Education Commons^™

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.

Helping The Helpers: Tending To Kansas Educators’ Social-Emotional Needs And Self-Care During A Pandemic, Jessica J. Lane Dr., Leah Mckeeman Dr., Laura Bonella

The Advocate

On a typical day, pre-COVID 19, educators are pulled in many directions, making hundreds, if not thousands, of quick decisions. Today those dynamics are heightened with varied and additional competing needs. However, what has not changed is the essential role of an educator. Caring for students in a time of such uncertainty seems critical. However, while there is serious and necessary demand for caring for the students and families, one population that is gravely being overlooked are the helpers. The educators. Less emphasis is being placed on the wellness and self-care of those who are offering those needed social-emotional supports. …

Letter From Editors Fall Winter 2020

The Advocate

Letter from Editors Fall Winter 2020

Editorial Information For The Advocate

The Advocate

Editorial information regarding the advocate can be found here.

Student Response Rate And Its Impact On Quantitative Evaluation Of Faculty Teaching, Mingchu Neal Luo

The Advocate

Student evaluations of teaching (SET) generate essential information for university administrators and faculty in assessing instruction quality. Lower response rates in student surveys have remained an important technical issue hurting the credibility of SET. This study examined the student response rate and its impact on the results of student quantitative evaluations of faculty teaching in a college of education. It analyzed the quantitative data of course evaluations collected by using the IDEA (Individual Development and Educational Assessment, 2016) survey at a teaching-orientated Midwest state university. Results indicate that 1) the average student response rate of all these courses is 63.6%, …

Context Matters: Concepts Of School Engagement In The Context Of Geographic Isolation, Gary Andersen, Linda E. Feldstein

The Advocate

This case study research represents an attempt to gain a better understanding of conceptions of school engagement in a rural, isolated, agricultural mid-western community. Local school administrators, in collaboration with a regional university, chose to make student engagement the focus of deep inquiry in order to better address student concerns, improve teaching, and student outcomes (Association of Teacher Educators, 2007). Researchers interviewed students, teachers, and parents in a local high school, using an interview protocol specifically designed for each constituency. The study results point to a mostly behavioral, or compliance driven concept of engagement among all groups interviewed, but further …

Why Kansas Can Not Get Over The Learning Styles Myth: A Document Analysis, Alan English

The Advocate

The term “learning styles theory” refers to a belief that students have individualized modes of learning which, once determined, will lead to improved classroom performance if material is presented in that specified mode. Despite a lack of empirical evidence, it is one of the most enduring and wide-spread beliefs in public education, leading many researchers to refer to it as a “myth”. This study consists of a document analysis of the Kansas State Department of Education’s website, KSDE.org, to determine the degree of influence that learning styles theory has on Kansas’s educational system. It is hoped that doing so will …

Renovating Science Professional Development To Meet Teachers’ Needs, Julie Thiele, Ollie Bogdon

The Advocate

In order to meet the needs of elementary in-service teachers, renovated professional learning, including the components of the Effective Science Professional Development Model is vital. Increasing teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, engaging teachers in investigations, school-year coaching with the underlying theme of collaboration are encompassed in the four key components of the renovated model. Experiences shared in the article, the successes and challenges of implementing professional development with the focus of shifting science education to hands-on investigations in doing science, provide leaders in science education the opportunity to explore effective professional development opportunities and utilize this model in their schools to …

Rural Field Experiences: Promising Practices, Janet K. Stramel, Paul Adams

The Advocate

A Rural Field Experience, in which pre-service teachers are totally immersed in the rural school setting and rural life, has been successful in attracting and retaining mathematics and science teachers in rural schools. The week-long Rural Field Experience is having a lasting effect on recruiting and retaining teachers. Responses from teacher education candidates indicate that successful strategies for building partnerships support this program and approach. Funded by an NSF Robert Noyce Scholarship grant, this program includes unique courses focused on issues related to teaching in a rural community.

A Message From The Editors

The Advocate

A message from Dr. Gary Andersen and Dr. Laurie Curtis, editors of The Advocate

The Advocate

The Advocate

See this document for information regarding membership in ATE-K and submission of manuscripts to The Advocate.

