Teaching Subjects Guidelines for I/S Candidates Concurrent Teacher Education Program 2010/11 The Teaching Subjects Guidelines are prepared for Concurrent Education Students and contain valuable information about main areas of study anchor subjects, and other teaching subjects for Intermediate / Senior Candidates. Concurrent Education Program Office Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto www.ctep.utoronto.ca
Table of Contents INTRODUCTION... 3 TEACHING LEVELS AND MAIN AREAS OF STUDY ANCHOR SUBJECTS... 4 PRIMARY/JUNIOR OPTIONS... 4 INTERMEDIATE/SENIOR OPTIONS... 4 What Anchor Subjects are Available?... 4 Other Teaching Subjects... 5 TEACHING SUBJECTS PREREQUISITES... 6 IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS... 6 SELECTING COURSES THAT COUNT: GENERAL ADVICE... 8 DEVELOPING UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR SUBJECT AREAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF TEACHING... 8 Developing Language Proficiency... 9 EXAMPLES OF COURSES SUITABLE FOR FUTURE TEACHERS IN THE TOP 12 SUBJECT AREAS... 9 LIST OF I/S SUBJECTS AND PREREQUISITES... 12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS... 14 APPENDICES... 20 APPENDIX 1: LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TESTING... 20 APPENDIX 2: INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL FAMILY STUDIES TEACHERS... 22 APPENDIX 3: FPEH COURSES THAT COUNT AS PREREQUISITES TOWARDS CERTAIN TEACHING SUBJECTS... 24 APPENDIX 4: INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES - OTHER AS A TEACHING SUBJECT... 26 2
INTRODUCTION The following guidelines summarize some of the programmatic policies regarding anchor subjects and other teaching subjects for Intermediate/Senior candidates enrolled in the University of Toronto s Concurrent Teacher Education Program. The main objective of these Guidelines is to assist you in making your decision about what other teaching subject to select, and how to fulfill the prerequisites for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment courses related to both your anchor subject, and your second teaching subject. Therefore, if you are enrolled in an Intermediate/Senior program option you are urged to examine carefully, and become familiar with, the teaching subjects prerequisites and related policies. As you read these Guidelines, please make note of any questions you may have and contact the Concurrent Teacher Education Program Office at ctep@utoronto.ca to discuss these questions. We would be happy to add your questions to the FAQ section of this document. 3
TEACHING LEVELS AND MAIN AREAS OF STUDY ANCHOR SUBJECTS The Concurrent Teacher Education Program prepares teachers at the Primary/Junior (P/J) level, which spans Kindergarten to Grade 6, and at the Intermediate/Senior (I/S) level, which spans Grades 7 to 12. Different program options are available on different campuses. PRIMARY/JUNIOR OPTIONS If you are preparing to become a P/J teacher, you will be a generalist teacher responsible for teaching many subjects in the curriculum, including Math, Music, Drama, Science etc. Therefore, you are not required to declare teaching subjects in ROSI. P/J students at U of T Scarborough must apply to study in one of the main areas of study offered at that campus: Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics or French. This also applies to students who opt to become secondary school teachers. If you decide that you want to prepare to become an elementary school teacher (P/J), at the end of your first year of study you will be required to declare your teaching level in ROSI so that you can be identified as a P/J candidate. You should not declare teaching subjects! P/J students at U of T Mississauga are required to complete the Psychology Major or Specialist, or the Exceptionality in Human Learning (EHL) Major or Specialist. Being a student registered in this program option indentifies you as a future P/J teacher, and you will not be required to declare anything in ROSI. P/J students at Victoria College (St. George Campus) are required to complete a minor in Education and Society. Being a registered student in this particular program option indentifies you as a future P/J teacher. Therefore, you are not required to declare your teaching division, nor teaching subjects in ROSI. Notes: Students in the Primary/Junior program options are not required to declare teaching subjects! In some units (UTSC), you may be required to declare your teaching level in ROSI, so that you can be identified as a Primary/junior candidate. INTERMEDIATE/SENIOR OPTIONS If you want to become a secondary school teacher, during your studies in the Concurrent Teacher Education Program, you must take courses that will allow you to become specialized in two subject areas that will also sometimes be referred to as your two teaching subjects. Once in the program, you must select one anchor subject, which is linked to a particular campus, faculty or college. This anchor subject becomes your main area of study in the undergraduate degree (HBA, HBSc, BMus, or BPHE), and one of your two teaching subjects as a future secondary school teacher. WHAT ANCHOR SUBJECTS ARE AVAILABLE? Although the choice of anchor subjects available in the Concurrent Teacher Education Program may appear to be narrow, be mindful that your employment prospects are greater should you want become qualified to teach French, or Science. Each CTEP Unit offers different anchor subjects, in the subject areas where there is an identified need for teachers. 4
U of T Mississauga U of T Scarborough Faculty of Physical Education & Health Chemistry Chemistry Health and Physical Math Math Education French French Physics Faculty of Music Music Instrumental Music Vocal 1 St. Michael s College Religious Education OTHER TEACHING SUBJECTS In addition to having an anchor subject, if you intend to become a secondary school teacher, you must select another teaching subject from the approved list available on our website, and accumulate the proper number of academic courses in that subject area to become eligible to enrol in the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment (CIA) course for that particular subject. Depending on courses available in your U of T unit, you may be able to choose from the following teaching subjects: Business Studies Accounting Business Studies Information and Communication Technology Business Studies - General Computer Studies Dramatic Arts Economics English Family Studies French as a Second Language Geography Health and Physical