Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

The Scholarship Of Civic Engagement: Defining, Documenting, And Evaluating Faculty Work, Robert G. Bringle, Julie A. Hatcher, Patti H. Clayton

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Civic engagement, which is presented as teaching, research, and service in and with the community, presents new challenges for evaluating faculty work as part of the reappointment, promotion, and tenure process. The nature of service-learning, professional service, and participatory action research are examined as faculty work that can be scholarly (i.e., well informed) and the basis of scholarship (i.e., contributing to a knowledge base). As such, examples of evidence for documenting the work and issues associated with evaluating dossiers are presented.

Bibliography, Volume 25 (2007)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Bibliography for volume 25 (2007) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Preparing Future Faculty For Careers In Academic Librarianship: A Paradigm Shift For Collaboration In Higher Education, Sean Patrick Knowlton, Laura L. B. Border

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Nationwide, tire number of available faculty positions represents only a fraction of the master’s and doctoral degrees granted each year. Fortunately, faculty positions are available in academic librarianship, which is experiencing a decline in qualified applicants. A pioneering collaboration between a graduate student professional development program and an academic library has created a fellowship program that allows master’s and doctoral students to consider careers in academic librarianship through mentored fellowships. Initial results show that participants intend to pursue librarianship as an academic career in which to use and expand their advanced subject and/or language expertise.

How Post–Tenure Review Can Support The Teaching Development Of Senior Faculty, Mary Deane Sorcinelli, Mei-Yau Shih, Mathew L. Ouellett, Marjory Stewart

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

A key question that campuses face as they develop and implement post-tenure review policies is how to blend the concepts of accountability and renewal. This chapter examines a faculty development initiative linked to a post-tenure review policy at a research-intensive university. It describes the goals, processes, and outcomes of a five-year study of the program, extending research on post-tenure review and its potential for positive faculty development.

A Critical Theory Perspective On Faculty Development, Stephen D. Brookfield

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter argues that critical theory implies a number of conceptions and practices of teaching, and it applies a critical theory perspective to conducting faculty development. It speculates on how faculty development might be organized according to some insights drawn from critical theory, and it reviews the chief reasons why teachers resist engaging with this perspective.

Aspiring Elementary Teacher's Inclusion Conclusion Prior To Coursework, Michelle Hipsky Ed.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

By determining preservice teachers’ prior knowledge, concerns, and preconceptions regarding the inclusion of students with special needs prior to beginning their first college course in Teaching Elementary Students with Special Needs, professors can better determine what to include in the university curriculum. The “Inclusion Conclusion” was based on surveys that were completed by 53 future elementary teachers. A general inductive approach to categorizing and reporting the qualitative data was utilized. Prior knowledge of people with special needs, based on experience and coursework, was examined. The students highlighted concerns about inclusion that included fear and intimidation, lack of experience, meeting the …

Teacher-Teacher Collaboration, Maurice Miller Ph.D., Robin Burden Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Although much literature calls for teachers to be collaborative, and there is abundant literature expressing recommendations about collaboration, there is little data-based description of what actually occurs in collaboration The ideas of preservice teachers about collaboration in schools informs their views and acts as a guide for the knowledge and skills they need.

Educating Deaf Children In An Inclusive Setting In Kenya: Challenges And Considerations, Peter Oracha Adoyo Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Educators of the deaf have been of the view that placement of deaf students in classrooms with their hearing peers often may not be conducive to their social and academic development. This is because the two groups often experience difficulties in communication with each other and that such difficulties often include loneliness, rejection and social isolation. These experiences as observed by the educators do not promote social and academic development. This paper discusses perspectives on inclusive education in general and the deaf in particular. Challenges encountered in placing the deaf child in an inclusive classroom are highlighted and possible solutions …

From The Co-Editors

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Diabetic Child In The Elementary Classroom, Thomas Knestrict Ed. D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Efficiently managing the blood glucose levels of the diabetic child in the elementary classroom is essential in maintaining the overall health of the whole child. There are well documented academic, behavioral and health related consequences related to poor care of the diabetic child The teacher needs to become aware of the nature of the disease and the elements of care in order to effectively manage the Blood Glucose Levels (BGL) of the child. Maintaining desired BGL (between 70- 140) is the ‘lynch pin’ of ensuring the long and short-term health of the diabetic child.

