Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Making Connections Between General Education Information Literacy Classes And Upper-Level Writing Courses: An Exploration Of Faculty And Student Perceptions, Lucinda Rush, D.E. Wittkower, Narketta Sparkman-Key

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

This presentation will describe a collaborative project between University faculty and a librarian that connected faculty who teach general education information literacy courses to those who teach upper-level writing intensive courses. The project provided an opportunity for these faculty to participate in a focus group discussion to explore how the courses are aligned and how information literacy courses can support and prepare students for upper-level writing courses. Following the focus group discussion the presenters provided an opportunity for writing and information literacy faculty to take action on what they learned from each other by participating in an assignment redesign workshop. …

Conference Program 2020, Georgia International Conference On Information Literacy

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Conference Program

Developing And Transitioning Faculty To Online Teaching, Barbara Serianni

SoTL Commons Conference

In the midst of decreasing trend in postsecondary enrollment, enrollment in fully online programs continues to trend upward (U.S. Department of Education, 2018). Given the persistent growth of online learning in higher education as the result of adding fully online courses to traditional on-campus programs of study and the persistent development of new fully online programs, the question of instructional effectiveness must be asked. Are faculty in traditional 4-year public universities prepared to effectively deliver online instruction and support the needs of online students? If they are, how were they prepared? If they are not, how can they be prepared?

Critical Teaching Behaviors: What Does "Good" Teaching Look Like?, Lauren M. Barbeau, Claudia Cornejo Happel

SoTL Commons Conference

How can faculty and administrators identify and document evidence of “good” teaching? Defining “good” teaching as the implementation of evidence-based practices proven to foster success, we developed a Critical Teaching Behaviors framework consisting of six categories of observable behaviors: alignment, assessment, inclusive learning environment, student engagement, educational technology, and reflective practice. We will present an overview of the meta-analysis conducted to construct the framework, participants will then use the framework to reflect on their teaching practice before providing feedback on its design and usefulness in documenting effective teaching behaviors at their institutions.

Conference Program 2020, Sotl Commons Conference

SoTL Commons Conference

Conference Program

A Story To Tell… How To Integrate The Three Modes Of Communication Through A Story Time Program In French, Frederique Grim

The Coastal Review

Bilingual story time programs found in local community libraries not only benefit children, they can also serve a need for L2 college students: the development of their communicative skills in an authentic environment. In addition to linguistic benefits, experiential learning has proven to prepare students for real-world skills, such as networking, mock professional experience and a sense of community engagement. This paper recounts how a world language story time program supports L2 learners’ three modes of communication, as articulated by ACTFL, and necessary for language development. Based on students’ perceptions, this study highlights their increase in motivation and confidence in …

The Impact Of An Intensive Blended Learning Reading Intervention On Standardized Assessment Scores, Ashley M. Snyder

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The current study documents the effects of the Language! Live intensive, blended learning reading intervention on the Georgia Milestones Assessment Lexile Scores. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of an intensive blended learning reading intervention on the standardized assessment scores of middle school students who were at least two grade levels behind in reading at a Title I school in Georgia and aimed to establish if students who were significantly below grade level could make growth with the assistance of an intensive blended learning reading intervention. The study included the data of 133 students in two …

Student's Perceptions Of Smartphone Use At Home And At A High School Regarding A New Smartphone Policy: A Case Study, Ana Zurita

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The new generation raised in the digital era continues to present unresolved challenges for both parents and teachers. The purpose of this case study is to analyze students' usage of their smartphones in their lives, and understand the success of a new school policy on smartphone use at an arts school in the U.S. For this qualitative research, I interviewed ten participants from the high school. The literary review informs us that smartphones are potentially addictive, with negative effects for healthy mental, emotional and social child development, as well as a source of misleading information. As a consequence, smartphones in …

Strengthening Middle School Students’ Commitment To Social Justice Issues: Building Connections With Teacher Education Candidates, Anne Katz

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Publications

This article was published in Dragon Lode.

