31 Jan2019
By Benita Kluttz-Drye
Congratulations to Madjiguene (Madji) Falls, Holmes Scholar of the Month for January 2019!
Falls is a 3rd-year doctoral candidate at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey. She is part of Rowan’s inaugural cohort and is a professor in residence at West Avenue School in Bridgeton, NJ. Falls is devoted to social justice and equity in education. Her areas of specialization are language literacy and working with students who are English language learners. She fluently speaks five languages: Arabic, English, French, Spanish, and Wolof.
As founder of her own language literacy company, Language for Work, Falls helps to eradicate barriers hindering families and children’s whose first language is not English. She provides cultural diversity training and occupational language courses to help students and families to engage with and be able to communicate more effectively with various systems. In addition, she partners with the Family Success Center of Glassboro, NJ and the Glassboro Child Development Center. Falls has provided other humanitarian services such as providing free Spanish classes to families in need, advocating for families involved with immigration services, and using her voice to speak out against violence.
31 Jan2019
By Beth Fornauf
This article and photo originally appeared in UNH Today and are reprinted with permission.
When Kayla Croteau earned her master’s in secondary education from UNH in 2015, she never imagined that she was only three short years away from another teacher education experience — this time as a teaching mentor for the University of New Hampshire’s Teacher Residency for Rural Education (UNH-TRRE) program.
UNH-TRRE, designed to prepare elementary and secondary math and science teachers to work in rural, high-need New Hampshire schools, is working with its second cohort of future teachers. These UNH students, known as teaching residents, live, learn, teach and volunteer in rural New Hampshire communities over the course of the 15-month master’s program.
Croteau serves as a UNH-TRRE teaching mentor to Alexzandria Steiner, a native of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and current teaching resident in the TRRE program. Steiner, who is seeking secondary certification in life sciences, works with Croteau at Groveton High School, one of the UNH-TRRE partnership schools in Coӧs County.
Teaching residents, embedded in the areas in which they will teach, make connections with local families and begin to identify assets and resources each rural community has to offer.
30 Jan2019
By Jerrica Thurman
AACTE’s Annual Meeting is just 3 weeks away, and one place you certainly must visit on site is the Conference Community Center. Located on the second floor of the Omni Louisville Hotel, the Center is the place for you to expand your network by connecting with thousands of educators, vendors, and strategic partners to discuss solutions to your program needs.
Adjacent to many of AACTE’s Learning Labs, and also the location for official Annual Meeting registration, the Center offers you a place to take a break, socialize, network, greet old friends, and meet new ones, all while engaging with our Annual Meeting sponsors in the following booths:
Premier Sponsor
28 Jan2019
By Meghan Grenda
Are you a current AACTE member and want to make the most of your membership? You’re invited to stop by the AACTE booth during the 71st Annual Meeting to learn more about the benefits offered to you as a member and how to become an even more engaged member. All members who stop by the booth will have the opportunity to receive a complimentary gift!
Stop by the AACTE Booth
Visit the AACTE Gallery and drop by the AACTE booth where the membership team will be on hand to share information on how to take full advantage of your membership and answer any questions you may have. Plus members will be able to join a Topical Action Group (TAG), subscribe to AACTE’s official blog, Ed Prep Matters, update your membership profile, and much more when you visit the booth!
24 Jan2019
By Jacqueline Rodriguez and Brandon R.T. Frost
Please join us at the Holmes Community preconference at #AACTE19! All Cadets, Honors, Masters, and Scholars are highly encouraged to attend the session on February 21. Sessions at this year’s preconference emphasize building a research agenda and networking with your colleagues and mentors across the country.
Holmes students are distinctly advantaged as this preconference spans two days! The Holmes Student Council, members of the National Association of Holmes Scholars Alumni (NAHSA), and AACTE staff will facilitate the sessions, which emphasize the theme, Professional and Personal Learning, Networking, and Mentoring. Several sessions will focus on building and maintaining a rigorous research agenda. Holmes students will hear from alumni with unique pathways into education-related careers. In addition to presenting the annual Holmes Poster Session, NAHSA and AACTE are proud to support the Holmes Dissertation Funding Competition.
24 Jan2019
By Jacqueline Rodriguez
The Global Lens to Educator Preparation: Shared Knowledge and Advocacy for Diverse and Multicultural Perspective preconference will explore opportunities for a global focus in educator preparation that includes diverse perspectives and multicultural experiences, beginning in the university classroom and moving to infused clinical practice. Selected AACTE award recipients will share best practices, as well as innovative experiences and partnerships that prepare mindful teacher candidates who advocate for and insist on multicultural education and diverse global perspectives within the classroom
Sessions will take place 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on February 21, and will include a focus on the internationalization of teacher preparation. The first presentation and panel discussion, “Identifying and assessing unique indicators of global competency in pre- and in-service teachers and programs, and how to measure the benefits and impact of internationalization on teacher education programs,” ensures participants will walk away with tools and criteria for evaluating their programs on effectiveness on internationalization, as well as framework for positioning themselves for international engagement.
