Education Commons^™

Becoming A Reading Specialist: Surveying The Possibilities, Judy A. Abbott, Cari R. Williams, Allison Swan-Dagen, Steven D. Rinehart

Faculty Publications

The terrain of graduate programs is changing, especially in light of preparing highly qualified teachers (NCLB, 2001) and standards-based accreditation (IRA, 2004a, NCATE, 2008). This changing terrain is noticed as many institutions of higher learning undergo program reviews through self-studies required by the institution, by state departments of education, by specialized professional associations, or by national accreditation entities. This project sought to explore the nature of reading specialists master’s programs by examining their websites in light of the shift towards standards-based accreditation of programs and the influence of federal legislation. Specific objectives for this descriptive study included: (a) reviewing master’s …

A Geowall With Physics And Astronomy Applications, Phillip Dukes, Dan Bruton

Faculty Publications

A GeoWall is a passive stereoscopic projection system that can be used by students, teachers, and researchers for visualization of the structure and dynamics of three-dimensional systems and data. The type of system described here adequately provides 3-D visualization in natural color for large or small groups of viewers. The name “GeoWall” derives from its initial development to visualize data in the geosciences.1 An early GeoWall system was developed by Paul Morin at the electronic visualization laboratory at the University of Minnesota and was applied in an introductory geology course in spring of 2001. Since that time, several stereoscopic media, …

Does Gender Influence Online Survey Participation?: A Record-Linkage Analysis Of University Faculty Online Survey Response Behavior, Grinell Smith

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Science Books For Professional Pleasure Reading: Round Out Your Content Knowledge And Foster Interest In Science With This List, Grinell Smith

Faculty Publications

The article lists several science books, including "The Origin of Species," by Charles Darwin, "The Whole Shebang: A State-of-the-Universes Report," by Timothy Ferris and "Silent Spring," by Rachel Carson.

Constructing An Ethic Of Care In Teacher Education: Narrative As Pedagogy Toward Care, Colette Rabin

Faculty Publications

Teacher educators have a civic responsibility to prepare novice teachers to foster relationships across cultural, racial, and socioeconomic divides. Care ethics acknowledges this imperative. This study explores how to cultivate the knowledge, skills and dispositions associated with constructing a caring stance toward the work of teaching. Data come from two preservice teacher education courses. A cluster of course activities sought to foster novice teachers’ core skills for a caring stance. In particular, one assignment, an ethical dilemma case, gave the novice teachers the opportunity to write a narrative about practice and consider any potential moral implications. Since narrative methodology accounts …

Student Teachers Negotiating Identity, Role, And Agency, Dena Sexton

Faculty Publications

This article reports on a qualitative study of one cohort of elementary student teachers in a public university in California over the course of one year. Applying an ecological approach to studying the process of learning to teach, this research focuses on intersections among identity, role, and agency across the systems of teacher education.

Substance Use And Social Identity In The Lesbian Community_Jls.Pdf, Molly Kerby

Faculty Publications

Although the study results report discrepancies in the rates of substance abuse in the lesbian community, the general consensus in the field of gay and lesbian studies is that these individuals, as a whole, have a higher rate of substance use. For this study, data were collected via the Internet on the use of drugs and alcohol, level of self-esteem, and degree of social identity in the lesbian community. A correlation analysis was used to determine if negative social identity within the lesbian community leads to low self-esteem that is reflected in higher rates of substance abuse. Though a positive …

"How Do We Meet Students Where They Are, While Challenging Them Further?" : Teaching Developmentally., Mary E. Hess

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Listening And Learning To Teach In Theological Contexts: An Appreciative Inquiry Model, Mary E. Hess

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Online Journal Of Distance Education Reaches The 10-Year Mark: A Look Back Using Social Network Theory To Examine Its Collaboration Network, Steven J. Hite, Julie M. Hite, Scott L. Howell, Lenae Crandall

Faculty Publications

Happy 10th birthday to the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration! Who would have ever imagined that this online journal situated on the Web site of a smaller university in Carrollton, Georgia, U.S.A., (population about 20,000 and listed in 2002 as one of the 50 best small southern towns in the United States), and without the financial backing of a large national association, would emerge 10 years later as one of the field's premier journals? Not even the founding editor, Dr. Melanie Clay, quite envisioned the number of contributors and readers who would seek out her journal from all over …

Model-Centered Instruction, The Design, And The Designer, Andrew S. Gibbons Iii

Faculty Publications

A model of instruction described by Wenger (1987) identifies three elements that are active during instruction: the mental model the instructor wishes to share with the learner, the external experience used to communicate the mental model, and the evolving mental model of the learner. Gibbons (2003a), writing in response to Seel (2003), noted this three-part description as a bridge concept relating learning and instruction. This view has important practical implications for designers of instruction. For example, Gibbons and Rogers (in press) propose that there exists a natural layered architecture within instructional designs that corresponds with instructional functions. Among these layers …

Selecting U.S. Senators By The Original Method: Intersecting Mathematics And Social Studies, Bonnie H. Litwiller, David R. Duncan

Faculty Publications

Mathematics teachers are concerned with incorporating connections with other academic areas in their mathematics curriculum. Social science provides a rich source of data which can be collected, organized, and interpreted by mathematics students. These data become of particular interest to many students if they involve political questions and processes.