Education History International Languages - German International Languages Italian International Languages Spanish International Languages Other Mathematics Music: Instrumental Music: Vocal Politics Religious Education Science: Biology Science: Chemistry Science: General Science: Physics Social Science General Visual Arts Notes: Some units offer a limited choice of other teaching subjects! The choice of other teaching subjects depends on the courses available in your unit and your schedule (e.g., U of T Mississauga offers the following teaching subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Studies, Dramatic Arts, Economics, English, Family Studies, French, Geography, History, Italian, Mathematics, Politics, Physics, Science General, Social Science General, and Visual Arts). Changes in regulations by the Ontario College of Teachers or the Ministry of Education and Training may also impact the course offerings. In Year 4 of the program, you will be taking your Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment course for your anchor subject in a cohort with your fellow CTEP students from your U of T unit. However, in Year 5 of the program, and depending on the number of students who opt for certain teaching subjects, you may be integrated with Teacher Candidates from the Consecutive BEd program to take the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment course for your second teaching subject. 1 You must choose only one of Music Instrumental, or Music Vocal. 5
TEACHING SUBJECTS PREREQUISITES As mentioned above, the requirements to satisfy the prerequisites for enrolment in Curriculum, Instruction Assessment course for each of your subject areas, are not the same as the requirements to successfully complete a major, minor or specialist program. For example, the completion of a major program often requires 8 FCEs, while specialist programs often require 10 or more FCEs. To satisfy the prerequisites for enrolment in the specific CIA course you need to accumulate 4 or 5 FCEs in each of your subject areas. Therefore, you don t need to complete a major, or specialist to meet the prerequisites for each of your teaching subjects. However, a major or specialist in your main area of study (anchor subject) may be required as part of the undergraduate degree program in your unit. In addition, courses in the framework of a major or specialist program will always count as teaching subject prerequisites. Teaching Subjects Prerequisites: a minimum of 4 or 5 full courses in each of your teaching subjects is required for enrolment in the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment courses in Years 4 (CIA #1 anchor subject) and 5 (CIA #2 second teaching subject). Therefore, the following indicate acceptable preparation for teaching subjects in the Intermediate/Senior program: 4 full university courses related to each teaching subject There are a few exceptions where 5 full university courses are required and these include French, International Languages and the Sciences. Notes: Although your program requires you to complete a major or specialist in your anchor subject, you don t have to complete a major or minor in your second teaching subjects to satisfy the prerequisite. Courses mandatory to satisfy the requirements of the Concurrent Teacher Education Program cannot be used towards a Teaching Subject prerequisite (e.g. Equity and Diversity in Education). IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS In-depth focus and the minimum number of credits required: As mentioned above, Intermediate/Senior candidates in the Concurrent Teacher Education Program must focus in depth on their teaching subjects and they must complete 4 or 5 full credits in their chosen subject areas to fulfill the prerequisites in terms of their teaching subjects. However, as the majority of our program options require completion of a major or specialist program in the main undergraduate specialization area, by the time you complete the program, you will have completed more than this required minimum (i.e., 8 to 10 FCEs), which will ensure that you have developed an in-depth knowledge of your anchor subject. When to decide about your other teaching subject: If you are admitted to the program directly from high school (into Year 1), you must decide on your second teaching subject by the end of Year 1 of the program, so that you can start working towards accumulating the 4 or 5 credits required. If you are admitted to the program as a university student into Year 2 you are required to decide on your second teaching subjects immediately upon registering as a student in the program. How to declare: As university programs and teaching subjects do not use the same terms, there are Teachable Subject (TS) POSts in ROSI which are different from major, minor or specialist Subject POSts. Subject POSt enrolment should be completely student driven and, using the Student Web Service, students should indicate both 6
their anchor subject (TS1) and their other teaching subject (TS2) 2. This must be done at the end of Year 1 or the beginning of Year 2 of the program for students preparing to become secondary school teachers. Changing your Teaching Subject POSt later in the program is not advisable. Therefore, you must plan ahead and make an informed decision early in the program. Advising: The Unit-level Coordinators and/or Academic Advisors in your unit will advise you prior to the selection of your second teaching subject, and declaration of your Teaching Subject POSts in ROSI to ensure that you make an informed expression of intent regarding your Teaching Subjects. The CTEP Coordinators are also responsible for checking if you have made you choice of second teaching subject in due time, as well as for ensuring that you fulfill the requirements in terms of your teaching subjects. At OISE, in collaboration with the Registrar s Office, the Program Office staff will also advise you regarding the Teaching Subjects prerequisites. You are invited to send an e-mail to ctep@utoronto.ca if you have any questions and/or concerns regarding Teaching Subjects prerequisites. Completing the prerequisites: Anchor Subject: In Year 4 of the Program, you will be enrolled in the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment (CIA) course related to your anchor subject. To satisfy the prerequisites for enrolment in this BEd course, you must complete 4 or 5 full courses required by the end of your Year 3 in the program, as in Year 4 (during the Professional Semester), you will be