Education Commons^™

Editorial Introduction, Catherine F. Compton-Lilly

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

Welcome to Volume 16, Number 2 of Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research. I am happy to introduce you to another volume featuring the voices of educators. This issue includes articles that focus on talk in a grade three classroom, first year teachers in science classrooms, pre-service teacher development, action research in a special education classroom, dialogic interactions and reading, the project approach in kindergarten, as well as a short article on action research and first year faculty and a review of Critical Discourse Analysis in Education by Rebecca Rogers.

Promoting Reflective Practices In Special Education Through Action Research: Recommendations From Preservice Teachers, Paula Wenner Conroy

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

In response to research showing the benefits of reflective practices, many personnel preparation programs have sought ways to help teachers-intraining (pre-service teachers) develop reflective practices in their teaching. This has been done by providing multiple opportunities for reflection and scaffolding within a variety of reflective experiences during extensive field and student teaching practicum experiences (Harford & MacRuairc, 2008). One powerful approach for integrating inquiry into teaching and reflection in practice is action research. The purpose of this article article is to provide a description of an effort by faculty to increase teacher reflection in the preparation program area of special …

How Does Talk Around Reading Influence Comprehension In Third Grade?, Karen Gruhn Tomczak

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

This study attempts to document the efficacy of peer-support and self-monitoring during partnered reading by third grade students as evidenced by their discourse. Pairs of third grade students engaged in partnered reading in a general education third grade classroom. Their oral reading, coaching and conversations were recorded using i-Pod2s over the course of twenty days. The digital audio recordings were then analyzed to determine if the students employed reading strategies, what types of reading strategies they used, and how other discourse between the students influenced reading behaviors.

Roles Beyond Instruction: Facilitating The Development Of Preservice Teachers, Yvonne Franco

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

Identifying a Signature Pedagogy that ensures high-quality teacher preparation is essential to the field of teacher education, as inconsistencies across programs throughout our country threaten our profession. Drawing on a comprehensive study of the professions, Lee Shulman (2005) provides a lens from which to identify Signature Pedagogy and the underlying experiences that support it, as pedagogies of uncertainty, engagement, and formation. As a teacher-educator, this action research study examines my efforts in understanding how I can use my knowledge of Signature Pedagogy to design, implement and study practices that facilitate pre-service teachers’ conceptualization of the teacher’s role beyond instruction. Using …

Critical Dialogues About The Reading Process With In-Service Teachers And Children, Koomi Kim, Maria Perpetua Liwanag, Violet Henderson, Peter Duckett

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

This article investigates how teacher educators and teachers collaborate via dialogic interactions to support the development of elementary students’ reading strategies. By implementing comprehension-centered reading tools such as the Burke reading interview and strategy rulers in partnership with in-service teachers, we are able to sustain ongoing inquiry and evaluation of effective literacy practices that enhance student learning.

Action Research And Project Approach: Journey Of An Early Childhood Pre-Service Teacher And A Teacher Educator, Ellie Wastin, H. Sophia Han

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

The purpose of this article is to share an action research study conducted by an early childhood pre-service teacher in a Kindergarten classroom. There were dual goals for this action research: (a) to enhance preservice teacher’s questioning and classroom management strategies, and (b) to enhance Kindergarten children’s scientific inquiry and knowledge. A teacher guided mini-project approach was adopted as a main instructional methodology for a ‘Rain and Water Cycle’ project. Using video, we documented self-reflection and feedback. Through this experience, the pre-service teacher gained both knowledge and confidence. At the same time, the Kindergarten children took an active role in …

Action Research As First Year Faculty: Exploring The Path Less Taken, Emily A. Daniels, Maureen Squires

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

The integration of educational research and practice is essential if any genuine progress is to be achieved in addressing compelling, complex and significant issues in education (Pine, 2009, p. 3). As new faculty members, both authors came to the process of action research through collaboration. The path was a new one that we had previously not explored, one that emerged as we moved forward together. We started down this woody lane with ideas, hopes and flashlights to begin to clarify our work, our ideas, and the needs of our students. We also hoped to illuminate the way for other junior …

Updating Critical Discourse Analysis In Education, Erica Newhouse

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

The publication of the second edition of Rogers’ An Introduction to Critical Discourse Analysis in Education is timely and relevant to the current social, political, and educational climate. Rogers’ text provides an in-depth introduction to critical discourse analysis (CDA) in education, an understanding of how the education “crisis” has been constructed, and the possibilities for researchers to use this approach to interrupt these “naturalizations.” This edition reflects changes in the field with the addition of Gunther Kress’ multimodal social semiotic approach to discourse analysis, which opens new areas of investigation and critique.