Dare We Speak Of It: The Teaching Of Evolution In Private Schools Of An Urban Middle Georgia Setting, Eric J. Thompson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions, experience, and thinking of teachers at three private schools in Middle Georgia to determine how different private schools approach the teaching of evolution. For this project three private schools were included representing a secular, non-religiously affiliated private school, a Catholic affiliated private school, and an independent, Christian private school. The research was designed to answer one research question and three sub-questions. The primary research question was: How do private schools of the Middle Georgia area teach the theory of evolution? The three sub-questions were (2) Does the type of …

Perceptions Of The Impact Mathematics Support Classes Have On Student Achievement, Cordaryl Charles Middleton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Many students today struggle with mastering grade-level mathematics standards. School leaders have implemented mathematics support classes as a possible solution; however, not all students are showing significant improvement. The challenge is determining an effective mathematics support class that has the most positive impact on student achievement. As a result, the purpose of this research study was to examine the perceptions of principals, mathematics teachers, and mathematics support teachers on the impact mathematics support classes had on student achievement. This study employed a qualitative case study research design that consisted of one overarching research question and three sub-research questions that framed …

The Relationship Between Co-Teaching Partnerships And Student Achievement, Tikki N. Middleton

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Due to legislative mandates schools are required to educate SWDs in the least restrictive environment alongside SWODs, which lead to the rise of co-teaching. However, enhancing the quality of co-teaching partnerships to impact student achievement poses a challenge for many school leaders due to the absence of quantitative data involving the impact of co-teaching on student achievement. The purpose of this study was to identify correlations among the qualities of co-teaching partnerships in grades six through eight as measured by The Colorado Assessment of Co-teaching (CO-ACT), and student growth percentiles from Spring 2019 Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS) data in middle …

Schools For Profit Or Schools For Education? A Christian School Principal’S Perspectives, Michael A. Crosby

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is a series of speculative essays (Schubert, 1991) that address the forces of neoliberalism on schools today– both public and private. While there have been studies on the detrimental effects of high-stakes testing on public schools (e.g., Au, 2015; Giroux, 2014; Wacquant, 2000) as well as the associated harmful effects of school to prison pipeline (e.g., Saltman, 2016; Taubman, 2009), there remains little research associated with the damaging impacts of neoliberalism on Christian schools. Building upon the theoretical framework of critical pedagogy (e.g., Friere, 1970; Kincheloe, 2008; McLaren, 2015), I undertake a critical examination of neoliberalism’s calculated efforts …

Between And Behind The Lines: The Life Of High School Coaches, Mary Davis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this study, I write about the emotional journey of high school athletic coaches’ experiences as they move through their day as teachers, coaches, and spouses/parents. The examination of the emotions and transitions high school coaches experience has been largely unresearched. There have been examinations of teachers, the impact coaches have on athletes, and a coach as a parent, but there is not extensive research on all three roles experienced by one person. High school athletics is a tremendous part of high school, and coaches have a tremendous impact not only on their players, but on the students they teach …

Introduction And Remembrance, Amanda Wall

Becoming: Journal of the Georgia Association for Middle Level Education

Introduction to the issue and remembrance for Dr. Lounsbury

Best Practices In Middle Level Quaranteaching: Strategies, Tips And Resources Amidst Covid-19, Christi Pace, Stacie K. Pettit, Kim S. Barker

Becoming: Journal of the Georgia Association for Middle Level Education

School closings resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have forced teachers across the world to scramble to shift their face-to-face classes online. This rapid transition to what we call “quaranteaching” has left teachers little time to prepare for virtual teaching and learning. Acknowledging this challenge, in this article we share steps, strategies, tips, and resources to support and empower middle grades educators to successfully continue the online instruction (more accurately called “crisis teaching) they have begun. We offer approaches to implementing collaboration, differentiation, and personalized learning, as well as approaches for authentically assessing student learning in a virtual learning environment. Issues …

Quaranteaching In The Time Of Covid-19: Exemplar From A Middle Grades Virtual Classroom, Amanda Woods, Stacie K. Pettit, Christi Pace

Becoming: Journal of the Georgia Association for Middle Level Education

The COVID-19 pandemic dropped educators across the world straight into remote learning with little time to prepare. As some have inevitably struggled, other middle grades educators have overcome beginning hurdles to not only survive, but thrive amidst this new challenge. One teacher in particular, despite being in her first year, has found innovative ways to connect and motivate her middle grades students in a virtual environment. This article extends the steps, tips, and resources article (Author 3, Author 2, & Barker, K. S. also in this issue?) to provide a personal example of the successes (and yet still challenges) that …

Multi-Tiered System Of Supports As Collective Work: A (Re)Structuring Option For Middle Schools, Sonja M. Hollingsworth Dr.

