Literacy in K-12 Teacher Education

Author(s):  
Kristina Love

Midway through the first decade of the new millennium, teachers are still facing considerable challenges in dealing with the complex forms of literacy that are increasingly required for success across the K-12 curriculum in Australia. Three critical areas in particular need to be addressed in teacher education in this regard: teachers’ knowledge about text structures and about how language functions as a resource in the construction of a range of spoken, written, and multi-modal genres; teachers’ understanding of language and text as critical socio-cultural practices and how these practices build disciplinary knowledge across the K-12 curriculum; and teachers’ capacity to choose models of pedagogy that allow learners to master new literacy practices, transform meanings across contexts, and reflect substantively on learning through language. In this chapter, I will outline how a video-based interactive CD-ROM entitled BUILT (Building Understandings in Literacy and Teaching) was developed for use in teacher education to address these concerns. I will conclude by signalling some of the challenges that remain for teacher educators training novice teachers to scaffold, through ICT, their K-12 students into an important range of literacies.

2011 ◽  
pp. 2458-2480
Author(s):  
Kristina Love

Midway through the first decade of the new millennium, teachers are still facing considerable challenges in dealing with the complex forms of literacy that are increasingly required for success across the K-12 curriculum in Australia. Three critical areas in particular need to be addressed in teacher education in this regard: teachers’ knowledge about text structures and about how language functions as a resource in the construction of a range of spoken, written, and multi-modal genres; teachers’ understanding of language and text as critical socio-cultural practices and how these practices build disciplinary knowledge across the K-12 curriculum; and teachers’ capacity to choose models of pedagogy that allow learners to master new literacy practices, transform meanings across contexts, and reflect substantively on learning through language. In this chapter, I will outline how a video-based interactive CD-ROM entitled BUILT (Building Understandings in Literacy and Teaching) was developed for use in teacher education to address these concerns. I will conclude by signalling some of the challenges that remain for teacher educators training novice teachers to scaffold, through ICT, their K-12 students into an important range of literacies.


Author(s):  
Donna Glenn Wake

This study explores teacher education candidates' perceptions of technologies used to support K-12 student literacy development. Candidates selected technologies for future adoption based on impressions of each technology's ability to support student literacy development. Technologies included broad-based applications (blogs, wikis, podcasts, digital storytelling) as well as more specific applications (Prezi, Glogster, Voicethread). Results indicate that candidates selected first those technologies they saw as useful in presenting content in a teacher-directed paradigm. They then considered technologies that allowed for student authoring and manipulation representing more student inquiry-based approaches. Data were disaggregated for secondary versus elementary candidate populations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-84
Author(s):  
Brandon L. Sams ◽  
Mike P. Cook

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine youth literacy and writing practices in select, contemporary young adult literature (YAL), especially how and why literate activity is sponsored, negotiated or occluded by teachers and schools. Design/methodology/approach The authors position young adult fiction as case studies of youth composing in and out of school. Drawing on Stake's (1995) features of case study research in education, the authors present readings of Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero and The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy by Kate Hattemer that highlight particular problems and insights about youth literacy practices that are worth extended examination and reflection. Findings Both novels feature youth engaging in powerful literacy and writing practices across a range of modes to critically read and write their worlds. These particular texts – and other YAL featuring youth composing – offer teacher educators and pre-service teachers opportunities for critical reflection on their evolving stances on literacy instruction; identities as writing and literacy educators; and pedagogies that enable robust literate activity. Originality/value In the US educational context, teacher education programs are required to provide pre-service teachers numerous opportunities to observe and participate as teachers in public school classrooms. YAL offers a unique setting of experience that can be productively paired with more traditional field placements to complement pre-service writing teacher education. Reading YAL featuring youth composing can serve as a useful occasion of reflection on pedagogies that limit and/or make possible students’ meaningful engagement with words and the world.


2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 1195-1225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerri Ullucci ◽  
Dan Battey

As teacher educators we have been struck by the consistency, urgency, and frequency in which students employ color-blind perspectives. This orientation has negative consequences in K-12 settings. In this manuscript, we lay out the multiple meanings of color blindness, drawing from legal, educational, and social science traditions, and offer arguments for color consciousness in education. In addition, we use this theoretical perspective to investigate interventions for countering color blindness in teacher education. Using a framework steeped in the tenets of color consciousness, we draw from scholars as well as our own work to provide interventions designed to challenge color-blind orientations in teachers.


2011 ◽  
pp. 888-903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Barnett

Videoconferencing is one form of distance learning that can enhance teacher education programs by linking students in higher education with Pre-K–12 schools. As part of a Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to use Technology grant (PT3), a teacher education program utilized distance learning to link college classes with an urban school. Mediated observations of specific literacy practices were integrated into a traditional introductory literacy course. Preservice teachers observed urban teachers teaching literacy. Immediately following these observations, the preservice teachers were granted the opportunity to reflect on the lesson by conversing with the teachers via distance learning. Initial findings suggest students acquired positive attitudes toward teaching in urban classrooms and preferred this virtual field experience to a traditional in-school placement.


