Author Archive

Brooke Evans

Director, Research and Practice

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

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.

Members Invited to Join New National Affinity Group

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

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

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

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.

AACTE Launches Lunch and Learn Professional Development Series

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

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.

Nominate Your Work in Support of Global Diversity or Multicultural Education

Submit Your Entry in the 2024 AACTE Awards Program by Sept. 1

It’s awards season at AACTE, and all AACTE members are invited to submit entries. The AACTE Awards Program recognizes both member institutions and individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of educator preparation. In identifying notable programs, practices, activities, writing, and research, these awards encourage all member institutions to strengthen the profession of teacher preparation through innovation, high standards, and leadership.

Global education advocates are encouraged to apply at aacte.org for the following awards by September 1:

Join the Webinar: Best Practices in Globalizing Teacher Education

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

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.

Washington Week Speaker Spotlight: What Has California Done to Address the Teacher Shortage and Why it Worked?

A Q&A with Susan Kemper Patrick and Karen Escalante

Susan Kemper Patrick Ph.D. and Karen Escalante, Ed.D. are presenting a session at AACTE’s 2023 Washington Week, June 4-7, “An Increased Number of Teachers?! What Has California Done to Address the Teacher Shortage and Why has it Worked?” Below Patrick and Escalante answer a few questions about the topics they will discuss at the session and tools attendees can take back to their organizations.

AACTE Innovation & Technology Committee Hosts Webinar on Using AI Tools in EPPs

The current generation of artificial intelligence (AI) is already integrated into daily life for every person with a mobile device. Even personalized news feeds are informed by algorithms tailored to maximize engagement via personalized content moderation. However, current AI models also have the potential to compose and spread misinformation. Therefore, it is essential for the field to develop a comprehensive understanding of this technology along with the impact it will have on teaching, learning, and human development. Concurrently, the community must establish policy and ethical guidelines for the field.

Join AACTE members on Tuesday, May 23 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET as AACTE’s Committee on Innovation and Technology co-chair, Rachel Karchmer-Klein (University of Delaware) moderates a panel composed of the following experts: Marie K. Heath  (Loyola University), AACTE Innovation and Technology committee member Punya Mishra (Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University), and Eleazar Vasquez III (University of Central Florida). The panel will discuss how Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) can leverage AI to meet the needs of the next generation of educators.

AACTE Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week May 8-12

AACTE is pleased to honor P-20 educators during National Teacher Appreciation Week. Typically held the first full week of May, this week is dedicated to America’s educators who commit their lives to service by educating, encouraging, and advocating for all students. Inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1953 call to Congress to create a National Day of Recognition for Teachers, and through the contributions of both the National Education Association (NEA) and National Parent Teacher Organization (PTA), America celebrated its first Teacher Appreciation Week in 1984.

Register Today: Educator Prep Recruitment and Support for International Students

Educators play a crucial role in how students are welcomed both into the classroom and within their communities — and understanding how to integrate international, intercultural, and global experiences and perspectives into the curriculum of teacher education is vital in a globally connected and diverse world.

As part of the first webinar in the Global Education Faculty PLC Professional Development Series, AACTE members are invited to join a panel of faculty experts and international scholars as they discuss educator prep program recruitment and support for international students on April 17. Save your spot and register today.

Deadline Extended to March 24 for Global Ed Faculty PLC Applications: Ph.D. Students Encouraged to Apply

AACTE is still accepting applications from all AACTE member faculty and Ph.D. students who are interested in joining the Longview-supported Global Education Faculty PLC.

The Global Education Faculty Professional Learning Community (PLC ) will provide a peer support network and professional development to faculty and Ph.D. students at comprehensive teacher preparation programs to effectively integrate global teaching competencies within their curriculum and practices.