Education Commons^™

Steam Education Afterschool And Summer Learning, Tracey Hunter-Doniger

The STEAM Journal

This article discusses the potential of STEAM education in afterschool and summer learning programs. The author suggests artistic methods and pedagogies that can be implemented in the programs, such as TAB (teaching artistic abilities), art infusion, and Studio Thinking. Challenges are brought forward and essential factors are suggested for STEAM programs. This article outlines STEAM afterschool and summer programs as spaces that invite, encourage and provide a safe learning environment where the students have more freedom to explore and get a deeper understanding of the arts and other disciplines.

Learning While Building: Enhancing Opportunities For Teacher Candidate Development Within Professional Development Schools Through Programmatic Analysis, Valerie Widdall 7532451, Andrea Lachance, John M. Livermore

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of differing models of practicum placements on teacher candidates’ (TC’s) abilities to practice teaching skills and receive feedback on their teaching. Within the Professional Development School (PDS) model TCs were placed as cohorts in a single PDS site with at least one college faculty member assigned as a liaison, and within the Traditional model TCs were placed across a variety of schools without college faculty connected to the various school sites. Teacher candidates completed a survey with Likert scale and open-ended items to measure TCs’ perceptions of how much time they spent teaching lessons …

Inquiry-Based Learning: Student Teachers’ Challenges And Perceptions, Alain Petro Gholam Dr.

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is a student-centered approach driven by students’ questions and their innate curiosity. IBL was introduced and effectively implemented in the general secondary teaching methods course at the American University in Dubai. The study made use of a mixed methods approach. It was guided by two research questions: 1). What factors hinder the implementation of IBL in the student teachers’ classrooms? 2). Why do student teachers favor the use of IBL in their classroom? Eight student teachers enrolled in the general secondary teaching methodology course at the American University in Dubai (Fall 2017) participated in the study. First, …

Ell Families: Myths, Truths And Strategies For Engagement, Stephanie Knight, Marjaneh Gilpatrick

Journal of English Learner Education

This article is the first in our new category, Teaching Tips. These are practitioner articles designed to enhance existing in-service teacher's classroom strategies with ELs.

Parental involvement may be the strongest predictor of a child receiving a solid education. This means it is vital that teachers and administrators understand the students’ families’ culture and the way they view education. We also must be proactive with them so that we can empower them with literacy strategies to ensure academic success. Also, many English Language Learner (ELL) families are not familiar with the school system in the United States and may …

The Case For Grammar: What Preservice Teachers Need To Know About Metalinguistic Awareness, Aimee Schoonmaker, Kerry L. Purmensky

Journal of English Learner Education

The present study focused on preservice teachers’ grammar knowledge and its importance for their future students’ understanding and use of language, particularly English Learners. This quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest study investigated the grammar knowledge of preservice teachers who were enrolled in an undergraduate applied linguistics course at an urban university in the southern United States. The results confirmed prior research which found that preservice teachers are not knowledgeable enough about English grammar when explaining sentence level errors. This study demonstrated that preservice teachers’ basic understanding of English grammar can be increased in a short time, particularly in the recognition of simple …

Alternative Licensure Curriculum From Kansanscan Redesign Gemini Schools, Kevin L. Splichal

The Advocate

The purpose of this reflection paper is to encourage Educational Preparation Providers (EPPs) to partner with KansansCan Redesign Gemini schools to evaluate EPP curriculum through personal interviews with alternative licensure teachers in KansansCan Redesign schools. Curriculum, implemented by the EPP, should take into consideration the experiences of those for whom it is designed and tailor pedagogical instruction to better match current practices in Gemini redesign schools. Personal interviews with candidates will provide experience-based evidence for analysis and consideration by EPPs.

