Education Commons^™

To Choose Or Not To Choose: Establishing A Correlation Between Choice, Collaboration, And Classroom Engagement, Krisandra Johnson

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

Not all 8th-grade students have an outspoken passion for reading; however, most of them do like choices. This action research study establishes a correlation between offering choices in the English Language Arts classroom and increased affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement. The participants for this research were an 8th-grade class at a Midwest, urban public school. Providing students with reading choices, assignment options, opportunities to collaborate with peers, and multiple assessment forms to choose from demonstrated an increase of not only effective engagement but also cognitive and behavioral. From observations and student data, collaboration, the researcher determines that collaboration is a …

In With The Old: Encouraging Archives Use With Innovative Faculty Outreach, Kimberly Veliz, Ronald Rozzell

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

In order to encourage archives usage, an instruction librarian and archivist at a small community college collaborated to design an interactive instruction session for faculty. The session was to use breakout boxes to demonstrate how to incorporate archival materials into classroom activities at an institution wide professional development workshop event. Plans for an in-person breakout box session were scrapped after the COVID-19 Omicron wave forced workshops online. After designing and carrying out an online archives introduction, the session was reconfigured back into an in-person session utilizing breakout boxes. Despite lower-than-expected attendance, the innovative outreach made faculty and staff aware of …

Collaboration In Mathematics Teacher Education: The What, How, And Why Of Mathematical Modeling, Aubrey Neihaus, Amy Bennett

The Advocate

In this paper, we share our collaboration across the disciplines of mathematics and mathematics education to develop and implement a mathematical modeling task for prospective secondary mathematics teachers. Through this collaboration, we identified three key components of mathematical modeling: the what, how, and why. In this paper, we outline these components from the literature and how each framed our development and implementation of the Sprinkler Task in our mathematics content and mathematics methods courses for secondary teachers. These three components show that mathematical modeling is a particularly fruitful space for collaboration between the disciplines of mathematics and …

Redesigning Field Experiences To Support Rural Schools: A Praxis Reflection, Vicki S. Sherbert

Educational Considerations

The on-going social and political climate, with polarizing stances on everything from issues of social justice to mandates for mask-wearing and vaccination, brings non-normative stressors into the lived experiences of students, families, and educators everywhere. These stressors are often magnified in rural communities and schools. Yet, in spite of these challenges, many schools in rural areas have embraced opportunities for creative collaborations which foster connections and celebrate the unique richness of their communities.

This Praxis Reflection describes one such collaboration between a teacher educator at a midwestern university and a rural junior high/senior high school 300 miles west of the …

Education And Entertainment: Developing New Pathways To Student Engagement Through Library Services And Student Life Partnerships, Ruth A. Monnier, Mary Mercer, Anna Stark

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

The COVID-19 pandemic caused higher ed professionals to pivot how they engage students in programs and events. For the 2020-2021 academic year, Pittsburg State University’s Student Life and Library Services created a series of virtual trivia nights. This paper will use the virtual trivia series as a case study to demonstrate the beneficial partnership between Student Life and Library Services at Pittsburg State University. This paper will highlight successes and suggestions on bridging the gap and replicating such a partnership at your institution.

Student Preferences For Group Size In A Language Development Course, Joshua Cohen

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

Student preferences for group size were investigated. Pre- and post-study surveys, student written comments, and teacher observations were used to record changes in attitude and perception of group work while learning English over an eight-week period. In this study, I observed how arrangement impacted my students’ impressions of individual, pair, and group activities. My purpose for focusing on student configuration was twofold: firstly, I wanted to learn more about my students’ preferences for group size, and secondly; I wanted to find out whether certain combinations of students affected their perceptions of learning more than others.

Collaborative Autonomy: Exploring The Professional Freedom Of Three Science Teachers, Michael Ralph, Darian Robbins, Stephen Young, Laurence Woodruff

Educational Considerations

Education reform efforts must support and protect professional autonomy for classroom teachers. When policymakers attempt to make systemic change in ways that reduce the professional autonomy of educators, student learning suffers. Teachers need the freedom to identify their professional goals, seek resources and collaboration opportunities in pursuit of those goals, and act on feedback regarding their progress in meeting those goals. We present three stories from teachers who share a department engaged in collaborative autonomy. These accounts provide guidance for how professional autonomy can be defended by those pursuing systemic change.

