This article details a field-based methods course for preservice teachers that has been designed to integrate shared teaching experiences in elementary classrooms with ongoing critical dialogues with a focus on highlighting the complexities of teaching. I describe the structure of the course and explore the use of coteaching and cogenerative…

This research essay is intended to situate the curriculum in my multicultural education courses--of talking back through autobiographical inquiry--within real schools, a site where curriculum theorists rarely situate their work. The literature by curriculum theorists that precedes my study generally has focused on how pre-service teachers in…

The present article discusses the importance of community-based field experiences as a feature of teacher education programs. Through a qualitative case study, prospective teachers' work with homeless youth in an after-school initiative is presented. Framing community-based field experiences in teacher education through "third space" theory, the…

Many teacher education programs in the United States (US) face increasing demands to better prepare teachers for entry into and retention in urban schools. Through a US Department of Education grant, a university-school partnership was formed to develop a community-based model of teacher preparation that placed pre-service teachers in urban…

This paper discusses research on a Partner Classroom pilot program that was implemented over a two-year period to provide "high quality," "targeted" field experiences in a senior-level elementary literacy methods course. The aim was to shift the focus from passive watching and engagement in routine classroom tasks to emphasize guided observations,…

Field experience for prospective teachers contributes to both image-building and learning to teach. Negative and positive outcomes are discussed, as well as issues related to designing educational field experiences. (IAH)

The State University of New York at Albany offers a 24- credit-hour sequence leading to provisional and permanent certification to teach academic subjects in secondary schools. Courses cover the teaching/learning process, school and society, computer literacy, substance abuse education, and instructional methods. (CB)

The University of Pittsburgh's Social Studies Seminar and School Practicum introductory courses for prospective secondary school social studies teachers incorporate both practicum and seminar activities to foster reflective teaching that emphasizes the school context, as opposed to the classroom experience, of teaching. (CB)

Northern Arizona University's introductory coursework for prospective teachers was revised from a survey-type covering of various education topics to a field-experience-based course focusing on four areas of teaching as a career choice: motivation, rewards, commitment, and skills. (CB)

Structure, intentions, and outcomes of the first year curriculum of the Brackenidge Internship in Teaching Project are described. The 17 interns, selected while high school seniors, receive forgivable $26,000 loans in exchange for two years teaching. The project addresses problems in recruitment, preparation, and retention of academically talented…

The use of constructivism and its various manifestations in education has been a topic of much interest in recent years. Inquiry into this theoretical framework has resulted in teacher educators' attempts to help their teacher candidates apply constructivist pedagogy in university classrooms, field experiences and student teaching at two US…

Teacher education programs are being encouraged to collaborate with K-12 partners to develop and implement contextually rich field experiences that integrate methods course instruction with public school practices. As a result, we outline four models of integrating methods instruction and field experiences and raise the question "How does the…