Education Commons^™

Department-Integrated Information Literacy: A Middle Ground, William Joseph Thomas

The Southeastern Librarian

Much of the current literature on information literacy on college and university campuses encourages instructional services librarians and departments to pursue one of two options: either integrate information literacy into the curriculum as a campus-wide initiative, or establish a forcredit information literacy course taught by librarians. For a variety of reasons, instructional programs may not be able to accomplish either of these goals immediately. Perhaps the library does not have the institutional influence to mount a campus-wide program, or maybe the library lacks the needed resources in terms of personnel or instructional facilities. Tackling the planning required for a program …

The Continuing Challenges Of Technology Integration For Teachers, Pamela Morehead, Barbara Labeau

Essays in Education

Technology development in the beginning of 21st century has changed not only the way classrooms appear, but also necessitates a change in how students in the classrooms learn. However, a problem continues to exist related to teachers using technology in meaningful ways for instruction. . In this article, we suggest that school districts use a curriculum mapping process to help teachers initially understand their curriculum more deeply. We posit that once teachers have an understanding of curriculum and learning processes, technology integration is possible. Once linkages form between what students need to know and teachers’ knowledge of how technology is …

Learning Focused Schools Strategies: The Level Of Implementation And Perceived Impact On Student Achievement, James L. Pate, Nicole M. Gibson

Essays in Education

Max Thompson’s Learning Focused Strategies approach to school improvement has been embraced by school leaders and teachers as an approach to redesign and reform public schools. The program developers claim schools with 90% minority students and 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch programs can achieve at high levels on required curriculum. Examined are the beliefs and attitudes of teachers as related to the degree of implementation of Learning Focused Strategies in their classrooms. The study supported the premise that LFS are research based and effective, that teachers believe the strategies will improve instruction, high level of implementation, …

On The Influence Of Grouping Practices On Classroom Teaching, Emin Aydin, Ilker Tugal

Essays in Education

The article starts with a historical overview, discusses the arguments for and against ability grouping. It surveys the literature on different practices of grouping that exist in the American and British literature. The study mainly focuses on instructional grouping practices based on ability and on cooperation. It discusses arguments for and against ability grouping. The study also presents information about the use of mastery learning with cooperative strategies.

Wisdom, Intelligence, And Creativity Synthesized., Susan Daniels

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Wisdom, as explored by Sternberg is the application of successful intelligence and creativity. For thirty years, Dr. Sternberg has been a vocal critic of narrow conceptions of intelligence. In this recent work, he argues that a more comprehensive view of intelligence must go beyond the psychometrically based, IQ-driven views predominant in the last century.

High-Stakes Testing And Special Populations, Gary H. Sherwin, Todd Jennings

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This opinion paper critically examines the use of high-stakes testing on special populations. Without appropriate accommodations, standardized exams are not valid for some students with special needs. Unfortunately, many classroom teachers who must initiate testing accommodations lack knowledge of appropriate accommodations and regularly fail to provide the necessary testing accommodations. The deficit understanding of testing accommodations makes comparisons between classrooms, schools, and districts invalid since some scores loose validity. Solutions specific to standardized testing and students with special needs are offered and a more encompassing solution to the problems incurred from these tests when used for high-stakes is suggested.

High-Stakes Testing And Assessment: One Is Not The Other, Enrique Murillo, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Since the institution of the common school and the advent of universal education, Americans have placed tremendous faith in public schools. Public education cultivates an informed citizenry, one of the pillars of a liberal democracy. But more importantly, schools are a repository for our common dreams of human potential and individual self-actualization. Because they so thoroughly shape the lives and life-chances of our youth, school issues are freighted with an emotional charge. Education remains the last fully public American institution, one in which millions of students cast their common lot daily and strive to become better readers, better citizens, better …

To Wonder, Wander, And Linger In The World Of Standardized Testing, Randall Wright, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

The standards movement began as a nobly-intended effort to establish a core curriculum—a template of knowledge and skills that would guide teaching and learning across the K-12 curriculum. Our attempts to standardize curriculum may have unintended and deleterious side-effect: The atrophying of the mind’s natural tendencies for exploratory play and inherently imaginative dimensions. This paper engages us in a critical remembering of our pedagogical relationships with children. It reminds us of children’s ways of being and asks how we might engage them in a rigorous appreciation of curricular literacies without thwarting their wonderful wanderings. Ultimately, we worry about the place …