Preparing Tomorrow’S Teachers Using The Teacher Educator Technology Competencies (Tetcs), Nicole Luongo

The Advocate

This article examines the preparation of tomorrow’s teachers by analyzing higher education teacher educators' attitudes towards the Teacher Educator Technology Competencies (TETCs). The study was based on the national education requirements that have been established by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology, International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The study focused on the current assumption that all teacher candidates will leave teacher preparation programs ready and able to use technology effectively in PK-12 classrooms. The researcher administered an online survey to a sample of teacher educators in …

Connecting Masters Project: Mathematics And Science Teaching Excellence In Rural Schools, Karla M. Childs

The Advocate

This study examined the effects of a focused professional development program for teachers in rural schools on math content knowledge and persistence measured by outcomes on the Math Assessment. Scores for all participants were analyzed (n = 37). A marked improvement was seen in the math content knowledge of teachers from the pre-assessment to the post assessment. Teachers increased their scores by 17% on the Math Assessment. The most salient result of the present study pertained to the number of answers that were scored a zero meaning they were left blank with no attempt to answer. Noteworthy is the …

A Message From Jill Gonzales-Bravo, Ate-K President

The Advocate

A message from ATE-K President, Dr. Jill Gonzales-Bravo

Editorial Information For The Advocate

The Advocate

Information regarding The Advocate and membership in the Association of Teacher Educators- Kansas is found here.

Utilizing A Critical Literacy Framework To Discuss Issues Of Power And Privilege With Elementary Students, Barbara A. Pollard

Intersections: Critical Issues in Education

This action research study utilizes a critical literacy framework to bring issues of privilege and power into critical dialogue with elementary students. The study is based on the idea that disadvantaged groups can eventually agitate for societal change if they are prompted to begin to critically question systemic inequalities from a young age. Thus, instead of allowing dominant culture to dictate unfair norms and practices by simply abiding to the status quo, this study suggests that elementary teachers should aim to be the vehicle for transformational change by implementing pedagogy that encourages students to think deeply and critically. Over time, …

Thumbs: The Brain's (New) Writing Instrument, Mariel Morton

Conspectus Borealis

No abstract provided.

Outdoor Activities To Improve Writing, Alyssa Kyllonen

Conspectus Borealis

No abstract provided.

Environmental Explorations: Integrating Project-Based Learning And Civic Engagement Through An Afterschool Program, Rachel Farmer, Nakayla Greene, Kristen H. Perry, Cindy Jong

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study examined the Community Super Investigators Club, through which we aimed to apply mathematics and literacy skills by using project-based learning (PBL) to investigate elementary students’ interest in learning how to improve the environment for animals. PBL is a teaching method used to improve critical thinking skills around a project that is based on students’ questions. The study used a mixed-method design to examine the following research questions: How do students engage in PBL on topics relevant to their community in an afterschool club? How can critical math and literacy skills be integrated with community engagement? How did the …

Using Inquiry In Teacher Professional Learning To Build Efficacy For Writing Instruction, Jacqueline B. Koonce, Melissa Brooks-Yip, Kathleen Gibson

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Whitacre (2019) and Curtis (2017) found that participants’ efficacy impacted their writing instruction and ability to engage students. We share our experiences with a professional development program aimed to improve teacher efficacy and literacy of elementary teachers. In this professional learning network, the Study of Early Literacy (SOEL), a higher percentage of teachers reported to a Hanover Research survey that they felt less confident in teaching writing than other areas of literacy. To address this need, one of the authors developed a subgroup to specifically address the teaching of writing with an inquiry-based action research component. Most of the teachers …

Recognition And Positional Identity In An Elementary Professional Learning Community: A Case Study, Christopher G. Wright, Rasheda Likely, Kristen B. Wendell, Patricia P. Paugh, Elizabeth Smith

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Professional learning communities are typically conceived of as spaces for reducing teacher isolation, supporting informed and committed teachers, and fostering student academic gains. Focusing on a professional learning community that supported the teaching and learning of engineering in elementary schools, we also conceived of this learning environment as a space for negotiating a teacher-of- engineering identity. Calling attention to emergent issues of power and status through a lens of positional identity, this article examines a Black female educator’s sense of self as a teacher-of-engineering and how this perception was informed by participation in the professional learning community. Findings reveal that …

Engagement Opportunities At The United Way Of Greater Lafayette, Yechan Lim

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

The United Way of Greater Lafayette is a non-for-profit that works to serve the community through programs, outreach, engagement, and fundraising. The United Way facility acts as a hub for many programs including Read to Succeed, Kindergarten Countdown Camp, and Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA). These programs help to address issues in the local community and provides volunteers opportunities to make a difference, while obtaining technical skills. YeChan Lim is a recent Master’s graduate in the Environmental and Ecological Engineering program.

