are a mandatory component of the WLU program. Successful completion of the Field Placement Experience (EU450) and all three Practica (EU451) are required in order to graduate from the program.

 
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