enrolled in the CIA course for your anchor subject. Considering the fact that you are enrolled in a major or specialist program related to your anchor subject, you will have no difficulties completing 100% of the prerequisite. Second Teaching Subject: In Year 5 of the Program, you will be enrolled in the CIA course related to your other teaching subject. You must complete at least 80% of the prerequisite for enrolment in this BEd course by the end of Year 4. Practically this means that you must complete at least 3 or 4 full courses before Year 5 and take up to 1 full course as a co-requisite while enrolled in the CIA course related to your second teaching subject. Notes: You must decide about your second teaching subjects by the end of your Year 1 (direct entry from high school), or by the beginning of your Year 2 (Year 2 entrants)! You must declare both your anchor subject (TS1) and second teaching subject (TS2) in ROSI! Changing your TS POSts in ROSI, after you have declared your teaching subjects, is not recommended! If you are a Primary/Junior candidate you should NOT declare teaching subjects! You must focus in-depth on your teaching subjects and you must complete 4, or 5 FCEs in each of your subject areas prior to enrolment in the CIA course for each of your teaching subjects. You can complete up to 1 FCE as a co-requisite while enrolled in the CIA course for your second teaching subject. 2 In some CTEP units it may not be possible to declare your TS2 in ROSI. If so, contact your undergraduate office for more information! 7
SELECTING COURSES THAT COUNT: GENERAL ADVICE As you read these Guidelines, you will notice that we often use the word recommended while giving examples of courses in certain subject areas. Note that courses which are listed as recommended are the Ontario Secondary School Curriculum friendly, which means that they are suitable for future teachers as they cover topics taught in the Ontario Curriculum for secondary schools and provide candidates with a foundation in a particular subject area (e.g. Canadian History, Mathematics for Teachers, Children s Literature, the Study of Matter and its Transformations, etc.). These courses are not required prerequisites towards each teaching subject and as such are not mandatory. It was purposefully decided not to require particular courses to allow for flexibility when students are not able to enrol in certain subject specific courses due to scheduling issues and/or limited offer of courses. General Advice: Courses which serve as subject-specific courses for a major or specialist program in a particular subject area (e.g. Chemistry) will count as credits towards the teaching subject prerequisite in that subject area. So, if you are not sure if a certain course counts as a credit towards your second teaching subject, contact the respective department that offers the course and ask if it counts towards their major or specialist. For example, if you are not sure if the Great Lakes A Sustainable Natural Resource course counts towards Geography, contact the Department of Geography on your campus to find out whether or not this course counts towards a major in Geography. If it does, then it is also acceptable as a credit towards Geography as a teaching subject. Notes: Some Major/Specialist programs require knowledge of areas outside the discipline in order to successfully manage the content within the discipline. For example a Chemistry Major requires Math courses, which will not count as teaching subjects prerequisites towards Chemistry. DEVELOPING UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR SUBJECT AREAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF TEACHING The minimum requirement for enrolment in the Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment courses for each of your teaching subjects ensures that you have a strong foundation in each of your subject areas before studying the methodology of how to teach the subject. For example, a future Intermediate/Senior Math teacher is required to accumulate a minimum of 4.0 full course equivalents in Math before taking the BEd course to learn about teaching Mathematics in secondary school. However, as the majority of our program options require completion of a major or specialist in the main undergraduate specialization area (main area of study), you will have completed more than this required minimum (i.e. 8 to 10 FCEs) before you complete the program, which will ensure that you have developed an in-depth knowledge in your anchor subject. As a Concurrent Education Student, you should make it a priority to build a strong content knowledge in your anchor subject and your other teaching subject by selecting courses that will provide you with a solid basis of understanding in each of your subject areas. You have 5, or 4 years, to accumulate academic credits and fulfill the prerequisites for your two teaching subjects. Thus, you should be planning ahead and making every effort to enrol in relevant courses instead of choosing courses that will technically satisfy the prerequisite. Notes: You cannot have more than 2 teaching subjects (one of which is your anchor subject) built into an Intermediate/Senior program! If you are interested in more than two subject areas, you can pick up additional teaching subjects by taking Additional Qualifications courses after you graduate from the program. Note that these courses often require prerequisites in certain subject areas! 8
DEVELOPING LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY Language proficiency in all four modalities (listening, speaking, reading and writing) is vital to academic achievement. If you have selected French and/or an International Language (German, Italian, Spanish or Other) as your teaching subjects, you must develop oral and written proficiency in the specific language(s) before you enrol in the Curriculum Instruction and Assessment course for French and/or International Language. You must demonstrate your language proficiency by taking a proficiency test administered by OISE in the specific language(s). This testing is done before enrolling in I/S French, or I/S International Languages in Years 4 or 5. As such, taking the test is normally a requirement for registration in a specific course (see Appendix 1 for more information on what the test involves). In addition, if you want to become an elementary school teacher, you should register for the French Proficiency test if you want to teach French as part of either your Year 4 or Year 5 Practicum. Language