Benefits Of Teacher Modeling Of Reading And Literature Discussion Groups In A Fifth-Grade Classroom, Julianna Recksiek

Essays in Education

In an attempt to incorporate research-based strategies including teacher modeling of reading and literature discussion groups into a fifth-grade reading curriculum, a teacher finds her students in a small, southwest town very receptive. This teacher research project involved reading with students while they were reading, as well as reading aloud to students as a regular part of reading instruction. Students also benefited from participation in literature discussion groups centered on a book of their choice. Positive effects on attitudes, reading behaviors, and progress in reading resulted.

Efficacy And Perception Of Inclusion At The Secondary Level For Students With Mild Disabilities: A Review Of The Literature, Tracy Blankenship Ph.D., Cecil Fore, Iii Ph.D., Richard T. Boon Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of this article is to provide a review of the published literature on the efficacy and perception of inclusion for students with mild disabilities at the secondary level. In this review, ten studies were obtained, reviewed, and synthesized. The studies reviewed indicated mixed results have been found regarding the differential efficacy of an inclusive environment to a resource environment on a number of different dependent variables. Further concerns and challenges are raised regarding aspects of implementation of inclusive programs. Future research issues and implications for both teachers and students with mild disabilities at the secondary level are discussed.

Special Education Students' Placement Preferences As Shown In Special Education Journals, Maurice Miller Ph.D., Pamela Garriott Ph.D., Deanna Mershon Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of this review was to determine what has been found about placement perceptions and preferences of those who are most impacted by LRE placement decisions—the students themselves. Eleven studies were found in recent issues of most frequently-read special education journals. While a variety of preferences were found, the number who expressed strong preference for the general education classroom was noteworthy. Student preference is considered to be an influential variable in the performance of the students.

Opinions About Challenge By Choice Held By Undergraduate And Graduate Students In Outdoor Education Academic Programs At Georgia College & State University, Ryan L. Sharp

The Corinthian

A primary concern when discussing the concept of Challenge by Choice (CxC) is defining it and identifying how it is used. This study is a survey of students in the outdoor education academic programs at Georgia College & State University. The primary objective of the study was to compare graduate and undergraduate student opinions about the meaning and use of CxC. It was hypothesized that graduate students would have different opinions about the concept then undergraduate students. Twenty students responded to an eight item online survey. Data was analyzed using a chi-square test. No statistical significance at the alpha .05 …

Best Practices In Educator Preparation, Deborah Gober

Perspectives In Learning

One of the themes emphasized in the College of Education (COE) Conceptual Framework is excellence in teaching. As defined in the Conceptual Framework, excellence in teaching embodies the use of best practices which embody a variety of educational ideas and activities that lead to improved student learning. The phrase “best practice” is used frequently in fields such as medicine or law to describe reputable work based on current research and employing the latest knowledge, technology, and procedures in the field (Zemelman, Daniels, & Hyde, 1998). However, best practice in education has been somewhat difficult to define.

Measuring Christian Education Against National And State Standards: A Review Of The Literature, Beth Gordy Waddell

Perspectives In Learning

Almost all states within the United States have adopted state education standards as a tool to measure the knowledge and skills needed and the expected outcomes students should be achieving within a given school year (Juarez, 1999). There are two kinds of standards, content standards and performance standards. Content standards indicate what a student should know and be able to do. Performance standards incorporate content standards, but are expanded to include suggested tasks, sample student work, and teacher commentary on that work (Georgia Department of Education, 2004). According to Robert J. Marzano, a Senior Fellow at the Mid-Continent Research for …

Eating Disorders In School-Aged Children, Terri Darden, Kelly Hedrick

Perspectives In Learning

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM-IVTR) lists criteria for anorexia nervosa that include refusing to maintain a normal body weight, weighing 85% below normal. Postmenarcheal females can be amenorrheic, having the absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles. Individuals diagnosed with this disorder have a fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. The DSM-IV- TR reports that 90% of anorexia nervosa cases occur in females (DSM-IV- TR, 2005). Research shows that at some time during their adolescence around half of high school and college age girls and 10% of boys will develop …

