In the early 1980s, process-product research to determine effective teaching practices was replacing efforts to "teacher-proof" the curriculum. Now 30 years later, although both these efforts did not lead to hoped-for changes, scientifically based research and data-driven instruction dominate the improvement discourse. Given the current context,…

While there are obvious benefits of summer school for students and faculty alike, summer teaching/learning poses some unique challenges. Summer class meeting periods often have fewer contact hours but are longer and more frequent than sessions during the regular academic year. Thus, there are shorter periods between formative and summative…

This article builds on Lowenstein's (2009) argument that we need to consider a "parallel practice" wherein teacher educators model pedagogy that understands and values the assets that preservice teachers bring into the classroom. Drawing from a qualitative study of 17 preservice teachers entering two programs, this article discusses what kind of…

Fifty-five teacher candidates explained their ideas about the purpose of education, controversy, and balanced instruction. In a quarter-long course that focused on effective teaching methods, these future teachers experienced a civic engagement project based on Socratic discussion about the Pledge of Allegiance. This qualitative study argues that…

Debate continues about what should shape and inform teaching and teacher education programs. In the age of globalization, considerations related to global competence, awareness, and community can no longer be ignored. Humane education, a newer and lesser-known area, addresses these considerations; its vision is such that every institute of…

In this paper, the author aims to bring individuals together and engage in a meaningful, critical examination of selected topics that concern teacher educators and practitioners. The author focuses on the imperative of civic engagement--fostering democratic minds among a citizenry motivated and capable in civic engagement--which is evermore…

In this paper, the author discusses the necessary elements of civic engagement in teacher education and responsibility for schools. For over 50 years, John Goodlad conducted research, created an institute to study education in a democratic society, and formed 25 partnership sites to engage in research and practice. The National Network for Renewal…

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,…

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…

Teacher education is charged with the goal of training teachers who will prepare the next generation of citizens. Since Horace Mann's common schools, teachers have been the purveyors of political education, often through teaching patriotic songs and celebrated historical events and individuals. Through liberal education and critical pedagogy,…

The work of schools and the work of universities are deeply interconnected; nowhere is this interconnection stronger than in the work of teacher education. Universities are challenged to produce more teachers and better teachers so that young people will have a vibrant and meaningful future. In these challenging times, universities must step up to…

Civic engagement draws on the concepts of American democratic ideals such that society's interests are promulgated through the education of its citizenry. Ideas come to fruition in the form of community action, voting, involvement in the political process, and public discourse for promoting the commonwealth. Engendering in youth the commitment to…

Those who are in university-based teacher preparation seem to constantly defend the ethos of teacher education, lately in the face of a concerted, organized, well-funded attempt to obviate the need for traditional preparation. For teacher educators who are preparing candidates to be on the front lines of a high-stakes testing battleground, it is…

Teachers need a much greater repertoire of skills than those that produce successful test takers. Teachers need to be prepared to lead students to important understandings and ideas, to assist them in developing key skills, and to open up for them values and attitudes that guide everyday actions in an uncertain world. Teacher education programs…

Social capital theorist Robert Putnam (2007) argued that diversity produces fear and leads people to disconnect from one another. For student teachers, diversity of whatever kind--ethnicity, religion, class, disability, gender, or sexuality--generates fear and an expectation that it has to be managed. Civic education within teacher education has a…