The College of Business’s Teacher Education Program sets itself apart from similar programs in multiple ways, including one that Bellevue University has made part of its mission since day one: flexibility for working adults.
“We are one of the few universities that offer evening classes and cater to those who work during the day,” said Director of Teacher Education Susan Alford, who joined Bellevue University four years ago and has more than 40 years’ experience in K-12 special education and teacher education at the postsecondary level.
The State Department of Education granted formal approval of the program in 2021, making it the first new teacher education degree program to be created in Nebraska in nearly 20 years. The university currently offers an undergraduate residential program and a post-baccalaureate non-degree certification program, with a master’s-level program planned for the near future.
The Teacher Education Program offers an innovative approach to educating the next generation of teachers, including the integration of the latest technology into its curriculum.
A driving force behind the increased emphasis on technology is the planned creation of the Teacher Education Center of Excellence, a project that would re-purpose 14,560 feet of the Riley Technology Center on the university’s main campus. Teachers in training will be able to learn and practice concepts related to the “flipped classroom” model, where class time is not devoted to lectures, but to a host of active-learning activities to students in various locations. The activities will range from breakout groups, to live polling, to guest speakers, to “live chat” discussions and virtual whiteboard activities. Additionally, two model classrooms are included in the project and will include both technology and equipment, such as interactive whiteboards, 3D and immersive learning, video conferencing software, and modular classroom furniture that will support future educators on the main campus and in classroom sites across Nebraska via technology.“ We’ll have truly state-of-the-art model classrooms,” Alford said. “We’ll be partnering with our Technology Center to allow our students to use technology in innovative ways for future teaching experiences, including things like AI, robotics and greenhouses.”