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Full-Text Articles in Education

Minerva 2008, The Honors College Dec 2008

Minerva 2008, The Honors College

Minerva

This issue of Minerva includes an article on the completion of the restoration of Colvin Hall; a reflection by Ruth Nadelhaft, former UMaine Honors program director; and an article on Honors alumnus and Nobel Peace Prize winner Bernard Lown and his 2008 Rezendes Visiting Scholar in Ethics Lecture/Distinguished Honors Graduate Lecture.


From The Fair To The Laboratory: The Institutionalization Of Agricultural Science And Education In Maine, Thomas Reznick Jun 2008

From The Fair To The Laboratory: The Institutionalization Of Agricultural Science And Education In Maine, Thomas Reznick

Maine History

Up until the mid-nineteenth century, agricultural science and education in Maine were primarily local affairs. Meeting in farm clubs and attending agricultural fairs, the Maine farmer performed most research by trial and error and by meeting on common ground with other farmers to discuss what worked and what did not. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the farm clubs and county fairs waned and succumbed to the growing political influence of the Grange, which supported burgeoning agricultural scientific and educational institutions, such as the College of Agriculture and the Experiment Station. Through the auspices of the Grange, such institutions took the …


A Revolutionary Model To Improve Science Education, Teachers, And Scientists, Susan H. Brawley, Judith Pusey, Barbara J.W. Cole, Lauree E. Gott, Stephen A. Norton Jan 2008

A Revolutionary Model To Improve Science Education, Teachers, And Scientists, Susan H. Brawley, Judith Pusey, Barbara J.W. Cole, Lauree E. Gott, Stephen A. Norton

Maine Policy Review

To meet many modern global challenges, we need to promote scientific and technical literacy. The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) supports a “revolutionary” program to connect science education at all levels, from elementary through graduate school. The authors demonstrate how Maine has benefited from this program. They describe the University of Maine’s NSF-funded “GK-12 STEM” program, which placed graduate and advanced undergraduate science and technology students in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms; provided equipment for the schools; and offered training and professional development for the partner teachers. The authors urge the state, universities, and school districts to continue to …


Nsf Gk-12 Stem: A Fellow’S Perspective/A Partner Teacher’S Perspective, Peter F. Smith, Lauree E. Gott Jan 2008

Nsf Gk-12 Stem: A Fellow’S Perspective/A Partner Teacher’S Perspective, Peter F. Smith, Lauree E. Gott

Maine Policy Review

In these commentaries, a partner teacher and a fellow discuss their participation in an NSF-funded program (GK-12 STEM) at the University of Maine that connects science education at all levels, from elementary school through graduate school.


High School Achievement In Maine: Where You Come From Matters More Than School Size And Expenditures, Fern Desjardins, Gordon A. Donaldson Jr. Jan 2008

High School Achievement In Maine: Where You Come From Matters More Than School Size And Expenditures, Fern Desjardins, Gordon A. Donaldson Jr.

Maine Policy Review

Fern Desjardins and Gordon Donaldson report on their research examining the relationship between academic achievement in Maine’s public high schools and school size, per-pupil operating costs, and socioeconomic status. Using aggregated Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) scores, their study confirmed previous research that socioeconomic status (using both family and community measures) is the most important factor associated with achievement, while school size is not a critical factor. Additionally, the authors found that per-pupil operating costs are higher in the state’s largest and smallest high schools. The authors suggest that the creation of larger districts and larger schools, as supported by recent …


National Board-Certified Teachers: Can They Make A Difference In Maine Schools?, Sarah V. Mackenzie, Walter J. Harris Jan 2008

National Board-Certified Teachers: Can They Make A Difference In Maine Schools?, Sarah V. Mackenzie, Walter J. Harris

Maine Policy Review

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) was created in an effort to improve the status of teaching as a career. In 2006, the Maine legislature authorized a salary supplement for Maine teachers who were certified by the NBPTS. Sarah Mackenzie and Walter Harris describe their study focused on the value of NBPTS certification in professional development and teacher leadership; teacher motivation for seeking certification; barriers to certification; and how Maine teachers might be encouraged to seek certification. They point out that National Board certification is one among many ways to support and improve the quality of teaching in …