E4 Integration:
How TEI is Reshaping Educator Preparation at UW
By Jason Harper
Years of hard work and planning came together this fall when entering elementary education students became the first to start their journey toward becoming career-ready teachers under the UW-E4 educator preparation model. This model is reshaping College of Education programs and is the centerpiece of TEI’s work. TEI has been engaged with college leadership and faculty to integrate programmatic changes and additions that will attract more educators into the field, ensure they are better prepared, enhance their opportunities for student teaching and other field clinical placements, and offer early-career professional support. “It’s quite thrilling to see the stages of the TEI student journey not only materializing, but now engaging and serving our prospective students, current students, and faculty,” says UW-E4 Director Curtis Biggs. “Just as exciting is the challenge for TEI and the college to remain nimble and adaptable to the needs and ideas of our faculty, students and school partners. As education continues to evolve, our educator preparation programs mustn’t stand still.” The following is a quick overview of what students and partners throughout the state can look forward to with this year’s initial implementation of the of UW-E4 model.
Exploration of the Career Six Wyoming high schools are the first to participate in the Teacher Cadet pilot program. This opportunity combines activities, internships and coursework to give students a jumpstart to becoming a teacher. The initial cadre of high school and community college faculty and advisors that will support these groups throughout Wyoming were trained and certified during summer 2020.
E2
Experiential Learning
Whether it’s observing experienced teachers in a school setting or using the Mursion augmented reality program to teach avatar students, UW elementary teacher candidates now get more field experiences starting earlier and with a solid grounding in professional ethics. Site-based practice has been expanded and aligned with coursework, so students hone their teaching skills through every phase of the program. Access to the elementary education program is also expanded, with many of the courses now redesigned for the online environment, with the rest to be built and online in the coming year. A combination of effective course structure, cutting edge course design, and current content make these courses an exemplar of engaged learning.
