Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Movement, Rhythms, And Music: Active Curriculums For Teaching Foreign Languages To Beginning Learners, Patricia Guillemin Gregory

MA TESOL Collection

Our task as educators is to fit our teaching methods to our learners. Middle school students have specific characteristics that can seem to interfere with learning. Among these characteristics are a bounty of energy and restlessness. The key for the teacher is to channel this energy into learning activities.

To understand a class and develop a teaching strategy for that class, the teacher should analyze the learning styles of the students. From the results of this analysis, the teacher can build effective lesson plans which match the trends that appear in the class.

With this data in hand, the teacher …

Activities For Integrating Reading And Writing In The Language Classroom, Leslie Giesen

MA TESOL Collection

This project aims to provide teachers with a selection of practical activities for integrating reading and writing in the language classroom. It first looks at the connections between reading and writing and discusses how their integration enhances learning. A compilation of before-reading, during-reading and after-reading activities with detailed lesson plans follows.

“Making Teaching Lexis And Structures To Adult Efl Learners More Effective Through Creating A Learning Community And Fostering Some Specific Learning Skills.” (A Curriculum For A Short-Term Development Course For Non-Native Speaker Efl Teachers), Oleksandr Klyevanov

MA TESOL Collection

Nowadays, EFL teachers are exposed to a large number of different approaches to teaching English. All of them, no matter how much they differ, focus on the objectives shared by all teachers regardless of their theoretical background, namely teaching lexis and structures. However, some approaches ignore what I have come to believe are necessities: creating a learning community, teaching strategies for retention and recycling lexical and structural items. By learning community I mean a group of learners who are focused on learning the target subject of knowledge, who expend their energies on learning, who feel secure being together and working …

Internet-Based Efl University Course Design: Humanistic Considerations, Options And Approaches, Russell Garafalo

MA TESOL Collection

This paper focuses on the developing field of internet-based education as it pertains to the EFL learning environment within the university context. Guidelines and suggestions for approaching EFL course design at the university level are presented in universal terms, with details from one specific Korean university context serving as the experiential touchstone. Humanistic education is the underlying theme of this paper which outlines ways of adapting humanistic learning principles to internet-based classrooms. The learning potential afforded by the internet is weighed against its potential drawbacks. The paper attends to considerations that need to be taken into account at all stages …

Well Begun Is Half Done: Preparing For The Start Of A New Class, Stephanie C. Downey

MA TESOL Collection

This paper explores the critical learning moment that occurs on the first day in a new language class as the individual students, group and teacher interact for the first time. It states that the first day can influence the entire direction a course takes and asserts that the learner, the group, the teacher and the cultural context are key variables that determine how the first day turns out. It argues that by being aware of the impact each of these variables has on learning, the teacher can direct the emotional, mental and social energy of the group positively and create …

Helping Students To Learn: Addressing Student Affect And The Four Skills In An English Communication Skills Course For Students Of Health Sciences, Nicholas Dimakides

MA TESOL Collection

This study in two cycles describes the development of an English oral communication skills course for students of health sciences at a Finnish university. In the first cycle attempts were made to increase students' positive affect by developing community, increasing student security, and providing choice, which was expected to facilitate and enhance the students' learning. In the second cycle the focus was on providing access for students to tasks and activities, and more fully integrating all four skills into the syllabus. This was expected to increase and improve the amount and quality of students' language production. The findings of this …

Esl Curriculum Guide For Seoul Foreign School, Brian Brumsickle

MA TESOL Collection

The ESL Curriculum Guide for Seoul Foreign School (SFS) was written as a map for ESL teachers to follow in order to organize and prioritize curriculum in a sequential manner for students. The guide can also be used for parents as well as other faculty at SFS to inform them of materials and content taught during the academic year. The first document in the Guides relates “Best Practices” which encapsulate the vision for the subject area and serve as the anchor document from which the second, the “Standards” document, was developed. Throughout “Best Practices,” there is linkage with SFS’s expected …

Southern Adventist University Catalog 2001-2002, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Undergraduate

Southern Adventist University's undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2001-2002.

Lessons Learned From Special Education Leadership Development Knowledge Diffusion And Schools As Organization, Jason Earle Ph.D., Susan G. Clark Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Foundations and Leadership, recognized that to facilitate the successful implementation of IDEA provisions in local schools, educators need a sound conceptual understanding of congressional intent and best practice and opportunities to collaborate in new ways with school organization colleagues. To this end, the State Superintendent's Task Force for the Preparation of Special Education Personnel awarded UA a $25,000 grant to provide school teams, rather than individuals, with the needed skills to implement the IDEA in their organization. Six area school/districts were invited to send a four-person team to attend a series of four weekend workshops centered on the law and …

