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Activating The Desire To Learn By Bob Sullo, Liana Gonzales

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

A book review of Activating the Desire to Learn by Bob Sullo.

Effective Leadership Through Emotional Maturity, Linda Hyatt, Blaine Hyatt, James Hyatt

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

What makes a leader successful? This question has been asked throughout the ages; before one attempt to understand what makes a leader successful, one must first have a full comprehension of what constitutes success and what constitutes a leader. To merely hold the position of a leader does not make one a leader. Success is largely an individualistic interpretation of personal increase or satisfaction, whether physical, emotional, or psychological. One’s perception of success is influenced by the social contexts around the individual. A successful leader must possess certain characteristics and have the ability to transform those characteristics into action. A …

How Can Anyone Lead Others Until They Are Ready To Lead Themselves?, Peter A. Maresco

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

What I would like to focus on in this essay is the quality of personal leadership. What can each of us do in our personal and professional lives to assume leadership over what we do.

Initiating Your Successful Transition To School Principal, Timothy Glasspool

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The role and responsibilities of the principal and assistant principal have developed and been redeveloped to meet demands and legislative impact on the American public education system. With these additional demands, principals are required to lead students and faculties to greater educational outcomes and achievement. As the role of building level leadership evolves and more principals become instructional leaders first and a managers second, opportunities for changing roles could correct assistant principal pigeon-holing. Some researchers and practitioners do not agree the assistant principal position is an appropriate training ground for the Principalship. Even some principals and researchers believe the training …

Teacher Migration From High-Performing Middle Schools: A Case Study, Richard Conley

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

I recently conducted fieldwork to explore the dynamics of teacher migration and understand how it relates to teachers’ perceptions and attitudes. The research was conducted through the eyes of a sixth grade language arts/social studies’ teacher working in a middle school I will refer to as PLC (Professional Learning Community) Middle School. By spending extensive time and conducting multiple interviews with the teacher and other staff members, I was able to explore some of the reasons and conditions why teachers leave schools, particularly high-performing schools to teach in other high performing schools. Attending weekly meetings at all levels and content …

The State Of Intellectual Property Education Worldwide, Shaheen Lakhan, Meenakshi Khurana

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Intellectual property (IP) consists of any ideas, concepts, insignias, and symbols that are unique and original to the owner. IP has various broad categories: copyright, trademarks, patents, designs, and other types of information. The concept is best thought of as a bundle of rights protected by law. Trade secrets, expertise, and know-how, are instances of confidential company information that are also covered by IP laws. These ideas and concepts are assets to an organization or country and can be extremely valuable. It has been estimated that IP, as intangible assets, constitutes around 75 percent of the assets of publicly-listed U.S. …

The Creation Of A Center For Technology In Education, Jody Britten

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Institutions of higher education (IHE) have long been invested in the creation of centers for further study, application, evaluation, and research. Larwood and Gattiker (1999) argue that centers must be committed to making an impact on everyday public practice. Furthermore, these authors support that there are clear benefits to centers when there is a purpose that exceeds thinking and data collection and concentrates clearly on influencing practice for goal attainment.

Applying Leadership Criterion Of The European Excellence Model For Achieving Quality Management In Higher Education Institutions, Stephen Anyamele

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

For institutions of higher education to be successful in the future, there is the need to deliver excellence in all its operations. This means that there is a real need to develop more effective and efficient institutional management practices (Steed et al., 2005). In order to reach this goal, many institutions are turning to total quality management models such as the European Foundation for Quality management (EFQM) Excellence Model as an effective and practical tool to support improvement opportunities within higher education establishments. In an introductory text reproduced from the EFQM Excellence Model Higher Education Version (2003), the EFQM Excellence …

Playing Around: The Role Of Games In Creating World-Class Workplace Teams, Kathy Dale

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Games are certainly not the only way to build high-performance teams. Classroom training, role-playing, profile testing and other structures all play a positive role. But when team members go away from the office, dress informally and get outside their “business as usual” selves, what tends to happen is that “positions” are forgotten and people show more of their true nature. In this way, games create understanding. And when this understanding is in place, synergy can happen, that magic that makes ideas and results much greater than the sum of their parts.

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Shane Bevell, Grace Russell

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Phonemic Awareness: The Nature And Role In Reading Acquisition, Toni Michelle Paganelli

All Graduate Projects

Phonemic awareness and its link to reading are a current topic in education. Research has shown that the two are interrelated and those students lacking in phonemic awareness are at a higher risk for reading failure. The terms phonemic awareness and phonics tend to be used simultaneously, but phonemic awareness is not the same as phonics. Children can naturally acquire phonemic awareness through their environment. However, children who are lacking phonemic awareness can be taught using many different methods and materials in the classroom. Within phonemic awareness there are many different skills. These skills can be tested using commercially produced …

A Poetry Unit For Middle School Students, Dana Louise Longmire

All Graduate Projects

The focus of this project was to review the available research on using poetry as a method for teaching literary terms, enhancing comprehension, and developing creative writing skills. The results of the research show that there is a need for poetry instruction and that including this instruction in the middle school provides remarkable benefits for students. Poetry is suitable for the varying levels of ability found within the classroom. The project includes a guide providing teachers with activities to implement a poetry unit.

