This October, Northern Pennsylvania Regional College (NPRC) full-time faculty member Leigh Anne Kraemer-Naser will be leading a seminar at the annual Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (PAC-TE) Assembly in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Under the 2021 assembly theme of “Reflecting on the Past – Prospecting for the Future,” Kraemer-Naser’s presentation “Topic Mastery Opportunities: How I Let Pre-Service Teachers Design the Ways They Were Assessed” will walk participants through the innovative process of creating a ‘Topic Mastery Opportunity’ that allows for the assessment of course-specific learning objectives and practice in instructional design while maintaining alignment with curriculum, instruction, and assessment measures.
Kraemer-Naser’s seminar stems from a culmination of her work with NPRC adjunct faculty members and students. Across higher education, a disconnect can arise between the objectives being taught and the alignment of the resulting assessments with Pennsylvania academic and early learning standards and assessments. When Kraemer-Naser guided her students through the experiential learning activity, she was thrilled with her students’ work products. “I was blown away by what my students began developing,” Kraemer-Naser shared. “They were taking deep dives into topics that they were curious or passionate about and turning their ideas into well-constructed projects demonstrating course concepts.” She believes other college teacher educators may benefit from this style of practical, personalized assessment and is excited to share her expertise with her peers.
Kraemer-Naser joined NPRC in September of 2019 and currently leads the Early Childhood Education Associate of Arts program, which is one of six associate degree programs currently offered by NPRC. She holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction as well as a Pennsylvania Childcare Administration Director’s Credential.