Education Commons^™

Intellectualism, Infiltration, And The Imaginary: The Challenge Of Conservative Think Tanks In Developing Coherent Democratic Community, Deron Boyles, Philip Kovacs

Deron R. Boyles

This paper extends the question “What should we be doing and what kinds of activities would we be engaged in during the time we take off to craft and assert ourselves as public intellectuals?” Kathleen Kesson and Jim Henderson provided us with historical background (and a delightful song parody) while Kent den Heyer challenges us to take two years off from the academy and engage in research that would better enable us to communicate with and influence those in positions of power. For the purpose of this paper, we wish to join with Kesson, Henderson, and den Heyer, if only …

Dewey's Epistemology: An Argument For Warranted Assertions, Knowing, And Meaningful Classroom Practice, Deron Boyles

Deron R. Boyles

In an effort to navigate the treacherous path between professionalism and social relevancy, this essay takes up an area of professional philosophy - epistemology - with the intention of reclaiming the integrative role John Dewey held for philosophy and classroom practice. Deron Boyles asserts that epistemology can and should represent an area of inquiry that is relevant and useful for philosophy of education, especially as it develops classroom practices that foster inquiry. He specifically seeks to revive Dewey’s conception of warranted assertibility in an effort to show the value of fallibilist epistemology in practical and social teaching and learning contexts. …

Institutes, Foundations, And Think Tanks: Conservative Influences On U.S. Public Schools, Deron Boyles

Deron R. Boyles

While a complete analysis of the effects of conservative think tanks is beyond the scope of this article, we include the above passage as evidence of what, on a broad scale, the “idea brokers” have been working towards. While education is only one area where neoconservative think tanks seek to influence public policy, it has become the issue for many neoconservatives. In this article, we focus on four think tanks—The Manhattan Institute, The American Enterprise Institute, The Heritage Foundation, and The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation—and what they are doing to reshape public schools in ways more suitable to neoconservative and …

Politics Or Principles?: Joseph Kinmont Hart And The University Of Washington, 1910-1915, Deron Boyles

Deron R. Boyles

Joseph Kinmont Hart was a young professor of education during this time and played a role in the unrest at the university. Hart was a popular teacher, a sought-after speaker in the community, and an agitator for social change. His politics were in contrast to most of the Board of Regents and the state legislature and the battles he fought with his own colleagues ultimately led to his being fired with the rest of the department in 1915. Hart was among a number of people who questioned Suzzallo’s candidacy for the UW presidency. It was widely believed that Hart wrote …

Joseph Kinmont Hart And Vanderbilt University: The Rise And Fall Of A Department Of Education, 1930-1934, Deron Boyles

Deron R. Boyles

More cautionary positions are represented in the editorial comments of L.L. Thurstone and W.W. Charters. In 1930, Thurstone wrote in the Journal of Higher Education that academic freedom needed to be guarded. He broadly referred to cases when he argued for a defense of academic freedom by involving the “Association of University Professors” and having the organization effectively censure colleges and universities that encroached on academic freedom. Within his article, however, he noted that his “plan involves no violence in speech or action, and it does not challenge the legal right of the trustees of a university to decide matters …

The Gig Is Up: Combating The Meanings Of Education Proffered By Science, Technology, And Global Capitalism, Deron Boyles

Deron R. Boyles

Colleagues in the academy seem to have a fascination with conceptual analysis and the term “education.” Debates are held, papers are written, and symposia take place within which definitions are articulated and modulated. Whether the point is to provide narrative, stipulative, or programmatic definitions matters little to the larger point: the quest for the meaning of “education” continues. In their turns, schooling and training are contrasted with education in order to help clarify the differences in scope, purpose, and meaning of the various terms. The concepts are often qualified in discussions of literacy, socialization, and democracy, but why? Why are …

Reconsidering Learning Communities: Expanding The Discourse By Challenging The Discourse, Deron Boyles, Susan Talburt

Deron R. Boyles

This article draws on historical and philosophical lenses and interviews with students to question some fundamental tenets underlying the practice of freshman learning communities (FLCs): that they develop community and improve students' learning experiences. The article brings to the discourse of FLCs some critical questions regarding their value and practice.