Shifting The Intellectual Authority In Science Classrooms From Teachers To Students: How Novice Teachers Use Tools To Analyze And Advance Practice, Jessica Thompson, Anna Kramer, Lindsay Carlson, Lindsay Holladay, Bethany Sjoberg

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

To meet the immense challenges our society faces in areas such as energy, health, and environmental protection, we, as science teachers and teacher educators, need to invest in the creation of classroom cultures that turn the intellectual heavy lifting over to the students while developing students’ identities as competent learners. Our vision is that classrooms are both intellectually rigorous—accountable to important ideas and practices in the discipline—and uncompromisingly responsive to students’ developing scientific ideas. Problematically, this type of teaching is currently rare in science classrooms (Corcoran & Gerry, 2011; Kane & Staiger, 2012; Pasley, 2002; Roth & Garnier, 2007; Weiss, …

Educating Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders (Asds) To Delay Gratification In The Contet Of Temper Tantrums, Seungyeon Lee

The Advocate

Temper tantrums among young children are common, especially those with autism spectrum disorders. Delay of gratification is an essential component of temper tantrums. Teachers and parents seek management strategies for temper tantrums that are efficient, effective and ethical. The purpose of this applied behavioral analysis research was to compare various types of functional communication training with three children in the three and a half year old age range. In Phase One, to determine the misguided goal or function of each child’s temper tantrum, functional behavioral assessment was undertaken. In Phase Two, a reward menu was used to determine preferred rewards …

Contextualizing Teacher Education Emphases For Classroom Diversity, Kevin Murry, Cristina Fanning, Shabina Kavimandan

The Advocate

Nominal attention has been dedicated to standards of best practice that local teachers should demonstrate in teaching culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. The CREDE standards address the gap and emphasize five transnational, universals of best practice for CLD students/families. However, recent research indicates that teachers practices indicative of the most important of these, contextualization, are among the least robust of those observed. Necessarily, future research is needed to unpack these findings. In the interim, we argue that teachers’ critical reflection on their own socialization is essential to the fundamental understandings necessary for standards-based practices with these students and families.

Ethical Decision Making: Increasing Your Chances To Make Better Decisions, Robert F. Hachiya

The Advocate

Ethical decision-making is an important skill for leaders that can be acquired and improved with experience. Successful leaders consistently make right decisions and inspire confidence in others. While many fields include formal ethics classes as a part of their required curriculum, only recently has the field of education included formalized ethics training for principals. This article provides guidance and advice for those seeking to increase the likelihood they will make better decisions each day.

Table Of Contents And Introductory Materials For Vol. 22. No. 2, 2014, Bruce Quantic

The Advocate

This content includes the table of contents and editorial information for vol. 22, issue 2 (Fall 2014).

Developing The Next Generation Of Distance Supervision, Lori A. Goodson, David S. Allen

The Advocate

Student teaching has long been an essential component of teacher education programs, and effective supervision is essential for successful internship experiences. Pre-service students’ needs must be weighed against the limitation of time and access for the university supervisor, often a full-time faculty member who has a formidable teaching load and other responsibilities. Additionally, direct, in-person observations can create observer effect, altering the reality of what is actually being observed. This article examines one university’s use of distant supervision utilizing technology to aid in the virtual classroom observations and conferencing to allow an elementary education major to student teach in a …

The College-Wide Military-Connected Learner Initiative In K-State’S College Of Education, Debbie Mercer, Linda Thurston, Judy Hughey

The Advocate

The Military-connected Learner Educational Initiative at Kansas State’s College of Education, initiated in 2012, provides a college-wide framework preparing in-service and pre-service personnel to serve military, veterans and their families in educational settings. This article describes the college-wide initiative which includes: (1) providing professional development for faculty and students; (2) implementing curricular and co-curricular modifications to address military/veteran-connected issues; (3) conducting research to contribute to the knowledge base about educational issues, strategies and adaptations for military personnel, veterans, and K-12 students in their families. The college is the recipient of the 2014 Taylor Higher Education Partnership of Excellence award from …

