These strengths include creative and critical thinking, scholarship, and caring. Application of these strengths emerges through the collaborative efforts of a diverse community which supports lifelong learning. The goal of individual programs is to develop exemplary educators who have a broad general education, relevant disciplinary knowledge, and experience in and knowledge of contemporary best practices. The continuing professional effectiveness of our graduates is rooted in their life-long learning and reflective practice. NIU is committed to life-long learning and to the effective use of critical thinking skills in diverse and collaborative settings.
Research indicates that students learning is profoundly affected by experience.
Students interact with the community of learners comprised of faculty, field professionals, and peers. Best Practices NIU has established formal partnerships with urban, suburban, and rural schools in northern Illinois, creating opportunities for extended placement of student teachers and the professional development of classroom teachers and other school personnel. The Speech and Hearing Clinic provides a clinical site and population for 150 students each year, preparing students for professional practice in audiology, rehabilitation counseling, and speech-language pathology. The Department of English is developing a series of workshops for teachers on composition, technology, and pedagogy, focusing on the underlying principles of using various technologies in the classroom in a creative manner. The Family and Consumer Sciences teacher certification program at NIU prepares more new teachers than the other five programs in the state combined.