Dr. Giao Phan, center, chairs the new Education Instruction Department and is assisted by Program Specialist Courtney Reeve, left. Student Dustin Kinas, right, will have a leadership role in a proposed student organization for education majors.
The Austin Community College District recently introduced a two-year teaching degree that is filling a void – not only for aspiring educators, but the entire state.
Dr. Donetta Goodall
According to Donetta Goodall, vice president of academic transfer, general and developmental education, Texas needs approximately 40,000 new teachers.
“Universities prepare considerably less than that, even as we lose large numbers of new teachers – as many as 14,000 per year – who leave the classroom in their first three years of teaching,” says Goodall.
ACC’s Associate of Arts in Teaching degree provides students early exposure to the public education system during their freshman and sophomore years. As part of two introductory classes, ACC students are required to complete 16 hours of classroom observation during the semester. (See Teaching Introduction Makes Career Decision Easier.)
“Classroom observation gives students an opportunity to see if teaching is right for them before they commit to a four-year teaching degree,” says Dr. Giao Phan, Education Instruction Department chair. “We are finding that students who pursue teaching after taking our courses are very committed to it. When they go off to the university level, that’s what they’re going to major in.”
The courses also help students become better teachers. They can begin early to develop the cultural competencies they need to manage a diverse student population, Goodall says.
“Diversity in the schools is increasing, but the majority of the teachers are white, middle-class females,” Goodall notes. “Our courses allow students to develop the cultural understanding they need for today’s classroom.”
ACC has long played a critical role in teacher preparation by providing the foundation for upper-division coursework. The college expanded opportunities by offering alternative certification classes for degree holders and a Teacher Pipeline Program for teaching assistants. More recently, ACC piloted a math and science teacher preparation program that has evolved into the new AAT program.
“Now students who want a career in education can get a jump-start on a teaching degree at ACC, where it is cost-effective and students as young as high school can explore a teaching career and earn college credits through ACC’s Early College Start Program,” Goodall says.
Since the degree was added in fall 2006, more than 500 students have declared a teaching major. St. Edwards University, UT-Austin, and Huston-Tillotson are among the institutions that offer bachelor’s degree plans incorporating the new ACC associate degree.
“We have quite an audience out there in those institutions that are looking for our students to transfer over,’’ Goodall says.
Visit the Education Instruction Department website.
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By Angela Lovelace January 24, 2008 - 12:29 pm
I am responding to the information on the Two-year degree for teaching. Does this mean that students can get a Bachelor’s in just two years?
Sincerely,
Ms. Lovelace
By Giao Phan January 25, 2008 - 12:55 pm
No it doesn’t mean students will receive their bachelor of arts degree in 2 years. The AAT degree plan is designed to provide students with the first two years of college course work with some education classes. A student who completes the AAT will complete the core curriculum requirements with (depending on the major/area of focus) 2-4 education courses that are applied towards the bachelor of arts degree at the university level.
Dr. Phan
By Amy Gutierrez February 7, 2008 - 9:38 am
Where and when do we have to complete the 16 hours of classroom observation? I am trying to take some courses but I need more info on this, since some classes have the 16 hours as a prerequisite. And I have been going into the department website and have not found anything.
By Giao Phan February 7, 2008 - 1:53 pm
All AAT students are required to complete 16 hours of field observations: 5 at the elementary level, 5 at the high school level, and 5 at the middle school level.
An additional hour of observation is determined by a student’s level of preference. For example, a student could complete 6 at the elementary, 5 at the high school, and 5 at the middle school.
The field observations are completed during specific times frames. When and where a student will be observing will be determined by the student’s ISD preference and personal schedule. We take work and class schedules into consideration when we assign placements.
EDUC 1301 Introduction to the Teaching Profession is the pre-requisite for EDUC 2301. Both classes require field observations.
By Lucinda Anderson April 30, 2008 - 9:30 am
the AAt sounds like a great idea! Especially the way the students get introduced to the “real world” of teaching earlier. I have high school sons that are interested in the teaching field. What should they do to make sure their eventual four-year university choice accepts the AAT, or if they all accept it, to ensure that hours earned apply directly to the bacehlor’s degree? Are there hours that the university can specify, such as a particular Math or Natural Science course?
Also, we live in Georgetown, but will the ISD work be limited to the Austin ISD, or can they possibly do their student work at their old high school? (They woudl love that, since those are the tachers that inspired them to go into the field).