Alternative Teacher Certification Programs and How Well They Prepare Future Educators - Literature review Example

Alternative teacher certification programs and how well they prepare future educators Name: Tutor: Course: Date: ALTERNATIVE TEACHER CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS AND HOW WELL THEY PREPARE FUTURE EDUCATORS In the world today, education is the key to all successful undertakings. All and sundry is doing all that they can to ensure that they acquire the knowledge that they require in the fields of their own choice. Each seeks information in line with their career. This ensures that they attain the necessary knowledge in order to be take part in the industry that corresponds to their course pursued at tertiary level. Therefore, it is extremely crucial to explore the different forms of teaching methods adapted by tutors in order to ensure that students are in a position to understand all the things that they are meant to be learning in the education process. Alternative certification programs are the sole source of a faster platform for persons that change their career and maybe graduate still in college. The persons who choose to go through system musty show a lot of competency to undertake such jobs. They should hold at least a single subject material expertise, through specialization, to be in capacity to handle students. Candidates willing to become alternatively trained teachers must be in access to their own bachelor’s degree or a relevant mode of entry as per the school choice of requirement. The education process would be incomplete without tutors. However, these tutors need to have the rightful training in order for them to pass on the correct knowledge to their students. Over the past decades, teachers have undertaken different routes in a bid to attain teaching certification. Statistics indicate that over the decades, these alternative certification programs have been implemented all over the United States of America (Feistritzer and Chester, 2002). This is because individuals are becoming well acquainted with teaching skills through the implementation of these programs in the learning process. It has also been proven that most of the teachers being hired in institutions currently are from these alternative programs. Alternative certification program offers a way for graduates at bachelor degree level to turn out to being the teacher of record with extremely lower previous tutor training as compared to those who undergo traditional certification programs. The scope and particulars of the training needed before and after being inaugurated as the teacher of record range widely dependent on the alternative certification programs. The traditional program comprises of a degree program (bachelor’s or master’s degree) ran by a department or school of education that indicates specific course requirements and other requirements that conform to the terms of the state’s teacher certification laws and regulations. The issue of alternative teacher certification program has resulted in huge controversies between proposers and opposers. Those against it are of the opinion that it is detrimental move to the quality of education. This is because they view these b programs as being too short a time for the tutors to be well equipped to handle incoming students. These opposers are of the opinion that that teacher training is as crucial as any other filed training for example, medicine, law among others. This implies that the teachers who are presented to handle students should go through the entire training process. This would ensure that they do not alter the quality of information presented to their students. Darling-Hammond (1994) is of the opinion that implementation of the alternative programs to certification is a scapegoat for allowing unlicensed and untrained teachers into the classroom in the disguise of presentation of a solution to teacher shortages. Eventually, the entire quality of teaching will be forsaken. To lay emphasis on this fact, she noted that tutors from the Teach for America program “often have difficulty with curriculum development, pedagogical content knowledge, students’ different learning styles, classroom management, and student motivation” (p.21). Reiterating the argument that substantial training is necessary to become an eloquent teacher, a commission of 23 frontrunners in education policy came up with the following conclusion: “A college minor or major, or professional expertise in the sector assures neither a mastery of subject matter nor the capability to teach it triumph fully. The knowledge base of tutoring is deficient unless candidates are well aware of not only the course content, but also the know-how of tutoring as well” (National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, 2003). On the other side, the proponents of alternative teacher certification program do so on either practical or philosophic grounds. Initially, state legislatures enhanced the alternative programs in a bid to deal with the problem of teachers’ shortage in the areas of derivative mathematics and science. However, since these because shortages were persistent in other levels and content areas in some of the state’s rural and urban schools, there was the establishment of alternative teacher certification programs in in elementary levels, bilingual education special education. Those who shore up alternative certification programs as a means of redressing teacher shortages do not ideally view alternative certification routes as desirable. In fact, many view alternative official recognition as a “last solution” to be used only when traditionally certified teachers are in petite supply (Hawley 1992). Actually, some states make their alternative routes accessible to potential teachers just in shortage areas. For instance, studies into how alternative certification programs were structured in Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, and South Carolina indicated that these programs were not available to forthcoming elementary teachers due to the fact that state officials in these states alleged no elementary teacher