Education Commons^™

The Emeritus Teacher, Raymond J. Dagenais, Betty E. Steffy, Billie J. Enz

Publications & Research

Mary, Clara, and Harry are part of what they call "the gray brigade." They met 6 years ago at a Retired Teachers Association meeting, warmed up to one another immediately, and began a lasting friendship. The trio has reached the emeritus phase of the Life Cycle of the Career Teacher model. They cared passionately about their profession when they were teachers, and that passion continues today. All are actively involved in helping schools improve and children succeed. Each of them goes about this quest in a very different way. Mary is a political activist well known in the halls of …

Producing Possible Hannahs: Theory And The Subject Of Research, Eileen Honan, Michele Knobel, Carolyn Baker, Bronwyn Davies

Department of Teaching and Learning Scholarship and Creative Works

This article presents and compares three analyses of qualitative data drawn from an ethnographic case study using distinctive theoretical approaches. The article shows the power of theoretical approaches to constitute the “subject” of a study and to constitute the character of the social world in which such a subject is situated. The three readings of the data produce different possible subjects located in differently constituted possible worlds. By putting theory at the center of analysis, the article shows how theoretical approaches radically influence what can be found in the data and how it can be found there.

Valued Member Or Tolerated Participant: Parents' Experiences In Inclusive Early Childhood Settings, Leslie C. Soodak, Elizabeth Erwin

Department of Teaching and Learning Scholarship and Creative Works

The present qualitative investigation explored the perspectives of parents of young children with severe disabilities to understand the factors that shape their participation in their child's inclusive education. Ten parents of children in early childhood inclusive settings were interviewed. A conceptual framework of factors that influence parent participation was developed based on the themes that emerged from the data. Findings indicated that parent participation is influenced by a number of factors, including the school's beliefs about inclusion, receptivity to parents, and willingness to change. Parent-professional partnerships were facilitated by trust, shared philosophies about children and schooling, and open communication. Achieving …

Sabbatical Leave Final Report, Ed Kelly

Sabbaticals

My sabbatical work was accomplished during the 1999-2000 academic year. The two general goals to be achieved were, first, to upgrade my computer skills and second, to improve the interactivity of our online speech course.

The Benedum Collaborative Model Of Teacher Education Student Handbook, Jason Cartwright, Ann Nutter, Judy A. Abbott, Sarah Steel

Faculty Publications

The College of Human Resources & Education welcomes you as students in the Five-Year Teacher Education Program. You will find that your experiences in the Benedum Collaborative will prepare you well as you begin your work in the teaching profession. Our partnership with the professional development schools in the Collaborative provides the setting for clinical experiences that build on your course work at West Virginia University.

The National Honors Report Vol. Xxi No. 1 & 2, Spring/Summer 2000

The National Honors Report

First, The Cover - taken from Damir Sinovcic's mural based on da Vinci's "Man as a Measure of All Things," with special thanks to Lydia Daniel (Director of Honors Institute, Hillsborough Community College); cover design by Stephanie Lucas with Jon Wszalek, and thanks to Joyce Wszalek (Associate Director, James Madison University VA).

1. "The Story Behind" by Lydia Daniel … 1 The director of the Honors Institute shares how the mural came to be. With comments from Damir Sinovcic, the artist.

2. "About Damir's Mural" by Margaret Brown … 2 Students and faculty awed by Damir Sinovcic's mural. Many other …

Assessing The Impact Of Sustained Professional Development On Middle School Mathematics Teachers, Joanne E. Goodell, Lesley H. Parker, Jane Butler Kahle

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The study reported in this paper examines the impact of the Ohio Statewide Systemic Initiative (SSI) on participating mathematics teachers. Quantitative data from 90 SSI-trained teachers and 400 teachers without training, along with qualitative data collected from seven SSI teachers who were visited in their classrooms are presented. Analysis of the quantitative data showed that SSI and Non-SSI teachers reported significantly different frequencies of reformed teaching practices and held significantly different views about the nature and pedagogy of mathematics. Qualitative data from the interviews highlighted that the SSI professional development experience, the ability to find creative ways to overcome lack …

Service-Learning As A Tool For Enhancing Student Outcomes In A College-Level Lecture Course, Amy Strage

Faculty Publications

This article reports on the effects of infusing a 20-hour per semester service-learning requirement into a large Introductory Child Development course. Analyses of student outcomes on course assignments revealed that the 166 students in the service-learning cohorts (2 classes) out-performed the 309 students who took the course during the three semesters prior to the introduction of the service-learning requirement. The advantage for the service-learning students appeared to stem primarily from stronger performance on narrative assessments (midterm and take-home final essays), and appeared to manifest itself only later in the semester. Analyses of students’ journals confirmed that students reflected thoughtfully about …

