Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Impactful Practices for Early Childhood Teacher Educators

This book intends to provide the reader with multiple examples of effective and innovative practices when teaching preservice or inservice teachers. Chapters will describe in-class activities and program level initiatives on a variety of important topics. The chapters are written by experts who have successfully implemented these practices. Review Early childhood teacher educators will find a treasure trove of creative assignments, classroom activities, and resources in Impactful Practices for Early Childhood Teacher Educators. Descriptions of practices ranging from preparing to participate in professional learning communities, to incorporating hydroponic gardening, to learning from immigrant families' stories will generously support instructors interested in revamping their early childhood courses.--Megan Blumenreich, Professor of Childhood Education and Editor of "The New Educator" journal In an era of accountability and accreditation, teacher preparation programs need this pragmatic book Impactful Practices for Early Childhood Teacher Education to solidly support best practices necessary to meet the higher standards the field of Early Childhood Education is requiring. The authors clearly understand the diversity of adult learners and the pedagogical methods needed to teach a broad range of students. A "must read" for teacher preparation programs seeking ways to create assessment activities that will align with CAEP review expectations.--Barb Tengesdal, ECE Educator and NAEYC/CAEP Specialized Professional Association (SPA) Lead Reviewer This new book makes a contribution to early childhood teacher education in stimulating the thinking of those early in their careers as well as the more seasoned among us. In its 'hands on approach, ' readers can re-envision their current practices with both "aha moments" in the chapters and 'I think I'll try that' inspirations. Each chapter is well grounded in the knowledge base, presents the authors' stories of their varied journeys into impactful practices, and offers the reader insights from the Lessons Learned. We read about the authors' new thinking about their practices and their courage in acting on that thinking. In the first section of the book, the authors confront the persistent challenge of understanding one's own cultural worldview and those of others, and of developing the cultural fluency and boundary crossing desperately needed among those who work with young children and their families. In the second section, the authors engage us in innovative curricular practices in teacher education, leading us beyond the known and comfortable. These provocative perspectives and strategies will indeed have their own 'impact' on the practices of readers. On a different level, something valuable that this book provides is the model of a collaborative community of early childhood teacher educators who have joined to bring to us the inspiration of Impactful Practices for Early Childhood Teacher Education.--Edyth J. Wheeler, CAEP Reviewer and Professor Emerita, Department of Early Childhood Education, Towson University About the Author Louise Ammentorp is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at The College of New Jersey. Christopher Meidl teaches in the Early Childhood Education Program at Duquesne University where he researches community-engaged teaching and learning.