shortages (Feistritzer and Chester, 2002). Some proponents of alternative certification suppose, however, that alternative certification should be viewed as a “first solution” rather than as a “last solution” and that doing away with traditional certification barriers will enlarge and improve the employment pool by giving hope to the academically talented and ethnically miscellaneous candidates to cross the threshold in the profession (Hess 2001; Kanstoroom and Finn 1999). According to a program signed by 54 leaders in education policy, “The regulatory approach [imposed by traditional certification requirements] assumes that eloquent teaching rests on a firm foundation of specialized professional knowledge regarding pedagogy that is scientifically structured by solid research. In reality, however, much of that knowledge base is rickety and diverged.” The manifesto then goes on to state, “Onerous certification requirements dissuade well-educated and enthusiastic individuals who might make excellent teachers but are put off by the charges, in time and money, of completing a conformist training program” (Kanstoroom and Finn1999). These alternative certification proponents argue that as long as people seize subject matter proficiency, gained either from their bachelor’s major or their work practices, they should be given the chance to tutor. Differences between alternative certification and traditional programs Alternative certification programs differ from traditional certification programs. These programs differ in terms of timing, the target group, amount of training and the types of institutions that each program is offered in. On average, the entrants to alternative certification programs differ from traditional certification program entrants because they are frequently older and more ethnically assorted (Zeichner and Schulte 2001). One reason for the variance is that alternative certification programs are devised in the direction of older candidates. Evidently, the distinctive traditional certification candidate attains complete certification by completing either a bachelors’ degree or a graduate program. National data disclose that most obtain their certification as undergraduates. In disparity, alternative certification programs elatedly target those who already have a bachelor’s degree and regularly aim at those seeking to make a mid-career shift into teaching. In addition to differences in the timing and quantity of training, different kinds of institutes and trainers repeatedly operate alternative certification and traditional certification programs. Traditionally certified candidates habitually obtain their training from institutions of higher education and are taught by professors of education. In contrast, a diversity of institutions and professionals recommend alternative certification programs. The institutions comprise local education agencies, state subdivisions of education, superior education institutions, and partnerships between or among two or all three of these institution types. Moreover, alternative certification training courses are universally taught by school administrators, principals, or specialized teachers as well as by professors of education (Goldhaber, and Brewer, 1997). The amount of classroom tuition alternative certification candidates must obtain before obtaining full certification varies significantly among alternative certification programs. In addition, as noted above, the literature and the expert panel point to content differences between AC and TC programs. However, less has been written about how the curricular content differs among AC programs. In general, interviews with AC program overseers revealed that although the amount of itinerary work varied among programs, the universal topics covered in courses varied slightly and normally included courses in pedagogy, infant progress, and classroom running (Goldhaber and Dominic, 2000). Alternative certification programs’ contribution to future educators Up to now the only source of regulation for a country’ of licensing authority for teacher certification is the government. Most governments in the world have come to the realization that there is indeed a shortage for skilled teachers. Skilled teachers in this case refer teachers that don’t rely on copy-paste mode of teaching. This is because most teachers rely on using the copy and post mode of teaching. Such a mode of delivering education to the students is really dangerous for it might not offer the right influence for a student when as early as possible. Alternative teacher certification in full essence offers these qualified and skilled teachers who can leave a big impact on the student’s career choice and direction. It is worthy noting that that the said alternatively certified teacher have had enough exposure to the subjects under their career path. The state makes it possible for this impact to be obtained by the students by licensing alternative teaching program. Alternative teacher certification programs in the modern day have increased their entry grades for person willing to be certified. This has been made in regard to the changing technological advancement. All teachers must meet the requirement outlined by such programs. Problem solving is of paramount importance to daily tasks to ensure we do not indicate a failure and to yield the best results the structure of our problem solving should help in predicting a potential problem, analyzing it so that the problem will not actually happen after mitigation. Failure analysis involves realizing the weak points that pose as potential failure hot spots. Professional and graduates who are certified through alternative teacher certification programs are fully aware of such problems. This is because of the large exposure to problems pertaining the subjects they teach and career guidance skills. Problem solving in institutions is defined by purposes and the problem solving hand. Alternatively certificated teachers are in a position to understand and recognize often used terminologies used in problem solving in each career path. Most of these terms are often confused by traditionally trained