master of education program

How The Program Works

Each year adult learners join a Learning Collaborative. New cohorts begin in January and July. Students work both in dialogue-based community and independently throughout the 18 month online program (three – six months semesters.)

Over the course of the program, 18 sequenced seminars (two weeks each) take place on our online campus. During the seminar process students experience an evolving progression of readings, dialogues, creative, and observational explorations. These seminars offer adult learners a personalized, self-directed, and discovery-based approach contextualized by integrative learning.

Throughout the program there are opportunities to synthesize learning in the form of integrative papers. In their compositions, students use an exploratory approach asking open-ended questions that arise from one’s personal journey.

 

Asynchronous & Online

All course-work occurs online without the requirement to travel to any location during the program. Seminar dialogues are asynchronous taking place over two-week periods. Self-directed adult learners participate as best suits their personal schedules. In many ways, exploring classmates’ reflections while having unfettered space to contemplate one’s own responses makes for deeper learning opportunities.

Non-linear Model

Perhaps the most foundational concept that distinguishes TIES from more traditional university programs is the sequence of the seminars. Though happening linearly in time, they are designed for holistic and deepening comprehension. The campus is a “prepared environment” as each semester is created to engage learners in their own educational evolution in an organic way.

“Our present urgency is to recover a sense of the primacy of the Universe as our fundamental context, and the primacy of the Earth as the matrix from which life has emerged and on which life depends.”

~Thomas Berry

Systems Perspective…

The systems view of life enables humanity to experience the Earth as an integrated whole composed of interrelated and interconnected networks that maintain life as if it were a living system on its own. In fact, Gaia Theory states that the Earth is a living entity because it has been able to balance itself over hundreds of millions of years to sustain life… that is, until the more recent activity of humans.

Collaborative Learning Communities

During the last 20 years there has been a proliferation of courses and degrees offered under the umbrella of distance learning. For the most part these academic pursuits are similar to attending a conventional university. The professor lectures and gives out assignments, students submit papers, there are tests and there are grades.

In contrast we promote an integrative view hosted by a uniquely designed online Campus where students work in collaborative learning communities; where faculty are mentors and co-learners; where creativity and self-direction are valued; and where there is a an understanding of dialogue as process.

Dialogue

Our premise is that humanity has the possibility of reclaiming a sustainable relationship with the Earth. One of the processes of communication that makes this possible is dialogue. In this case we refer to a variation on a particular form of dialogue described by physicist, David Bohm. Bohm’s constant thread that particularly relates to our dialogue is that we are investigating the possibilities for the emergence of shared meaning; increasing awareness of our own and others assumptions; increasing sensitivity and willingness to “listen”; the creation of space between our reaction and our response; and a willingness to experiment with the principles described.

Course Integration

Although students register for three or four courses within each of the three semsters these courses are seamless – integrated across the entire six month semsester. The first semster ceates a contextual framework for the Emphasis Area as well as the remainder of one’s studies. During the second smester students begin to share their personal insights as a refelection of their Emphasis Area work. The third and final semester brings together creativity and research and ends with a Culminating Project.

Collaborative Learning Communities

During the last 20 years there has been a proliferation of courses and degrees offered under the umbrella of distance learning. For the most part these academic pursuits are similar to attending a conventional university. The professor lectures and gives out assignments, students submit papers, there are tests and there are grades.

In contrast we promote an integrative view hosted by a uniquely designed online Campus where students work in collaborative learning communities; where faculty are mentors and co-learners; where creativity and self-direction are valued; and where there is a an understanding of dialogue as process.

Dialogue

Our premise is that humanity has the possibility of reclaiming a sustainable relationship with the Earth. One of the processes of communication that makes this possible is dialogue. In this case we refer to a variation on a particular form of dialogue described by physicist, David Bohm. Bohm’s constant thread that particularly relates to our dialogue is that we are investigating the possibilities for the emergence of shared meaning; increasing awareness of our own and others assumptions; increasing sensitivity and willingness to “listen”; the creation of space between our reaction and our response; and a willingness to experiment with the principles described.

Course Integration

Although students register for three or four courses within each of the three semsters these courses are seamless – integrated across the entire six month semsester. The first semster ceates a contextual framework for the Emphasis Area as well as the remainder of one’s studies. During the second smester students begin to share their personal insights as a refelection of their Emphasis Area work. The third and final semester brings together creativity and research and ends with a Culminating Project.

PROCESS

Papers

At the culmination of each semester students prepare an Integrative Paper that synthesizes the discovery and learning from the content and dialogue of the previous six months. In traditional academic models a student defends or proves an argument. Within the TIES paradigm our students ask open-ended questions that arise from one’s personal journey.

The final paper is called the “culminating project” and is a weaving of the entire, unique learning experience of each individual.

Two-week Seminars

The semester is divided into seminars typically spanning two weeks. Learners explore books, articles, videos and other media in preparation for online dialogues with faculty and fellow students. These dialogues are organic and, although the required content may remain the same, the outcomes of the inquiry vary considerably from one year to the next — reflective of the nature of learning communities.

TIES values open inquiry in juxtaposition to explicit answers. This allows learners to dive deep into topics of interest and observe the beautiful word-web that forms as the seminar progresses.

Creativity,  Observation & Research

The program of studies integrates observation, creativity and research as reflective inquiry.  Students explore the nature of observation and engage in creative processes to further self-observation and intuitive insight.  This enables students to create experiences for the children or adults they teach. By participating in observation and creativity students have access to the intuitive aspects of learning, enabling them to create research projects that ultimately describe relationships between self and other, subject and object.

Emphasis Area

Within the M.Ed. in Montessori Integrative Learning and Integrative Learning programs every student selects an area of emphasis.  The emphasis area is a personal, passionate interest enabling learners to situate professional development in a field of their choice. This “independent” portion of the work accounts for approximately one-third of the degree requirements. TIES integrative seminars provide a “catalyst or lens” for exploring this emphasis area. See the individual emphasis area options for the MIL and IL program.

Papers

At the culmination of each semester students prepare an Integrative Paper that synthesizes the discovery and learning from the content and dialogue of the previous six months. In traditional academic models a student defends or proves an argument. Within the TIES paradigm our students ask open-ended questions that arise from one’s personal journey.

The final paper is called the “culminating project” and is a weaving of the entire, unique learning experience of each individual.

Two-week Seminars

The semester is divided into seminars typically spanning two weeks. Learners explore books, articles, videos and other media in preparation for online dialogues with faculty and fellow students. These dialogues are organic and, although the required content may remain the same, the outcomes of the inquiry vary considerably from one year to the next — reflective of the nature of learning communities.

TIES values open inquiry in juxtaposition to explicit answers. This allows learners to dive deep into topics of interest and observe the beautiful word-web that forms as the seminar progresses.

Creativity,  Observation & Research

The program of studies integrates observation, creativity and research as reflective inquiry.  Students explore the nature of observation and engage in creative processes to further self-observation and intuitive insight.  This enables students to create experiences for the children or adults they teach. By participating in observation and creativity students have access to the intuitive aspects of learning, enabling them to create research projects that ultimately describe relationships between self and other, subject and object.

Emphasis Area

Within the M.Ed. in Montessori Integrative Learning and Integrative Learning programs every student selects an area of emphasis.  The emphasis area is a personal, passionate interest enabling learners to situate professional development in a field of their choice. This “independent” portion of the work accounts for approximately one-third of the degree requirements. TIES integrative seminars provide a “catalyst or lens” for exploring this emphasis area. See the individual emphasis area options for the MIL and IL program.

The History of TIES

How did The Institute for Educational Studies begin and evolve?

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