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) is the overarching referent for frameworks designed to target behavioral and academic challenges with a focus on a tiered continuum of evidence-based practices within the context of prevention science and implementation research (Freeman, Sugai, Simonsen, & Everett, 2017). Extensive literature indicates that MTSS programs can be effective in helping teachers address academic and behavioral challenges. However, from the onset of the RtI movement and through its transition into the MTSS paradigm, many middle level schools have faced significant organizational and systemic challenges which hamstring their ability to utilize MTSS programming with fidelity. This essay proposes …

Supporting Middle School Students In Tier 2 Math Labs: Instructional Strategies, Emily C. Bouck, Jiyoon Park, Mary Bouck, Jim Alspaugh, Stacey Spitzley, Angela Buckland

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Response to Intervention (RtI) has become a common support system for students; yet, no universal RtI model exists, especially for mathematics and specifically at the middle school level. This article focuses on a specific model for delivering Tier 2 mathematics supports and services at the middle school level: math labs. Evidence–based and research–supported interventions are discussed that support the delivery of Tier 2 services within a middle school math lab RtI structure. A fictionalized vignette, drawing from multiple actual cases, is presented to highlight the use of a Tier 2 math lab within a middle school setting.

Helping Middle School Students Acknowledge And Navigate Anxiety: An Action Research, Teresa Jones, Amanda Riggs, Nai-Cheng Kuo

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Teachers and school counselors have the responsibility not only to build a positive school climate in which students want to perform and stretch themselves academically and socially, but also to create an environment in which students know that their teachers and school counselors are aware of their needs, anxiety, and other factors preventing them from reaching their potential. In the present study, we used an action research design to help students acknowledge their anxiety and know how to navigate it. The results indicate that most students exhibited lower anxiety before and during the test, while their anxiety level was the …

Introduction, Amanda Wall

Current Issues in Middle Level Education

Introduction to the issue and recognition of 2019 reviewers

A Winning Mindset: How The Infusion Of Mindset Training Can Enhance Scholarly Work, Kevin Leichtman

Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative (2011-2025)

Presenter will provide.

Academic Mindset Curriculum: Utilizing Systematic Mindset Training Derived From Athletic Training To Maximize Student Achievement, Kevin Leichtman, Anala Leichtman

Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative (2011-2025)

Presenter will provide.

Modeling Technology Integration, Megan Morris

Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative (2011-2025)

Presenter will provide.

2019 Conference Program, Cssc

Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative (2011-2025)

Conference Program for 2019

Innovation In Preservice Teacher Preparation: Undergraduate Research In Special Education, Kymberly Harris, Meca Williams-Johnson, Dana Sparkman

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Publications

Teacher preparation programs emphasize the connection between student outcomes in achievement and behavior, but the framework of teachers as researchers is rarely presented as a foundational basis of good instruction. Teachers are aware of the need to consider scores and trends and alter their instruction based on the response of the students to their teaching, but the techniques involved are not explicitly taught as research methods in most preparation programs.

The initial purpose of including a research course in the undergraduate program of study was to provide preservice teachers with research skills to enhance their instruction. The long term goal …

Just "Level The Playing Field" And Watch Me Excel!, Baruti K. Kafele, Baruti K. Kafele

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

This engaging, interactive, self-reflective session focuses on equity at the classroom level. It challenges teachers to look within themselves relative to how they relate to and engage with their at-risk students of color and other underserved students. It challenges teachers to confront whatever biases they may bring to these students that may be either blatant, subtle, undetected or unacknowledged. It argues that high-performance is an impossibility in classroom environments where equity fails to exist.

Meeting The Needs Of Diverse Gifted Learners, Jackie H. Barone, Karen Gorman, Maranda Thornburg

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Our presentation shares best practices that we have utilized and found success with in regards to scheduling, coursework, and other activities to meet the needs of a wide-variety of gifted learners. Much of our work centers around meeting their social and emotional needs (beyond just utilizing accelerated math and reading content).

Reach Children By Teaching Children, Not Content: A Road Map To The Whole Child, Christopher Williams

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Teaching children is what teachers want to do, but all too often teachers end up teaching content and the children are left behind in the rear-view. Experience and discuss what it is like to teach using a curriculum map like a road map. Student engagement and positive school culture will be used to show how at-risk students can surpass expectations when they are taught and the subject area content information is used as the vehicle to shape a more positive future. During this session you will experience the ups and downs of the at-risk student and what you can do …

Stop, Look, And Listen To What Your Data Is Telling You!, Simone Danielson, Jeffrey Harris, Jeff Barnett

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Join us for a ride on the Data Train where you will STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN to what your data is telling you and use the information to develop a process of continuous improvement in your after-school program to be an effective co-collaborator of closing the achievement gap. This workshop will provide information and strategies to be used in K – 12.

1. Participants will learn the importance of data analysis in afterschool.
2. Participants will learn how to work with regular day school professionals in determining what data sources to use.
3. Participants will be able to analyze sample data and develop …