A Stream on “Teacher Preparation Delivered Online; Measuring Retention Rates and Teaching Effectiveness”

Memo

The Education Unit of ATINER organizes a Stream on “Teacher Preparation Delivered Online; Measuring Retention Rates and Teaching Effectiveness” as part of the 20th Annual International Conference on Education, 21-24 May 2018, Athens, Greece sponsored by the Athens Journal of Education.



Teacher shortages are world-wide. UNESCO (2016) has published estimates showing that in the next 13 years countries need to recruit almost 69 million new teachers to provide every child with primary and secondary education. Additionally, many new teachers joining straight from college leave the profession within 3 years (over 50% in the USA). Programs offering alternative paths to obtaining a teaching license in the USA are becoming more numerous, and are helping to increase the number of qualified teachers. Alternative licensure programs prepare professionals and semi-professionals to become teachers in their second career e.g. retired military or retired business people, and typically they are in the age range 35-50 years. One case study that will be presented describes an online program of teacher preparation, and reports that 82% of its alumni were retained in the profession after five years. The study reports these teachers were impacting children’s learning successfully. In future, it is predicted teacher preparation will increasingly be conducted online as opposed to the traditional face-to-face method of training. This stream of research will assist all programs that prepare teachers for the classroom by investigating and reporting on best practices associated with online preparation for transitioning into the profession.



Fee structure information is available on https://www.atiner.gr/2018fees.



Special arrangements will be made with a local hotel for a limited number of rooms at a special conference rate. In addition, a number of special events will be organized: A pragmatic symposium (as organized in Ancient Athens but fine tuned to synchronous ethics), a special one-day educational island tour, a Mycanae and island of Poros visit, an Athens educational walking tour, an one-day visit to Delphi and an ancient Corinth and Cape Sounion visit.