Education Commons^™

Semi-Public Speaking: How Virtual High School Debate Competition Increased Accessibility For Marginalized Students, Annie Goodson

The Advocate

The advent of online learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic radically altered the landscape of modern education. While most research has examined the socio-emotional and academic impact of the shift to online school, far less attention has been given to its effect on extra-curricular activities. This article examines the ways in which virtual learning effected competitive high school debate, and how a transition to an entirely virtual debate format radically altered students’ and coaches’ experiences within the activity. Drawing on empirical studies and real-world experiences, this article underscores how virtual debate made the activity more accessible for historically …

Letter From The Ate-K President

The Advocate

Letter from ATE-K President, Dr. Alan English

The Advocate

The Advocate

Informative information regarding The Advocate, the peer-reviewed publication of the Association of Teacher Educators in Kansas.

Between Mandates And Molding Minds: The Challenge Of Teacher Autonomy Today, Joshua Cole Hill-Cloyd, Cynthia L. Miller

Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences

In recent years, Texas schools have witnessed a significant decline in teacher autonomy, attributable primarily to three factors: an increased emphasis on standardized testing, the prevalence of top-down leadership and bureaucracy, and the adoption of third-party curricula and commercialized content. These elements have collectively constrained educators' ability to adapt and innovate according to the unique needs of their students. Additionally, this issue has had profound ripple effects on families and communities in several ways. Possible solutions for increasing teacher autonomy will be provided that offer multiple benefits to the education system, teachers, students, and the broader community.

Promoting Civil Discourse Through Coffee And Common Ground, Alan English

The Advocate

Research suggests that America today is more politically polarized and less capable of conducting civil public discourse than at least the last several decades. These greater cultural factors unsurprisingly seem to have trickled into American schools, as teachers report increased divisiveness and conflict, particularly directed toward historically-marginalized groups, in class. While it seems sensible that public schools should play a role in teaching American children how to civilly speak with people different than themselves, teachers are often unprepared to do so. This paper describes a project-based learning activity conducted during the Fall 2022 semester which was designed to empower pre-service …

Never Going Back: Lessons To Carry Forward In Online Instruction, Howard Pitler, Amanda Lickteig, Seth Lickteig

The Advocate

Research has long demonstrated that students thrive best in an online learning community when some basic tenants are followed. These tenants include establishing a peer community, module supports, studying while balancing life commitments, confidence, and the approach to learning (Farrell & Brunton, 2020; Kahn, Egbue, Palkie, & Madden, 2017; Dixson, 2010). Cultivating active engagement in online communities is a purposeful and deliberate practice that requires educators to bring together an assortment of innovative instructional techniques to foster the establishment of Communities of Practice (COP). Wenger, Trayner, and de Laat (2011) define a CoP as a “learning partnership among people who …

Improving K-12 Classroom Literacy Instruction With The Model Of The Complete, Literate Student: Shared Perspectives By Msed Reading Program Graduates, Johannah Baugher

The Advocate

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an instructional model, used in a Master of Science in Education in Reading (MSEd) Reading program, on K-12 classroom literacy instruction. Recent, MSEd Reading program graduates had an opportunity to share their perspectives on The Model of the Complete, Literate Student. Findings from this research study will be utilized to better understand the impact of this instructional model on K-12 classroom literacy instruction, as well as current practitioners’ professional growth as literacy leaders.

The Advocate, Laurie Curtis

The Advocate

Information regarding The Advocate

A Letter From The President Of Ate-K

The Advocate

This is an introductory letter from Gary Andersen, Ph.D. the current President of ATE_K and Co-Editor of The Advocate.

The Pandemic And Teachers: How Teachers’ Daily Life In The Classroom Has Been Impacted, Bailey Mahoney

Educational Considerations

This study explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected educators during the end of the 2019-2020 school year and throughout the 2020-2021 school year. During a time with so much uncertainty, the focus has been on how best to approach the school year for students. Little conversation has happened concerning the impact on teachers. While research on this topic is limited to the short time span of the pandemic so far, teachers have shifted their instructional strategies, assessment strategies, and homework policies to match the needs of students. The following study seeks to highlight these changes and provide a voice …

Educating And Advocating: A Professional Responsibility For School Leaders And School Counselors, Jessica Lane, Donna Augustine-Shaw, Melanie Scott

The Advocate

While educators are tasked with many competing professional responsibilities, it is necessary that the focus of advocacy for student well-being stay at the forefront. In particular, for school counselors and school leaders, advocating has never been more important. This article will highlight the role of advocacy found within the professional standards for school counselors and school leaders, and shine light on the need to advocate for social-emotional learning.

