Native Language Teacher Education Bachelor of Science, SLED
Program Description
The purpose of the Bachelor of Science in Native Language Teacher Education is to prepare and graduate well-rounded Salish Language Educators who are have attained a level of proficiency in the Salish language that ensures s/he will be adequately prepared to teach others the Salish language and/or use the language as the medium of instruction in other educational contexts. It is designed to better prepare Salish language educators who attain the highest level of Salish language instruction possible for second language learners who are students of the Séliš u Ql̓ispé Nuwewlštn language curriculum. Students of the B.S. demonstrate the ability to teach Salish to students from birth through adulthood, as in the Associate’s degree. However, this program advances that by providing:
● an additional year of language instruction, and
● two additional teacher-specific language courses focused specifically on language necessary for use in teaching/education settings.
It also ensures graduates also receive additional professional preparation aligned with Salish Kootenai College’s Division of Education including:
● Knowledge of Native American student context and best educational practices leading to developmentally and culturally sustaining and revitalizing pedagogy.
● Commitment to meeting the needs of developmentally, ethnically and linguistically diverse learners.
● Commitment to reflective practices leading to personal and professional development.
● Development of collaborative relationships with mentoring teachers and peers organized into learning communities that promote application of knowledge, skills and dispositions in real settings.
● Strong evidence of effective communication, critical thinking, cultural understanding and citizenship.
Career Opportunities
Graduates will be prepared to work as Salish Language Teachers in Native language immersion schools, public school classrooms (P-12), and/or other private schools in which a Class 7 Certification or an associate’s degree meets the qualifications. Successful Bachelor degree graduates may choose to continue their education to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education P-3 or Elementary Education.
Program Objectives
● First and second language acquisition, dual language learning, and immersion
● Teaching literacy in native language contexts
● Methods of teaching in a native language setting (e.g., DLL, Immersion, etc.)
● Methods of teaching content areas, in DLL and immersion settings
● Multicultural education including teaching in culturally and linguistically diverse settings
● Program models, policy, school-community relations in DLL and immersion settings
● The phonology, morphology, and syntax of Salish language in addition to English (for dual language or immersion teachers)
● Assessment in DLL/immersion settings
● Curriculum development in DLL/immersion settings
● Reading and research in foundations of education related to the education of culturally and linguistically diverse students
● Use of instructional technology for teaching first and second languages and content areas
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Associate of Science degree, candidates will demonstrate the following skills, dispositions and knowledge in relation to the principles:
● Demonstrate proficiency communicating through listening, speaking, reading, and writing in both Salish and English.
● Apply knowledge and understanding of the Salish history and culture considering political, social, economic, and sovereign factors.
● Effectively employ knowledge of language acquisition theory and application to educational practice.
● Plan, implement and assess instruction for linguistically and culturally diverse students utilizing DLL and immersion strategies.
● Communicate effectively with students, parents, and others in culturally and linguistically diverse communities, especially Salish communities.
● Critically assess and evaluate the student, program, and self-performance.
● Establish and apply an understanding of intercultural competency, including tribal values, to ensure appropriate ways of being and building respectful relationships within language learning and immersion settings.
Intensive Salish Language (ISL) Component
Two-year intensive language program, led by the Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee (SQCC), which covers Levels 1 through 3 of the Séliš u Ql̓ispé Nuwewlštn curriculum and provides language necessary within a teaching context. Language learning will be conducted all day, Monday – Thursday and Friday mornings for the entirety of two calendar years of the 4-year NLTE Bachelor’s program. Within the first year, successful participants will complete the content necessary to take the Class 7 Licensure examination with the Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee and upon their recommendation, apply for a Class 7 Certification through the Montana Office of Public Instruction. In the second year of language instruction, students complete 80 seasonally-based lessons focused on specific Nk̓ʷulmn, which provide increased language development and engagement in contextualized, social, seasonally-appropriate, and experiential language learning within or outside of the classroom. Level 3 Stories provides intensive vocabulary, sentence structure, and grammar, as well as conjugations, application of transitive and intransitive rules, and a major shift in worldview.
In the Bachelor of Science degree, students complete two additional courses, which provide language instruction, practice, and application of teacher- and education-specific vocabulary.
Native Language Teacher Education (NLTE) Component
Educator preparation courses aimed at preparing teachers who are working towards sustaining and revitalizing Salish language and culture. Multiple opportunities for practicum experiences will be provided, with a focus on observing, teaching, and reflecting upon these experiences with students in the second and third years of the SLED option. Courses may be delivered at the SQCC, Nk̓ʷusm, SKC, or other locations that are most convenient for participants. Successful graduates will earn an Associate of Science degree in Education at the completion of the third year.
Requirements
● Students must submit to a federal background check for all Education programs.
● Students must receive a “C” or better in all required courses while maintaining an overall grade point average of 2.5 to graduate.
Curriculum
Summer Second Year
| NASL386 | Advanced Salish Stories III | 2 |
| NASL387 | Advanced Salish Stories Lab III | 4 |
| NASL388 | Advanced Salish Stories IV | 2 |
| NASL389 | Advanced Salish Stories Lab IV | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Fall Third Year
| NLTE235 | Promising Practices in Native Language Teaching Methods I | 4 |
| EDUC178 | Exploratory Field Experience | 1 |
| EDUC203 | Foundations of Education | 5 |
| NLTE338 | Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment in Culturally & Linguistically Rich Contexts | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Winter Third Year
| NLTE355 | Promising Practices in Native Language Teaching Methods II | 4 |
| EDUC309 | Guiding Social Development and Classroom Management | 4 |
| EDUC321 | Research Writing in Education | 3 |
| NASL 396 | Salish Language for Teaching I | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Spring Third Year
| EDUC311 | Cultures, Diversity and Educational Ethics | 3 |
| EDUC312 | Diversity in Education Practicum | 1 |
| NASL397 | Salish Language for Teaching II | 3 |
| NLTE299 | Practicum for NLTE | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 13 |
Fall Fourth Year
| ECED315 | Literacy and Language in the Early Childhood Classroom | 3 |
| EDUC305 | Technology in the Elementary Classroom | 4 |
| NLTE439 | Teaching Reading & Writing in the DLL Classroom | 5 |
| NLTE339 | Professional Issues and Ethics in Native Language Education Settings | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 13 |
Winter Fourth Year
| EDUC471 | Action Research In Education | 3 |
| NLTE440 | Indigenous STEM Education for DLL and Immersion Classrooms | 5 |
| NLTE239 | Séliš-Ql̓ispé Music | 3 |
| NLTE455 | Promising Practices in Native Language Teaching Methods III | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Fourth Year
| EDUC495 | Reflective Practice and Research in Education | 2 |
| NASL496 | Student Teaching for NLTE | 12 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
155 + 95 credits = 250 credits-B.S. In Native Language Teacher Education (NTLE), Salish Language Educator Development (SLED) Option