Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

From Assertion To Conversion: Classroom Management For 21st Century Teachers, Benjamin Halbkat

Empowering Research for Educators

The following position paper provides a new teacher's perspective on modern classroom management. Where is there room for improvement? What might the future hold?

High School Biology Preparation: Do Students Feel They Have Been Adequately Prepared For Introductory College Biology?, Mara Neitzel

Empowering Research for Educators

The purpose of this study was to determine how well students are being prepared in high school for introductory college biology courses. Specifically, the objectives of the study are as follows: To gain a better understanding about how well students feel they have been prepared for college science classes based on their high school education, to gain insight on how college preparation in high school impacts students’ self-confidence, and to determine if the accessibility of advanced education courses is influenced by the size of a high school. A mixed methods survey was distributed to freshman in the fall semester of …

In Support Of The Tinker V. Des Moines Decision, Matthew Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

The following position outlines a case for the Tinker v. Des Moines decision, including a historical and modern perspective. With freedom of speech and protest being a regular part of the discussion about U.S. society and schools, now is a good time to look back.

The Nature Of Science As A Foundation For Fostering A Better Understanding Of Evolution, Craig E. Nelson, Lawrence C. Scharmann, Jean Beard, Lawrence I. Flammer

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

Misunderstandings of the nature of science (NOS) contribute greatly to resistance to evolutionary theory especially among non-scientific audiences. Here we delineate three extended instructional examples that make extensive use of NOS to establish a foundation upon which to more successfully introduce evolution. Specifically, these instructional examples enable students to consider evolutionary biology using NOS as a lens for interpretation of evolutionary concepts. We have further found, through our respective research efforts and instructional experiences, that a deep understanding of NOS helps students understand and accept the scientific validity of evolution and, conversely, that evolution provides an especially effective context for …

Stacey Fraser Tssa Winter 2018, Stacey Fraser

Teaching Skills Study Awards (TSSA) Reports

To enhance faculty's TEACHING by attending a conference devoted to university teaching, a high-impact practice, evidence-based practice or a newly developing teaching practice.

Bidirectional Communication Training For Practicing K-12 Teachers: A Video Based Professional Development Series, Jeffrey E. Morning Ii

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the College of Education at Morehead State University by Jeffery E. Morning II on February 12, 2019.

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perspectives On Teaching Scripture In Primary Religious Education, Sharon Law-Davis, Christine Robinson, Jessica Fic, Rebecca Mola

eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia

One of the challenges for pre-service teachers in Catholic primary schools is the teaching of scripture stories within Religious Education. Research states that Catholic teachers in the 21st century require tertiary training in teaching the Religious Education curriculum and they need to learn effective strategies to teach specific content in this learning area, including scripture. Godly Play includes an approach to teaching scripture that was intended for use in parish and hospital settings. Godly Play is now promoted by Catholic Education Western Australia as a meaningful approach for influencing the teaching of scripture in RE in early childhood and primary …

Jemma Kim Tssa Winter 2018, Jemma Kim

Teaching Skills Study Awards (TSSA) Reports

To enhance faculty's TEACHING by attending a conference devoted to university teaching, a high-impact practice, evidence-based practice or a newly developing teaching practice.

One Size Does Not Fit All: Supporting Diverse Needs With High-Impact Teaching Practices, Sarah Grison

Psychology Faculty

This slide presentation outlines high impact practices that will meet the diverse needs of students and help them all succeed.

Your Teaching Toolbox: Putting High-Impact Practices To Work For You And Your Students, Sarah Grison

Psychology Faculty

This slide presentation outlines several high impact teaching practices including fostering a growth mindset, building rapport, supporting non-academic needs, and enhancing study skills.

Project On Designing Activities For Teaching Grammar, Sunny Hyon

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

This document outlines a project for a course in second language acquisition taken by undergraduates who intend to be high school or university teachers/professors. The project asks the undergraduates to design a sequence of activities for teaching English language learners (ELLs) a particular English grammatical construction, and to connect those activities to reading or writing assignments in their future classrooms. The students also must explain how their activities will facilitate ELLs' grammatical learning, drawing on research on language acquisition presented in the course.