proficiency is hard to achieve and, as a developmental issue, it takes time. Even a Grade 12 course in French is not enough of a foundation to ensure that students taking a major, or specialist in French will be able to reach a high enough level of proficiency for teaching. In addition to taking courses in the framework of a French major or specialist program, or taking courses towards International Languages (German, Italian, Spanish or Other), it is of utmost importance that you gain additional exposure to the language by immersing yourself in the target language, for example, by doing your Anchor Subject Internship in a francophone part of the world, in francophone schools, or other organizations. If French or another International Language (German, Italian, Spanish or Other) is your second teaching subject, you could immerse yourself in the target language by spending a summer abroad, or by watching television, listening to the radio, reading books, magazines and newspaper, engaging in conversation with native speakers and/or by completing practical writing tasks. To help you develop your language proficiency we recommend that you develop and maintain an electronic Language Portfolio in Blackboard. A language portfolio is a "purposeful collection" in which a student documents his or her French or International Language development over a given period of time. One of the major goals of a second language portfolio is to develop one's communicative competence. More specifically, the language portfolio works to enable you to become autonomous language learner, while at the same time facilitating the development of subject matter knowledge as it relates to French and/or International Language. More information and resources about Language Portfolios is available in our Community Organization on Blackboard, in the Language Portfolio content area. EXAMPLES OF COURSES SUITABLE FOR FUTURE TEACHERS IN THE TOP 12 SUBJECT AREAS Regardless of how well you do in teaching methods and other education-focused courses during your studies in the Concurrent Teacher Education Program, you cannot become qualified to teach subjects for which you have not developed an adequate understanding, or academic proficiency. For this reason, you should be aware that teachers are held increasingly accountable for academic expertise in the core areas of the secondary school curricula. Therefore, as a Concurrent Education Student, you should make it a priority to build a strong content knowledge in your anchor subject and your other teaching subject by selecting courses that will provide you with a solid basis of understanding in each of your subject areas. We hope that the examples of courses in the top 12 subject areas listed below will give you an idea of what courses to opt for, if possible, as these courses will allow you to acquire an adequate understanding of your chosen subject areas for the purpose of teaching. 9
Top 12 Subjects Business Studies General Computer Studies Economics English Family Studies French as a Second Language Geography History Mathematics Examples of Courses Suitable for Future Teachers Auditing Business Information Systems Canadian Income Taxation Financial Accounting Financial Markets Principles of Marketing Computers and Society Data Structures and Analysis Information Theory Introduction to Computer Science Introduction to Databases Introduction to Software Engineering Economic Development Economic Growth: Theory and Evidence Financial Economics Introduction to Economics Microeconomic Theory Urban Economics Children's Literature Creative Writing English Linguistics Media Literacy Shakespeare The English Vocabulary: Its History, Structure and Meaning Body, Health and Physical Cultures Families: Kinship and Marriage form a Cross-Cultural Perspective Immigration and Race Relations in Canada Race, Class and Gender Social and Cultural Anthropology Social Development Advanced Language Practice: Written and Oral French Syntax Language Acquisition of French Second Language Pedagogy Teaching and Learning a Second/Foreign Language The Structure of Modern French: An Introduction Cities, Urbanization and Development Environmental and Resource Management Geographical Analysis of Land Resources Geomorphology Geostatistics Introduction to Climatology Canadian History Courses reflecting the histories of non-western nations Gender, Race and Science Histories of North American Consumer Culture Medieval Society Women in History Calculus Concepts in Elementary Mathematics Introduction to Mathematical Proofs Introduction to Probability and Modeling 10
Science: Biology Science: Chemistry Science: Physics Linear Algebra Mathematics for Teachers Diversity of Organisms Fundamentals of Human Anatomy and Physiology Introduction to Evolution and Evolutionary Genetics Introduction to Physiology Molecular and Cell Biology Plant Ecology Environmental Chemistry Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry Inorganic Chemistry Introductory Organic Chemistry Introductory Physical Chemistry The Study of Matter and its Transformations Atoms, Molecules and Solids Biophysics Electricity and Magnetism Foundations of Physics Nuclear and Particle Physics Relativity Theory Notes: These courses are not required prerequisites towards the listed teaching subjects and as such are not mandatory. They are only suggested as suitable for future teachers. It was decided not to require particular courses to allow for flexibility when students are not able to enrol in certain courses due to scheduling issues and/or limited offer of courses. Course titles may differ in different U of T units! 11
