This is the first in a series of four books presenting a variety of field experience program models and philosophies that drive the programs provided to preservice teachers during their undergraduate teacher preparation. This publications focuses on developing and evaluating an effective field experience program. Several common themes emerge from…

States have created "alternate" routes to teacher certification. Comparison of alternate and college-based programs reveals clear trends in recruitment but a mixed picture regarding development of expertise. Alternate certification represents a radical departure from the current norm of teacher preparation. Several factors have led to…

The Elmhurst College Satellite Program is a collaborative project between Elmhurst College (Illinois) and area school districts to strengthen the clinical experience component of teacher education. Each Elmhurst teacher education student is linked to a satellite school, which becomes the student's home school for clinical experiences for from 1 to…

This case study of a field and theory class examines a model designed to provide meaningful field experiences for preservice teachers while remaining consistent with the instructor's beliefs about the role of teacher education in preparing teachers for the classroom. As it turned out, the preservice teachers learned more about teaching and…

This paper describes several practices designed to challenge preservice teachers to question their assumptions regarding multiculturalism and to explore other points of view. The "Culture Walk" at Susquehanna University (Pennsylvania) increases awareness and sensitivity to interpersonal and personal identities. It involves writing and…

This paper describes and interprets an action research project that supported student teachers learning to teach physical education in a community-based, after-school games program. Ten student teachers taught 10 lessons to elementary school children, under the guidance of 3 supervisory teachers, who were graduate students, and one program…

The purpose of this longitudinal qualitative inquiry was to describe the socially constructed, negotiated, and contextual nature of an early field placement in an urban elementary school. The objectives were to document subtle changes over time in preservice teachers' reading/language arts subject matter knowledge and teaching beliefs and…

The overall goal of the Working Together towards Excellence in Teacher Education (WTTETE) program is to improve the quality of field-based experiences of teacher education students by improving the supervisory skills of the college and school professionals who supervise and coordinate those experiences. The program is a joint project of the Hawaii…

Northern Michigan University and the Marquette Area Public Schools are working collaboratively to improve both K-12 education and teacher education. Through several cooperative ventures, students and teachers in both institutions are benefitting from increased professional collaboration, becoming allies to reform and renew education. The main…

The 2 + 2 Tech Prep Early Childhood Professions I and II curriculum guides, developed through funding from the Carl D. Perkins Education Act, are designed for students entering the first and second years of the program. They are the first and second in a series of courses that systematically expand students' knowledge, skills application, and…

In Spring 1992, the Scottish Ofice Education Department invited Moray House Institute of Education to test the feasibility of a more school-based approach to teacher training. In this PGCE (Secondary) course, students increased the amount of time in school. The increase in time was accompanied by other changes in the organisation of placements and…

Through Project Learning through Industry and Volunteer Educators (Project LIVE), the Children's Aid Society has been addressing problems of literacy and school dropout in an educational partnership between junior high schools in New York City and a number of major corporations. LIVE brings together junior high school students (grades 7 and 8) who…

This paper reports the findings of a year-long study of 11 preservice teachers' perceptions of the first year of a teacher preparation program. These students were interviewed individually at least four times, and reported that learning concrete teaching methods was one of the most valuable aspects of their preparation because these methods could…

The Teachers Infusing Technology in Urban Schools project (TITUS) at the University of Illinois at Chicago is developing an approach for addressing the shortage of opportunities for teacher candidates to experience technology being used effectively in high-need urban schools in the course of their field experiences. Beyond recruiting mentor…

Cooperative education can enhance classroom instruction by providing practical work experience that is relevant to students' career goals. Among co-op's benefits to students are increased relevance of learning and motivation for study; improved self-reliance, self-confidence, and responsibility; contacts with potential employers; and higher…