Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Catalog, 2005-2006, Roger Williams University

Catalogs

No abstract provided.

The Continuing Challenges Of Technology Integration For Teachers, Pamela Morehead, Barbara Labeau

Essays in Education

Technology development in the beginning of 21st century has changed not only the way classrooms appear, but also necessitates a change in how students in the classrooms learn. However, a problem continues to exist related to teachers using technology in meaningful ways for instruction. . In this article, we suggest that school districts use a curriculum mapping process to help teachers initially understand their curriculum more deeply. We posit that once teachers have an understanding of curriculum and learning processes, technology integration is possible. Once linkages form between what students need to know and teachers’ knowledge of how technology is …

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Cate Weeks, Carol C. Harter, Mamie Peers

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Learning Focused Schools Strategies: The Level Of Implementation And Perceived Impact On Student Achievement, James L. Pate, Nicole M. Gibson

Essays in Education

Max Thompson’s Learning Focused Strategies approach to school improvement has been embraced by school leaders and teachers as an approach to redesign and reform public schools. The program developers claim schools with 90% minority students and 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch programs can achieve at high levels on required curriculum. Examined are the beliefs and attitudes of teachers as related to the degree of implementation of Learning Focused Strategies in their classrooms. The study supported the premise that LFS are research based and effective, that teachers believe the strategies will improve instruction, high level of implementation, …

Education In The Environment: A Hands-On Student Research And Outdoor Learning Experience: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending August 31, 2005, Environmental Education Strategy For Nevada

Reports (PLI Education)

During the past three-months, the focus of the university’s efforts has included the following highlights:

• Data compiled, summarized, and analyzed from survey of existing environmental education programs in Southern Nevada.
• Planning underway for place-based education conference to be held in January 2006.
• Survey of Southern Nevada teachers developed and ready to be administered in October 2005.
• Vision, mission, and goals set for area-wide Environmental Education Committee.
• Planning for pre-service teacher training in environmental education and master’s degree environmental education program initiated.
• Coordination efforts underway between the Interagency Environmental Education Team and other interagency teams that have identified education components within …

A Comparison Study Between Writing On Handheld Computers And Pencil-Paper In The Elementary Classroom, Ling-Chin Ko

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the difference in writing effort associated with two methods, pencil and paper and handheld computers in the third grade classroom. The methods were compared in terms of the quality of the stories written, and the length of the stories in number of words, and time on task during writing of the stories. Three hypotheses were defined to identify the effect of writing efforts associated with the two methods, two classes and the effect on the interaction between the methods and the class. All three hypotheses were analyzed with a two-way MANOVA test. …

Agenda Davinci Institute: July 15, 2005, The Davinci Institute

Minutes and Agendas

Agenda of the meeting of The DaVinci Institute on July 15, 2005.

Implications Of Differentiated Instruction On Student Attitudes, Valorie L. Zonnefeld

Master of Education Program Theses

This research examines the implications of a differentiated curriculum on four general factors of student attitudes: motivation, enjoyment of mathematics, value of mathematics, and self-confidence. It is quasi-experimental by design. The sample included the 73 students enrolled in the Algebra I course at Western Christian High School in Hull, Iowa. During the third quarter of the school year, students with eligible grades were allowed to contract out of portions of the regular assignment. Attitudes were measured before and after the quarter using the Attitudes Towards Mathematics Inventory (Tapia, 1996). A t-test was used to compare student attitudes. There were significant …

Why Are School Districts Abandoning The Core-Plus Mathematics Curriculum, Amber Rae Richgels

Mathematics Graduate Theses

In this paper, the author establishes that high schools are abandoning the Core-Plus Mathematics curriculum and determines the need for curricular reform and the motivation to develop such standards-based programs. She discovers that although Core- Plus is a nationally recognized, exemplary mathematics curriculum, school districts are deciding to discontinue the curricular option of Core-Plus. The author reviewed literature and interviewed teachers from schools that have recently decided to abandon Core-Plus in attempt to determine factors leading to these decisions. This paper discusses those interviews, provides suggestions for the future adoption of Core-Plus, and concludes with recommendations that further study be …

A Social Cognitive Perspective Of Physical-Activity-Related Behavior In Physical Education, Jeffrey J. Martin, Pamela Hodges Kulinna

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

The purpose of the current study was to examine student and teacher physical-activity-related behavior using the theory of planned behavior and self-efficacy theory. Although teachers reported an overwhelmingly positive attitude toward teaching physical activity lessons to promote fitness development, they only devoted 4% of their class time to actually demonstrating and promoting fitness. Students were quite sedentary during class spending 61% of class time sitting, standing, or lying down. Using hierarchical regression analyses, teachers' attitudes toward teaching physically active physical education classes accounted for 50% of the variance in teachers' intention. Teachers who demonstrated/promoted fitness and who limited their general …