Learning Issues Of Sexuality, Race, And Power In The Classroom, Loshini Naidoo Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The notion that all people should have equal access to human rights, dignity, protection, and opportunities, contextualizes the problems of sexual diversity in a wide range of discourses that marginalize those bodies, or individuals that are perceived to be sexually alternative. ‘Gay, lesbian, bisexual, homosexual, and transgendered students, who do not identify with heterosexual norms are often ostracized, harassed, and excluded from and within the educational safety net, and feel betrayed by a system that positions the ‘other’ as deviant (Loutzenheiser & MacIntosh, 2004). In view of current socio-cultural contexts, sexuality, figures into the milieu as a critical location of …

Out Of "Dark Backrooms And Sheds", Marguerite Maher M.Ed

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Commitment to a single, inclusive education system has been the aspiration of reform in education in a democratic South Africa as articulated in White Paper 6: Special needs education: Building an inclusive education and training system (Department of Education, 2001, referred to hereafter as White Paper 6). Within a ‘barriers to learning’ approach to inclusive education, progress is being made with improved facilities and the implementation of AIDS awareness programmes. Managing the transition towards an inclusive education system has proved challenging in some areas, however, and the specific provision in policy documents directed towards children with disabilities is behind schedule. …

About The Authors, Volume 25 (2007)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

About the editors and authors/contributors of volume 25 (2007) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Preface, Volume 25 (2007), Douglas Reimondo Robertson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Preface to volume 25 (2007) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, by Douglas Reimondo Robertson of Highland Heights, Kentucky.

Ethical Guidelines For Educational Developers

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Ethical guidelines for educational developers brepared by Mintz, Smith, and Warren, January 1999. Revised March 1999, September 1999, and March 2000.

Faculty Development Through Student Learning Initiatives: Lessons Learned, Nancy Simpson, Jean Layne, Adalet Baris Gunersel, Blake Godkin, Fred Froyd

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

A project aimed at improving student learning while facilitating the professional development of faculty participants in the area of teaching has yielded a rich collection of data. In addition to providing critical information about how faculty members think, the project has broadened our thinking regarding the link between student learning initiatives and faculty development. The project has also increased our understanding of the interests of faculty members who are not typically clients of faculty development centers and motivated thinking on how to serve the professional development goals of this group.

“Heritage Rocks”: Principles And Best Practices Of Effective Intercultural Teaching And Learning, Peter Frederick, Mary James

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This portrayal of the intercultural teaching/learning culture and classroom stories at one fully multicultural institution, Heritage University, itself reflecting many diverse “heritages,” provides a glimpse into the faces of the future of higher education in America. We offer several examples and a synthesis of the principles and best practices of effective intercultural teaching and learning, with the intention of helping other institutions move intercultural education from the margins to the “center,” thereby preparing both teachers and learners for effective intercultural learning and living in the 21st century.

In The Eye Of The Storm: Students' Perceptions Of Helpful Faculty Actions Following A Collective Tragedy, Therese A. Huston, Michele Dipietro

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

On occasion, our campus communities are shaken by national tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, or by local tragedies such as the murder of a faculty member or student. Because these are unusual circumstances, faculty are often initially confused about how to respond, and later have little or no sense of how effective their actions have been (DiPietro, 2003). This chapter investigates the most common instructor responses following a tragedy and which of those responses students find most helpful. Implications for faculty and faculty developers are discussed.

Sustaining The Undergraduate Seminar: On The Importance Of Modeling And Giving Guidelines, Shelley Z. Reuter

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Student-led discussion is a valuable means of involving students in the collaborative creation of knowledge. This activity becomes especially important in the seminar course where, either individually or in small groups, students lead their peers through a set of readings. Unfortunately, student-led discussions often focus more on summary than critical analysis, largely because seminar leaders, left to their own devices, do not know what a seminar should look like or how to lead one effectively. This chapter demonstrates tliat undergraduates can learn seminar leadership when provided with guidelines and opportunities to see the skill modeled.

Faculty Development In Student Learning Communities: Exploring The Vitality Of Mid–Career Faculty Participants, Shari Ellertson, John H. Schuh

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Student learning communities result in numerous benefits for students and institutions, but less is known about the influence of learning community participation on faculty renewal and development. This qualitative study examines mid-career faculty members’ involvement in student learning communiities to explore the degree to which the construct of vitality appropriately describes and illuminates their experiences. Findings suggest that learning communities foster vitality by serving as a boundary-spanning activity where faculty can merge various work interests, allowing them to engage in purposeful production and providing them with experiences that help generate feelings of energy, excitement, and engagement with their work.

