This study examined the impact of an intervention designed to promote inquiry-based instruction among early childhood/elementary preservice teachers in Earth science. Preservice teachers participated in training sessions and community-based internships to deepen Earth science content knowledge and develop inquiry-based practices. Analyses of Earth…

In this article, I address the following question: How, in a time of shrinking budgets and reduced graduation timelines, are university teacher preparation programs to best address the issue of global literacy for future teachers? In an effort to begin addressing this challenge, the College of Education at Stephen F. Austin State University…

When an instructor reframed the social studies methods course to include a service-learning project, both education certification students and a museum's outreach program benefited. University students gained practical teaching experience leading a children's summer class about local prairie dogs, and the museum gained quality teachers.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of preservice elementary teachers in a content-specific field-based experience with elementary science specialists. Data collected from electronic discussions, interviews, and observations in the field revealed preservice teachers experienced a wide range of instructional and assessment…

The theme for the 58th annual conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) was Bridging Cultures Through Literacy. In the first section of the Yearbook, Parker Fawson's presidential address captures the unique nature of ALER and its role in his professional development, and then moved beyond to capture the changing…

This document reports the Cycle II Teacher Corps Urban Program at the University of Southern California, a 2-year effort to prepare teachers to work effectively in disadvantaged communities of such diverse racial and ethnic groups as Negroes, Mexican Americans, poor whites, Japanese, Koreans, and Samoans. There is brief description of the two…

The author briefly discusses the philosophy of adventure programming, presents illustrations of its application in wilderness areas, and suggests ways that it may be modified for urban environments. (MJB)

Performance of competency-based learning activities during field experience provided for: (1) the elimination of learning gaps and redundant information; (2) an increase in school-university cooperation; (3) more objective evaluation of teaching-as-career by the student; and (4) facilitation of criterion-referenced assessment based on individual…

Presents observations of the host organization of a field experience program in which graduate students were to familiarize themselves with the role of information in organizations, the functions and capabilities of computer-based information systems, and the process by which information systems can be developed and implemented. (Author/IRT)

Presents reports from seven schools in the United States and Canada in which elementary school students are involved in special service projects such as weather forecasting, newspaper publishing and nursing home visits. (JMB)

The authors trace the origins of field experiences, present a taxonomy for use in thinking about them, and discuss selected issues and problems associated with field teaching experiences. Eight recommendations for improving how field experience programs are structured and how they fit into teacher education are made. (MT)

The "honors semester," in which students from a national pool meet for a semester of classroom and field studies focusing on a single theme investigated from the perspective of several disciplines, is described. The combination of physical setting, theme, and academic investigation is found to be extremely influential on students. (MSE)

Discusses the history, mission, and current projects of "Earthwatch," an international organization that sponsors scientific field research pertaining to environmental and cultural issues. (MCO)