Digital Commons Network^™

Considering The Possible Elimination Of Foreign Language As A Requirement For A Georgia High School College-Prep Diploma, Kay Agnew

Perspectives In Learning

The front page headline informed readers of the Atlanta Journal- Constitution (AJC) that an education initiative of serious importance was under consideration: “Adios, francais? Maybe in Georgia school board may end language requirement” (Salzer, Sept. 2002). This proposal before the state Board of Education became the source of tremendous controversy. It was reported that the Board was interested in exchanging the required two years of language for four years in both science and math. Salzer (Sept. 2002) wrote that Cathy Henson, chairwoman of the state Board of Education, was in favor of the change as many students have trouble earning …

Serious Mental Illness And The Family: How Can Mental Health Professionals Help?, Cynthia Pattillo

Perspectives In Learning

When a loved one is diagnosed with serious mental illness (Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder, or Major Depression) family members are faced with new challenges. The family must provide support, act as an advocate with treatment providers, tolerate unpredictable and unusual behaviors, and, in some cases, involve the legal system to achieve inpatient hospitalization or mandate treatment. The family must also grieve for the losses caused by the illness: loss of goals and dreams, loss of abilities, loss of health. Unfortunately, the family must also cope with the stigma of mental illness. Despite evidence to the contrary, our society continues …

Effectiveness Of Educator-Oriented Content Courses, Joslyn K. Burt

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

The idea of teaching science strikes fear into the hearts and minds of many elementary teachers; however, as a core piece of the overall curriculum, they cannot escape teaching science. The courses taken at the university and the professional development classes taken on the job play a critical role in helping educators feel comfortable teaching science. Such courses also impact how the content is taught by introducing the best practices used in science teaching.

As a Basic Science Minor in the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa, I have taken many science content courses and several courses …

Lessons Learned In A Math Excel Workshop: The Importance Of Maintaining High Cognitive Demands, T. Dick

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Uri Treisman's Emerging Scholars Workshop model has been implemented on many college campuses over the last twenty years. The Treisman model is based on groups of students meeting regularly in a social atmosphere to work collaboratively in solving challenging mathematics problems related to their introductory coursework. Emerging Scholars Programs (or Math Excel as it is called in many settings, including ours) have been particularly successful in increasing the academic success and participation of underrepresented groups in mathematics. The primary responsibilities of a workshop leader include the design of a session’s worksheet, as well as the facilitation of students' problem solving …

Geosciences For Elementary Educators: A Course Assessment, M. L. Cummings, M. Goodrich, D. Burmester

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Geosciences for Elementary Educators engages future elementary teachers in a hands-on investigation of topics aligned with the third and fifth grade Earth/Space Science and Scientific Inquiry benchmarks of the Oregon Content Standards. The course was designed to develop the content background of elementary teachers within the framework of the science described in the content standards, to provide an opportunity for future teachers to explore the content area in relation to what takes place in the classrooms of elementary schools, and to initiate a community of learners focused on teaching science to elementary students. The course focused on four themes: the …

Understanding Teacher Reflection As A Significant Tool For Bringing Reform-Based Teaching To College Mathematics, K. Jeon

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

This paper describes a senior mathematics professor’s effort to change his teaching practice in a mathematical analysis course for secondary pre-service teachers in alignment with the current reform movement. Data include semester-long observations and interviews with the professor and his students. The data were analyzed by the use of reflection as the most significant tool for examining his experience of bringing about change. The reflection was used as a bridge from theory to practice by serving as a significant point for the professor to experience the process of professional development in a real sense. Discussions include the role of teacher …

Recruiting More Mathematics Teachers Using Collaboration As The Main Ingredient: An Effective Model From Missouri, L. Kaiser

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

A National Science Foundation grant was designed to develop a series of courses to connect mathematics concepts taught in middle school classes with actual class materials used at the middle school level; however, a second component of the grant focused on efforts to recruit more teachers into the field of mathematics. By collaborating with several groups across Missouri, several strategies were developed that were shown to have positive results, both in increasing awareness of mathematics teacher shortage issues, and in encouraging attendance in Missouri mathematics education programs. The strategies developed were easy to implement and low in cost. The Missouri …

Lessons Learned From Efforts At Institutional Change: Case Studies Of Six Ocept Institutions, T. G. Chenoweth, M. K. Kinnick, R. D. Walleri

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

As one part of a multifaceted evaluation of the Oregon Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (OCEPT), a case study approach was used to enable a deeper understanding of how a diverse group of six institutions attempted to achieve OCEPT goals and to learn more about factors that facilitated or hindered their efforts. Multiple sources of data were used, with heavy reliance on a series of on-site interviews. The analytical framework included a "depth" and "pervasiveness" typology of institutional change and a view of change as encompassing "meaning," "organization," and "effects." While goals and accomplishment levels, as well …

The Experimental Art, Robert Root

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Nonfiction is an experimental art, as contemporary examples make clear, and writing teachers need to show students both how meaning arises from writers' experiments with material and also how form from writers' experiments at representing meaning.

