This strand, “Preparing Teachers for Practice,” examines specific problems of preparing new teachers to teach in core subject areas and reports on the state of knowledge related to those problems. AACTE is a national alliance of nearly 800 educator preparation programs nationwide.

The strand continued in 2013, at the AACTE Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL (February 28-March 2, 2013). Information on major forums, concurrent sessions, and events associated with the strand are below. For more detailed information on the annual meeting, visit www.aacte.org.

Major Forum: Examining Professional Practice: Evolving Notions of Beginning Teacher Competencies
Defining what teacher candidates should know and be able to do can be challenging, particularly given the continually evolving understanding of what teaching and learning should look like in the current education landscape. Panelists will describe efforts under way to identify and develop high-impact core practices and knowledge for beginning teachers.
Presenters: Deborah Ball, University of Michigan; Mary Diez, Alverno College; Tina Marshall-Bradley, Paine College; Deborah Schussler, Villanova University; Moderator: Sharon Feiman-Nemser, Brandeis University

TeachingWorks Open Discussion: Early Career Teacher Education: How can I Get Better at Teaching Teachers?
Join the team from TeachingWorks to discuss the challenges of learning to teach teachers and to explore resources for supporting teacher educators' growth. Participants will provide feedback on products under development by TeachingWorks. 

Concurrent Session: Innovative Settings for Professional Learning for Teachers and Teacher Educators
What kinds of settings support professional learning for new and experienced teachers? This session will feature panelists who are experimenting with “laboratory” classes, strategic K-12 school partnerships, mentor teacher study groups, and ground-breaking technology . Learn about the challenges of developing such settings and the powerful affordances they offer for individuals learning to teach or trying to improve their practice.
Presenters: Deborah Ball, TeachingWorks, University of Michigan; Sharon Feiman- Nemser Brandeis University; Elham Kazemi, University of Washington; Lisa Deiker, University of Central Florida

Concurrent Session: Implementing Major Organizational Changes in Teacher Education Programs
Leading large-scale change efforts in teacher education often means negotiating challenging professional and organizational territory. Learn from leaders who have successfully led major change efforts in higher education-based teacher education. Panelists will discuss issues of academic freedom, faculty “load” time, and scheduling, among other challenges. 
Presenters: Cap Peck, University of Washington; Bob Floden, Michigan State University; Deborah Ball, TeachingWorks, University of Michigan

Concurrent Session: Making Content Explicit: Approaches for Supporting Elementary Teachers of Literacy and Mathematics
Learn to design and implement instructional activities to support beginning teachers in learning how to make content explicit. This interactive session will provide opportunities to engage in specific instructional activities and tailor them to the needs of particular learners.
Presenters: Kristine Schutz, TeachingWorks, University of Michigan; Nicole Garcia, TeachingWorks, University of Michigan

TeachingWorks Open Discussion: Digital Resources for Use in Teacher Education
Video and other digital resources can be valuable tools for training new teachers. Learn more about the recently launched Brandon Center Digital Archive at the University of Michigan School of Education and the development of a Gates Foundation-funded digital archive of records of teaching practice, the Measures of Effective Teaching Extension.

Concurrent Session: Defining High-Leverage Practices: About TeachingWorks
A primary goal of TeachingWorks is to establish a true professional system for the training of teachers.  This requires an approach that focuses directly and concretely on the actual work of teaching - what we at TeachingWorks refer to as “high-leverage practices.” Learn more about our efforts to identify high-leverage practices and design curriculum materials and assessments focused on them, as well as about other major projects of this new organization.
Presenters: Francesca Forzani, TeachingWorks, University of Michigan; Punita Dani Thurman, TeachingWorks, University of Michigan

TeachingWorks Open Discussion: Seeing Partners for TeachingWorks Resource Development
TeachingWorks is developing a set of tools and resources for training yeachers and is seeking field test partners. Learn more about the project and about opportunities to partner in this work. If you are unable to join this session, but would like to learn more, please send inquires to info@teachingworks.org.

TeachingWorks Reception
Join TeachingWorks Director and University of Michigan School of Education dean Deborah Loewenberg Ball and the TeachingWorks team at a reception celebrating the second annual Preparing Teachers for Practice strand.