Teacher Technology Program Hailed as Success
The number of students transferring from Citrus College to the University of La Verne to pursue a teaching or child development degree nearly tripled between 2012 and 2015 thanks to a $3.5 million federal grant focused on education advising and technology in the classroom.
It was one of many success stories presented during Citrus College’s Center for Teacher Excellence Open House April 5 at the Glendora campus. Citrus College and University of La Verne pooled their resources in a grant proposal to the Department of Education for the Title V Part B co-op grant for Hispanic Serving Institutions.
“There’s no partnership I can think of that’s stronger than the one right here in this room because we made our institutions affordable, accessible and there’s nothing more important than student success,” said University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman.
The drive to recruit more teachers is important given the nationwide post-recession teacher shortage. A 2016 report by the Learning Policy Institute indicated the increased demand for kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers is occurring at a time when the number of new teachers is at a 12-year low. The report also said enrollment in teacher education increased by only around two percent in the 2015-16 school year, as compared to the previous year.
About a third of the grant funds were awarded to La Verne for the program, Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers Today Through Technology, which is chaired by Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Donna Redman and directed by Associate Director of Learning Technology Nori Barajas-Murphy.
Barajas-Murphy said 10 students transferred from Citrus to La Verne in the fall of 2015 to major in education or child development, nearly three times the amount of the previous year.
“The students are more aware of the resources and what’s available to them in education,” Barajas-Murphy said
Citrus College used its portion of the grant to establish the Center for Teacher Excellence, a site where students interested in teaching can receive guidance for a clear path to a four-year college.
La Verne assigned Advisor Belinda Morales to serve as an on-site liaison at Citrus, Mt. San Antonio College, Riverside City College, Chaffey College and Pasadena City College for students interested in teaching and child development. In the last five years, 26 students have transferred to La Verne after meeting with the liaison, including a dozen who pursued education degrees and five pursuing child development.
“We’re starting to see an increase in the amount of students from Citrus who are interested in teaching,” Morales said.
The University of La Verne also established several informational camps designed to show aspiring teachers how they can use technology in the classroom. Professor of Education-Technology Dr. John Bartlet and his wife Linda, also a La Verne faculty member, showed students how to use applications such as Quizlet to make vocabulary flash cards. And students learned how to scan QR codes to find answers to a problem.
“They know they’re going to be more skilled in as educators if they learn these things in college and that’s what the camp is intended to do,” Barajas-Murphy said.
The program also includes faculty development training at La Verne, including instruction on classroom technology use for adjunct professors.
While 2016 marked the last year of the grant, Barajas-Murphy is currently pursuing a federal Competence and Collaboration Grant, in a third partnership with Citrus College. This grant is aimed at providing cultural competency for future teachers. The program will include topics such as auditing course readings for diverse perspectives and self-reflection on social biases.
