October 29, 2014
CAEP Prep: Meeting Standard 1 - Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions
Since the 2006 NCATE visit, the ECU EPP developed several of its Pirate CODE innovations as specific enhancements to current curricula to improve program quality and address significant issues in the field. Several Pirate CODE innovations influence how the EPP meets Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Disposition. This post highlights two Pirate CODE innovations supporting the EPP’s efforts to meet Standard 1 as part of ECU’s Transformation Initiative. For more detail visit ECU’s online exhibit room for Standard 1.
- Video Grand Rounds (VGR)
The VGR model introduces a conceptual framework for novice teacher candidates’ observations by using video clips as common and shared texts that are a standardized and efficient means for guiding classroom observation experiences. VGR requires teacher-candidates to: (1) view a series of four classroom-based videos (one video per week); (2) complete a structured observation protocol in Taskstream™ after watching each video; and (3) participate in a full-class debriefing discussion with classmates and one faculty member following each video observation. During these debriefing sessions, faculty intentionally model how classroom teachers may or may not think about the events shown in the video. Through prompting questions and comments, faculty encourage candidates to see classrooms from the perspective of a teacher, rather than through the lens of a P-12 classroom student, a position that teacher candidates have occupied for most of their academic careers. The overarching goal of the VGR model, then, is to provide teacher candidates with structured opportunities to develop the observation skills necessary to focus on elements of quality instruction.
The need to develop student understanding at the declarative, procedural, and conditional levels is a cornerstone of the TQP grant. This type of module series facilitates a developmental progression of knowledge and understanding in a consistent and coherent manner in baccalaureate coursework (PT3 Group at Vanderbilt, 2003; Schwartz, D. L., Lin, X., Brophy, S., & Bransford, J. D. ,1999b ; Bransford, J. D., Vye, N., Bateman, H., Brophy, S., & Roselli, B. J., 2004; Brophy, S. P., 2000). There are three ECU ISLES modules addressing ten research-based strategies. The strategies were identified from a list of 28 strategies currently being implemented by TQP grant partner districts. The goal of the first module—ISLES 1—is to teach pre-service candidates what exactly the strategies are (which is deemed “declarative knowledge”). The second module—ISLES 2—is designed to teach pre-service candidates how to use these strategies (which is considered “procedural knowledge”). The third module—ISLES 3—guides candidate development about when to use certain strategies (otherwise referred to as “conditional knowledge”). Each ISLES module is embedded in program coursework within ELMID and Special Education programs. The end result is a comprehensive series of online modules designed to build pre-service candidates’ understanding and use of research-based instructional strategies. Assessments collected in Taskstream™ provide data from the modules that are available to lead faculty for practice-based research.