Collaboration In Mathematics Teacher Education: The What, How, And Why Of Mathematical Modeling, Aubrey Neihaus, Amy Bennett

The Advocate

In this paper, we share our collaboration across the disciplines of mathematics and mathematics education to develop and implement a mathematical modeling task for prospective secondary mathematics teachers. Through this collaboration, we identified three key components of mathematical modeling: the what, how, and why. In this paper, we outline these components from the literature and how each framed our development and implementation of the Sprinkler Task in our mathematics content and mathematics methods courses for secondary teachers. These three components show that mathematical modeling is a particularly fruitful space for collaboration between the disciplines of mathematics and …

Educational Silver Linings In The Cloud Of A Global Pandemic: Our Students Are Grittier Than We Think!, Linda E. Feldstein, Gary Andersen

The Advocate

This qualitative study combines two methodological frameworks in an attempt to elucidate the best of what occurred in the teaching and learning practices during the massive school closures necessitated during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U. S. Using a phenomenological viewpoint informed by the practices of appreciative inquiry, interviews were conducted with education professionals to hear stories of unanticipated benefits in education - times where things went well, new insights were gained, new teaching techniques/frameworks explored, or significant student benefits noted. Participant voices, experiences, ‘aha’ moments, insights, and thoughts form an emergent picture of what has gone well during this …

Alternatively Certified Special Education Teachers’ Implementation Of Pbis, Mandy Lusk, Donna Sayman, Calli Lewis Chiu

The Advocate

Teachers are the primary conduit through which positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) are implemented. The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate alternatively certified special education teachers’ implementation of PBIS. All participants were in their first or second year as teachers in classrooms for pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade students with disabilities. This study examines how alternatively certified special education teachers perceive and implement PBIS within their classrooms.

A Letter From The Ate-K President, Gary Andersen

The Advocate

This is an introductory letter from Gary Andersen, Ph.D. the current President of ATE_K and Co-Editor of The Advocate.

Editorial Information For The Advocate

The Advocate

Editorial Information for The Advocate

How Are Egyptian Agricultural Students Preparing For A Career?, Ramjee P. Ghimire, D. Hashini Galhena Dissanayake, Paul Ebner, Nanda Joshi, Leah Thompson

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Egypt has made substantial progress in access to education. However a high unemployment rate among university graduates and employers being unable to find a skilled workforce are of great concern. A pragmatic approach for education that enables student to participate in career preparation activities in and outside the classrooms and prepare them for a job following their graduation is of paramount importance. Soliciting opinions from undergraduate students and professors in five agricultural universities and employers from major agricultural industries in Egypt this study aimed to identify student participation in career preparation activities, ascertain major sources for career advice and information …

Supporting High Quality Teacher Preparation: Results From A Mentoring Program For Special Education Faculty - Two Years Later, Harriet J. Bessette, Katie Bennett

The Advocate

Two years ago, we presented a newly formalized process for systematically inculcating new faculty into our department, which up to that point had relied solely on the generosity of the department chair, seasoned faculty, and other new faculty for advice, support, and the sharing of ideas, resources, and knowledge about the specifics of the university, college, department, and academe in general. The mission of our mentoring program was envisaged as providing visible and consistent support for new and early career faculty development. The program that was established was conceived as a reciprocal learning relationship characterized by trust, respect, and commitment …

Teaching Computer Science: An Exploration Of Habits Of Mind, Lauren Hays, Jenna Kammer

The Advocate

Previous research has indicated that many K-12 computer science teachers do not have a background in computer science education. This means, computer science teachers are not necessarily using established habits of mind they learned from their own studies. The purpose of this study is to understand more about the habits of mind needed by computer science educators, and students, who often have varying levels of ability and knowledge of computer science.

