Register for the November 2 Lunch & Learn with David Slykhuis

Why Your Dean Wants You to Keep Your Outlook Calendar Up-To-Date and Other Microsoft 365 Tips

By Brooke Evans

AACTE is pleased to offer Lunch & Learns, new professional development opportunities for members.  These 30-minute sessions are designed to provide you with an immediate tool or strategy that you can immediately apply to your work. Can’t make it virtually? All Lunch & Learns will be available on-demand for AACTE members. Watch them during your lunch break or whenever it is convenient for you.

Join us on Thursday, November 2, from 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET for AACTE’s Lunch & Learn, Why Your Dean Wants You to Keep Your Outlook Calendar Up-To-Date and Other Microsoft 365 Tips, with David Slykhuis, Ph.D., of Valdosta State University. This session will briefly touch on several of the important, and often underutilized abilities of Microsoft Office 365. Some examples include the following:

Unlock Big Savings: Register Early for AACTE’s 2024 Annual Meeting

By AACTE

The 2024 AACTE Annual Meeting is not just an event; it’s a grand gathering of like-minded individuals, and a platform for learning, networking, and sharing unique perspectives in teacher preparation. Early registration for the Annual Meeting can be a money-saving strategy that offers multiple benefits, from budgetary savings to securing your spot.

With early bird registration closing on November 1, you have just over a week to lock in savings. Join us February 16-18 at the Gaylord Rockies in Aurora/Denver, CO, in Propelling the Profession into the Future. The AACTE 2024 Annual Meeting theme aligns with the association’s vision and mission to revolutionize education for all learners by elevating education and educator preparation through research, professional practice, advocacy, and collaboration. Check out the preconference activities, and take a further look at some of the Featured Sessions for 2024:

Special Education Teacher Advocates Invited to First Meeting of AACTE, CEEDAR Collaboration

Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation, a Collaboration Between AACTE and CEEDAR

By Brooke Evans

On October 31, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, special education teacher advocates are invited to attend the first meeting of the new national affinity group, Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation.  The first meeting, Multiple Pathways into the Profession, will dive into two educator preparation programs providing innovative ways for students to obtain special education educator licensure.

Elena Andrei, Ed.D., and Claire E. Hughes, Ph.D., of Cleveland State University will share information on their DREAM project, a master’s program degree that results in two initial licensures (P-5, Early Childhood Intervention Specialist), and a TESOL endorsement.

Preview #AACTE24 Featured Sessions

By AACTE

Early bird registration is still open for the  AACTE 2024 Annual Meeting taking place February 16-18 at Gaylord Rockies in Aurora/Denver, CO. In addition to 150-plus interactive learning opportunities, AACTE will provide members with a robust and dynamic selection of “Featured Sessions” which provide a large-format, expert-facilitated exploration of a key topic. Take a look at some of the slated discussions for this year’s Annual Meeting.

Members Invited to Join New National Affinity Group

Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation, a Collaboration Between AACTE and CEEDAR

By Brooke Evans

Teacher educators across the nation are invited to join the newest national affinity group, Championing Special Educators: Strategies for Recruitment & Retention in Educator Preparation, and our first meeting is “spooktacularly” on Halloween!

AACTE is collaborating with the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) in order to offer AACTE members the opportunity to glean insights from comprehensive educator preparation programs and educational partners who have excelled in recruiting and preparing candidates to become fully licensed special educators.

More specifically, this affinity group professional learning series will highlight successful strategies that educator preparation programs (EPPs) have employed to increase enrollment of special education candidates, including collaborating with K-12 districts, universities and community partners, and utilizing data collection efforts to drive decision-making.

Lunch & Learn with Guy Trainin, Lesson Planning: Generative AI Tools for Teachers and Teacher Educators

By Brooke Evans

AACTE is pleased to offer Lunch and Learns, new professional development opportunities for members.  These 30-minute sessions are designed to provide you with an immediate tool or strategy that you can immediately apply to your work. Can’t make it virtually? All Lunch and Learns will be available on-demand just for AACTE members. Watch them during your lunch break or whenever it is convenient for you.

