LESSONS LEARNED IN FOUR URBAN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Teacher educators are often searching for methods and/or techniques to enhance and expand the content of their courses. As teacher educators, we do not want to introduce new methodology that detracts our students’ attention away from the course content. However, we need to keep our courses current and interesting for ourselves as well as for our students. Several teacher educators at one institution have begun including service‐learning projects into their preservice and inservice teachers’ courses as a way to augment the standard curriculum. The focus of this study is to illustrate how service‐learning was incorporated into the existing children's literature course and share the five cooperative projects that resulted from this integration.     

VOICES IN EDUCATION: ACCOUNTABILITY IN TEACHER EDUCATION AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TEACHER QUALITY

Abstract

This article explains several reasons why multicultural preservice teacher education is important and suggests some ways it can be better accomplished. The authors make a strong case for teacher education programs to be more deliberate about preparing European Americans to teach ethnically diverse students of color. They argue that this explicit professional preparation is needed because of the increasing racial, cultural, and linguistic divide between teachers (predominately European American) and K–12 students (increasingly from ethnic groups of color). Two other factors underscore the need for more multicultural teacher education: the fear of diversity and the resistance to dealing with race and racism frequently expressed by students enrolled in teacher education programs. To overcome these problems and better prepare preservice teachers to work effectively with ethnically diverse students the authors suggest a two‐part program of professional development.     

COLLABORATIONS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION: CHALLENGES AND PROMISE

Abstract

This article describes the reflective process used by a group of early childhood faculty members to study national standards in order to improve their teacher education program. The standards studied included those from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC/ECE). The reflective process and study resulted in changes in field experiences, course requirements and activities and assisted in state and national accreditation.     

PREDICTING SUCCESS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of standardized tests (ACT, Preprofessional Skills Test) as predictors of student success in early childhood studies. Success was measured as grade point average at the time of graduation. The sample consisted of students enrolled at a four‐year public institution in the United States (N = 129). Data analysis indicated the standardized measures, including ACT and the Preprofessional Skills Test, were significantly related to success in early childhood studies. In addition, both tests, along with high school rank and student age, were useful in the prediction of grade point average at graduation, but did little to predict success during the student teaching experience.     

HOLOCAUST AWARENESS AND EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Experimentation in Holocaust education began in American schools in the mid‐1970s. After construction of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., the subject gained momentum. The last two decades have seen continuous development. In five states, Holocaust education is required at all school levels; in sixteen others, it is highly recommended. Serious teaching of the Holocaust started in earnest only long after World War II, when the horrors were at a distance and survivors started breaking the silence. Only then did systematic research begin. Teaching about the Holocaust developed as a result of Holocaust consciousness and of the growing feeling of its relevance to American culture. Such instruction also developed against a background of ongoing public debate concerning the Holocausts uniqueness, a controversy that has found its way into various teaching programs.     

LEARNING TO WALK THE WALK AND TALK THE TALK: PEER COACHING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATION

Early childhood teacher education programs have drastically increased the number of field experiences in the past two decades. As a result, problems have emerged often resulting in negative benefits to pre‐service teachers. Among these problems are: inadequate supervision, ample and model placements and the linkage of theory to practice. This paper describes how one program has implemented peer coaching throughout its entire early childhood teacher education program in an attempt to help alleviate some of the known problems. Student satisfaction and enthusiasm, cooperating teacher support and the benefits of the university have further encouraged and strengthened the use of this strategy. Preliminary research findings also indicate preservice teachers develop a more thorough understanding of the teaching and learning process.     

学术职业化与美国高等教育的发展

本文借鉴职业社会学的相关研究成果 ,通过探讨 16 36～ 1914年间 (特别是 19世纪后期 )美国学术职业化进程以及在这个过程中发挥作用的主要因素 ,分析了美国高等教育发展的内在动力机制。     

FEDERAL POLICY AND HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES

A new federal policy for higher education in the United States may be formulated in the coming months. Below we give extracts from an article stressing responsibility of US higher education to affirm the aims of education in the changing economic and political situation, written by Professor Norman Birnbaum, of Amherst College, Massachusetts.     

美国营利性高等教育的特征

过去,教育与营利似乎是一对相斥的概念教育属于公立机构,通过政府财政预算获得经费,而营利活动则属于企业行为。在新的经济和社会环境下,这种格局开始发生变化,一方面部分大学组织的性质发生了变化,营利性机构渐渐涉足过去公立机构的职能范围;另一方面公立大学不再完全依靠政府拨款,开始向学生收取学费,并且从事一些营利性的活动。《民办教育促进法》在制定过程中,也无法绕开教育与营利性这对矛盾。为了解决《教育法》对教育机构属性的规定与现实情况之间的矛盾,《民办教育促进法》对于教育机构的营利问题进行了模糊处理,“合理回报”就是妥协的结果。目前人们在“教育产业化”认识问题上依然存在着较大的分歧。在国外虽然没有“教育产业化”这样的提法,但遇到的问题却是相同或相似的,因此高等教育市场化、商品化、私有化等是学术界十分关心的问题。特别是营利性高等教育机构的出现和迅速发展,更引起人们的高度关注。为此,本刊特别组织了这次笔谈,邀请国内外研究者分别从各个角度发表自己的看法。     

美国《高等教育法》修订与高等教育财政改革

1965年通过的《高等教育法》是美国历史上最为重要的高等教育立法之一,扩展了联邦政府在高等教育财政领域的角色。该法以再授权的方式周期性地予以修订,到目前为止,已进行了8次再授权。2008年通过的《高等教育机会法》是对该法的第8次再授权,本次修订提出了一系列重要的高等教育财政改革措施,并突出体现了促进和改善入学机会、可负担和问责的高等教育财政理念。