LIST OF I/S SUBJECTS AND PREREQUISITES Teaching subject Requirements, Recommendations and Advice Business Studies Accounting 4 full university courses in business subjects, which include a minimum of one full course in Accounting. Business Studies Information and Communication Technology 4 full university courses in business subjects, which include a minimum of one full course in Information and Communication Technology. Business Studies - General 4 full university courses in business subjects, which include a minimum of one full course in Marketing. Computer Studies 4 full university courses in computing. Dramatic Arts * 4 full university courses in Drama. Courses in acting and performance are recommended. Economics * 4 full university courses in Economics. English 4 full university courses in English. Courses spanning: Shakespeare, Canadian literature, post-colonial literature, language and writing are recommended. Family Studies * 4 full university courses in Family Studies. For more information on the Family Studies teaching subject see Appendix 2, that includes information related to the types of courses that can be counted towards this prerequisite. French as a Second Language 5 full university courses in French. Oral and written proficiency must also be demonstrated before enrolling in I/S French in Years 4 or 5. See Appendix 1 for more information. Geography 4 full university courses in Geography. Courses in physical and social Geography are recommended. Health and Physical Education 4 full university courses in Health & Phys. Education. History 4 full university courses in History. Up to 1 full course in Political Science, Philosophy, or Courses in Canadian history, social history (involving themes such as race, gender, ethnicity and class), and course reflecting subject-specific history such as Art History, Music History or histories of non-western nations are Religious/Church History can be counted towards this recommended. prerequisite. Social Sciences - General * 4 full university courses in any Psychology, Sociology or Anthropology. International Languages * German 5 full university courses in German. Oral and written proficiency must also be demonstrated before enrolling in I/S German in Years 4 or 5. See Appendix 1 for more info. International Languages * Italian 5 full university courses in Italian. Oral and written proficiency must also be demonstrated before enrolling in I/S Italian in Years 4 or 5. See Appendix 1 for more info. International Languages * Spanish 5 full university courses in Spanish. Oral and written proficiency must also be demonstrated before enrolling in I/S Spanish in Years 4 or 5. See Appendix 1 for more info. International Languages * Other 5 full university courses in International Language. Oral and written proficiency must also be demonstrated before enrolling in I/S International Languages Other in Years 4 or 5. See Appendix 1 for more info. Mathematics Music: Instrumental * Music: Vocal * Politics * Religious Education Science: Biology 4 full university courses in Mathematics. Up to 1 full course in Statistics can be counted towards this prerequisite. 4 full university courses in Instrumental Music or demonstrated proficiency in brass, winds and strings. 4 full university courses in vocal music. 4 full university courses in Political Science. 5 full university courses in Theology or Religious Studies. 5 full university courses in Science which include a minimum of four full courses in Biology. Biochemistry is accepted as Chemistry or Biology. 12 Courses spanning calculus, linear algebra, probability and statistics and proof-based mathematics are recommended Note: You can choose only one of Music- Instrumental or Music-Vocal! This course is primarily intended to prepare teachers of Religious Education in Roman Catholic secondary schools. Courses in Botany, Zoology, and life sciences such as Anatomy, Physiology, Immunology and Genetics are accepted as Biology. Psychology courses are not accepted towards this prerequisite
Science: Chemistry Science: General Science: Physics 5 full university courses in Science which include a minimum of 4 full courses in Chemistry. Biochemistry is accepted as Chemistry or Biology 5 full university courses in Science which include a minimum of 1 full course in each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. 5 full university courses in Science which include a minimum of 4 full courses in Physics. Courses in areas such as Chemical Engineering and Geochemistry can be accepted as Chemistry. Science refers to Biology, Chemistry, and Physics (including the equivalencies listed with each of these areas). Psychology courses are not accepted towards this prerequisite. Courses in areas such as Astrophysics, Biomechanics and Geophysics are accepted as Physics. Many engineering programs contain a significant amount of applied physics content, which can be accepted towards this prerequisite. Note: If you select 2 science teaching subjects you must have a minimum of 8 full courses in the sciences and these must include the prerequisite courses for each of the selected science teaching subjects. Visual Arts * 4 full university courses in Visual Arts or postsecondary equivalent, Candidates must have studiooriented experience. Up to 1 full course in art history can be accepted towards this prerequisite. * This course is offered only as an option for secondary students in the new Ontario Curriculum. 13
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. What do you mean by "course" or "full course"? The unit of credit at the University of Toronto is the "full course". A full course is a course that is typically taken over two terms in an academic year and represents 20% of the regular full-time course load in an academic year. Therefore, the standard course load for full-time undergraduate students would be 5.0 full courses per year and a 4-year degree would be comprised of 20 full courses (or equivalent in half courses). A half course is a course that is typically taken in one term of the academic year (and represents 10% of the regular full-time course load in an academic year). In terms of semester credits, a "full course" is equal to 6 semester credits and a "half course" is equal to 3 semester credits. 2. Do 2 half courses equal a full course? Yes. Two half courses represent the same amount of academic credit as one full course. Therefore, when we describe a requirement in terms of a specific number of courses (such as teaching subject prerequisites), the term "courses" should be understood to refer to full courses or the equivalent in full and half courses combined. 3. I am curious about teaching Math from Grades 7-10. Is it mandatory to take calculus throughout my 4 years at University? If it is not necessary, does my BPHE Stats course count as a Math credit? It is not mandatory to take calculus for 4 years, and yes, a course in statistics counts as a credit towards Mathematics as a teaching subject. However, note that up to one full course in Statistic can be counted towards this prerequisite. 