Learning Technology Policies In Action : Where Do The States Stand?, Evie Charles Pugh

Graduate Research Papers

In states with technology plans, there is a common belief that technology has the power to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the learning environment of the classroom. Many states' technology policies and plans reflect a demand for information about student learning outcomes and the cost and benefits of education programs. The eight states in the North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium (NCRTEC) are: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The need for district spending in education technology, such as computer training, professional development, service/support networking, supplies, and hardware, has become a major issue …

Teacher And Researcher Autonomy In Action Research, Gertrude Tinker Sachs

Middle and Secondary Education Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Understanding The Headteachers’ Role In Pakistan: Emerging Role Demands, Constraints And Choices, Muhammad Memon, Rana Nazir Ali, Tim Simkins, Viv Garret

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Little effort is made to study the role of headteachers in the eastern context, including Pakistan. This paper is based on the study conducted in the government and non-government schools in Pakistan in order to understand headteachers ' role in terms of the emerging demands, constraints and choices. The study suggests that the government school headteachers seem to be less proactive and more interested in maintaining status quo because of the influence of the 'topdown management model'. The study also suggests that the government headteachers have limited choices and many constraints because of the influence of the bureaucratic system. Their …

The Impact Of School Reform On Teacher Professionalism Lessons From Case Studies To Inform Future Professional Development Initiatives, Meher Rizvi

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper will outline a number of issues faced by Government Primary Schools in Pakistan. Specifically, it will identify a research agenda that needs to be addressed if these schools are to progress. Pakistan's educational system is faced with many problems and dilemmas and each dilemma justifies a reason, but perhaps no problem is as grave as the low quality, the poor morale and the dejected professional status of the teachers. I say that because I believe that schools are only as good as their teachers, regardless of how high their standards, how up-to-date their technology, or how innovative their …

Teaching Systems Science In High School Compared To Graduate School, Wayne W. Wakeland

Systems Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper compares System Dynamic models built by graduate students to those built by high school students. The motivation behind this comparison is to explore the question: "How effectively is feedback-oriented system dynamics being taught in secondary schools compared to graduate school?" The paper will also speculate regarding implications for other systems concepts.

Foundations Of Collaboration, Gail Goodyear Muir, Sally S. Blake

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

Specific ideologies are forwarded by learning, socio-political, and religious theories using collaboration, consensus, and cooperation. Examination of the foundations of these processes reveals the values required of participants.

Creating An Inclusive Learning Environment, Terrie Nolinske

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

Students bring differences relating to life experiences, attitudes, age, religion, discipline, and learning styles into the classroom. This essay offers strategies to promote diversity awareness and an inclusive learning environment.

Living Up To Expectations, Steven M. Richardson

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

“Poor preparation” is often a symptom of mismatched expectations. By communicating expectations early and with a plan for offering help as needed, we can minimize these problems.

Training Teachers Of Slavic Lctls: Student Profiles And Program Design, Mark Richard Lauersdorf

Linguistics Faculty Publications

This article focuses on the differences between Slavic LCTL and Russian "language teaching situations" in the specific areas of student constituency and basic program structure, and the importance of considering these differences in developing teacher training programs that include teachers of Slavic LCTLs. Emphasis is placed on how the realities of the typical Slavic LCTL program point to the need to train graduate student-teachers in the specific skills of course/program design and development in order to prepare them more adequately for their teaching tasks. The results of a Fall 1996 survey of second-year Polish and Czech students and instructors are …

Training Training-Room Skills, Alan Waters, Maria Luz C. Vilches

English Faculty Publications

A process-oriented approach to training teachers in ELT teaching methods is nowadays commonplace. To operate such an approach, the teacher trainer needs to be able to handle the skills involved in, inter alia, introducing a teacher training session, conducting awareness-raising, providing input, setting up, monitoring and rounding off small-group activities, feeding back on participants’ ideas and concluding the session. In other words, just as the ELT teacher needs to master a repertoire of classroom skills for handling ELT activities, so the teacher trainer needs to acquire a knowledge of the training-room skills involved in such teacher training procedures Both classroom …

Higher Level Learning: A Taxonomy For Identifying Different Kinds Of Significant Learning, L. Dee Fink

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

An in-depth look at strategies for Higher Level Learning.

