Education Commons^™

Thinking Maths: Learning Impact Fund Evaluation Report: Addendum To The Evaluation Report, Katherine Dix, Hilary Hollingsworth, Toby Carslake

Dr Hilary Hollingsworth

Thinking Maths is a three-term structured professional learning program for Years 6 - 9 mathematics teachers to engage middle school students’ mathematics learning. The Thinking Maths program has been developed by the South Australian Department for Education based on its Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework. The program aims to address a significant drop in students’ mathematics performance in NAPLAN from Years 7 to Year 9. Thinking Maths supports teachers to improve students’ learning of mathematical content during the transition between Primary and Secondary school. Years 6 - 9 teachers participate in five professional learning days at 4 - 5 …

Thinking Maths: Learning Impact Fund Evaluation Report: Evaluation Report And Executive Summary, Katherine Dix, Hilary Hollingsworth, Toby Carslake

Dr Hilary Hollingsworth

Thinking Maths is a three-term structured professional learning program for Years 6 - 9 mathematics teachers to engage middle school students’ mathematics learning. The Thinking Maths program has been developed by the South Australian Department for Education based on its Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework. The program aims to address a significant drop in students’ mathematics performance in NAPLAN from Years 7 to Year 9. Thinking Maths supports teachers to improve students’ learning of mathematical content during the transition between Primary and Secondary school. Years 6 - 9 teachers participate in five professional learning days at 4 - 5 …

Thinking Maths: Learning Impact Fund Evaluation Report: Addendum To The Evaluation Report, Katherine Dix, Hilary Hollingsworth, Toby Carslake

Dr Katherine Dix

Thinking Maths is a three-term structured professional learning program for Years 6 - 9 mathematics teachers to engage middle school students’ mathematics learning. The Thinking Maths program has been developed by the South Australian Department for Education based on its Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework. The program aims to address a significant drop in students’ mathematics performance in NAPLAN from Years 7 to Year 9. Thinking Maths supports teachers to improve students’ learning of mathematical content during the transition between Primary and Secondary school. Years 6 - 9 teachers participate in five professional learning days at 4 - 5 …

Thinking Maths: Learning Impact Fund Evaluation Report: Evaluation Report And Executive Summary, Katherine Dix, Hilary Hollingsworth, Toby Carslake

Dr Katherine Dix

Thinking Maths is a three-term structured professional learning program for Years 6 - 9 mathematics teachers to engage middle school students’ mathematics learning. The Thinking Maths program has been developed by the South Australian Department for Education based on its Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework. The program aims to address a significant drop in students’ mathematics performance in NAPLAN from Years 7 to Year 9. Thinking Maths supports teachers to improve students’ learning of mathematical content during the transition between Primary and Secondary school. Years 6 - 9 teachers participate in five professional learning days at 4 - 5 …

Bodies In Space/Bodies In Motion/Bodies In Character : Adolescents Bear Witness To Anne Frank., James S. Chisholm, Kathryn F. Whitmore

Kathryn Whitmore

Situated at the intersection of research on Holocaust education and embodied literacies this study examines how an arts-based instructional approach engaged middle school learners in developing empathetic perspectives on the Anne Frank narrative. We addressed the research question: What can adolescents who are using their bodies to gain empathy with Anne Frank teach us about embodied literacies? Digital images and video were used to generate a multimodal analytic method that combined focus group interviewing with the Semiotic Photo Response Protocol and Visual Discourse Analysis. Analyses of performance and visual arts texts illustrated how students layered their understandings as they recast …

A Beginning Professor’S Linguistic And Teaching Identity, Jayoung Choi

Jayoung Choi

I am a bilingual writer and teacher in both Korean and English languages. Having traveled to other countries and having lived in the United States while learning English has challenged and (re)shaped my cultural, linguistic, and teaching identities. In this chapter, I describe how I come to terms with who I am in two different linguistic and cultural worlds. I would like to describe my personal experiences of becoming a bilingual writer, speaker, and teacher in Korean and English over three different phases of my life: before, during, and after doctoral studies. My reflections will be enriched by attention to …

Catholic Schools And Multicultural Education: A Good Match, Charles J. Russo, Shauna M. Adams, Mary Ellen Seery

Charles J. Russo

This article reflects on the place of multicultural education in Catholic schools. The authors review the history and development of Catholic schools in order to set a context for examination of the appropriateness of multicultural education.