4. I am currently completing a minor in Chemistry for my second teaching subject, which is a total 4.0 credits but includes 1.0 credit in Calculus. I am wondering if the Calculus course will count towards Chemistry, or if I need to take additional credits in Chemistry? To satisfy the prerequisite for Chemistry, you will need 5.0 credits in Science which include a minimum of 4.0 credits in Chemistry. Note that 1.0 credit in Calculus will not count towards Chemistry as a teaching subject. The fact that some Major/Specialist programs require knowledge of areas outside the discipline in order to successfully manage content within the discipline does not turn a related course into a subject-specific course. Therefore, you will need to take additional credits in Chemistry to satisfy the prerequisite. 5. How many credits are required to be a social science teacher in Anthro/Socio/Psych? Also, does my introductory Psych course in BPHE count as a credit? Four full university courses in any Psychology, Sociology or Anthropology will count as credits towards Social Sciences - General as a teaching subject. Yes, the Psychology course in BPHE counts towards this prerequisite. 6. It is mentioned in the Guidelines that Visual Arts is offered only as an option for secondary students in the new Ontario Curriculum. Can you please clarify as to what this means? This and several other teaching subjects (marked with an *) are offered as optional to high school students in Ontario. These are not compulsory subjects that all students must take. For this reason, there are some issues related to marketability of these teaching subjects. While teachers will be needed and hired to teach these optional subjects, we want our students to be aware of these issues and be as marketable as possible. 14
However, if your anchor subject is in a subject area where there is an identified need for teachers (e.g., French), you should be OK in terms of employability if you select an optional subject as your second teaching subject. The problem, however, occurs when both your teaching subjects are optional. Securing a teaching position based on two optional teaching subjects may prove difficult. 7. I realize that Biochemistry is accepted as either a Biology or Chemistry credit. I was reading through the "FPEH Undergraduate Calendar" and there is a third year course Physiology and Biochemistry of PA, listed as a required course. Would this course be counted as a credit towards Chemistry as my Second Teaching Subject, or would it not be counted because it also includes physiology? Yes, this course will be treated as either a Biology or a Chemistry credit, depending on what is most advantageous for the individual student. 8. I am wondering if the following Math courses would be accepted as credits towards Mathematics as a second teaching subject: JUM202H1 Mathematics as an Interdisciplinary Pursuit, JUM203H1 Mathematics as a Recreation, JUM204H1 Mathematics and Poetry, JUM205H1 Mathematical Personalities Even though these courses are now listed in the Mathematics section of the Arts and Science Calendar, none of them appear to be applicable to a major or specialist in Mathematics. Therefore, these courses cannot be accepted towards Mathematics prerequisite. In fact they are specifically intended to serve as breadth courses for nonscience students. As you must have read in the Teaching Subjects Guidelines, the general rule is that if the course can be used to build a major, or specialist in the discipline, then it will count towards teaching subjects prerequisites in that discipline. The courses you listed appear to fail this test. For example, here is a quote from the Arts and Science calendar related to the Mathematics and Poetry course (jointly taught by Math and English Department): "An interdisciplinary exploration of creativity and imagination as they arise in the study of Mathematics and Poetry. Students with, and without backgrounds in either subject are welcome. No calculus required. By looking at the course descriptions, for this and the other courses you listed, it seems that these courses will not likely provide you with an understanding of Mathematics for the purpose of teaching. 9. In order to fulfill the prerequisites for "Science: General" as a teaching subject, do I have to take an introductory level Physics, Chemistry, and Biology course, or are other courses such as Physiology, Biochemistry allowed? For example, might I be able to take a Biochemistry course instead of an introductory Biology or Chemistry course? The prerequisite for Science: General is 5.0 full courses in Science, which include at least 1 full course in each of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. This prerequisite does not specify the level at which these courses must be taken. Thus, there is no requirement that any of these courses be taken at the introductory level. Similarly, there is no requirement that any of these courses be taken at a senior or advanced level. Having said this, you should also consider that these introductory-level courses will probably provide a particularly good overview of key concepts in these 3 areas of Science, which would be valuable to a new teacher. As a Concurrent Education Student you have 5 years to accumulate academic credits and fulfill the prerequisites for your two teaching subjects. Thus, you should be selecting courses which will provide you with a solid understanding of the two curriculum areas. A Biochemistry course can be treated as either a Biology, or a Chemistry course, depending on what is most advantageous to the candidate in terms of satisfying the prerequisite. Courses such as Physiology, Anatomy, 15
Immunology and Genetics can be counted as Biology. Courses in Biomechanics can be counted as Physics. Note that Psychology courses are not accepted towards a Science teaching subject prerequisite. 10. I am a BPHE/CTEP student. I've been looking at the Arts and Science calendar for courses that can satisfy the prerequisite towards my second teaching subject. I was wondering if Astronomy (AST) credits count towards either, a Biology, Physics, Chemistry, or Science General teaching subject. Up to 1 full course in Astronomy will be accepted towards the Science-General prerequisite. Separately from this, Astrophysics counts as Physics. Most students in the BPHE program should be able to complete prerequisites for either Science Biology, or Science General using courses offered at the Faculty of Physical Education and Health in the framework of the BPHE program. A Concurrent Education Student at FPEH aiming for either Science - Biology or Science General would be better advised to take a Zoology or Botany course in order to broaden their background in this area (in addition to the human Biology focus within BPHE) rather than take more than 1 Astronomy course. See Appendix 3 for the summary of courses offered at the Faculty of Physical Education and Health that will count as teaching subject prerequisites in certain subject areas. 