Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Assessing Understanding Of Multiplication Through Words, Pictures, And Numbers, Stephanie Z. Smith

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

The objective of this session is to engage mathematics teacher educators in a discussion of how to assess an understanding of the concept of multiplication as an operation and its relationships to other operations. The session will begin with a presentation of a previously published study assessing children’s understanding of multiplication as grouping and the relationship between multiplication and addition. The assessment asked a series of problems involving words, pictures, and numbers. The results of the study indicate that the types of problems asked were successful in providing evidence of children’s understanding of multiplication. The study also found that a …

Change And Relationships In Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Mathematics Pedagogical Beliefs, Teaching Efficacy Beliefs, And Content Knowledge, Susan L. Swars, Lynn C. Hart , Ed., Stephanie Z. Smith, Marvin E. Smith

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

This study investigated the mathematics beliefs and content knowledge of 103 elementary preservice teachers in a developmental teacher preparation program that included a two course mathematics methods sequence. Preservice teachers’ pedagogical beliefs became more cognitively-oriented during the teacher preparation program with these changes occurring during the two methods courses. Pedagogical beliefs remained stable during student teaching. The preservice teachers also significantly increased their personal efficacy for teaching mathematics throughout the program with these shifts occurring across both methods courses and into student teaching. Pedagogical beliefs and teaching efficacy beliefs were not related at the beginning of the program, but, in …

The Kennesaw State University Mathematics Methods Model, Angela L. Teachey

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

Kennesaw State University’s comprehensive, nine-credit-hour, methods course integrates general and mathematics-specific pedagogical training with a structured four-week field experience prior to student teaching. This course blends essential units on conceptual understanding of mathematics, lesson planning, assessment, classroom management, and diversity with mathematics-specific methods. All topics are aligned with National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards and Georgia Performance Standards. Throughout the course, students complete a variety of assignments that require them to practice the skills highlighted in class readings and discussions, and they adapt and generalize those skills during their field experiences. Students have numerous opportunities in class and in …

Learning Languages In A Digital World, Aleidine Kramer Moeller, Janine M. Theiler

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Aleidine J. Moeller, Editor
Janine Theiler, Assistant Editor

I. Embracing Technology: Tools Teacher Can Use to Improve Language Learning — Introduction to the section: Frauke Hachtmann, Katie Hayes, Leyla Masmaliyeva, Malia Perkins

1 Rich Internet Applications for Language Learning — Dennie Hoopingarner and Vineet Bansal

2 Leveraging Podcasting for Language Learning — Dan Schmit

3 Using PowerPoint Templates to Enhance Student Presentations — J. Sanford Dugan

II. Teacher Education and Professional Development: Agents of Change — Introduction to the section: Silvia Betta and Janine Theiler

4 Preparing for the ACTFL/NCATE Program Report: Three Case Studies — Susan Colville-Hall, Bonnie Fonseca-Greber, …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Police Veterans' Perceptions Of Their Effectiveness As Second Career (K-12) New Jersey Public School Faculty Members, Michael J. Finetti

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Qualitative Analysis Of Fourth Grade Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of The New Jersey Ask4 Testing On Instructional And Assessment Practices, Barbara A. Pepe

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Study Of Beginning Teachers' Use Of Communication Technology Employing The Theory Of Planned Behavior, Molly Hupcey Marnella

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Administrator And Teacher Perceptions Of The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Online Courses In Urban/Suburban New Jersey Public High Schools, Heather Carr

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Cultural Differences And Attitudes Towards Parental Involvement: A Case Study Of Early Elementary School Parents, Flor De Maria Rubinos

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Digging Through The Garden State's Digital Divide: A Descriptive Retrospective Study Of Differences In Educational Technology Resources In New Jersey Public Elementary Schools According To Socioeconomic Status, Percentage Of Minority Students, Abbott District Designation, And Charter School Designation, Veronica E. Geyer

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Dynamic Indicators Of Basic Early Literacy Skills In Reading First Schools And The Maryland School Assessment, Teresa Helm Filbert

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Impact Of Maine High School Reform On Student Engagement And Achievement, Beverly J. Coursey

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Features Of Optimally Motivating College Classrooms: Perspectives Of Preservice Teachers, Donna S. Bogart

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The primary objective of this mixed methods study was to explore the parameters of college students' perspectives on classroom learning environments. Specifically, the investigation sought to identify and describe the relevant features of the college classroom context that undergraduate students distinguished as promoting and supporting academic motivation at one four-year postsecondary institution. Secondarily, the study sought to examine the extent to which there was an association between the achievement goals students endorsed and their perspectives concerning the motivating features of the classroom learning environment. The nonprobability purposeful sample of undergraduate students consisted of 122 preservice teachers who were attending a …

Lights Up! On Teaching Hints For Novice Theatre Educators, Chelsea Cunningham

Honors Program Theses

With Playhouse interns coming from a variety of learning and teaching backgrounds, it occurred to me that there was a need for training that introduces all of these new, young teachers to working with all groups of students, grades K-12, in the theatre. Thus, I have created Lights Up!, a resource stripped of educational psychology jargon that is meant to help theatre students teach and to help education majors acquire the skill of using theatre as a tool.

