Education Commons^™

Multilingual Teaching And Digital Tools: The Intersections Of New Media Literacies And Language Learning, Victoria Pennington, Emily Howell, Rebecca Kaminski, Nicole Ferguson-Sams, Mihaela Gazioglu, Kavita Mittapalli, Amlan Banerjee, Mikel Cole

Publications

Purpose

Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) can create participatory cultures by removing barriers to access materials, encouraging student modes of expression, differentiating student interactions through digital environments and increasing learner autonomy. Participatory cultures require competencies or new media literacy (NML) skills to be successful in a digital world. However, professional development (PD) often lacks training on CALL and its implementation to develop such skills. The purpose of this study is to describe teachers use of digital tools for multilingual learners through a relevant theoretical perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This design-based research study examines 30 in-service teachers in South Carolina, a destination state for …

Centering The Voices Of South Carolina's Early Care And Education Teachers: A Multi-Case Study Examining How They Select And Are Informed By Professional Development, Lenna Young

All Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the existing literature focused on quality early care and education (ECE). Specifically, this study examines two main research questions: (1) How do teachers in South Carolina licensed, privately-funded ECE programs select professional development opportunities and (2) How does participating in professional development inform their practices? These questions are particularly significant in light of the minimal requirements for teachers to enter the ECE field in South Carolina. Due to the low entry requirements for ECE teachers, professional development can play a key role in transforming minimally qualified individuals into teachers who care …

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 …