Encounters: Relationship In The Study And Teaching Of Literature, Christina Vischer Bruns

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

While trends in the teaching of literature of the last few decades may seem at odds with one another, the thread that can weave them together is a recognition of relationship among readers, text, author, and other readers.

Compos(T)Ing Loss: Transformation In The Telling, Laura Milner

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Using composting as a metaphor, this author examines the transformative potential in writing about and bearing witness to stories of loss, particularly the death of a parent.

An Unspoken Trust – Violated?, Kia Jane Richmond

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Reflecting on our decisions in the classroom, both when we are honest with our students & when we are not, can offer teachers opportunities for growth and change.

Multiple Forms Of Prewriting In Elementary Writing Lessons, Carolyn L. Piazza, Christine Jecko

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Multisensory prewriting invitations (creative visualizations, art, music, dreams, and mediations) affect writing fluency and idea generation in the first draft writing of elementary students.

Community, Spirituality, And The Writing Classroom, W. Keith Duffy

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

From a spiritual perspective, this article critiques the concept of community as defined by scholars of rhetoric and composition; the author suggests that our experience of community in the writing classroom cab be enhanced if we strike a balance between doing and being.

Engaged Buddhism & Women In Black: Our Grief Is Not A Cry For War, Candace Walworth

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

This paper explores principles, practices, and manifestations of engaged Busshism in the United States. It includes a personal narrative based on the author's participation in Women in Black (a silent, symbolic protest against war) and classroom stories based on the author's experience teaching at a Buddhist-inspired university.

The Impact Of A Professional Development Program: Case Study From Pakistan, John Retallick, Shahzad Mithani

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

In the context of a developing country with enormous problems in the quality of school education for the majority of children, this article seeks to reveal some insights into the impact of one teacher development program in two schools. The Advanced Diploma in School Management (ADISM) program was conducted by the Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development in Karachi, Pakistan, where there is increasing interest in studying the impact of all programs. An action research method was employed to develop case studies of two program graduates as they sought to bring change to their schools based on strategies of …

Curriculum As Practiced In Pakistan, Nilofar Vazir

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

From 1995 to 1999, as a teacher educator in Pakistan teaching on professional development programs, my colleagues and I were able to address some needs and interests of primary school teachers. After obtaining a degree in teacher education I was better equipped with the skills required for designing, implementing, and evaluating the curriculum. I also gained further insight into teaching and learning through the fieldbased component. A "need analysis" determined teacher selection for our field component, with the overarching principle being to select teachers who considered change to be relevant. Other selection criteria included teachers who were willing to bring …

Inservice Workships: Freshman Focus Curriculum Implementation, Rachel Elizabeth Rief

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to create workshops to help teachers implement an existing Freshman Focus Curriculum. It was specifically intended for use at Eisenhower High School in Yakima, Washington. The workshops include ways to help teachers organize, prepare for and teach the curriculum which was written to help freshmen transition into high school. The workshops include lesson plans as well as supplemental materials needed to effectively teach the curriculum.

Auburn High School Careers In Education Resource Guide Development Of Careers In Education Resource Guide To Assist In The Implementation Of A Career Academy For Teaching, Cindy L. Pratt

All Graduate Projects

Career academies as a method of school reform were studied. A guide for implementing the foundation teaching academy course Careers in Education was developed and submitted for approval at Auburn High School. The Careers in Education Resource Guide was the accumulation of information to assist Family and Consumer Science teachers with the implementation of the first career academy offered at Auburn High School. Included in the Careers in Education Resource Guide was the alignment of curriculum components with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Careers in Education frameworks. Furthermore, the guide integrated competencies which matched the Washington State Essential …

Expressivist Pedagogy In The High School English Classroom: A Handbook For Curricular Integration, Michel Beth Pola

All Graduate Projects

Research in the area of written composition concludes that individuals learn about themselves, about their subject matter, and about their community through the process of writing. Expressivist pedagogy encourages writing as a process and utilizes writing as a way to shape meaning. It places high value to the writer's sense of self and the writer's ability to create change in the community. A review of related research and survey of current best practices in the secondary language arts setting led to the development of an expressivist-based resource toolbook. This resource book was designed for teachers to help integrate expressivist pedagogy …

