From Little Seeds Grow Mighty Trees: Transforming Teacher Preparation Literacy Methods’ Courses during the 2020 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

This article describes how three higher education literacy faculty shifted their traditional face-to-face instruction to a combined synchronous and asynchronous delivery in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic and subsequent closure of the university. Faculty share specific lessons that were learned over the first year of the pandemic, and how these lessons guided the redesign and delivery of assignments and activities for required literacy courses in the early childhood and elementary teacher preparation programs. Faculty recognized the great need for resources, both external and internal, in order for them to grow and mature as they entered into the virtual teaching environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Asynchronous
• lessons
• literacy
• pandemic
• remote teaching
• synchronous
• teacher preparation
• virtual

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kimberly Kimbell-Lopez

Kimberly Kimbell-Lopez is a professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership in the College of Education at Louisiana Tech University. She has been an educator for over 30 years, and her areas of expertise include literacy and technology. She can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].

Elizabeth Manning

Elizabeth Manning is a professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership in the College of Education at Louisiana Tech University. A veteran K-8 teacher of 30 years, her areas of interest include content area literacy, writing workshop, and curriculum design and development. Dr. Manning can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].

Carrice Cummins

Carrice Cummins is a professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership in the College of Education at Louisiana Tech University. She has 45 years experience as an educator and served as the President of the International Reading Association (IRA). She can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].