Principal Investigator: Craig Willey, Assistant Professor, IU School of Education at IUPUI
Co-principal Investigators: Paula Magee, Clinical Associate Professor of Teacher and Science Education, IU School of Education at IUPUI
Project Title: Building and Leveraging Partnerships to Enhance Urban Student Teaching Experiences
Funding Level: $5,000
Abstract:
In this proposal, we share our vision for redesigning the urban student teaching experience (EDUCM425) to maximize the collaboration between student teachers, mentor teachers (elementary school teachers who host student teachers), and university practicum supervisors (university professors). The relationships amongst participants are instrumental in the development of both preservice teachers’ skill and teacher identity development. Thus, this re-designed course, which occurs during the last semester of the Elementary Teacher Education Program (ETEP) will include activities and assignments explicitly crafted to improve the reflective collaboration between the participants (mentor teachers, student teachers and university supervisors). Specifically, this will involve video-recorded teaching demonstrations (both mentor
teacher and student teacher), weekly student teacher seminars, and multiple online discussion activities that will serve as opportunities to process teaching realities and dilemmas. Stronger reflective communication, made available through these course activities, will support student teachers to develop competencies in new, dynamic ways of teaching urban youth. For example, the video-recording assignment will be designed to engage participants in critical reflection and dialogue around culturally responsive teaching. Utilizing strong electronic and face-to-face communication, participants will share teaching episodes, reflections on teaching, and real-time teaching dilemmas that include both theoretical and practical considerations around teaching in urban communities.