Education Commons^™

Mathematical Modeling Within A Technology Based Learning Environment: Some Principles For Adaptive Instruction, Neal Grandgenett, Elliott Ostler, Arthur I. Zygielbaum, Scott Henninger, Char Hazzard

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

This paper describes a set of research based instructional plans being developed by a multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Nebraska within a National Science Foundation Proof-of-Concept Grant. The project is seeking to establish a prototype effort for teaching mathematical modeling within a technology based learning environment, which includes components of adaptive instruction for the student. Seven curriculum based design principles for the adaptive instruction that are being followed in the development of the project are described in the paper as they relate to research on effective mathematics instruction, and in particular the enhancement of mathematical modeling activities.

The Recruitment And Retention Of African American, Hispanic, Asian And Native American (Ahana) Students On College Campuses, Franklin Titus Thompson

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

“We believe it is the duty of both policy makers and educators to identify qualified minority youth and place them in channels that ensure success.”

Recruitment And Retention Of African American Males In High School Mathematics: Have We Achieved Access To The Success Stairway?, Sheryl Mcglamery, Carol Mitchell

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

“Most schools desire that more minorities participate, yet finding a successful formula often proves difficult and elusive.”

Correlates With Use Of Telecomputing Tools: K-12 Teachers' Beliefs And Demographics, Judith B. Harris, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

What can be determined about the demographic characteristics beliefs about teaching, degrees of innovativeness, and world views of classroom teachers and specialists who use Internet-based telecomputing tools? This study correlated data representing a year of online use with responses to questionnaire items about teacher beliefs and demographics for 558 respondents from a sample of 1,000 randomly selected Internet account holders on TENET, the statewide K-12 –educational telecomputing network in Texas. Results showed significant correlations among beliefs about teaching, personal perceptions of innovativeness, and world views; respondents who were more student-centered in their beliefs about teaching perceived themselves to be more …

Service-Learning For Preservice Teachers: Ethical Dilemmas For Practice, David M. Donahue

Service Learning, General

Increasingly in the United States, service-learning is being used to educate preservice teachers. Service varies greatly in its ethical foundation, however, and service-learning presents new teachers with a variety of dilemmas revealing the moral and political nature of teaching and service. This article presents one case of four preservice teachers writing curriculum as a service to a community agency hoping to promote service geared toward social justice among high school students. The case highlights ethical dilemmas faced by teachers in the process and illustrates the potential of service-learning to educate teachers for the moral imperative of their profession.

Nebraska Internet Evaluation Report, Year 5, Neal Topp, Neal Grandgenett, Elliott Ostler, Robert Mortenson

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

his final report of a comprehensive five-year evaluation process focused on examining the progress of the statewide implementation of Internet technology, as well as the general impact on teachers, students, and schools of statewide connectivity and training efforts in K-12 schools in Nebraska. The evaluation process was based on three primary types of data--teacher/principal survey data, machine-based Educational Service Unit (ESU) support data, and observed classroom uses and projects. Results are reported in the following areas: teacher use of the Internet; principal use of the Internet; student use of the Internet; the impact of Internet on classroom settings; example teacher …

New England College Pre-Service Teacher Service Learning Guidebook, Debra Nitschke-Shaw

Guides

In a democratic classroom, teacher and students strive to create a participatory learning community (Wade, 1997), a community where the voices and needs of all are respected and valued by the members of that community. Democratic education involves connecting with the larger community through meaningful, hands-on involvement. According to John Dewey, "schools should be democratic laboratories of learning closely linked to community need" (National Youth Leadership Council, 1991, p. 4). Therefore, the focus of a democratic classroom should be on responsible participation from all members of the classroom community.