Purdue Students In Tanzania: Establishing Connections Through 10 Years Of Service-Learning, Laura Duke, Madison Busch

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

For ten years, Dr. Jill Newton has coordinated the Maymester in Tanzania program and has created a highly successful and compelling program. Her aim for this program was to create a mini Peace Corps experience for Purdue University students, seeing as she has herself served as a Corps member in Papua New Guinea. One of the most impactful and rewarding components of this program is the service learning opportunities she encourages. Purdue University students attending this program have received a total of over $23,000 in service learning grants to date towards bettering the communities they interact with daily while on …

Weather Courtyard: Reflections On Interactive Stem Learning Spaces, Ryan Day

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

In this article, the author discusses his experiences in service-oriented engineering developing an interactive weather station for DCES students. Day details this process and the lessons learned over the course of the project development, as well as the project’s influence on his aspirations for a career in civil and environmental engineering. To provide substantive takeaways from the project, he concludes by reviewing the benefits of interactive STEM learning spaces in the instructional environment and links them to the impacts of the weather station project on the community.

Storypath: A Powerful Tool For Engaging Children In Civic Education, Margit E. Mcguire, Laurie Stevahn, Shari Wennik Bronsther

Democracy and Education

This article explains why elementary school children need civic education, identifies common obstacles that frustrate efforts, then describes how the Storypath approach can provide all students with opportunities for powerful civic learning. An actual application in a culturally diverse fourth-grade classroom illustrates how children grappled with Seattle’s affordable housing issue as they created and enacted Storypath’s five components, namely setting, characters, context, critical incidents, and concluding event. It also demonstrates how Storypath effectively integrates social studies content, literacy skills, and social-emotional learning (SEL) through cooperative small-group episodes that produce meaningful and memorable lived experiences for …

Book Review: Translanguaging At Work: Approaches To Dynamic Bilingualism, Meral Kaya

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

Book Reviewed:

García, O., Johnson, S. I., & Seltzer, K. (2017). The Translanguaging Classroom: Leveraging Student Bilingualism for Learning. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Inc., 196 pages, ISBN978-1-934000-19-9 (Softcover: $ 39.95.); ISBN978-1-934000-19-9 (eText: $29.95-$36.95 depending on days used).

Successful Instructional Reading Practices For African American Male Third-Grade Students, Kimberly D. Whaley, Steve Wells, Nancy Williams

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

African American male third graders in U.S Title I schools frequently fail to read on grade level. However, in three Title I schools in East Texas, this demographic demonstrated exceptionally high reading ability. This explanatory case study investigated the instructional strategies and practices linked to high reading achievement for these students. The study is grounded in Ladson-Billings’s theory of culturally relevant pedagogy and supported by Vygotsky’s theory of social and cognitive constructivism. The research questions were used to examine the instructional strategies and practices used on each campus that may have resulted in such high reading achievement. This study engenders …

The Effectiveness Of Cooperative Learning In The Reading Classroom, Amelia Tankersley, Joshua A. Cuevas

Perspectives In Learning

This research examined the effectiveness of specific methods of cooperative learning on reading comprehension, motivation, and attitudes. The study implemented Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) and the Jigsaw method in a rural public elementary school and included 60 participants from 3rd grade reading classes. One group used the CSR method to read information on four different topics while the other group read information on the same topics using the Jigsaw method. After controlling for initial attitudes, motivation, and global reading comprehension, the results indicated that neither of these methods led to greater gains in these areas than the other. However, when …

Effects Of A Cooperative Learning Intervention Program On Cyberbullying In Secondary Education: A Case Study, David Hortigüela Alcalá, Javier Fernández Río, Gustavo González Calvo, Ángel Pérez Pueyo

The Qualitative Report

The goal was to assess the effects of an intervention program, based on cooperative learning and involving the whole school community, on the emotional and social evolution of a student who had suffered cyberbullying. The student, her parents, the school administration, a teacher and the student's classmates agreed to participate in the study. A qualitative research design was used, which included interviews, discussion groups and diaries. The information obtained was structured in three categories: cyberbullying detection and response, psychoeducational intervention program, and emotional and social evolution. Results showed that the program produced significant improvements in the cyberbullied adolescent's emotional and …