An Opportunity Gap: Focusing On The Issue Of Boys’ Underachievement In School Literacy, Whitney Ann Cromwell

All Graduate Projects

Male students statistically have not been as successful as females on standardized test scores or literacy activities. The discrepancy between literacy achievement between boys and girls at the elementary level is cause for concern. This gap between the literacy achievement of girls and boys will continue unless we change the way we teach. "All educators share the common goal of providing equitable learning opportunities for every student in the classroom. Providing equitable opportunities for girls is a familiar topic; providing them for boys is a relatively recent issue, but one that is appearing with increasing urgency on education agendas around …

Interactions With Highly Qualified Teachers, Charlotte J. Boling, Jill T. White

Essays in Education

Two faculty members walked to class on a Thursday evening. As they walked, they talked about the content of their respective courses. By the time the faculty members reached their classrooms, an action research project had evolved. The focus of the project wastwofold: 1) to increase the awareness of teacher education candidates of the responsibilities of classroom teachers and 2) to apply the research and/or theory the veteran teachers had acquired in their master’s culmination class. This article provides an overview of the events which developed as a result of the interactions between the practicing teachers and the pre-service teachers …

Multicultural Teacher Education: Toward A Culturally Responsible Pedagogy, Hui-Min Chou

Essays in Education

While the student population in the United States becomes culturally diverse, it is imperative to provide an empowering and equitable education for all students in the United States. Within the context of teacher preparation, one of the highest priorities is to help prospective teachers acquire the attitudes knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work effectively with culturally diverse students. Schools, colleges, and departments of education must assume the responsibility of preparing all teachers, regardless of race, to teach in culturally diverse classrooms. While most teacher education programs acknowledge the importance of an increasing diversity among school pupils, reviews of the literature …

Transracialized Selves And The Emergence Of Post-White Teacher Identities, John Raible, Jason G. Irizarry

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

This article draws on two previous studies by the authors, both based on interviews with European-American individuals, to document white experiences with multiculturalism, race, and cultural differences. We consider recent developments in research on whiteness and offer a perspective on racial identities defined as discursively enacted identifications that are rooted in racialized discourse communities. We provide profiles of two white women who draw upon assets developed, in our view, largely through their successful negotiation of relationships with racially and culturally different members of multicultural discourse communities. Next, we demonstrate a methodology based on the narrative analytic tools of Stanton Wortham …

Retention Of First-Generation Mexican American Paraeducators In Teacher Education: The Juggling Act Of Nontraditional Students, Amanda Morales, Gabriela Díaz De Sabatés, Cristina Fanning, Kevin Murry

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

This paper discusses the dynamics and challenges encountered by culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) paraeducators who are participating in a 2+2, distance-delivered, teacher education program in the Midwest. The theoretical framework that serves as the basis of this case study is Thomas and Collier’s Prism Model (Collier, 19878: Collier & Thomas, 1989; Thomas & Collier, 1997), which focuses on the four essential dimensions of the student biography (linguistic, socio-cultural, academic, and cognitive). This case study should be understood as an account of the lived experiences of 30 CLD paraeducators in a unique recruitment and retention program designed to support all …

Using Constructivist Teaching To Shift The Paradigm For Pre-Service Philosophy Of Education Statements, John A. Huss

Essays in Education

This article examines what the author perceives as a need to fortify the quality of philosophy of education statements submitted by pre-service teaching candidates. Because the educational philosophy is frequently viewed as “artificial,” it fails to provide a systematic, meaningful, and articulate guideline for new teachers whose underlying beliefs ultimately dominate and shape their instructional practices. Paramount is a return to the underlying premise that a teacher’s philosophy of education is, foremost, personal and reflective. Candidates must share in the decision-making process and be engaged in their own construction of a philosophy of education. Otherwise, teachers in training find it …

Teachers' Education And Training Factors And Their Influence On Formative Assessment Processes, William Clark Reed

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

This study sought to identify factors in teachers' education and training that may be associated with their capacity to use formative testing to inform instruction and, ultimately, improve their students' achievement. This research involved the identification of teachers' educational and training variables that might influence their abilities to analyze formative testing results, interpret the analyses, and modify instruction so as to improve students' achievement in third grade mathematics. The goal was to identify those factors in (1) teachers' educational histories and (2) teachers' professional development and training histories that contribute to their capacity to use formative testing results to inform …

Wright State University College Of Education And Human Services Annual Report, July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007, College Of Education And Human Services, Wright State University

College of Education and Human Services Annual Reports

This Wright State University College of Education and Human Services annual report is from July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007.