AACTE will continue its new Lunch and Learn Series on Wednesday, October 18, from 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. ET with Lesson Planning: Generative AI Tools for Teachers and Teacher Educators. Guy Trainin (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) will teach participants about various AI tools, their functionalities, and best practices so that these tools can enhance teaching and not just serve as a novel addition. Furthermore, he will discuss ethical considerations, such as data privacy and avoiding algorithmic biases, ensuring that the implementation of AI is not only effective but also responsible.

Leveraging Technology and Digital Advances to Develop Global Competencies in Teacher Educators and Candidates

By Brooke Evans

As part of AACTE’s Longview Foundation-supported Global Education Faculty PLC Professional Learning Series, on Thursday, October 12, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET, you are invited to attend the public webinar, Leveraging Technology and Digital Advances to Develop Global Competencies in Teacher Educators and Candidates. Learn about the ways technology can be used to develop global competencies for both teacher educators and their students.

Join us as we explore different perspectives on how recent world events have led to an even greater need for global citizenship through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology. Panelists also will make the case for learning to learn with technology rather than trying to control its evolution. The session will showcase examples of pedagogy, practice, and actions teachers can employ with students in developing global competencies.

Registration Open for AACTE’s Leslie Fenwick’s 2023 Brown Lecture at AERA

By Tyler Pointer

AACTE invites members to attend the 2023 American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) Brown Lecture, “Otherwise Qualified: The Untold Story of Brown and Black Educators” presented by AACTE Dean in Residence Leslie T. Fenwick, Ph.D., on Thursday, October 19 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. ET at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington D.C.

Fenwick will deliver the lecture to an in-person audience and offer a newly excavated history of the implementation of Brown v. Board of Education. The lecture will also broadcast live.

Take a Seat at the Table: The Role of EPPS in Teacher Apprenticeship Programs

By AIR Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

Educator preparation programs (EPPs) have an opportunity to strengthen existing district partnerships and lead the way in co-designing teacher Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs), including the launch, operation, and continuous improvement of programs. EPPs should be at the table as states, districts, and other partners establish these mutually beneficial partnerships and subsequent teacher RAPs by offering options and informing how the classroom training, related instruction, and hands-on experience are fulfilled.

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) Center on Great Teachers and Leaders is partnering with AACTE, the CEEDAR Center, and InnovateEDU to host a webinar that will expand upon the report, Take a Seat at the Table: The Role of Educator Preparation Programs in Teacher Apprenticeship Programs. In the webinar, we will provide concrete strategies and examples of the role that EPPs can play in teacher RAPs, drawing on National Guideline Standards that were developed by the Pathways Alliance and recently published by the U.S. Department of Labor. Leaders from Ball State University and Missouri State University will share their experiences with designing, implementing, and funding teacher Thwacks. 

The Take a Seat at the Table: The Role of EPPS in Teacher Apprenticeship Programs webinar will take place Wednesday, October 11, 2:00 – 3:00 pm. ET. To join this webinar, please complete the registration form. Participation in the webinar is free, and additional colleagues are welcome.

Presenters

•            Lynn Holdheide, AIR, CEEDAR Center, and Center on Great Teachers and Leaders
•            Weadé James, AACTE
•            Sabrina Baptiste, InnovateEDU
•            Reesha Adamson, Missouri State University
•            Susan M. Tancock, Ball State University
•            Carrie Lively, The Pursuit Institute

AACTE Invites You to ‘Lunch with Lynn’

By AACTE

You are invited to join AACTE for its inaugural “Lunch with Lynn” conversation. Hosted by AACTE President & CEO Lynn M. Gangone, this monthly series of virtual conversations will include members of the educator preparation community.  

