Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Session E-1: Hiding In Plain Sight, Micah Fogel

Professional Learning Day

Were the plays of William Shakespeare really written by Francis Bacon, who left a coded signature in plain sight? Can spies send messages without using codes and without getting caught? Steganography is the art of hiding messages in plain sight but in a way so that only those in on the secret can find them. We'll learn a few tricks about how to hide messages in pieces of text or sound and image files on a computer.

Session C-4: Common Core Standards In The Ninth Grade History Curriculum: First Steps, Jessica Greenberg

Professional Learning Day

This session will focus on incorporating the Common Core standards into the ninth grade World History curriculum. Challenges surrounding this task will be addressed. These include: getting unmotivated students to engage with more text inside and outside of the classroom, addressing the Common Core reading standards without normed reading assessments to determine growth, and teaching the Common Core persuasive writing standards to students who are not ready to write five paragraph essays. Through a discussion of research-based strategies and actual examples of activities and assignments, this presentation describes first steps any teacher can take to begin the process of incorporating …

Session F-4: Using Web Tools And Strategies To Enhance Student Engagement, Jackie Naughton, Frank Tomsic

Professional Learning Day

Web tools and strategies will be introduced and modeled. Teachers will leave this session able to immediately implement the tools and strategies in their classrooms. Participants must bring their own devices.

Session F-3: Using The Question Formulation Technique In Your Classroom, Susan Bisinger, Lucinda Dittmer

Professional Learning Day

The skill of question formulation can lead to improved learning outcomes, greater student engagement, and more ownership of the learning process. This session presents the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) and guides teachers through strategies for integrating it into their classroom practice. Using the QFT helps students think more critically and independently by asking and evaluating their own questions - whether elementary level, secondary, or beyond. Participants are encouraged to attend the session with an upcoming project or activity in mind. You'll leave with a plan of action!

Session A-2: Lincoln And Douglas: The Debates, The Background And Why What You Say Matters, Lee Eysturlid

Professional Learning Day

This presentation will get at the important meanings and usages of the famous debates for the Senate that took place between Lincoln and Douglas in the state of Illinois. Attendees will gain a working knowledge of the event and explore ways to make use of it in class. Finally, the session will align the materials presented with the Common Core standards dealing with the "integration of knowledge and ideas" as well as "reading and writing for literacy".

Session A-3: Across The Wide Missouri: Illinois & Early Exploration Of The Trans-Mississippi West, Claiborne A. Skinner Jr.

Professional Learning Day

Illinois History is often perceived as a contradiction in terms. Until the arrival of Abraham Lincoln, most folks think that nothing of any note happened here. This presentation will address the French traders and explorers from the Illinois Country who pushed west up the Missouri and Arkansas Rivers in the century preceding Lewis and Clark's more famous jaunt. The two knew of these French travelers only too well and recruited a half dozen Illinois French at Fort Massac and Kaskaskia to show them how to get to the "unknown". The effect these men had on the Plains was profound.

Session A-4: National Archives Resources And The Common Core, Kris Maldre Jarosik

Professional Learning Day

Discover the online resources of the National Archives and learn how they can support Common Core standards and help build the literacy skills of your students. We will explore sample U.S. history activities relating to the Civil War, American Indians, and World War II during this session.

Books, Stories, And The Imagination At Filastrocca: Case Study Of A Preschool Learning Environment In Pistoia, Italy., Carolyn P. Edwards, Keely D. Cline, Lella Gandini, Alga Giacomelli, Donatella Giovannini, Annalia Galardini

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The progressive educational systems of some regions of Italyare becoming increasingly recognized by educators and researchers, including those from North America, seeking insight into diverse educational approaches from the international community. This paper represents a case study of Filastrocca (“Nursery Rhyme”), a preschool in the Tuscan city of Pistoia. Filastrocca proclaims a special mission related to books, storytelling, and the imagination, and appears to offer a unique environment that supports children’s active and enthusiastic engagement in complex literacy discussions and activities. The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed description of the learning environment for language and literacy …

Teaching The Presidential Debates: Helping Students To Understand And Overcome Biases During Presidential Election Campaigns David J. Lanoue Columbus State University Gregory Domin Columbus State University Abstract, David Lanoue

Perspectives In Learning

In this paper, we propose ideas for teaching presidential debates within the university classroom setting. In particular, we explore methods for helping students to break through partisan and ideological barriers that might inhibit their understanding of and ability to analyze candidates’ messages. If debates are to fulfill their original purpose of creating a more informed and responsible electorate, it is first essential that viewers give each nominee a full and fair hearing. We begin our discussion with a brief history of presidential debates, emphasizing both the presentations of the candidates and how those presentations have been distorted by media analysis, …

Improving Online Teaching Effectiveness Through Reflection And Collaboration, Dee Fabry, Donna Elder

Perspectives In Learning

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of active reflection and collaboration as a method to improve teacher effectiveness in the online environment in higher education. While there is no universally accepted definition of effective teaching for higher education, there is research that supports effective online teaching. These principles, paired with research on active reflection and collaboration, provided a foundation for this case study that resulted in determining that active reflection during teaching improved practice.