Facilitating Collaboration Through A Co-Teaching Field Experience, Mark S. Montgomery, Adam Akerson

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

This article describes an action research project in which two teacher educators implemented a co-teaching field experience with pre-service teacher candidates acting as co-teachers to facilitate collaboration among peers. The goal of the action research was to better meet the needs of pre-service teacher candidates and continually develop their ability to grow as reflective and collaborative future teaching educators. To increase collaboration, co-teaching models were implemented in an early field experience. Teaching activities and assignments provided opportunities for collaboration as co-teachers and as members of a teaching community. Data collection and observations indicate peer-to-peer co-teaching helped create a collaborative atmosphere …

Responding To The Needs Of Early Career Sets Through Educator Preparation Programs, Jeongae Kang, Shantel Farnan, Tamara Lynn

The Advocate

Effective collaboration between special education teachers (SETs) and general educator teachers (GETs) is critical to better serve diverse students in the general education classroom. However, multiple areas of needs reported by early career SETs indicate that achieving the goal of effective collaboration is challenging. With a better understanding of the early experiences of SETs and their specific needs, GETs would be more suited to support early career SETs and increase effective partnerships across diverse educational settings. This article identified the needs of beginning SETs and discussed the directions of educator preparation programs in response of the reported needs.

Experiences And Perceptions Of University Students And General And Special Educator Teacher Preparation Faculty Engaged In Collaboration And Co-Teaching Practices, Leila A. Ricci, Joan Fingon

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

General and special education faculty modeling co-teaching practices in teacher preparation programs can promote collaboration among future K-12 teachers serving children with diverse needs. This article describes the experiences and perceptions of 59 university students enrolled in teacher preparation reading courses with sessions co-taught by general education and special education faculty members at a large, Hispanic serving public urban university in Southern California. The courses included lessons on co-planning, co-instructing, and co-assessing in reading jointly taught by the general education and special education professors; class readings and activities on collaboration and co-teaching; and the opportunity for university students to co-plan …

We Did It! A Collaborative Collection Development Project At The Ku And Ksu Libraries, Lea H. Currie, Mira Greene

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

For many years, the KU and KSU Libraries have looked for a method of combining their resources to create a collaborative collection development project. When KSU joined YBP as their main book vendor, it became evident that such a project might get off the ground since KU Libraries were longtime customers of YBP. Since Proquest was the main vendor for e-books for both schools and YBP sold e-books from Proquest, KU and KSU decided to approach their e-book specialist with Proquest to find out if a collaborative demand-driven (DDA) e-book project was possible. Proquest negotiated with the publishers the two …

Federal Lab To Boost K-State 2025 Initiative, Trevor Davis

Seek

As the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility building rises, so will Kansas State University’s reputation.

In The Middle Of It All, Erinn Barcomb-Peterson

Seek

Kansas has a lot going for it to make unmanned aircraft systems an economic home run. Nine billion people to feed in 2050. Diminishing water supplies. A changing climate. Meeting such grand challenges seems possible to those who have unmanned aircraft systems in their toolkit.

Cooperative Innovation, Cheryl May

Seek

Partnerships among the university, industry and entrepreneurs come together in the Greater Kansas City metro area.

Addressing Dilemmas Of Social Justice Mathematics Through Collaboration Of Students, Educators, And Researchers, Kari Kokka

Educational Considerations

In this paper, I provide a definition of Social Justice Mathematics. I explore three dilemmas that arise with SJM instruction and suggest ways in which collaboration among students, educators, and researchers may address these dilemmas.

Good To The Last Drip, Stephanie Jacques

Seek

Kansas State University researchers are evaluating different irrigation technologies to help farmers determine the best method for irrigating their cropland under water-limited conditions.

Learning Through Collaboration And Partnership, Gloria Creed-Dikeogu

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

Collaboration is vital when it comes to serving academic library patrons. In 2014, the Ottawa University library benefitted from six different partnerships. Along the way, librarians learned valuable lessons which can be applied to future collaborative endeavors.

College And Career Ready: What’S The Library Got To Do With It?, Janet Anderson-Story, Carmaine Ternes, Joy Haegert

Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings

College and Career Ready, Career Clusters, and Career Pathways are buzz words often heard but not always understood. These terms will be discussed as information about the collaborative activities between Emporia High School (EHS) and Flint Hills Technical College (FHTC) is shared. One responsibility of Emporia High School guidance counselors is to assist students in exploring and choosing career pathway courses. To support the counselors, the librarians at both institutions have created resources and activities that engage students in career exploration. The FHTC librarian created a LibGuide that includes online handbooks, reports, and crosswalks from FHTC programs to the six …

Blurring The Boundaries: Reflecting On Pds Roles And Responsibilities Through Multiple Lenses, Lotta C. Larson, Amanda D. Lickteig, Vicki S. Sherbert, Deborah A. Nauerth

Educational Considerations

It is well documented that successful Professional Development School (PDS) initiatives are contingent on trusting relationships between the university and school districts.

Food For All, Greg Tammen

Seek

Three federally funded labs at the university focus on ending global hunger.

Case Study In The Power Of Collaboration: Planning Process For The Kansas Educational Leadership Institute, Mary Devin, Debbie Mercer, Mike Mathes, Tom Trigg, Sharon Zoellner

Educational Considerations

Systematic statewide support for the recruitment, development, and retention of quality leaders in schools and school districts was not a new idea in Kansas in late 2010, but at best it was at an elusive concept. Diverse groups had considered it among components of a long-range commitment to move Kansas education quality from good to great, but no plan for creating such a system was in place.