The Worldwide Quest to Improve Teacher Education

　　Professor  Forrest W. Parkay  

　　（Educational Leadership and Higher Education, Washington State University) 

　　Teacher education programs must present students with a realistic picture of teaching–its challenges, realities, and ambiguities. The ultimate goal of a teacher education program, regardless of national context, is that students begin to appreciate the complex work of teachers and to understand that learning to teach well is a lifelong task. Educational leaders and policy makers worldwide realize that improving teacher education is a critical step in improving the overall capacity and quality of educational system of a nation.  The challenges of improving teacher education are remarkably similar worldwide, and there is much that teacher educators in various national contexts can learn from one another. With reference to this worldwide quest, this lecture will (1) summarize current challenges and trends that characterize teacher education in the United States and (2) present several basic principles that undergird  teacher preparation programs in USA.   

　　Dr. Forrest W. Parkay, Professor of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at Washington State University, was Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Florida for eight years and at Texas State University for five years. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and is a graduate of Harvard University’s Management Development Program (MDP). Dr. Parkay is author of more than 60 refereed journal articles and 14 books, including Curriculum Leadership: Readings for Developing Quality Educational Programs (Allyn and Bacon, 2010), Becoming a Teacher (Merrill, 2010), and Becoming a Principal: The Challenges of Beginning Leadership (Allyn and Bacon, 1992). His book, Curriculum Planning: A Contemporary Approach, Seventh Edition, was translated into Chinese by Zhejiang Education Publishing House in 2004. A former Fulbright Scholar at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Dr. Parkay has facilitated educational reform programs in Thailand, China, Korea, Japan, Pakistan, India, and Singapore. Dr. Parkay is also a Fulbright Senior Specialist, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. 

　　时间：2009年4月1日（周三）晚6：00–8：00 

　　地点：北京大学电教楼207