The theme for the 58th annual conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) was Bridging Cultures Through Literacy. In the first section of the Yearbook, Parker Fawson's presidential address captures the unique nature of ALER and its role in his professional development, and then moved beyond to capture the changing…

Teacher preparation programs provide preservice teachers with evidence-based teaching strategies, skills of behavior management, and various field experiences. The greatest learning however, is acquired the very first year of instruction in the teacher's own classroom. Teaching students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) may prove to…

Field experiences in the training of preservice teachers (PTs) play an important role in most colleges of education. While some concerns have been expressed about the effectiveness of field experiences (Feiman-Nemser & Buchmann, 1986), the benefits, as summarized by McIntyre (1983), support the need for these experiences. One of the benefits is…

The school-aged population continues to diversify, yet the student body at small liberal arts teacher preparation programs generally does not. To help prepare our socioculturally homogeneous students to teach a more diverse student body, we developed a three-tiered approach that includes a diversity model integrated across the curriculum, an…

Fieldwork is central to teaching and learning in geography. The assessment of student learning from fieldwork can, however, be problematic. This paper evaluates the use of reflective diaries for assessing level three undergraduate geography fieldwork. It is concluded that reflective fieldwork diaries offer an innovative and flexible approach to…

In a junior college introductory course, an instructor taught two sections in two different ways to discover any differences in achievement or attitude. Fifteen students were randomly assigned to a conventional class and 19 to a field-work class. The first learned by lecture, group discussion, individual project, visual aids, a field trip, and an…

Teacher educators are under increasing pressure to show that preparation programs meaningfully impact instruction among pre-service teachers, who are then influential in student learning. This external pressure is challenging for teacher educators. We present an early field-based course and applied teaching project to examine teaching practices…

This article describes preparation and delivery of high school mathematics lessons that integrate mathematics and astronomy through The Geometer's Sketchpad models, traditional proof, and inquiry-based activities. The lessons were created by a University of Texas UTeach preservice teacher as part of a project-based field experience in which high…

Introduction to Education is the first course students take in the teacher preparation program at Purdue University. It provides an opportunity for students to experience teaching early in their teacher education program. The course consists of a field-based and a campus-based component. The field-based component consists of 10 observations of a…

Part of the process model of experiential learning (EL), this article presents tables of methods and techniques for engaging learners in EL in class and in the field. Suggestions for coordinating and integrating in-class and field-based experiences are made. (SK)

Relations between preservice teachers' guided field observations of primary literacy instruction and knowledge about effective beginning reading practices were explored. Preservice teachers (n = 48) participated in a Directed Field Experience course including instruction on and observations of exemplary teaching practices promoting student…

Virtual schooling, or the practice of offering K-12 courses via distance technologies, has rapidly increased in popularity since its beginning in 1994. Although effective interaction with and support for students in these environments requires a unique set of skills and experiences, teacher education programs rarely include teaching and…

The field of early childhood education is growing tremendously, with states designing and implementing prekindergarten programs and universal preschool throughout the country. This is good news for families of young children as well as for the field. With the resulting increased demand for teachers, however, come serious implications for teacher…

Describes a team approach including specialists in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and instructional media which provides coordinated methods experience for elementary teachers. (MD)

Describes how a psychology fieldwork course promoted synergistic relationships between academic and experiential learning components. For one academic year, 15 psychology majors participated in supervised field experiences. Students did individualized reading, prepared weekly progress reports, and received constructive feedback from instructors…