Woking Curriculum: Youth, Popular Cultures, And Moving Images Matter!, Ligia (Licho) López López

Race and Pedagogy Journal: Teaching and Learning for Justice

In these intensified anti-Black, anti-Aboriginal, anti-LGBTQI times, this paper offers woking curriculum as an educational-political proposition. Schools are often places of rejection of young people’s investment in popular culture and their attuned sensibilities to moving images in videogames, cartoons, and popular movies. Through a spoken word poem this paper begins to respond to this disinvestment offering an analysis of why and how the popular moving images must be made curriculum. The paper draws from visual and classroom-based research in the United States, Australia, and Colombia.

Removing Race: How Context And Colorblindness Influence Conceptualizations Of Equity In A Third Grade Rural Classroom, Jacob Bennett

Race and Pedagogy Journal: Teaching and Learning for Justice

The ways teachers both perceive and design supports for her/his/their students are likely influenced by a variety of factors. In this qualitative study, I analyze the ways context and praxis, defined as a teacher’s morally informed beliefs about teaching, influenced supports developed for marginalized students in a rural school setting. Over two years of interviews and one year of observations, patterns emerged related to connections between the teacher's beliefs regarding colorblindness, individuality, and the development of instructional and emotional supports for students. I end by discussing recommendations for researchers to understand connections between teachers’ praxes and practice related to developing …

Breaking Through The Noise: Literacy Teachers In The Face Of Accountability, Evaluation, And Reform, Catherine M. Kelly, Sara E. Miller, Karen Kleppe Graham, Chelsey M. Bahlmann Bollinger, Sherry Sanden, Michael Mcmanus

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

In an era of increased accountability, it is important to understand how exemplary teachers navigate the demands placed on them by their schools, districts, and states in order to support student learning aligned with their beliefs of effective instruction. To understand these negotiations, tensions facing exemplary literacy teachers were examined through a qualitative interview study. Participants included nineteen experienced PK-6th grade teachers from across the U.S. Results of the study indicate that teachers experience discrepancies between their beliefs and state and local mandates, and they discuss a variety of strategies for negotiating these discrepancies. Findings suggest that schools can support …

The Impact Of External Audience On Second Graders' Writing Quality, Meghan K. Block, Stephanie L. Strachan

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The overarching purpose of writing is to communicate; as such, the intended audience is a critical consideration for writers. However, elementary school writing instruction commonly neglects the role of the audience. Typically, children are asked to compose a piece of text without a specific audience that is usually evaluated by the classroom teacher. Previous studies have found a relationship between audience specification and higher quality writing among older children; this study examines the impact of audience specification on young children’s writing. Using a within-subjects design, the study compared writing quality when second-grade students wrote for internal versus external audiences and …

Collaboration With Community Partners To Enhance Clinical Practice, Susan Keesey, Christina Noel, Nancy Hulan, Pete Hoechner

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Teacher preparation programs are shifting focus to models that integrate pedagogy and coursework into an applied clinical teaching model. Research clearly supports this change to help new teachers prepare for the demographics of today’s classrooms. Teacher preparation is improved through the implementation of high-leverage practices, the key skills new teachers are expected to know and apply. This article highlights a collaborative professional development day designed to strengthen the clinical partnership by developing a shared vision and common language by incorporating high-leverage practices.

The Effect Of Teacher Professional Development On Implementing Engineering In Elementary Schools, Teresa Porter, Meg E. West, Rachel L. Kajfez, Kathy L. Malone, Karen E. Irving

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Increased attention on the implementation of engineering education into elementary school classrooms aims to start preparing students early for potential engineering careers. In order to efficiently and effectively add engineering concepts to the curriculum, appropriate development and facilitation of engineering design challenges are required. Therefore, professional development programs are necessary to educate teachers about engineering and how to adequately teach it. This paper explores the effects of an engineering professional development program for practicing teachers. The program included training elementary teachers about how to implement units from Engineering is Elementary (EiE) by the Science Museum of Boston into their classes. …