teachers, making problem-solving process complicated and even maybe getting the wrong results. To solve a problem one must first understand all the terms and tricks used in a certain career given to solve the mystery (Goldhaber, and Brewer, 1997). Educational knowledge cannot be transferred from the teacher to the student as the sole method, but rather through educational directional of the students towards what is real and the student is left to make further research and analysis to determine the real true answer. Education is not like a firm business management strategy that has to be strict. Education should be passed thorough the best way that students can understand. The students has to rely understand what he wants to achieve; this can only be made possible through proper guidance of the student, through using teachers with alternative certification. This is made possible by the fact and ideology of specialization to both career choice and the role model come teachers with alternative certification. Alternative certification teachers achieve proper understanding from students due to the strategies that they use. The ability to learn is within every student. A student should only be pointed the direction to go and then use the ideas laid to him to learn more. Therefore, the best education must teach an individual as whole and not just a part of them. This should also be applicable in the whole society, when teaching the society then you are obliged to teach the whole society and not just a single person. Knowledge can only be achieved by self searching to find and unlock the answers. this is a good method of tackling problems as it allows a person to really ask himself questions about the nature of the problem and puts the person in a better position to understand the problem. However, proper guidance should be provided as in the case of setting a pathway to direct the student on problem solving. This is where the alternative certification teachers come in the teachers have wide exposure to their career path. The alternative certification teachers are in better position therefore to advise the student on both career and the best way to come up with learning strategies. The power to self believes brings about the power of understanding. This will enable a person to see the intellectual instead of the visible. it puts a person in a position to think what can be achieved rather than look at the challenges ahead (Goldhaber and Dominic, 2000). Alternative certification teachers program being alternative teacher certification program basic purpose is to output the most talented and committed teachers for the purpose of efficiency in an institution. Achievement of this efficiency in an institution is achieved via the dynamics of career paths of the alternative certification teachers. Such a team with relevant and variant career knowledge relies on restructuring former strategies applied in an institution that they come across. Through use of relevant strategies application, alternative certification teachers influence the learning mode of the students. The strategies include group work and discussion. Students with the same problem should help one another to overcome their problems once these groups are formed they should not be disbanded after use and instead they should focus their energy to someway else to continue helping the poor performing students. Traditional certification of teachers don not fully exploits the idea of working just for money. The traditional method is a good platform for anyone to become a teacher in any field that they choose. On the other hand, alternative certification teachers have been exposed to a lot of personal and work challenges in both career and work related issues. Every person should have access to quality education and up to the level that a person can manage. Everyone has different capabilities, which is very true since people are created differently with different talents. To educate every child in the best way possible isn’t an easy task; therefore the government should that responsibility. Having students specializing at early stage becomes even harder to achieve, especially under the instruction of traditionally certified teachers. Early guidance on career specialization gives the children at least a direction in life. The teaching staff should be intellectuals with vitreous minds, which I very well support. The management and the teaching staff should be bright people with the career at their heart to guard and care. A candidate doing his own research under instruction from someone with career mastery is better placed to understand all the theories formulated in the education system. A alternative certification teacher having learnt on his own and by doing some research is able to adapt to new conditions at the job as he is already used to solving the questions. References Darling-Hammond, L. “Teacher Quality and Student Achievement: A Review of State Policy Evidence.” Education Policy Analysis Archives, vol. 8, no. 1, January 1, 2000. Feistritzer, C. E. and D. T. Chester. (2002). Alternative Teacher Certification: A State-by- State Analysis. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Information. Fetler, Mark. “High School Staff Characteristics and Mathematics Test Results.” Education Policy Analysis Archives, vol. 7, no. 9, March 26, 1999. Goldhaber, D. D., and D. J. Brewer. (1997). Evaluating the Effect of Teacher Degree Level of Educational Performance. In W. Fowler (Ed.), Developments in School Finance. Goldhaber, D., and Dominic, J. “Does Teacher Certification Matter? High School Teacher Certification Status and Student Achievement.” Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis, vol. 22, no. 2, Summer 2000, pp. 129-145. Miller, John W., Michael C. McKenna, and Beverly A. McKenna. “A Comparison of Alternatively and Traditionally Prepared Teachers.” Journal of Teacher Education, vol. 49, no. 3, May-June 1998, pp. 165-176. Monk, D. H. “Subject Area Preparation of Secondary Mathematics and Science Teachers and Student Achievement.” Economics of Education Review, vol. 13, no. 2, 1994, pp. 125-145. Read More