11 Apr2017
By Kristin McCabe
A pair of webinars last month offered an overview of how and why content knowledge for teaching (CKT) can be embedded in education course work, looking particularly at the preparation of elementary teachers in English/language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Recordings and slides from the webinars, which were presented by experts from TeachingWorks (University of Michigan) and the ETS® Educator Series (Educational Testing Service), are now available in the AACTE Resource Library: Click here for the ELA presentation and here for math.
Nicole Garcia and Sarah Scott Frank of TeachingWorks joined with Geoffrey Phelps and Heather Howell of ETS to present strategies to engage preservice teachers in real-life content problems they are likely to encounter in elementary classrooms. Rather than looking deeply at the teacher education curriculum or specific designs of programs or field experiences, the webinars sought to ease teacher educators into the concept of CKT and high-level considerations for preparation programs.
Nicole Garcia
Sarah Scott Frank
Geoffrey Phelps
Heather Howell
04 Apr2017
By Kristin McCabe
In an AACTE major forum held March 3, a panel of teacher educators from three state universities discussed the power of partnering with nonschool sites in communities to help prepare effective teachers. “Community-Based Teacher Preparation as Praxis: Preparing Effective Educators Through Research-Practice Partnerships” was organized by the editors of the Journal of Teacher Education (JTE)to bring attention to pioneering work under way on this emerging practice.
JTE Coeditors Dorinda Carter Andrews and Gail Richmond of Michigan State University served as moderators for the panel, which included the following presenters:
14 Mar2017
By Kristin McCabe
This month, AACTE will host free webinars on incorporating content knowledge for teaching (CKT) into education course work, presented by experts from TeachingWorks (University of Michigan) and ETS® Educator Series (Educational Testing Service). Please join us March 29 for a focus on elementary English/language arts CKT and/or March 30 for elementary mathematics.
In each hourlong event, you’ll hear about and discuss approaches that can be used to engage preservice teachers with the kinds of content problems they are likely to encounter during their work as a teacher, such as in –
10 Mar2017
By Kristin McCabe
Are you preparing for a CAEP accreditation visit? Wondering how to apply evidence from your candidates’ performance assessments to make sure your program prepares them for key practices? Or perhaps you’re looking for new ideas for recruiting and supporting a more diverse candidate pool? Find the guidance you need at an AACTE Quality Support Workshop!
In just over 6 weeks, AACTE will bring expert facilitators and a selection of workshop sessions to Fort Worth, Texas, April 24-26. We’ve just posted a detailed schedule with descriptions of session choices to help you plan your time effectively (download the PDF here).
07 Mar2017
By Kristin McCabe
Last week, AACTE was honored to welcome nearly 2,000 members, partners, and friends to hot-and-sunny Tampa, Florida, for the 69th Annual Meeting. Together we shared research, innovative practices, questions, and answers in a robust program addressing the theme “Acting as One: The Power of the Professional Community.”
Over the coming weeks, Ed Prep Matters will bring you a variety of reports from the Annual Meeting, including videos and slides from the general sessions and major forums just as soon as they’re available. Meanwhile, you can view (and share!) our conference photos on Facebook, browse the Twitter feed, and enjoy the following recap videos from Association TV.
21 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
How can you unleash the power of teacher leaders to connect preservice and in-service educators … to enhance clinical partnerships between educator preparation providers and PK-12 schools … and to inform the quality of programs and practice across the continuum of teacher development? Join with peers from your region at an AACTE Quality Support Workshop to construct solutions collaboratively to these and other compelling issues around performance assessment, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.
These workshops will be offered in three regions this year: Fort Worth, Texas (April 24-26); Minneapolis, Minnesota (August 10-12), and Seattle, Washington (November 9-11). At each event, over two half days and one full day, participants will engage in interactive plenary sessions, select from a variety of topics available in break-out blocks, have dedicated time to work in teams and consult with facilitators, and enjoy networking receptions to wrap up each day. See the chart below for an overview of the draft program for the Fort Worth workshop (and visit our website for specific dates and times).
14 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
A new report from the Teacher Education Task Force of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) makes a compelling case for quality teacher preparation, capturing the key challenges that make the current context complex but also offering recommendations for both university leaders and policy makers to move the field forward.
The task force conducted a survey last year of presidents, provosts, and education deans at state colleges and universities to gauge the current state of educator preparation. (The survey results are included as an appendix to the new report.) The responses informed conversations among task force members to distill the core themes, debate their implications in light of the latest research, and determine consensus recommendations for priority actions by higher education administrators. The results were combined to craft the new report, and the AASCU policy team added a set of priorities for federal and state policy.
08 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
In just 3 weeks, AACTE will welcome thousands of members and partners to Tampa, Florida, for the 69th AACTE Annual Meeting. We eagerly anticipate the addition of your voice to our convening under the theme “Acting as One: The Power of the Professional Community.”
To make the most of your time in Tampa, be sure to create a personal schedule in our mobile-friendly Online Event Planner. (In fact, the online planner is the only place to get session information, as we no longer print program books.) Once you’ve created your personal schedule in the Online Event Planner, you can export it to your calendar or just continue to access it through the planner site.
