Useful Signal or Unnecessary Obstacle? The Role of Basic Skills Tests in Teacher Preparation

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 431-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Drew H. Gitomer ◽  
Terran L. Brown ◽  
John Bonett
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Basic Skills ◽  
Teacher Licensure ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Useful Signal ◽  
Licensure Tests

Many individuals who attempt to enter teacher education programs are precluded from doing so because of an inability to pass basic skills tests. The authors examine whether these tests are simply a gate that needs to be passed through or whether they provide useful early information about how individuals are likely to perform on subsequent licensure tests. By examining a pool of individuals who took both basic skills and licensure tests, the authors contrast the likelihood of passing licensure tests given how well individuals performed on the basic skills test. The results support the hypothesis that basic skills tests are measuring cognitive skills important to the learning of material required for success in attaining teacher licensure and are not simply a bureaucratic hurdle.

Using Mobile Technology for Student Teaching Observations of Special Education Candidates

2015 ◽  
pp. 114-127
Author(s):  
Josh Harrower ◽  
Cathi Draper Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Student Teaching ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Video Conferencing ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Pre Service Teacher

Student teacher supervision has been an important part of teacher preparation almost since the inception of teacher education programs. The goal of this type of supervision is to strengthen the skills of the pre-service teacher. Providing this type of observation can be difficult for teacher preparation programs and university faculty. Many factors, including large numbers of students in teacher education programs and student placements in remote schools, contribute to this. In order to make the most effective use of faculty and pre-service teacher time, other options for providing this support need to be explored. The rapidly developing field of mobile technology (e.g., iPads, iPhones, Smart Phones) can be used to facilitate student teaching observations. This chapter discusses how teacher preparation programs can implement candidate field supervision using video conferencing via mobile technology to increase the ability to conduct observations in schools and in a more efficient manner. It also explores the security of video conferencing applications and the issues related to using video conferencing in special education classrooms, where student confidentiality is heightened.

Developing Critical Dispositions in Teacher Education Programs

2019 ◽  
pp. 106-124
Author(s):  
Jarrett D. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
American Education ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Purpose Of Education

This chapter advocates for the (re)framing of critical thinking from a skill to a disposition and proposes a framework whereby teacher education programs can create space for pre-service teachers to develop a critical disposition. By studying the context of American education and schooling and their corporate interest, pre-service teachers along with teacher educators can start to unravel the discourse and power inherent in American education. Understanding how these concepts lead to hegemony can begin the process of creating a counterhegemonic movement among American educators that includes the reclaiming of the purpose of education, raising pertinent epistemological question, and practicing critical self-reflection. The final part of the new framework for developing critical dispositions is a reintroduction of broader theoretical concerns into teacher preparation programs.

The Value of Service-Learning in L2 Teacher Preparation

2018 ◽  
pp. 103-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Lindahl ◽  
Zuzana Tomas ◽  
Raichle Farrelly ◽  
Anna Krulatz
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Community Collaboration ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Course Content

Service-learning (SL) constitutes a particularly effective vehicle for engaging pre-service teachers with ELs during their university-level coursework, mostly due to the nature of SL that addresses the potential cultural and linguistic mismatch between teachers and learners in today's school systems by encouraging future educators to engage with the communities of their students long before they enter the teaching profession. This chapter describes four cases that demonstrate how second language (L2) teacher education programs utilize service-learning (SL) to engage pre-service teachers in diverse cultural and linguistic contexts through the lens of pedagogy of particularity. Each case presents four consistent key principles of service-learning: course content, community collaboration, integrated assignments that guide student engagement, and reflective practices that culminate the SL experience.

Developing Digital Literacy

2017 ◽  
pp. 670-685
Author(s):  
Carolyn Haviland Obel-Omia
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Elementary School ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Elementary Education ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Literacy Teachers ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Reading And Writing

Teacher education programs are increasingly responsible for preparing teachers who use technology fluently across curricula. Future teachers must define literacy more broadly than they have in the past to include digital modes of reading and writing. Experience with digital tools in literacy methodology courses provides opportunities for teacher candidates to reflect critically on these tools, preparing teachers to use technology to its advantage in elementary school classrooms. This chapter describes four digital practices designed to engage teacher candidates in participating in and reflecting on authentic reading and writing to develop next-generation literacy teachers. These practices include examples of activities that can be adapted to both teacher preparation and elementary education classrooms.

