There is a growing recognition in teacher education that in order to work toward a more equitable and just society, programs of teacher education must explicitly engage with the political commitments of teachers and teacher educators (Cochran-Smith, 2005). They must prepare prospective teachers to address "societal structures that perpetuate…

Teacher knowledge, the sources of that knowledge, and the day-to-day use of that knowledge have become focal points of contemporary research on teacher education. As this body of research has found, a teacher's knowledge base and her subsequent practice is a composite of her beliefs and identities (Britzman, 2003), experiences (Lortie, 1975),…

The objective of this self-study is to expand the emerging scholarship on meaningful integration and scaffolding of SNSs and the new literacies requisite for their effective use in higher education environments. As a teacher educator, the first author describes the successes and challenges she experienced introducing Twitter into her college…

This article explores the ethical, methodological, and practical issues of translating critical theory and research into praxis through a case study analysis of a graduate capstone seminar that explored the familiar, and seemingly benign, concepts common to educational discourses: "Creativity, Collaboration, and Community." The author…

The National Commission on Writing for America's Families, Schools, and Colleges (2006) specifies that writing-across-the-curriculum programs (including post-secondary coursework) should be well supported. The National Writing Project (NWP) is a group that understands this issue, believing that teachers must be comfortable and confident with…

Negotiating authority, a multifaceted, on-going process of mutual bargaining over the power to determine or the right to control, permeates all facets of teaching experience. Considered by many educational theorists to be an outgrowth of collaborative dialogue and decision-making that helps foster active student engagement and investment in…

This article describes a case study constructed by the authors based on the journal entry of Jackie, a white, upper-middle class student teacher in secondary social studies, to examine how candidates in two teacher education courses were inclined to think through a specific teaching situation. Specifically, the authors examined how candidates drew…

In this article, the authors explore the ways in which a selection of student teachers from two universities in Canada expressed their feelings of preparedness to teach literacy in elementary classrooms. The student teachers had experienced various approaches to literacy teaching as they progressed through their teacher education program. These…

This article discusses the importance of authentic picture-storybook adaptations of multicultural folktales and describes an action research project through which a children's picture-book adaptation of a traditional tale can be authenticated using an inquiry-based process. In addition to modeling an actual authentication project using "The Golden…

The role of the educational foundations in teacher education at a Black university is described. Educational orientation is similiar to other universities, but the commitment extends to foundational analysis of problems found in the Black community. (DF)

Describes teacher education practice aimed at promoting reflection in novice practitioners, and reflects on an exercise used in teaching a class of preservice secondary teachers. The author draws on student journal entries data in understanding the students' reflective thinking and demonstrates the efficacy of having students keep focused…

Courses in foundations of education have played an important role in enhancing multicultural perspectives in teacher education at the University of West Florida. The multicultural program used at this university is discussed. (DF)

Current efforts to reform education may result in deskilled teachers who instruct through teacher-proof programs. The importance of interpretive, normative, and critical skills found in the social foundations of education are discussed as a solution to the problems found in education. (DF)

Courses in educational foundations should be an important part of the education major's program. The dangers of the traditional notions of teacher preparation and involvement of government in regulating professional concerns are discussed. (DF)

This article describes the training procedure used in a preservice curriculum and methods course to prepare elementary education students to receive and provide peer coaching. Results are presented from a survey of students who participated in the peer coaching experience. In general, preservice teachers expressed positive feelings about the…