Invitational Education and literature circles elevated learning in this longitudinal qualitative study as undergraduate teacher candidates collaborated on digital projects. Multimodal instruction promoted innovative collaboration to lift learning and success to new levels in a university methods course. Through an intentionally inviting…

Background/purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic created barriers for teacher preparation programs. Preservice teachers are typically assigned a host school and mentor where on-site, face-to-face classroom observation and teaching opportunities earn credit needed for graduation and to meet certain institutional accreditation requirements. Due to the…

A descriptive study was employed to determine differences in knowledge of literacy instruction and perceived preparedness to teach literacy between two groups of teacher candidates enrolled in two different teacher preparation programs at one university. This study investigated which components--coursework, field experience, and…

Offers reflections of three professors of literacy education regarding their varied field experiences with preservice teachers enrolled in their reading/language arts methods courses. Describes each field experience and discusses its impact on classroom teachers, elementary students, college students, and college professors. Offers some general…

Several module clusters were developed at Glassboro State College as the result of involvement in the Camden Teacher Corps project. The clusters are the primary mode of instruction in this competency-based teacher education program. Many of these modules are based on a list of teacher competencies developed by members of the Elementary Education…

On the premise that it is important for students to benefit from and interrelate field experiences to on-campus experiences, this paper lists specific activities designed to help teacher education students gain the most from their field experiences so that they can learn to teach reading effectively in elementary school. The paper is divided into…

Considers how observation of and interaction with exemplary literacy teachers in "Model Classrooms" visits might affect preservice teachers' knowledge of practice. Suggests that engaging preservice teachers in a variety of activities with real teachers and children throughout their training enhances the experience of the student teacher and has…

Describes a Reading Consortium (involving California State University, Fullerton and five local school districts) that funds a number of different kinds of school-university activities to improve reading instruction and to provide field experience for preservice reading teachers. Describes a needs assessment, selection of Reading Fellows, a…

This paper describes the results of a productive collaboration between university instructors who linked the principles and theories in reading methods coursework with the practical field experience of preservice teachers. The objectives of the collaboration were: to counter the effects of the isolation of theoretical premises of reading…

A study explored the perceptions of 155 early field experience (EFE) elementary education majors who were in one of six sections of a reading methods course at a midwestern university. Responses to an open-ended final examination question at the end of three consecutive semesters asked students to describe and evaluate the classroom reading…

A practicum was developed to help preservice teachers practice reading theories learned in the college classroom during the three-week field experience portion of the class. Preservice teachers at a Christian college in a small, rural, midwestern town had few opportunities to implement theories learned during field experience. A literature review…

As part of course requirements, preservice teachers in the reading/language arts early field program at the University of Southern Mississippi write two case narratives per semester about their teaching experiences in an urban elementary school. This paper discusses the benefits of case writing for preservice teachers and explains the specific…

Cognitive apprenticeships have three essential characteristics: (1) they make use of the learner's prior knowledge; (2) they allow that learned procedures for solving problems may be modified in new situations; and (3) they acknowledge that individuals generate their own solution paths, often through a collaborative process. Preservice elementary…

The three sections of this paper describe separate aspects of the Pre-Service Elementary Education Center at Youngstown State University, which enables elementary education students to participate in on-side experiences in elementary schools, with an emphasis on reading instruction. The first section provides a program overview, noting how the…