Education Commons^™

Chapter 6- #Digitalpowerups: Creating Safe And Brave Spaces In Online Discussions To Support Student Choice And Voice, Leonard A. Henderson, Travis N. Thurston, Mehmet Soyer, Gonca Soyer, Josie Tollefson

Habits of Mind

When structured effectively, online discussions can create safe and brave spaces (Murphy et al., 2020) for students to engage in meaningful dialogue surrounding traditionally difficult topics, like gender and sexuality. Yet it can be challenging to motivate students to participate in online discussions (Moore, 2021). In this chapter, we show how the #digitalpowerups strategy provides an innovative and effective way for instructors to engage students in higher-order online discussion by developing Habits of Mind skills, such as applying past knowledge to new situations, thinking about your thinking (metacognition), listening and understanding with empathy, thinking interdependently, responding with wonder and awe, …

Chapter 9- "I'M Just Not Good At History": Fostering A Growth Mindset With Habits Of Mind, Julia M. Gossard

Habits of Mind

One of the most common frustrations I hear from students in my large-enrollment history survey, HIST 1110: European History from 1500, is that they have “never been good at history.” Having taken numerous history courses during their K–12 education, many of which have focused on the rote memorization of dates, names, and facts about the past, students can arrive to HIST 1110 with an apathetic—or even a negative—disposition toward history as an academic discipline. They were not able to remember historical details in past learning environments, so would a college history course be any different?

Loving My Skin: A Self-Advocate’S Perspective From Dayton, Ohio, Shari Cooper

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Flipping The Script As A Black Mother Living In My Community: A Self-Advocate's Perspective From Baltimore, Jessica Salmond

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Chapter 10- Mindful Teaching, Leadership, And Reflection Practices, Jessie Koltz

Habits of Mind

Feeling confident and excelling personally or professionally may come off as a challenge for educators and students who do not have stress-reducing skills to fall back on. Negative academic or professional stress could then have effects on many aspects of an individual’s life, such as mental health, substance use, sleep, physical health, lackluster achievement in academics and/or personal success, and even school dropout or professional burnout (Proctor, Guttman-Lapin, & Kendrick-Dunn, 2020). How can we engage our students in pedagogical practices focused on how to support mindfulness-based learning, leadership strategies, and reflection practices within higher education settings? How can educators integrate …

Chapter 20- Service-Learning And Community-Engaged Projects For International And Domestic Students, Ekaterina Arshavskaya

Habits of Mind

It’s a good idea to help the local community by sharing something from our cultures and support each other as well. It really makes a big difference for all.

An anonymous student comment, spring 2020

Reflecting on my years of teaching, one of my most gratifying and powerful memories as an educator deals with developing a sense of community and belonging in my students. More generally, higher education instructors have come to understand the value of community building and creating a sense of belonging in various areas of our lives and for different populations in diverse teaching contexts (Hoffman et …

Co-Designing Elementary-Level Computer Science And Mathematics Lessons: An Expansive Framing Approach, Umar Shehzad, Jody Clarke-Midura, Kimberly Beck, Jessica Shumway, Mimi Recker

Publications

This study examines how a rural-serving school district aimed to provide elementary-level computer science (CS) by offering instruction during students’ computer lab time. As part of a research-practice partnership, cross-context mathematics and CS lessons were co-designed to expansively frame and highlight connections across – as opposed to integration within – the two subjects. Findings indicated that most students who engaged with the lessons across the lab and classroom contexts reported finding the lessons interesting, seeing connections to their mathematics classes, and understanding the programming. In contrast, a three-level logistic regression model showed that students who only learned about mathematics connections …

On-Boarding Experienced Teachers In A New School, Emma Mecham, Joseph Kozlowski, Felicia Messervy, Cami Player, Joel Lopez, Laura Reina, Nathan Justis

