Education Commons^™

An International Professional Development Collaboration In Literacy Education, Miriam Pepper-Sanello, Adrienne Andi Sosin

NERA Conference Proceedings 2009

An International Professional Development Collaboration in Literacy Education is a report of an international professional development project in Guatemala designed to improve literacy instructional practices and thereby raise student achievement in reading and writing. The opportunity for coaching Guatemalan teachers in teaching literacy strategies and skills provides data for this participatory action research study. This research is intended to contribute to cross-cultural understanding by graduate and undergraduate students in literacy, improved pedagogical techniques, international outreach in developing countries, and student academic success worldwide.

Successful Leadership In Turnaround Schools: A Case Study About The Center For Creative Leadership (Ccl) And The School Leadership Executive Institute (Slei), Belinda B. Mcfeeters, Emily Hoole

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal

The topic of turning failing schools around has gained significant attention throughout the world within the last decade. Accountability systems from the government to the general community have expressed their concern for this issue, and have called for plans to turn these schools around (Chapman, 2002; Hassel & Steiner, 2003; Levin, 2006; Malen & Rice, 2004; Wong & Shen, 2003). How do principals meet these challenges and successfully turn failing schools around? How can they gain the insight, knowledge and competencies to effectively lead their schools through these challenging times?

Benefits Of Continuing Professional Development In The Visual Communications Sector In Ireland, Con Kennedy

Other resources

This research is concerned with identifying the benefits of Continuous Professional Development for the Visual Communications sector in Ireland, with the aim of establishing what benefits exist for both the employee and employer. Research is undertaken to identify CPD programmes that currently exist in other industries in Ireland for the purpose of establishing commonalities and how this may apply to the Visual Communications sector. This is achieved through a combination of literature review, desk research, surveys of employees and employers in the Visual Communications sector and a number of semi-formal interviews with representatives from various industry sectors with established CPD …

Participatory Adult Learning Professional Development Strategy: Evidence And Examples, Carol M. Trivette

Carol M. Trivette

No abstract provided.

Interview With Paul Gray: 2008 Arkansas Teacher Of The Year, Sarah C. Mckenzie, Gary W. Ritter

Policy Briefs

The 2008 Arkansas Teacher of the Year was Paul Gray of Russellville. Mr. Gray is a social studies teacher and department chairman at Russellville High School.

Using Robotics To Equip K-12 Teachers: Silicon Prairie Initiative For Robotics In Information Technology (Spirit), Alisa Gilmore, Bing Chen, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The Silicon Prairie Initiative for Robotics in Information Technology (SPIRIT) is a unique collaborative effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) College of Engineering, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Education, and the local Omaha Public Schools (OPS) system. With funding from an NSF ITEST grant, from 2006 – 2008 the initiative recruited and trained 97 math and science middle school teachers through summer workshops and follow-up sessions during the school year, with the goal of equipping teachers in hands-on engineering design principles and providing curriculum development support for STEM instruction. The centerpiece of the training was …

The Role Of A Literacy Coach In Supporting Instructional Improvement And Student Achievement, Holly Jo Murer

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

Using qualitative research methods, this study examines the professional development model of literacy coaching. Literacy coaches and classroom teachers were interviewed to explore the work of literacy coaching. The findings of this study indicate the importance of relationship building as part of the work of literacy coaching. It also indicates that literacy coaching is ongoing and requires a significant amount of time for implementation. Additionally, the principal not only has a significant impact on setting the purpose and providing support for literacy coaching but also impacting the teachers’ use of time within a school. Also, systemic support within a school …

Influencing Pedagogy And Belief: A Case Study In The Professional Development Of Teachers Of Mathematics, Charles Howard

All Dissertations

This study forms a holistic, rich description of the way a professional development experience transformed teachers of mathematics. This professional development targeted teachers from six underachieving schools in a southern state who trained for a week in inquiry techniques of instruction. The method used to study the impact this experience had upon participants is a case study design in which three of the high school teachers were the subjects of analysis. Additional data were incorporated from project administrators and other teachers and assistants involved with the professional development experience. Data sources include highly structured questionnaires, observations, semi-structured interviews, documents, archival …

Searching For Patterns Of Discourse In A Sea Of Professional Development: Professional Learning And Teacher Discourse, Brian T. Whitney

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Professional development, like a sea of changing tides, ebbs and flows through a myriad of professional trends. Some of these trends have disenfranchised teachers from the core of professional learning while others have empowered teachers to confront change with passion and courage. As collaboration continues to gain popularity as an empowering and effective route to professional learning, scrutinizing the effects of professional development on teacher discourse will ensure desired outcomes are achieved.

While collaboration holds the power to break down some of the isolation that exists in the teaching profession, talk alone, void of inquiry and reflection, will not necessarily …

Instructional Architect Teacher Professional Development Handouts, Mimi Recker, Andrew Walker, M. Brooke Robertshaw, Linda Sellers, Heather M. Leary

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Research

Three handouts for the teacher professional development workshops on the Instructional Architect (IA). Starting spring 2009 the face-to-face workshop was changed to be three different days of learning about how to use the IA, inquiry based and problem based learning, evaluation of IA projects with a rubric, and creating IA projects.

