Emirates College for Advanced Education hosts its 3rd annual school-community partnership ceremony

Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE) held its annual school-community partnership ceremony on May 17th, 2011 at the Armed Officers Club. The ceremony is a yearly occasion to celebrate the collaboration of the College with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and Abu Dhabi’s local private and public schools. It is also an opportunity to publicly acknowledge and award the schools and its administration for the support provided to ECAE students during their Bachelor of Education practicum course.

The practicum begins in the first year of the B Ed program with observations in schools. Over the next two years, student teachers begin teaching aspects of lessons, progress to teaching small group lessons, and finally advance to full lessons. In their final year they take responsibility for teaching several classes over a 10-week period.  During these practical placements in schools, student teachers are mentored by both visiting ECAE faculty and teachers in the schools.

Among the attendees were H.E. Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, ADEC Executive Director of School Operations, and over 200 school principals, advisors, heads of faculty and mentor teachers from 50 Abu Dhabi private and public schools.

H.E. Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri, ADEC’s Executive Director of School Operations, said, “We want our teachers to be well-equipped with education and knowledge and to learn in exceptional student-centric environments. The hands-on-training provided by ECAE and encouraged by schools helps students develop their emergent teaching and critical thinking skills which is key in producing unique, creative, intelligent people for careers in education able to successfully carry our 2030 vision into the future.”

ECAE is a specialist teacher training college, which aims to emphasize and deepen student teachers’ practical and theoretical experiences. Through close partnerships with ADEC and ADEC schools, the students of ECAE have excellent opportunities to develop understanding and ability in the teaching approaches of ADEC’s new school model and to benefit from extensive practical classroom practicum mentoring and experience.

“The practicum experience is an integral part of teacher preparation at ECAE,” said Professor Jim Mienczakowski, ECAE’s Vice-Chancellor. “Introduced to the New School Model currently implemented in ADEC schools, ECAE student teachers are given opportunities to actively participate in every facet of school life. A comprehensive experience, the practicum sheds light on the varied roles and responsibilities of the teacher, enabling students to gain confidence as teachers in training.”