Posts Tagged ‘Annual Meeting’

Take a Break During the AACTE Annual Meeting

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Join your friends and colleagues at the end of the first day of the Annual Meeting for our Dueling DJs reception, Wednesday, February 24 from 5:15 – 6:00pm. The host DJs will play songs through the decades that you know and will want to sing along to.  Then you can vote on which DJ is spinning the best, or your favorite, songs.

Our Curriculum isn’t Already Anti-racist? A Reflective Journey

K. Stanley Brooks of Chosen Path Consulting, Marvin Lynn of Portland State University, and Christina “V” Villarreal of the Harvard Graduate School of Education will present the session, “Identifying, Understanding, and Replacing Racist Curricula” at the virtual 2021 Annual Meeting, Wednesday, February 24, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. In this article, Brooks offers a preview of the session by asking key questions for inquiry and reflection on what it means to engage in an anti-racist manner in the academic space.

Our curriculum is not already anti-racist? If our curriculum is not already anti-racist, then what have we been allowing and promoting all these years?

Greetings to you from Minneapolis, Minnesota. This city was the center of world news on May 25, 2020, and the days following the reaction to the killing of George Floyd. It is not just one person, but a disturbing pattern that can be linked to the interactions between the first enslaved Africans and White Americans to the banks of Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. Perhaps you have heard the names of Breonna Taylor, Ahmad Aubrey, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and many more. Many assume that college campuses are places of higher thought and scholarship, where students and faculty/staff of color are immune to the horrors of racial microaggressions and assaults. One of the primary ways these spaces are hostile toward people of color is through the academic plans (practicum, course content, course selection, guest speakers, hiring practices, athletics, etc.) for our students.

Join Me at AACTE’s 2021 Annual Meeting

Robert Floden
As chair-elect of the AACTE Board of Directors, I invite you to join me and your colleagues at the AACTE virtual 2021 Annual Meeting, February 24-26. Education leaders from across the nation will convene and share innovative perspectives, orientations, strategies, and technologies designed to address equity and inclusivity among diverse groups of learners and school contexts.
 
Inclusion and equity are overarching principles that should guide all educational policies, preparation programs, and practices. To do so effectively, educators must recognize the principle that education, particularly in an inclusive democracy, is both a fundamental right and the foundation for more equitable, inclusive, and cohesive communities.
 
Themed “Resisting Hate, Restoring Hope: Engaging in Courageous Action,” this year’s conference will feature four strands: Equity and Inclusivity in Preparation and Practice; Activism for Renewing Democracy; Establishing a Sustainable and Diverse Profession; and Clinical Practice and Community Engagement. The Equity and Inclusivity in Preparation and Practice strand will leverage the collective knowledge and experience of leading experts on ways to advance AACTE’s strategic direction to revolutionize education for all learners and focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
 
Watch the video to learn more about the virtual conference. The February 19 registration deadline is quickly approaching! Register now and invite your colleagues and students to participate in AACTE’s 2021 Annual Meeting. View the event schedule and details at www.aacte.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation using #AACTE21.
 
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact AACTE’s Events Team at events@aacte.org
 

I look forward to greeting you at AACTE’s virtual conference in two weeks!

Sincerely, 

Robert Floden, Ph.D. 
Chair-Elect, AACTE Board of Directors  
Dean, College of Education, Michigan State University 

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Do you have questions or  need assistance? Please contact us at events@aacte.org

Have No Fear, the AACTE Conference Community Center is Still Here

Group Of Multi-Ethnic Arms Outstretched And Holding An sign about AACTE Conference Community Center

AACTE invites all members of the 73rd Annual Meeting to visit the virtual Conference Community Center.  Learn about member resources, connect with other attendees and AACTE staff, and test your AACTE trivia knowledge for a chance to win one of many prizes!  The Conference Community Center will feature a number of activities:

AACTE Connect360

This new members-only resource is an engaging and interactive virtual platform that brings together AACTE’s community of 15,000+ individuals in an exciting way.  You will be able to start discussions and ask questions of fellow AACTE members, comment on each other’s posts, share best practices, and create your own unique member profile.  Visit the Conference Community Center for a demonstration of how the community works.

Celebrating HBCU Icons of Teacher Education

The members of AACTE’s HBCU Teacher Education Topical Action Group (TAG) are very proud of the contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ (HBCU) educators and researchers and the work that they have done within and beyond academia. More importantly, we commend the contributions made through the discourse and praxis on equity in education. We want to celebrate these contributions and promote the excellence that emanates from HBCU educator preparation programs. We look forward to your participation at our annual business virtual meeting on February 23, 2021 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.