Sense Of Belonging As Perceived By Two Third Grade Students., Laura Foix

Student Work

This study investigated the sense of belonging as perceived by two third grade students. Two informants in a small midwestem public school were used in this qualitative study. Data was collected through interviews, observations, informant journals, and a researcher reflection journal. It was discovered that these informants believe that a sense of humor, class participation, compliments, and non-verbal facial expressions contribute to a child feeling a sense of belonging in the classroom. Further research needs to be completed to determine other factors that contribute to a child’s sense of belonging in the classroom, as well as other settings within the …

The Relationship Between The Degree Of Collegiality And The Utilization Of Technology In The Secondary Social Science Classroom, Douglas S. Newton

Student Work

The purpose of this study is to answer the following research questions: 1. Is there a significant difference in technology utilization between secondary Social Studies teachers identified as having high collegiality and those secondary Social Studies teachers identified as having low collegiality? 2. What is the correlation of secondary Social Studies teachers’ degree of collegiality with their corresponding perceptions toward the classroom utilization of technology? 3. What is the correlation of secondary Social Studies teachers’ age with their corresponding perceptions toward the classroom utilization of technology? 4. What is the correlation of secondary Social Studies teachers’ educational achievement with their …

The Connections Project: Year 2 Annual Report, Neal Topp, Neal Grandgenett, Elliott Ostler, Bob Pawloski, Lawrence S. Bundy, Seward School District

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This annual report for budget year October 1, 1997-September 30, 1998 describes year 2 of the Connections Project within the Seward, Nebraska public schools. This project (a technology challenge grant) provided four major activities to help Nebraska middle and high school teachers, mentors, and community members enhance student learning through integrated curricula supported by technology. The activities included professional development for teachers to support their use of integrated curriculum and technology, curriculum development activities, community connections programs, and statewide and national dissemination of 400 project curriculum models and resources through a website and CD-ROM. The project was intended to increase …

Recruitment Of High School Minority Students Into Engineering, Math, Science And Technology Futures On Predominantly White Campuses, Franklin Titus Thompson, Tome Sires, Carol Batt

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

“This session is for college administrators who wish to make traditionally elitist program more inclusive. Its is also helpful to community and school district personnel who wish to investigate how to set up a similar program in their community.”

Challenges And Strategies For Success With Service-Learning In Preservice Teacher Education, Jeffrey B. Anderson, Terry Pickeral

Service Learning, General

This study examined challenges to the use of service-learning in preservice teacher education and also strategies used to overcome those challenges. We surveyed 123 teacher educators, education deans, and state department of education service-learning coordinators to gain their perspective regarding challenges most critical to the use of service-learning in teacher education. We then interviewed 42 of the survey respondents to obtain detailed descriptions of specific strategies used to overcome challenges. Results indicate the most critical challenges relate to lack of time for teacher educators to plan and implement service-learning, an already overcrowded curriculum, and a lack of alignment of service-learning …

The Community Discovered: The Search For Meaning Through The Integration Of Art And Technology In K-12 Education - Annual Progress Report No. 3, Kathy Coufal, Neal Grandgenett, Westside Community Schools

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This third evaluation progress report concerns a 5-year project that links technology and the visual and performing arts with other subject areas to transform the education of K-12 students in Nebraska and nationwide. The report states that the "Community Discovered" project is continuing to make substantial and consistent progress in its training, classroom integration, and evaluation activities. It explains that the project focuses on enhancing education by developing interdisciplinary constructivist curriculum units that deliver the arts and art resources to the classrooms of Nebraska and the world via the use of the Internet, describing the project as a multi-element education …

Service Learning And Teacher Education: Mapping The Territory, Carole Cook Freeman

Service Learning, General

Since the mid-1980's there has been a renewed interest in progressive approaches to the education of intending teachers¹. In the context of this progressive teacher education activity, several distinct, but related, ideas converge and become the theoretical base for teacher education practices involving (community) service learning.² Among these ideas are renewed interest in authentic field experiences, multicultural education, child advocacy, democratic education, social justice, school reform efforts, autobiography and teacher thinking, and an emphasis on community service in K-12 education. In addition, teacher educators increasingly recognize the gap between the backgrounds of those who intend to teach …

Perspectives On The Use Of Internet In Art Classrooms, Donalyn Heise, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

With the emergence of Internet technology, students have the opportunity to develop skills necessary to live, work and play in the 21st century. More than ever before, students will need to be competent in accessing and managing information from a variety of sources. The Internet allows students to engage in global communication, as well as access the most current information available. For art education, the Internet also provides a real opportunity to blend multicultural, multi-age, gender-inclusive educational reform into the art curriculum by incorporating visual resources and contextual information from many different cultures.