Alternative Licensure Curriculum From Kansanscan Redesign Gemini Schools, Kevin L. Splichal

The Advocate

The purpose of this reflection paper is to encourage Educational Preparation Providers (EPPs) to partner with KansansCan Redesign Gemini schools to evaluate EPP curriculum through personal interviews with alternative licensure teachers in KansansCan Redesign schools. Curriculum, implemented by the EPP, should take into consideration the experiences of those for whom it is designed and tailor pedagogical instruction to better match current practices in Gemini redesign schools. Personal interviews with candidates will provide experience-based evidence for analysis and consideration by EPPs.

How Do Literacy Teacher Educators Engage As Literacy Leaders?, Laurie A. Sharp, Marla Robertson, Rebekah E. Piper, Teresa Young, Roberta D. Raymond

The Advocate

Literacy teacher educators play a pivotal role in developing future PreK-12 classroom teachers for the task of literacy leadership. However, little is known about literacy teacher educators and how they engage as literacy leaders. In the current study, we retrieved data from 132 literacy teacher educators and analyzed it descriptively using teacher educator identify as a theoretical lens. Findings revealed 15 different literacy leadership practices that represented five distinct groups. Among these groups, respondents demonstrated high and low levels of engagement with literacy leadership practices that pointed to important implications for administrators of teacher education programs.

Preparing Tomorrow’S Teachers Using The Teacher Educator Technology Competencies (Tetcs), Nicole Luongo

The Advocate

This article examines the preparation of tomorrow’s teachers by analyzing higher education teacher educators' attitudes towards the Teacher Educator Technology Competencies (TETCs). The study was based on the national education requirements that have been established by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The study focused on the current assumption that all teacher candidates will leave teacher preparation programs ready and able to use technology effectively in PK-12 classrooms. The researcher administered an online survey to a sample of teacher educators in …

Connecting Masters Project: Mathematics And Science Teaching Excellence In Rural Schools, Karla M. Childs

The Advocate

This study examined the effects of a focused professional development program for teachers in rural schools on math content knowledge and persistence measured by outcomes on the Math Assessment. Scores for all participants were analyzed (n = 37). A marked improvement was seen in the math content knowledge of teachers from the pre-assessment to the post assessment. Teachers increased their scores by 17% on the Math Assessment. The most salient result of the present study pertained to the number of answers that were scored a zero meaning they were left blank with no attempt to answer. Noteworthy is the …

Lessons Learned From Facilitating A Pre-Service Teacher/Youth Mentoring Program, Alan English

The Advocate

Traditional adult/youth mentoring programs have been associated with a host of positive academic, behavioral, and social/emotional youth outcomes. Little research, however, has been done on pre-service teacher/ youth mentoring programs; specifically if the benefits associated with more traditional mentoring programs translate into this context. For teacher educators, what is most promising about such mentoring programs is the potential for a mutually beneficial mentoring relationship. Pre-service teachers need experience working with youth as badly as youth need positive relationships and support. Furthermore, pre-service teachers need practicum experience throughout their coursework, at a time when some may not yet be ready to …

A Message From Jill Gonzales-Bravo, Ate-K President

The Advocate

A message from ATE-K President, Dr. Jill Gonzales-Bravo

Editorial Information For The Advocate

The Advocate

Information regarding The Advocate and membership in the Association of Teacher Educators- Kansas is found here.

Investigating The Development Of Possible Selves In Teacher Education: Candidate Perceptions Of Hopes, Fears, And Strategies, Jill E. Gonzalez-Bravo

The Advocate

The theory of possible selves, as proposed by Marcus and Nurius (1986), framed a two-staged instrumental case study designed to give voice to an often-neglected source of insight: teacher candidates. The collection and analysis of hopes, fears, and process strategies gathered from a cross-section of thirteen candidates and alumni from a private Midwestern institution informed teacher educator practice and increased understanding in regards to influences that shaped teacher identity development. The applied theoretical framework allowed for the assessment of participants’ knowledge, skills, and dispositions, aided in the identification of perceived preparation needs, and enabled an appraisal of program effectiveness. Findings …

Integrated Teaching Strategies Used By Esl Teachers: How Are Strategies Of Arts, Mathematics, And Sciences Correlated?, Mingchu Neal Luo

The Advocate

The emerging popularity of interdisciplinary teaching stems from research-based student gains in learning. Using the interdisciplinary and integrated framework of STEAM, this study aims to understand ESL teachers’ integrated teaching strategies of arts, mathematics, and sciences, and examine the correlation among the domains of linguistic, artistic, musical, mathematical and logical, and science-related teaching strategies. Data collected from 67 ESL teachers in a Midwestern state was analyzed using the Pearson correlations. Results indicated that ESL teachers not only emphasize the traditional linguistic teaching strategies, but also integrate artistic, musical and mathematical, and sciences-related strategies in their classroom teaching. ESL teachers’ classroom …