In keeping with this year’s theme, Resisting Hate, Restoring Hope: Engaging in Courageous Action, The HBCU Teacher Education TAG will engage in a discussion on how we are instrumental in this purpose by using our unique positionally to provide leadership on issues of diversity and inclusion. We hope you will consider joining us.

Teacher Performance Assessments as a Tool for Teacher Learning, Program Improvement, and Accountability: The Case of edTPA

One feature of the AACTE Annual Meeting will be panel discussion about the uses of edTPA, for accountability, support for teacher learning, and program improvement.  The session is scheduled for Wednesday, February 24, from 4:00 – 5:15 pm EST.

Some teacher educators see edTPA as a valuable tool, but other have concerns. Recent research has described its weaknesses as a criterion for high-stakes decisions about individual teachers.  This session is intended to help teacher educators and policy makers appreciate the variety of ways edTPA is being conceptualized and implemented, with the associated variation in positive and negative consequences.

Café Con Leche: Navigating Student Supports in a Financial Crisis at William Paterson University

Authors David A. Fuentes and Johanna Torres of William Paterson University, along with Andrew Morse of the University of Northern Iowa, will present a Learning Lab during the AACTE 2021 Annual Meeting, “Navigating Student Supports in a Financial Crisis” on Wednesday, February 24, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. In this article, Fuentes and Torres highlights their university’s efforts to support its diverse student population.

The unanticipated COVID-19 pandemic that hit in earnest of March of last year resulted in an abrupt disruption of teaching and learning at William Paterson University in northern New Jersey, as it did at institutions of higher education throughout the country. Students, faculty, and staff readied to quickly acclimate to our new learning ecology, one that was rife with technological challenges, but we were less prepared to understand the scope and breadth of the other hardships to come. Like other public universities located in the Mid-Atlantic region, March 2020 brought about changes at our institution that included the closure of our physical campus space, a loss of the varied and structured physical learning communities, and many of the physical opportunities that drove our community and kept us in touch with students and each other. Our offices designed around student support, civic engagement and campus life had to be re-imagined embracing the digital learning environments that faculty and students were creating. Adding to the dynamic change was a sense of urgency as our community, like others, began experiencing loss of a magnitude only experienced by previous, war-ravaged generations.

Applying Technology-enhanced Teaching Strategies to the New Normal in 2021 and Beyond

Education concept: Education Technology on Building background, 3d renderThe AACTE Committee on Information and Technology will host a Deeper Dive session at the AACTE 2021 Annual Meeting, “Applying Technology-enhanced Teaching Strategies to the New Normal in 2021 and Beyond” on Thursday, February 25, 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The committee members offer a preview of the panel discussion in the following article.

Over the past year, educators have learned much about technology in teacher education. Technology has become the classroom and often the location of field placements. While many of these learnings were forced due to the pandemic, lessons learned can be carried forward into 2021 and beyond to create improved responsive teacher preparation programs in the future at all levels of education.  As a result, the AACTE Committee on Innovation and Technology Committee is offering a Deeper Dive session that includes teacher preparation experts discussing the lessons learned from remote learning and ways to move forward post-COVID with technology in teacher preparation.  The Deeper Dive session will include panelists from a wide variety of teacher preparation institutions to discuss their particular lessons learned from the challenges of the pandemic. Furthermore, our panelists will share how we can move forward in teacher preparation to prepare new and veteran teachers to teach with technology in 2021 and beyond. Our panelists include the following:

Video Observation Improves Teacher Preparation and Enhances Collaboration

Authors Caroline Forrest and Cori Woytek will be presenting a live Q&A session at the 2021 Annual Meeting, “Using Video Across Diverse Settings to Provide Meaningful Feedback & Facilitate Reflective Conversations,” Thursday, February 25, 1:30 – 2:30 pm.

Providing resident teachers with meaningful feedback to improve their instructional practices is—and always has always been—a hallmark of our teacher education program here at Western Colorado University. Through the use of video coaching, which we implemented four years ago, we’ve been able to ensure this feedback is even more effective, rich, and applicable.

How to Get the Best Virtual Experience at #AACTE21

Front view of modern laptop with #AACTE21 logo on screen.

As AACTE’s hosts its first virtual Annual Meeting, we talked with our AV production company, Manor Hill Productions, to share information on what the attendees can expect during the meeting. 

