Gateways 2016 spring (Volume 26, Issue 2)

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Georgia Association of Teacher Educators

Volume 26, Issue 2 April 2016

GATEways to Teacher Education Analyzing Online Graduate Science Courses: Voices from Students and Instructors

Inside this issue: Analyzing Online Graduate Science Courses

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Challenging Histlexia

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Influence of edTPA on Educator Preparation Programs

21

Challenging Histlexia: The Call for Context in Teaching Historical Understanding

Pre-Service 27 Teachers’ Technology Self-Efficacy LEAPing into Literacy

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Project PARTNER

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Identity 48 Development of a Teacher Preparation Program

Don’t miss the back cover! Special points of interest:  GATEways call for manuscripts  2016 GATE conference information

This research identifies factors and challenges faced by students and instructors to improve the learning experience in online courses. Results suggest that adding more synchronous communication as well as a variety of virtual labs accommodate individual needs and improve student engagement, exploration ,and inquiry. Results indicate that instructor flexibility and presence are the most important factors.

There is sometimes a dichotomy between what administrators and legislators call for and the demands of research-based pedagogy. The authors share a case study of an in-service social studies teacher who struggled to integrate progressive pedagogy while enrolled in a graduate-level methods course and provide the teacher’s rationale for not utilizing inquiry-based teaching techniques.

The Influence of edTPA on Educator Preparation Programs Georgia’s educator preparation programs must prepare candidates to pass the performance-based edTPA. Because the edTPA is consequential during the student teaching internship, all elements of edTPA must be taught and practiced across prior coursework. To this end, the faculty of a secondary education program have worked together to carefully examine and align course assignments to mirror edTPA requirements.

Investigating Potential Demographic Factors Influencing Pre-Service Teachers’ Technology Self-Efficacy This research investigates potential demographic factors that influence pre-service teachers’ confidence with using technology as an instructional tool. Survey data were analyzed to determine if, and to what extent, technology self-efficacy levels increased from semester to semester and to what extent certain demographic factors are common among like self-efficacy levels.

LEAPing into Literacy: Study Buddies Help Students Improve Reading and Writing The Literacy Education Assessment Program (LEAP) is a tutoring program that pairs a pre-service teacher with a K-5 student for one-on-one reading and writing assessment and intervention. LEAP works in conjunction with an undergraduate course in literacy assessment and applications; pre-service teachers are trained to implement a variety of literacy assessments as well as reading and writing intervention strategies.

Project PARTNER: Promoting Awareness of Responsive Teaching This article provides a structured plan of action to support teachers in developing an interdisciplinary instructional planning team (IIPT) for collaboration in lesson design and implementation. In addition to inclusion of a step-by-step guide, benefits of such an instructional planning initiative are discussed in an effort to respond to the challenges often faced by teachers in contemporary classrooms.

Understanding Identity Development of a Teacher Preparation Program in the Face of Standardization Initiatives A relatively new Teacher Preparation Program’s structure and processes were evaluated in the quest to meet taxing conditions occurring within teacher education. The aim was to understand the challenges and complexities facing the TPP in order to (re)create and (re)build programs designed to graduate teacher candidates able to successfully and effectively rise to meet current demands within the teaching profession.


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Gateways 2016 spring (Volume 26, Issue 2) by GATEways - Issuu