Education Commons^™

Toil Of The Firestarters, Peter A. Alces

Peter A. Alces

No abstract provided.

Teaching Big History, Richard B. Simon, Mojgan Behmand, Thomas Burke, Esther Quaedackers, Seohyung Kim, Kiowa Bower, Neal Wolfe, James B. Cunningham, Cynthia Taylor, Martin Anderson, J. Daniel May, Philip Novak, Debbie Daunt, Jaime Castner, Ethan Annis, Amy E. Gilbert, Anne Reid, Suzanne Roybal, Alan Schut, Cynthia Brown, Harlan Stelmach

Harlan Stelmach

Using Guided Reflective Journaling Activities To Capture Students’ Changing Perceptions, Joanna Dunlap

Joanna Dunlap

Many professions are increasingly emphasizing the role of reflection, encouraging educators to look for appropriate ways to help students engage in reflective practice during their professional preparation. Journal writing is an insightful and powerful instructional technology utilizing strategies that foster understanding and the application of concepts, enhance critical thinking, improve achievement and attitude, encourage student reflection and capture changes in students' perception. Examples from three different professional preparation courses illustrate the power of journal-writing activities as a way of encouraging students' reflective thinking, and giving faculty a way to assess students' reflective practice and perceptual changes. Based on the author's …

From Pixel On A Screen To Real Person In Your Students' Lives: Establishing Social Presence Using Digital Storytelling, Patrick Lowenthal, Joanna Dunlap

Joanna Dunlap

The Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework is a comprehensive guide to the research "and" practice of online learning. One of the most challenging aspects of establishing a CoI in online courses is finding the best way to attend to each element of the CoI framework in a primarily text-based environment. In our online courses, we have examined the use of digital storytelling as a way to break down the barriers that can get in the way of achieving a healthy and productive CoI. In this paper, we describe how we use digital storytelling to establish our social presence as instructors.

Constructivism And Instructional Design: Some Personal Reflections, Brent Wilson

Brent Wilson

Some personal reflections on instructional design and its relation to constructivism are explored. Instructional design in its present form is out of sync with the times in that its orientation, methods, and research base are behavioristic, or positivistic. However, a constructivist theory of instructional design is possible, particularly if constructivism is recognized as a philosophy rather than a strategy. To better fit the needs of practitioners, instructional design theories need to be better grounded in a broad understanding of learning and instructional processes. Generic principles and specific heuristics are needed for dealing with recurring problems and situations in instructional design …

The Dichotomy Between The Concept Of Professionalism And The Reality Of Sexism In Teaching, Roberta Kaufman, Caron Westland, Robert Engvall

Caron Westland

Suggests that it is time to increase the professional status of teaching by demonstrating to society that the differences between teaching and more traditional professions are not about gender. There must be positive social construction that allows women access to their rightful place among all levels of organizational hierarchy.

"Big History And The Goals Of Liberal Education”, Mojgan Behmand

Mojgan Behmand

Engineering A Dynamic Science Learning Environment For K-12 Teachers, Patricia Hardré, Mark Nanny, Hazem Refai, Chen Ling, Janis Slater

Dr. Chen Ling

The present study follows a cohort of 17 K-12 teachers through a six-week resident learning experience in science and engineering, and on into the planning and implementation of applications for their classrooms. This Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program was examined using the strategic approach of design-based research, with its fluid, adaptive management of the complexity of authentic learning "in situ" and its attentive documentation of expected and unexpected events, in process and products, to capture the richness of teachers' and mentors' experiences. Research on effective teacher professional development, adult learning, situated cognition, and learning transfer were utilized to inform …

Teaching Big History, Richard B. Simon, Mojgan Behmand, Thomas Burke, Esther Quaedackers, Seohyung Kim, Kiowa Bower, Neal Wolfe, James B. Cunningham, Cynthia Taylor, Martin Anderson, J. Daniel May, Philip Novak, Debbie Daunt, Jaime Castner, Ethan Annis, Amy E. Gilbert, Anne Reid, Suzanne Roybal, Alan Schut, Cynthia Brown, Harlan Stelmach

Mojgan Behmand

La Diversidad De Los Analisis De Diversidad [The Diversity Of Diversity Analyses], Victor D. Carmona

Victor D. Carmona-Galindo

There is a lack of consistency with respect to the use of the terms like species richness, diversity and biodiversity, which extends to the analysis of diversity indices and the merit of using diversity indices in the evaluation (comparison and contrast) of biological communities. The purpose of this article is to provide working definitions for these terms and cite examples from the primary literature that demonstrate the utility of estimating richness, evaluating proportional abundance patterns, as well as comparing indices of diversity and similarity to study patterns of biological organization at different ecological scales. Additionally, we provide a manual in …

Higher Education In India : The Glory Of Past,The Challenges Of Today And The Road For Tomorrow, Ratnesh Dwivedi Mr

Ratnesh Dwivedi

Universal education of all children in literacy has been a recent development, not occurring in many countries until after 1850 CE. Even today, in some parts of the world, literacy rates are below 60 per cent (for example, in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh). Schools, colleges and universities have not been the only methods of formal education and training. Many professions have additional training requirements, and in Europe, from the Middle Ages until recent times, the skills of a trade were not generally learnt in a classroom, but rather by serving an apprenticeship. Each generation, since the beginning of human existence, has …

Status Update: Actively Engaging Our Friends, Shannon Kelly, Alan Ruby

Shannon C Kelly

Social media do not wait for the communications office to open - but do offer informed universities unique brand-building opportunities.

Knowledge And Innovation Exploration, Shannon Kelly

Shannon C Kelly

This website was designed as central hub for various resources on social media and higher education. The resources include blogs, thought leaders to follow on Twitter and other website.

Social @ Edu, Shannon Kelly

Shannon C Kelly

A blog designed to present new eyes and a new perspective on higher education and social media. One of the two has a reputation for being slow to change, where decision is made by committee and a life of thought and reflection is highly regarded. The other in this dynamic duo has a reputation for lightning speed changes, where decision feels rarely in the hands of the user and a life of expression is highly regarded. In our minds, this begs a few questions. How do these two worlds blend? What are the current trends & challenges in this integration? …

"Both Sides Now" Ii: Some Practical Suggestions For Creative Writing Exercises In The Literature Classroom, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Hal Blythe

Outlines effective and practical creative writing assignments given to literature students. Concludes that writing short, imaginative summaries provides a change of pace from the usual lecture, discussion, and group work formats of literature classes.

Drawing On Memory: A Technique For Making Short Fiction Come Alive, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Hal Blythe

Considers how to get today's schoolchild and college student to move from the words to the picture, then back again. Explores the teaching technique of having students draw what the piece of literature describes. Finds that drawing the visual image provides a much better chance of understanding a work's significance. Describes how to apply this idea with a homework assignment.

"Both Sides Now" Iii: A Creative Writing Exercise In The Literature Classroom, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Hal Blythe

Details a creative writing assignment used in literature classes to help students better grasp the principles of literature from the inside out. Suggests this method should be employed more often in survey classes.

Using Professional Learning Communities For The Development Of Shared Governance, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe, William Phillips

Hal Blythe

Among the many challenges of professional (faculty, administration, and staff) development is the implementation of shared governance. We propose a model involving professional learning communities that we are experimenting with in our College of Education. This new model provides faculty with decision-making power, a sense of cooperation and communication with the administration, compensation for their effort, a budget, and a large dose of satisfaction. Furthermore, this model could be effectively transferred to other university units.

Popes In The Pizza: Analyzing Activity Reports To Create And Sustain A Strategic Plan, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe, E,J. Keeley, Ben Forsyth

Hal Blythe

This article presents a practical methodology for creating and sustaining strategic planning, the task analysis. Utilizing our Teaching & Learning Center Strategic Plan as a model, we demonstrate how working with a weekly status report provides a comprehensive listing of detail necessary to analyze and revise the plan. The new methodology is accurate, thorough, on-going, and flexible.

"Both Sides Now": The Evolution Of An Approach To Teaching Fiction, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Hal Blythe

Discusses the connections between creative writing and literary criticism. Explains experience of combining a literature and creative writing class. Concludes the combination results in both groups gaining a greater understanding of each others' crafts.

"Shiloh": A Mini-Casebook Approach To Upper-Division Literature Courses, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Hal Blythe

Shows how the mini-casebook approach, with a few modifications, works well with upper-division writing assignments. Notes that a mini-casebook approach is nothing more than a self-published document including a primary work of literature, selected secondary sources on that work, and a selection of several specified topics on the primary source. Presents eight suggestions for implementing the mini-casebook approach

Using Professional Learning Communities For The Development Of Shared Governance, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe, William Phillips

Charlie Sweet

Among the many challenges of professional (faculty, administration, and staff) development is the implementation of shared governance. We propose a model involving professional learning communities that we are experimenting with in our College of Education. This new model provides faculty with decision-making power, a sense of cooperation and communication with the administration, compensation for their effort, a budget, and a large dose of satisfaction. Furthermore, this model could be effectively transferred to other university units.

A Symposium Model For Doctoral Students Of Color Seeking Faculty Positions In Higher Education, Samuel Hinton, Sherwood Thompson

Sherwood Thompson

The purpose of this article is to share a model for motivating and mentoring students of color who are finding it difficult to complete their doctorate degree because of personal, social, and institutional challenges. Students do not pay a fee to participate in the symposium. They are motivated among other things to build relationships, and establish contacts and networks with a cohort of scholars interested in helping them complete their studies. In addition, the program prepares these students to apply for faculty positions at this university in the mid-west and other institutions of higher education when they graduate. Student populations …

A Symposium Model For Doctoral Students Of Color Seeking Faculty Positions In Higher Education, Samuel Hinton, Sherwood Thompson

Samuel Hinton

The purpose of this article is to share a model for motivating and mentoring students of color who are finding it difficult to complete their doctorate degree because of personal, social, and institutional challenges. Students do not pay a fee to participate in the symposium. They are motivated among other things to build relationships, and establish contacts and networks with a cohort of scholars interested in helping them complete their studies. In addition, the program prepares these students to apply for faculty positions at this university in the mid-west and other institutions of higher education when they graduate. Student populations …

Popes In The Pizza: Analyzing Activity Reports To Create And Sustain A Strategic Plan, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe, E,J. Keeley, Ben Forsyth

Charlie Sweet

This article presents a practical methodology for creating and sustaining strategic planning, the task analysis. Utilizing our Teaching & Learning Center Strategic Plan as a model, we demonstrate how working with a weekly status report provides a comprehensive listing of detail necessary to analyze and revise the plan. The new methodology is accurate, thorough, on-going, and flexible.

"Shiloh": A Mini-Casebook Approach To Upper-Division Literature Courses, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Charlie Sweet

Shows how the mini-casebook approach, with a few modifications, works well with upper-division writing assignments. Notes that a mini-casebook approach is nothing more than a self-published document including a primary work of literature, selected secondary sources on that work, and a selection of several specified topics on the primary source. Presents eight suggestions for implementing the mini-casebook approach

Students' Advice To Prospective Middle School Teachers: Learning From The Experiences Of Future Students, Mark Storz

Mark G. Storz

No abstract provided.

The Mini-Casebook--Easy As Pie, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Hal Blythe

Presents a casebook on the song "American Pie" that considers how to define the parameters of short narrative. Describes the creation of an end-of-term cumulative writing project that the authors have successfully employed for the last decade. Discusses how they put together a casebook that teaches the necessary research skills.

The Mini-Casebook--Easy As Pie, Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe

Charlie Sweet

Presents a casebook on the song "American Pie" that considers how to define the parameters of short narrative. Describes the creation of an end-of-term cumulative writing project that the authors have successfully employed for the last decade. Discusses how they put together a casebook that teaches the necessary research skills.

Faculty Diversity, Kyle Scafide, Barbara Johnson

Kyle Scafide

This article presents a broad view of issues related to faculty diversity. Headings include Demographics, The Growth of Faculty Diversity as an Ideal, and Barriers in the Academic Workplace. Race, ethnicity, and gender are the most common characteristics that institutions observe in order to measure faculty diversity. An even broader approach to faculty diversity involves age, socioeconomic background, national origin, sexual orientation, and diverse learning styles and opinions. Until the latter part of the twentieth century, the professoriate in the western world was composed almost exclusively of privileged, heterosexual males of Caucasian descent. Higher education institutions are generally concerned with …