The paper describes the use of a spreadsheet in a mathematics teacher education course. It shows how the tool can serve as a link between seemingly disconnected mathematical concepts. The didactical triad of using a spreadsheet as an agent, consumer, and amplifier of mathematical activities allows for an extended investigation of simple yet…

As part of her Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education course, Verushka Taylor was asked to imagine how issues the Social Contexts of Secondary Education class was reading about and discussing impact upon the work of teachers. To that end, students were asked to think deeply about one of the topics addressed in the semester, and to frame a…

This article presents a study of preservice teachers' attitudes to language diversity. Using a modified version of the Language Attitude for Teachers Scale (Byrnes & Kiger, 1994), we surveyed preservice teachers (N = 518) before their multicultural education course. The pilot study sample included White college students and Mexican American…

Inverness Research studied the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) Seminars on Science program for eight years, from its inception in 1998 to 2006. This paper presents teacher survey ratings for Space, Time and Motion, along with profiles of three teachers who took the course. Course takers report on the annual follow-up surveys that Space,…

This paper discusses the development of an action-centered, experience-based graduate course on homelessness for teachers and administrators, based on the premise that educators must have accurate and sensitive perceptions of homeless students and their families in order not to stereotype such individuals. A collaborative initiative was formed…

Project SUCCESS (School-University Consortium Collaboratively Enabling Success for All Students) was an effort of Oklahoma State University and four nearby rural school districts to develop and deliver a graduate course on instructional competencies needed in the inclusive classroom. The goal of the project was to offer opportunities for teachers…

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the effects of two different multicultural education intervention strategies (an integrated model and a subject-specific model) on the knowledge and attitudes of preservice teacher education students (N=228) in both a classroom and a field-based setting. Physical education has included an…

This book is the result of a cooperative project of several European countries--Belgium, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Each country involved provides a chapter outlining a national project or a specific organization presents its own approach and initiatives to teacher education, with particular…

This paper describes the redesign of the goals and objectives of a secondary teacher education program employing authentic assessment. A sophomore level field experience course was identified to run a pilot study of an assessment process that employed video portfolios for evaluation of students' teaching behaviors. The videotapes set the basis…

A study was done to investigate the organization of teaching and learning activities experienced in teacher preparation courses in an urban university. A survey instrument developed for the study was administered to 254 trainees in 20 regular and special education courses. The graduate teacher education courses were stratified by educational…

Human relations training is a requirement for all teacher education majors graduating from Iowa colleges and universities. At the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) this course is delivered to preservice teacher education students in conjunction with their full semester student teaching experience. Major goals of the training program are: (1) to…

This paper demonstrates how teacher educators can empower preservice teachers to develop a rationale for honoring diversity in their classrooms by building upon an awareness of learning style preference, cooperative learning, and multicultural nonsexist education. A human relations course at the University of Northern Iowa that is taught…

A study of the minimum program standards established by 50 state education agencies for preparation and certification of elementary school teachers focused on the status of general education requirements, professional education requirements, and requirements for areas of concentration. Two reference points were employed in analysis of the…

This document contains four papers presented at a panel on implications of the Holmes Group and the Carnegie Commission reports for vocational teacher education. In the first paper, Charles W. Smith discusses general issues concerning the emergence of the education reform movement and calls for vocational educators to be part of the reform…

An intensive case study in learning a second foreign language, which is part of an applied linguistics course for teachers/teacher trainees offered at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) is described. Attention is directed to: case study rationale and objectives; student orientation and preparation; and areas of focus and the…