Inclusion: What Are Teachers Doing To Accommodate For Special Needs Students In The Classroom, Brenda Stevens Ph.D., Caroline Everington Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Elementary teachers (N=42) from a district implementing inclusive practice were surveyed to determine: a) if the frequency of curricular modifications made differ by type of student disability, b) if there is a difference in the frequency of curricular modifications made for special and typical students, and c) if a relationship exists between modifications made for special needs students and for typical students. Results indicate the frequency of teachers’ curricular modifications does not differ by type of disability; that they make significantly more frequent modifications for special needs students; and that there is a significant relationship between the frequency of modifications …

Preclusion: The Solution To The Inclusion Confusion, Terry L. Shepherd Ed.D., Randel D. Brown Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Many public schools in the United States are implementing inclusion programs; however, some research has shown that students with disabilities are not benefiting from inclusion. Part of the difficulty with inclusion lies with the implementation practices of the schools. Stigmatizing by labeling a child is another concern; even through inclusion, ownership of the child is questionable. It is also illogical to take children from the general education classroom, label them as having a disability, and then return them to the same classroom with modifications and support. Modification and support could easily be provided without referring children for special education services. …

Stages Of Preservice Development In A Professional Development School For Teachers Of Students With Emotional Disturbance, Suzanne Tochterman

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This study was designed to identify and describe the stages of preservice development in a Professional Development School (PDS) for teachers of students with emotional disturbance. This study investigated two questions: (a) How does a preservice teacher for students with serious emotional disturbance in a one year full time PDS progress through a series of developmental stages, and (b) what are the opportunities that contribute to the learning of the preservice teacher in a PDS?

This was a qualitative study in which seven data sources from preservice teachers were collected over a nine-month period. These included videotaped teaching episodes, informal …

Philosophy And Staff Editorial Board

Perspectives In Learning

n/a

E-Mail Response Journals As A Tool For Facilitating Critical Reflection Of Diversity Issues, Virginia E. Causey

Perspectives In Learning

Teacher educators face a daunting task. As school populations diversify (Hill, 1989; Protheroe and Barsdate, 1991), the demographic trend among preservice teachers is toward more homogeneity (Cuellar and Huling-Austin, 1991; Jordan, 1995; Zimpher and Ashbum, 1989). In addition, these predominantly White, middle-class college students enter teacher education with limited experiences with persons from another ethnicity or social class (Banks, 1991; Finney and Orr, 1995; Garcia, 1993; Grant, 1991; Irvine, 1990 and 1992; Jordan, 1995; Ladson-Billings, 1991; Zimpher and Ashburn, 1989). These largely monocultural prospective teachers need structured opportunities to confront and reflect upon critical issues related to diversity. Electronic mail …

Asynchronous Course Delivery: Instructor And Student Views, Polly Adams, J. Dugas, R. Fleck, T. Mcqueen

Perspectives In Learning

Accompanying the projected growth in computers, bandwidth improvements will make Internet use a more satisfying experience, leading to increased usage. It follows that faculty in higher education will explore strategies that increase student achievement and satisfaction in asynchronous teaching and learning. Use of the Internet for course and program delivery will increase. The potential of the Web as both a set of tools and a medium for course delivery offers limitless possibilities for creating innovative course design that can be more effective than some classroom experiences (Hafner & Oblinger, 1998). There is evidence that building an online community begins with …

Learning In Process: Forming Student/Teacher/Librarian Research Partnerships, Pamela Yuill

Perspectives In Learning

Librarians and teaching faculty recognize that research is more than the “necessary evil” many students consider it to be. Doing research provides an ideal opportunity to develop and apply creative, analytical and reflective thinking skills to a real problem originating in the need to know. By linking new information to what is already known, and engaging in a dialogic process with both the literature and the subject of inquiry, the student researcher constructs and articulates knowledge. While recognizing the learning potential of the research process, we are also aware that it often does not live up to its educative potential. …

Ec01-219 2001 Nebraska Swine Report, Duane Reese

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The 2001 Nebraska Swine Report was prepared by the staff in Animal Science and cooperating Departments for use in Extension, Teaching and Research programs. This publications deals with research on swine reproduction, breeding, health, nutrition, economics, and housing.

Nf01-460 Total Maximum Daily Loads, Tmdls, For Surface Water Pollutants: What They Mean To Nebraska Agriculture, Christopher G. Henry, Thomas G. Franti

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

What is the TMDL Process? A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) is a written plan specific to a pollutant and a body of water that incorporates water quality monitoring data, exceedence frequency, sample time flow conditions, and the sources that may be contributing to the water quality problem. Its purpose is to identify pollution sources and propose a plan that will help achieve water quality standards for the body of water. The Clean Water Act calls for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work with state agencies which in turn work with interested parties in an effort to develop TMDLs …

Nf01-463 Turf Disease Fact Sheet No. 3: Management Program For Brown Patch, John E. Watkins

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact is about managing Brown Patch turf disease.

Nf01-468 Turf Disease Fact Sheet No. 8: Management Program For Powdery Mildew, John E. Watkins

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact is about turf disease and includes information dealing with the management of powdery mildew.

