Center For Applied Teaching and Learning
to Yield Scientific Thinking

CARE Conference

Louisiana Tech University's CATALyST Staff (Center for Applied Teaching and Learning to Yield Scientific Thinking) recently attended the CARE (Children and Rural Education) Conference held on the University of Louisiana at Monroe campus.

Director Linda Ramsey and staff members Cathi Cox, Sherri Ferrel, and Mary Helen Blanchard joined teachers from across the nation, government officials and policy makers, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and other educational stakeholders on April 3-5, 2005, for the first national meeting of its kind. The joint effort focused attention on rural education while establishing an agenda that will serve as a blueprint for rural education research for years to come.

In addition, groups from New Mexico, Montana Tech University, North Dakota State University, East Carolina University, and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center engaged in the conference through compressed video technology.

Funded by a $200,000 National Science Foundation grant, the conference highlighted the themes of organizing every school for teaching and learning success; insisting on quality teacher preparation, program accreditation, and licensure; and developing and sustaining professionally rewarding career paths for teachers from mentored induction through accomplished teaching.

Participants were afforded a chance to hear research based remarks while reflecting on the following questions during each keynote address and breakout session:

  1. ) What is the current situation in rural education?
  2. ) How can we make rural schools places people want to teach?
  3. ) How do we prepare pre-service teachers for rural challenges?
  4. ) How do we provide an environment designed for professional growth?
 In addition, participants worked together to develop questions for further research that pertained to rural education and how to most effectively affect its positive development.