BREAKOUT SESSION IV
Monday, 3:45-4:30
SESSION: 4A
Room: Veramendi Salon A
Type of Session: Single Presentation
Cultivating a Culturally Efficacious TEA-Vetted Teacher Residency
Tiffany Farias-Sokoloski, University of Texas at San Antonio
Claudia Treviño García, University of Texas at San Antonio
Jennifer Swoyer, University of Texas at San Antonio
UTSA’s EPP has been carefully cultivating our culturally efficacious Teacher Residency Model through passion for the craft of teaching, positivity that what we are trying to create is possible, and perseverance in the collaborative process. We will share challenges and successes of how our TEA-Vetted Teacher Residency model has evolved over the past 5 years to integrate and meet the various and particular stakeholder and partner needs. We will include voices from clinical teachers, mentor teachers, administrators, and supervisors as we discuss how the Teacher Residency has contributed to their growth as culturally efficacious educators.
SESSION: 4B
Room: Veramendi Salon B
Type of Session: Single Presentation
Educator Preparation Accountability: Principal Bias in New Teacher Evaluations
Jim Van Overschelde, Texas State University
Evaluations of experienced teachers are biased against teachers of color and male teachers. If new teacher evaluations are biased, then the results have strong implications for educator preparation program (EPP) accountability. We examined 65,000 principal surveys of new teacher quality and effectiveness in Texas where 48% are alternatively prepared and 44% are teachers of color. Results show evaluations of new teachers are correlated with factors unrelated to program quality like race and gender. Policy implications for EPP accountability in Texas and nationally are explored.
SESSION: 4C
Room: Veramendi Salon C
Type of Session: Single Presentation
Reboot: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Virtual Instruction
Chanelle Maynard, Schreiner University
The landscape of education has changed drastically over the past school year, due to the effects of the pandemic. Our pre-service teachers will enter classrooms that may be virtual, face-to-face, or a combination of the two, with an increased emphasis on technology integration across the curriculum. Current teacher preparation programs should also reflect these evolving developments. The primary purpose of the session is to have participants explore frameworks and activities for planning, teaching, and assessing using the digital literacies. The session will be interactive to provide a practical experience in studying the application of digital tools and resources.
SESSION: 4D
Room: Veramendi Salon D
Type of Session: Single Presentation
Refining PDSAs for Coaching Teacher Candidates in Virtual Mixed Reality Simulation Learning Environments
Criselda Garcia, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Veronica Estrada, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
A primary tool of improvement science is the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) inquiry cycle that serves as a tool to test changes, document results and revise theories about working theories. Before fully scaling any innovation, it is critical to test change to better understand any impact. The presenters will engage participants with an overview of using improvement science as a framework in teacher preparation. The presentation will focus on providing a description of how PDSAs were used to learn more about virtual coaching of teacher candidates; the impetus for using this technology-based platform and share current learnings about the work-in-progress.
SESSION: 4E
Room: Veramendi Salon G
Type of Session: Single Presentation
Virtual Field Experience for English Learners
Geronima Nale, Sam Houston State University
Mary Petron, Sam Houston State University
English Learners (ELs) were more profoundly affected by the transition to virtual learning and will need teachers who are well prepared to meet their academic, linguistic, and cultural needs. Yet, novice teachers frequently reported feeling underprepared to support ELs prior to the pandemic. In the spring of 2021, a mutually beneficial arrangement was made to allow preservice teachers taking an ESL methods course to engage in virtual field experiences with ELs in a partnership school district. The authors will describe the arrangement and emphasize the potential for virtual field experiences beyond the pandemic context such as service-learning projects.
SESSION: 4F
Room: Veramendi Salon H
Type of Session: Single Presentation
Yes, We Can: Moving EPPs Forward to Multicultural and Multidimensional Programs
Jericha Hopson, Tarleton State University
Terms like 'social justice' and 'culturally responsive pedagogy' have become commonplace when discussing, particularly education in the K-12 system. This paper addresses a few of the critical components that should be present in every teacher preparation program and how Tarleton can use this new approach to help clinical teachers grow from a passive understanding of these theories and practices to their interactive and innovative application.
SESSION: 4G
Room: Veramendi Salon I
Type of Session: Single Presentation
Learning to Ignore: Why Intermediate and Advanced ELLs Continue to Disengage from Learning in the Content Area Classroom and Beyond
Melinda Cowart, Texas Woman's University
By the time English Language Learners (ELLs) have had 5-7 years of instruction in English as a second language, it is expected that they would be able to comprehend most instructions and content area material. Yet, educators discover that as the ELLs progress through the upper grades in school, there are widening gaps in comprehension, prior knowledge, and ability to follow selected directions. What contributes to the seeming disengagement in class that translates to missed instructions and a degree of academic failure? Because of the challenges inherent to the second language acquisition process, have students become accustomed to not understanding information? Have they learned to tune out when comprehension is a problem? The presentation will explore causes and remedies of this learned ignoring on the part of ELLs.
SESSION: 4H
Room: Veramendi Salon J
Type of Session: Sponsor & Vendor Presentation
Tool that Facilitates Local Evaluation Support of the EDTPA Assessment
Esdras Cantao, Certify Teacher
Nancy Roll, Certify Teacher
To address the EDTPA assessment, Certify Teacher developed a software tool called TPA Builder that facilitates local evaluation support at coursework and fieldwork levels where candidates build, and evaluators assist them with their portfolio building according to EDTPA Guidelines for Acceptable Candidate Support. This tool provides a friendly interface and built-in guidance to help candidates build their portfolio to the highest levels of the rubrics! Evaluators access portfolios that candidates submit to them for review via the same system, looking for deficiencies, omissions, and misunderstandings; they provide feedback but cannot edit nor modify candidate drafts. Candidates communicate with their evaluators and vice versa via text or voice comments inside the platform. This presentation describes the interaction between teacher candidate and evaluator all the way to the building of an entire portfolio.
