Educating Teachers of Science, Mathematics, and Technology New Practices for the New Millennium (2001) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
A Vision for Improving Teacher Education and the Teaching Profession
A Vision for Improving Teacher Education and the Teaching Profession
Pages 85-108
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 85... ...
regarding the role of higher education in improving teacher education: teacher education must become a centralfocus of the entire institution, not just of schools or departments of education. The committee also strongly supports the specific recommendation from the American Council on E(lucation (1999)
|
From page 86... ...
And we must revamp professional development as we know it. New distance learning models can be powerful new tools to give teachers more opportunities to be better teachers.
|
From page 87... ...
Each college or university with a program (lesigne(1 to prepare college students for teacher certification and the teaching profession would enter into long-term partnerships with one or more school districts. The goal of these partnerships would be sharing the responsibilities of educating future teachers and providing ongoing professional development opportunities for the teachers in the participating K-12 schools.
|
From page 88... ...
Highquality professional development programs that include intellectuaigrowth as well as the upgrading of teachers' knowIedge and skills must be expected and essentialfeatures in the careers of all teachers.
|
From page 89... ...
For example, colleges and universities traditionally have been involved in oversight of education for prospective teachers. However, these institutions actually may be better suited to overseeing the ongoing professional development of practicing teachers.
|
From page 90... ...
recommenclations from national organizations involved with enhancing teaching, and (3) clata gathered from the programs sponsored by the partnership itself.
|
From page 91... ...
Once the partnership was formed, its members would contribute both to the preparation of future educators and the improvement of the knowledge base and skills of all practicing teachers of science, mathematics, and technology in the K-12 and higher education sectors that are involved with the partnership. Implicit in this mode} is that, through their close professional association and interactions with master teachers from the partnership, scientists, mathematiclans, engineers, and teacher educators at colleges and universities wall have improved opportunities to enhance their own teaching skills.
|
From page 92... ...
Examples include: Bank Street College, NY (see Wasley, 1999~; The Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Project - a two-year induction program established by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, that involves faculty from several California State University campuses, and personnel in school districts (Olebe et al., 1999~; programs in Kentucky and Illinois that are similar to the California initiative also have been described (Brennan et al., 1999, and Heuser and Owens, 1999, respectively)
|
From page 93... ...
Therefore, science and mathematics program planners at four-year colleges and universities need to work with their counterparts at community colleges to ensure appropriate course offerings for these students. Such planning could result in better integration and articulation of course offerings across the institutions, ensuring that prospective teachers receive a similar level of education in science and mathematics regardless of where they enroll in these courses.
|
From page 94... ...
1 1 Parents I _L School / Districts Other Civic _ Organizations a_ ~ ` Four-Year Colleges and Universities K-16 Teacher Profess'cnc \~ Two-Year {Community) my/ Loca~/Regiona~ Business and Industry Government and Private Funding Sources EDUCATING TEACHERS OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND TECHNOLOGY
|
From page 95... ...
Under the CSMTP's vision, these leaders would affirm their schools' and districts' responsibility to provi(le fun(ling for ongoing professional development of teachers and for designing a workplace environment that allows teachers to thrive as members of a professional community. In such an environment, time, tangible resources, and support would be provided to teachers for meaningful career enhancement activities.
|
From page 96... ...
Although classroom teachers may have more direct contact with student teachers or teacher interns, final responsibility for assigning grades and awarding certification usually has rested with institutions of higher education. Once students are graduated and certified, schools and districts then assume responsibility for induction programs anti professional development.
|
From page 97... ...
The partnerships envisioned here also would provide school districts with opportunities to improve their professional development programs in science, mathematics, and technology. In concert with their employing districts, teachers could earn academic credit and continuing education units at the two- and fouryear colleges within their particular partnership or perhaps even within a system of connected partnerships whose teacher education programs are linked through information technology.
|
From page 98... ...
