Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Investigating A State-Funded Disciplinary Literacy Program In Kentucky For Educators Of Adolescent Students, Kevin Presnell

Online Theses and Dissertations

This case study describes a professional learning opportunity for educators of adolescents, namely the Literacy for Adolescent Teachers (LAT), at a regional midsize university in Kentucky. The LAT is a year-long experience that enrollees undertake to grow professionally by gaining specific literacy skills. This study focuses specifically on participant experience with the disciplinary literacy content, strategies, and resources presented at the summer program. This investigation sought to understand if participation in the disciplinary literacy program impacted the participants’ perceptions of literacy and their dispositional attitudes toward integrating literacy into their professional practice. The data revealed that participants in the LAT …

Word Problems In The Mathematics Textbook: An Instructional Resource Guide To Support Writing Instruction., Christine Picot, Jenifer Jasinski Schneider

Transformations

Abstract

Mathematics textbooks typically include word problems or story problems that require students to develop extended written responses. Yet, the answers to these prompts can vary so widely that preservice and inservice teachers must be prepared for multiple levels of interpretation of the language used to capture mathematical thinking. Based on an analysis of word problems within two teacher’s editions of elementary mathematics textbooks, we describe a series of strategies and tasks to scaffold teachers’ understanding of planning for word problems during mathematics instruction. We detail the following components; (1) the use of the Instructional Resource Guide, which assists …

An Examined Life Of A Language Teacher Of Chinese: An Autoethnographic Investigation Into Agency, Ying Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

There is a paucity of research about and done by L2 Chinese educators regarding the theoretical construct of agency. It is also noted that the qualitative inquiry is marginalized in L2 Chinese research field, let alone the narrative study of the agency of experienced by L2 Chinese-teachers. In this dissertation research, I aim at filling in the gap by conducting a longitudinal autoethnography which captures over a decade (1997-2017) of my personal and professional development with an agency perspective. The highly personalized autoethnographic accounts open up my personal and professional life as an experienced, college-level, transnational, early 40’s female native …

Using Primary Sources In Content Areas To Increase Disciplinary Literacy Instruction, Salika A. Lawrence, Elise Langan, Julie Maurer

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

This paper describes how a three-day summer workshop on using primary sources helped teachers increase the emphasis placed on disciplinary literacy when teaching social studies and history. Two specific issues in teacher education and practice are addressed. First, increasing teachers’ content knowledge of history topics can help them plan lessons that connect local and global events. Second, content area reading requires literacy practices, which are unique to disciplines. Therefore, teachers need to apply historical inquiry and disciplinary literacy methods in the curriculum.

A Dog, A Cat And Professional Development: How Two Bobbies Introduced Teachers To C3wp And Michigan’S Literacy Essentials, Delia King

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

This article demonstrates the important connections between the Language Arts Essentials K-3 with the NWP’s College, Career, and Community Writers Program.

Partnering For Professional Development, Jennifer Davis-Duerr

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Literacy specialists are often overlooked when determining the professional development needs within a school, and yet they are arguably the school’s best resource to empower teachers with professional growth to meet state mandates. How can literacy specialists be supported to increase their knowledge and skills so that all educators’ and students’ needs can be met? This article explains how small-scale school-university partnerships that connect literacy specialists and literacy teacher educators are an innovative way to provide high quality professional development that empowers literacy specialists and classroom teachers.

Measuring Our Impact: What Did Our Attendees Think Of Our Conference?, Louisa Kramer-Vida, Karen Meier

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Peers evaluated conference presentations at an annual conference that is sponsored by two professional organizations of literacy educators in one geographic location in New York State. Conference sessions dealt with innovations and programs in schools that encouraged literacy learning. Comments from conference attendees indicated that the presenters seemed to be empowered by the ideas and strategies they were disseminating and the conference attendees themselves were inspired to try innovative uses of new technologies and other means of supporting language and literacy development in their own classrooms. All presentations were congruent with the then current New York State Common Core Learning …

Bridging Professional Development And Context: Integrating Mathematics And Academic Language In A District Facing Takeover, Patricia Swanson, David Whitenack

Faculty Publications

This quasi-experimental, multi-phase study uses mixed methods to evaluate a professional development initiative focused on integrating mathematics and academic language. The context is a highly diverse urban district facing state takeover. The professional development focused on the understanding of key mathematics concepts and developing content-specific academic language. It linked explicitly to district-adopted texts and prescribed lesson formats. Teachers perceived the strategies to be feasible and beneficial to student learning, and had high rates of implementation. Nonetheless, pacing guides pressuring teachers to quickly cover content pose challenges for continued implementation. Implications for (1) professional development focusing on integrating subject-matter content and …