Making Meaning Of A Life In Teaching: A Memoir–Writing Project For Seasoned Faculty, Kathleen F. O'Donovan, Steve R. Simmons

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The University of Minnesota’s faculty development project, “Making Meaning of a Life in Teaching,” promotes collegiality and enhances self-reflection for those who are cxperienced classroom instructors. Started in October. 2003, this project provides a forum that invites participants to examine specific memories from their teaching lives and to transform those recollections into a written memoir. This chapter explores the use of memoir as an effective tool for faculty development, describes the project’s structure and components, and presents both co-facilitator and participant perspectives on the process and the memoir product.

Transforming A Teaching Culture Through Peer Mentoring: Connecticut College's Johnson Teaching Seminar For Incoming Faculty, Michael Reder, Eugene V. Gallagher

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter describes a yearlong seminar focused on teaching that is offered to all incoming tenure-track faculty at Connecticut College, a small residential liberal arts college. This seminar is distinctive because it is facilitated by second- and third-year faculty. We argue that this peer-mentoring model has three distinct benefits. First, it avoids many of the pitfalls identified with traditional one-on-one mentoring. Second, it addresses the distinctive challenges that faculty face at small colleges. Third, it provides a strong base for faculty to pursue the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). We believe that our peer-mentoring model may well be adaptable …

Volume 18, Number 01, G. William Hill Editor, Linda M. Noble Editor, Tom Pusateri Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 18, Number 01 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Action Items, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Overview of action items handled by the Graduate Council.

Including Ethics In The Study Of Educational Leadership, Charles Bowen, Harriet Bessette, T. C. Chan

Faculty Articles

This article offers reasons why ethics should be included within leadership preparation and suggestions for infusing it in leadership education classes. The authors argue that a framework of making ethical decisions, overviews of codes of conduct, and examinations of case studies of ethical and unethical behaviors become intentional components of leadership education curricula.

Does Changing The Definition Of Science Solve The Establishment Clause Problem For Teaching Intelligent Design As Science In Public Schools? Doing An End-Run Around The Constitution, Ann Marie Lofaso

The University of New Hampshire Law Review

[Excerpt] "When Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection in 1859, it sparked some of the most contentious debates in American intellectual history, debates that continue to rage today. Although these debates have numerous political ramifications, the question posed in this paper is narrow: Does the Establishment Clause permit a particular assessment of current evolutionary theory – intelligent design (“ID”) – to be taught as science in American elementary and secondary public schools? This article shows that it does not.

To understand current disputes over whether and how to teach the origins of life …

A Qualitative Study Of Stakeholders' Beliefs About The Use Of A Standards-Based Academic Reporting System, Gina Gail Berridge

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As school districts across our nation are making changes in curriculum and instruction to comply with the mandates of No Child Left Behind (No Child Left Behind, 2002), new reports to parents about student achievement are emerging. These reports are standards-based and clearly communicate to stakeholders what the student knows and is able to do based on the state standards. This qualitative case study, analyzing data collected in the 2005-2006 school year, describes principals', teachers', and parents' beliefs about the use of a standards-based report card. Through the use of individual interviews, insight was gained about the views and opinions …

Mentoring Teacher's Stories: Caring Mentors Help Novice Teachers Stick With Teaching And Develop Expertise, Jarene Fluckiger, Sheryl Mcglamery, Nancy Edick

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The article describes the challenges being faced by novice teachers and the role of mentors for novice teachers to stay in the profession and develop expertise. Educators have gathered evidence showing the need for mentors to help novice teachers stay in teaching and develop into master teachers. Longitudinal quantitative studies have indicated that novice teachers participating in this comprehensive induction program improved their effectiveness faster than their peers not in such a program. A frequently cited reason for attrition is teacher isolation.

Teachers Professional Development For Quality Education, Nadeem Kirmani, Muhammad Zahid, Rehana Naz

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

Quality is at the heart of education and teachers play crucial role to provide quality education. This belief encourages us to state that the quality in education depends on teachers’ role, which set scenario for the students. Every teacher has his / her own impact on his / her students. But what is it that enables the teachers to have the greatest impact? In this context there are several professional development programmes offered for the teachers in different parts of the world to build capacity of teachers so they can better serve the needs of the growing population. This paper …

Self-Assessment And Democratization, Betty Mcdonald Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This paper takes the stance that self-assessment is an integral part of democratization in classrooms. Defined as ‘the involvement of students in identifying standards and/or criteria to apply to their work and making judgments about the extent to which they met these criteria and standards’ (Boud 1986, p. 5), self-assessment uses principles that promote democracy. Freedom of expression and participation in decision making propel the student to a level outside of the norm that results in excellence in all areas of endeavor, within and without the classroom. Implications for education and society are discussed.