The integrated programs that partnerships could develop and offer to experienced teachers might address the problem not only by offering appropriate courses to teachers but also by assuaging official concerns about whether the credits they would obtain would renect appropriate academic levels of study. Teachers in the partnership districts also could engage in research projects in their disciplines by working with college faculty who are involve(1 with the partnership or with undergraduate or graduate students who are engaged in disciplinary or interdisciplinary research.
|
From page 99... ...
The CSMTP emphasizes that, as professionals, teachers should not be expected to pay for programs that are professionally mandated. Rather, given the accumulating body of compelling evidence that student achievement is directly tied to the level of teachers' knowledge of subject matter and appropriate ways to teach it, districts must view ongoing, high~uality professional development programs for teachers as a critical i n v e s t m e n t f o r i m p r o v i n g s t ~ ~ e n t ~ e a r n i n g OTHER BENEFITS OF PARTNERSHIPS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS In addition to making more seamless teacher education programs possible, carefully and thoughtfully designed partnerships can provide numerous other benefits to the people and institutions.
|
From page 100... ...
Establishing a formal agreement that makes student teachers and interns available to partner school districts would give these districts ready access to the pool of preservice teachers who are enrolled in the two- and fouryear colleges and universities within the partnership. Because all of the parties would have agreed on standards for · · · ~ preservlce preparation In science, mathematics, and technology as well as in pedagogy, (listricts could be assured that these preservice students would be qualified to undertake a practicum, internship, or other teaching experience.
|
From page 101... ...
In addition, by clearly defining what constitutes appropriate credentials for prospective teachers before they begin their student teaching experiences, districts would be assured that these student teachers would be able to handle the challenges that await them in the classroom. Because partnerships as envisioned here also would be able to design and undertake educational research projects that measure and analyze the learning and achievement of the K-12 students being taught, all of the partners would learn how their contributions and efforts for improving practicums and other field experiences for student teachers might be revised or strengthened.
|
From page 102... ...
Perhaps most importantly, the establishment of partnerships also would make it easier for college faculty, especially those in science, mathematics, and engineering, to visit partnership schools and actually observe what happens in classrooms. These visits could help college-level faculty better understand the kind and level of content being taught in partner schools, allow them to have more informed input to the partnership about that content, and influence their own teaching methods.
|
From page 103... ...
With few exceptions, colleges and universities in a given geographical area are far more likely than local school districts to have sophisticated laboratory space and equipment, computing facilities, anti access to other resources such as library holdings. As partnerships for teacher education in science and mathematics (levelop and prioritize their issues, sharing of knowle(lge and resources could become a primary focus.
|
From page 104... ...
However, the committee's vision that institutions of higher education and school districts share responsibility for all phases of teacher education and professional development also must extend to the ways in which partnerships are supporte(1 financially. Accor(lingly, the CSMTP suggests that funds previously devoted by in(livi(lual organizations to their current programs in teacher education be pooled within the partnership.
|
From page 105... ...
Budgets that are subject to annual negotiation can have a negative impact on this kin(1 of compact. Partnerships that depend too heavily on grants rather than on line items in the budgets of school districts anti postsecon(lary institutions can be compromise(1 if the priorities of funding agencies shift over time.
|
From page 106... ...
. ~~ Policies ~~::: :::::: ~:~:~:~: Contractual Agreements Funding Issues LOCAL PARTNERSHIP Partner Institutions :: :~ Other Academic Accreditation And Licensing EDUCATING TEACHERS OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND TECHNOLOGY
|
From page 107... ...
, the kind of partnership the committee envisions would allow people with appropriate experience and expertise to pursue teaching careers through nontraditional routes to the profession. However, state departments of education or accreditation bodies would need to be involved with this Ape of opportunitr through the creation of policies that enable prospective teachers Both traditional undergraduate candidates and those who pursue teaching later in their careers through alternative pathways)
|
From page 108... ...
It will require fundamental rethinking and restructuring of the relationships between the K-12 anti higher education communities in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology, including financial relationships. Building the kin(1 of capacity that is nee(le(1 to begin or to grow a partnership for teacher education as envisioned in this report wail require a great deal of time and commitment from all parties.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.