College begins new master's degree program

By Brett Ellis/Fremont Tribune

Midland Lutheran College is getting ready to provide teachers with another opportunity to continue their education.

The college will launch its master’s degree in leadership in teaching and learning program in January.

While many master’s of education programs focus on earning an administrative degree or a curriculum instruction degree, the Midland program is designed to help those teachers who want to remain in the classroom.

"I’ve seen more and more that we need classroom teachers who are equipped to lead other groups of teachers, whether it be curriculum work, testing or assessment and then reporting back on the accountability side," Midland teacher education program coordinator Keith Rowher said.

MLC’s master’s program will focus on three broad educational outcomes, Rowher said. They are: 

• Leader for teaching and learning as a planner of effective instruction. 

• Leader for teaching and learning as a builder of learning communities. 

• Leader for teaching and learning as a model of professional development.

"Those are the same broad outcomes that drive our undergrad program, and that’s what we wanted this to be," Rowher said. "We wanted this to be an extension of what we’re already doing with the students who leave us with the bachelor’s degree in education."

Midland president Stephen Fritz said the college is eager to be able to provide those services for educators.

"Teachers are so important in our society and that profession is simply going to grow," Fritz said. "We need to be there. We have great services, we have a historically fine undergraduate program and now with the folks and the faculty and professors we have in the master’s program, we could not be better served.

"I think this is now an opportunity for the education program to hit a new stride, if you will, as they build that new program."

Rowher said the 36-hour master’s program will be divided into 11 eight-week courses.

Each eight-week course will begin and conclude with on-campus sessions, and there also will be online instruction.

The program also will feature a cohort group of students who will be taking courses together throughout the program.

Rowher is hoping for 17 to 20 students for each cohort group.

"The benefits are building off of each other’s strengths, learning from other people in the class and learning from their experiences and listening to how they perceive a particular subject or concept," Rowher said. "You build this group of colleagues that are going to communicate outside of the course."

Midland is trying to spread the word about its new program by visiting with superintendents and other school officials and talking with current education graduates.

There also is a Web site - www.mlc.edu/MED  - for people who want more information.

"There’s a tremendous amount of excitement and also a tremendous amount of knowing that we want this to be successful," Rowher said. "We’re working very hard to get the pieces in place and get information out."

Rowher and fellow Midland education professor Kathy Fucsher will teach the first two courses in the program. Rowher said other faculty members and adjunct faculty also may be used in the future.

It will be Midland’s second master’s program.

The master’s of professional accounting program was launched in fall 2008 and had its first graduates this past summer.


Published in the Fremont Tribune on Saturday, Sept. 26:
 http://www.fremonttribune.com/articles/2009/09/26/news/local/doc4abdaa6e6d123976659675.txt