College of Education Faculty Member Part of Team Awarded $3.5 Million Grant

By Brian Cox

Credit: Steve Tressler/Penn State College of Education. All Rights Reserved.

A Penn State College of Education faculty member is part of a multidisciplinary team across several universities that has been awarded a $3.5 million Transformative Research Grant from the Spencer Foundation to conduct a large-scale, five-year study on community-driven initiatives to teach Asian American studies in K-12 classrooms.

Soo-yong Byun, professor of education, demography, and Asian studies, said the study — which is being conducted across California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and Texas — aims to document challenges and barriers faced by the social justice movement regarding implementation of Asian American studies in the classroom, especially in the wake of increased violence against Asians and Asian Americans spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers said they are also planning to use the information to provide resources for more states to eventually implement Asian American studies as a mandated part of their curricula.

AACTE Extends Awards Program Deadline to September 30

By AACTE

The deadline for submissions for the AACTE Awards Program has been extended to September 30.

This extension provides AACTE members with an additional two weeks to submit nominations that recognize outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of educator preparation. These awards are a distinguished opportunity to celebrate exceptional programs, innovative practices, and visionary leaders within the education community.

Grace College Opens Center for Literacy & Learning 

By Grace College

Grace College’s new Center for Literacy and Learning (CLL) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new tutoring center on the third floor of Mount Memorial Hall on September 9.  

The CLL, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. through its initiative, Advancing the Science of Reading in Indiana, is dedicated to enhancing teacher candidate knowledge and application of Science of Reading evidence-based practices while collaborating with local school districts to build capacity for dynamic clinical placements. 

“The Center for Literacy and Learning is our collective response to the need for literacy,” said Rachael Hoffert, Ed.D., director of the center and chair of the Department of Elementary Education at Grace. 

JTE Highlights Teacher Residencies in New Call for Manuscripts 

By AACTE

The Journal of Teacher Education (JTE), AACTE’s flagship publication, is seeking manuscripts by December 1, 2024, to be submitted online for the journal’s 75th anniversary — with a special issue focusing on issues related to teacher education for pre- and in-service teachers. 

Manuscripts submitted for consideration should be research/empirical reports and analyses or conceptual essays. 

“Without question, time in the field helps teacher candidates traverse the theory-practice divide. Teacher residency programs are advanced forms of field-based learning or clinical preparation for beginning teachers,” Co-editor Valerie Hill-Jackson, Ed.D., said in the Call for Manuscripts. 

P-12 Teachers Across Indiana Bring Global, Science Expertise to The Classroom Thanks to IU

By Nikki Livingston

Science continues to advance as the global economy rapidly changes, and P-12 students must acquire the knowledge and skills needed for the careers of tomorrow. It’s up to educators to make sure they are sharing the most up-to-date information with these students in an engaging way. As a premier research institution, Indiana University offers high-quality professional development opportunities to teachers across the state to help them prepare students for the future.

The P-12 School Engagement team consists of faculty from the Office of Community Engagement in the School of Education at IU Bloomington. The team works with partners across IU to offer professional development training in global competency, medicine, and environmental science, giving teachers the resources they need to prepare students for success.

What Can I Learn in AACTE Coaching? Q&A with AACTE’s Shari Baker

By AACTE

AACTE strives to meet the professional development goals of its members through programs like AACTE Coaching — a new initiative to engage with deans, assistant deans, and other faculty leaders with catered executive coaching to help them accomplish their career goals and excel in leadership.

AACTE sat down with Shari Baker, Ed.D., vice president of professional learning and growth, who coordinates the AACTE Coaching program, to learn more about what the initiative can provide through personal and cohort coaching later this year.

Meet AACTE Cohort Coaches 

Level Up Your Skills with Trusted Education Leaders 

By Shari Baker

AACTE understands the multifaceted demands facing deans, department chairs, and senior leaders today and is committed to providing tailored coaching solutions that empower you to lead successfully. 

You are invited to embark on a journey of transformative leadership with AACTE Coaching. Partner with a coach and a cohort of your peers to strengthen skills, navigate challenges, learn new tools, and realize your full potential as you shape the future of excellence in teacher education. 

University of New Mexico and Albuquerque Public Schools Partnership Boosts Restorative Practices for Students of All Ages 

By Savannah Peat

If you ever needed a perfect example of how the University of New Mexico directly feeds into the community, you don’t need to look further than the College of Education and Human Sciences (COEHS).

The new Restorative Practice Partnership between COEHS, the District Teacher Residency Program (DTRP), and Garfield Middle School is creating a fundamental pipeline of restorative practices from children, to future teachers, and to the classroom. 

“Our partnership with Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) is underscored by experiences like this for our Teacher Residents,” DTRP Director and COEHS Professor Marjori Krebs said. “By providing opportunities for our future teachers and future principals to learn the power of Restorative Practices from the Garfield Middle School students and teachers provides them with an excellent foundation for leading their own classrooms and schools.”  

AACTE Unveils Coaching Initiative

Invest in your Leadership Efficacy

By Shari Baker

In a dynamic era of higher education innovation, the importance of effective leadership within educator preparation programs (EPPs) cannot be overstated. Recognizing this imperative, AACTE unveils its new coaching program. AACTE Coaching is a visionary platform designed to foster professional growth among program leaders.  

