Education Commons^™

Exploring The Impact Of Field-Based Supervision Practices In Teaching For Social Justice, Detra Price-Dennis, Erica Colmenares

Journal of Educational Supervision

The purpose of this study is to understand how field-based supervisory practices support preservice teachers’ conceptualizations of reflective practice, curriculum inquiry, and social justice-oriented pedagogies. Moving away from the more traditional supervisory triad model (e.g., preservice student--cooperating teacher--university supervisor), our qualitative investigation examined five supervisory practices: formal observation, Lesson Study, video debriefs/observations, guided observations, and participation in Intellectual Learning Communities (ILCs). Through a case study of two preservice teachers, this study highlights how these supervisory practices helped support preservice teachers’ notions of reflective practice and curriculum inquiry but did not deepen their notions of social justice and inclusivity.

A Comparison Of Two Keyboarding Instruction Methods Over 2 Years For Elementary Students, Denise K. Donica, Peter Giroux, Young Joo Kim, Sydney Branson

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: As computer and digital device use continues to grow in prevalence for school and work tasks, it is important for elementary-aged students to develop efficient keyboarding skills to support future academic and vocational success.

Method: A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test study design was used to compare the effect of two different keyboarding instructional approaches on elementary students over a consecutive 2-year period. One group used Keyboarding Without Tears (KWT; N = 592) both years while the other group used free web-based activities the first year and Keyboarding Without Tears the second year (mixed methods; N = 714). …

Providing An Elementary School Environment That Encourages Girls To See Their Place In The Stem Fields, Hannah Borchardt

Innovations and Critical Issues in Teaching and Learning

For many years, women have been underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields at the collegiate and professional levels. The two primary reasons for this underrepresentation are the influence of gender stereotypes and biases surrounding STEM and the lack of female role models in the STEM field. Elementary educators must do what they can to address these issues in an effort to allow girls to see their place in STEM. To help counter the influence of gender stereotypes and biases in STEM, elementary educators should integrate STEM into the classroom for all students to participate and have …

Innovations And Critical Issues In Teaching And Learning, Volume 2, Issue 1, 2021

Innovations and Critical Issues in Teaching and Learning

Complete text of Innovations and Critical Issues in Teaching and Learning, volume 2, issue1, 2021.

"We Can Write, Too!" A Developmentally Appropriate Writing Curriculum For Grades K-1, Danielle Pierce

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The Common Core State Standards initiative was created to unify current learning standards and ensure that all students were prepared for graduation across the United States (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2021). Despite this initiative, national assessment data has shown that most students do not perform to grade level expectations in writing (Costa et al., 2020; NAEP, 2011). Scholarship has demonstrated that there is a deficit of research in primary grade writing instruction, and a lack of universal direction in how to teach students to meet writing standards (Graham & Harris, 2005; Korth et al., 2017). While it has been …

The Craft Of Constructing A Classroom Library: Student Involvement In Book Title Selection, Meredith Murray

2021 Projects

This pilot study explored factors that influence student involvement in the book title selection process for the classroom library. Research questions were: “If I ask 3-5th grade teachers working in large urban school districts about their priorities in student involvement of text selection for their classroom libraries, in what ways, if any, could that information inform student agency in the classroom library selection processes?” and “If I ask 3-5th grade teachers working in large urban school districts about their barriers in student involvement of text selection for their classroom libraries, in what ways, if any, could that information inform student …

More Than One Story: A Bioecological Model Of Elementary Educators’ Perceptions And Representations Of Diversity, Angela Curfman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Classroom teachers have long employed children’s literature in the classroom. Exposure to children’s literature offers a plethora of gains and benefits. Through the usage of children’s literature, critical thinking skills are fostered and factual information is obtained (Hancock, 2000). Varied cultures, linguistic backgrounds, families with diverse socio-economical, and academic backgrounds constitute our public school classrooms. Children’s literature provides readers an opportunity for self-affirmation; therefore, they often seek a mirror in books, (Bishop, 1990). The thoughtful selection of children’s literature in the classroom is essential. Through the lens of Bishop’s (1993) metaphorical notion of books as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass …

Designing An Integrated Stem Semester For Pre-Service Elementary Teachers, Amanda Thomas, Matt Flores, Michael Hart, Elizabeth Hasseler, Tammera Mittelstet, Danae Peterson, Amy Sokoll Bauer

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

Teacher educators in an undergraduate elementary teacher certification program at a large university in the United States redesigned the traditional program to integrate STEM learning across multiple courses. During this Integrated STEM Semester, typically taken during the fifth semester of the undergraduate program, pre-service teachers (PSTs) enroll in mathematics content, mathematics methods, science methods, instructional technology, and practicum courses.

Teacher Perceptions Of Co-Teaching Effectiveness In Inclusive Elementary Classrooms, Ann Sims

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine if co-teaching is an effective strategy of inclusion for students with Individualized Educational Program (IEP). Specifically, students in the general education classroom for grade levels kindergarten to fifth grade in the state of Illinois. Co-teaching has been utilized in middle and upper-grade levels, but the implementation of co-teaching has started to integrate into elementary grades. Two questions guided the study; is co-teaching an effective inclusive strategy for students with an IEP in a general education classroom; and does the model of co-teaching impact the student's academic progress? A quantitative study utilizing a …

Exploring The Impact Of Field-Based Supervision Practices In Teaching For Social Justice, Detra Price-Dennis, Erica Colmenares

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The purpose of this study is to understand how field-based supervisory practices support preservice teachers’ conceptualizations of reflective practice, curriculum inquiry, and social justice-oriented pedagogies. Moving away from the more traditional supervisory triad model (e.g., preservice student--cooperating teacher--university supervisor), our qualitative investigation examined five supervisory practices: formal observation, Lesson Study, video debriefs/observations, guided observations, and participation in Intellectual Learning Communities (ILCs). Through a case study of two preservice teachers, this study highlights how these supervisory practices helped support preservice teachers’ notions of reflective practice and curriculum inquiry but did not deepen their notions of social justice and inclusivity.