Teacher Research At The Middle Level: Strengthening The Essential Attributes Of Education For Young Adolescents, Connie Dilucchio, Heather Leaman, Kathleen Elicker, Denise Mathisen

Connie DiLucchio

No abstract provided.

Reflections On Math Students’ Circles: Two Personal Stories From Colorado, Diana White, Lori Ziegelmeier

Lori Beth Ziegelmeier

Math Students’ Circles provide an opportunity for mathematicians to work in their communities to engage young students in mathematics as a human, aesthetic, and social endeavor. Sometimes referred to simply as Math Circles, these venues give mathematicians experience in introducing children to topics not typically seen in school curricula in an exciting, hands-on format. This article explores two Math Students’ Circles (MSCs) in the state of Colorado from the point of view of two pre-tenure faculty members. One participated in MSCs for four years while working on her Ph.D. in mathematics, the other started an MSC as an offshoot of …

Improving The Mathematical Content Knowledge Of Pre-Service Middle School Teachers, Gregory Hine

Gregory S.C. Hine

The tertiary training of pre-service teachers is pivotal in their professional preparation and formation as qualified educators. Multiple authors posit that teachers require a development of pedagogical content knowledge, or knowing a variety of ways to present mathematical content and to assist students to deepen their understanding (Chick, 2012; Shulman, 1987). Emerick, Hirsch and Berry (2003) argue that high quality teachers must possess appropriate mathematical content knowledge, and must also possess considerable background in communicating effectively to students. There are two aims of this educational research. The first is to investigate the self-perceptions of pre-service middle school teachers enrolled in …

Investigating Vocabulary And Reading Strategies With Middle Grades English Language Learners: A Research Synthesis, Brooke Kandel-Cisco, Yolanda Padrón

Brooke Kandel-Cisco

Recent data indicate that many adolescent English language learners (ELLs) comprehend English texts at only a limited literal level. The purpose of this research synthesis was to systematically identify and describe the research related to the English reading comprehension of middle grades ELLs while also making practical connections to instruction. Parameters were established to determine whether the collected research studies met the purpose of the synthesis and the standards for quality research, using the guiding principles for scientific research set forth in the National Research Council’s Scientific Research in Education. Three themes emerged across the 11 identified studies: (a) the …

Middle Grade Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Chemistry Teaching Efficacy: Findings Of A One Year Long Professional Development Program, Issaou Gadp, Geeta Verma, Doris Simonis

Geeta Verma

A professional development (PD) program, Conceptual Chemistry for Middle School Teachers, was designed to facilitate teachers’ learning and teaching of basic chemistry concepts. This study explored (a) whether the PD increased teachers’ self-efficacy and teaching outcome expectancy and (b) how the PD program influenced teachers’ chemistry content knowledge and attitudes toward learning chemistry concepts. Thirty-six teachers (N = 36; 26 women, 10 men) who taught grades 5-9 were selected from a population of science teachers in north eastern Ohio. A mixed method approach was used in the study and qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed simultaneously. The quantitative …

Reviews: Professional Materials, Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch, Sherry R. Myers, Paul Bright, Jeanne M. Jacobson

Kathryn A. Kinnucan-Welsch

Reviews of the following: Basic Reading Inventory (Jerry L. Johns) Merry Christmas, Amanda and April (Bonnie Pryor) Chicken Man (Michelle Edwards) All the Lights in the Night (Arthur A. Levine) Jack and the Beanstalk (Steven Kellogg) The Swineherd (Hans Christian Andersen) The Worst Person’s Christmas (James Stevenson) That’s Exactly the Way it Wasn’t (James Stevenson) An Auto Mechanic; A Carpenter; A Potter (Douglas Florian) Meredith’s Mother Takes the Train (Deborah Lee Rose)

Coaching For Metacognitive Instructional Practice, Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch

Kathryn A. Kinnucan-Welsch

One way to identify students who are becoming accomplished readers and writers is to observe the degree to which the examples of coaching presented in this chapter are taken from my research as a participant in a statewide literacy professional development initiative: the Literacy Specialist Project (Kinnucan-Welsch, 2003a, 2003b; Rosemary, Grogan, et al., 2002). The central aim of the Literacy Specialist Project, launched in 2000 by the Ohio Department of Education, is to provide professional development to educators in the state of Ohio that supports enhanced understanding in the teaching of reading and writing. The professional development incorporates foundational knowledge …

Women Scholars, Integration, And The Marianist Tradition: Learning From Our Culture And Ourselves, Mary Ellen Seery, Shauna M. Adams, Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch, Connie L. Bowman, Patricia R. Grogan, Laurice J. Joseph

Kathryn A. Kinnucan-Welsch

In the fall of 1997, a group of junior tenure-track women faculty in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton decided to meet regularly in order to support each other’s scholarly endeavors in the process of achieving promotion and tenure. The group of subsequently became known as the Writing-Writers’ Support Group (WWSG). In 2000, the group conducted a self-study of its group process to determine how the formation of women’s WWSG fit with the mission and characteristics of a Marianist university. The results suggest that, although each of the characteristics could be identified in the group processes, …

Urban Pds Partnership: Preparing Teachers For Social Justice, Connie L. Bowman, Rachel M.B. Collopy, Jamie Bentley, Elizabeth Cameron, David A. Taylor

Connie L. Bowman

We believe that for urban schools to meet their goals and mission — in the way the DECA is modeling — takes a partnership among many stakeholders. One such partnership that supports DECA, and might buttress other schools and students — and simultaneously help to enact a social justice ideal — is a school-university connection. DECA was founded as a Professional Development School (PDS), with the school and university developing a reciprocal relationship with a shared focus on the preparation of new teachers, the enhancement of high school students' achievement, school and university faculty members' professional development, and collaborative inquiries …

Women Scholars, Integration, And The Marianist Tradition: Learning From Our Culture And Ourselves, Mary Ellen Seery, Shauna M. Adams, Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch, Connie L. Bowman, Patricia R. Grogan, Laurice J. Joseph

Connie L. Bowman

In the fall of 1997, a group of junior tenure-track women faculty in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton decided to meet regularly in order to support each other’s scholarly endeavors in the process of achieving promotion and tenure. The group of subsequently became known as the Writing-Writers’ Support Group (WWSG). In 2000, the group conducted a self-study of its group process to determine how the formation of women’s WWSG fit with the mission and characteristics of a Marianist university. The results suggest that, although each of the characteristics could be identified in the group processes, …

Catholic Schools And Multicultural Education: A Good Match, Charles J. Russo, Shauna M. Adams, Mary Ellen Seery

Shauna M. Adams

This article reflects on the place of multicultural education in Catholic schools. The authors review the history and development of Catholic schools in order to set a context for examination of the appropriateness of multicultural education.

Women Scholars, Integration, And The Marianist Tradition: Learning From Our Culture And Ourselves, Mary Ellen Seery, Shauna M. Adams, Kathryn Kinnucan-Welsch, Connie L. Bowman, Patricia R. Grogan, Laurice J. Joseph

Shauna M. Adams

In the fall of 1997, a group of junior tenure-track women faculty in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton decided to meet regularly in order to support each other’s scholarly endeavors in the process of achieving promotion and tenure. The group of subsequently became known as the Writing-Writers’ Support Group (WWSG). In 2000, the group conducted a self-study of its group process to determine how the formation of women’s WWSG fit with the mission and characteristics of a Marianist university. The results suggest that, although each of the characteristics could be identified in the group processes, …

Time For Teaching To Establish Its Own Professional Certification Authority, Lawrence C. Ingvarson

Dr Lawrence Ingvarson (Consultant)

The British Prime Minister David Cameron recently announced that his government would be supporting a proposal from the teaching profession to establish its own, teacher-led College of Teaching, fully independent of government. The announcement followed the release of a ‘Blueprint’ for an independent professional body developed by a broad cross-section of the education community, with professional certification as its core, unique function. The Blueprint provided the government with clear evidence of leadership at the level of the profession. This article argues that the teaching profession in Australia should work toward establishing its own blueprint for an Australian College of Teaching …

Guest Editors' Column: The Solo Librarian, Audrey Church, Frances Reeve

Frances M. Reeve

An introduction to the journal is presented in which the guest editor discusses the various stories of solo school librarians in the U.S.