SESSION: 4I
Room: San Marcos River Salon A
Type of Session: Dual Presentations
A Roadmap to Interactive Learning in Higher Education
Michelle Parker, Sam Houston State University
Amber Godwin, Sam Houston State University
Lautrice Nickson, Sam Houston State University
This instructional pedagogy is essential for transformative learning that will occupy and meaningfully engage students in authentic, purposeful learning (Dewey, 1938). Whereas some are convinced that lectures can efficiently convey complex material to students, others maintain that active learning promotes student engagement, satisfaction, and achievement (Tune, Sturek, & Basile, 2013). Evidence suggests superior student outcomes result from more experiential, rather than lecture-based classes (Cajiao & Burke, 2015; Fitzsimons, 2014; Kahl & Venette, 2010; Malik, & Janjua, 2011; Waddock & Lozano, 2013; Williams & McClure, 2010).
Relationships Matter: Novice Teachers Balancing Tensions on the "Edge of Chaos" and Forging SEL Partnerships in Online and Blended Learning Environments
Laura Slay, Texas A&M University-Commerce
Karyn Miller, Texas A&M University-Commerce
Jacqueline Riley, Texas A&M University-Commerce
In the uncertainty of COVID-19, novice K-12 teachers (teacher candidates and first-year teachers) had to navigate new environments, including online and blended learning. Our study reveals that relationships were key to navigating these environments as well as to providing the social-emotional learning support needed to persevere through the tensions (Patterson & Holladay, 2018) of teaching and learning during a pandemic. This two-paper presentation features findings from our case studies from two perspectives: complexity thinking (Davis & Sumara, 2006) and CASEL’s SEL Framework (2020). Finally, we offer recommendations for EPP curriculum development and caregiving relative to emerging understandings of teaching and learning.
SESSION: 4J
Room: Spring Lake Salon A
Type of Session: Roundtable Presentations
Impact of the Student Teacher/Mentor Teacher Relationship on Field Experience
Susan Harte, Sam Houston State University
Brandy West, Sam Houston State University
This session will focus on the student teacher/mentor teacher relationship and its impact on field experience in a yearlong residency. The site coordinator plays an important role in helping student teachers and mentors foster a positive working relationship, promoting a positive field experience for all. The presenters will share experiences highlighting the site coordinator role in improving field experience for both student and mentor teachers.
Be Equipped: Tools for Difficult Conversations
Maya Fernandez, West Coast University
PRESENTATION CANCELLED
When entering a conversation, the intent is not to charge it up, however, we can quickly find ourselves in a highly charged conversation. Running away is not the best response. In this session, we want to empower you with a few tools to help you navigate such situations towards a desirable outcome. This will be an interactive session, so come prepared to be equipped with tools to help with difficult conversations.
Coordinated Support of New Teachers Using a Teacher Development Framework Based on T-TESS: Lessons Learned
Anne Douglas-Rowald, Innovation Center 4 Educator Preparation
Monica Ibanez, Innovation Center 4 Educator Preparation
A collaborative representing small and large districts, INSPIRE TEXAS ACP, and the Innovation Center 4 Educator Preparation organized T-TESS to create a benchmarked tool for coaching first-year teachers. We will share the Teacher Development Framework with coaching questions and look-fors, the process for collaboration, outcomes from the pilot of the tool, and next steps based on lessons learned.
edTPA Impact on Curriculum and Faculty Unity
Lisa Brown, Austin Community College
Sandra Nix, Austin Community College
The integration of edTPA into the curriculum and practices of an alternative certification program is a team effort. The process includes developing a strong foundation of knowledge among faculty and field supervisors, curriculum inquiry, development of common tools and templates, and the integration of vocabulary and requirements into coursework, field experiences, and performance assessments. This program review and refinement has a powerful impact on faculty unity, communication, and collaboration. This presentation will provide greater understanding of the strategies, approaches, and program restructuring as well as the challenges, obstacles, and modifications resulting from implementation of edTPA in the program.
Becoming a Teacher: Career Pathways GPS
Rachel Torres, Wayland Baptist University
The national discussion of career pathways exists among both college and career stakeholders. A dichotomy has existed in this country between those who think and those who work. What if teaching as a profession represents both elements of professional practice? Knowing that the status of EPPs directly connects our teacher candidates with their future employers has created a need for a deeper discussion of why, what, and how we as a CSOTTE can further support our teacher candidates to enter the workforce equipped with the skills needed to serve as change agents in our society.
SESSION: 4K
Room: Chautauqua Salon A
Type of Session: Sponsor & Vendor Presentation
Expanding Equity and Socially-Just Practices through an Accreditors’ Continuous Improvement Model
Linda McKee, AAQEP
Casey Graham Brown, University of Texas-Arlington
Common tensions in national accreditation have centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Interact with a panel of AAQEP staff and educator preparation providers as they review the association’s core values, share AAQEP’s standards and processes, and lead discourse centered on addressing and resolving these tensions in educator preparation and impacting the P-12 education system.