Supporting High Quality Teacher Preparation: Developing A Mentoring Program For New And Early Career Special Education Faculty, Harriet J. Bessette, Katie Bennett

The Advocate

As any new or early career faculty member in the academy can attest, the early days of one’s career in higher education can be daunting, often evoking feelings of unsteadiness, tentativeness, and low self-efficacy. Despite knowing the landscape, academic neophytes are required to navigate the social and political rungs, negotiate participation on university, college, and department committees, develop and/or enhance their research niche, and demonstrate uncompromising proficiency as a teacher, mentor, supervisor and advisor. This paper explores strategies and principles that were adopted by one department within a teacher preparation program to establish a mentoring program for new and/or early …

Blending Inductive And Deductive Processes In The English/Language Arts Classroom, Joseph M. Lynch

The Advocate

This article attempts to demonstrate how the inductive and deductive processing modes function together. Educational models associated with an inductive learning process provide a great opportunity for students to assess their accountability in the learning process. However, the lessons gleaned from such an inductive approach can be more insight-provoking when a synthesis of (or at least access to) deductive processing occurs. The topic is presented in two parts: The first part constitutes a review of the inductive/deductive dynamic through research, study, and theory across multiple learning contexts. The second part presents a qualitative study and data examples for the purposes …

A Message From Daniel Stiffler, Ate-K President

The Advocate

Dr. Dan Stiffler, ATE-K President, invites you to attend these upcoming state Conferences:

November 8, 2019: KACTE/ATE-K Conference at Fort Hays State University

April 3, 2019: ATE-K/ KACTE Conference at Baker University

Editorial Information For The Advocate: Spring/Summer 2019 Issue

The Advocate

This Spring/Summer 2019 Editorial Information page provides a farewell statement from Dr. Bruce Quantic who has served as the editor of The Advocate for many years.

Members of The Advocate's Editorial Review Board, information regarding the nature of The Advocate and how you can become a member of the Association of Teacher Educators- Kansas is found here.

Prospective Teachers’ Perceptions Of Influential Teacher Qualities, Daniel J. Bergman

The Advocate

While much has been written regarding elements of “good” teachers, little exists with respect to qualities of influential teachers. Prospective science teachers (N = 98) completed a survey identifying and describing influential teachers in their own lives. In addition to demographic data, qualitative content analysis of narratives excavated common themes. The seven most frequent attributes of influential teachers were passion, rapport, pedagogy, time, high expectations, fun, and helpful. Implications for teacher education and research include synergistic combinations of these traits, alignment with literature on effective teaching, development of professional dispositions, and more.

Responding To The Needs Of Early Career Sets Through Educator Preparation Programs, Jeongae Kang, Shantel Farnan, Tamara Lynn

The Advocate

Effective collaboration between special education teachers (SETs) and general educator teachers (GETs) is critical to better serve diverse students in the general education classroom. However, multiple areas of needs reported by early career SETs indicate that achieving the goal of effective collaboration is challenging. With a better understanding of the early experiences of SETs and their specific needs, GETs would be more suited to support early career SETs and increase effective partnerships across diverse educational settings. This article identified the needs of beginning SETs and discussed the directions of educator preparation programs in response of the reported needs.

Table Of Contents And Introductory Materials For Vol. 23, No. 6, Spring-Summer 2018, Bruce Quantic

The Advocate

Table of contents, editorial information, a message from the president of ATE-K, and a message from the editor for Vol. 23, no. 6, Spring-Summer 2018 for The Advocate.

A Different Level Of Caring: Navigating The Intersections Of Perception Of Care In Teaching, Donna M. Sayman, Kell Carrero, Mandy E. Lusk

The Advocate

This study sought to predict teacher’s perceptions of caring. We surveyed 457 educators using the Caring Abilities Inventory (Nkongho, 1990). Due to the ever increasing diversity of American classrooms, it is critical to determine how to best recognize, recruit, and prepare the next generation of teachers. Findings indicated differences in caring among gender and race. Implications for teacher preparation programs could be a need to gain insight into gendered and racial notions of care.