The Relationship Between Curriculum-Based Measures In Oral Reading Fluency And High-Stakes Tests For Seventh Grade Students, Sawyer Hunley, Susan C. Davies, Christina R. Miller

Susan C. Davies

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral reading fluency and performance on a statewide reading achievement test for middle grades students. Participants in this study were 75 seventh-grade students. One month before the students were administered the state test, each student read three probes from their current basal reader to determine an oral reading fluency rate. The Ohio Grade 7 Reading Test scores were correlated with oral reading fluency rates to determine the extent of the relationship between the results. Results support the use of oral reading fluency assessment as a valid tool for identifying …

Bridging The Digital Divide With Gis, Alex G. Lowry

Alex G Lowry

This paper reframes the problem of the “digital divide” and proposes teacher education in Interdisciplinary Geographic Information Systems and related pedagogy (problem based learning, design pedagogy), in order to equitably bridge this gap, empower students and the community, and better prepare students for the knowledge-based economy with 21st century skills.

Muslim Immigrant Children In The United States: Practical Suggestions For Teachers, Shamah Md-Yunus

ShamAh Md-Yunus

Immigrant children from Muslim communities come from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and speak 60 different languages. Some of their religious beliefs, values, and practices have created issues and challenges for Western society. This article provides basic information about Muslim and Islamic practices, issues, and challenges Muslim immigrant children face in schools and offers some suggestions for teachers on how to accommodate Muslim immigrants in the United States.

The Lion Tells His Side Of The (Counter)Story: A Black Male Educator's Autoethnographic Account, Ramon B. Goings

Ramon Goings

While many initiatives have emerged to increase the presence of Black males in schools, there is still little known about our experiences. Through the use of autoethnographic vignettes and counterstorytelling, I highlight the successes and challenges Black male educators may face during the hiring process as well as in the classroom. While this account cannot be generalized for all Black male educators, this study emphasizes the important role they play in the lives of their students. I conclude the article with an argument for the use of counterstorytelling in research as a transformative and therapeutic method for Black male educators …

The Social Scholar: Re-Interpreting Scholarship In The Shifting University, Christine Greenhow, Ben Gleason

Benjamin Gleason

Making Latin Concrete: Strategies For Teaching Latin Through Material Culture, Patrick Beasom, Lynne. Kvapil

Lynne A. Kvapil

We decided to address the issue of incorporating archaeology and material culture into classes devoted to Latin literature last spring, while Patrick was teaching Latin and Lynne was teaching Roman Civilization. Both of us were confronted with the danger of losing the interest of students who once had a burning desire to learn about the ancient world. Our aim is to offer up some suggestions for ways that, through collaboration between specialists in philology, history, and archaeology, we can keep the Classical world dynamic and relevant.

The Demoralization Of Teachers: Crisis In A Rural School In China - Book Review, Vilma Seeberg

Vilma Seeberg

Author Dan Wang describes how the daily experiences of students, teachers, administrators, and parents are shaped and impacted by national education reforms that are an ill-fit with local school conditions and student's educational needs. Teachers are scrambling to get out of what they see as a trap that stifles their aspirations and robs their lives of meaning.

Fostering Preservice Teacher Identity In Science Through A Student-Selected Project, D.J. Wink, J. Ellefson, M. Nishimura, D. Perry, S. Wenzel, Jeong Hwang Choe

Jeong Choe

This article addresses the problem of authentic student engagement in the science classroom by incorporating a semester long research and writing assignment that enables students to investigate scientific topics related to strong personal, career, or health interests.

Teacher Quality And Student Inequality - Web Appendix (Revised 2014), Richard K. Mansfield

Rick Mansfield

This appendix is a supplement to the author's paper, Teacher Quality and Student Inequality, which can be found here: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/workingpapers/162/