Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Voices From The Classroom: Elementary Students’ Perceptions Of Blogging, Ewa Mcgrail, Anne Davis

Georgia Educational Researcher

Blogging appears to be a promising instructional strategy which may provide solutions to some of the challenges in traditional writing instruction; however, few studies explore elementary students’ views on blogging. This qualitative case study gives elementary students voice as it examines their perceptions of blogging and their views of themselves as writers, readers, and learners. The researchers drew from multiple data sources, including student and teacher interviews, student and teacher blog writing, and classroom observations, to ascertain young writers’ perspectives. The findings indicate these student bloggers’ reader awareness and appreciation of the reader-writer relationship. Student bloggers also benefited from emotional …

The Reading And Writing Connection: Merging Two Reciprocal Content Areas, Renee Moran, Monica Billen

Georgia Educational Researcher

The purpose of this article is make connections between two content areas, reading and writing, which have traditionally been separated and consider the relationship between their theoretical underpinnings. Based on their reciprocal nature, the authors posit that students could greatly benefit by reading and writing being taught simultaneously. Relying on this premise, this article provides the reader with three practical strategies that could be applied in the literacy classroom to intertwine reading and writing. These practical strategies include: classroom blogs, graphic depictions, and pen pal responses to literature.

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Scripted Education, Alexa M. Lowery

Honors College Theses

The purpose of my study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of scripted techniques using state mandated standards and the techniques’ impact on student performance. I surveyed the teachers of elementary schools in Edwards County (pseudonym) and found that most teachers are not using the standards as they were originally intended, and they feel that students are falling behind because the standards are not developmentally appropriate.

Assessing The Effects Of A Teaching Course On Biology Graduate Student Teaching Assistants, Caralyn B. Zehnder

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

Research was conducted to measure changes in knowledge and perceptions of teaching and learning by biology graduate students enrolled in a Teaching Techniques course at Georgia College. Results show that graduate students exhibited gains in their knowledge of assessment and active learning pedagogies and saw some changes in how they viewed the role of the teacher in the classroom. This research demonstrates that a semester-long teaching course affects graduate students learning and attitudes toward teaching.

Clay Modeling Of The Musculoskeletal System: Does Active Learning Increase Retention And Comprehension, Kelly Massey

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

The focus of a Structural Kinesiology course is a detailed study into the musculoskeletal system and joint action. The course contains a lot of memorization: skeletal muscle origin, insertions, innervations and muscle/joint actions but there is also an applied component for the content. Group study has been incorporated into the course to increase knowledge retention and comprehension however group interaction has been seen to be minimal. Two studies have looked at group construction of skeletal muscle models using clay during class time in assisting with the active learning of muscle origin, insertion and actions (Cruz-Espaillat et al., 2010 & Waters …

A Discussion Of A Flipped Classroom Model (For Calculus), And Of The Use Of Self-Graded Homework, Frédéric D. Mynard

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

The intent is to share my experience with a flipped Calculus course using resources I have developed: instructional videos, e-books, and a comprehensive set of resources for self-graded homework. I have also used this technique successfully for other non-flipped courses, and this may be of interest whether one wants to flip the classroom or not.

"When Scientists Look At Their Data, They Don't Know The Answer:" Talking Science In A University Introductory Science Course, Victoria M. Deneroff, Rosalie Richards, Markeeta Clayton

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

We use conversation for instruction in our introductory level physical science course. The content focuses on science as a way of knowing, particularly the ways in which scientific claims are backed by evidence. We find our 21st Century students do understand consensus building and have some skill in listening to each other’s ideas, and are learning to harness these strengths for instruction.

Complex Adaptive Systems And Quantitative Reasoning In An Interdisciplinary Stem Mathematics Classroom, Robert L. Mayes, Kania Greer

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

In this presentation we will share outcomes from the Real STEM project, which provides professional development for rural teachers in the Georgia Coastal Plains supporting implementation of interdisciplinary STEM courses as well as STEM modules in mathematics and science courses. Real STEM includes a number of innovative student-active strategies for teaching including: Understanding by Design (UbD) approaches to teaching for understanding, problem-based learning (PBL), place-based education (PBE), complex adaptive systems (CAS) thinking, and quantitative reasoning (QR). QR is the mathematical underpinning of the projects. The projects are ongoing so we will report our results on impact on teacher practice and …

Food, Cooking And Nutrition-Engaging A Wide Audience To Explore Inter-Disciplinary Science Topics, Sharmistha Basu-Dutt, Victoria Geisler

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

Food and cooking have been a central theme in several courses developed recently at the University of West Georgia. In this presentation, the nature of the content and learning outcomes of these courses will be presented. A unique multi-tiered approach will be offered to show how this theme can be effectively used to engage audiences of all ages and capabilities to use the scientific method. Sample activities will show how to engage the young novice elementary student to explore introductory science concepts in a fun environment and challenge the college science major to design an effective experimental design to answer …

The Power Of Animations In Stem Courses, Adrian Heinz, Xin Xu

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

We demonstrate educational web-based animations to facilitate teaching and learning in STEM courses. These animations were developed by IT students who closely worked with the researchers and faculty. The animations are later used in the classroom to explain specific concepts to students of STEM disciplines such as chemistry, biology and mathematics. The interactive nature of the animations allows students to become active participants of the learning process. In order to measure their value as a teaching and learning tool, pre and post survey data was collected and analyzed.