For the first session, AACTE’s Dean in Residence, Leslie T. Fenwick, will join Lynn to discuss the editorial “75 Years of Transforming Teacher Education,” which they coauthored earlier this year for the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE). In celebrating the Association’s 75th anniversary, their dialogue will focus on AACTE’s historic support of educators and the imperative of learning from those efforts moving forward. AACTE members can access the article on the JTE site. 

Following Lynn and Leslie’s conversation, participants will be invited to join in the discussion and ask questions. The first session is scheduled for Wednesday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Register today for the Lunch with Lynn – 75^th Anniversary Edition.

AACTE Launches Lunch and Learn Professional Development Series

By Brooke Evans

AACTE is pleased to offer Lunch and Learns, new professional development opportunities for members.  These 30-minute sessions are designed to provide you with an immediate tool or strategy that you can immediately apply to your work. You can’t make it virtually? All Lunch and Learns will be available on-demand just for AACTE members. Watch them during your lunch break or whenever it is convenient for you.

AACTE will kick off its new Lunch and Learn Series on Tuesday, September 26 from 3:00 -3:30 p.m. ET with Building Partnerships to Address the Educator Shortage in California. Karen Escalante (California State University San Bernadino) will teach us about the partnership developed between the Riverside County Office of Education and California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), a Hispanic and minority-serving institution. The mission of this partnership is to support teacher candidates into, through, and beyond teacher induction.

Join the Conversation: Cross-Cultural Collaboration

By Brooke Evans

As part of the Longview Foundation-supported Global Education Faculty Professional Learning Series, AACTE is proud to partner with member institutions Marist College, the University of Florida, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis as they discuss their international collaborations with teacher educators from Brazil, Ecuador, and South Africa. The webinar, “Cross-Cultural Collaboration: How EPPs Can Foster Relationships with International Partners,” will take place on Wednesday, September 20 from 1:00 – 2:15 p.m. ET via Zoom.

Join the Webinar: Best Practices in Globalizing Teacher Education

By Brooke Evans

As part of AACTE’s Longview Foundation-supported Global Education Faculty PLC Professional Learning Series, on Friday, August 25, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET, you are invited to learn more about AACTE’s globally minded awards. The webinar, Award-Winning Best Practices in Globalizing Teacher Education, will take a closer look at the 2023 award-winning best practices from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.  

The webinar will also review the criteria and application for the Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives and the Best Practice Award in Support of Multicultural Education and Diversity.

Register for AACTE Webinar on Embedding Global Education in K-12 Classrooms

By Brooke Evans

Our interconnected, global society highlights the importance of globally competent teaching to help students make sense of complex topics and issues worldwide and prepare young people for global citizenship. As part of AACTE’s Global Education Faculty PLC Professional Development Series, on Thursday, July 27, from 2:00 –3:00 p.m. ET, you are invited to learn about tools and strategies designed to help embed global education within K-12 classrooms. The webinar, Innovative Best Practices for Embedding Global Education in K-12 Classrooms, is for educators interested in developing students’ global competencies through classroom and community approaches. The goal is to showcase examples of pedagogy, practice, and actions teachers can employ with students in developing global competencies.

AACTE Members Discuss Advancements in AI and Ed Prep

By Guy Trainin

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have opened up a world of possibilities in various fields, including education. On May 23, AACTE’s Committee on Innovation & Technology hosted the webinar, “An Introduction to Using AI Tools in Educator Preparation Programs,” that explored the fundamentals of generative AI and its potential to revolutionize learning. The speaker panel was moderated by the committee’s co-chair, Rachel Karchmer-Klein. Panelists included Punya Mishra (Arizona State University), Eleazar Vasquez III (University of Central Florida), and Marie Heath (Loyola University), who discussed the ethical considerations, personalized learning, and the transformative impact of AI in education.

Generative AI, as explained by Mishra, involves the use of machine learning algorithms to generate new content in various formats. However, the complex nature of these AI systems means even their creators cannot fully understand how they work. He stressed the importance of recognizing generative AI as a social technology and setting clear boundaries to ensure responsible implementation.