11. I am interested in taking the course GLG103H1 Geology and Public Issue towards Geography as my second teachable. However, I am not sure whether this course would be accepted as a credit towards Geography? I am really hoping this does work for me, as this is the only course that fits my schedule. Geology and Geography are two distinct disciplines. Unless the Faculty of Arts and Science will accept this course towards a Geography Major, then we will not pre-approve it as a course that can be counted towards the prerequisite for the Geography teaching subject. 12. For certain areas like History would only courses offered by that respective department be considered, or would other courses count as well? As an example, if a student is working towards History as a second teaching subject, and is interested in taking an Art History, or Religious History course, would this be acceptable? Yes. Up to one full course in subject specific history such as music history, art history or religious/church history can be accepted towards this prerequisite. 13. I am interested in teaching World Religions in high school. If I do a Historical Studies major with 4 or 5 courses in Religion would I be able to take History as a second teaching subject? Although it is possible to take history courses all in one area or period (e.g. Medieval History), we strongly recommend that you take courses in history that provide wide-ranging perspectives of Canada and the world through reflection on both the recent and distant past. This will provide you with a broader base which will better prepare you to teach the range of history courses offered in Ontario high schools. If you would like to teach the Grade 11 Social Science area course in World Religions, you should be aware that most courses in History of Religions are taught through the University s History Department. However, note that Social Sciences General is also an appropriate teaching subject for those who are interested in teaching this course. 14. I am interested in taking Criminology Program courses at Woodsworth College. These criminology courses are all social science courses. I would like to know if that program can fulfill requirements for the Social Sciences - General teaching subject. 16
Yes, Criminology courses will be accepted towards the Social Science General teaching subject. Similarly, courses in Women s studies will be accepted. However, note that Social Sciences General is offered only as an option for secondary students in the new Ontario Curriculum. Securing a teaching position based primarily on optional teaching subjects may prove difficult. Candidates with social science degrees who are considering the Social Sciences General as a teaching subject should be aware that there are far fewer approved courses offered in Social Sciences General compared with the 13 courses offered in Family Studies (also offered as an option for secondary students). 15. There is a new major program at UTSC called Intersections, Exchanges and Encounters in the Humanities (IEE). Might the courses offered in the framework of this major satisfy the prerequisite for the Family Studies teaching subject? Even though this major looks like a very interesting program, we cannot recommend any of the courses as good preparation for the Family Studies teaching subject. The program and the courses look at the overall field of humanities from so many different perspectives that it is not possible to state that there is a particular emphasis on the family. However, we could probably find several courses within this major that would fit into the Social Sciences General teaching subject. As this particular teaching subject is not very marketable, you should be perusing more viable options for your other teaching subject. 16. For the Social Sciences - General teaching subject, do all my prerequisites have to be from one area? Must all my prerequisites be associated with a Sociology minor, OR a Psychology minor OR an Anthropology minor? Can I fulfill the four prerequisite credits, with 1 Sociology credit, 1 Psychology credit, 1 Anthropology credit and 1 Women's Studies credit regardless if they are A, B, C, or D level courses? Any combination of sociology, anthropology and/or psychology courses at any level will complete the prerequisite for the Social Sciences - General teaching subject. Therefore, the courses used to complete this prerequisite do not need to add up to a minor in any particular area. 17. I am aware that the Social Sciences - General teaching subject is optional for high school students, thus reducing the marketability of this subject area. However, I would only pursue it in addition to my History Minor. Thus, French would be my anchor subject, and History as well as the Social Sciences - General will be my other teaching subjects. Is it possible to have TWO second teaching subjects? You cannot complete the Concurrent program with more than 2 teaching subjects (one of which is your anchor subject) for which you will be recognized as qualified to teach in Ontario at the intermediate and senior levels. Therefore, you cannot have two "second" teaching subjects and you must decide whether your second teaching subject will be History or Social Sciences - General. However, note that teachers can pick-up additional teaching subjects by taking Additional Qualifications courses after they graduate from an Initial Teacher Education Program. Therefore, it is a good idea that you are thinking about additional teaching subjects and alternatives, especially if you are interested in taking AQ courses as these courses often require prerequisites in certain subject areas. 18. I am curious about using a credit in PHE390 Directed Research towards my second teaching subject in Chemistry. My proposed project focuses heavily on cellular chemistry which, I think, fits in well with Chemistry as my second teaching subject. This course is not recommended for the following reasons: 1) The course description for PHE390 makes it clear that the focus is on research methodology and statistics. 17
