Education Commons^™

Supporting Meaningful Learning Experiences With Button-Operated Robots In Early Childhood Settings, Jacob Hall, David J. Mulder

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Bringing together recent research on button-operated robots in early childhood settings and developmentally appropriate practices, this chapter details strategies for the integration of robots. Educators are encouraged to design and implement robotics experiences that are intentional, active, constructive, cooperative, and authentic (Howland et al., 2012). To achieve these aims, educators should embed challenges within play-based activities and empower children to set and achieve their own goals. Additionally, educators can support children’s active engagement by selecting a button-operated robot that gives clear feedback and by offering just-in-time support as children address errors in their programs. For constructive learning, educators should prompt …

Be The Spark: Institutional Recommendations For Open Educational Resources, Jenni Breems, Christopher Doll

Staff Work

It began with a conversation in 2018. How could a consortium of private academic libraries in Iowa promote the use of open educational resources (OER) at their institutions? We could see the potential. An OER is defined as “a teaching, learning, or research resource that is offered freely to users in at least one form and that either resides in the public domain or has been released under an open copyright license that allows for its free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with attribution” (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, Citation2021). The Iowa Private Academic Libraries consortium (IPAL) has …

Incorporating Perspectival Elements In A Discrete Mathematics Course, Calvin Jongsma

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Discrete mathematics is a vast field that can be explored along many different paths. Opening with a unit on logic and proof and then taking up some additional core topics (induction, set theory, combinatorics, relations, Boolean algebra, graph theory) allows one to bring in a wealth of relevant material on history, philosophy, axiomatics, and abstraction in very natural ways. This talk looks at how my 2019 textbook on discrete mathematics, focused in this way, came to be, and it highlights the various perspectival elements the book includes.

Found Families: An Idea For Blending Whole-Class Novels And Student Choice In Middle School And High School English Classrooms, Abby De Groot

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The ideas in this article spring from three important identities I carry in my heart: reader, teacher, and child in the family of God. I have spent my career as a teacher, both in K–12 schools and higher education, thinking about how to best teach literature in a way that produces not only literate and knowledgeable students but also students who see and value God’s truth in stories. I have not always succeeded at reaching these worthwhile goals, but I am grateful to still be discovering and articulating ways to do so.

A Place To Call Home: Belonging In The Body Of Christ In Home And School, Gail Ashmore

Staff Work

"Letters and numbers are important, but a seat at the table to commune and contribute is vital."

Posting about guiding children to their full potential as servants of God from CACE -The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education.

A Place to Call Home

Growing Our Own: Addressing The Teacher Shortage, Timothy Van Soelen

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No abstract provided.

A Letter To A First Year Teacher, Crystal Strickland

Student Work

"Be the person who helps others see the good in themselves."

Posting about encouragement for new teachers from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/a-letter-to-a-first-year-teacher/

Is Christian Education "Worth It"?, Sheila Mulder

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"God desires that His people work to restore and form culture."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the value of Christian education from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/is-christian-education-worth-it/

Engineering Education In Developing Nations: Progress On The School Of Engineering At Northrise University In Ndola, Zambia, Jeff Gladstone, Gitogo Churu, John Tixier, Nolan Van Gaalen

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The engineering and technology capabilities of developed nations continues to advance and to be a major driver of the economies of those nations. Developing nations recognize this reality, and they accordingly recognize the importance of nurturing the growth of their own countries’ STEM capabilities. Engineering education in developing nations is thus a critical need; but it is work that, for a variety of reasons, tends to be under-resourced by developing nations themselves as well as by potential participants from developed nations. As followers of Jesus, we sometimes find our hearts stirred on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Christ …

Teacher Flexibility And The New Normal, Sheila Mulder

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"The pandemic revealed the strong need for caring for the whole person and implementing informed teaching practices and principles."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­adapting to change in education from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/teacher-flexibility-and-the-new-normal/

Cultural Learners: Dordt Students Reflect On Off-Campus Studies, Daniel Moe, Morgan Stoltzfus, Caden Zonnefeld

Student Work

Posting about three students' off-campus program experiences from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/cultural-learners-dordt-students-reflect-on-off-campus-studies/

Rural Stem Teachers: An Oasis In The Desert, Ryan G. Zonnefeld, Valorie L. Zonnefeld

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Teacher preparation programs for STEM education should prepare teachers for all settings, including rural schools. Students across geographic locales show equal interest in STEM fields, but rural students often lack access to highly qualified STEM teachers. UNESCO (2014) notes that the disparity in education between rural and urban schools is a concern of many countries. In the United States, the National Center for Educational Statistics confirms that twenty percent of students are educated in rural schools and the STEM teachers in these schools are often the only STEM expert. These teachers become backbone teachers that set the foundation and direction …

Pedagogies That Foster A Growth Mindset Towards Mathematics, Valorie L. Zonnefeld

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Research demonstrates that a student’s mindset plays an important role in achievement and that mindsets are domain specific. Carol Dweck claimed that mathematics needs a mindset makeover and has shown that teachers can foster a growth mindset through their pedagogical choices. This paper shares how one university trains preservice teachers in mathematics pedagogies that are key to fostering a growth mindset. These practices include educating students on brain function, equitable access, metacognition strategies, feedback practices, the importance of productive struggle, and learning from mistakes.

