Investigated the value of multi-prong feedback (from the university supervisor, directing teacher, and peer coach) to preservice elementary teachers in an early field experience. Data from peer coaching data forms, dialogue journals, course evaluation, and surveys indicated that students valued feedback from all three sources, but particularly the…

Presents a model curriculum for preservice teachers developed at the University of West Florida to prepare them for technology integration. Explains the combination of classroom experiences and field experiences and the use of the Lesson Architect, a tool in an electronic performance support system that teachers can use for instructional planning.…

Description of the field experiences in the preservice special education program at Pennsylvania State University examines influences on the program; program content, activities, and evaluation; and outcomes. The program was designed to incorporate multiple field experiences in a graduated sequence, expose students to a variety of settings and…

Analyzed prospective teachers' e-mail messages to their instructors as they tutored pupils in reading and mathematics. Results revealed several themes which indicated that students benefitted from the field-based experiences and the support of e-mail communications. Themes focused on instructional growth, emotional attachments, why students…

An evaluation of computer conferencing by student teachers and supervisors in four teacher-education programs found that during field experiences student teachers used computer conferencing primarily for exchanging emotional support and less for reflecting on teaching and exchanging pedagogical content. Results suggest attention should be paid to…

Examined a partnership and a single-placement model of early field experience, using mentor and preservice teacher interviews, preservice teacher ime logs, and planning session transcripts. All respondents valued their experiences, but those in partnership placements felt better supported and engaged in greater instructional risks within the…

Eight preservice special education teachers participated in a technology-rich field experience with students with disabilities. Preservice teachers felt as a result of their field experience that their knowledge of computers increased, they were better able to evaluate effective software, and that they could use technology to facilitate…

This paper reports a qualitative case study of four preservice student teachers' professional learning experiences in an international field experience programme situated in the language and cultural immersion component of a PGDE (Primary) Programme in Hong Kong. Two of the student teachers undertook the international field experience in Australia…

Teacher education programs continue to search for alternative field experiences for preservice teachers. Whether the public schools are overloaded with interns or a break from certain schools is recommended for various reasons, it is important to identify appropriate alternative practice teaching opportunities prior to student teaching. With the…

We describe what happens in a justice-oriented, service learning course and field experience and what university participants thought about it. Based on this examination, we consider promises and problems for service learning for social justice, and we suggest next steps for this kind of work. In this article, we consider one Alternative Spring…

This study examined 28 preservice teachers' interpretations of a 9-hour, field-based reading block. Qualitative analyses of varied data sources, including surveys, journals, and interviews, revealed that during the block experience the students (a) became more prepared and confident to teach children who experience reading difficulties, (b)…

Using emerging technologies to connect teacher education programs to K-12 schools has the potential to enhance preservice teachers' understanding of the relationship between theory and practice. The study reported here examined preservice teachers' perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the use of compressed video to provide a shared field…

Drawing chiefly from Paul Shepard's (1982) "Nature and Madness" and David Abram's (1996) "The Spell of the Sensuous," this essay draws attention to two underlying foundations of educational thought: the process of human social development and the emergence of language and literacy. A reading of Shepard and Abram implies that the meaning of human…

In response to shortages of science and mathematics teachers in the U.S., many states have promoted alternative routes to certification in which individuals with non-education undergraduate degrees can become certificated in shorter timeframes than in traditional programs. One consideration in designing alternative programs is how to arrange…

The number of teacher candidates with learning disabilities (LD) has grown over the past several years. Teacher education programs are accountable to produce quality teachers while providing reasonable accommodations that facilitate completion of a degree program. This study investigated accommodations provided to teacher candidates with LD in…