Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons^™

The Shared Experiences Of Educators In Grades 7–12 Who Implement Lessons In Social–Emotional Learning Curriculum, Heathre C. Palige

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Social–emotional learning (SEL) is used in public school classrooms throughout the United States. The problem that this researcher addressed in this study was that minimal understanding exists of the lived experiences of teachers who implement SEL in Colorado public schools in Grades 7–12. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and to provide a clearer understanding of the lived experiences of six educators who implement SEL in Grades 7–12 in Colorado public schools. The study fills a gap in literature in understanding the experiences of teachers who use SEL in middle and high school. The literature review …

Designing A Program To Develop Computer Science Master Teachers For An Underserved Rural Area, Susie Morrissey, Thomas Koballa, Robert Allen, Judy Godfrey, Michael Dias, Shawn Utley, Deannia Clements

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

Due to a shortage of rural computer science teachers, researchers used a three-phase method to design a computer science endorsement, which will be coupled with an instructional coaching endorsement within an Educational Specialist degree program. The team conducted interviews of teachers as well as school and district level administrators in rural areas to determine needs and resources available to develop computer science master teachers. Interviewers also investigated recruitment, preparation and support processes pertinent to the program. Findings included that, although infrastructure for wireless access is lacking, school and district administrators are very interested in supporting teachers to become computer science …

The Sci – Dot: A New Dimension Of Scientific Innovation For Persons With Blv., Ashley N. Nashleanas Ph.D.

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Throughout history, students with blindness and low vision (BLV) have been vastly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines with regards to both K-12 education and post-secondary endeavors (Burgstahler, 1994; Supalo, 2010). This underrepresentation of students with BLV in STEM is due to limitations in technology that allow them to access data in a laboratory setting, thus inhibiting their abilities to partake actively in data acquisition with their peers. The Sci-Dot, a multiline, refreshable braille and tactile graphics display capable of logging scientific data in real time with the support of Vernier Science Education’s (VSE) Go-Direct Bluetooth sensors, …

Review Of Inju$Tice, Inc.: How America’S Justice System Commodifies Children And The Poor, Thomas Hansen

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Book review of this title explaining the corruption and the lack of ethics in Ohio and some other states involved in juvenile justice system, foster care placement, fines, fees, and jail.

Students’ Perceptions Of Threats To Their World' Future: An Introduction To Iccs And Global Lesson Plan, James A. Duplass, Reinis Alksnis, Ireta Čekse,

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This article explains the scope and value of the only international assessment (IEA The International Civic and Citizen Education Study, IEA ICCS) of “Civic Understanding” and a uses data from the international comparative study to create a global education lesson plan for U.S. social studies teachers to have their students consider their perceptions of threats to their world as compared to students in other countries. The lesson would most likely be used with middle and high school students.

Grounding History Instruction: Engaging Place And Scale Through Iterative Local Inquiry Design, Megan Vangorder

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Teaching local history is often an afterthought in the high school history classroom. It is difficult to find enough instructional time to incorporate local stories and there are often gaps in resource development and approach from a local lens. This article seeks to help teachers articulate a locally driven inquiry approach. Using Illinois as the local framework and the C3 Inquiry Design Model as the tool, teachers can begin to map out how to implement the competing mandates to promote disciplinary skill development, demonstrate content expertise using state mandated units of study, drive student-oriented history, and foster civic competence all …

Word Choice: A Neglected But Key Skill For Ell Writers, Kristin Lems

Faculty Publications

With all of the urgent, critical issues confronting education in general, and literacy practices in particular, why write a column on something as obscure as word choice? Word choice (sometimes called vocabulary choice or diction) often drops to the bottom of the “To Do” list for English as a Second Language (ESL), English, bilingual, and language arts teachers. Even when teachers are able to focus on writing to begin with (writing development is often the first thing cut when lessons run over), teachers of English language learners (ELLs) are too preoccupied with teaching grammar, spelling, organization, syntax, genres, and building …

Imagination To Innovation: Design Thinking For Young Learners, Lindsey Herlehy, Cassandra Armstrong

Publications & Research

Design thinking is the intersection of engineering design and social-emotional learning. Today’s learners must be empathetic problem solvers capable of defining problems and designing appropriate solutions to meet the needs of the user. In this session, participants will experience design thinking through literature-based scenarios appropriate for early learners. They will analyze and compare their own models to those of others and compose a lesson that will engage students in the design thinking process.

Never Too Old For A Field Trip: Exploring Community Assets For Middle Grades Literacy Integration, Christine L. Craddock, Stacie K. Pettit 2949136

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Middle Grades teacher candidates participated in a “field trip” in an Integrated Reading course to model best practices in culturally responsive teaching. The college students visited their downtown city including a regional art museum and memorial sculpture garden commemorating local Black history to experience and contemplate possibilities for literacy integration in their pedagogy. Teacher candidates were encouraged to explore and understand community culture, history, and assets with respect to their future students’ lives, identities, interests, and experiences, and how these considerations should motivate their instructional decision making with literacy applications. A follow-up discussion was facilitated by the course professor along …

Culturally Sustaining Practices In Middle Schools, Chandra Diaz, Rebecca M. Nelson, Laurie A. Ramirez, Nancy B. Ruppert