The Community Discovered: The Search For Meaning Through The Integration Of Art And Technology In K-12 Education - Evaluation Progress Report No. 2, Kathy Coufal, Neal Grandgenett, Westside Community Schools

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This second evaluation progress report concerns a 5-year project that links technology and the visual and performing arts with other subject areas to transform the education of K-12 students in Nebraska and nationwide. The report states that the project's focus is to develop curriculum models of engaged student learning using technology and resources of the Information Superhighway, and that a special emphasis has been placed on serving disadvantaged students in rural and urban areas. It also states that the project is being conducted by the Westside Community Schools in Omaha, Nebraska, and that five art museums are currently involved. The …

A Need For A Paradigm Shift In Today's Race Relations And Diversity Education, Franklin Titus Thompson

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

Although the ranks of human relations change agents have been temporarily depleted, there is training available for front-line diversity educators. “Changeagents do not have to always be born. They can also be taught.”

Correlates Among Teachers’ Anxieties, Demographics, And Telecomputing Activity, Judith B. Harris, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Are educators' anxiety levels or demographics related to their voluntary use of networked resources? In this study, one year of logins and online time for 189 randomly selected educators with accounts on Tenet (Texas Education Network) were correlated with six interval-level subject attribute variables: (a) writing apprehension, (b) oral communication apprehension, (c) computer anxiety, (d) age, (e) teaching experience, and (f) telecomputing experience. The usage data were also correlated with three nominal-level subject attribute variables: (a) gender, (b) professional specialty, and (c) teaching level. Results indicated that writing apprehension was significantly and negatively correlated with network use, and that telecomputing …

The Community Discovered: The Search For Meaning Through The Integration Of Art And Technology In K-12 Education - Evaluation Progress Report No. 1, Kathy Coufal, Neal Grandgenett, Westside Community Schools

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The project of focus in this evaluation progress report is currently completing the second year of full operation and is a 5-year project that links technology and the visual and performing arts with other subject areas to transform the education of K-12 students in Nebraska and nationwide. The report notes that special emphasis is placed on serving disadvantaged students in rural and urban areas. It states that the project's focus is to develop curriculum models of engaged student learning using technology and resources of the "Information Superhighway," and that five museums are also involved. The report explains that the project …

Nebraska Internet Evaluation Project: Year 2 Progress Report, Neal Topp, Neal Grandgenett, Elliott Ostler, University Of Nebraska At Omaha, Nebraska Consortium Of Educational Service Units

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The goals of the Internet Evaluation Project, undertaken cooperatively by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Nebraska Consortium of Educational Service Units, focus on a long range assessment of Internet integration into the K-12 Nebraska schools and the support delivered by the Educational Service Units (ESUs). The purpose of this report is to relate progress, after 24 months, of a comprehensive evaluation process, which is examining the impact on teachers, students, and schools. In addition to a pre-training and post-training teacher survey data, information is being gathered from machine-based ESU server support data, and observed classroom uses and …

Mcmillan Magnet School: A Case History Of A School Acquiring A Critical Mass Of Computer Technology And Internet Connectivity, Neal Grandgenett, Neal Topp, Bob Pawloski, Pamy Mooney, Kerry Newman, Robert Goeman, Wayne Fisher

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

McMillan Magnet Center is located in urban Omaha, Nebraska, and specializes in math, computers, and communications. Once a junior high school, it was converted to a magnet center for seventh and eighth graders in the 1983-84 school year as part of Omaha's voluntary desegregation plan. Now 'the ethnic makeup of the student population is about 50% black and 50% white, with a few other minorities. This document seeks to archive McMillan's success in its mission to become a technology magnet school, including nationally recognized achievements in ~ethnology integration and Internet connectivity. McMillan's technological leadership came about thanks in large part …

The Effect Of Gender And Age On Ppst Performance In An Urban Teacher Education Program, Judith Harrington

Counseling Faculty Publications

This study examined PPST scores for 318 College of Education students in a midsized, midwestern, urban university. Factors of gender and age were used to compare performance on the three PPST subtests of Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Findings tended to support some gender-stereotypical beliefs with regard to math and verbal abilities. The study's findings did not support the often perceived belief that traditional students outperform nontraditional students. Inferences for urban colleges of Education are discussed.