24 Jan2019
By Caitlin Wilson
As you are making plans for the 2019 Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY next month, please consider joining us for a free preconference workshop focused on Overcoming Challenges to Developing a Quality Assurance System that will take place Thursday, February 21 from 1:00-5:00pm. Given the iterative nature of continuous improvement work, it is critical to develop a quality assurance system (QAS) that is sustained beyond an external review and provides meaningful data upon which evidence-based actions can be made.
24 Jan2019
By Caitlin Wilson
The challenges educational leaders face in today’s school environment are ever evolving. With concerns related to school safety, the social emotional well-being of students and staff, and the pressures related to the role of instructional leader, school leaders are expected to have a wider variety of expertise in order to be successful. Several universities, and their district partners, are tackling these challenges and taking steps to ensure their candidates are prepared to meet the real-world demands of the job.
Attend the free Enhancing Principal Preparation through P-12 Partnerships preconference session at the AACTE Annual Meeting to hear about how university based principal preparation programs have redesigned their programs to better align with the challenges facing school leaders. Presenters will highlight the important role that P-12 partnerships play in building a pipeline of school leaders that have the tools and experiences they need to be successful in their new roles.
24 Jan2019
By Linda Minor
When you think of Louisville, KY, what is the first thing that comes to mind? The Kentucky Derby? Bourbon? Baseball bats? Sure, but there are so many other fun and unique things about Louisville, host city to #AACTE2019, that you may not know.
For example, did you know … ?
- Louisville is the disco ball capitol of the world. In fact, 90% of the disco balls in the USA are produced in Louisville.
- There is a replica of Babe Ruth’s baseball bat in downtown Louisville.
- The Old Fashioned is Louisville’s official cocktail, which is not to be confused with the Mint Julep that is the official Kentucky Derby cocktail—where over 100,000 Mint Juleps are served.
- The oldest operating Mississippi-style steamboat is in Louisville – the Belle of Louisville is over 100 years old!
- In October of 1803 Meriwether Lewis met William Clark just across the river from Louisville, at the Falls of the Ohio.
- Louisville’s signature dish is a comfort food free-for-all called the Hot Brown. It’s an open-faced sandwich with turkey and bacon smothered in Mornay sauce (main ingredients: butter and heavy cream), topped with Parmesan cheese and roma tomatoes, and oven-broiled.
- Louisville has one of the largest collections of Victorian homes in the country, and the largest collection of cast-iron building facades outside of New York’s SoHo district.
- Louisville is the hometown of boxing champion Muhammad Ali, and they will change the name of the airport to cement that fact. Visit the Muhammad Ali Center while in town.
- Louisville is also the hometown of Diane Sawyer, Jennifer Lawrence and Hunter S. Thompson. It’s also where a young Tom Cruise landed his first gig—as a newspaper delivery boy.
- The cheeseburger and high five really were invented in Louisville
As you plan for your stay in Louisville next month, I hope you will consider dining on a Hot Brown, visiting the Muhammad Ali Center, cruising aboard the Belle, and enjoying all that Louisville has to offer. Make sure to register by January 28, before the rates increase.
24 Jan2019
By Katrina Norfleet
Today, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced four educators with diverse teaching styles and who teach different subjects as finalists for the 2019 National Teacher of the Year:
 Donna Gradel, the 2019 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, is a high school science teacher who empowers her students to discover ways they can improve their local environment, including helping their city to develop and implement sustainable solutions to improve the water quality and natural habitats of the city’s waterways. Learn more. |
 Kelly Harper, the 2019 District of Columbia Teacher of the Year, is a 3rd grade teacher who leads her students to work on advocacy projects throughout the year, even going so far as meeting with members of Congress in the U.S. Capitol Building. Learn more. |
 Danielle Riha, the 2019 Alaska Teacher of the Year, is a middle school teacher who has learned from Yup’ik Elders how to incorporate indigenous knowledge that she applies in a culturally infused curriculum with her students at the Alaska Native Cultural Charter School, which she helped open to increase opportunities for students to connect to their identity and community. Learn more. |
 Rodney Robinson, the 2019 Virginia Teacher of the Year, who teaches social studies in a juvenile detention facility, creates a positive school culture by empowering his students— many of whom have experienced trauma—to become civically-minded social advocates who use their skills and voices to affect physical and policy changes at their school. Learn more. |
21 Jan2019
By Jerrica Thurman
AACTE kicks off its countdown today to the advance registration deadline for AACTE’s 71st Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY. Only 7 days are left to take advantage of discounted rates. As the premier educator preparation conference in the nation, AACTE’s Annual Meeting provides you access to tools to drive change at your institution, in your community, and for the profession.
