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What is the state of the English education methods course in the 21 st century? Summarizing the research in English teacher education since the last major study (Smagorinsky & Whiting, 1995) of how English teachers are prepared, the authors review the state of the profession to examine trends in the field since the recent revision of the NCTE guidelines for teacher preparation, the redefinition of what constitutes methods coursework in and across programs, the rising numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse learners, the demands of assessment and accountability, and the integration of the field experience with content. The authors review research related to teaching reading strategies, integrating fieldwork with English education coursework, addressing standards in planning and teaching, meeting the needs of English language learners, and teaching with and about technology to determine how English teacher education is adapting to the demands of educating English teachers in the 21 st century. Members of a study group at the conference determined that the field of English education "encompasses three dimensions: (1) the teaching and learning of English, broadly and inclusively defined; (2) the preparation and continuing professional support of teachers of English at all levels of education; and (3) systematic inquiry into the teaching and learning of English" (CEE, 2008a, para 1). The summit attendees stressed that central to the task of teaching English is the education and support of English instructors who, in turn, will assist their own students "to be creative, literate individuals; contributors to the cultural, social, and economic health of their communities; and fully participating and critically aware citizens of our democracy in a complex, diverse, and increasingly globalized world" (CEE, 2008a, para. 2). KeywordsExemplifying these dimensions with a set of core values clarified in their position statement (CEE, 2008b), the summit writers underscored the importance of interweaving theory and practice to prepare students at all ages to be literate, empathic individuals.Concurrently, another group of CEE members at the Atlanta summit raised the related question, "What do we know and believe about the roles of methods courses and field experiences in English education?" They asserted that programs exhibit a set of related professional experiences that "foster a sense of authority, a spirit of inquiry, and a belief in the possibility of change among prospective and inservice teachers as well as English educators" (CEE, 2008b, para. 1), experiences that promote partnerships, professional communities, and an 4 awareness of the contexts in which learners learn. CEE members stressed that methods course work infuses "content, pedagogy, and professionalism and provides opportunities for practice, reflection, and growth" (CEE, 2008b, Beliefs statements on coursework, para. 1) and that methods classes include the teaching of instructional practices that recognize the social and cultural contexts of a...

This article addresses the impetus for joining and maintaining writing groups in academe. The authors consider the motivations and purposes for organizing and forming such groups. Revealing the complexities of writing both as profession and in pursuit of the profession, they analyze their experiences as collaborative writers. They examine the delicate negotiations that accompany the organization and maintenance of writing groups. Their dialogue places writing groups into a sociocultural teaching and learning model with a constructivist epistemology, making concrete concerns expressed in the professional debate about publishing in higher education and sustaining learning.

The purpose of this literature review was to examine how language is used to describe and advance culturally-based pedagogy to critically reflect on the language employed in teacher education research. Our intent was to understand the terminology that has moved conversations of equity, diversity, and cultural ways of knowing to the center of urban education research and practice. Findings indicate the discourse of culturally-based pedagogy relies upon: (1) the exploration of the construct of culture, (2) the knowledge of the socio-historical context of specific terminology, and (3) a perspective that discourse is generative and dynamic.

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