1 Chapter 1: Welcome to the MAT Program
KSU Mat Program
The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program at Kansas State University (KSU) is a specially designed program for people who have earned a Bachelor’s degree in another area and want to pursue a pathway to teaching. In just one year, this pathway provides students with the opportunity to earn a masters degree and recommendation for Kansas initial teacher licensure or their home state. Students across the United States, and even in other countries, can participate in this program as Kansas maintains reciprocal teacher certification agreements with all 50 states.
There are many things that make the MAT program unique. I have listed just a few of them below!
- All online courses are taught by certified KSU faculty members to ensure rigor and high-quality instruction.
- The program is designed as a cohort model, so all students proceed through the program coursework as a group.
- GradCats are assigned to students in every course to support KSU faculty in providing feedback, grading and ongoing support.
However, the most special part of of the MAT program is you! As a student, you bring valuable background knowledge and lived experiences that make the MAT program unique. I look forward to learning about these experiences and supporting you on your exciting journey towards your Master’s of Arts in Teaching!
EDCI 710: Social foundations of K-12 education
This course is a critical examination from multiple perspectives of the historical, sociological, philosophical, economic and legal intersections impacting public K-12 education in the United States of America.
Course Introduction and Syllabus
Social Foundations in K-12 Education (EDCI 710) explores the historical and current relationship between public schools and society. Specifically, this course will explore the implications of this relationship on teaching and learning . The course begins with a critical reflection on your own student biography. After which, a brief overview of the history of education in the United States will be provided. The course will then provide an in-depth examination of specific philosophies of education. The questions of what are freedom, democracy, instruction, power, and choice are central to this examination. At the end of the course, you will think about how your role as a future teacher can promote social change and social justice.
The following section provides an overview of the College of Education’s Vision, Mission, and Conceptual Framework. Each of which provided the foundation upon which this course was designed.
College of Education Vision
“Preparing educators to be knowledgeable, ethical, caring decision makers for a diverse and changing world.”
College of Education Mission is fulfilled through:
- the delivery of exemplary instruction to students at the undergraduate and graduate levels;
- production, interpretation, and dissemination of sound and useful research and scholarship;
- leadership, collaborati