Don’T Tap The Keg And Eight Other Essential Rules Of Early Career Principals: An Editorial, Carolyn L. Carlson, Scott P. Myers

The Advocate

Principals that are early in their careers have unique challenges to face in order to become successful in their administrative positions. Early career principals, future principals, and those who educate future principals in education administration programs at colleges and universities should be aware of these potential obstacles. This list of nine “essential rules” seeks to challenge new and future principals, as well as those who educate them, to consider some of the unique challenges faced as well as offer insight to effectively overcome them.

Learning Across A Lifetime Of Learning: Stages Of Teacher Development, Charles Kent Runyan, Steve Brown, Carolyn Fehrenbach, Kenny Mcdougle, Pam Sells, Ray Willard

The Advocate

This study presents a conceptual framework for examining the developmental stages of teachers and illustrates the differences found in student teachers as they develop. The research illustrates how by assessing a teacher candidate’s own perception of importance, mastery, and desire to improve, an instrument can be used to prioritize needs at different points of a teacher’s career as well as identify stages of development. The statistical data, analysis, and interpretation of a study utilizing the Teacher Need Assessment Questionnaire (TNAQ) with teacher candidates is displayed.

Editorial Introduction, Catherine F. Compton-Lilly

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

Welcome to Volume 16, Number 1 of Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research. I am thrilled to introduce you to another volume featuring the voices of educators. This issue includes articles focused on learning centers in first grade classrooms, mentoring teacher researchers, and the potential of reflective journaling for preservice teachers as well as a review of The Networked Teacher: How New Teachers Build Social Networks for Professional Support by Kira Baker-Doyle.

Don’T Waste My Time; Exploring The Reflective Journaling Requirement In The Student Teaching Experience, Amy Spiker

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

For many years reflective journaling has been a required component of the student teaching experience at my university. The students I supervise are required to reflect upon their teaching experience in writing. Journaling has evolved over the past few years from a traditional paper and pencil journal to journals that allow more flexibility and choice. Students can now record their journal on a word processor or write a dialogue journal with their mentor teacher.

Finding The Connectors And Catalysts: A Book Review Of The Networked Teacher: How New Teachers Build Social Networks For Professional Support By Kira J. Baker-Doyle, Suzanne L. Porath

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

Kira J. Baker-Doyle opens an important conversation about the support new teachers need to thrive in their first years of teaching with her book The Networked Teacher: How New Teachers Build Social Networks for Professional Support. Few would argue that the first years of teaching are the most stressful, with statistics indicate that about 50% of new teachers leave the profession within the first five years (Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). Some schools and districts provide mentoring programs or new teacher professional development, but Baker-Doyle argues that these traditional programs fail to support new teachers, and especially new teachers of the …

The Preparation Of Mentors Who Support Novice Teacher Researchers, Ann Schulte

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

In my eleven years as a teacher educator at CSU Chico, I have always used action research and self-study to learn about my own practice. I have also taught both credential and MA students the process of AR, but I had yet to lead a cohort of students in a yearlong study. I was excited about the action research requirement of the newly created Rural Teacher Residency (RTR) program. In this program, teacher candidates (called Residents) earned a teaching credential and a Masters degree in 18 months. As part of the RTR program faculty, I had been given the major …

Chaos In The Classroom: Center Learning In A 1st Grade Setting, Courtney F. Lanaux, Kristen E. Vice, Kenneth J. Fashing-Varner

Networks: An Online Journal for Teacher Research

How can centers be utilized in a classroom so students have full control of what they are learning and when? Can centers be used effectively post-kindergarten? During student teaching in a first grade classroom in southeast Louisiana, two student teachers, their classroom mentor teacher, and the 1st grade students experienced center learning that integrated all areas of the curriculum and was utilized for 45 minutes each day. Students were expected to determine which center they needed to attend each day, which activity to complete, who to complete it with, where to put completed work, and how to successfully tidy up …

Dysgraphia, Michael Rettig

The Advocate

Introduction: Every teacher has probably experienced having a good student whose only problem seems to be that they take too long on writing assignments. When the student finally does turn in their work, it is sloppy, incomplete, and has several spelling errors.

