Description of Presentation
1999 ATE Annual Meeting
CHICAGO, IL February 13 -- 17, 1999
CHICAGO HILTON & TOWERS

Title of Session: Equity & Excellence: Community Building in Teacher
Education

1.  Thematic Sessions:  Symposium

a.  Purpose:
Objectives/Relationship to ATE Interest

1.  To illustrate how a professional preparation program can be designed to include some positive aspects of best practices, build on changing practices today while providing an avenue to permit adaptation and growth in the future.

2.  To detail how the key collaboration of teacher educators provide for quality future educators.

3.  To specify the key components of community education experiences: Mentoring, Service Learning, School to Work, and Law enforcement education have an important impact on the preparation of future educators, teacher educators, and administrators.

4.  To focus on Excellence and Equity -- the conference theme.

Methods:
Presenters will use a variety of A-V resources to present findings in each of the four dimensions of community learning -- Mentoring, Service Learning, School to Work, and Law enforcement education.  Collaborative efforts will be highlighted.  Major emphasis will be placed on group interaction and on group discussion.

Relationship to Conference Theme

In what ways might we prepare future teacher educators about community learning experiences?  How might we involve future educators on the four dimensions of community learning -- Mentoring, Service Learning, School to Work, and Law enforcement education.?
Abstract of Presentation

Mentoring:
In conjunction with this professional partnership model, a mentorship component was conceptualized for young economically disadvantaged urban students.  University representatives met with the principal and the gifted/talented teacher of several elementary school  to collaboratively design the mentorship program.

Service Learning:
The purpose of this Service Learning and Cultural Diversity experience is for first quarter pre-service teachers to accompany the Service Coordinators on selected visits of families who are representative of the population with whom the students work in the Greater Metropolitan area.  The goal was for each student to complete 4-5 home visits. The approximate time dedicated by each pre-service teacher to this service learning component of the courses was about twenty hours, including 3 hrs. for orientation, 15 hrs.  for actual home visitation experience,  and 2 hrs. for guided reflection.

School to Work:
Pre-service teachers will gain an appreciation for the values of S-T-W System .  This program will assist in providing educational opportunities for pre-service teachers and public school students to gain insights into employment opportunities provided by business and industry, education, military, and other community based organizations.  The ultimate goal of education is to enrich the lives of students by helping them to gain the knowledge and skills they need to lead productive lives.

Law enforcement education:
The model for this program has been established for years by many universities, public schools, and social agencies.  Selected future educators/administrators will be assigned to spent a one eight hour shift on a Friday or Saturday night experiencing a “police ride-along.”  This experience in conjunction with the three previous experiences will heighten the awareness of educators to community perceptions and misconceptions of law enforcement agencies.  The presenter has employed this practice for the past thirty years and has established a rich anecdotal record of a variety of experiences.