Enhancing Science Teachers' Understanding Of Ecosystem Interactions With Qualitative Conceptual Models, Marion Dresner, Monica Elser

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The project described in this article explores how a series of conceptual ecological models can be used to portray the improvement in ecological understanding over the span of a short course. The course involved high school teachers working collaboratively on ecological research projects. Teachers were asked to construct qualitative conceptual models (a diagram of important ecosystem components and the linkages between these components) and write explanatory essays at three points during their research experience. The progression in development of teachers’ models spanned initial intuitive explanation, with misconceptions, to the post-test elaboration of a more complex and accurate understanding of ecological …

Teacher Change Facilitated By Sustained School Situated Professional Development: Exemplar Learning Of Technology Enhanced Formative Assessment (Tefa), Karen St. Cyr

Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014

This case study instantiates longitudinal change over a two year period by examining the role of School Situated Sustained Professional Development (SSSPD) on the evolution of the participant's practice. The participant was a secondary science teacher who emerged as an exemplar in integrating Technology Enhanced Formative Assessment (TEFA) pedagogy into her practice, which was facilitated by personal response systems (PRS). The research question was: What could be revealed about the impact of SSSPD by studying teacher learning of a teacher who emerged as an exemplar? The participant was one of ten teachers learning the TEFA pedagogy. Professional development (PD) that …

Teacher Transformations: A Phenomenological Study On The Effect Of Courage To Teach On Experienced Teachers' Growth And Development: A Dissertation, Kathleen M. Nollet

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a professional development experience on ten experienced teachers who participated as a cohort in Courage to Teach. Courage to Teach, founded by Parker Palmer, is a program of quarterly retreats that foster personal and professional renewal for teachers. The program focused on renewal through deep reflection that helps teachers to investigate the inner and outer landscapes of their lives. By using seasonal themes, poetry, readings, and insights from various wisdom traditions, teachers reflect on their identity and integrity as teachers as large groups, and solitary settings.

Paper 2: Content Knowledge And Pedagogical Content Knowledge Of Algebra Teachers And Changes In Both Types Of Knowledge As A Result Of Professional Development, Joy W. Black

Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (GAMTE) Annual Conference

In seeking to improve the mathematics education of all students, it is important to understand the connection between the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of mathematics and how professionals can influence growth in both of these types of knowledge. We do not have an answer about the interplay of content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in successful instructional practices in the mathematics classroom. This study involves assessing the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge of secondary teachers of Algebra I. In addition, how are these types of knowledge expressed in instructional practices? Last, how do content knowledge, pedagogical content …

The Current State Of Professional Development In Appalachia, Lisa D. Beck

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Tied to the current federal legislation, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and all the national influences on American Education which have come before is the need for teachers to receive high-quality professional development. Approximately 5,500 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) work in the 13 states that lie along the Appalachian Mountain Region of the United States. To complete this study, a stratified random sample was performed with 650 NBCTs contacted by mail. They were asked to complete and return The Beck's Professional Development Inventory (BPDI). In order to analyze the data and to determine if statistical significance was …

Promoting The Wholesome Professor: Building, Sustaining And Assessing Faculty, Mildred M. Pearson Dr., Krishna Thomas

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Promoting The Wholesome Professor: Building, Sustaining And Assessing Faculty, Mildred Pearson, Krishna Thomas

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Promoting The Wholesome Professor: Building, Sustaining And Assessing Faculty, Mildred M. Pearson Dr., Krishna Thomas

Mildred M. Pearson Dr.

No abstract provided.

Teacher Candidates' Attitudes Toward Immigration And Teaching Learners Of English As A Second Language, Midena M. Sas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

While in theory, democratic ideals promise the equal participation of all its citizens in the decisions that affect them, in practice some populations, i.e., those who do not possess membership to the dominant cultural group, often miss out on the privileges a democratic society is supposed to ensure. Critical theorists pointed out that "democracies like ours exhort equal opportunity but often ignore ways in which our schools operate unconsciously and unknowingly to guarantee that there will be no real equality" (McLaren, 2007, p. 176). In the education arena, inequitable treatment has received significant attention, perhaps due to the glaring repercussions …

Professional Development Settings: More Than Time, Place, Activity, Catherine Rosemary, Naomi Feldman

Catherine A. Rosemary

Like authors who create settings as integral components of engaging narratives, thoughtful literacy coaches and other educators who plan and implement professional development consider elements of settings to engage teachers in continuous learning. Many teacher educators, researchers, administrators, literacy coaches, and K-12 teachers understand that a great deal of continuous professional learning is required to teach effectively. Well-designed professional development settings are essential to promote and support teachers' development of new content knowledge and effective instructional practice. In these types of settings, teachers engage in intellectually deep conversations and close inspections of curriculum, teaching, and student learning issues. Such settings …