When Children Have Children: Teenage Pregnancy, Atsuko Kawamata, Rodney Roundtree

Perspectives In Learning

Because teenage pregnancy affects so many people, it is receiving a great deal of attention in the United States as well as in other leading nations. Teaching young people that sex before marriage is not acceptable does not prevent pregnancy. Recognizing that teen’s sexual behavior is a crucial part of their development will lead to honest and accurate information about sex. This will help teens express their sexuality in safe and healthy way. Therefore, prevention strategies should be created that address the needs of sexually active teens. Males should also be included in prevention strategies. Young males are often overlooked …

Inclusion: Where We've Been, Where We Are, Where We're Going, Marie S. Farmer Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

In 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was enacted and its pressure to have all students achieve academically has caused many teachers and administrators to reconsider whether mentally retarded children should be included in regular classes. The purpose of this study was to survey experienced professionals in the field of special education to get their insight about the future role of inclusion for students with mild intellectual disabilities. Members of the Georgia Council on Exceptional Children members were surveyed to find out their expectations for the future of the education of mentally retarded children in the next ten years. While …

General Education Teachers' Attitude Regarding The Use In Their Classes Of Assistive Technology By Students With Learning Disabilities, Kimberly D. Garcia, Randy L. Seevers Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of this study was to determine the general education teachers’ attitude regarding the use in their classes of assistive technology by students with learning disabilities. A five-point Likert scale was used for this study. The participants were general education teachers from elementary and secondary schools in a southwest region on the Gulf Coast of Texas. The survey helped gather information to determine the attitudes of general education teachers regarding the use of assistive technology by students with learning disabilities in their classes. The hypothesis was that general education teacher’ attitudes would be positive towards students with learning disabilities …

A Study Of School Headship In The Context Of Inclusion Of Learning Disabled Students As Perceived By School Staff In Mainstream Secondary Schools In Israel, Tsafi Timor Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The study aims to investigate staff perceptions of school headship in relation to the inclusion of learning-disabled students. The main question is whether head teachers perceived to be leaders develop an inclusive vision towards learning-disabled students more than those who are perceived to be managers. The study relies on the perceptions of head teachers, counselors and teachers in five secondary schools in the Tel-Aviv area, Israel. The method of enquiry that was applied was the interpretive approach which allowed for an analysis via interviews, and elements of the survey approach and documentary analysis. The analysis and conclusion indicated that an …

Diversity And Special Education: Korean Inter-Agency Network (Kin), Cam Cobb

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Diversity and Special Education: Korean Inter-Agency Network (KIN) explores issues relating to ethno cultural identity and special education. The paper outlines potential needs within the Korean-Canadian community, and identifies a source of support that has been developed by the community itself. Cobb concludes that agencies, such as the Korean Inter-Agency Network, can provide a vital link between schools and communities as educators and parents work together to dialogue, and develop formal and informal sources of support for children.

Use Of Authentic Language Materials To Teach Foreign Languages, Jose' Villavicencio

Perspectives In Learning

Based on these standards that require that instruction be proficiency-oriented, the teacher must plan activities that develop the students’ ability to communicate in the target language. To become proficient in the target language, the students must use the language in meaningful exchanges and in activities that promote moving up the proficiency scale as defined by the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelinesfor K-12 Learners (1999). These guidelines specify what the students should be able to know and do in the target language. With these standards in mind, the teacher should design lessons that facilitate the interaction in the target language in culturally authentic …

Building A Framework For Change, Janet Lafortune, Carol Ann Wood

Perspectives In Learning

Change is never easy. Sustained change in education is particularly difficult. To get the desired results, all of the stakeholders must have a shared vision for learning. It is a process not a destination. Brewer Elementary School has been in the process of change in the past several years. Brewer is in the heart of Columbus, Georgia. The school opened in 1991. The building itself is a welcome focal point in a community of apartments, low rent housing, trailer parks and businesses. It is a safe, clean, happy place for children to learn. The school currently has approximately 520 students …

Collaboration Between Universities And Public Schools For Improved Student Achievement: A Report On The Progress Of A Developing Partnership, Paul T. Hackett, James E. Witte, Maria Martinez Witte, Iris Saltiel, Mike Johnson, Kathy Hesler