Quartz Hill High School Agricultural Education Program: A Guide To Restarting, Revising, And Rebuilding The Agricultural Education Program At Quartz Hill High School, Luke Gocke

Agricultural Education and Communication

At one point in time Quartz Hill High School had a successful Agricultural Education program. The program utilized the principle of Agricultural Education to develop each student to be a contributing member of society. The purpose of this project was to create a booklet on how to rebuild a high school agricultural education program. It was designed to help the author gain knowledge about agricultural education programs, to set a foundation for how one would rebuild a program, and to create new ideas on how to diversify a program of agricultural education. The booklet is designed to help the administration …

Incarceration, Identity Formation, And Race In Young Adult Literature: The Case Of Monster Versus Hole In My Life, Tim Engles, Fern Kory

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Agricultural Education Internship Project, Nicole M. Morris

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship/project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Patterson High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The internship included the development of a comprehensive program plan for Patterson High School. The plan includes information to receive state/local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Patterson High School, the agriculture program and community.

Teaching Primary Grade Students Perfectionism Through Cartoons Compared To Bibliotherapy, Miranda L. Zousel, Audrey C. Rule, Stephanie R. Logan

Curriculum & Instruction Faculty Publications

This experimental study compared concept acquisition and enjoyment of learning about perfectionism under two conditions: bibliotherapy (control) and analysis and construction of cartoons (experimental) in first, second and third grade students (N=46). Posttest results showed students learned significantly more content in the experimental condition with a medium effect size. Students were more engaged in the cartoon condition, appreciating the humor and opportunity to be creative. Most students reported liking the bibliotherapy but some complained of boredom. The authors recommend that both bibliotherapy and cartoon analysis be used in lessons about perfectionism to maintain student interest and comprehension of concepts.

Influence Of Different Teaching Strategies On Physical Activity Levels In A Collegiate Swim Class, Derrick Bass, Ellen Martin

Perspectives In Learning

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the number of teaching strategies used during instruction on the physical activity levels of students. Observations were conducted during a collegiate intermediate swimming class taught by an assistant professor at a university in the southeast United States. The class consisted of 16 undergraduate students from varying backgrounds and major fields of study. The professor was observed for the use of Graham’s (2001) 16 teaching strategies. Teaching behaviors were observed using a simple event recording sheet to allow for the occurrence or lack of occurrence of certain teaching strategies to …

Book Reviews

Perspectives In Learning

Book Reviews

Facebook As A Learning Tool, Rebecca Toland

Perspectives In Learning

Facebook is a social network that has been used by hundreds of people around the world. The network started as a technologically infused meeting place for college students to communicate socially. Since the inception, the network has blossomed into a global sensation. Such growth has spurred many uses for the site including the opportunity to add to the learning experiences for college students. Facebook is a tool in a learning revolution that incorporates the ease of technology and communication efforts between students and between teachers and students. This essay focuses on how Facebook can be used as a learning tool …

Reviewers For Volume 14

Perspectives In Learning

Reviewers for Volume 14

The Effect Of Peer Leader Instruction On Introductory University Science And Mathematics Course Performance: Preliminary Results, Kimberly Shaw, Cindy Ticknor, Timothy Howard

Perspectives In Learning

The Peer Instruction Leader (PIL) program at Columbus State University pairs courses having historically low success rates with dedicated peer helpers in an attempt to boost student learning and success. PILs are selected from undergraduate students who have demonstrated success in the targeted subject. They attend classes, meet with the assigned instructor periodically, participate in PIL training, and manage course focused discussion groups. The authors analyze data collected in the early stages of the program, which shows that students who attended the discussion groups fared better than those who did not.

Welcome To Volume 14

Perspectives In Learning

Welcome to Volume 14 of Perspectives in Learning

Teacher Self-Efficacy: Common Core State Standards Within A 21st Century Skills Framework, John Wilborn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand teachers' self-efficacy in instructing 21st century learning skills in a high school core curriculum. This study examined the impact of three highly qualified teachers' attitudes toward instructing the Common Core State Standards 4C's (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity) within a 21st century skills framework. Four research questions guided this study. What attitudes do teachers exhibit regarding instruction of 21st century learning skills? To what extent do teachers seek to engage students in creativity and innovation? To what degree do teachers implement neomillennial learning styles? How will the participants measure their own …

Introducing Computer Science In An Integrated Science Course, Barry Lawson, Doug Szajda, Lewis Barnett Iii

