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Jack Be Nimble: Series 1 Final Podcast Episode Discusses Authentic Field Experience

Revolutionizing Education

Series one, episode six of the AACTE Podcast, Revolutionizing Education, is now available.

The latest and final episode of series one features a discussion surrounding the critical question: How do we design authentic field experiences that equip students with evidence-based skills to support a sustainable career? Tara Mathien from the University of Florida shares how the adaptations that her educator preparation program made throughout this past year has led to lasting change that will continue to be implemented in the future.

Listen now to Episode 6: Jack Be Nimble

Revolutionizing Education Podcast -  AACTE Podcast AACTE is excited to announce its first ever podcast, Revolutionizing Education, is now available. The new podcast examines ways to innovate educator preparation and education for all learners. The first podcast series highlights case stories shared by AACTE members during the 2021 Annual Meeting. New episodes from the first series will be released throughout the summer. In fall 2021, the AACTE podcast will feature live interviews with members, national education leaders, students, and other influencers in the education industry.  AACTE has partnered with Resonate Recordings for high-quality podcast production that will expand the reach of members’ work in educator preparation throughout the world. AACTE’s podcast episodes are available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Spotify. On these platforms, you can search for and access the podcast, learn about it, listen to the episodes as well as leave ratings and reviews.  Follow the AACTE Podcast on Twitter at #AACTEPodcast and #RevolutionizingEd. Be sure to tune in and spread the word!              Revolutionizing Education    Episode 1: Joy in Teacher Education In this episode, we’ll hear from AACTE members Kyle Harrison, Kelly Hayek, and Irene Ann Resenly from the University of Wisconsin on the role of joy in teacher education. They share the process of noticing, understanding, and replicating joy as critical work in teacher education, using autoethnography as a methodological tool. Through sharing their findings, we hope listeners will leave with a renewed capacity for noticing moments of joy and a protocol that will provide a baseline for naming, claiming, and considering how to leverage joy in teaching.     Episode 2: From Takeover to Take Back In this episode, Eva Zygmunt from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana details the creative efforts of a mid-sized midwestern community collaborative to reclaim its school district from a state-takeover, resulting in the legislated granting of authority over the local district to the state university. Eva shares how community voice has been privileged in school reform through a concerted advocacy effort on the part of faculty and community activists. This is an inspiring story that showcases how community and educational partnerships can make a huge impact in a community’s educational system.     Episode 3: The RockTEACH Program In this episode, we will learn about the efforts of Slippery Rock University of PA to diversify the teacher workforce by recruiting underrepresented minority high school students to the field of teaching, providing financial assistance and mentoring support through the RockTEACH Program. AACTE members Monique Alexander, Jeremy Lynch, Christine Walsh, and Linda Zane from Slippery Rock of PA share the story, the situation, and the results of the program. Through these insights, listeners will gain insight into a burgeoning and multifaceted program to support a diverse teacher pipeline and develop an understanding of the critical elements and challenges of our story.     Episode 4: Learning Together The latest episode features the story of an educator preparation program facing multiple challenges in its work to prepare teacher candidates for the classroom. Additionally, covering how their local school district faces its own pressures impacted by teacher shortages, poor teacher performance, high burnout, and issues with retention. In the fourth episode of the Revolutionizing Education Podcast, Jeff Bill and Ashley Smith from Pitt County Schools and Christina Tschida from Appalachian State University share three case stories featuring the use of co-teaching and demonstrating a partnership between university and schools that builds capacity, efficacy, and resilience in teachers at various levels of preparation.     Episode 5: Transforming Teacher Preparation One of the largest Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the nation, UTRGV, has embarked on a transformation of its teacher preparation program centered on the college mission, vision, and three priorities: quality, culture of inquiry, and positionality. In this episode, Sandra Musanti and Alma Rodriguez from University of Texas Rio Grande Valley share what they’ve identified to be the three areas of emphasis to guide the transformation work: a practice-based teacher education model, culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies, and technology for the 21st century.     Episode 6: Jack Be Nimble

Exploring Opportunities: Leadership Academy Attendees Discuss Post-Pandemic Return to Campus


AACTE’s 2021 virtual Leadership Academy Series launched this month with its first of three sessions, When We all Get Together Again: Returning to Campus with New Opportunities. This session was facilitated by John Kuykendall dean of the School of Education at the University of Indianapolis and John Henning dean of the School of Education at Monmouth University.

Kuykendall opened the conversation seeking thoughts and concerns about returning to campuses from attendees. “There are varying policies across the institutions and communities and states; no one is really clear about what should happen on your campus site and how to handle what could potentially happen,” said Kuykendall before requesting feedback from attendees.

Listen to Latest Revolutionizing Education Podcast: Transforming Teacher Prep

Revolutionizing Education

Series one, episode five of the AACTE Podcast, Revolutionizing Education, is now available.

The latest episode features one of the largest Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the nation, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), embarking on a transformation of its teacher preparation program centered on the college mission, vision, and three priorities: quality, culture of inquiry, and positionality. In this episode, Sandra Musanti and Alma Rodriguez from UTRGV share what they have identified to be the three areas of emphasis to guide the transformation work: a practice-based teacher education model, culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogies, and technology for the 21st century.

Listen now to Episode 5: Transformiing Teacher Preparation 

Episode 5: Transforming Teacher Preparation

AACTE Wins APEX Award for COVID-19 Resource Hub

AACTE is the winner of an 2021 Apex Award for Publication Excellence for its online COVID-19 Resource Hub.

AACTE earned the Award of Excellence in the COVID-19 Media –Education and Training category. This award, sponsored by Communications Concepts Inc., is an annual competition for publishers, editors, writers, and designers who create print, web, electronic and social media. Nearly 1,200 entries were submitted to this year’s competition.

AACTE developed the  COVID-19 Resource hub to in response to the global crisis to address the immediate needs of its member institutions. The pandemic caused many unprecedented challenges in education preparation—whether it be the move from in person to virtual learning or putting safety measures in place, colleges of education had to quickly adapt their teaching methods to prepare their students to step into virtual classrooms while fighting teacher shortage and burnout.