Ethical Guidelines For Educational Developers

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Ethical guidelinesfor educational developers prepared by Mintz, Smith, and Warren, January 1999, revised March 1999, September 1999, and March 2000.

A Prophet In Your Own Land? Using Faculty And Student Focus Groups To Address Issues Of Race, Ethnicity, And Gender In The Classroom, James Francisco Bonnilla, Patricia R. Palmerton

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In this study, six focus groups of faculty and students addressed issues of how race, ethnicity, and gender affected their classroom experiences. Consistent themes emerged across all groups, including feeling unsafe and vulnerable, concerns about equity, power, and role modeling. As importantly, the research process itself became a vehicle for growth and change in the community at large, both inside and outside the classroom. Six recommendations are offered for those who seek innovative approaches to addressing race and gender in the classroom.

Clarity In Teaching In Higher Education: Dimensions And Classroom Strategies, Nira Hativa

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This essay presents research knowledge regarding the main dimensions of effective teaching in higher education, concentrating on clarity in teaching and its components—classroom behaviors and strategies that promote clear teaching. On this basis, I suggest arranging all dimensions and classroom strategies of effective teaching within a logical structure of interconnected teaching behaviors whose contribution to student learning is based on theory and research. The model organizes all dimensions and strategies of effective teaching in three hierarchical levels and is illustrated by successively breaking down clarity in teaching into intermediate dimensions and classroom behaviors and strategies. The model may help faculty …

Technology And The Culture Of Teaching And Learning, Sean Courtney

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Faculty development professionals in postsecondary institutions face many challenges helping faculty adapt to the new forms of information technology. Chief among them is understanding how technology is forcing us to rethink current classroom practices. To aid this effort, this essay identifies and analyzes six key dimensions of traditional cultures of teaching and learning and attempts to show how technology, particularly computer-mediated forms, is transforming their meaning and potential impact.

Higher–Level Learning: The First Step Toward More Significant Learning, L. Dee Fink

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In order to design significant learning experiences far students, teachers first need to be able to formulate powerful and challenging goals for their courses. This essay describes a taxonomy of higher-level learning that consists of six kinds of learning: foundational knowledge, application, integration, the human dimension, motivation, and learning how to learn. The argument is made that this taxonomy goes beyond the familiar taxonomy of Benjamin Bloom and encompasses a wide range of goals that are currently advocated by many national organizations and scholars in higher education. The taxonomy can be used to design better courses, choose among alternative teaching …

Designing Teaching Portfolios Based On A Formal Model Of The Scholarship Of Teaching, Carolin Kreber

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Many universities now encourage, and some even require, faculty to submit a teaching portfolio as part of their tenure application package. How to evaluate these portfolios, however, remains an unresolved issue, particularly if the task is to make a judgment about whether what is demonstrated in the portfolio reflects engagement in the scholarship of teaching. The thesis of this chapter is that judgments regarding the validity and truthfulness of a teaching portfolio can be made by assessing the extent to which the author has attended to an agreed-upon process of knowledge construction and validation in teaching. A model of the …

Faculty Quality Of Life, Sally S. Atkins, Kathleen T. Brinko, Jeffrey A. Butts, Charles S. Claxton, Glenda T. Hubbard

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

An interdisciplinary research team conducted a formal assessment of campus culture and faculty quality of life at Appalachian State University. Interviews with a stratified random sample of full-time, tenure-track faculty revealed five themes: 1) the importance of human relationships, 2) the deep commitment of faculty to student learning, 3)general satisfaction with academic life, 4) the personal sacrifice of faculty members for their work, and 5) perceptions of incongruence between institutional rhetoric and action. Recommendations are offered for readers to apply to their own universities to help faculty, staff, students, and administrators work together toward becoming an institution that is a …

Bibliography, Volume 19 (2001)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Bibliography to volume 19 (2001) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Preparing Today's Faculty For Tomorrow's Students: One College's Faculty Development Solution, Patrick Nellis, Helen Clarke, Jacalyn Dimartino, David K. Hosman

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida, has created a faculty development program underwritten for the past five years by a US Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant. Our program rose from a deliberate desire to build active, collaborative faculty teams that would, in turn, build active, collaborative classrooms; our results demonstrate that faculty development programs based on observable and measurable outcomes can positively affect student academic performance and persistence. This essay details this faculty development project.

Getting Administrative Support For Your Project, Joan K. Middendorf

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

For faculry development professionals to succeed with projects, we need the help of key administrators. More than anyone else, they can link our efforts to campus priorities, help us understand the decision-making system, and facilitate our efforts. This essay describes six steps for gaining and maintaining administrative support for projects. The steps entail 1) knowing administrator needs, 2) identifying likely supporters, 3) maintaining good working relationships, 4) involving the sponsors, 5) evaluating the sponsors’ commitment, and 6) recognizing the support of sponsors. Collaboration with administrators and application of the stages is illustrated with a case study of Indiana University’s Freshman …