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The University's Role in the Preservice Education of Teachers.

1973; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development; Linguagem: Inglês

0013-1784

Marcella L. Kysilka,

Online and Blended Learning

EACHER education has, for years, been accused of producing poorly qualified teachers. The current accountabil ity movement has focused additional atten tion on teacher education programs. Among the loudest critics of teacher training have been the teachers. Their complaints have generally fallen into three categories: irrele vant curriculum; Mickey Mouse busy work; lack of sufficient practical experience. If indeed these criticisms are valid, and more often than not they are, what should the universities be doing to establish a better education program for teachers? Let us start with the statement that education courses are nothing more than mountains of busywork. In reality, this has been true. To the naive preprofessional, exercises in lesson planning with no opportunity to teach the lessons, or writing term papers about theories of learning which have never been observed in action (unless practiced by pigeons or monkeys), or suggesting solutions to learn ing problems or discipline problems which are obviously hypothetical, constitutes busywork. Lesson plans need to be used to deter mine their value. Theories of learning need to be related to observable pupil-teacher be havior in order to be meaningful to the inex perienced person. Solutions to learning problems are best proposed as they relate to specific learning environments, and those environments are best analyzed when ob served, not imagined. Consequently, the preservice teacher must be placed into participatory situations; that is, he teaches lessons, he works in class rooms, he tutors children. To wait until senior year student teaching or internship for these participatory experiences is too late. As soon as a student enrolls in Education 100, he must become involved in his learn ing. This involvement can be accomplished through microteaching episodes, organized observation and participation in the public schools, volunteer teacher aide programs, or tutoring experiences under the direct super vision of a teacher. The involvement can take place in public or private schools, nur sery schools or day care centers, adult edu cation classes or classes at correctional institutions, special education facilities or recreational activities. The concept of busy-