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The Massachusetts Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (MACTE) recently hosted its Annual Spring Conference on March 21 in Sturbridge, Mass., themed, “Why Teach? Collaborating, Inspiring, and Empowering Educator Preparation,” which explored the challenges and opportunities shaping the education profession.

The daylong conference, dedicated to advancing educator preparation in Massachusetts, featured a keynote panel and presentations from several College of Education faculty, staff and doctoral candidates. Those included Associate Professor of Teacher Education and School Improvement Keisha Green, and doctoral candidate Alicia Lopez, who discussed the conference theme topic as part of the keynote interactive panel.

Professors Maria José Botelho and Margaret Felis and doctoral candidate Carolyn Peterson presented “Redesigning Lesson Plan Templates through Translanguaging: A Loving & Joyful Process,” while Professor Ysaaca Axelrod and Educator Preparation Coordinator Sandra Sarucia presented “Advocating for Play in Early Grades with School Partnership.”

In other conference activity, Beverley Bell, assistant dean of educator preparation, was re-elected as Board of MACTE treasurer.

MACTE is a statewide organization of educators, professionals and member institutions, including UMass Amherst, and an official state affiliate of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. The organization is committed to improving educator preparation through advocating for stronger policy, legislation, regulations and other matters related to educator preparation and licensure.