Analysis of USAID/Georgia Supported Basic Education Program First Cycle Implementation

The article highlights Akaki Tsereteli State University's involvement and participation in wide school reforms to establish student-centered education in Georgia. School educational reform cannot proceed and succeed without the direct involvement of the universities which carry out teacher preparation programs. Unequivocally, there should be close cooperation and collaboration between these two institutions to reach the desirable and targeted outcomes. The purpose of the article was to present the results of the survey, which was intended to assess the effectiveness of training conducted by the university trainers during the first phase of the new school reform in Georgia which focused on achieving student-centered learning. The selected trainers from the eight partnering universities were supposed to cover 2075 schools throughout Georgia (373 schools in Imereti Region) to train leader teachers and help the institution to develop new instructional methods, more specifically, to develop a school curriculum based on constructivist educational principles and apply it into practice. The survey findings assisted Pedagogical faculty in identifying existing curriculum gaps and discrepancies and taking measures to bridge them by modifying and supplementing them with the necessary content.

Physical Educators Teachers Perceptions when Teaching English Language Learners (ELL)

The purpose of this study was to explore how physical educators from the state of New York accommodate English Language Learners (ELL) in their Physical Education (PE) classes. Furthermore, to find out how many teachers have a background in foreign languages and the strategies they use to teach these students. A content-validated open-ended questionnaire was used to collect the data. A total of 53 PE teachers completed the questionnaire. Results from this study indicated that the majority (73%) do not know a second language other than English. They also expressed the need for teacher preparation programs to provide more information on effective strategies on how to teach ELL students. Data analysis uncovered two recurrent themes: (a) lack of knowledge on a second language, and (b) the lack of knowledge of effective teaching strategies. Professional development opportunities and clear guidelines on how to teach ELL students need to be provided to PE teachers.

Guiding Online Graduate Special Education Candidates Through E-Performance Assessments and edTPA

As online teacher preparation programs continue to grow, guiding the process for edTPA candidates can pose varying challenges. As such, teacher preparation programs must be equipped to provide guidance to online candidates as they complete the actionable items required for edTPA. Provided from the field supervisors' perspective, this chapter outlines the current process Western Carolina University has in place to provide effective clinical and teacher candidate experiences for students in their online program. The purpose of this chapter provides guided structure for graduate special education teachers pursing initial licensure through an online masters' program. This chapter will include 1) the challenges of guiding online students through the e-portfolio process, 2) an exploration of the provided structure for the teacher candidates to fulfill the requirements of edTPA, as well as 3) recommendations for teacher preparation programs and teacher candidate readiness in the practice and application of e-performance assessments and edTPA.

Examining Bilingual Teacher Candidates' Use of Digital Media

Digital media has transformed how we interact with each other, how we stay connected, and how we learn about the world around us. Digital media has also changed the teacher's role from knowledge provider to facilitator (Lee, 2006). Teachers however, continue to struggle with technology and curricula integration as a vehicle for engaging young learners with academics (Chen, 2010; Wachira & Keengwe, 2011). This chapter underscores the need to provide bilingual teacher candidates with specific instructional uses for digital media to increase their capacity with technology integration, pedagogy, and content knowledge (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). This chapter explores the use of digital media within an after-school technology project. This research lends additional support for teacher preparation programs to integrate the use of technology if they are to serve teachers who work with a growing culturally and linguistically diverse school-age population.

Use of a Residency Program in Preservice Teacher Preparation

The training and retention of special education teachers is a critical need in the education field. One innovation that can be used in educator preparation programs to better prepare teachers is to establish a residency model. In this model, preservice teachers work as full-time teachers, while also completing their coursework. They receive support from university faculty and peers during this structured first year of teaching. This chapter will explore the need for residency programs, possible features and structures, short and long-term benefits, and potential challenges. In addition, this chapter explores ways to incorporate high-leverage practices into residency coursework.

Challenging Deficit Thinking in Our Schools

Deficit thinking by educators is a barrier to student success. To effectively meet the needs of all students, future teachers need to be able to identify and challenge deficit thinking when they encounter it. Educator preparation programs are well positioned to assist with the rejection of deficit thinking in favor of strengths-based approaches in the classroom through intentionally designed courses and required field experiences. This chapter explores deficit thinking in special education, highlights components of teacher training that have been demonstrated to address issues of equity and combat deficit thinking, and shares one education department's efforts to ensure deficit thinking is adequately addressed in their coursework and fieldwork. Other educator preparation programs may benefit from the exploration of inclusive and equity-focused program components, as well as the auditing process conducted by this education department.

Collaborative Partnerships in Teacher Preparation

This chapter presents a description of a collaborative approach to clinical induction for pre-service teachers, the benefits of a collaborative clinical approach, and the voiced experiences of public school teachers, teacher candidates, and university faculty/supervisors reflecting on the impact of professional involvement in the collaborative process. Arguments for disrupting traditional models for clinical practice are presented. Tips for other educators and education preparation programs for developing collaboration and co-teaching induction models are included.

Technology in Education, Win or Fail?

Educator preparation programs and institutional polices should provide background knowledge and experience with digital literacies and emerging technologies in coursework and strategies. The emphasis on the integration of technology instruction is relevant in the literature today. This chapter will explore the intersections and disjunctures between digital literacy practices in an educator preparation program and personal digital literacy use from a recent study that examined the digital literacies of six teacher educators. The chapter will be organized into sections, examining technology tools, digital interactions, and online resources applied classrooms.

Culturally Responsive Teaching and Training for Pre-Service Special Educators in Higher Education

In the field of public education, special education teacher preparation is one of the most critical areas of teacher preparation in higher education, given the mandate of FAPE under the IDEA. Additionally, teacher preparation programming that provides pre-service teachers with the knowledge, skills, and clinical experiences that can meet the learning-diverse needs of students is of paramount importance. However, teacher preparation programs often focus on meeting accreditation standards, job placement and service opportunities while leaving the teaching of diversity in special education as an add-on to be fulfilled by service departments, humanities courses, and/or social science electives. In order for universities and institutions of higher education to fulfill its mandate of teacher-training in special education, with a focus beyond the disability, they must adopt a curricula revision that includes culturally responsive teaching and diversity.

The Challenges and Opportunities of Online Learning for Preservice Teachers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The transition to emergency remote teaching in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has opened up important problems of practice in online education to discussion. Since the start of this global health crisis, several studies have documented online education experiences. The aims of the current study were to examine the online learning experiences of preservice teachers from Turkey and the US. Survey items were designed to collect the perceptions and experiences of online learning from preservice teachers enrolled in teacher preparation programs during the 2020-2021 academic year. Statistical data analysis provided insight into participants' views and attitudes toward online learning. Additionally, three open-ended questions were analyzed qualitatively. These provided insight into participants' experiences, the challenges they faced, and the advantages of online learning. Findings suggest that preservice teachers prefer face-to-face teaching even though they recognize and appreciate the value of online learning. Findings also have important implications for future research.