Transcript Document

University/Public School Interface:
Cluster-Driven Professional
Development Schools (PDSs) Model for
Transformational Teacher Education
By Seth Agbo
School of Education
Pacific University
Forest Grove, OR.
The Culture of the University
• Preservation of academic culture and
resistance to change
• Elite institution—pursuit of theoretical
rationality
• Empiricist tradition--Detachment of
subject from object.
• Disregard of practice in favor of theory.
Cultural Impact on Teacher Education
• Focus on theoretical academic preparation
• Ideological struggles between competing
virtues of University and public schools.
• Societal idea of a distinct definition of the
good teacher—narrowly construed teaching
skills to which teachers must strive to
achieve.
• Pre-service teachers face hurdles in teaching
because of deficiency in preparation in
content of academic area.
• General perspective--pre-service teachers do
better with watered-down lower academic
standards.
Teacher Training vs. Teacher
Education
• Training—Grounding in content
knowledge, instruction in education
theories and process of imparting
knowledge, distinct from the myriad of
things teachers do from day-to-day
basis.
• Education—building of a professional
community of learners and empowering
relations.
Professional Development Schools
(PDSs).
• An integrated professional development and
school reform process.
• Concurrent process of pre-service teacher
education, veteran teacher development and
school improvement.
• The activities required at all levels to cope
with learning and teaching, from the public
school to the school of education classroom.
• Emphasis on collaboration—via shared
decision-making within schools and between
schools and universities, and collaborative
research among teachers, students and
teacher educators.
Cluster-Driven PDS Model
The Education Clusters
• Integration of two or more courses into
learning communities to enable
students to develop cross-disciplinary
approaches to teaching.
• University faculty members come
together to coordinate educational
courses centered on a pedagogical
theme, e.g. “Social Studies and Literacy
in a School Context”.
Learning Community
• Linking together any two or more of
existing courses for a cohort of students
so that they have opportunities for
deeper understanding and integration
of the material they are learning and
more interaction with one another and
their teachers.
Cluster as a Type 2 Field Experience
is an:
 Interdisciplinary learning community
that will enable teacher education
students to reflect on implementing
cross-disciplinary approaches for
teaching.
Cluster Enrollment
 About 20 students enroll in all courses
simultaneously
 Enrolling in cluster blocks out students’
schedule for them to commit to cluster
particular days of week
 Participation in campus-based classes
first half of semester and field-based
study for remainder.
Organization of the cluster
College and public school faculty come
together to coordinate a number of
courses centering on a theme—e.g.,
literature based instruction of
elementary social studies content.
PDS: Cluster-driven Model
PDS Site
Staff
PDS Site Students
in the Classroom
Cluster Field
Experience
University
Faculty
Pedagogical
theories
University students
PURPOSE OF CLUSTERS:
For students to become architects of their
own professional development.
For students to become aware of those
aspects of institutional life, school practice
and interpersonal relations that are likely to
enable or inhibit their development as
professionals.
To help beginning teachers to become aware
of the conceptions they hold of themselves
as teachers.
PURPOSE OF CLUSTERS: (cont.)
For students to develop frameworks for
thinking contextually and reflectively
about their development.
For students to become aware of and
utilize school resources that will enable
and enhance their development.
Professional Development
School (PDS) Model
PDS Site
Staff
Cluster Field
Experience
University
Faculty
PDS Site Students
in the Classroom
PDS on-site
facilitator
Ed. Theories
& Pedagogical
Methods
University
Students
PDS Overarching Goals
The PDS model will:
• contribute to the improvement of pre-service
and novice teachers.
• contribute to the on-going professional
growth of veteran teachers.
• ongoing exchange of pedagogical knowledge
and skills.
• help public school administrators and
teachers, college administrators and
professors, and cluster students to share
knowledge, plan as a team and reflect
collectively.
DYNAMICS OF THE PDS
The
School/College
partnership is
collaborative.
• PDS Site staff and
university faculty jointly
develop operating
policies & procedures:
e.g., develop field
experience guide,
design field experience
application, develop
field experience
assessment rubric,
design cluster brochure,
etc.
