Presentation Type
Poster
Faculty Advisor
Mayida Zaal
Access Type
Open Access
Start Date
26-4-2024 2:15 PM
End Date
26-4-2024 3:15 PM
Description
This IRB-approved study explores the possibilities of a teacher education program engaged with and rooted in the community. The project follows a partnership between a university and a community organization whose mission is to meet the needs of k-12 multilingual students. Pre-service teachers complete their field experience in an innovative community-based setting, and receive mentoring from a teacher on staff focused on developing skills and understanding how learning is nurtured outside traditional classroom settings. This partnership serves a dual purpose, meeting the needs of the community organization and those of pre-service interns who have demands on their time, which make it challenging to complete their field experience during the traditional school day. Theoretically, this project builds on Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth framework, which asserts the value and knowledge in communities by providing concrete opportunities for teacher interns to learn from community members who are actively engaged in educating children. Based on interviews that solicited feedback on the program while encouraging self-reflection about their experiences, initial findings suggest that pre-service teachers construct vital understandings of and capacity for fostering relationships with students and individualizing instructional practice in community settings.
Community-Linked Field Experience Pilot
This IRB-approved study explores the possibilities of a teacher education program engaged with and rooted in the community. The project follows a partnership between a university and a community organization whose mission is to meet the needs of k-12 multilingual students. Pre-service teachers complete their field experience in an innovative community-based setting, and receive mentoring from a teacher on staff focused on developing skills and understanding how learning is nurtured outside traditional classroom settings. This partnership serves a dual purpose, meeting the needs of the community organization and those of pre-service interns who have demands on their time, which make it challenging to complete their field experience during the traditional school day. Theoretically, this project builds on Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth framework, which asserts the value and knowledge in communities by providing concrete opportunities for teacher interns to learn from community members who are actively engaged in educating children. Based on interviews that solicited feedback on the program while encouraging self-reflection about their experiences, initial findings suggest that pre-service teachers construct vital understandings of and capacity for fostering relationships with students and individualizing instructional practice in community settings.