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

Each year school administrators find themselves in the position of hiring new teachers and onboarding them to the unique expectations and context of the school. Such work most often happens while these new teachers are actively doing the work of teaching, with few contracted hours of training available. Limited research has focused on the experience of onboarding for teachers who are experienced in the field, but new to a particular school. Recognizing this challenge, this team of researchers and participants set out to examine the flow of information in one school for four teachers in their first year of teaching …

Examining Spaces For Integrating Physics And Computing Through Classroom Inquiry, Colby Tofel-Grehl, Kristin Searle, Douglas Ball, Soojeong Jeong

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

As computing becomes an essential component of professional practice across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, integration of computing across content areas in K-12 classrooms is also becoming important. Particularly within science classrooms, computer science and computational thinking (CS/CT) are novel and necessary skills for modeling, working with data, and other foundational science skills. Finding ways to engage students in practicing and learning CT within authentic science learning is challenging for most teachers. In this article, the authors report on one teacher’s efforts to engage high school students in maker-based physics education, integrating computational thinking by designing and building …

Chapter 11- Hindsight Is 20/20: The Role Of Reflection In Learning, Jenifer Evers

Habits of Mind

My teaching philosophy hinges on student-directed learning, creating opportunities for student success, and depth of learning versus rote memorization. Over the years, I have experimented with different ways to assess student understanding of new concepts as well as to stay connected to individual students in a timely and effective manner. I simultaneously recognize the difficulty of accomplishing this in a manner that is not terribly time-consuming for the student or for myself. Ultimately, I created an assignment that achieves my goal using several qualities highlighted in Costa et al.’s Habits of Mind framework (2022).

Chapter 2- Preparing Students With Habits Of Mind For The First Day Of Class, Jennifer Grewe

Habits of Mind

Students often come to university with preconceived but in many cases inaccurate notions of what the university experience is like. They have been told that they need to go to college to get a good job; that their professors do not care about how they do; and that they are now on their own. This can be an overwhelming perspective to have when starting a new chapter in life. College students, including those who may not have experienced even minor academic failures to this point in their lives, are particularly impacted by this mentality. It should come as no surprise, …

Chapter 3- Improving The General Education Experience Through Equitable And Inclusive Pedagogical Practices, Cree Phillips Taylor

Habits of Mind

General education courses sometimes have the reputation among students of being obstacles to overcome, wastes of time, and a squander of tuition. In my opinion, student dislike of general education courses is fueled by two factors: 1) students’ misunderstanding of the purpose of general education and 2) general education instructors designing courses with a gatekeeping mentality. Traditionally, general education courses have served as the gatekeepers of the university experience by—intentionally or unintentionally—funneling out students who “don’t belong” through poor course design. Racially minoritized students, women, and first-generation college students are disproportionately affected by the gatekeeping mentality of general education instructors.

Chapter 8- Making Asynchronous Online Discussions Meaningful: An Introduction To The Pioneer Method With Robust Scaffolding, Matthew D. Laplante

Habits of Mind

The students in my graduate cohort were motivated. Most were teachers with years of experience. Some had won national awards. Several were experts on working with at-risk learners. These were people who knew how to learn. Yet we were all struggling with our online classes.

Chapter 1- The Irresponsibility Of Doing Nothing: Using Habits Of Mind To Reduce Dfwi Rates In A Gateway History Course, Chris Babits

Habits of Mind

My first teaching job, which I started in 2007, was as an on-campus boarding schoolteacher near the shores of Long Island Sound. Though my high school students came from affluent backgrounds, few of them had found success in formal learning environments. Some faced learning challenges. Many had been expelled from—or failed at—prestigious private schools because of drug dependency. Somewhere along the way, they had all missed some of the basic strategies needed to succeed academically. Much of my job, then, revolved around teaching these students the skills needed for academic and career success.