Cross-Disciplinary Prospecting: Educational Technology Offers Up Gold For Library And Information Science Curricula, Michael J. Miller

Publications and Research

This article provides an overview of the current trends in information and communication technology affecting library services and recommends how, because of these trends, library and information science (LIS) curricula should turn an inquisitive, interdisciplinary eye toward the field of educational technology. Gaps in current LIS professional training and practice are cited, curriculum standards in LIS and educational technology programs are described and compared, and examples are presented to demonstrate how educational technology pedagogy and practice help to successfully augment library skills, service, and practice.

"Varying Realities Of The Human Experience": University Studies Program At Portland State University, Charles Ryan Brown, Grace L. Dillon, Celine Fitzmaurice, Greg Jacob, Yves P. Labissiere, Antonia Levi, Cherry Muhanji, Candyce Reynolds, Jack C. Straton

University Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Like many institutions of higher education, Portland State University (PSU) has engaged in initiatives to promote a more equitable and democratic society, from curricular changes to institutional policy implementation. In the late 1980s, PSU required students to complete a certain number of “diversity” credits as part of its general education requirements. During the 1990s, PSU radically revised its approach to general education, creating the University Studies Program that places diversity awareness among its core goals. Most recently, current President Daniel O. Bernstine has instituted a comprehensive “Diversity Initiative” as part of a series of initiatives aimed at improving the quality …

On The Influence Of Grouping Practices On Classroom Teaching, Emin Aydin, Ilker Tugal

Essays in Education

The article starts with a historical overview, discusses the arguments for and against ability grouping. It surveys the literature on different practices of grouping that exist in the American and British literature. The study mainly focuses on instructional grouping practices based on ability and on cooperation. It discusses arguments for and against ability grouping. The study also presents information about the use of mastery learning with cooperative strategies.

Teaching Lessons Learned: A Model For Instructional Design, Ronald W. Welch, Stephen J. Ressler, Allen C. Estes

Architectural Engineering

For the past five issues of the Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, we have examined a variety of teaching tools and techniques: the chalkboard, questioning, drama, physical models, and demonstrations. All of these tools are focused on the delivery of classroom instruction. All are valuable, and mastering them will undoubtedly improve your teaching. However, effective teaching entails more than just the application of effective classroom techniques. Exemplary teachers must also master the broader endeavor of instructional design— the process of crafting coherent learning activities and experiences that ultimately result in students’ achievement of desired instructional objectives.

Implementation Of Problem-Based Learning In Senior Engineering Design-I (Ece 485w), Fawaz Muzaffer Hussain

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Problem-Based Learning is an approach where knowledge is acquired in the context of the problem. Students are provided with the problem specifications and resources that might prove to be helpful in solving the problem. They attack these real world problems in groups, analogous to the practice in the professional engineering world. This mode of teaching was adopted to deliver the Senior Engineering Design — I course (ECE 485W), offered to freshman engineering undergraduate students in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Old Dominion University, Norfolk. This thesis documents the various pedagogical methods implemented into the course, which were introduced …

Inside Unlv, Cate Weeks, Diane Russell, Erin O'Donnell, Carol C. Harter, Mark Wallington

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Summary Of Executive Committee Planning Retreat: June 17, 2005, The Davinci Institute

Minutes and Agendas

Summary of Executive Committee Planning Retreat: June 17, 2005

Leadership By Design: How A Team Experience Shaped Teachers’ Views Of Themselves As Leaders, Elizabeth Gil

GSE Faculty Publications

When I began to consider what I felt was an important question about my school environment, I turned to my thoughts on leadership in my school building. I wanted to know: “How does a teacher’s level of involvement in planning or facilitating professional development impact his/her view of him/herself as a teacher/leader in a school?” As time passed and I refined my question, I specifically considered one group of teachers in my school. I wondered: How have teachers’ perceptions of themselves as leaders evolved over the course of their membership on the school’s Design Team. The Design Team is a …

The Evaluation Of The Use Of Technology/Electronic Media In Teaching Or Delivering Instructions/Lectures At A Florida University: History, Philosophy And Practices, Iwasan D. Kejawa

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

According to the previous survey conducted by Florida Atlantic University Student Academic Affairs department in 2001, it was indicated that faculty uses of teaching and learning technologies/electronic instruction media to teach and deliver their lectures at the college were lacking.