Successful Use Of Group Assessment Procedures In An Undergraduate Stem Course, Kelly P. Massey

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

Assessing content heavy STEM courses using a Group Assessment Procedure (GAP) can assist with cognitive domain objectives by allowing groups to rely on each other in order to recall important content as well as formulate well-rounded explanations using course content during application exercises. Presentation includes ideas on how to implement a successful GAP testing protocol.

A Touch Of Glass, Daniel E. Rivera

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

Learn more about Google Glass! We will demonstrate how Glass works, provide details on the features, functions, and limitations, and explain where Glass is moving in the future. Why do educators need to know about it? What are the implications of such technology? How is it being used in STEM education?

Critical Thinking And The Languages Of Stem, Connie H. Rickenbaker, Sally Gilbreth

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

Participants in this session will learn about the critical thinking strategy of SEEI (Nosich, 2011) as used by both high school and university students. SEEI (State, Explain, Example, Illustrate) has a strong connection with the languages of STEM (Baber, 2011) which will be shown by the presenters. Participants will have the opportunity to implement and share their own SEEIs as part of the group discussion.

Critical Transitions In Faculty Learning: The Teaching Academy Story, Judith Longfield

Centers for Teaching Excellence: Presentations

Parker Palmer speaks of the “privatization of teaching” as one of the factors that prevent faculty from growing “more fully into the demands of the teacher’s craft.” At the same time, new methodologies of teaching and learning are changing the landscape of higher education. Because of privatization, faculty and TA are often unaware of how learning works and continue to rely heavily on lecture. During this interactive session, participants will learn how an eight-week “course” known as the Teaching Academy transformed participants’ attitudes towards learning-centered teaching. By assuming the role of students while learning about teaching using these new methodologies …

Loss, Melancholy And Reverie In Education, Marla Morris

Curriculum, Foundations & Reading: Faculty Publications

Technology damages our sense of how to read and study as scholars. This loss (of knowing how to read and study) makes for melancholy. Melancholy is brought on as a result of not being able to find spaces of reverie in which to read and study. We need spaces of reverie in which to read and study. We need spaces of reverie so as to delve deeply into our studies and to produce and generate knowledge.

Chaos Theory, Theology, And Curriculum: Striving Towards The Impossibility Of The Gift, Thomas B. Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

It was once thought that small influences could not have a large impact on a grand scale. However, in the 1960s Edward Lorenz discovered that very small disturbances in weather conditions could have a great effect on huge weather systems. With an understanding of chaos theory, which posits that everything matters, I argue that a life based on the lessons of a theology inspired by postmodernism can provide a lens through which to see and act in this chaotic world. By living by this belief, the ability to give the true gift, which is an impossibility and is always to …

The Caring Beliefs And Practices Of Effective Teachers, Barbara D. Mccollum

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Current educational reform tends to emphasize an impersonal test-driven approach to teaching while the present research maintains this reform is inequitable because it neglects the personal component of teacher caring, which is necessary to reach all students, especially disaffected underachievers. The purpose of the present multi-case study was to determine the caring beliefs and practices of six effective teachers in two Title I Elementary schools in a central Georgia school system, how these beliefs and practices manifested in the classroom, and in what ways the teachers’ beliefs and practices may have been influenced by their own cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds …

Instructional Technology Integration And Situational Interest In Math, James A. Thompson Iv

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Motivating students to be engaged in learning, especially in math, has been a perennial challenge for educators. Over the past 20 years, instructional technology has become an increasingly prevalent teaching tool that, according to many educational observers and researchers, can have a transformative effect on teaching and learning because of the way that it engages today’s students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between students’ perceptions of technology integration and situational interest in middle school math so that educational planners will be better informed when making instructional decisions concerning the use of technology in the …

May I Walk Beside You? Exploring The Journey Into The Careers Of African American Women In Childcare Through Their Stories, Lisa K. Heusel Dr.

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this study the African American childcare provider’s life experiences are heard through the use of narrative inquiry and oral history. Often perceived as individuals who could not become teachers in the K-12 system, the women presented tell the reader in their own words what factors lead them to becoming childcare providers. By focusing on oral history, the stories told solidify the idea of the past creating the present. Education, religion, socioeconomics, culture and racial issues play an important part in each person’s life. Therefore, these factors were the main focus when participants were asked to describe their lives. The …

Conference Program [2014], Georgia International Conference On Information Literacy

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

N/A

Transition Competencies: Secondary Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Their Frequency Of Performance, Tonisha L. Johnson Ed. D.