Connecting With Students As A Motivator For Learning, Michelle Arroyo

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Students want to feel cared for and that their instructors have their best educational interests in mind. Having an instructor who demonstrates compassion and shows empathy toward students creates a positive classroom climate and the course is more meaningful to the students at UNLV.

Benefits Of Formative Teaching Observations, Dan Gianoutsos

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Formative teaching observations by peer teaching faculty can provide helpful advice about small changes to teaching that can improve teachers’ and students’ experiences during the term (see reference list). The researcher posits that the UNLV Teaching Observation project catalyzed real-time changes to the participating faculty’s teaching and generated short-term solutions to some of their teaching challenges.

Career Development In Curriculum: Cola 100e, Jenna Heath

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Engagement with Professionals, from the local community, in the classroom allows for students to learn about a variety of career paths and gain career advice. This practice also provides the institution a tangible way of preparing students for their graduation plans and allows for mentorship to develop naturally among the students and professionals.

Professional Development: Cola 100l, Kassandra Moore

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

The need for professional development integration into curriculum is vital for student success. Colleges and universities across the country are implementing career and professional development opportunities into classroom curriculum to better prepare students for life outside the classroom. Specialized events and focused learning opportunities help students successfully navigate through the career development process, and is exactly what students need.

Trauma-Informed Schools And Educators, Carolina Meza Perez, Michelle Paul

UNLV Best Teaching Practices Expo

Educators, staff, and administrators in the school community will be prepared to recognize and respond to those who have been impacted by traumatic stress.

Chinese Language Teacher Competency: A Literature Review For A Study Series, Huiwen Li, Hui Pang, Zhenzhen Hu

Chinese Language Teaching Methodology and Technology

This literature study reviews the definition and the most significant research studies of teacher competency. A chronological order, from the 20th to the 21st century, is followed to introduce the development of the teacher competency. The current status of the Chinese (as a foreign language) teacher competency research is also revealed, which shows a big gap that needs to be filled.

Social-Emotional Learning (Sel) In A Field Course: Preservice Teachers Practice Sel-Supportive Instructional Strategies, Judy L. Sugishita

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

This action research study examined social-emotional learning (SEL) strategies taught during a year-long elementary teaching credential field course to examine (a) what SEL strategies look like in practice, and (b) what training effects might be seen among twelve preservice student teacher (PST) participants. Part of a two-course clinical practice study, this paper focused solely on the research done in the field course during the 2013-2014 academic year. Drawing from program-based and integrated SEL literature, the strategies studied supported (a) active engagement in learning, (b) equitable access to instruction, including diversity and differentiated strategies, and (c) learner-centered classroom discipline. Frequency …

Conflicting Perspectives: A Comparison Of Edtpa Intended Outcomes To Actual Experiences Of Teacher Candidates And Educators In New York City Schools, Deborah Greenblatt

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

The edTPA is a performance-based assessment of teacher candidates created by the Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity (SCALE) and nationally scored by Pearson Education. It is also promoted by American Association of Colleges of Teacher Educators (AACTE) as a “standards-based assessment.” As of the spring of 2018, the edTPA is used as a requirement for program accreditation or teacher candidate certification or program completion in 18 states.

This article analyzes the stated goals, objectives, and benefits made by SCALE and AACTE and compares them to data collected from interviews and open-ended questions with teacher candidates and teacher educators …

Data Diving Into “Noticing Poetry”: An Analysis Of Student Engagement With The “I Notice” Method, Scot Slaby, Jordan Benedict

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

This paper explores students’ engagement in reading poems, examining data on their self perceptions of their confidence and competence in reading poems before, during, and after using the “I Notice” methodology as adapted from The Academy of American Poets’ unit plan, “Noticing Poetry” (Slaby, 2017). The data was collected over the course of a month from January 9 through January 30, 2018 and involved five classes of one hundred general English tenth grade students across three teachers’ classrooms at Shanghai American School’s Puxi High School Campus. Data indicates that the “I Notice” method and the “Noticing Poetry” unit and its …