• Public school staff are
guest teachers in
cluster classes
DYNAMICS OF THE PDS (cont.)
 University faculty
lead instructional
activities in public
school classrooms.
 Public school staff
and university
faculty share
texts/syllabi, etc.
DYNAMICS OF THE PDS (cont.)
Continued
Collaboration
• PDS staff and college
faculty must continue to
meet regularly for
planning and improving
ongoing work
• Any new initiatives
being planned must be
developed jointly
between the school and
the college
Transformational Learning Model
• Transformational Learning--New frames
of teacher learning that professionalize
and enhance the learning of pre-service
teachers, veteran teachers and teacher
educators:
• Learning by teaching
• Learning by doing
• Learning by collaborating
Transformational Learning
University students, Public school staff,
and University faculty will each acquire
additional knowledge and new
understandings of pedagogy.
Cluster students and public school
teachers collaborate to enhance pupil
learning and improve teaching practices
of students, teachers and college
faculty.
The PDS
• Provides learning
opportunities for
college faculty,
and public school
teachers as well
as pre-service
teachers.
• Veteran teachers and
college faculty find
themselves learning
about knowledge and
its application and also
about both the theory
and practice of teaching
Implications for Schools of Education
Reallocation of existing resources and
new resources are obtained e.g.,
• University supports priority hiring of
PDS site staff as adjunct faculty
• Costs for transportation to PDS sites are
paid by university.
Policies
• Policies that require students to participate in
teacher education learning
communities/clusters.
• Policies that enable cohort groups of students
to be established.
• Policies that recognize participation of area public
school staff as valuable in-service professional
development partners in teacher education and
encourage further their involvement in PDS
initiatives.
Policies (cont.)
• Policies that support university faculty
teaching field-based courses
• Flexibility within systems geared toward
traditional teacher preparation
Learning Communities/PDS Work and
Scholarship
• Learning communities are participatory
action research from which data can be
obtained as new knowledge capable of
being disseminated through publication.
Survey of a Public School Cluster Mentor
Teachers--Spring 1999
•
•
•
•
21 surveys distributed, 15 responses.
Y= Yes
N= No
S= Sometimes
All responses included significant
comments
Q1. Do you enjoy mentoring Cluster students?
• Results
Y =10
N = 1
S = 4
Comments to Q1
• See as a resource
• enjoy reflecting on what we’re doing
personally and as district
• do not take cluster students if have
student teacher
• enjoy modeling as master teacher
• opportunities to revisit a program
experienced as undergrad
Comments to Q1 (cont.)
• Don’t enjoy extra workload without
monetary compensation
• some students well prepared and
enjoyable to work with; others not
• sometimes overwhelming with our
regular load
Q.2. Do your students enjoy working with
Cluster students?
• Results
Y= 14
N= 0
S= 1
Comments to Q.2.
• Enjoy extra individualized attention and
assistance
• love a new face
• provides another adult role model
• enables different instructional
approaches
• keeps fresh ideas
• can be confusing if too many styles or
different sets of instruction are given
Q.3. How does mentoring a cluster student
benefit you as a teacher?
Responses
• forces articulation of district policies,
standards of behavior, etc.
• provides opportunity to self-reflect on
instructional and assessment methods being
employed
• instigates feelings of pride helping mold
future teachers
• keeps flexible and open to change
More Responses for Q.3.
• Retains awareness of education issues and
methods
• spurs new ideas: two heads are better than
one
• makes classroom more efficient; extra pair of
hands
• promotes seeing PHCS students from diverse
viewpoints
• assists with preparation and organization of
materials
Q.4. How do cluster students benefit your
students?
Responses
• provides 1:1 and small group instructional
support
• enables children to be listened to while
reading
• provides another role model
• helps to increase student skill level
• brings new ideas into classroom
• exposes different perspectives and talents
• not sure
Additional comments generated
• Program allows Cluster students to
develop realistic commitment to work
ethic required of “real teachers”