The basic question we are examining is “How should teachers be prepared?” Questions include: What are the intentional and scaffolded structures for a teacher education curriculum that are integrated with field and clinical experiences? How can we integrate research, practice, and a strong social ethic? The relationship of the preparation curriculum to the public-school curriculum is another area for examination. The RDC aims to design new ways to prepare teachers for complexity and accelerating rates of change in the changing socio-political contexts locally and globally. Educators and researchers will collaborate to explore ways to connect formal and informal educational settings and to share theoretical and ethical approaches for this work.
The emphasis on high stakes student testing has left a void in the overall development of the whole child in schools, affecting the health/wellness of all children. We will share research, theory and practice in order to change Initial and ongoing teacher education, encouraging innovation and exploring the possibilities of new developments in preparation initial preparation and in-service Teacher Education looking for improved professionalism of teachers. How do local, regional, and global knowledge networks foster innovation in teacher education and address the needs of the knowledge society?
Chair: Lois Paretti, UNLV