Education Commons^™

Elementary Preservice Mathematics Teachers Fraction Knowledge: An Integrative Review Of Research, Cody J. Perry

Educational Considerations

Elementary preservice teachers struggle with fractions and explaining them despite taking numerous mathematics courses. Therefore, they may have issues when they teach fractions and related concepts. Since fractions underlie many concepts like algebra, improving teachers’ fraction knowledge is imperative. This integrative review of research synthesized findings about teachers’ fractions knowledge to provide potential strategies educator preparation programs (EPPs) can use to improve fraction mastery. The literature shows teachers lacked conceptual knowledge, used incorrect strategies and too few representations, and misunderstood magnitude and manipulatives. However, number lines and teaching conceptually helped improve mastery of fractions. Resolving issues with fraction mastery may …

Engaging Pre-Service Teachers In Interactive Social Justice-Themed Read-Alouds, Kayln Hoppe

Educational Considerations

This qualitative case study explored how pre-service teachers responded to social justice-themed picture book read-alouds in an undergraduate literacy course. Data were collected from personal observations, semi-structured focus group interviews, and student work, and were analyzed using inductive analysis. Findings indicate how reading multicultural literature aloud plays an important role in post-secondary students’ content understanding and preparation for a career in teaching. This case study may inspire teacher educators to incorporate multicultural read-alouds into higher education coursework.

Reimagining An Elementary Teacher Education Preparation Program: Striving For Integrated Teaching, Benjamin Boche, Selina Bartels, Douglas Wassilak

Educational Considerations

Despite elementary teacher education programs preparing preservice teachers in the main content areas of literacy, math, science, and social studies, few elementary school classrooms teach all four content areas on a regular and thorough basis. Therefore, elementary education teacher preparation programs should be redesigned to support an integrated teaching model of all four content areas in order to better prepare preservice teachers (PST) to serve elementary students. The main research question for this study was "How does a collaborative and integrated elementary education program impact PSTs’ knowledge and understanding of an integrated K-6 elementary classroom?" The sample included 12 preservice …

Professional Learning Opportunities For Teacher Candidates, Victoria N. Seeger, Chad Boyles

Educational Considerations

Using a case study model, the research explored how teacher candidates viewed professional learning, its impact on undergraduate preparation for the teaching profession, and what kind of role it was perceived to play by early-career teachers. Research participants responded to questions about how the professional learning impacted their views on preparation for teaching, how experiences influenced discussions with interviewers prior to being hired, and how professional learning prepared them for interacting with colleagues and administrators. The participants’ perceptions were explored through surveys and focus groups.

Our Moonshot: Dighton Public Schools, Kelly Arnberger

Educational Considerations

“Through redesign you have the opportunity do whatever you choose to do to make your school reflect the needs and desires of your community. I believe our public-school teachers can do the great things we keep hearing private and charter schools do if we would just let them.” Randy Watson said something to that effect at Dighton in January, 2017. We would now have permission to make our school reflect the true mission, vision, and values of our community without constraint. Sounds great! At least many of us in attendance listening to Dr. Watson that day thought so. We chose …

Author Chris Crutcher: Speaking Out On Teachers’ Role In Aiding Children Of Trauma, Lori Goodson

Educational Considerations

Nationally known young adult author Chris Crutcher shares his thoughts on how teachers can help students who are dealing with trauma in their lives.

Lessons Learned From The British: The Liverpool Project, Claudia J. Mcvicker

Educational Considerations

Universities around the country are beginning to feel the need to add a global dimension to their programs. One way to prepare teachers to address the challenges associated with teaching children in a global age is through carefully structured, international study abroad where the candidates are immersed in another culture and school system. This article seeks to demonstrate how a successful Teacher Education study abroad program can develop and transform pre-service candidates’ global perspective. This qualitative study was informed by the use of journal writing to prompts by ninety-six teacher education students over three different summers to learn about the …

Kristin Ziemke: Digital Learning Can Turn Students Into Agents Of Change Around The Globe, Lotta Larson, Lori Goodson

Educational Considerations

This Educational Considerationsissue, with its theme of “Teaching and Learning in a Global Community,” highlights education in an ever increasingly connected world—and how we get our students prepared to not only survive, but thrive in such an expanding environment. As we considered this topic, one of the individuals who came to mind almost instantly was Kristin Ziemke (https://www.kristinziemke.com/)—an educator who has done so much to create bridges in this global community and helped lead us all on our digital journey.

Changing Teacher Education: Challenging Assumptions And Moving Forward, Todd Goodson

Educational Considerations

This issue marks the first under the direction of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Kansas State University. This issue is devoted to the theme Changing Teacher Education, and our contributing authors explore various aspects of change and their implications for both teacher education as well as K-12 education. The issue also includes a new feature, Key Conversations, devoted to an interview with a leading figure whose work illuminates the theme of the issue.

Karen Symms Gallagher: Caep Chair Shares Insight Into Teacher Preparation, Accreditation, Lori Goodson

Educational Considerations

At the heart of teacher preparation, changes are taking place—a push for continued high standards and an effort to determine the impact various programs are having on P-12 student learning. Leading the way is the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), which emerged in 2010 from education leaders’ desire for a next generation of accreditation model to improve the preparation of teachers for America’s schools.

In this challenging environment, Karen Symms Gallagher, the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the University of Southern California (USC) Rossier School of Education shares her insight as the recently selected …