Education Commons^™

How To Thrive During Your Field Experiences, Connie Schaffer, Kelly Welsh

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Field experiences are part of every accredited teacher preparation program. These seven tips will help students get the most out of the experience.

How prepared are you for the process of becoming a teacher? You have likely developed good study habits that got you to college. These are a great foundation to help you do well in a teacher preparation program. But how prepared are you for an equally important component of educator preparation programs — field experiences? Field experiences, also referred to as practicums or clinical experiences, are part of every accredited teacher preparation program. These pre-student teaching experiences …

Gait Mechanics And Proprioceptive Adaptations From Minimalistic “Five-Finger” Shoe Use, Holly N. Remmenga, M. L. Mcgrath, Sara A. Myers, Neal Grandgenett, T. L. Grindstaff

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Barefoot running is a growing phenomenon in the running community and has spurred the popularity of minimalistic shoe use. Little is known about how minimalistic shoed running effects gait mechanics and relatively no research has been performed to analyze how the habitual use of these shoes effects proprioception.

When Assessment And Accountability Intersect, Good Things Can Happen, Connie Schaffer

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

A process implemented in a large teacher preparation program simultaneously addressed demands related to improving pre-service teacher assessment practices and program accountability. The process, called Assessment Presentations, led to (a) more systematic incorporation of assessment instruction into the program's curriculum, and (b) the refinement of a program accountability measure. As part of the Assessment Presentations, pre-service teachers gave oral presentations during which they demonstrated assessment practices and offered evidence for program accountability by including data related to P-12 student learning. The Assessment Presentations also provided program-specific data that led to individual program revisions and a stronger overall teacher education program. …

Unmasking The Reformers: An Essay Review Of Ravitch’S Reign Of Error, Connie Schaffer

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools invigorates the ongoing debate surrounding the reform of K-12 public education. Author Diane Ravitch does so by interfusing quantitative and qualitative evidence related to a number of significantly contested issues including standardized testing, high school graduation rates, school and teacher accountability, and the privatization of public schools. Those who criticize charter schools, vouchers systems, merit pay for teachers, and the increased testing of elementary and secondary school children will find their perspectives affirmed and validated throughout the book. In contrast, those who support the …

Art Play: Stories Of Engaging Families, Inspiring Learning, And Exploring Emotions, M. Susan Mcwilliams, Ashley Brailsford Vaughns, Anne O'Hara, Loretta S. Novotny, Theodora Jo Kyle

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Collage is the ultimate playful technique . . . . When you put it all together, you create something new. It is really about trial and error . . . about trying things and making mistakes. It’s about forgiving yourself when you make mistakes, and playfulness lets you do that. —Hanoch Piven, “Living in a Playful Collage” Hanoch Piven, an internationally known collage-caricature artist, visited Omaha, Nebraska, to conduct arts-based workshops for families, teachers, and children. The workshops were organized by the Omaha Family Literacy Partnership (OFLP). The partnership promotes literacy learning among children and their families through community activities …

Navigating The Roles Of Leadership: Mentors Perspectives On Teacher Leadership, Saundra Shillingstad, Sheryl Mcglamery, Barbara Davis, Carol Gilles

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

The qualitative study described in this paper began as a collaborative project between three Universities offering comprehensive induction programs to first year teachers. Fourteen teacher mentors were selected to participate in this case study of teacher leaders and leadership. Three of the fourteen teacher leaders were selected to participate in a special case study of their leadership development. The researchers found their leadership qualities to be exemplary and wanted to explore in more depth the three teacher leaders and how they developed and shared their skills as leaders with their mentees and colleagues. The three participants represent perspectives from three …

Effective Multicultural Instruction: A Non-Color-Blind Perspective, Franklin T. Thompson

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The reason why the Trayvon Martin murder trial and similar court cases create a philosophical rift in our nation is due in part to flaws in the delivery of multicultural education. Traditional multicultural instruction does not prepare citizens for the subtleties and complexities of race relations. This study investigates critical strategies and practices that address multicultural missing gaps. I also seek to fill a void in the literature created by a lack of student input regarding teaching strategies that encourage lifelong learning. Students (N = 337) enrolled at a Midwestern university were asked to rate the efficacy of selected instructional …