Thus, the role of the university becomes one of preparing a new kind of teacher who can challenge existing norms and reinvent schools to meet emerging needs. Central to this preparation is the development of teacher leadership. For this reason, a task force has convened to re-imagine advanced teacher education at the University of Louisville, based on the following beliefs and goals. It is our belief that there is no concept, skill or process that is currently taught from birth through high school that cannot be learned by anyone-with the rare exception of those with profound learning disabilities or medical conditions. It is our job as educators to design learning opportunities that fulfill and expand our potential rather than limit it.
Teachers are leaders and inventors of quality work for students.
Learning occurs when students construct knowledge and make meaning based on their experiences, beliefs and values. Teachers must be committed to principles of equity and social justice and evidence these principles in their practice. The work of teachers is to ensure learning for all students by designing instruction that is engaging, of high quality, encourages students to persist, and honors diversity. Schools are places where both the students and adults are engaged in continuous learning and where they acquire the skills to become lifelong learners. Technology will facilitate student and adult learning in new directions, which we have not even imagined.