Perspectives In Learning

This article reports the progress of one project aimed at bringing together professionals from post-secondary and K-12 environments. The project is being implemented at Richards Middle (RMS) in Columbus, Georgia and involves a collaborative partnership between several universities and RMS, resulting in a school-based evaluation initiative with direct implications for strengthening leadership, training, and instructional practices in schools. Faculty researchers from three universities from two states, Troy University, Columbus State University, and Auburn University are working collaboratively with faculty and staff of Richards Middle School on an inquiry with a three-fold purpose. The primary goal is to evaluate the effectiveness …

Books, Blocks, And Bridges: Fostering Early Literacy Development In Child Care Settings, Vikki K. Collins

Perspectives In Learning

Millions of American families with preschool children utilize child care settings each day. Since the number of mothers in the work force has increased drastically in the last two decades (O’Neill & O’Connell, 2001), it is estimated that almost 12 million children younger than age 5 spend part of their days in the care of people other than their parents (U. S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2002). Child care settings include day care homes and day care centers. In Muscogee County, Georgia, there are 99 state-registered day care homes and 62 state-licensed day care centers. In the eight-county …

Recognition And Treatment Of Adolescent Substance Abuse: Who Are The Substance Abusers?, Lori Beckwith, Shea Bailey

Perspectives In Learning

There is a serious threat to the health and well being of America today: the threat of substance abuse. It affects everyone on some level: the friend’s child who is always in trouble with the law, the family member whose activities are kept secret, or the work colleague who habitually calls in sick. For many, the abuser lives in their own home. The problem of abuse is not discriminating; it can even start in early adolescence. When the individual who is using is an adolescent, it affects their parents, peers, school, and community. In a study by the U.S. Department …

Jaepl, Vol. 11, Winter 2005-2006, Kristie S. Fleckenstein, Linda T. Calendrillo

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Essays

Kami Day. We Learn More Than Just Writing.

In a composition class, students learn a great deal more, for good or ill, than just strategies for writing. This article shows that, as students and teachers learn to recognize and value their own inner teachers, they can also develop relationships with each other that nourish their spirits as well as their intellects.

Gina DeBlase. 'I Have a New Understanding': Critical Narrative Inquiry as Transformation in the English-History Classroom.

This case study highlights what roles classroom discussion and activity around literature, history, and society play in developing one student’s …

We Learn More Than Just Writing, Kami Day

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

In a composition class, students learn a great deal more, for good or ill, than just strategies for writing. This article shows that, as students and teachers learn to recognize and value their own inner teachers, they can also develop relationships with each other that nourish their spirits as well as their intellects.

Headstands, Writing, And The Rhetoric Of Radical Self-Acceptance, Geraldine Deluca

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

By emphasizing the importance of patient practice as an end in itself, yoga offers a model teaching and learning writing that can help students move forward in a context of self-acceptance and find the sources of their own talents and values.

Reviews, Edward J. Sullivan, Gabriele Rico, Megan Brown, Kim Mccollum-Clark

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Reviews

Edward J. Sullivan. Ken Wilber: Thought as Passion. (Frank Visser, 2003).

Gabriele Rico. A Way to Move: Rhetorics of Emotion and Composition Studies. (Ed. Dale Jacobs and Laura R. Micciche, 2003).

Megan Brown. Living the Narrative Life: Stories as a Tool for Meaning Making. (Gian S. Pagnucci, 2004).

Kim McCollum-Clark. Personally Speaking: Experience as Evidence in Academic Discourse. (Candace Spigelman, 2004).

The Committee On Diversity's Plan Of Action, Rochelle P. Ripple, Jose' Villavicencio

Perspectives In Learning

Recent work of the College of Education’s Committee on Diversity has included plans to provide a curriculum and experiences aimed at increasing all education candidates’ knowledge of, sensitivity to, and strategies and techniques for teaching diverse P-12 students. This comprehensive plan was initiated in the 2002- 2003 academic year with a workshop conducted for faculty, administration, and staff of the COE. The workshop raised awareness of the diverse nature of P-12 students (and connected this awareness with bringing these students to higher levels of learning). Diversity was also defined more broadly to include race, gender, cultural background, religion, geographical area …