Student Teachers' Interactions With Students During Middle School Physical Education Game Play, David C. Barney, Gary Liguori

Faculty Publications

Teacher/student interactions are a daily occurrence during a class period. What the teachers say, and how they say it, can affect student learning (Ring, 2002). The purpose of this study was to investigate the types of interactions student teachers had with the students during their middle school physical education game play. The subjects were two male senior physical education majors who were concluding their course work with their student teaching experience. For this study students wore a wireless microphone in order for the researcher to hear the types of interactions they had with their students during class time. It was …

Critical Thinking As Disciplinary Practice, Stephen C. Yanchar, Brent D. Slife, Russell Warne

Faculty Publications

Critical thinking in psychology has traditionally focused on method-centered tasks such as the assessment of method use, data analysis, and research evidence. Although helpful in some ways, this form of critical thinking fails to provide resources for critically examining the scientific-analytic foundation on which it rests and, when used exclusively, prohibits sufficiently critical analysis of theory and research. An alternative view of critical thinking—that emphasizes the identification and evaluation of implicit theoretical assumptions—is advocated. It is suggested that this alternative approach improves upon method-centered approaches by addressing not only implicit assumptions but also rule-following concerns. This approach is intended to …

Enhancing Special Educators' Knowledge And Understanding Of Hiv/Aids, Mary Anne Prater, Nancy M. Sileo, Thomas W. Sileo

Faculty Publications

HIV/AIDS continues to spread among children, youth, and young adults across all racial, ethnic, and cultural populations, including those with disabilities. This article considers information on HIV/AIDS such as individuals' health-risk behaviors, environmental circumstances, and perceptions that may contribute to HIV-infection; how disability characteristics, and cultural traits and values impact school-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs; and, culturally competent instructional considerations that acknowledge these variables.

Research On Effective Teaching In Elementary School Physical Education, Judith E. Rink, Tina J. Hall

Faculty Publications

The perspective of this article is that the purpose of the elementary physical education program is the development of a physically active lifestyle. We discuss the relative contribution of the development of motor skills, fitness, content related to encouraging participation, and the affective goals of the program to the development of a physically active lifestyle. Teaching must be effective if children are to acquire the skills to lead a physically active lifestyle. We explore the research base identifying effective teaching in an elementary school physical education setting in terms of academic learning time and management roles and communication and content-development …

Choosing A Career In Athletic Training: Exploring The Perceptions Of Potential Recruits, James M. Mensch, Murrary F. Mitchell

Faculty Publications

The success of any academic program, including athletic training, depends upon attracting and keeping quality students. Therefore, understanding potential recruits' perceptions of athletic training is important.

Objective: To (1) gain insight regarding undergraduate students' decisions to enter or not enter an athletic training education program (ATEP), and (2) examine potential athletic training recruits' perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of certified athletic trainers.

Helping Students Ask Questions, John Hilton Iii

Faculty Publications

On one occasion, a class was learning about the law of chastity. The teacher had challenged the class members to commit to live the law of chastity. One young woman raised her hand and said, “What if somebody has already broken the law of chastity? Can he or she still set a goal to live it from this point on?” This important question from a student prompted the teacher to emphasize the power of repentance—something he had not planned to do. Questions from students can have a powerful effect in the teaching and learning process.

Breaking The Cycle Of Racism In The Classroom: Critical Race Reflections From Future Teachers Of Color, Rita Kohli

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Wheel Garden: Project Based Learning For Cross Curriculum Education, Sherry S. Herron, Douglas Magomo, Paula Rae Gossard

Faculty Publications

In this article, we discuss project-based learning in the context of a wheel garden as an instructional tool in science and mathematics education. A wheel garden provides multiple opportunities to teach across the curriculum, to integrate disciplines, and to promote community involvement. Grounded in the theoretical framework of constructivism, the wheel garden provides a multidisciplined educational tool that provides a hands-on, non-traditional arena for learning. We will examine some of the cultural, art, science, and mathematics connections made with this project

A Teacher Self-Appraisal Checklist For Physical Educators To Assess Instructional Performance, Robert S. Christenson, David C. Barney

Faculty Publications

Many of the instructional challenges physical education teachers are confronted with today are very different from even those of our recent past. Advances in educational practices have found different ways to reach students, respond to their activity needs, and provide more interesting, effective, safe, as well as, novel ways to approach the teaching-learning process. Exploration into "Best Practices", instructional methods, and teaching effectiveness over the past three decades has brought about numerous changes that have focused on enhancing the quality of the teaching-learning experience in physical education. Student assessment, teaching effectiveness and instructional accountability are just a few of the …

Do High School Students Know What Practices Are Appropriate In Physical Education, David C. Barney, Brad Strand

Faculty Publications

The NASPE Appropriate Practices for High School Physical Education document was published for the purpose of "addressing key aspects of instructional strategies and practices that are essential to delivery of quality physical education to adolescents and young adults" [pg. 3]. The purpose of this study was to investigate high school student's knowledge of appropriate practices in high school physical education. Three hundred and sixty-nine high school students were surveyed regarding appropriate practices in high school physical education. It was found that picking teams in class was appropriate, that dressing out for class and attendance is a part of their grade …