A study examined the developmental practicum experiences of five second-year graduate students in deaf education. Results indicated participants' experiences evolved through five stages: frustration, classroom engagement, emerging pupil knowledge, curriculum adaptation, and enthusiasm and positive attitude. Implications for practicum placement of…

Documents a five-year study of two instructors who collaborated on formally studying their teaching of a master's level instructional design course. Outlines their views on learning, teaching, and instructional design (ID), describes the ID course, and explains the reflexive instructional model used, in which the teachers examined their teaching…

Reminiscence of a graduate education class that shifted students' focus from right answers to understanding illustrates how Foxfire teachers are never finished constructing their knowledge about teaching. Similarly, there is no single correct way to implement the Foxfire approach. Success is measured by the applications and interpretations of…

Advises student teachers to resist falling into comfortable instructional modes, find their voices as teachers, observe while in action, value both introspective and extroversive teaching styles, help marginalized children, pay attention to cooperating teachers, take initiative in the classroom, be reflective practitioners, and wear comfortable…

Presents four articles about professionalism in early childhood education: "Early Childhood Education as an Emerging Profession: Ongoing Conversations" (Stephanie Feeney and Nancy Freeman); "Voices in Search of Cultural Continuity in Communities" (Marion Cowee and others); "Early Childhood Professionals: Current Status and…

Examined the experience of being part of a cohort-based Masters Degree program for practicing teachers. Data came from participants electronic portfolios and a qualitative survey that explored eight cohort dimensions. Results indicated that use of a cohort-based delivery model enhanced program coherence and fostered collaboration, inquiry, and…

A first grade teacher recounts how she applied findings in the literature about effective organizations and leadership to build more responsible, self-sufficient, and empowered young citizens. The account is organized around seven "realities" such as: "if something enters the curriculum, something usually exits the curriculum,""determine what is…

Focuses on the reporting of critical incidents as a tool for self-reflection in a program to train English-as-a-Second-language (ESL) secondary school teachers in Malaysia. Case studies of critical incidents highlight the potential value of encouraging ESL trainee teachers to record, analyze, and reflect on significant personal events in their…

A kindergarten teacher relates her teaching experiences as she reexamines her role as teacher and shifts her focus from reading readiness to teaching reading. She reflects on her teaching practices, on learning new skills herself, and the challenge of incorporating new knowledge and practices into classroom instruction. (TJQ)

Discusses new challenges for preservice and inservice teacher education connected with changing conceptions of the teaching profession in the Czech Republic, noting innovative approaches and strategies (e.g., constructivist approaches, reflective practice, and university-school cooperation) and examining training strategies to help students…

Investigates the use of computer mediated communication (CMC) with a six-member preservice teacher cohort during their student teaching experience. Concludes that opportunities for peer collaboration were enhanced, CMC allowed participants to engage in professional dialogue, the use of technology was translated to the classroom context, and…

Maps the personal and professional contexts for reflection of participants in an interprofessional doctoral program entitled "Reflective Practice," describing the contexts and the effects of teaching strategies designed to ensure that cognitive and emotional self-examination and confrontation were accompanied by teacher and peer support…

This article examines the responses of European American monolingual English-speaking preservice undergraduate education majors to critical issues related to the education of language minority students in P-12 schools. Data analysis of autobiographies, journals, portfolios, thematic units, position papers, and case studies indicated a correlation…

Teachers for the twenty-first century for the global world need to be proficient in technology and skilled as reflective practitioners. They need to be able to reflect on diversity in myriad ways: learning styles, special needs, cultural differences, racial differences, developmentally appropriate differences, teaching styles and personality…

Several years ago the author attended a week-long orientation for a new job she was taking as an English teacher in an affluent suburb of Chicago. On the first day, the school's director of student activities led all of the new teachers in an "icebreaker," wherein they were taught how to juggle. However, the author could not juggle. When it was…