When the authors consider the articles by Bullock and Ritter, and Clift through the lens of role theory, both show how identity is, in part, constrained by the definitions of the roles individuals are assigned or take up and is developed from a response to the perception of individuals by themselves as well as by others as they act within these…

Family-centered practice is accepted as best and effective practice by early childhood professional organizations including the National Association for the Education of Young Children, The Council for Exceptional Children's Division of Early Childhood, and The National Board of Professional Teaching Standards. The main objective of…

Universities are central to promoting the idea of civic engagement. As for teacher education programs, the author believes that civic engagement is the ultimate outcome for the profession. She argues that civic engagement should be the responsibility of every individual, but often it rests solely on the shoulders of classroom teachers. In offering…

Relevance is discussed in light of 21st c. communication skills and relevance. How do these areas impact both the face-to-face and online candidates in the MAT and MAED programs to positively impact P-12 students? Relevance theory and communication in 21st c. is clarified for working in both face-to-face and online learning environments leading…

In this brief article, the author argues that if society defines schools as testing centers instead of learning centers where young people go to watch adults work, then teacher education programs are replaceable. Online technologies allow for the transmittal of information without the need for traditional classroom settings. However, if schools…

Many vocational education, technology education, and now technology and engineering education leaders have made their mark on their profession. Their legacy is something that members of the profession enjoy and have a responsibility to continue and build upon. This is the third in a series of articles entitled The Legacy Project, which focuses on…

The process of effective teaching--teaching that directly leads to student learning of standards-based content--is tenuous at best and easily disrupted by contextual and behavioral factors. In this commentary, I discuss the role of student support and mediation in teacher effectiveness and curricular reform. The most vocal students in physical…

Drawing on the author's experience as director of a long-lived school-university partnership, this essay describes how one such organization can "do it right" and enhance the development of teacher leadership in schools. It also provides a cautionary tale about how that same organization can "do it wrong" and achieve the…

In this article the authors respond to Leah Wasburn-Moses's thoughtful response to their article, "Diversity in Teacher Education and Special Education: The Issues That Divide." In their article, the authors identified what they believe are fundamental differences in how dominant voices in the special education and general teacher education…

J. Michael Spector's academic preparation was in philosophy--epistemology and logic, primarily. His dissertation was on skepticism in modern philosophy, and that led him to a deep-seated appreciation for classical skepticism. The word "skeptic" is derived from the Greek word "skepsis," which means investigation. While the…

This webinar explored several elements of teacher preparation pathways, including the history, popularity, and quality of various routes to certification, as well as the impact of these various pathways on teacher quality and retention and student achievement. This Q&A addressed the questions participants had for Dr. Grossman following the…

With the recent emphasis on evaluating teachers' effectiveness by the performance of their students, it should be no surprise that this subject has reached the physical education (PE) sector. This commentary examines 3 articles by Rink (2013), McKenzie and Lounsbery (2013), and Ward (2013), who each take a different perspective on measuring…

With the growth of a global economy, there is the need for a type of educational system that promotes civic engagement as a means of building new models toward a democratic society. In this article, the author discusses civic engagement as a tool for building democracy. As educators seek to develop models of civic engagement in teacher education,…

In our reflection on Rink's (2013), McKenzie and Lounsbery's (2013), and Ward's (2013) characterizations of effective teaching in physical education (PE), 2 themes emerged that permeate these diverse perspectives: policy and accountability. In our commentary, we focus our initial discussion on the implications that policy and accountability have…

Marla Kincaid (Adjunct Instructor, Austin Community College M.A., Developmental Education Department of Curriculum and Instruction Texas State University-San Marcos) interviewed the following leaders in the field of Developmental Education: (1) Dr. Olatunde Ogunyemi, Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at Grambling State…