Would You Like Values With That?: The Role Of Chik-Fil-A In Character Education, Deron Boyles

Deron R. Boyles

I explore three main lines of inquiry: (1) the specifics of “Core Essentials” as a strategy for teaching character; (2) the role (and ironies) of private businesses influencing public school curricula; and (3) the assumptions inherent in the kind of teaching of character outlined by “Core Essentials.” Girding this inquiry is a concern about the problematic enterprise of teaching character, itself, as if it were an unquestionable domain. Further, the oddly-but-related contexts of childhood obesity findings and Christian influences (both general symbolism and fundamentalist indoctrination) on and in public spheres will be considered via Theodore Brameld’s Ends and Means in …

Editor: 2010 Conference Abstracts, Michael Smithee, Guillermo De Lost Reyes

Michael B. Smithee

Includes abstracts of papers presented at the 2010 Annual Conference.

Characterizing Preservice Teachers’ Mathematical Understanding Of Algebraic Relationships, Leah A. Nillas

Leah A. Nillas

Empowerment And Protection: Complementary Strategies For Digital And Media Literacy In The United States, Renee Hobbs

Renee Hobbs

Billions of dollars are being spent in the United States to make sure that children and young people have computers, data projectors and access to the Internet in elementary and secondary schools. There is robust experimentation now ongoing as teachers explore how to use technology primarily as a means to accomplish traditional content learning outcomes. Digital and media literacy education offers an alternative model that emphasizes a set of practical competencies or life skills that are necessary for full participation in a highly-mediated society. Digital and media literacy competencies are not only needed to strengthen people’s capacity to use information …

National Assessment Program : Ict Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report 2005, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Chris Freeman

Julian Fraillon

Australia's national goals for schooling assert that when students leave school they should be: confident, creative and productive users of new technologies, particularly information and communication technologies, and understand the impact of those technologies on society. The Australian National Assessment Program includes the systematic assessment of the extent to which this goal is being achieved through triennial sample surveys of students in Years 6 and 10. This report is based on the assessment of ICT literacy conducted in October 2005. It describes the development of a computer-based tool for assessing ICT literacy among school students and the application of that …

National Assessment Program : Ict Literacy Years 6 & 10 Report 2008, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Chris Freeman

Julian Fraillon

This report presents the findings from the National Assessment Program –ICT literacy assessment conducted in 2008 under the auspices of the national council of education ministers, the Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA). National samples of Year 6 and Year 10 students were assessed to determine their levels of confidence, creativity and skill development in the use of information and communication technologies. This report compares the results of Australian school students by state and territory and student sub-groups, and provides details of their achievement against an ICT literacy scale. It also enables the most recent …

Graduate Course Experience 2009 : The Report Of The Course Experience Questionnaire., Hamish Coates, Daniel Edwards, Tim Friedman, Bruce Guthrie

Dr Daniel Edwards

Graduate Course Experience is an annual survey about the attitudes of graduates towards their courses and the skills they acquired while undertaking tertiary education. Once again, universities throughout the country participate in the survey.

A Web 2.0/Web3d Hybrid Platform For Engaging Students In E-Learning Environments, Penny De Byl, Janet Taylor

Penny de Byl

This paper explores the Web 2.0 ethos with respect to the application of pedagogy within 3D online virtual environments. 3D worlds can create a synthetic experience capturing the essence of being in a particular world or context. The AliveX3D platform adopts the Web 2.0 ethos and applies it to online 3D virtual environment forming a Web 2.0/Web3D hybrid that has wider usability than previous alternatives. This combined with the AliveX3D Scene Editor allows learning experiences, which are controlled by the learner, appear authentic and facilitate collaboration conversations to be developed simultaneously. This immersion enables learners to negotiate meaning based on …

The Use Of Audience Response Systems In Nursing Education: Best Practice Guidelines, Nicole Mareno, Marie Bremner, Christie Emerson

Nicole Mareno

Special Educators And Mathematics Phobia: An Initial Qualitative Investigation, Michael Humphrey, Jack Hourcade

Jack Hourcade

Special educators are uniquely challenged to be content experts in all curricular areas, including mathematics, since students in their case loads may require academic instruction in any area. However, special educators with math phobia may be limited in their ability to provide effective instruction to their students with mathematical deficits and/or needs, and may experience additional challenges in their professional and personal lives. This qualitative study sought to better understand the nature of math phobia in two special educators through extensive interviews, journaling, and observations in math experiences, with a number of primary themes identified. Several potential resolutions for the …

The Role Of Prediction In The Teaching And Learning Of Mathematics, Kien Lim, Gabriela Buendía, Ok-Kyeong Kim, Francisco Cordero, Lisa Kasmer