Author(s):  
Marion Barnett

Videoconferencing is one form of distance learning that can enhance teacher education programs by linking students in higher education with Pre-K–12 schools. As part of a Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to use Technology grant (PT3), a teacher education program utilized distance learning to link college classes with an urban school. Mediated observations of specific literacy practices were integrated into a traditional introductory literacy course. Preservice teachers observed urban teachers teaching literacy. Immediately following these observations, the preservice teachers were granted the opportunity to reflect on the lesson by conversing with the teachers via distance learning. Initial findings suggest students acquired positive attitudes toward teaching in urban classrooms and preferred this virtual field experience to a traditional in-school placement.


Author(s):  
Donna Glenn Wake

This study explores teacher education candidates’ perceptions of technologies used to support K-12 student literacy development. Candidates selected technologies for future adoption based on impressions of each technology’s ability to support student literacy development. Technologies included broad-based applications (blogs, wikis, podcasts, digital storytelling) as well as more specific applications (Prezi, Glogster, Voicethread). Results indicate that candidates selected first those technologies they saw as useful in presenting content in a teacher-directed paradigm. They then considered technologies that allowed for student authoring and manipulation representing more student inquiry-based approaches. Data were disaggregated for secondary versus elementary candidate populations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Dorinda J. Carter Andrews ◽  
Tashal Brown ◽  
Bernadette M. Castillo ◽  
Davena Jackson ◽  
Vivek Vellanki

Background/Context In our best efforts to increase preservice teachers’ critical consciousness regarding the historical and contemporary inequities in the P–12 educational system and equip them to embody pedagogies and practices that counter those inequities, teacher educators often provide curricular and field experiences that reinforce the deficit mindsets that students bring to the teacher education classroom. For many social justice-oriented teacher educators, our best intentions to create humanizing experiences for future teachers can have harmful results that negatively impact preservice teachers’ ability to successfully teach culturally diverse students in a multitude of learning contexts. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study In this article, we propose a humanizing pedagogy for teacher education that is informed by our experiences as K–12 teachers and teacher educators in a university-based teacher preparation program. We focus on the general questions, How can university-based teacher preparation programs embody and enact a humanizing pedagogy? and What role can curriculum play in advancing a humanizing pedagogy in university-based teacher preparation programs? Research Design In this conceptual article, we theorize a humanizing pedagogy for teacher education and propose a process of becoming asset-, equity-, and social justice-oriented teachers. This humanizing pedagogy represents a strengths-based approach to teaching and learning in the teacher preparation classroom. Conclusions/Recommendations We propose core tenets of a humanizing pedagogy for teacher education that represent an individual and collective effort toward critical consciousness for preservice teachers and also for teacher educators. If university-based teacher education programs are committed to cultivating the development of asset-, equity-, and social justice-oriented preservice teachers, the commitments to critical self-reflection, resisting binaries, and enacting ontological and epistemological plurality need to be foundational to program structure, curricula alignment, and instructional practice.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-200
Author(s):  
Colton T. Ames

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide teacher educators with a foundation for including religion in multicultural education classes. In doing so, they can foster more robust discussions of religion and its implications for equity and justice in K-12 classrooms. Design/methodology/approach This piece was adapted from the religion unit that the author designed for the multicultural education course, and is the combination of the author’s expertise in religious studies, and curriculum and instruction. Findings As a practice piece, this paper is meant to start discussions and reflections for teacher educators as to how we can better address religion when discussing multicultural education, and the implications of equity, diversity and social justice in the classroom. Originality/value The author hopes that this piece will contribute to a growing field of literature on how to foster discussions of religion in teacher education and K-12 classrooms. As a former religious studies educator, the author hopes to offer a perspective that combines the fields of curriculum and religious studies to create a more robust relationship that will foster democratic and civic engagement.


Author(s):  
Brittany Aronson ◽  
Esther Enright ◽  
Tasneem Amatullah

Building capacity in teachers to teach students skillfully and respectfully across the diversity gap is complex work that requires teachers to learn to see with what we term as angled perspective. If an angled perspective is learnable, then it is teachable. Using our narratives as religiously and ethnically diverse women teacher educators, we share through our own learning and growth, how this type of analysis can contribute to coalitional building for teacher education, and thus K-12 teachers. Through our conceptualization of identity theory, positionality, and intersectionality, we argue angled perspectives contribute to solidarity work in education. We share implications for teacher educators to integrate angled perspectives into curricula across teacher preparation courses.


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