A watershed of knowledge about how very young children learn and develop has been revealed through the science of child development. The science of child development has demonstrated that immediately from birth, babies need supportive relationships and responsive environments in order to build strong brain circuits and lay the foundations for both…

Teacher preparation is a hot topic in the world of education today. Performance assessments mark one way that colleges may prove the readiness of their pre-service teaching candidates for a career in the classroom. This study used methods to evaluate one college's effort to implement such an assessment, to integrate assessment tasks into its…

Teacher preparation programs and accreditation organizations have acknowledged need for educators to demonstrate intercultural knowledge, skills, and abilities. Teacher educators are responding to emphasis in higher education to assure that graduates achieve intercultural competence (NCATE, 2008). This study compared the cultural competency of…

This study examined how elementary teacher education programs in the Midwest Environmental Education Conference partner states (Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) address and assess the competencies set forth by the NAAEE "Guidelines for the Preparation and Professional Development of Environmental Educators". In April 2012,…

Knowledge about technology is an expectation for classroom teachers in today's schools. Technology is fundamental to the teaching process, supporting student learning and improving instruction. Instructors of pre-service teachers should not only promote the use of technology but also provide future teachers with effective models of instruction.…

A 3-YEAR PROJECT WAS INITIATED IN THE SPRING OF 1959 FOR BROAD PURPOSES--(1) TO STUDY THE RELATIVE ADVANTAGES OF OBSERVATION IN TEACHER EDUCATION BY CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION (CCTV), USE OF KINESCOPES, AND DIRECT OBSERVATION, (2) TO DEVELOP VALID AND RELIABLE MEASURING INSTRUMENTS FOR EVALUATING OBSERVATIONAL PRACTICES AND SKILLS, (3) TO DEVELOP…

THREE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS WERE THE CONCERN OF THIS STUDY--(1) THE VALIDITY OF ADMISSIONS DATA USED IN ELEMENTARY TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS, (2) THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT STUDENT TEACHING PLACEMENTS, AND (3) THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JUDGMENT RATINGS OF STUDENT TEACHERS MADE BY STUDENT TEACHING SUPERVISORS USING THE REGULARLY EMPLOYED OBSERVATIONAL…

A model student teaching center in physical education was developed in Minneapolis-St. Paul by representatives of the local school district and the University of Minnesota. Twelve advantages resulting from the student teaching program at the center are identified: (1) the curriculum is enriched through the improvement of equipment and resources;…

The following 14 papers, with abstracts and references, are compiled in this conference proceedings: "Exploring the Roles and Duties of Vocational Special Needs Educators" (Melanie Fagert); "Professional Competencies for Provisionally Licensed Career and Technical Education Teachers in Virginia" (Betty Heath-Camp, Daisy L.…

These proceedings contain 48 presentations and 15 poster abstracts. Papers include "Computer Tasks Required in Selected Undergraduate Agriculture Courses" (Johnson, Ferguson, Vokinnns, Lester); "College of Agriculture Faculty Perceptions of Electronic Technologies in Teaching" (Dooley, Murphy); "Steering Through Turbulent…