Creating a Teaching, Technology and Restructuring Partnership with Young Adolescents in Mind

Abstract

tary and secondary preparation pro grams. In a way, the middle level teacher just happened, emerging from elementary pro grams or landing at the middle school from secondary study. But who are we kidding? Somebody apparently, because these days certainly are not gone. The idea of preparing teachers specifically for middle level is still a novelty for many people and in many places. Walzer (1994) reports that only 22 universities have programs which fulfill the guidelines recommended by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) for middle level educa tion; and only approximately one-third of colleges throughout the United States have any courses geared to middle school teach ing. This article describes the collaborative development of a middle level teacher preparation program through one year of planning to the present, its second year of implementation. It was designed explicitly to prepare credential candidates to work effectively with young adolescents, to be valuable and productive contributors on interdisciplinary teams, to serve as effective advisors, to accommodate diversity by focusing on the needs of learners, to inte grate technology into the teaching and learn ing processes—and more. It was designed, in short, to prepare middle level teachers. Although California does not issue a separate middle level credential, the California Teacher Credentialing Commission recognizes the need for creden tial programs which lie outside the tradition al elementary (Multiple Subjects credential) and secondary (Single Subject credential) programs. It was under the guidelines of a Single Subject credential that this program was built. Students accepted into the pro gram would all have an at least one under graduate content area major and would have completed or be working toward a sec ond content area in which they could secure formal (supplemental) authorization for teaching. The specific requirements for the content major and supplemental authoriza tions are not important here. What is impor tant is that the preservice candidates in this program would enter the credential year (a post-baccalaureate, fifth year credential pro gram) with the opportunity to work effec tively in an interdisciplinary environment, rather than to work exclusively in a one-con tent-area, departmentalized setting. The purpose of this paper is not to hold our processes of planning and implementa tion aloft as the perfect model. We believe that our experience thus far might provide useful insights for others embarking on sim ilar journeys. Our intent is to continue a dia logue started by many others who are com mitted to the notion that middle level teach