Beyond Storytime: Whole Class Interactive Reading Aloud in Kindergarten

Existing research has established the value of reading aloud to young children and suggested a lens with three elements to describe when a teacher reads aloud to an entire kindergarten class during a planned period of instruction (CIRA): teacher practice, student activity, and text. Over four months, I observed and interviewed four experienced kindergarten teachers in the naturalistic setting of their public school classrooms. To analyze the data, I created bounded collective and individual case studies that answer my central questions: What patterns characterize teacher practice, student activity, and text during kindergarten CIRA sessions taught by experienced kindergarten teachers? How do these patterns relate to one another within or across teachers? Across the four classrooms, teachers read with inflection; employed a transparent proactive style of classroom management; purposefully selected texts to read; embedded instruction of concepts of print, vocabulary, and comprehension while they read; and differentiated for their students, especially English Language Learners (ELL). Students demonstrated nearly exclusive on task behavior including spontaneous responses. Texts were primarily narrative, chosen to support the literacy skills or content to be taught, but often did not reflect the cultural or linguistic backgrounds of the students. CIRA also differed within the four classrooms. At one end of a continuum, CIRA sessions were characterized by little apparent planning on the part of the teacher (similar to the features of parent/child read aloud sessions), impulsive student responses, and complex texts. At the other end of the continuum, the teacher planned highly controlled CIRA sessions (with many of the characteristics of a scripted lesson), students' answers were constrained by the teacher's questions, and the texts were simplistic. No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (2002) appeared to directly influence state and local policy that impacted the practice of all four teachers. Differences within classrooms paralleled the continuum: the teacher with the less structured sessions had the highest SES students and was least impacted by NCLB, and the teacher with the most highly-controlled sessions had the lowest SES students and was most impacted by NCLB. Results from the study inform both future research and teacher education

"Out of My Comfort Zone": Understanding the Impact of a Service-Learning Experience in Rural El Salvador

This qualitative case study was designed to explore the impact of a two-week service-learning experience in rural El Salvador on students' perceptions of its impact on them personally, professionally and  their global awareness.  Students stayed in an economically impoverished village in rural El Salvador and worked on projects that promoted education for children in the village.  Participants included 15 graduate and undergraduate students; 13 from the College of Education of a large university in the northeastern part of the United States. Multiple data sources were used to understand these impacts including: open-ended interviews conducted two to four months after the trip; field notes from participant observations in large and small group activities, group reflections; and informal incidents and conversations; review of documents related to the class (student journals; student final papers), and daily activity and health logs.    While the initial process of adjustment was difficult for some students, all students felt that their participation in this experience had an important, positive impact on them.  Data indicated that this impact occurred in all three major areas addressed in this study, including: personal (e.g. sense of appreciation, gaining perspective, rethinking consumption, clarifying values, and learning they “could do it”/self-efficacy, professional (affirming career choices, ability to work with Latino children and families; improving professional skills) and global awareness (e.g. perspectives on poverty and social justice, views of immigration, understanding of the world).  Findings will be discussed in terms of exant literature related to the impact of short-term service experiences

Aproveitando ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem para fortalecer a preparação de professores da primeira infância em pré-serviço: pivôs do programa devido ao COVID-19 capacita práticas futuras

This critical reflection illuminates the planning, delivery, and evaluation of the ‘pivots’ an early childhood teacher preparation program made in response to the shift to virtual learning necessitated by the lock down measures prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenge was to shift two undergraduate courses from in person to a virtual format, including an inperson internship to an entirely virtual experience while maintaining a high-quality program which meets the certification requirements and professional standards. The process of moving the courses and internship to a virtual setting gave us the unique opportunity to step back and reflect on the essential conceptual knowledge and understandings necessary for teacher candidates to meet professional standards leading to certification and to becoming competent and caring professionals. Results of our critical reflection include lessons learned by the two instructors and department chair on the effective leveraging of technology to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19 leading to modifications to our program post pandemic.Esta reflexión crítica ilumina la planificación, la entrega y la evaluación de los "pivotes" que realizó un programa de preparación de maestros de la primera infancia en respuesta al cambio al aprendizaje virtual requerido por las medidas de confinamiento provocadas por la pandemia de COVID-19. El desafío era cambiar dos cursos de pregrado de un formato presencial a uno virtual, incluida una pasantía presencial a una experiencia completamente virtual, manteniendo un programa de alta calidad que cumpliera con los requisitos de certificación y los estándares profesionales. El proceso de trasladar los cursos y las pasantías a un entorno virtual nos dio la oportunidad única de dar un paso atrás y reflexionar sobre el conocimiento conceptual esencial y la comprensión necesaria para que los candidatos a docentes cumplan con los estándares profesionales que conducen a la certificación y a convertirse en profesionales competentes y solidarios. Los resultados de nuestra reflexión crítica incluyen las lecciones aprendidas por los dos instructores y el jefe de departamento sobre el aprovechamiento efectivo de la tecnología para enfrentar los desafíos que plantea el COVID-19 que conducen a modificaciones en nuestro programa después de la pandemia.Cette réflexion critique éclaire la planification, la prestation et l'évaluation des «pivots» d'un programme de préparation des enseignants de la petite enfance mis en place en réponse au passage à l'apprentissage virtuel rendu nécessaire par les mesures de verrouillage provoquées par la pandémie de COVID-19. Le défi consistait à faire passer deux cours de premier cycle d'un format en personne à un format virtuel, y compris un stage en personne, à une expérience entièrement virtuelle tout en maintenant un programme de haute qualité qui répond aux exigences de certification et aux normes professionnelles. Le processus de déplacement des cours et du stage dans un cadre virtuel nous a donné l'occasion unique de prendre du recul et de réfléchir aux connaissances et compréhensions conceptuelles essentielles nécessaires aux candidats enseignants pour répondre aux normes professionnelles menant à la certification et devenir des professionnels compétents et attentionnés. Les résultats de notre réflexion critique comprennent les leçons apprises par les deux instructeurs et le directeur du département sur l'utilisation efficace de la technologie pour relever les défis posés par le COVID-19, entraînant des modifications de notre programme après la pandémie.Essa reflexão crítica ilumina o planejamento, a entrega e a avaliação dos “pivôs” de um programa de preparação de professores da primeira infância feito em resposta à mudança para o aprendizado virtual exigida pelas medidas de bloqueio provocadas pela pandemia do COVID-19. O desafio era mudar dois cursos de graduação do formato presencial para o virtual, incluindo um estágio presencial para uma experiência totalmente virtual, mantendo um programa de alta qualidade que atendesse aos requisitos de certificação e padrões profissionais. O processo de mudança dos cursos e estágios para um ambiente virtual nos deu a oportunidade única de retroceder e refletir sobre o conhecimento conceitual essencial e os entendimentos necessários para que os candidatos a professores atendam aos padrões profissionais que levem à certificação e se tornem profissionais competentes e atenciosos. Os resultados de nossa reflexão crítica incluem lições aprendidas pelos dois instrutores e chefe de departamento sobre o aproveitamento eficaz da tecnologia para enfrentar os desafios colocados pelo COVID-19, levando a modificações em nosso programa pós-pandemia. desafios colocados pelo COVID-19 levando a modificações em nosso programa após a pandemia