This paper reports on a qualitative research study that examined how 10 literacy teacher educators (LTEs) utilized children's literature to invite teacher trainees to critically engage with social issues, challenge their assumptions about literacy, and begin to develop the knowledge and dispositions to work alongside diverse learners (e.g.,…

This paper presents findings from the large-scale study "Literacy Teacher Educators: Their Backgrounds, Visions, and Practices" that includes 28 literacy/English teacher educators (LTEs) from four countries. The participants were interviewed three times and shared their course outlines. Six pre-service LTEs who use a constructivist…

Describes a report which was considered the blueprint for teacher education, discussing teacher education as a lifelong process, fuller integration of practicums and campus programs, and a vision for teaching and teacher education; describing various Ontario faculties of education; highlighting an exemplary program at the Ontario Institute for…

Teacher education for literacy teaching is often fairly narrow in focus. New approaches are needed that are sociocultural in orientation and take due account of the diversity of language forms, both traditional and contemporary, formal and informal, literary and non-literary. We believe this need can be met by largely adopting a…

Assessed the impact of a redesigned campus preservice teacher education program on student teacher development. Student teacher interviews indicated that while student teachers made several recommendations for improving the program, it had a major impact on their development as teachers, helping them acquire broad teaching goals, broad pedagogical…

Studied the role of Canadian elementary cooperating teachers. Data from interviews, surveys, observations, and focus groups indicated that cooperating teachers were satisfied with their role and gave student teachers considerable amounts of support, feedback, and direction. However, they often were quite hard on student teachers, limiting their…

Evaluated the effects on student teachers of a preservice program that grouped them into cohorts and emphasized community- building. Interview, observation, and questionnaire data highlighted positive effects (high participation levels in group activities, greater awareness of the value of collaboration, and greater willingness to take risks in…

This paper begins with a description of my work in a Canadian school of education, where I now realize that I was well insulated from the US context, where many are highly critical of teacher education. My recent move to Stanford University immediately immersed me in the highly controversial practices being imposed on schools and schools of…