Developing Active Citizens: Community Service Learning In Social Studies Teacher Education, Rahima C. Wade

Service Learning, General

How are social studies teacher educators to prepare teachers for working in a society fraught with social, environmental, and economic problems? If the true mission of our profession is active citizenship, we must help our students learn the value of engaging in long-term efforts to revitalize our democratic society and the skills to respond compassionately to those whose daily needs cannot wait for societal transformation. This article is based on the premise that social studies teacher educators are in a unique position to develop future teachers' commitment to giving their students opportunities for active involvement in the community and the …

Using Storybooks To Acquaint Children With The Continent Of Africa, Mary J. Lickteig, Kathy Everts Danielson

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

I learned so much about Africa. I learned countries, cities, villages, mountains, deserts, rivers, languages. Have you ever been to Africa? I wish I could go.

This comment, by a third-grade student, was typical of the responses from students who participated in a project designed to help children learn about Africa by offering them books with African settings. In this article, we share the methods we used to acquaint students with the continent of Africa. We have also included students' responses to a questionnaire, information gathered by an observer, and quotes from students' letters.

Use Children's Books To Link The Cultures Of The World, Mary J. Lickteig, Kathy Everts Danielson

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Global education is a timely and important emphasis in schools today. In this article, we consider the goals of global education, present a rationale for providing global education experiences at the age children are most responsive to instruction, explore the ways that children's trade books can provide links among cultures, and consider goals of geography and ways trade books can be used to meet these goals.

The Relationship Of Locus Of Control, Self-Esteem, And Level Of Social Play, Patricia A. Knudsen

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a relationship among children's internal or external locus of control, self-esteem, and level of social play. The study, conducted early in the year to minimize the effect of the classroom environment on test results, included 39 children enrolled in either the morning or afternoon sections of the author's kindergarten class. Eight days after the start of school the following instruments were administered individually to each child by trained volunteers: the Preschool and Primary Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Control Scale (PPNS-IE) by Stephen Nowicki, Jr., and Marshall P. Duke to assess locus …

The Relationships Between School Personnel Attitudes About At Risk Students, The At Riskness Of The Student Population, And Effort Expended For At Risk Students, Jill Russell, Mary Lickteig, Neal Grandgenett

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This study was conducted to address: (1) the identification of at risk students; (2) the provision of help appropriate to their needs; and (3) discovery of ways to increase those students' probability of succeeding in school and in life. The study analyzed data generated through the Phi Delta Kappa Study of Students at Risk that involved 22,018 students enrolled in 276 elementary, middle and high schools nationwide. Surveys were gathered from 276 principals and 9,652 teachers. A literature review examines general efforts including ability grouping, promotion/retention, reduction in class size, and pull-out programs, as well as specific elementary, secondary, and …

In The Classroom: Poetry In Motion (May '91), Michael P. French, Kathy Everts Danielson

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Presents a look at several special projects designed by various teachers to foster learning in young children. Includes using a body movement to respond to poetry, creating a `Book-a-Mania' week of instructional and entertaining events, and using logos and street signs to teach reading awareness.

In The Classroom: Building Self-Esteem Through Poetry (April '91), Michael P. French, Kathy Everts Danielson

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Describes the instruction programs devised by various teachers across the nation and the benefits of the programs. Includes building self-esteem through poetry, fostering the connection between art and poetry, and using Caldecott Medal books to motivate independent reading and creative writing.

In The Classroom: Creating A Writing-Rich Environment In The Preschool Classroom (Mar. '91), Michael P. French, Kathy Everts Danielson

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Describes the special teaching strategies developed by various teachers across the nation, including preschool journal writing, creating big books, and teaching comprehension through reading and writing editorials.