Here are 10 reasons why you should plan now to attend:
- Shake up your routine by tackling important issues in education today and sharpen your skills with a different set of peers.
- Hear from inspiring speakers and get motivated with fresh perspectives.
- Customize your learning experience by choosing among hundreds of sessions that cover a broad variety of topics.
- Share your experiences and get new ideas that can make you more effective with your students, colleagues, and partners.
- Mix and mingle to form new relationships and strengthen existing ones. Bring a partner to share in the learning!
- Create new alliances, business ventures, and partnerships to advance your work.
- Get hands-on demonstrations of new products, and discuss solutions to your local needs with exhibitors and sponsors.
- Step out of your comfort zone and open your mind to innovation.
- Gain greater focus on the problems of practice to help you take your programs to the next level.
- Feel the energy of diverse perspectives uniting around common goals. Add your voice to the mix!
Don’t be left out of the largest annual gathering of educator preparation professionals! The January 28 advance registration deadline for the AACTE’s 71st Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY, February 22-24, is quickly approaching! Act now to get the best rates.
Read the full lineup of the keynote speakers, schedule and preconference events on our website. To view the full list of sessions and create your personal schedule, log in to the Online Event Planner. Secure your spot today!
17 Jan2019
By Matthew Wales
In just over a month from now, approximately 2,000 educator preparation scholars, practitioners, and strategic partners will meet in Louisville, KY for AACTE’s 71st Annual Meeting. Over the course of three days, more than 250 sessions will take place, with content designed to engage students, early career professionals, and seasoned experts alike. With so much content being presented, you will want to prepare your schedule in advance to maximize your time at the meeting. Be sure to visit the AACTE Event Planner, where you can search the Annual Meeting offerings by keywords, topics, conference strands, and other fields to locate sessions of interest and create a personalized itinerary.
One place you won’t want to miss is the Conference Community Center. Located on the second floor of the Omni Louisville, the center is not only the place for you to connect with colleagues in a dynamic, engaging environment, but is also where you can find the official Registration area for the Annual Meeting. Conveniently situated in the Second Floor Foyer, adjacent to many of AACTE’s Learning Labs, the center offers you a place to take a break and network, while also engaging with our Annual Meeting sponsors:
17 Jan2019
By Jacqueline Rodriguez
AACTE is collaborating with the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) to present the free webinar, An Intentional Focus on Mitigating Risks Across the Continuum. The webinar will take place on Thursday, January 24, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. EST. Advanced registration is required to participate.
The profession of education is highly complex, with educators having to make multiple decisions in their daily work. Competing tensions and greatly nuanced variables that are inherent in this field can add to the vulnerabilities and risks that educators must navigate, especially when it comes to professional decision making.
16 Jan2019
By Caitlin Wilson
In December, the Wallace Foundation hosted a livestreamed discussion on Improving Principal Preparation Programs as the culmination of a two-day event for members of its University Principal Preparation Initiative Professional Learning Community (UPPI PLC). This initiative focuses on redesigning university principal preparation programs at seven universities in an effort to resolve the disconnect between what was happening in the universities to prepare educational leaders and the real-world demands of the job. The panel discussion highlighted the experiences of one UPPI university, Florida Atlantic University, and their district partners.
During this engaging discussion, panelists highlighted the importance of maintaining routines of collaboration so partnerships can advance and how those partnerships played a key role in the success of realigning the experience for educational leaders moving from preparation to school leadership roles. “Relationships and having the right people on the bus makes the difference,” said Ted Toomer of Broward County Schools. Panelists also spoke about the importance of tracking systems to better learn from the data to improve programs and cited that superintendent support for the work is critical.
16 Jan2019
By Sara McAlister
This article and photo originally appeared on the University of Mississippi Ole Miss News website and is reprinted with permission.
Meet Ava and Dev. They are in middle school. Ava is quick-thinking and decisive and likes to be challenged with new ideas and concepts. Dev is a rule-follower who is self-driven with high standards.
Ava and Dev are not your average students. In fact, they are not even real students at all. They are avatars in a virtual classroom at the University of Mississippi School of Education, where education majors are gaining valuable, hands-on teaching experience even before their student teaching.
Mursion, originally called TeachLive, is a cutting-edge technology that delivers customized virtual reality training to provide professional challenges that exist in the job every day.
Developed at the University of Central Florida, Mursion is being used at more than 85 campuses in the United States. Since 2012, Mursion has grown at UM. Last school year, 800 students in the School of Education practiced with the system and are required to use it at least twice as part of their coursework before graduating.