Methods Of Smile: A Science Seminar Course In "Deliberate Education", E. Davis-Butts, R. Collay

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Oregon State University’s Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) Program is an enrichment program for minority and underrepresented K-12 students. Through an eight-year iterative process, SMILE has developed and refined a science seminar course that allows undergraduate and master’s degree students to explore science enrichment for youth. Students enrolled in the course are engaged in teaching and learning as a community of learners with a focus on service learning. The intended audience for the course is those students who are interested in working in educational settings with youth—as classroom teachers, science/mathematics professionals engaged in precollege outreach, and the like. …

Reasons For Low Participation In Professional Development By East Arkansas Teachers, Susan L. Luebke

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers in east Arkansas have been less willing to participate in professional development activities beyond those that are required for continued licensure than those in other areas of the state. The Arkansas Legislature has passed legislation that will create a professional development institute in east Arkansas to assist teachers in gaining access to quality programs. This study sought to identify reasons for low participation in professional development by east Arkansas teachers in order to provide guidance in the design of the institute. An investigation of research in the principles of andragogy, characteristics of effective professional development, motivating learning, and the …

Faith Development On Christian College Campuses: A Student Affairs Mandate, Stephen Beers

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

Growth No. 3 (2003) - Full Issue

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The full issue of the third edition of Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development.

Kohlberg And Fowler: Two Models For Considering The Moral Progress Of College Students, Tim Herrmann

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Fostering moral development has been an important goal of American higher education throughout its history. This goal has become especially prominent in light of recent developments related to crime, ethical indifference and deteriorating social structures. This topic is of particular relevance to faith-based institutions as the fostering of moral development is vitally related to their collective mission and purposes.

The literature of moral development contains a number of prominent and plausible theoretical approaches. However, two of the most prominent and highly developed are, Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral judgment development and James Fowler’s theory of faith development. Each of these …

Assessing Spiritual Development In Business Students: Lessons Learned And A Suggested Process, Monty Lynn, Tim C. Coburn, J. Vincent Swinney, Michael Winegeart

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

As Christian higher education institutions increasingly engage in continuous quality improvement and outcome measurement, research on spiritual development is filtering down to undergraduate business programs. This paper presents lessons learned from a pilot cross-sectional survey of Abilene Christian University undergraduate business students who completed the Faith Maturity Scale (Benson, Donahue & Erickson, 1993) and responded to other questions about faith development. Based on the results, a number of helpful observations were made for the ACU business program. A method and process for assessing spiritual development at multiple Christian colleges is proposed.

A Good Start To Numeracy : Effective Numeracy Strategies From Research And Practice In Early Childhood, Brian Doig, Barry Mcrae, Ken Rowe

Student learning processes

The Commonwealth-funded Project Good Start was a longitudinal study of children during their year before school and the first year of school, involving preschool centres and schools across Australia. It considered the questions: how can effective numeracy programs be identified at both year-before-school and the early years of school; and what constitutes evidence of effectiveness. This report provides a review of the international and Australian research literature on numeracy in early childhood that complements the Department of Education, Science and Training’s major review of the numeracy literature undertaken by Deakin University. It is designed to provide early childhood professionals and …

Retirement And High Level Human Capital, Irving Gershenberg

Gerontology Institute Publications

Given that demographic trends in economically advanced industrial countries such as our own continue to shift toward increasingly older, formally retired populations, we need to find ways to keep more of this older retired population productive. Economists and others differ in their estimation regarding the ability and/or willingness on part of the retired to retain, let alone utilize the know-how, the human capital accumulated prior to retirement. This is as true for those who have spent their work life engaged in producing and communicating new ideas and synthesizing and diffusing what is known, those who have accumulated what I term …

Standards For Science Teacher Preparation, National Science Teachers Association

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

Any project intending to write education standards for national dissemination and implementation is immediately confronted with the fact that education is a state function, and that the fifty states, plus Puerto Rico, each have their own ideas about what should be taught to their children. Education, unlike many professions, is a highly political act: parents and guardians are concerned about what their children are taught; and various stakeholders have their own ideas about what constitutes a good education. Whether or not they are directly engaged in setting standards, they want to know why a particular set of standards has been …

Shi‘A Ismaili Tradition In Central Asia: Evolution, Continuities And Changes, Sarfaroz Niyozov

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.