A discussion is presented of a semester-long collaborative project in whole language at the college level. Eight preservice teachers, seven inservice teachers, a school principal, and a university instructor worked together in Friday afternoon seminars. This paper gives an overview of multiple theoretical foundations: learning theory, critical…

This paper discusses "Doing Theory in the Methods Class: Focused Reflection," a chapter from the book "Whole Language Voices in Teacher Education" edited by Kathryn F. Whitmore and Yetta Goodman. The book chapter focuses on guided classroom reflection as a key element in the education of preservice teachers, exploring whether…

Methods classes in teacher education are under attack. If teacher education programs are to survive with a methods component, teacher educators need to begin living and demonstrating the models of pedagogy they advocate. Methods courses must go beyond the lecture mode to democratic practice in which students and instructors build social learning…

Students in a language arts methods class work in learning teams in literature circles. They read novels, keep journals, and use a variety of strategies in exploring the novels and relating the authors' work and ideas to their own lives. Occasionally, the group is asked to develop questions which they would like to ask the author. Invariably,…

Discusses the need for holistic curriculum development and reflective teaching, examining five persistent myths related to teacher education and noting strategies for refuting them. Challenges excuses for maintaining the status quo in education (lecturing and testing as the normal mode), viewing learning as an interactive process. (SM)

This paper describes a learning team curriculum structure in which the college professor relinquishes center stage in the classroom and involves students in two important tasks: (1) regular and specific reflection on their own learning and strategies for learning; and (2) asking their own questions. The learning team approach helps students learn…

This paper (1) examines correlations of pre- and post-course scores on the Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile with scores on the Gregorc Style Delineator; (2) augments these correlations with qualitative data from journals and interviews; and (3) proposes that, given this data, the supervisory support structures needed for pre- and…

Through the analysis of qualitative data from journals, interviews, class reflection, and classroom dialogue, two language arts methods instructors traced the effects of their college methods courses on student teachers and first year teachers. They investigated the students' willingness to use strategies they had tried and seen demonstrated in…

This article discusses a university-public school partnership involving 10 school sites, which have become professional development schools (PDSs). These PDSs contribute to a continuum of professional development for educators at all levels: preservice teachers, inservice teachers, public school administrators, and teacher educators. Professional…