An Exploratory Investigation Of Third Graders' Perceptions Of Bullying, Laura N. Burns

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate students' views regarding a variety of topics related to bullying. Different methods were used to gather information regarding the students' opinions. The students shared their ideas through the use of surveys, writing samples, and interviews. This study's results determined students' beliefs about bullying as well as their awareness of its occurrence. Students were able to provide accurate definitions of bullying. Students were also able to discuss several appropriate ways to react to bullying. Results of this study contribute more to the understanding of students' perspectives about the topic of bullying in the …

How Can Learning Centers Be Used To Support Classroom Instruction And Promote Critical Thinking In A Kindergarten Classroom?, Amelia M. Pellegrino

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how learning centers can be used in the Kindergarten classroom to support regular classroom instruction and encourage students to think critically. This qualitative study used observations, interviews, surveys, student work samples, photographs, and discussions to collect information about the effectiveness of learning centers in the classroom. Sixteen Kindergarten students participated in learning center activities planned and implemented by the researcher to examine how the learning centers related the curriculum and whether the activities encouraged students to think critically about the content. The researcher found that the Kindergarten students showed improvement in their …

Strategies To Teach Character Education Through Children's Literature, Rebecca Quinn

Theses and Dissertations

A fourth-grade reading class was taught a unit in character education to determine if there was increase in knowledge from the pre-test to the post-test after using children's literature and other supplemental activities. The unit was broken up into six different traits; fairness, trustworthiness, responsibility, respect, caring, and citizenship. Each trait was taught over the course of a week while integrating two children's books highlighting the particular trait of focus for the week. The children were also taught using activities, worksheets, journal prompts, awards, and discussions. A teacher journal was also kept to note important findings. The students pre-tests indicate …

An Investigation Of An After-School Science Enrichment Program, Jennifer Lyn Jamison

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate an after-school science enrichment program and its components. The study was conducted in a middle school in the Evesham Township School District located in the Burlington County region of South Jersey. The participants included sixty-one students taken from the four sessions of the science program, three teachers of the program, twenty parents of the students, and the program director. Data sources included interviews held with each of the participants, anecdotal notes recorded in a teacher research journal, and student artifacts. I found positive results in the operation of the program, because of …

A Student Teaching Manual For The Preservice Student Teacher, Alecia L. Rochelle

All Graduate Projects

This project is designed to assist and support student teachers and first-year teachers who feel unprepared during their preservice training, and novice teachers who are teaching out of their certificated field. The review of related literature and personal research shows that there is an essential need for additional direction, encouragement, collaboration, and guidance among student and first year teachers. This project contains a student teaching manual designed for Parkside Elementary School that provides specific tips on how to be an effective student/first year teacher. The purpose of this project is to design a manual that would assist student and first …

A Personalized Art Curriculum That Promotes Art Advocacy, Nicole Marie Walters

All Graduate Projects

The following project shows the development of a personalized drawing curriculum that will encourage students to become art advocates. The curriculum is based upon art history and is designed for students to relate historical ideas to their own lives. This personalization will help students learn more about art as a form of communication. Through this art experience, students will see the value of art in their own education and it is hoped that in the future, when these students are adults they will be advocates for the arts.

Improving Consistency In Teacher Judgements : An Investigation For The Department Of Education, Victoria, Marion Meiers, Clare Ozolins, Phillip Mckenzie

School and system improvement

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) was commissioned by the Department of Education in Victoria to undertake an investigation of current best-practice approaches to ensuring consistency of teacher judgements against P-10 state-wide standards.

The investigation encompassed national and international approaches that had been implemented or were under development. A key objective of the investigation was that the approaches identified should be based on current information, research and best practice, and that they should be supportive of the continued development of a learning and assessment culture in Victorian schools. The report of the investigation was required to provide key baseline …

Breathing Life Into The Liberal Arts Math Course: Ten Teaching Tips, Mark Colgan

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2007

Teaching the liberal arts math course for general education students presents unique challenges, but the course also offers exciting life applications and opportunities for integrating faith with a variety of creative topics. I try to make the course interesting by actively involving students and relating mathematical topics to their lives. In this paper I will discuss some things I have tried in the liberal arts math course I teach at Taylor University: using students' names, use of undergraduate teaching assistants (T As), group guessing games, handout booklets, hangman, group projects, memory verses, reflection papers, and life lessons.

The Role Of Schooling In Constructing Gendered Identities, Bernadette L. Dean, Rahat Joldoshalieva, Abid Hussainy

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Many research studies show that schools play an important role in constructing gendered identities of girls and boys in western contexts. In Pakistan, there are research studies on the construction of gender in textbooks but studies on the role of schools are either unreported or unavailable. To address this gap in the literature, an exploratory study was carried out in public sector schools in the urban and semi-urban areas of Karachi. The findings indicate that the inter-relationship of the structure of schools, the official curriculum, teaching and learning practices and teacher beliefs result in a gendered division of labor, gendered …

Learning Mathematics In English Medium Classrooms In Pakistan: Implications For Policy And Practice, Anjum Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This is an in-depth qualitative study of students learning mathematics in classrooms where the medium of instruction was English which was the second or third language of the learners i.e. they were multilingual classrooms. Moreover, to promote reasoning and learning with understanding, the teachers had introduced group work, mathematical discussion, and mathematics tasks employing everyday contexts and language. Focus of the paper is the complex relationship between the language of instruction and the process of learning mathematics. The study demonstrates that learning mathematics in multilingual classrooms brings added complexity because students moved back and forth from the language of instruction …