Test Drive Your College Major, Joe Bakker

Staff Work

No abstract provided.

An Ethnographic Interpretation Of Latino Perspectives On Family Engagement In Education, Mary Beth Pollema

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In this period of intense demographic change and educational reform that strongly emphasizes the imperative of family engagement, yet implicates minority culture parents as not being involved, it behooves the field of education to take a closer look at the rigidity that schools utilize in their normalized perceptions and practices of parental involvement. Effective involvement can consist of a number of different activities, but only a few are acknowledged in educational discourse. Therefore, it is important to hear the perspectives of families of other cultures in order to bring to light new understanding that will assist schools in building stronger …

Crisis Mode: 10 Keys To Unlock Thriving In Christian School Leadership - Part 5 Of 5, Joshua E. Bowar

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No abstract provided.

Crisis Mode: 10 Keys To Unlock Thriving In Christian School Leadership - Part 4 Of 5, Joshua E. Bowar

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No abstract provided.

Crisis Mode: 10 Keys To Unlock Thriving In Christian School Leadership - Part 3 Of 5, Joshua E. Bowar

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No abstract provided.

Crisis Mode: 10 Keys To Unlock Thriving In Christian School Leadership - Part 2 Of 5, Joshua E. Bowar

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No abstract provided.

Crisis Mode: 10 Keys To Unlock Thriving In Christian School Leadership - Part 1 Of 5, Joshua E. Bowar

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No abstract provided.

Why We Love Career And Technical Education - Part One, Timothy Van Soelen

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No abstract provided.

Retaining Educators, Matthew Beimers

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No abstract provided.

Encouraging Our Community And Retaining Our Educators, Matthew Beimers

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Posting about ­­­­­­­­the challenge of retaining high quality, committed teachers from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/encouraging-our-community-and-retaining-our-educators/

Design A Dual Credit Program That Works, Joe Bakker

Staff Work

"Designing an effective dual credit program that opens doors for your students is within reach."

Posting about opportunities for students to earn college credit while in high school from CACE -The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education.

Designing a Dual Credit Program that Works

Words And Walls, Timothy Van Soelen

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No abstract provided.

A Lab Skills Diagnostic Test, John Zwart

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The American Association of Physics Teachers recommends that physics majors have proficiency in the following lab skills: constructing knowledge, modeling, designing experiments, analyzing and visualizing data, and communicating physics. I have developed a brief multiple-choice questionnaire to assess incoming students’ lab skill level in these areas. It was administered as both a pre-test and post-test for the first semester of introductory calculus-based physics. Preliminary results indicate that little improvement on the skills tested occurs without explicit instruction.

Teaching The Whole Person: A Review Of The Learning Cycle, Steve Holtrop

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"The Learning Cycle is an intriguing collection of theoretical and anecdotal reinforcements for the concept that students are spiritual, emotional, social, and behavioral beings as well as intellectual beings."

Posting about the book The Learning Cycle from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/teaching-the-whole-person-a-review-of-the-learning-cycle/

Mentoring Undergraduate Research In Statistics: Reaping The Benefits And Overcoming The Barriers, Joseph R. Nolan, Kelly S. Mcconville, Vittorio Addona, Nathan L. Tintle, Dennis K. Pearl

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Undergraduate research experiences (UREs), whether within the context of a mentor-mentee experience or a classroom framework, represent an excellent opportunity to expose students to the independent scholarship model. The high impact of undergraduate research has received recent attention in the context of STEM disciplines. Reflecting a 2017 survey of statistics faculty, this article examines the perceived benefits of UREs, as well as barriers to the incorporation of UREs, specifically within the field of statistics. Viewpoints of students, faculty mentors, and institutions are investigated. Further, the article offers several strategies for leveraging characteristics unique to the field of statistics to overcome …

Building On Abilities: Developing A Growth Mindset, Valorie L. Zonnefeld

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"Experience has taught me that before we can conquer any mathematics, it is important that the students first believe that they can learn math."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­growth in learning from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/building-on-abilities-developing-a-growth-mindset/

Open Educational Resources For The Kingdom, Mike Janssen

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"OERs can reduce the financial burden for our students and promote Kingdom values in education."

Posting about ­­­­­­­­the educational value of open source software from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/open-educational-resources-for-the-kingdom/