Education Commons^™

But Are They Good Teachers? Examining Who Takes Up Teacher Leadership And How Their Instruction Differs From Their Peers, Peter D. Wiens, Jori S. Beck

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Teacher leaders function in many roles in supporting school success including instructional leadership and supporting colleagues. This study draws upon the Status of the Social Studies Survey (Fitchett & Vanfossen, 2013) to examine the responses of 6,702 US-based middle and high school social studies teachers to understand the antecedents of teacher leadership and the instructional practices of these individuals compared to their peers. Survey responses indicate that the vast majority of social studies teachers report participating in some aspect of teacher leadership. Teacher leaders tend to be less experienced and have less educational attainment while employing more research-based instructional techniques.

I Told You That To Tell You This: Metagaming And Metacognition In The Hybrid Classroom, Marc A. Ouellette

English Faculty Publications

This paper theorizes the use of play and gamified methods to foster metacognition, or strategies for learning and learning about learning, in online graduate instruction. In the process, it calls into question the determinism of “serious” games as being the only means of facilitating metacognition. Ultimately, by adopting metagame approaches—that is, approaches based on0 goals and achievements that are external to the game and/or are developed by the players themselves—metacognition can and does occur because students participate in the development of the rewards. Moreover, any metagame feature ultimately becomes a commentary so that an approach based on metagaming offers its …

Listening To The Song Of Life: An Autoethnographic Account Of Teaching An Undergraduate Listening Course, E. James Baesler

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

A new approach to teaching the listening course at the undergraduate level provides opportunities for students to experience the SONG of life. SONG is an acronym for listening to the whole of life in the contexts of Self (e.g., discerning inner wisdom), Others (e.g., connecting with feelings and needs), Nature (beholding the beauty of nature), and God (e.g., discovering and connecting with the divine). A rationale and description of the new listening course is provided followed by a chronological autoethnographic account of teaching/learning the SONG of life using the four contexts as verses of the SONG with twenty undergraduate students …

Impact Of Project Based Learning In Introduction To Engineering/Technology Class, Alok K. Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Project based learning (PBL) has a proven record as a teaching tool. Concepts that are often hard to grasp are made easy by the use of project based activities. The constructivism learning theory suggests that people learn better by actively participating in the process of learning. The Introduction to Engineering and Engineering Technology class has been modified to include project based learning kits to engage freshmen early on in the program. The goal is to demonstrate students the link between the scientific principles and their engineering applications. The course is team taught by faculty from various engineering and technology disciplines …

Introducing Hands-On Simulation Activities In Introduction To Engineering & Engineering Technology Class To Keep Students Engaged, Alok Verma

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Low enrollment and high attrition rates have often plagued Engineering and Engineering Technology programs. Part of this problem can be attributed to the lack of engaging hands-on activities during the first year of instruction. Most engineering and technology programs require students to take natural science, math and some general education courses during the first two years with minimal technical content. To maintain student's interest in the technical career path, it is important that students establish a link between the theoretical knowledge and its application to solve real life problems early in their learning experience. Simulation based activities have a proven …

The Impact Of The “Universal Voyager Literacy” Reading Program On Reading Achievement And Instructional Practices In An Urban School District, Shanika L. Hope

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Studies

Founded in 1994, Voyager Expanded Learning is a provider of K-3 in-school reading programs, as well as K-8 reading intervention programs for school districts throughout the United States. Voyager Universal Literacy's systematic, precise framework fully addresses the five elements of reading instruction, through an explicit succession of ability growth. Voyager Universal Literacy was developed to be a comprehensive program encompassing the subsequent requisites: in-school broad reading program, progress monitoring methods, extensive-day and summer activities, home learning syllabus, implementation monitoring, and on-going professional development. Voyager Universal Literacy Program activities are organized to provide a thorough range and progression for reading instruction. …

The Influence Of Color On The Teaching Of Juggling To Elementary School Children, Anne C. Mccoy

Human Movement Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Learning to juggle is difficult for elementary school students; it involves eye-hand coordination and complex movement patterns. Recognizing and using color for figure- and-ground visual perception is a necessary skill for tracking moving objects to catch them effectively. Can juggling instruction be influenced by the color of the juggling object used? Is one color more effective than another or does a combination of three different colors provide the most effective equipment choice?

Children in third, fourth, and fifth grade physical education classes were randomly assigned to color choices for juggling objects in a month-long unit of juggling instruction. The choices, …

Privatization Initiatives: A Source For Engineering Economy Case Studies, Paul Kauffmann, Tarek Abdel-Salam, Keith Williamson, Carol L. Considine

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

A case study method which reviews the basic structure of the circular A-76 privatization decision model is discussed. It highlights the possibilities for development of case studies that can challenge student teams to apply engineering economy tools while developing skills in a range of circular areas that are important to undergraduate engineering education and career success in engineering practice. Beyond building quantitative and qualitative business analysis skills, engineering economy cases can enhance student skills in other topical areas such as technical presentations, and report writing. The privatization initiatives and related decision models can also enhance human relations oriented skills in …

Changing Roles Of Title I Reading Teachers In Light Of New Provisions And Teamteaching Model, Abha Gupta, Eileen S. Oboler

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

We present the important and very complicated roles of the Title I Reading teacher in light of a new instructional paradigm: teamteaching. Following the 1994 reauthorization of Title I, Reading teachers often find themselves in multiple professional roles (Improving America's Schools Act, 1994). Based on observational data collected in our research on elementary school communities, five major categories of professional roles emerged (Oboler, 1993; Gupta and Oboler, 1998). We interpret Reading teachers' roles with respect to the new provisions found in the Interim Report, 1996, issued by the U.S. Department of Education (http://www.ed.gov/pubs/NatAssess), and Title I, Part A, Title I …

The Revolutions In Knowledge And Literary Theory: Their Impact On English Classrooms, Nancy Topping Bazin

English Faculty Publications

Since teachers, scholars, and scientists began in recent decades to study people who were previously marginalized or totally ignored, revolutions have occurred in knowledge and in literary theories and criticism. An increasing number of literature teachers acknowledge that they cannot ignore these significant changes. Indeed, they recognize that because of multicultural and global awareness, new questions are constantly being asked, new kinds of research are being done, and new approaches are being t:iken to subject matter.