Mounting evidence suggests that providing teachers with access to high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials and curriculum-based professional learning is a continuous improvement strategy showing promise. This has implications for the work of educator preparation programs. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction formed the Wisconsin Educator Preparation Program Curriculum Knowledge for Teaching (WI-EPP-CKT) network to improve pre-service teachers’ knowledge of curriculum to better prepare them for teaching in a current K-12 setting.
This network was facilitated by Dr. DeAnn Huinker, professor at UW-Milwaukee, and Dr. Samantha Meister, assistant professor at UW-Green Bay. The network focused on the following questions:
- What is the role of EPPs in preparing prospective teachers to effectively teach with high- quality, standards-aligned instructional materials (curriculum programs)?
- What are examples of ways EPPs could be supporting the development of “curriculum knowledge for teaching” in prospective teachers?
Network participants included faculty and staff from various public and private Wisconsin institutions of higher education:
| Amber Garbe | Yuko Iwai | Kimberly Martinez | Heather O'Neil |
| Hiawatha Smith | Gerardo Aponte-Safe | Mary Gichobi | Jenni McCool |
| Adam Paape | Christy Pettis | Leigh van den Kieboom | Debra Faase |
| Leanna Evans | Stephanie Bernander |
Beyond formation of the network itself, the project objectives included studying existing examples and literature related to the role of instructional materials in teacher preparation, drafting learning expectations or competencies for prospective teachers, developing and piloting activities with prospective teachers, and brainstorming next steps for expanding the network. The specific project objectives were:
• Establish a small network of faculty to launch a statewide conversation on preparing prospective teachers with curriculum knowledge for teaching.
• Study examples of ways EPPs can use K-12 high-quality, standards aligned curriculum materials with prospective teachers.
• Draft a set curriculum dispositions, knowledge, and skill competencies for educator preparation programs in Wisconsin.
• Develop and pilot tasks, activities, and projects in EPPs aligned to the emerging draft of curriculum competencies.
The network collaboratively developed the curriculum dispositions, knowledge, and skills for prospective teachers. Click here to view the pdf.
Find a repository of example tasks, activities, and projects used in pre-service teacher courses. Click here to view the repository.