Chapter 14- How Instructors Can Help Students Embrace A Growth Mindset: The Importance Of Applying Theory To Practice, Antje R. H. Graul, Ayse Sapci

Habits of Mind

In today’s educational system, it is more important than ever to set students up for success in their future careers and professional development. “I really liked how the classes were more than lectures,” wrote one student in a recent course evaluation. But how can classes be more than “just” lectures? And how can a growth mindset be implemented to prepare students for their future careers? While many courses lend themselves well to teaching applicable skills, instructors assigned to theory-based courses often feel challenged to convey the importance of understanding the theory—or the usefulness of theoretical frameworks—to their students.

Chapter 17- Tiktok Is Not Peer Reviewed: Modifying Assignments To Nurture Habits Of Mind, Rachel Robison-Greene

Habits of Mind

During any given semester, my most engaged students send me materials related to what we are discussing in class. I always appreciate students’ excitement about the course content and the opportunity to experience different forums for conversation with my students. As the years have passed, however, more of the material students pass along comes in the form of YouTube videos. These videos will often star popular YouTube personalities who create content that has millions of views. Sometimes, the ideas the students pass along come in the form of short TikTok videos. This is all fine and even entertaining until this …

Chapter 21- Developing Classroom Management Skills: Leveraging Habits Of Mind In Pre-Service Teacher Education, Rachel K. Turner

Habits of Mind

Classroom management plays a major role in teacher retention and attrition within elementary schools. Researchers suggest classroom-management issues are one of the leading causes for teachers leaving the education field (Ingersoll & Smith, 2003) and are one of the leading struggles reported by teachers past and present (Langdon & Vesper, 2000; Goodwin, 2012; Phi Delta Kappan, 2019). Not unexpectedly, classroom management tends to be a leading cause for concern for pre-service and new teachers as well (Bromfield, 2006; Evertson & Weinstein, 2006; Sowell, 2017; Uribe-Zarain et al., 2019). Classroom-management skills must be developed to keep teachers within the profession.

Chapter 18- "An Amazing Change In Mindset": Student Psychosocial Development And Social Science Research, Sarah Tulane, Travis N. Thurston

Habits of Mind

Students enroll in social science research methods courses with varying backgrounds and experiences with quantitative methods (Clark & Foster, 2017; Murtonen et al., 2015; Papanastasiou & Zembylas, 2008). Although some students approach research methods with self-efficacy and positive perceptions (Papanastasiou & Zembylas, 2008; Sizemore & Lewandowski, 2009), other students enter the course with misconceptions about research, and potentially apprehension regarding statistics or other unknowns about engaging in research (Earley, 2014; Kawulich et al., 2009; Slocum-Schaffer & Bohrer, 2019; Wishkowski et al., 2022). At the end of a research methods course, some students show improvements in knowledge in research methods while …

Introduction And References, Julia M. Gossard, Chris Babits

Habits of Mind

Although content knowledge remains at the heart of college teaching and learning, forward-thinking instructors recognize that we must also provide 21st-century college students with transferable skills (sometimes called portable intellectual abilities) to prepare them for their futures (Vazquez, 2020; Ritchhart, 2015; Venezia & Jaeger, 2013; Hazard, 2012). To “grow their capacity as efficacious thinkers to navigate and thrive in the face of unprecedented change” (Costa et al., 2023), students must learn and improve important study skills and academic dispositions throughout their educational careers. If we do not focus on skills-building in college courses, students will not be prepared for the …

Afterword, Julia M. Gossard, Chris Babits

Habits of Mind

Utah State University (USU) instructors are committed to developing the Habits of Mind that can help students achieve academic, career, and personal success. Many instructors have designed entire courses around Habits of Mind. Others have incorporated Habits of Mind into specific assessments. And some instructors have created course policies that align strongly with the Habits of Mind learning framework. The work highlighted in this edited collection demonstrates how seriously USU takes its mission to educate our students.

