Knowing Differently/Teaching Differently: Transforming a Teacher Education Program
Abstract
This chapter contextualizes and historicizes a teacher education program in which the authors are part of its faculty. Situated in a rural, conservative, mid-Atlantic community, our teacher education program serves a rather conventional population with specific characteristics. In spite of our community, our efforts have been focused on providing diverse perspectives, questioning established norms and patterns, and modeling decolonizing pedagogies that recognize and value differences and “others.” We depict our teaching practices and approaches to challenging and disrupting traditional perspectives to education through telling and interpreting vignettes about our experiences in this program, especially in relation to the work of de-westernizing schools and society’s practices.
Abstract
This chapter contextualizes and historicizes a teacher education program in which the authors are part of its faculty. Situated in a rural, conservative, mid-Atlantic community, our teacher education program serves a rather conventional population with specific characteristics. In spite of our community, our efforts have been focused on providing diverse perspectives, questioning established norms and patterns, and modeling decolonizing pedagogies that recognize and value differences and “others.” We depict our teaching practices and approaches to challenging and disrupting traditional perspectives to education through telling and interpreting vignettes about our experiences in this program, especially in relation to the work of de-westernizing schools and society’s practices.
