handbook for cooperating teachers - Wilmington University

to make judgments, come to informed decisions, suggest desirable practices, and ask importantquestions (Danielson, 2002; Griffin, et. al., 1984; Marzano, 2003).We believe that relying totally upon this body of knowledge is insufficient when makingdecisions about teaching, schooling, and the preparation of educational personnel. We believethat single-minded dependence on empirical knowledge gained from highly disciplined processproductstudies leads to an excessively narrow vision. We believe that theoretical knowledge isof major importance. Theory is particularly powerful in helping educational personnelunderstand and make sense of their professional worlds. We believe that theory can leadthoughtful students to make their own discoveries as a consequence of increased understandings.We believe that theory can also provide a body of shared understandings across groups ofeducators who are trying to come to decisions about how to practice their profession (Hoffman &Edwards, 1986, p. 14).A clear example of this theory-to-practice linkage includes our College-wide efforts to modeland integrate, in all education coursework and experiences, elements of Adult Learning Theory(Knowles, 2005). Other examples include: how Activity Theory (Nardi, 1996), SubsumptionTheory (Ausubel, 1963), and Bransford’s Theory of Anchored Instruction (Bransford, 1990)relate to problem-based and activity-oriented lesson design; how the work of Sternberg inSuccessful Intelligence (Sternberg, 1999) and Gardner in Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, 1985)link to developing diverse instructional strategies and assessments; and how and why Dewey’sseminal ideas about constructing meaning from experience, collaboration, inquiry, activity andcreativity are even more important in today’s schools. Still other examples of theories thatinfluence our work include how Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb, 1984 and Rogers &Freiberg, 1994) and Transformation Theory (Mezirow, 1980) helps us to understand the powerand importance of reflection and the need to link learning with prior knowledge and experience;how the work of Lewin and Barker in Field Theory and Behavior Setting Theory (Barker, 1968;Lewin, 1948; and Lewin, 1951) can help educators understand person-environment interactionsand create more effective and appropriate learning environments; and how the theories ofDreikurs and Glasser can help educators develop skills to manage learning and classroomdiscipline and discipline in the school more effectively (Dreikurs, et. al. and Glasser, 1965).A third conception of knowledge deals with how educational personnel deal with issues that aremulti-dimensional, unpredictable, highly interactive, urgent, and increasingly related to societalpressures and influences (Doyle, 1977). Responses to this complexity are founded in what wecan term propositional knowledge. Propositional knowledge refers to those ideas for schoolingactivity that are put forth as proposals and suggestions for change that have yet to be givenempirical or theoretical tests of effectiveness. Such knowledge is important for its promise formaking desirable changes in educational settings. We believe that propositional knowledge canbe an important base for planning and implementing programs related to the preparation ofeducational personnel (Hoffman & Edwards, 1986, p. 15).The fourth conception of knowledge that we believe to be essential to our programs is what theeducational philosopher and researcher, Maxine Green, calls craft knowledge. Craft knowledgerefers to a coherent body of knowledge that has emerged from practical situations, cumulativeCollege of EducationProfessional PartnersCreating Environments for Learning11August 2011