Education Commons^™

A Systemic Solution: Elementary Teacher Preparation In Stem Expertise And Engineering Awareness, Louis S. Nadelson, Janet Callahan, Pat Pyke, Anne Hay, Cheryl Schrader

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research shows that most K-5 teachers are typically required to complete only minimal coursework in science and mathematics, which constrains their knowledge, efficacy, and confidence for teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) content. Additionally, elementary teachers, like much of the general public, have limited comprehension about the relationship between STEM concepts and engineering fields and the kind of work and societal contributions made by engineers. Yet, elementary school is a critical time in which students develop foundational understanding of STEM concepts, career options, and inquiry learning.

To address students' STEM needs and limited teacher preparation, the Idaho SySTEMic Solution …

Knowledge Surveys, Megan Frary

CTL Teaching Gallery

A knowledge survey consists of course learning objectives framed as questions and is given before and after the content of the knowledge survey is presented in class. For each question on the knowledge survey, students respond using a three-point rating of their confidence to correctly answer the question.

Knowledge surveys may be used as a pretest before the semester or a new unit begins to help faculty get a sense of what students believe they know about upcoming topics. Knowledge surveys may be conducted electronically through Blackboard or as an in or out of class assignment on paper.

Exploring Social Studies Through Multicultural Literature: Legend Of The St. Ann’S Flood, Sara Winstead Fry

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The search for literature that is high quality, high interest, written at age-appropriate levels for adolescent readers, addresses social studies topics, and presents multicultural perspectives can be daunting. Legend of the St Ann’s Flood is a novel that meets all of these goals. Its setting in Trinidad and Tobago provides the opportunity for students to learn about a country and region that are frequently overlooked in social studies curriculum in the United States. This article provides historical and cultural background information about Trinidad and Tobago, an overview of the novel, and specific teaching suggestions that integrate reading and writing into …

Analysing The Child Development Project Using The Moral Work Of Teaching Framework, Matthew Sanger, Richard Osguthorpe

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This inquiry applies the Moral Work of Teaching (MWT) framework to analyse the psychological, moral and educational assumptions, and the contingent factors, that explain the basic features of the Child Development Project’s (CDP) approach to moral education. The analysis, it is suggested, not only illuminates the CDP’s approach, but the virtues and implications of using an appropriately complex, theoretically descriptive framework, such as the MWT framework, as a tool for understanding, comparing, developing and applying approaches to moral education.

On The Possible Forms A Relationship Might Take Between The Moral Character Of A Teacher And The Moral Development Of A Student, Richard Osguthorpe

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background/Context: The claim of a relationship between a teacher’s moral character and a student’s moral development has its roots in a rich philosophical tradition. It is a tradition that maintains that the young acquire virtue by associating with virtuous people in a virtuous community. In this way, it is assumed virtue is acquired by example and imitation. Recently, this relationship has received increased attention from philosophers of education, who emphasize the importance of the moral character of the teacher in bringing about the proper moral development of the student.

Purpose/Objective: This article is an examination of the various forms that …