2) In order for this course to potentially count as a teaching subject prerequisite towards Chemistry, your detailed research project proposal would need to be endorsed by someone with a good understanding of Chemistry programs at the University (e.g. a professor at the Department of Chemistry). 3) Taking a conventional Chemistry or Biochemistry course is much better option as it will give you the necessary content knowledge in Chemistry. Therefore, considering the fact that you have 5 or 4 years to accumulate academic credits and fulfill the prerequisites for your two teaching subject, you should opt for courses that will provide you a solid content knowledge in each of your subject areas. 19. I wonder if courses in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) count towards Biology as a teaching subject. Yes, any EEB course that can be counted towards the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major could be counted towards the Biology prerequisite. However, you should be aware that any course that is identified as a course for non-science students and/or is not credited towards the department s major/specialist (or even minor) program is not suitable for use as a science subject prerequisite. For example the EEB courses that do not count towards any Biology specialist or major are: 1) EEB202H - Plants & Society 2) EEB214H - Evolution & Adaptation 3) EEB215H - Conservation Biology 4) EEB216H - Marine Mammal Biology & Conservation 20. I am interested in taking the FOR201- Conservation and Management of Tropical and Sub-tropical Foresters course and I am not sure if it counts towards Biology as a second teaching subject. No, this course cannot be counted towards the Biology prerequisite. The course description presents a macro-level view of the forest system, which appears to be a better fit with Geography. 21. My second teaching subject will be French as a Second Language, and I am enrolled in a course titled Second Language Learning (JFI225Y). I was told that to have the course count as a French credit, I am required to do aspects of the evaluation in French, which concerns me a bit. I would like to know if the course would count as a French credit, even if I were to do the evaluations in English. In order for this course to count as a French credit, it must be acceptable toward a Major in the subject. This means that you would need to complete all your written work and tests in French in order for JFI225Y to count as a teaching subject prerequisite for French. In addition, as this will not show on your transcript, you must prove to the OISE Registrar that you ve completed your evaluations in French with a letter from the French Department that they would accept the course toward a Major in French. This applies to other FCS, JFI, JFL and JFV courses with the exception of FCS 195H1, which can never count towards a major in French. 22. I want to know if courses in human biology such as: Introduction to Human Behaviour, Introduction to Global Health can be used towards a Biology prerequisite? The Human Biology programs at the University of Toronto are multidisciplinary programs which integrate topic from the medical sciences, biological and social sciences, as well as the humanities. As such it is important to ensure that all courses to be credited towards the Biology teaching subjects are clearly Biology and/or Medical Science courses. Courses which are heavily social science (including psychology) or humanities will not be accepted. For example, the Introduction to Human Behaviour course appears to have a primary focus on psychology, which 18
OISE does not accept towards the Biology Teaching Subject. Similarly, the Introduction to Global Health course does not appear to be primarily focused on Biology, and therefore it should not be used as a prerequisite for the Biology teaching subject. 23. I am going into second year of the Concurrent program at the Faculty of Physical Education and Health, and I am planning on having Biology as my second teaching subject. I understand that many courses in BPHE count towards Biology, but I was wondering if I had to have 1.0, or more credits in BIO in order to satisfy the prerequisite. Technically, it is possible to complete the Science Biology prerequisite using courses within the BPHE program (see Appendix 3). However, someone who actually wants to have the best possible preparation to actually teach high school biology would well be advised to take 1 st Year BIO and, if possible, EEB and/or CSB courses during their program. 24. I know I have to complete 4 or 5 full courses towards my anchor subject by the end of Year 3. The Guidelines state that I can take up to 1 full course in my other teaching subject as a co-requisite. What if I don't complete the appropriate number of courses in due time, and how can I complete up to 1 full course as a co-requisite for my other teaching subject in Year 5? For your anchor subject, you will easily have accumulated enough credits by the end of Year 3 because the majority of courses that you need to take are embedded in your undergraduate specialization. If, for some reason, you think that you might not be able to accumulate enough credits, you might consider enrolling in summer courses or focusing on your anchor subject more thoroughly by taking 2 full courses a year in Years 2 and 3. In terms of satisfying the prerequisite for your 2 nd teaching subject, if you don t complete 4 or 5 full courses by the end of Year 4, you can take the remaining courses and complete the credits during Year 5 as co-requisites while you are enrolled in the Curriculum and Instruction course for your 2 nd teaching subject. However, we strongly recommend that you plan ahead to ensure that you have accumulated at least 80% of the prerequisites because you may find it difficult to keep up with the demands of the Curriculum Instruction and Assessment course and the related practicum without a solid foundation in the subject area. 25. I am a Concurrent Education student from the Faculty of Physical Education and Health currently doing an exchange program at the University of Queensland in Australia. I am interested in taking two Biology courses offered at the Biological Sciences Faculty of the University of Queensland. I would like to know if the two courses would transfer and be accepted as credits towards my second teaching subject in Biology. If the Faculty of Physical Education and Health would accept the credits you are taking at the University of Queensland towards your undergraduate degree, then OISE would accept them as teaching subject prerequisites towards your second teaching subject. OISE can still look at these courses for prerequisite purposes even if they are not transferred to your undergraduate degree. However, it would be a lot easier if they are transferred because the credits will be translated into U of T course equivalents. 19