This initiative represents a pioneering endeavor, connecting educators with invaluable opportunities to glean insights, strategies, and mentorship aimed at elevating their leadership experiences. Through this program, AACTE reaffirms its commitment to advancing excellence in educator preparation, empowering leaders to navigate the complexities of their roles with confidence and efficacy. 

AACTE Launches Inspiring Brand Refresh at 2024 Annual Meeting

By AACTE

AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) unveiled a transformative brand refresh at its 2024 Annual Meeting in Aurora/Denver, Colo., on Feb. 16. The comprehensive update signifies a new era in educator preparation, and Phase I of AACTE’s rebranding. With a modernized logo and an inspiring tagline, AACTE reinforces its position as the leading voice in educator preparation and its charge to stay at the forefront of progressing the field.

The new logo stands as the centerpiece of AACTE’s brand refresh, a symbol of the organization’s vision for educator preparation and its role in shaping the future of education. Moving from the old logo to this new design, AACTE signifies a journey towards what’s possible — for the Association, for educator preparation, and importantly, for each student and educator in the nation’s—and world’s—classrooms.

Western Governors University School of Ed Launches Podcast on Teacher Well-Being

By Mark Toth

With more than 90,000 working educator alumni in classrooms nationwide, WGU has a deep commitment to K-12 education, and to the future teachers coming through initial licensure programs as well as master’s degree programs for educators. While much has been said in media and news outlets about the increasing needs of students, especially post-COVID-19 pandemic, some education leaders, including those at WGU, are concerned that more attention needs to be given to what teachers need after the last three challenging years. 

Sharing that concern is Utah’s First Lady Abby Cox, who recently shifted the lens of her annual Show Up for Teachers conference to focus on teacher and educator personal and professional wellness with tools and resources throughout the conference breakout sessions and keynotes including guest speaker Arthur Brooks, the Harvard University researcher on happiness. In 2023, the WGU School of Education was honored to become a major sponsor of the conference.

SIU Researchers Explore Virtual Training to Foster Faster, Better Decisions in Sports and More

By Christi Mathis

This article was originally published by Southern Illinois University.

Split-second decisions frequently determine the outcome of a game, a medical procedure, a military battle, or a law enforcement situation. Scott Boatright, a doctoral candidate at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is conducting research to see if people can train with simulation and extended reality to make judgments more quickly and effectively. His work has already garnered national recognition along with a $10,000 scholarship from the National Training and Simulation Association (NTSA).

Boatright, of Tampa, Florida, has been working on the project in the School of Education’s Organizational Learning, Innovation and Development (OLID) program with Peter Fadde, OLID professor of learning systems design and technology.

“The goal is to systemize and speed up the training and learning experience,” Fadde said. “We asked ourselves, how we could take the seemingly intuitive decision-making process used by experts and capture their methodology and expertise and train others to use it faster and faster.”

Boatright said getting to work on this innovative research using video-occlusion technology, a form of virtual reality, with Fadde and other SIU faculty is what drew him to SIU.

“I developed a keen interest in applying my classroom knowledge to the real world. Specifically, the application of innovative training methods and technologies, such as extended reality, to improve human performance in dynamic, high-pressure environments,” Boatright said.

KSU Profiles its AACTE Award-Winning Innovative Use of Technology

By Debbie K. Mercer

In March 2023, AACTE awarded the 2024 Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology to Kansas State University. In this article, Debbie Mercer, dean, provides a summary of the university’s award-winning body of work.

AACTE is currently accepting nominations for the 2024 Best Practice Award for the Innovative Use of Technology The deadline is September 1. Learn more and submit an entry. 

Kansas State University’s College of Education (COE) has developed a significant body of work leveraging technologies for innovative remote learning opportunities. Through the use of telepresence robots in conjunction with more conventional remote communications platforms, the COE has developed an integrated body of teaching, research, and service activities that engage teacher education candidates, teachers, faculty, and students in bold new initiatives that build a vision for 21st-century learning and engagement on the traditional strengths of the institution. From remote field experiences that bring teacher education candidates to high-need rural schools, to international service-learning opportunities, to fully remote teaching internships, these initiatives are both sustainable and scalable.

The Teacher Educators’ Journal: Call for Manuscripts

By Kristien Zenkov

The Teacher Educators’ Journal (TTEJ) is published by the Virginia Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (VACTE), a state unit of the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). The journal aims to stimulate discussion and reflection about issues related to teacher education; authors need not be based and research need not be conducted in Virginia for manuscripts to be considered for publication. Manuscripts submitted for consideration may be research/empirical reports and analyses, position papers, book reviews, or conceptual essays.

Educators Receive AACTE Co-Teaching in Clinical Practice TAG Engagement Awards

By Amber Bechard

The Co-Teaching in Clinical Practice Topical Action Group (TAG) presented five professional educators with Engagement Awards to attend the 2022 National Association for Co-Teaching (NACT) National Conference in St. Cloud, Minnesota, in October. Foothill Knolls STEM Academy of Innovation Principal Jennifer Morris, fifth grade teacher Amanda Soto, and special education teacher Kelly Stanger from Upland, California, attended the conference along with New York City Department of Education, District 31 Specialized Student Support Lead Contessa McNulty. College Place Public Schools Assistant Principal and Co-Teaching Support Lead Ambra Bryant of College Place, Washington, was unable to attend.