06 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
The 29th annual conference of the Japan-U.S. Teacher Education Consortium (JUSTEC) will be held September 14-17 at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Although registration is not yet open, the submission site is ready for your paper and poster presentation proposals, due by April 5.
JUSTEC organizers seek presentations related to educator preparation in either country – or, better yet, related to collaborative research or exchange between the two. In particular, this year’s conference has three invited areas of interest:
02 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
AACTE’s Committee on Professional Preparation and Accountability has selected Nancy L. Zimpher, chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), to receive the 2017 AACTE David G. Imig Award for Distinguished Achievement in Teacher Education. The award will be presented at the 69th AACTE Annual Meeting Welcoming Session, Thursday, March 2, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida.
The Imig Award, named for AACTE President and CEO Emeritus David G. Imig, recognizes distinguished achievement in the formulation, implementation, or analysis of teacher education policy, or in the performance of distinguished scholarship in educator preparation.
02 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
AACTE has chosen Transforming Teacher Education for Social Justice, by Eva Zygmunt and Patricia Clark of Ball State University, to receive the 2017 AACTE Outstanding Book Award. The award will be presented at the 69th AACTE Annual Meeting Welcoming Session, Thursday, March 2, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida.
Published by Teachers College Press in 2015 with a foreword by the late Peter C. Murrell (and with contributions from additional authors Jon Clausen, Wilfridah Mucherah, and Susan Tancock), this volume highlights the award-winning “Schools Within the Context of Community” partnership between Ball State and the Whitely neighborhood of Muncie, Indiana. The authors explain the situated-learning philosophy that undergirds the program and how it meshes with clinical teacher preparation, community engagement, and service-learning to both develop culturally responsive educators and elevate student learning in the partner schools.
02 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
AACTE has chosen the College of Education and Allied Studies at Bridgewater State University (BSU) to receive the 2017 AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Global and International Perspectives. The award will be presented at the 69th AACTE Annual Meeting Welcoming Session, Thursday, March 2, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida.
BSU will be honored for its Global Learning Opportunities for Bridgewater Educators (GLOBE) program, which sends teacher candidates overseas to participate in faculty-led service-learning, student teaching, and educator exchange programs. Participants are exposed to many international sites, such as Belize, Ecuador, England, Hong Kong, and Puerto Rico. (An overview of last year’s STEM-themed trip to Tbilisi, Georgia, includes video highlights and plans for this spring’s expanded visit.) BSU student teachers who choose international placements chronicle their experiences by contributing to their international student teaching blog, BSU Teaches.
02 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
AACTE will honor Sarah A. Nagro, assistant professor of special education in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University (VA), with the 2017 AACTE Outstanding Dissertation Award for her study The Effects of Guided Video Analysis on Teacher Candidates’ Reflective Ability and Instructional Skills. The award will be presented at the 69th AACTE Annual Meeting Speaker Spotlight Session, Saturday, March 4, in Tampa, Florida.
Nagro’s study, which also is published in the current issue of Teacher Education and Special Education, investigated the effects of offering guidance and feedback to special education teacher candidates as part of their reflection and video-analysis activities. Two groups of teacher candidates with comparable prior experience participated in semester-long field assignments during which they video-recorded their instruction four times and wrote four reflections. One group of candidates also received directed guidance and feedback on their video analysis. At the end of the semester, both groups self-reported improvements in their teaching ability, but only the treatment group showed significant growth in both their instructional skills and their reflective ability.
02 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
AACTE’s Committee on Professional Preparation and Accountability has selected Renée A. Middleton, professor and dean of the Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education at Ohio University, to receive the 2017 AACTE Edward C. Pomeroy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Teacher Education. The award will be presented at the 69th AACTE Annual Meeting Welcoming Session, Thursday, March 2, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida.
Middleton was nominated for the award unanimously by her Ohio peers in the State University Education Deans (SUED) group. “Dr. Middleton is among the finest examples of a change agent and professional in higher education and serves as a role model to other deans across the nation,” writes SUED Chair Erica M. Brownstein in the group’s letter of support. “In addition to her contributions to policy and teacher education, Dean Middleton has made significant contributions in social justice, rural education, and mental health. Dr. Middleton is thoughtful about shifts in P-16 education and provides much-needed insights, connections to research, and a pragmatic perspective.”
02 Feb2017
By Kristin McCabe
AACTE’s Committee on Professional Preparation and Accountability has selected James Hiebert, Robert J. Barkley Professor in the University of Delaware School of Education, to receive the 2017 AACTE Margaret B. Lindsey Award for Distinguished Research in Teacher Education. The award will be presented at the 69th AACTE Annual Meeting Speaker Spotlight Session, Saturday, March 4, at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Florida.
“Dr. Hiebert has invested a major portion of his scholarship in the process of improving teacher preparation,” said Carol Vukelich, dean of the College of Education and Human Development, University of Delaware. “He is recognized as an important scholar who has moved the field of mathematics education forward in significant ways. His work provides a model for how education faculty can design programs that have a positive impact not only on teacher education candidates’ learning but also on the learning of their students when they begin teaching. This is exactly the kind of work our field needs.”
