Transformative Learning Experiences for New Teachers

• Monie Hayes, educational studies, Monmouth College
• Charlotte Mendoza, education, Colorado College
• Kerrie Bostwick, education, Cornell College

This project will bring together teacher educators from three ACM colleges to collect and analyze data about assignments and activities identified as meaningful and memorable by seniors in and recent graduates of these programs.

The researchers will develop a survey that asks senior-level candidates and recent graduates what assignments and activities they have found most valuable in their teacher preparation. They will collect data in the form of responses to an open-ended survey about which learning experiences recent graduates found most memorable and most valuable among those they completed as part of their teacher preparation. Thus, this survey will generate descriptive data beyond a simple ranking and provide an account of new teachers' reasoning as well as their experience.