With the current research study, investigations were thoroughly made and suggestions are provided on the improvement of faculty performance in the use of technologies at the institution to teach and convey knowledge to their students. In this report, the institutional personnel and its administration are made aware whether all existing technologies are being optimally used by faculty. This study also …

Png Curriculum Reform Implementation Project : Implementation Project Report On The Pilot Curriculum Standards Monitoring Test, Chris Freeman, Prue Anderson, George Morgan

Monitoring Learning

This report presents an analysis of the test data from the Curriculum Standards Monitoring Test (CSMT) Pilot program, conducted in 2003 - 2004. It has been prepared by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the Department of Education (DoE), with the support of the Curriculum Reform Implementation Project (CRIP). The terms of reference for the pilot CSMT required ACER and Curriculum Development Division (CDD) to conduct an assessment of PNG student achievements in literacy and numeracy in Grades 3, 4, 5 and 8 against the then current curriculum, taking into account also the outcomes of the …

Minutes Board Of Directors Meeting: May 20, 2005, The Davinci Institute

Minutes and Agendas

A meeting of the Board of Directors was held Friday, April 15, 2005 in the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) Library Conference Room.

Minutes Board Of Directors Meeting: May 20, 2005, The Davinci Institute

Minutes and Agendas

A meeting of the Board of Directors was held Friday, May 20, 2005 in the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) Library Conference Room.

Explaining Variation In State Implementation Of No Child Left Behind, Julie Gronquist

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Fantasy Writing Theory And Practice, Kristi Hager

Honors Capstones

Capstone submitted as a graduation requirement for the BSU Honors Program.

Wisdom, Intelligence, And Creativity Synthesized., Susan Daniels

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Wisdom, as explored by Sternberg is the application of successful intelligence and creativity. For thirty years, Dr. Sternberg has been a vocal critic of narrow conceptions of intelligence. In this recent work, he argues that a more comprehensive view of intelligence must go beyond the psychometrically based, IQ-driven views predominant in the last century.

High-Stakes Testing And Special Populations, Gary H. Sherwin, Todd Jennings

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This opinion paper critically examines the use of high-stakes testing on special populations. Without appropriate accommodations, standardized exams are not valid for some students with special needs. Unfortunately, many classroom teachers who must initiate testing accommodations lack knowledge of appropriate accommodations and regularly fail to provide the necessary testing accommodations. The deficit understanding of testing accommodations makes comparisons between classrooms, schools, and districts invalid since some scores loose validity. Solutions specific to standardized testing and students with special needs are offered and a more encompassing solution to the problems incurred from these tests when used for high-stakes is suggested.

High-Stakes Testing And Assessment: One Is Not The Other, Enrique Murillo, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Since the institution of the common school and the advent of universal education, Americans have placed tremendous faith in public schools. Public education cultivates an informed citizenry, one of the pillars of a liberal democracy. But more importantly, schools are a repository for our common dreams of human potential and individual self-actualization. Because they so thoroughly shape the lives and life-chances of our youth, school issues are freighted with an emotional charge. Education remains the last fully public American institution, one in which millions of students cast their common lot daily and strive to become better readers, better citizens, better …

To Wonder, Wander, And Linger In The World Of Standardized Testing, Randall Wright, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

The standards movement began as a nobly-intended effort to establish a core curriculum—a template of knowledge and skills that would guide teaching and learning across the K-12 curriculum. Our attempts to standardize curriculum may have unintended and deleterious side-effect: The atrophying of the mind’s natural tendencies for exploratory play and inherently imaginative dimensions. This paper engages us in a critical remembering of our pedagogical relationships with children. It reminds us of children’s ways of being and asks how we might engage them in a rigorous appreciation of curricular literacies without thwarting their wonderful wanderings. Ultimately, we worry about the place …

Is Classical Christian Education Compatible With A Reformed Christian Perspective On Education?, Peter L. Ton

Master of Education Program Theses

Is the growing classical Christian education movement, based on Dorothy Sayers’ trivium methodology, compatible to a Reformed Christian perspective on education? The classical Christian position claims that children progress through three stages of development and that the three components of the trivium complement these natural learning stages. The first stage involves memorizing facts through chants, stories and songs. In the second stage students learn how to argue and analyze by means of formal training in logic. The third stage focuses on learning to express knowledge persuasively and elegantly. When compared to the Reformed understanding of covenant children as well as …

Volume 16, Number 02, G. William Hill Editor, Linda M. Noble Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 16, Number 02 of Reaching Through Teaching.