From Collaborative Inquiry to Critical, Project-Based Clinical Experiences

2018 ◽  
pp. 89-116
Author(s):  
Kristien Zenkov ◽  
Seth A. Parsons ◽  
Audra K. Parker ◽  
Elizabeth Levine Brown ◽  
Lois A. Groth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Clinical Approach ◽  
Clinical Experiences ◽  
University Partnerships ◽  
Education Practice

Unprecedented and long-overdue attention has recently been given to the role of field-based clinical experiences in teacher preparation. Traditional models of university coursework disconnected from real world field-based clinical experiences serve neither prospective teachers nor PreK-12 students. This chapter presents a broader notion of field-based teacher preparation structures occurring in school-university partnership contexts and professional development schools, with the authors drawing from data of four field-based experiences, which fall along a continuum of partnership, from three teacher education programs at two universities. These partnerships illustrate a developmental framework for building mutually beneficial relationships that enhance the engagement of all stakeholders and acknowledge the need for differentiation in teacher education practice. A pathways orientation to school-university partnerships/PDSs and a project-based clinical approach offer chances to develop mutually beneficial learning opportunities for PreK-12 students and teacher candidates.

Blending Digital Content in Teacher Education Programs

2018 ◽  
pp. 713-736
Author(s):  
Patricia Dickenson ◽  
Cynthia Sistek-Chandler
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Digital Content ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
The Status

Teacher Education programs worldwide are engaging in a digital conversation around best practices for supporting and teaching teacher candidates in the creation of digital content for a 21st century blended classroom. This chapter examines the status of teacher preparation in technology and explores current trends for instructors of the NextGen educator. Further the authors share how 21 Century Skills and global competencies among pre-service teachers can be applied in an online learning environment in teacher education programs.

The Extent of K-12 Online Teacher Development

2021 ◽  
pp. 924-944
Author(s):  
Jean S. Larson ◽  
Leanna Archambault
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Online Teachers ◽  
Online Teacher ◽  
Online Schools ◽  
K 12

This chapter, updated for the second edition of this volume, reviews the current research specific to the characteristics and preparation of those involved in K–12 online teaching. While few teacher education programs integrate any aspect of online teaching into their coursework or field experiences, existing programs are discussed. Limited, but notable progress is being made with respect to K–12 online teacher preparation. However, there continues to be gaps in the literature examining the extent to which teachers are being educated, trained, and otherwise prepared to function in online settings. Over the past decade, the need for teacher education programs and current K–12 online schools to work together to prepare teachers has become increasingly clear. Effective online teaching techniques must be defined, empirically proven, and then efficiently implemented by both future and current K–12 online teachers to ensure quality online educational experiences and outcomes for students.

Using Mobile Technology for Student Teaching Observations of Special Education Candidates

2016 ◽  
pp. 726-739
Author(s):  
Josh Harrower ◽  
Cathi Draper Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Student Teaching ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
Video Conferencing ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Pre Service Teacher

Student teacher supervision has been an important part of teacher preparation almost since the inception of teacher education programs. The goal of this type of supervision is to strengthen the skills of the pre-service teacher. Providing this type of observation can be difficult for teacher preparation programs and university faculty. Many factors, including large numbers of students in teacher education programs and student placements in remote schools, contribute to this. In order to make the most effective use of faculty and pre-service teacher time, other options for providing this support need to be explored. The rapidly developing field of mobile technology (e.g., iPads, iPhones, Smart Phones) can be used to facilitate student teaching observations. This chapter discusses how teacher preparation programs can implement candidate field supervision using video conferencing via mobile technology to increase the ability to conduct observations in schools and in a more efficient manner. It also explores the security of video conferencing applications and the issues related to using video conferencing in special education classrooms, where student confidentiality is heightened.

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