We answer the following research questions:

1. How do teachers of computer science use teaching strategies to develop the habits of mind needed for computing?
2. What habits of mind do …

Teacher Education Practices For Preparing Secondary-Level Preservice Teachers To Lead Whole Class Discussions, Gretchen Norland

The Advocate

This qualitative embedded, single-case study examined the perceptions and experiences of four secondary-level preservice teachers leading whole class discussions in education classes in a private Midwestern college. Despite the research on the importance of dialogic instruction, preservice teachers are inadequately prepared to facilitate discussions. Little research exists on how to help secondary-level preservice teachers develop effective discussion skills. The significance of this study highlights an increase in secondary-level preservice teachers’ abilities to lead whole class discussion through questioning strategies correlated with Bloom’s Taxonomy (1956) and practice-based teaching methods. More research is needed on the effects of practice-based teaching methods and …

A Letter From The Ate-K President, Gary Andersen

The Advocate

A letter from the ATE-K President, Dr. Gary Andersen.

Editorial Information For The Advocate

The Advocate

Editorial Information for The Advocate

Teacher Self-Efficacy: The Missing Piece To Trauma-Informed Classroom Interventions, Sarah Lancaster

The Advocate

Once a child enters kindergarten they spend the majority of their waking hours in school. Therefore, school-based interventions that are trauma informed are crucial for promoting social-emotional learning and development. While there are some promising studies, professional development programs for educators have not systematically incorporated psychoeducation on childhood trauma and the impact it has on behavior and learning, or classroom-based strategies to enhance learning and development among children with a trauma history (McConnico, Boynton-Jarrett, Bailey, & Nandi, 2016). Furthermore, educators’ perceptions on how comfortable they are dealing with the trauma of students has not been widely explored (Crosby, Day, Baroni, …

The Prevalence Of Learning Styles Theory In Kansas K-12 Classrooms: A Statistical Analysis, Alan English

The Advocate

Despite a lack of empirical evidence to support its existence, previous literature has demonstrated that Learning Styles Theory (LST) enjoys widespread popularity in education, leading many researchers to refer to it as a “myth”. This study utilized original survey data to determine Kansas K-12 teachers’ level of predilection for LST. Kansas teachers’ responses (n=147) were analyzed in comparison to that of non-Kansas teachers (n=93) in seven independent Learning Styles Theory measures. Results suggested that Kansas teachers responded statistically less-favorably to the prospect that LST is best for student learning, less likely to view LST as essential for effective instruction, and …

The Rationale For Helping Teacher Candidates Integrate Self-Reflection Into Chaotic Schedules, Sarah Y.S Tham

The Advocate

There is no doubt that teachers want to self-reflect. However, given the increasing number of teachers' responsibilities in and out of the classroom, teachers have to set priorities. In teacher education programs, self-reflection is included but often not emphasized. Teacher candidates are encouraged to reflect on their lesson plans, study materials, writing, and teaching experience, but a structured and useable framework is often lacking. In the end, instruction, assessments, diagnosis, and interventions remain at the forefront of teachers' minds, and self-reflection is put on the burner. This paper presents findings of how self-reflection influenced tutors in the classrooms they were …

A Letter From The Ate-K President

The Advocate

A letter from the ATE-K President (2019-2021)

Editorial Information For The Advocate

The Advocate

Editorial Information for The Advocate

We Are All In This Together: Teacher Preparation, Lesson Planning, And Aiding Classroom Teachers During An Emergency School Shutdown, Aaron Rife

The Advocate

This essay documents the attempt by a small group of student teachers in a secondary History/Government Education program to do something meaningful with their skills when buildings closed in early 2020 in a state of emergency and instruction was shifted to homes. Our solution was to create a digital classroom to share lessons and teaching materials for teachers to use as they grappled with distance learning.

Virtual Tools Show Promise For Moving The Needle On Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Family Engagement, Tamra Mitchell, Socorro Herrera

The Advocate

The school building closures of spring 2020 fundamentally disrupted education in Kansas, but out of this disruption emerged the need and opportunity for schools and educators to be creative and innovative. At a time when every parent in our state was either employed as an essential worker and working longer hours, trying to work from home, or trying to navigate the loss of their job, they were also trying to support their children with continuous learning. This required Kansas schools to think differently and try new strategies for truly engaging families. One promising innovation that many schools piloted was to …

Learning Will Continue, Mischel Miller, Debbie K. Mercer

The Advocate

When Kansas school buildings were closed for the remainder of spring 2020, school leaders responded to ensure learning would continue for the P-12 500,000 students. Rapid change research provides a framework for looking at the response needed during this pandemic. The Kansas State Department of Education led efforts to pivot to remote learning. This article analyzes research data from all public and private schools related to challenges during this time. Access to technology, both devices and internet, remote delivery modes for teaching and learning, and use of paper packets are discussed as the State strengthens and moves forward.