The Effectiveness Of Cross-Age Blogging, Beth Walizer

The Advocate

Introduction:“We didn’t have to do any work!” was the greatest response to the question asked of fourth and fifth-grade students on what they liked best about the month long cross-age buddy reading and blogging project. A major challenge of candidates and university faculty in teacher education is how to effectively develop children’s digital literacy skills.

Determining And Measuring Self-Efficacy During The Student Teaching Semester, Carolyn Fehrenbach, Kenny Mc Dougle, Steve Brown, Ray Willard, Pam Sells, Charles Kent Runyan

The Advocate

Self-efficacy is the belief that an individual is able to control the outcomes of potentially stressful situations. How teacher candidates feel about their ability to control new challenges can affect their performance in the classroom. Those with a poorer sense of self-efficacy may believe situations are out of their control. A more positive sense of perceived self-efficacy can lead to more positive outcomes. This article reports the results of a teacher self-efficacy scale administered to elementary and secondary teacher candidates at the beginning and end of their student teaching semester. Findings suggest that perceived self-efficacy among student teachers increases throughout …

Electronic Observation: 21st Century Teacher Education, Jackie Glasgow, Susan Jenkins, Kelly Gillespie

The Advocate

“A program of brief but frequent classroom walk-throughs has become an increasingly popular strategy in recent years for informally supervising teachers and observing classroom activities” (Protheroe, 2009, p.30). Because walk-through observation has such potential as a catalyst to support both excellent instruction and a positive shift in learning (Walk-Through as Powerful, n.d.), this process is establishing itself as best practice in educational circles (Hopkins, 2010; David, 2008).

When real-time observation data are analyzed, used to support reflection and collaborative conversation, and ultimately, when these data become the basis to drive professional learning, the results are clear (Protheroe, 2009). Program initiatives …

Revisiting The M-Guds-S: Teacher Candidates’ Awareness And Acceptance Of Diversity, Lorie Cook-Benjamin, Beth Walizer, Keith Dreiling

The Advocate

Introduction: As shared in our article published in the spring 2013 issue of The Advocate Journal, schools of education are concerned about the best way to provide teacher candidates with clinical-based (also referred to as “field” in the literature) experiences that meet accreditation outcomes. In the Report of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation and Partnerships for Improved Learning (NCATE, 2010), ten research-based principles created a framework for clinical-based practices.

Faculty And Students: Differing Views Of Mentoring At A University Level, Kathleen J. Sanders

The Advocate

Although students and faculty at a university level differ on what constitutes mentoring, communication is key. Students and their faculty instructors/advisors in university online programs were surveyed to discover if and how the perceived mentoring occurred. Students wanted evidence of a personal interest in them by their instructors/advisors. However, students equated mentorship with communication. Students were particularly interested in the amount of time delay between any question they asked and the response they received from their instructor/advisor. Faculty considered mentoring to be above and beyond mere advising or instructing in an online course or program. Faculty also perceived communication as …

Pre-Service And Novice Teacher Self-Efficacy: A Tool To Understand And Further Develop Confidence For Impacting Change, Kimberly Mcdowell, Ashlie Jack, Jeri Carroll, Janice Ewing

The Advocate

Teacher efficacy measures a teacher’s perception of his or her capacity as a teacher and impacts teacher behavior in a number of different ways. This study examined teacher efficacy as well as pedagogical beliefs/practices in pre-service and novice in-service teachers to determine the nature of the relationship between the two. Results indicated that the novice in-service teachers demonstrated statistically significant higher scores on the efficacy measure. In regards to the relationship between pedagogy and efficacy, there was no statistically significant relation among the pre-service teachers but with the novice in-service teachers, efficacy was statistically significantly correlated with general instructional pedagogy.

Building Teacher Self-Efficacy: A University/District Leadership Academy Model, Donna Augustine-Shaw, Mary Devin

The Advocate

Introduction: In an era dominated by higher standards and greater accountability for America’s If you want to join us, we would be delighted schools, leaders are needed at all levels. Teachers must continue learning and growing professionally long after that transition from pre-service to practitioner.