Chapter 19- "I See Research Questions Everywhere": Developing Metacognitive Skills In An English-Major Research Methods Course, Joyce Kinkead, John Draeger, Jill K. Singer

Habits of Mind

How many ways can sticky notes—branded as Post-it Notes and introduced in 1980 by 3M—be used by college students? According to the undergraduate who investigated this topic, 31. In the report she produced as a result of a study conducted in English 3470: Approaches to Research in English Studies, the researcher found that “many stationery products have died with advancements in technology, but the Post-it Note has thrived and continues to play a role in productivity in the workplace, continuing at the top of the supply list” (Eralie, 2019). To come to this magic number of 31, Megan conducted a …

Title Page, Book Info, Julia M. Gossard, Chris Babits

Habits of Mind

Although content knowledge remains at the heart of college teaching and learning, forward-thinking instructors recognize that we must also provide 21st-century college students with transferable skills (sometimes called portable intellectual abilities) to prepare them for their futures (Vazquez, 2020; Ritchhart, 2015; Venezia & Jaeger, 2013; Hazard, 2012). To “grow their capacity as efficacious thinkers to navigate and thrive in the face of unprecedented change” (Costa et al., 2023), students must learn and improve important study skills and academic dispositions throughout their educational careers. If we do not focus on skills-building in college courses, students will not be prepared for the …

Chapter 5- Structure For Success: Incorporating Habits Of Mind Into Online Courses, Missy Kofoed

Habits of Mind

Interest and participation in online courses in higher education has grown significantly over the past decade (Palvia et al., 2018). This growth was further amplified due to the increased online course options offered during the years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System indicates that about 73% of students were enrolled in a distance education course in the fall of 2020 as compared to about 36% in 2019. Even as pandemic restrictions eased, student enrollment in online courses remained high, with 59% of students enrolled in at least one distance education course in the fall …

Chapter 13- Habits Of Mind Courses For College Success: Empowering Students To Plan And Read, Melanie Chambers, Sharon Lyman

Habits of Mind

Ana takes a deep breath as her professor hands back her midterm. To her chagrin, she sees a red F at the top of the page. As she wonders where things went awry, her mind replays the events leading up to her arrival at the testing center where she took the exam. Poor time management coupled with little to no interest in the assigned readings seemed to be the compounding culprits of her failed exam. Now, in place of the A she had envisioned herself earning, an unsettling feeling sets in. Ana wonders whether she can still pass the class.

Chapter 16- If At First You Don't Succeed: Promoting A Growth Mindset By Quelling Student Fear Of Failure, Jason Twede

Habits of Mind

In response to a colleague’s dismay over failing to successfully design their invention, Thomas Edison famously replied that their efforts were not a failure, but an opportunity to learn. Edison said:

I recall that after we had conducted thousands of experiments on a certain project without solving the problem, one of my associates, after we had conducted the crowning experiment and it had proved a failure, expressed discouragement and disgust over our having failed “to find out anything.” I cheerily assured him that we had learned something. For we had learned for a certainty that the thing couldn’t be done …

Table Of Contents And Acknowledgements, Julia M. Gossard, Chris Babits

Habits of Mind

No abstract provided.

Correlates Of Christian Religious Identification And Deidentification Among Sexual And Gender Minorities: A U.S. Probability Sample, G. Tyler Lefevor, Lauren J. A. Bouton, Edward B. Davis, Samuel J. Skidmore, Ilan H. Meyer

Psychology Faculty Publications

Using a U.S. nationally representative sample of 1,529 sexual and gender minorities (SGMs), we examined the demographic and developmental correlates of Christian religious deidentification. We found that SGMs who were older, Black, cisgender men, and/or lived in the American South were more likely to identify as Christian in adulthood, relative to other SGMs. Those who were never Christian reported being more out to family and friends at earlier ages than those who were raised Christian. SGMs who were raised Christian, but did not identify as Christian in adulthood reported, more adverse childhood experiences and bullying than other SGMs. Sexual minorities …

Opportunities For Transformation: Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion Across The Developmental Disabilities Network, Lydia Ocasio-Stoutenburg, Jacy Farkas

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.