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Full-Text Articles in Education
Collaborative Action Research For Middle Grades Improvement, John Matthew Downes, Penny A. Bishop, Meredith Swallow, Mark William Olofson, Susan Hennessey
Collaborative Action Research For Middle Grades Improvement, John Matthew Downes, Penny A. Bishop, Meredith Swallow, Mark William Olofson, Susan Hennessey
Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education Publications
Technology’s rapid evolution applies constant pressure to educational organizations, suggesting a need to continually re-envision schools for the digital age. Yet educators often struggle to understand the growing chasm between students’ out-of-school and in-school technology lives. This gap is particularly noticeable during the middle grades years, when home technology use increases dramatically. The purpose of this research was to examine the experiences of teachers and students engaged in collaborative action research for middle school improvement in technology-rich settings. We begin by outlining our theoretical framework, emphasizing Fletcher’s Ladder of Student Involvement. We then describe our case-study design and methods. Findings …
“Think Bigger About Science”: Using Twitter For Learning In The Middle Grades, Ryan Liss Becker, Penny Bishop
“Think Bigger About Science”: Using Twitter For Learning In The Middle Grades, Ryan Liss Becker, Penny Bishop
Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education Publications
This article examines the use of Twitter as a learning tool in a middle grades science classroom. Relevant research, the direct experience of the teacher leading this unique initiative, and the invaluable perspectives of his middle level students are included to inform interested stakeholders. Following a discussion of open versus closed digital environments, a rationale for why open forms of social media, like Twitter, can be appropriate for middle grades students is explored. The ways in which one author integrates Twitter into his teaching is then described before student outcomes are explained, including the voices and perspectives of students themselves. …