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Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Education

Growing Independence: Making Practice Collaborative, Flexible, And Meaningful, Sam Nelson Oct 2016

Growing Independence: Making Practice Collaborative, Flexible, And Meaningful, Sam Nelson

Middle Grades Review

The concept of practice, from a middle school student’s perspective, is mundane, redundant, perhaps yawn-inducing. This essay explains a first-hand account of an educator moving to a proficiency-based learning format and discovering how student proficiency does not often improve without engaging and flexible practice opportunities. Using middle level concepts and brain-based research, changes in the educator’s practice came to accommodate the needs of students and take away the stigma of practice as being boring or repetitive. The essay includes examples of learning targets, in-class activities, and curriculum structures.


The Promise Of Character Education In Middle School: A Meta-Analysis, Calvary R. Diggs, Patrick Akos Oct 2016

The Promise Of Character Education In Middle School: A Meta-Analysis, Calvary R. Diggs, Patrick Akos

Middle Grades Review

Early adolescence is a developmental stage characterized by changes in reasoning, social cognition, and desire for autonomy in youth aged 11-14 (or grades 6-8). This period is also associated with heightened impulsivity and risk-taking that has been linked to school-related challenges such as antisocial behaviors and declining grades. Character education, a particular brand of social-emotional practice, has been promulgated as a developmentally responsive program that can promote prosocial behavior and academic success by building upon existing developmental strengths. However, research findings to date are primarily informed by elementary school program outcomes. Due to this limitation, a meta-analytic review of recent …


The Future Of Middle Level Education Research: Looking Forward By Looking From The Inside Out, James F. Nagle, Penny A. Bishop Oct 2016

The Future Of Middle Level Education Research: Looking Forward By Looking From The Inside Out, James F. Nagle, Penny A. Bishop

Middle Grades Review

No abstract provided.


Re-Viewing, Re-Imaging, And Re-Invigorating Middle School Teacher Education, Edward Podsiadlik Iii Jun 2016

Re-Viewing, Re-Imaging, And Re-Invigorating Middle School Teacher Education, Edward Podsiadlik Iii

Middle Grades Review

How do we best prepare educators for teaching in the middle grades? This essay reviews authentic middle student feedback and two comprehensive units of instruction in order to re-view and re-imagine the potential of middle school teacher education to become re-invigorated in its capacity to offer relevant and critical instructional experiences. Essential questions explored are: 1) what do effective middle school teaching and learning uniquely look and sound like?; and 2) what singular components, considerations, and challenges does middle school teacher education need to specifically address? Evidence is examined that demonstrates pedagogical components, strategies, and a wide-range of resources which …


Specialized Middle Level Teacher Preparation: Moving From Advocacy To Actualization, Chris M. Cook, Penny B. Howell, Shawn A. Faulkner Jun 2016

Specialized Middle Level Teacher Preparation: Moving From Advocacy To Actualization, Chris M. Cook, Penny B. Howell, Shawn A. Faulkner

Middle Grades Review

Is specialized middle level teacher preparation necessary? This essay offers the authors thoughts regarding middle level teaching and the necessity of specialized middle level teacher preparation. The reader is encouraged to further the discussion of middle level teacher preparation from advocacy to actualization.


The Case For Specialized Middle Grades Teacher Preparation, Penny A. Bishop, James F. Nagle Jun 2016

The Case For Specialized Middle Grades Teacher Preparation, Penny A. Bishop, James F. Nagle

Middle Grades Review

No abstract provided.


Collaborative Action Research For Middle Grades Improvement, John Matthew Downes, Penny A. Bishop, Meredith Swallow, Mark William Olofson, Susan Hennessey Jan 2016

Collaborative Action Research For Middle Grades Improvement, John Matthew Downes, Penny A. Bishop, Meredith Swallow, Mark William Olofson, Susan Hennessey

Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education Publications

Technology’s rapid evolution applies constant pressure to educational organizations, suggesting a need to continually re-envision schools for the digital age. Yet educators often struggle to understand the growing chasm between students’ out-of-school and in-school technology lives. This gap is particularly noticeable during the middle grades years, when home technology use increases dramatically. The purpose of this research was to examine the experiences of teachers and students engaged in collaborative action research for middle school improvement in technology-rich settings. We begin by outlining our theoretical framework, emphasizing Fletcher’s Ladder of Student Involvement. We then describe our case-study design and methods. Findings …