Many associations have transitioned their conference to a virtual setting due to COVID-19. What are important aspects for a successful virtual conference/platform to ensure attendees have a valuable experience?

To get the most out of their virtual experience, we encourage you to explore the platform and familiarize yourself with where things are and how to navigate around. Similar to entering a hotel or convention center and finding where the meeting rooms are, the same can be said about a virtual environment. Click around the space and follow the links to understand where everything is located. Visit the exhibit floor, see where the breakouts and main stage sessions will be. Look at the agenda and decide when your desired sessions will be taking place. Everyone wants to network. If you are looking for specific people you can seek them out to chat and catch up. Just because it is a virtual environment does not mean you lose the ability to connect.

Disrupting Inequities: Shared Responsibility in Diversity, Equity, and Social

Diversity Children Friendship Innocence Smiling Concept

During the virtual AACTE 2021 Annual Meeting, attendees are invited to join their peers at the Learning Lab session, Disrupting Inequities: Local and Global initiatives for Shared Responsibility in Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice on Friday, February 26, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. AACTE member

Michael W. Apple of the University of Wisconsin addresses this topic in the following thought leadership article. 

Schools, particularly public schools, are under a great threat right now. And as education leaders, it’s imperative that we understand the current environment. There is a growing anger towards our educational system that is visible statewide and at a national level. Fueled by restorative politics, many of those who have lost their faith in public schools believe that educators place too much emphasis on equitable education. Yet, while much more needs to be done, the simple fact that some people are criticizing schools must mean that we must be doing something right already. If we weren’t working at interrupting racial injustice many people, especially those who are ultra-rightists, wouldn’t be so angry at schools and teachers.

Attend the Leadership Academy Sessions at 2021 Annual Meeting

AACTE Annual Meeting logoJoin your colleagues at the 2021 Annual Meeting for a deep exploration of “Leading During Difficult Times.” AACTE will continue the conversation from its 2020 Leadership Academy in two sessions focused on ways education leaders can navigate the challenges of the current global environment. This second part of the Academy will include guided panel discussions and a close examination of successful case stories.

The Leadership Academy sessions at this year’s Annual Meeting include

Strategic Planning and Leadership: COVID-19 Edition
Wednesday, February 24              
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

In this session, leaders will engage in strategic planning for the coming months as we approach a post pandemic world. Attendees will assess what has been tried and learned so far during the pandemic, envision the upcoming year, using what has been learned to outlining new initiatives post pandemic. Participants will discuss how to engage faculty and staff, organize their interactions, and process their experience. Participants will leave with an action plan for developing new initiatives.

Senator Elizabeth Warren To Headline AACTE Opening Keynote Series

Senator Elizabeth WarrenAACTE is excited to announce U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren will address the AACTE community during its 2021 Annual Meeting Opening Keynote session on February 24. New this year, the conference session will feature a series of mini presentations from influential politicians and education leaders making a difference in shaping our post-COVID world.

Senator Warren will deliver an important message on paving the way forward for educators during this global pandemic. A former elementary teacher and law professor, Warren works to advance the U.S. educational system in her role on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). Warren is recognized as one of the nation’s top experts on the financial pressures facing middle class families. Boston Globe has called her “the plainspoken voice of people getting crushed by so many predatory lenders and under regulated banks.”

In the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Warren served as Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Her independent and tireless efforts to protect taxpayers, to hold Wall Street accountable, and to ensure tough oversight of both the Bush and Obama Administrations won praise from both sides of the aisle. Read Senator Warren’s full bio at www.aacte.org.

Interact with Roundtable and iPoster Presenters During #AACTE21

Roundtable Sessions - iPostersThe Annual Meeting Roundtable Sessions and Holmes Poster Session will look a lot different at this year’s virtual conference.  In past years, the Round Table sessions were set up with a presenter to speak to a small group of people on their subject matter and posters hung for the attendees to view and talk face-to-face with the author. With a virtual meeting, that is difficult to do. 

This year, we will be utilizing iPosters for the Round Table sessions and Holmes Poster Session. iPosters is an interactive presentation platform that displays high-resolution images, video, animations, and voice-over narrations. Participants will be able to scroll through the content of the poster, click on images, and watch and listen to videos and other enhancements the presenters add to their sessions.  During their scheduled session time, presenters and authors will have the opportunity to talk with the attendees via chat or other options to discuss their session topic. Make sure to virtually stop by the Poster Gallery during these times to talk with the presenters: