Educator Preparation Programs: In Times of Crisis Recommendations

In early spring of 2020, AACTE joined ISTE’s LearningKeepsGoing Coalition. AACTE staff co-chaired the Higher Education subcommittee with the AACTE Innovation and Technology Programmatic Committee leadership.

Each subcommittee developed resources that address the COVID19 pandemic in our nation’s public schools. The Higher Education subcommittee developed two new resources for Educator Preparation Programs and teacher candidates. The resources target different audiences. The student agency infographic  is a resource for educator candidates and educator preparation faculty. As colleges and universities develop online course offerings, candidates are faced with learning how to access and benefit from online instruction. The infographic begins by amplifying five areas of student agency. Ten strategies guide students to advocate for online learning supports, use their own assets, and seek our mentors, to name a few. Students can also take an online learning readiness assessment to determine their preparedness for online instruction. Educator preparation faculty and staff are encouraged to disseminate this infographic to candidates who are learning online.

In addition to the infographic, educator preparation faculty and leaders can take advantage of a reference document, Educator Preparation Programs: In Times of Crisis intended to help educator preparation programs learn from the current global pandemic and prepare for future calamities that would threaten to interrupt the preparation of teachers. This document illustrates the current challenges and future opportunities in five areas: field placements, faculty preparation, digital tools, equity and access, and the economics of the new normal.

The subcommittee included many AACTE member institution faculty as well as AACTE strategic partners:

National Technology Leadership Summit
Digital Promise
Educational Testing Service (ETS)
National Education Association
National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements
Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education
Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children
CAST