Lean on ME(dia): Helping Pre-Service Teachers to Recognize the Value of Media Integration Partnerships in the K-6 Classroom

Seasoned educators know that media specialists regularly support classroom teachers, though far too few new teachers are aware of this partnership opportunity. This presentation will consist of an interactive session in which the performance responsibilities and overlap of the classroom teacher and library media specialist are discussed, with specific attention paid to implementation in the pre-service environment. Presenters will showcase various examples of pre-service teacher work and insights, using media to complement and supplement existing curriculum, which foster an emphasis on student voice and student choice through the use of various media technologies. Session participants will engage in hands-on activities, dialogue surrounding the use of media integration partnerships for K-6 classroom educators, and modeling best practices of media usage in a variety of formats to meet the needs of diverse learners in the teacher preparation program setting

Rethinking Special Education Teacher Preparation for a Post-Pandemic World

The pivot to remote teaching was a wake-up call for institutions of higher education (IHE) teacher preparation programs. This discussion will share solutions and tips for successfully building capacity in a new teacher preparation era. Many IHEs problem-solved, resulting in a myriad of solutions to keep their teacher preparation programs running and relevant during the pivot to remote teaching and learning. This presentation discussion will assist in uncovering a list of teacher preparation program practices that evolved out of the Covid-19 pandemic that seeks to increase the number of pre-service teacher candidates enrolled in IHE teacher preparation programs. The presenters also argue a collaborative, curated post-pandemic pedagogical solution will improve outcomes for teacher preparation candidates and, in turn, advance the positive results for their future students in a post-pandemic world