Kien H Lim

The prevalence of prediction in grade-level expectations in mathematics curriculum standards signifies the importance of the role prediction plays in the teaching and learning of mathematics. In this article, we discuss benefits of using prediction in mathematics classrooms: (1) students’ prediction can reveal their conceptions, (2) prediction plays an important role in reasoning and (3) prediction fosters mathematical learning. To support research on prediction in the context of mathematics education, we present three perspectives on prediction: (1) prediction as a mental act highlights the cognitive aspect and the conceptual basis of one’s prediction, (2) prediction as a mathematical activity highlights …

Practical Challenges And Possibilities For The Integration Of Academic Literacy In A First Year Subject, Clifford Jackson, Pauline Taylor, Adam Raoul

Associate Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy

A Systematic Approach To Literacy Support For First Year Preservice Teachers: Implications For Practice, Pauline Taylor

Associate Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy

Creating Inclusive Communities: Diversity And The Responses Of Academic Libraries, William Welburn

William C Welburn

No abstract provided.

Supply Issues For Science Academics In Australia: Now And In The Future, Daniel Edwards, Fred Smith

Dr Daniel Edwards

Australia, like the rest of the developed world, is in the midst of dealing with notable issues related to the age structure of its academic workforce. These issues are widespread and have been articulated in the Australian context most comprehensively by Hugo (2008). This paper investigates issues with demographic change and other key

factors related to the desirability of a science or mathematics academic career within

Australian universities. It draws on the findings of a research project undertaken in 2008

for the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The findings show that while demographic issues are not as dire …

What Can Australian Students Do With Computers?, John Ainley

Dr John Ainley

This article describes the latest findings of the National Assessment Program- ICT Literacy, conducted by ACER for the Australian government, which show some mixed results in Australian students’ proficiency with computers.

Using Drama Techniques To Encourage Oral Interaction, Chamkaur Gill

Chamkaur Gill

The writer argues drama is certainly not a panacea for all the ills existing in the language teaching world, but it would seem to have strengths in the oral skills area that conservative teaching methods do not.

A Systems Analysis Experiential Case Study: Repeatable Real World Problem Solving, Priscilla Arling, C. Deeter, H. Eggers

Priscilla Arling

Many business schools today are emphasizing experiential education, particularly in undergraduate instruction, where students often have had limited exposure to business settings. While a business problem can be presented in the form of a written case study, real world projects for external clients are increasingly being incorporated into the classroom. However finding suitable clients and projects for multiple student teams each semester can be difficult.

Language In The Mathematics Classroom, Marion Meiers

Marion Meiers

This Digest is focused on research studies about language in the mathematics classroom. A selection of websites is listed and a full reference list provided. Links to those references for which full-text online access is freely available are also included.

Interview: 2010-5-15, Sid Bream, Lowell Walters, Mike Cobb, Abigail Sattler

Mike A. Cobb

No abstract provided.

Globalization, Changing Demographics, And Educational Challenges In East Asia, Emily Hannum, Hyunjoon Park, Yuko Goto Butler

Emily C. Hannum

In recent decades, globalization and regional integration have brought significant economic and demographic changes in East Asia, including rising economic inequality, growing population movements within and across borders, and the emergence or renewed geopolitical significance of cultural and linguistic minority populations. These trends have coincided with significant changes in family formation, dissolution, and structures. How have these changes played out in the diverse educational systems of East Asia? In what innovative ways are East Asian governments addressing the new demographic realities of their student populations? This volume offers a snapshot of key educational stratification issues in East Asian nations, and …

Indigenous Languages Programmes In Australian Schools - A Way Forward, Nola Purdie, Tracey Frigo, Clare Ozolins, Geoff Noblett, Nick Thieberger, Janet Sharp

Clare Ozolins

Currently, over 16,000 Indigenous students and 13,000 non-Indigenous students located in 260 Australian schools are involved in an Indigenous language program. More than 80 different Indigenous languages are taught. This project sought to present practice which would strengthen the quality of Indigenous language programs in schools. The report consists of a literature review, a mapping exercise to document current practices relating to Indigenous languages in Australian schools, an analysis of existing models of teacher preparation, and six case studies of good practice examples.

Building Momentum For Business School Curriculum Change: Measurable Lessons From A Pilot Course In Real Business Experience, Mark Uchida, Craig Caldwell, Friel Terry, Lawrence Lad

Lawrence J. Lad

Curriculum change requires thoughtful planning and a willingness to experiment with different modes of content delivery. While many business schools are experimenting, few measure student outcomes against the traditional courses they replace. One element of Butler University's College of Business Administration curriculum revision was a pilot course, "Real Business Experience ", in which students developed a professional business plan, sought and received funding from a professional level funding panel, and ran their businesses. To determine whether the pilot course was successful in reaching its goal of "teaching students about the messiness of business and developing more adaptable and confident business …