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Millions of high school students are receiving special education services from teachers who may be inconsistently performing competencies during transition planning that leads to sustainable, postsecondary success. Secondary special education teachers’ frequency of performance of transition competencies during transition service delivery are essential to fulfilling their duties and responsibilities towards effectively implementing the Individualized Education Program of students with disabilities. The purpose of this descriptive study is to examine the correlation among secondary special education teachers’ perceptions of their transition competencies’ frequency of performance, during annual transition services. This study employed a quantitative methods approach involving an adapted version of …

Impact Of Mobile Devices On Student Performance In An Agriscience Classroom, Burton L. Carter

Instructional Technology Education Specialist Research Papers

This study focuses on the impact of a modeled one to one mobile device implementation in an agriscience classroom. Using a pretest posttest method, data is collected on how student performance is impacted. Students complete a class project using either the traditional method or a digital version using mobile devices. The project helps to prepare students for the plant identification posttest.

Cssc Program [2014], Cssc

Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative (2011-2025)

N/A

Transition From Brick And Mortar To Online Teaching: Middle-Grade Teachers' Perspectives, Cathy Griffin

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand how middle-grades teachers describe the transition from brick and mortar to online teaching of middle-grades students. A qualitative, descriptive case study design provided the framework for this study. An investigation into the lived experiences of a group of online middle-grades instructors making the transition from a traditional classroom setting to an online environment was conducted using interviews and online journaling.

The questions guiding this study were (a) How does a middle-grade teacher describe the transition from brick and mortar to online teaching of middle-grades learners? (b) What do middle-school teachers …

Is There A Difference In Motivation And Mathematics Self-Efficacy Among Online Mathematics Instructional Video Viewers, Charles Edgar Hampton

Instructional Technology Education Specialist Research Papers

Researching US K-12 STEM proficiency reveals severe and widespread consequences, for post-secondary and vocational environments. Sources in both environments cite lack of skills and competency as the major cause of increasing remedial mathematics enrollment and growing unemployment. One reasonable and simple method of better preparing students is the viewing online mathematics instructional videos. Online mathematics instructional videos are widely available, efficacious, and free to access via KhanAcademy.org and YouTube’s Education portal. Mobile, personal, and desktop technology device ownership and free WIFI or reduced price Internet service is increasing dramatically each year, so means of access are not a problem. This …

The Use Of Personal Responders In The Elementary Reading Classroom, Mitzi B. Helms

Instructional Technology Education Specialist Research Papers

This quasi-experimental study utilized a pretest-posttest design to determine if personal responders increased students’ comprehension level in a first grade classroom. The control group was the group that was taught reading comprehension strategies using traditional teaching methods. The experimental group was taught reading comprehension strategies using personal responders. This group was instructed using the same strategies as the control group except the experimental group used personal responders in the place of pencils and worksheets. The researcher was the instructor for the experimental group, and another first grade teacher at the school was the instructor for the control group. Each group …

Classworks As A Means To Gaining Equity In The General Education Math Classroom: Perceptions Of Students Receiving Special Education Services, Diane Marshall

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

With the importance of math steadily increasing, researchers in the field of special education have made efforts to increase the performance of students with disabilities (Fuchs et al., 2008; Gersten, Jordan, & Flojo, 2005). Despite the deficits these students face, the trend has been for many years that most students with disabilities in math receive their instruction in the general education classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions that students receiving special education services have regarding the effectiveness of Classworks, a computer-assisted instructional program, in helping them gain equity in the general education math classroom. Critical …

Untold Stories And Silenced Voices: Lives Inside A North Georgia Elementary School, Donna S. Troupe

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This is an inquiry into the lived experiences of Southern, white, female teachers who teach their overwhelmingly Southern, white student populations in a rural/suburban North Georgia elementary school. I explore the obstacles and challenges they face as they experience the negative and crippling effects of the policies and practices forced upon them in their teaching and learning environments. Drawing upon the theoretical works of Dyer (1997), McIntosh (2012), Anderson & Collins (2007), Morrison (1992), Jupp (2013), Sleeter (1993, 2003), Smith (1944,1949), and hooks (1992) on race and critical white studies; the works of Apple (2001,2008), McLaren (1998), Foucault (1977), Freire …

An Examination Of The Correlation Between The Seven Critical Leadership Functions And Middle School African-American And Hispanic Student Achievement, Shannon A. Flounnory

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study examined possible correlations between each of the seven critical leadership functions and achievement in the areas of mathematics for eighth grade African-American and Hispanic students. The 117 participants included school leaders and students from 12 of the 19 middle schools in a metropolitan school district in the southeastern region of the United States. Principals from the middle schools in the district distributed the Critical Leadership Functions Questionnaire to members of their leadership team (e.g., assistant principals, school counselors, department chairs, etc.). CRCT scores measured student achievement. The researcher conducted a correlation study, using Pearson’s multivariable correlation data …

A Mixed Methods Case Study Exploring The Outcomes Of Implementing A Digital Learning Management System In A Fourth Grade Language Arts Classroom, Sarah C. Mayberry

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Classrooms of today are in continual flux and state and local mandates are constantly reforming the curriculum in order to help prepare students to compete in a global society; in addition, advancements in technology have greatly impacted today’s students and how they learn as well as the way teachers instruct. As educators, we need to recognize what our students need to become successful citizens in today’s society, which often requires students to be critical evaluators of various types of information and requires them to become literate across a wide range of literacies. Not only is it critical that classroom teachers …