Teaching is an exciting and ever-changing profession! We believe it’s important to teach more than the basics and to stay current in the field, so Erskine’s education department is involved in several different innovative projects and initiatives. Here is a sampling of some of the exciting work with which our students are involved.

Service Learning Project

Students design and implement a service learning unit with their field placement class that integrates academic, standards-based knowledge and skills with a project that brings change. The service learning project is an excellent example of how teachers can make a difference in their schools, communities, and the world! Service learning projects have ranged from organizing local food drives to raising funds for cancer victims to school supply drives for students in Kenya.

Action Research Grants

Students write and submit an action research grant. All students implement their action research and then present the findings of their study to their peers, the education faculty, and other stakeholders. Several student grants have been funded. Past studies have included research on the effect of departmentalization in elementary school students’ learning, the impact of extra-curricular involvement on high school academic achievement, and how classroom environment affects learning.

At the BMW Research Symposium where students presented their action research grants.

Japanese Lesson Study

Based on a professional development process developed in Japan, the Japanese Lesson Study is an excellent means of cultivating reflective practitioners. Candidates collaborate to teach lessons that are observed, analyzed, revised, and then re-taught in another classroom.

Action Change Project

Designed to promote transformational teaching, the action change project requires student teachers to identify problems in their classrooms, schools, and/or communities and find ways to bring about change to make classrooms schools, and/or communities more positive, supportive and productive learning environments. This project requires candidates to examine their present assumptions about how a school and classroom should operate so that they can create new solutions through researched practices. Past projects have included the creation of a writing center at a local high school, developing math-science nights to involve parents, and developing peer tutoring for mainstreamed special education students.

Students participate in a NASA workshop

 

Gifted Alumni Training Education Students (GATES) Initiative

A unique training partnership that pairs current teacher candidates with education alumni as mentors. The program was built out of the recognition that teacher candidates need more diverse training experiences, more exposure to best practices that work, and more extensive coaching and mentoring.

Teacher candidates and their GATES mentors

Morris College Partnership

The Teacher Education Programs at Erskine College and Morris College plan, design, and implement shared experiences in coursework, field experiences, and clinical practices. The goal of these experiences is to enhance the professional growth and development of teacher candidates so that they will acquire and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to help all students learn.

Joint field trip with Morris College

 

Other exciting programs include our diversity conference, speaker series, workshops with DHEC and Project Learning Tree, our annual Epsilon/CEC field day, and so much more!

Epsilon/CEC education field day