Action for Literacy Through Teacher Preparation, Professional Partnerships

By Vicky Zygouris-Coe

In the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida (UCF), we view partnerships as one of our core values. The UCF Literacy Symposium, an annual conference with a mission to be at the forefront of literacy learning, is one example of a strategic partnership between our college and in-service educators. The event creates a space for bringing together teacher and PK-20 educators to connect, share, advocate for, and learn about literacy.

This year, we celebrated our 20th annual event with the help of 768 educators and other stakeholders who share a common interest in literacy instruction and learning. The symposium is well known across the state of Florida, and every year we attract educators from various Florida universities and school districts as well as from other states. Participants at the 2018 symposium included PK-20 teacher educators, in-service and preservice educators (including school administrators, specialized literacy professionals, school counselors, and other support staff), local superintendents and school district personnel, state Department of Education officials, and others (e.g., legislators, publishers, and representatives from research and educational centers).

Community-Engaged Model Shapes Candidates’ Cultural Responsiveness

By JTE Insider

Have you seen the JTE Insider blog managed by the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE) editorial team at Michigan State University? Check out the following interview with the authors of a recent article. This blog is available to the public, and AACTE members have free access to the articles themselves in the full JTE archives online–just log in with your AACTE profile here.

The following interview features insights from the authors of the article “Loving Out Loud: Community Mentors, Teacher Candidates, and Transformational Learning Through a Pedagogy of Care and Connection,” published in the March/April 2018 issue of JTE. The article is written by Ball State University (IN) faculty members Eva Zygmunt, Kristin Cipollone, Susan Tancock, Jon Clausen, Patricia Clark, and Winnie Mucherah, and is summarized in the following abstract:

Jump-Start Your Dissertation at Holmes Retreat

By Janeula Burt

Please get me through the academic year … and I promise that I will write my dissertation during the summer! is a common refrain among doctoral students who are in the throes of their dissertation work. It seems there is not a single doctoral student or candidate who hasn’t bargained with the “dissertation gods” to finish their dissertation research.

Well, summer is here! Sadly, we are already halfway through the academic break, and soon you’ll have to face the questions: How many pages have you written? How many chapters are completed? How tight is your methodology? Have you exhausted the literature? Are your research questions appropriate? Is your dissertation research IRB-worthy? Are you currently on your dissertation committee’s radar? Have you done everything that you need to do in order to graduate in the fall or spring?

Clinical Practice Spotlight Turns to Long Beach

By Kristin McCabe

The AACTE Research-to-Practice Spotlight Series continues this summer with a new feature on California State University, Long Beach. We’re excited to introduce this member institution’s Urban Teaching Academy (UTEACH) residency program, which operates in the unique context of the massive public education partnership known as the Long Beach College Promise.

Learn About Quality Clinical Partnerships at AACTE Workshop

By Marcy Keifer Kennedy and Chris Kennedy

This event is cancelled until further notice.

“I don’t know where to start,” “it’s too hard,” “it’s too expensive,” or “it takes too much time” are among some of the comments that are often heard in conversations around the country as the push for more clinically rich teacher preparation is discussed. While it certainly can be challenging to reimagine longstanding practices, the shift to strong clinical models has become something of a national imperative for high-quality teacher preparation.

Applications Now Available for AACTE–NACCTEP Partnership

By Meghan Grenda

Applications are now available for the new partnership program of AACTE and the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP). Community colleges that offer educator preparation programs are welcome to apply!

AACTE and NACCTEP launched the partnership for 2018-2019 to foster collaboration among our memberships through the common goals of advocating for, advancing, and diversifying educator preparation programs. This pilot partnership connects 4-year degree-granting institutions and community college educator preparation programs to grow and strengthen the teacher pipeline, bring diversity to the field, and advance the preparation of educators.

Stakeholder Engagement at the Heart of Quality Assurance Work

By Joseph Lubig and Carol Ryan

This event is cancelled until further notice.

The authors will be leading the “Track A” (introductory) strand of quality assurance sessions during the 2018 AACTE Quality Support Workshop in Columbus, Ohio. For details and to register, visit aacte.org, and download the full agenda here.

The quality of educator preparation programs matters, as they develop the professionals who will have the most influence on our children–and continuously shaping programs to excel in this charge is important work. This work requires calculated risk taking, established processes for critiquing the work, and a culture that fosters honest feedback focused on improvement.

Member Voices: Learning to Navigate New Spaces at Washington Week

By Melissa Cuba

AACTE Consultant Jane E. West and the author at the Holmes Summer Policy Institute in Washington, DC

I often ask myself, “How can I use my work as an emerging researcher and scholar to help inform educational policy and practice?” Sadly, the implications section of the manuscripts I have produced and even read often feels distant and unattainable, especially without an audience that is empowered to take action. Thankfully, this month’s AACTE Holmes Summer Policy Institute helped me see how I could navigate a new space and translate my work to impact change.

During the sessions, I realized the importance of building relationships, knowing the agenda, and sharing my work in multiple mediums. I learned the importance of branding and using social media to promote the work I am doing and also to inform my community in ways that are accessible. While that may feel foreign to some, including me, I know I can post a section of a paper I am working on or some key data that might get some people to think twice about an education-related topic.