Technological Education

Technological Education is a program that prepares Consecutive Education teacher candidates with experience in a broad-based technology area to teach grades 9 to 12.

Overview

The Technological Education program began at the Faculty in 1971. Candidates entering the program with an undergraduate degree complete the Bachelor of Education (BEd). The Diploma in Education (DipEd) is completed by candidates without a degree. See Required Academic/Work Experience Combinations for admission. Graduates of the Diploma in Education who later obtain an acceptable degree can apply to the Education Registrar to have the Diploma converted to a Bachelor of Education degree.

Options

There are two program options:

• Fall/Winter: full-time 8-month on-campus program
• Internship: on-campus classes offered over two Summers, and on-line courses taken in the intervening Fall/Winter terms while teaching the broad-based technology subject area in an Ontario secondary school. Interns must submit proof of employment with their application.

Broad-based Technology Areas

Candidates choose from the following broad-based technology areas:

* indicates that applicants must hold a Certificate of Qualification in the regulated trade.

For more information, see Broad-based Technology Areas.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are welcome to apply to both program options (Fall/Winter and Internship) but should rank their choices. The Education Registrar will make every attempt to make an offer of admission for the applicant’s first preference. Only one offer will be made.

Applicants must have one of the following:

• Minimum 5 years* of wage-earning experience, including business or industrial experience, where the applicant used skills and knowledge in the area of Technological Education selected for his/her Broad-based Technology.

or

• At least 2 years* of wage-earning experience and successful completion of a postsecondary education program in the area of Technological Education selected for his/her Broad-based Technology. The postsecondary education program must be a minimum of six (6) semesters of academic studies where the experience and education use the applicant’s skills and knowledge in their Broad-based Technology.

or

• A combination of wage-earning experience and education that totals five (5) years*, of which at least two (2) years* must be wage-earning experience in their Broad-based Technology and at least four (4) months in this two years must be continuous.

*Please note that 1 year equals 1850 hours

Proof of Competency

Applicants must provide proof of competency in the same broad-based technology area to which they are applying in order to teach. This proof is a combination of both academic background and work experience in the same broad-based technology. Examples of activities that are not counted towards your skilled wage-earning experience are teaching, supervisory functions, management activities, customer service and sales activities. Activities such as these cannot be counted even if they require knowledge of the broad-based technology area.

Proof of competence in the broad-based technology subject area to which application is made, as follows:

• a minimum of 2 years of related postsecondary skilled work and/or wage-earning experience (in the same area of trade certification and in the same broad-based technology subject area that the applicant is seeking qualification)

or

• an acceptable combination of related academic studies and related skilled work and/or wage-earning experience

Required Academic/Work Experience Combinations

Qualifications and assessments of individual academic/experience combinations are made by the Faculty, and require proof of related postsecondary skilled work and/or wage-earning experience. The proven number of years needed for each academic background is as follows:

• Related university degree: A minimum of 2 years experience
• Related college diploma (3 years): A minimum of 2 years experience
• Related college diploma (2 years): 3 years experience
• 1 year of a 2-3 year related college diploma: 4 years experience
• Tradesperson (Secondary School Graduation Diploma): 5 years experience

*Please note that 1 year equals 1850 hours

Courses

In the program you will take some courses that are common to all education programs, as well as courses specific to Technological Education such as:

• Teaching Technological Education
• Curriculum Development in Technological Education
• Broad-Based Technological Education

You have the flexibility of selecting an elective course to tailor your program to your interests. These courses will introduce to new ideas and practices, and ask you to critically reflect on how you will practice as an educator. Our faculty has a technological education shop specifically designed for project development and learning about the teaching of technological education.

Practicum in the Fall/Winter Program

Practicum placements allow you to work alongside other education professionals in secondary school classrooms. The practicum portion of the program is longer than at many other faculties of education.

In the Fall and first part of the Winter a regular in-school practicum is completed in a secondary school.

An alternative practicum is required in the second part of the Winter term. This is done in a non-traditional educational setting, to broaden knowledge and understanding of education. Placements can be done anywhere in the world as long as it relates to the program. Examples of previous placements include tourist resorts, community colleges, radio and television corporations, and many others in business and industry. Guidance and support will be given in selecting your placement.

Career Opportunities

The Education Registrar will inform the Registrar of the Ontario College of Teachers when a teacher candidate has successfully completed the program. Graduating teacher candidates who plan to teach in Ontario must formally register to become members of the College and be awarded the Certificate of Qualification and Registration as a teacher.

Given the different curriculum taught in each province, teacher candidates interested in teaching in other provinces need to ensure they have the requisite background to teach in that province.

Graduates are engaged in a variety of careers ranging from full-time classroom teaching to full or part-time work in business and industry.