Active Practice Through Simulations

• In Event: Teaching Active Practice in Family Engagement to Teacher Candidates: Resource-Sensitive Models

Abstract

Objectives
Parent-teacher communication is rarely to never addressed in teacher preparation. The majority of candidates had little to no training on communicating with families during their preparation. Seventy-four percent of participants said they had zero courses on family engagement and 63% responded that their professors incorporated strategies for communicating with families either never or only once a quarter/semester. This data is consistent with national surveys on new teachers’ preparation to engage families (MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, 2005).

Despite the overall lack of content, faculty agree that preparing teachers to engage families is important (Chavkin & Williams, 1988; Epstein & Sanders, 2006; Epstein, Sanders & Clark, 1999; Flanigan, 2005). One reason teacher preparation programs do not include this content is lack of resources and space in the curriculum (Epstein & Sanders, 2006).

In response to these challenges, this online course was developed to be resource-sensitive to enable EPPs to incorporate family engagement into their curriculum. Provided free-of-charge, adoption does not require outside resources; and designed around flexible modules, content can be adapted to supplement existing courses.

Perspectives
Good teachers require not just academic knowledge but also craft and skill: what Grossman and McDonald (2008) refer to as the “pedagogies of enactment.” Candidates, therefore, require opportunities not just to develop knowledge but also to develop and apply their craft and skill. Within this framework, this course allows students to both learn about the theoretical importance of engaging with families and to practice their skills.

Too often teacher preparation programs leave “practice” to student teaching. This is problematic for several reasons. First, practice is disconnected from content: Candidates are taught material potentially years before they enter a classroom. Second, it puts the K-12 student in the position of the “guinea pig.” Instead, by encouraging practice early and often through activities in this course, candidates have a safe space in which to make mistakes and hone their skills—before entering the K-12 classroom.

Methods
Designed around three interactive modules that maximize practice, the course emphasizes proactive positive communication to build strong relationships and teaches candidates to view families as assets and partners. The modules cover 1) the importance of family engagement; 2) parent phone calls; and 3) parent-teacher conferences. The phone call module includes a live simulation activity in which candidates call a “practice parent” (trained volunteer).

Data
During a 24-month pilot, qualitative and quantitative data, including pre- and post-analyses of student work, surveys and focus groups were collected and analyzed. This data were used to improve the function and design of the final modules.

Results
Data collection found that the interactive and simulated nature of the modules captured candidates’ attention which increased their learning. While a few other online tools exist, they are either outside the budget of most EPPs or almost entirely text based; therefore, the team released the final models free-of-charge.

Scholarly Significance
With the introduction of these resources, any professor, anywhere can include free research- and candidate-vetted content about family engagement: content both EPPs and candidates need.


 

Author

• Claire Jacobson, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation