Education Commons^™

Improving Teacher Quality Through An On-Line Professional Development Course: A Research Study, Ekaterina Koubek, Aleidine Kramer Moeller

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This study investigated how in-service teachers of foreign languages constructed knowledge, and how this knowledge transformed their teaching, their beliefs, and their sense of themselves as professionals in an on-line professional development course based on a constructivist approach. This article provides an overview of research on distance education, constructivism, and teacher education with findings from a multiple case study of an on-line graduate course on Instructional Planning offered through GOLDEN (German On-line Distance Education Network; http://manila.unl.edu/amoeller/golden), a collaborative professional development project of the AATG (American Association of Teachers of German; http://aatg.org/member_services/lists/aatg-l.html ), the Goethe Institut of Washington DC ( …

A Proactive Strategy For Teaching Evolution, Lawrence C. Scharmann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Biology teachers are fortunate when topics to be addressed possess inherent qualities that interest students. Classical genetics rarely fails to interest secondary school students because it is introduced at a time when they are self-absorbed with their nascent physical characteristics, emerging sexuality, and/or future athlet- ic potential. A topic like genetics is always an easier sell than would be taxonomy, for instance. How should one treat topics that traditionally are tougher to teach? A simple but effective method for self-assessing readiness to teach a particular topic is to be prepared to respond to the questions, "Why do I have to …

Gaining Interpretive Competence Through Cross-Cultural Dialogue Among Teachers And Researchers, Michelle Boone, Elaine Chan

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

We examined the complexities of developing and implementing school curricula that reflect the goals for equality for students outlined in the Canadian Multiculturalism Act. Stories of teaching and learning experiences were presented to teacher-researchers as a means of generating discussion about differences in perspective pertaining to the curricular needs of an ethnically diverse student population. We articulate this ongoing inquiry about how best to meet the needs of a diverse society in terms of enhancing a sense of ‘interpretive competence’ (Conle, 1997b, Conle et al., 2000, Conle, 2000).

ACQUÉRIR LA COMPÉTENCE INTERPRÉTATIVE GRÂCE AU DIALOGUE INTERCULTUREL ENTRE ENSEIGNANTS ET CHERCHEURS--Nous …

Explicit Reflective Nature Of Science Instruction: Evolution, Intelligent Design, And Umbrellaology, Lawrence C. Scharmann, Mike U. Smith, Mark C. James, Murray Jensen

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The investigators sought to design an instructional unit to enhance an understanding of the nature of science (NOS) by taking into account both instructional best practices and suggestions made by noted science philosopher Thomas Kuhn. Preservice secondary science teachers enrolled in a course “Laboratory Techniques in the Teaching of Science” served as participants in action research. Sources of data used to inform instructional decisions included students’ written reaction papers to the assigned readings, transcribed verbal comments made during class discussions and other in-class activities, and final reflection essays. Three iterative implementations of the instructional unit were attempted. The objectives of …