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

The social unrest during the summer of 2020 in the United States has produced a renewed sense of urgency and agency for the interrogation of curriculum in K-12 education and the development of culturally sustaining practices. This urgency has encouraged more teacher preparation programs to be intentional in developing culturally sustaining teachers. This paper offers four pillars to frame classroom practices to be integrated holistically and support middle level preservice teachers’ development of their culturally sustaining practices. Pillar one focuses on understanding self. The ability to honestly self-reflect and to understand personal practice deeply and continually is critical. Pillar two …

Academic Challenges In Southeastern Middle Schools: Voices Of Teachers And Principals, Michael Dicicco, Ryan Alverson

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

This study seeks to share teachers’ and principals’ voices from middle schools in the Southeastern United States who are attempting to help their students achieve academic success. Obtaining a snapshot of middle schools in the Southeastern United States provides opportunities to recognize trends and identify challenges about the current implementation of middle level programs and practices related to academics. The last large-scale survey was completed over 10 years ago (McEwin & Greene, 2010, 2011) and was focused on principal voices only. When attempting to assess the level of implementation of various school improvement efforts or to gain a deeper understanding …

B/Lv Laboratory Accessibility Technology Adapted For Neurodiverse Chemistry Students, Christin B. Monroe

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Text-to-speech technology is a common accommodation available for students with disabilities. Despite the ubiquitous nature of text-to-speech, this technology has not been explored in laboratory settings for neurodiverse college students. This study explores the adaptability of laboratory accessible text-to-speech technology (originally developed for blind/low vision (B/LV) students) for neurodiverse students. Students were asked to provide general feedback about the usability and effectiveness of the technology using Likert surveys. The students also answered open-ended questions about how the technology could be adapted to be more neurodiverse friendly. Overall, more than 50% of the students found the technology useful but had specific …

Healing Racial Trauma From Public School Systems, Lisa Y. Collins

Journal of Research Initiatives

Oregon needs Black educators in the K-12 public school system. In 35 school districts throughout the state, the number of students of color has risen by over 40% in recent years (Oregon Chief Education Office, 2019). The number of educators of color in the state is under 10%. The number of Black educators is even lower. Research has shown that Black educators improve all students' academic, cultural, and social aspects, especially Black students. Nationally, Black educators were impacted by the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. At that time in history, Black communities fought for civil rights as they experienced …

Responses To General Capabilities Framework For Tertiary Education, Tony Shannon

International Journal for Business Education

The Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) is consulting on how best to develop a general capabilities framework for tertiary education. This is being done with NOUS, a business management consultancy, and the Assessment Research Centre of the University of Melbourne

Revisioning The K-12 Teacher Tenure Process, David Wolff

Essays in Education

Earning tenure is monumental in the professional journey of most educators. However, the most common means of earning tenure is through an evaluation process that is likely primarily based on a supervisor’s series of classroom observations. This article proposes a holistic approach when envisioning the K-12 evaluation process that mirrors one used by institutions of higher education, the Professional Development Plan (PDP).

The Transformative Mindset Of Middle School Principals On Culture And The Impact Of Student Achievement, Christina Gfell

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how exemplary middle school principals perceived practices of Sinek’s (2019) infinite mindset framework were embedded in their organization to inspire achievement of extraordinary results. A further purpose of this study was to understand organizational supports and barriers exemplary middle school principals perceived affected infinite mindset development.

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored experiences of exemplary leaders and their perceptions of how the five practices of Sinek’s (2019) infinite mindset framework were embedded in their organization. The target population for this study was exemplary middle school principals in Harris County, Texas. …

Academic Freedom And Academic Integrity, Tony Shannon

International Journal for Business Education

The demand for freedom, an intense desire in fact, is a positive characteristic of our era, but human freedom does not mean acting in accord with one’s caprices or without restraint by any law. Recent controversaries at universities in Queensland have raised questions about mandating the French Review in Australian higher education as the review deals with the related issues of academic freedom and integrity.

Comments On Teqsa Discussion Paper: "Making And Accessing Claims Of Scholarship And Scholarly Activity", No Author

International Journal for Business Education

The Background and initial discussion are extracts from the TEQSA paper dated 12 October 2020, as are the subsequent statements of Principles and associated Questions. The layout here is to make it easier for interested staff to comment and contribute to our response to TEQSA if it is eventually deemed appropriate and useful to make such a submission. In any case, it is useful to have a discussion among colleagues on this important topic and what the regulator expects from providers and their staff.

The Purpose Of Education: Dewey And Maritain Re-Visited, Tony Shannon

International Journal for Business Education

This paper touches on the views of John Dewey and Jacques Maritain on the purpose of the process of formal education, particularly its social dimension in relation to the environment, which for Dewey means “those conditions that promote or hinder, stimulate or inhibit, the characteristic activities of a living being”. Dewey is concerned with communication and the conditions of growth of the child from every point of view. He was very opposed to those who see education as preparation for something else: he focused on what he saw as the existential needs of the student. Some of Dewey’s views are …

Continuing Professional Development And The Commercial Education Society Of Australia, Kathleen Mckenzie, Jacob Munday

International Journal for Business Education

The Commercial Education Society of Australia (CESA) was founded in 1910 and incorporated in 1911 as a non-profit company limited by guarantee. The mission of the Society is to provide students with the opportunity to raise their standards of education so that they can take advantage of the opportunities for further education and employment. This is reflected in the Society’s coat-of-arms ‘Digne Ambulate’ — walk worthily.