Helping Students (Better) Evaluate And Validate Www Resources, David L. Graf

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

Faculty need strategies to assure that students can process information from the WWW responsibly. Such strategies include developing web-savvy assignments and requiring demonstration of critical review of the material.

The Legacy Of John Dewey, David Halliburton

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

John Dewey’s educational legacy embraces wide-ranging views on the relation of teaching to learning and to other key issues in education.

Fostering Students' Moral Development, Lion F. Gardiner

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

The development of students’ ethical behavior has been an aim of college faculty for centuries. This essay reviews research and ways of fostering principled ethical reasoning.

Changing Student Learning Behavior Outside Of Class, Graham Gibbs

Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education: Archives

Shifting focus from teaching to Learning includes shifting attention from in-class to out-of-class learning activity. This essay offers strategies for understanding and controlling students’ outside learning activity.

Adult Learning Theory And Reference Services: Consonances And Potentials, Jimmy Ghaphery

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

There is long history of exchange between librarians and adult educators. This history not only points to previous successes but also highlights a tension of defining an appropriate focus within libraries for the provision of adult education. The similarities between contemporary adult education thought and reference services can provide some interesting possibilities in looking toward the future of reference in a digital age, both in terms of service and professional development.

The Challenge And Test Of Our Values: An Essay Of Collective Experience, Kay Herr Gillespie

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Departing from a specific experience at the 1998 POD conference, the values of the organization—most specifically and directly the “valuing of peopk”—were challenged and put to the test of whether or not we genuinely and sincerely strive to actualize our values. This situation is generalizable to our daily professional and personal lives, and the essay invites readers’ reflection through an examination of our values in combination with the story. The challenge continues, and the test is not finished.

Student Collaboration In Faculty Development: Connecting Directly To The Learning Revolution, Milton D. Cox, D. Lynn Sorenson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Although faculty developers have worked successfully with faculty to focus on ways to enhance learning and listen to student voices, developers have rarely formed partnerships with students. This chapter reviews established practices involving students directly in faculty development, such as student observer/consultant programs. It also describes the nature, dynamics, and outcomes of some interesting new programs involving students in teaching development activities, thereby empowering students to join developers as change agents ofcampus culture. Finally, this chapter raises issues for faculty developers to reflect on as they consider establishing direct connections-partnerships-with students.

Finding Key Faculty To Influence Change, Joan K. Middendorf

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

To succeed in getting faculty to accept new teaching approaches, academic support professionals can benefit from the literature on planned change. By understanding the different rates at which faculty accept change, we can also identify the faculty most likely to lead their colleagues to accepting new approaches. Opinion leaders can offer insight into faculty reactions to new approaches; their involvement in project planning can influence acceptance. Innovators, when selected carefully, can demonstrate and test new teaching approaches. Knowledge of when and how to involve these two kinds of faculty can reduce frustration and enhance efforts to spread new ideas about …

Teachnology: Linking Teaching And Technology In Faculty Development, Mei-Yau Shih, Mary Deane Sorcinelli

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

As a coordinator of teaching technologies and director of a center for teaching in a large research university, we have worked collaboratively over the last year to achieve a common goal: to implement and refine several faculty development initiatives that create linkages among the domains of teaching, learning, and technology. In this case study, we will describe the kinds of programs we’ve developedand summarize lessons we’ve learned. We hope that faculty developers on other campuses who are grappling with how to define their mission related to technology and how to work with faculty to integrate teaching and technology can adapt …

Qilt: An Approach To Faculty Development And Institutional Self–Improvement, Mike Laycock

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In a climate of increasing emphasis on quality assurance and extra-institutional quality scrutiny, the author argues that faculty developers have a role in encouraging an enhancement-led culture. Faculty ownership of,and responsibility far, continuous quality improvement can help to provide an engagement with teaching and learning issues and may help to overcome resistance and mistrust. At the University of East London, UK, an enabling, whole-institutional framework called QILT (Quality Improvement in Learning and Teaching), whereby faculty create and implement funded improvement plans, has helped to generate this culture.

Transforming Introductory Psychology: Trading Ownership For Student Success, Randall E. Osborne, William Browne, Susan J. Shapiro, Walter F. Wagor

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

As colleges struggle to maintain enrollments, many have shifted from a primary focus on recruitment of new students to an increased focus on retaining students once they begin attending the college or university. An examination of introductory courses on our campus, however, revealed significant differences between faculty perceptions of student skills and the actual skills students brought into the classroom. This prompted shifts in the manner in which we teach introductory psychology on our campus in order to enhance the skills necessary for success in survey courses and to provide a foundation of learning and thinking skills that would translate …