Education Commons^™

Examining Digital Innovation In K-12 Schools: Variances Related To Identified School Typologies, Savilla Banister, Rachel Reinhart

Savilla I Banister

Using Digital Resources To Support Personalized Learning Experiences In K-12 Classrooms: The Evolution Of Mobile Devices As Innovations In Schools In Northwest Ohio, Savilla Banister, Rachel Reinhart

Savilla I Banister

The challenges facing the United States in educating its youth have been widely documented. The dropout rate in the past decades has been staggering, hovering around the 20% mark, with students of color and in lower socio-economic circumstances posting an even higher rate (Barton, 2005). Perhaps more troubling are the indicators that students who are staying in school until high school graduation are largely disengaged and disenfranchised with their experiences (Balfanz, Herzog, & MacIver, 2007; Henry, Knight, & Thornberry, 2012). However, educators are now beginning to embrace the promise of ubiquitous digital technologies in the classroom. This study examines the …

Digital Storytelling In The Middle Childhood Special Education Classroom: A Teacher’S Story Of Adaptations, Paige Michalski, Dodi Hodges, Savilla Banister

Savilla I Banister

This article chronicles one special educator’s process of implementing adaptive instructional strategies in her middle school language arts classroom. Paige Michalski crafted adaptations for her students with disabilities in the curricular area of digital storytelling (Banaszewski, 2002; Dunn, 2000). Digital storytelling involves telling stories using multimedia technologies, providing a format for students to put their thoughts together, visually, aurally, and kinesthetically. Ms. Michalski has found that incorporating the process of digital storytelling into her special education language arts classroom produced numerous benefits. Students appeared to be excited about their projects and committed increased effort in writing and verbal communication. They …

Assessing Nets-T Performance In Teacher Candidates: Exploring The Wayfind Teacher Assessment, Savilla I. Banister

Savilla I Banister

To effectively integrate digital technologies in K–12 schools, teachers must be provided with undergraduate experiences that strongly support these integration resources and strategies. The National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS•T) provide a framework for teacher candidates and inservice teachers to identify their accomplishments in this realm. Using the NETS•T to deliver undergraduate teacher education curriculum, and requiring teacher candidates to document their abilities related to the NETS•T can support meaningful development for the candidates. This study examines the use of the Wayfind Teacher Assessment as a tool for determining the proficiencies of teacher candidates in their final year of …

Tpck For Impact: Classroom Teaching Practices That Promote Social Justice And Narrow The Digital Divide In An Urban Middle School, Savilla I. Banister, Rachel A. Reinhart

Savilla I Banister

US schools have long struggled with what has recently been identified as the “achievement gap.” While the debate ensues in regards to an explicit definition for this phenomenon, research overwhelmingly demonstrates that students of marginalized populations remain on the lower end of most measures of school success. Accordingly, advocates of social justice point to the disparities of resources, including quality teachers, experienced by students in poverty. As a part of this movement, access to appropriate technological resources in schools has become an issue, commonly labeled the “digital divide.” This study reviews evidence of teaching for social justice and impacting the …

Validating A Measure Of Teacher Technology Integration., Rachel A. Reinhart, Savilla I. Banister

Savilla I Banister

This study sought to examine the validity and reliability of the Teacher Technology Integration Survey (TTIS). Previous instruments have sought to separately measure teacher technology use, self-efficacy, attitudes, or beliefs. In contrast, the TTIS attempts to measure teacher technology integration, which encompasses risk-taking behaviors and comfort with technology; perceived benefits of using classroom technology; beliefs and behaviors about classroom technology use; technology support and access; teacher technology use for communication, instruction and instructional support purposes; and facilitation of student technology use. Factor analysis supported the original subscales. Results indicate that the TTIS provides a reliable and multi-dimensional measure of teacher …