Department of Math & Statistics Faculty Publications

This paper describes our implementation and experience of incorporating computer science concepts into a team-taught, first-year interdisciplinary course for prospective science majors at the University of Richmond. The course integrates essential concepts from each of five STEM disciplines: biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics. Including computer science in this course faces three primary challenges: few of the students have any CS background; the time devoted to CS instruction is reduced compared to a traditional introductory CS course; and the spirit of the course requires the CS material to be highly integrated with the other disciplines. Here we discuss our …

Structuring A Teacher Education Program For Faculty Collaboration And Second-Order Change, Tammy V. Abernathy, Shanon S. Taylor

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The purpose of this paper is to describe the structure and functions of an integrated elementary special education undergraduate teacher program (Integrated Elementary/Special Education Teacher Education Program, ITEP). By abandoning our old “enhancement model” of teacher education, we redesigned our program into a “merged model.” We examine this restructuring from the perspective of first- and second- order change, and we discuss the obstacles we found that prohibit meaningful second-order change. Finally, we briefly discuss how our experiences in designing ITEP and our state’s devastating fiscal crisis have affected our teacher-education programs and nudged us into more authentic second-order changes.

Plcs: Student Outcomes Evaluation In A Midwest High School, Kelly E. Dickinson

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This study was an evaluation of student outcomes following a five-year implementation of PLCs at Midwest High School in the U.S. Three research questions were addressed: (1) Has student achievement increased during the course of implementing PLCs? If so, is there evidence that this is a result of a contribution from PLC implementation from 2006-2011? (2) Have teacher attitudes toward curriculum rigor, public image, quality of education, and post-high school preparedness changed during the implementation of PLCs from 2006-2011? (3) Is the staff, in April 2011, a mature PLC? For research question one, eight hypotheses resulted in the evaluation of …

University Presidents' Perspectives Of The Knowledge And Competencies Needed In 21st Century Higher Education Leadership, Sydney Freeman Jr., Frances K. Kochan

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The purpose of this study was to identify the core knowledge and competencies needed for executive leadership in higher education administration as perceived by university presidents. Thirteen presidents shared the knowledge and competencies they perceived as being essential for an effective presidency. The respondents identified the important knowledge areas as: foundational; acquisition of cultural knowledge; and complex cognitive. They viewed personal attributes, management, and communications as the essential competency areas. The study found that presidents viewed themselves both as leaders and as managers.

Results of this study should be helpful to organizations seeking to develop and/or implement degree programs to …

Principals' Emotional Intelligence And Its Impact On Adequate Yearly Progress, Evelyn Henry, Warren Hope

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Colleges and universities prepare candidates with theory and leadership scenarios, enabling them to become leaders of successful schools. However, some principals do not lead their schools to success. Cognizant of this reality, it would be beneficial to know why principals with equivalent leadership training often experience different outcomes of school success based upon student academic achievement. The literature claims that emotional intelligence influences leadership in an organization. Indeed, some scholars assert that leaders who possess high levels of emotional intelligence have a greater effect on their organizations than their counterparts who have lower levels of emotional intelligence.

This research sought …

Teacher Internship Report - Carpinteria High School, Holly S. Smith

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship/project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Carpinteria High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The internship included the development of a comprehensive program plan for Carpinteria High School. The plan includes information to receive state/local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Carpinteria High School, the agriculture program and community.

Teachers’ Perceptions On The Changes In The Curriculum And Exit Examinations For Biology And Human Biology, Mirko Krüger, Mihye Won, David F. Treagust

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In the age of educational accountability, national and state-wide measures are assumed to secure and improve the educational quality. However, educators often wonder how much a new accountability measure may improve the actual teaching and learning practices when the agents of change (teachers) are not active participants of such educational reform. Nevertheless, in Australia, the National Curriculum is rolling in for the first time for K-10 school education in 2012-13. In Western Australia, the new Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) system with new compulsory exit examination requirements has been implemented recently for Years 11-12. In this study, using the …

Examining The Relationship Between Information Obtained At Kindergarten Registration And Reading Comprehension Six Years Later, Paige Swartz

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if variables known upon a group of students' enrollment in kindergarten had a significant relationship with their high-stakes reading assessment results obtained six years later, in the students' fifth grade year. Archival data was gathered from a rural northern Georgia school district. After a correlation matrix was constructed to examine the relationships among all variables of interest, bivariate linear regressions were used to determine whether the predictor variables explained any variance in the results of the fifth grade high-stakes reading assessment. Results indicated that one of the four predictor variables (vocabulary) …

A Case Study On The Impact Of The Read 180 Reading Intervention Program On Affective And Cognitive Reading Skills For At-Risk Secondary Level Students, Jeffrey Vogel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the impact of the READ 180 reading intervention program upon the affective and cognitive reading skills of 21 struggling ninth grade at-risk students at a Title I high school in Southern California. There was minimal qualitative analysis of the READ 180 program at the secondary level and nominal research in general on affective learning regarding motivation to read for at-risk high school students. This study was designed to explore what changes, if any, may occur in the reading attitudes (affective skills) and comprehension levels (cognitive skills) of participants in the …