Strongly And Weakly Directed Approaches To Teaching Multiple Representation Use In Physics, Patrick B. Kohl, David Rosengrant, Noah D. Finkelstein

Faculty Articles

Good use of multiple representations is considered key to learning physics, and so there is considerable motivation both to learn how students use multiple representations when solving problems and to learn how best to teach problem solving using multiple representations. In this study of two large-lecture algebra-based physics courses at the University of Colorado (CU) and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, we address both issues. Students in each of the two courses solved five common electrostatics problems of varying difficulty, and we examine their solutions to clarify the relationship between multiple representation use and performance on problems involving …

About The Authors, Volume 25 (2007)

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

About the editors and authors/contributors of volume 25 (2007) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development.

Preface, Volume 25 (2007), Douglas Reimondo Robertson

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Preface to volume 25 (2007) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, by Douglas Reimondo Robertson of Highland Heights, Kentucky.

Ethical Guidelines For Educational Developers

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Ethical guidelines for educational developers brepared by Mintz, Smith, and Warren, January 1999. Revised March 1999, September 1999, and March 2000.

Faculty Development Through Student Learning Initiatives: Lessons Learned, Nancy Simpson, Jean Layne, Adalet Baris Gunersel, Blake Godkin, Fred Froyd

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

A project aimed at improving student learning while facilitating the professional development of faculty participants in the area of teaching has yielded a rich collection of data. In addition to providing critical information about how faculty members think, the project has broadened our thinking regarding the link between student learning initiatives and faculty development. The project has also increased our understanding of the interests of faculty members who are not typically clients of faculty development centers and motivated thinking on how to serve the professional development goals of this group.

“Heritage Rocks”: Principles And Best Practices Of Effective Intercultural Teaching And Learning, Peter Frederick, Mary James

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This portrayal of the intercultural teaching/learning culture and classroom stories at one fully multicultural institution, Heritage University, itself reflecting many diverse “heritages,” provides a glimpse into the faces of the future of higher education in America. We offer several examples and a synthesis of the principles and best practices of effective intercultural teaching and learning, with the intention of helping other institutions move intercultural education from the margins to the “center,” thereby preparing both teachers and learners for effective intercultural learning and living in the 21st century.

In The Eye Of The Storm: Students' Perceptions Of Helpful Faculty Actions Following A Collective Tragedy, Therese A. Huston, Michele Dipietro

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

On occasion, our campus communities are shaken by national tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, or by local tragedies such as the murder of a faculty member or student. Because these are unusual circumstances, faculty are often initially confused about how to respond, and later have little or no sense of how effective their actions have been (DiPietro, 2003). This chapter investigates the most common instructor responses following a tragedy and which of those responses students find most helpful. Implications for faculty and faculty developers are discussed.

Sustaining The Undergraduate Seminar: On The Importance Of Modeling And Giving Guidelines, Shelley Z. Reuter

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Student-led discussion is a valuable means of involving students in the collaborative creation of knowledge. This activity becomes especially important in the seminar course where, either individually or in small groups, students lead their peers through a set of readings. Unfortunately, student-led discussions often focus more on summary than critical analysis, largely because seminar leaders, left to their own devices, do not know what a seminar should look like or how to lead one effectively. This chapter demonstrates tliat undergraduates can learn seminar leadership when provided with guidelines and opportunities to see the skill modeled.

Faculty Development In Student Learning Communities: Exploring The Vitality Of Mid–Career Faculty Participants, Shari Ellertson, John H. Schuh

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Student learning communities result in numerous benefits for students and institutions, but less is known about the influence of learning community participation on faculty renewal and development. This qualitative study examines mid-career faculty members’ involvement in student learning communiities to explore the degree to which the construct of vitality appropriately describes and illuminates their experiences. Findings suggest that learning communities foster vitality by serving as a boundary-spanning activity where faculty can merge various work interests, allowing them to engage in purposeful production and providing them with experiences that help generate feelings of energy, excitement, and engagement with their work.

Making Meaning Of A Life In Teaching: A Memoir–Writing Project For Seasoned Faculty, Kathleen F. O'Donovan, Steve R. Simmons

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The University of Minnesota’s faculty development project, “Making Meaning of a Life in Teaching,” promotes collegiality and enhances self-reflection for those who are cxperienced classroom instructors. Started in October. 2003, this project provides a forum that invites participants to examine specific memories from their teaching lives and to transform those recollections into a written memoir. This chapter explores the use of memoir as an effective tool for faculty development, describes the project’s structure and components, and presents both co-facilitator and participant perspectives on the process and the memoir product.

Transforming A Teaching Culture Through Peer Mentoring: Connecticut College's Johnson Teaching Seminar For Incoming Faculty, Michael Reder, Eugene V. Gallagher

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter describes a yearlong seminar focused on teaching that is offered to all incoming tenure-track faculty at Connecticut College, a small residential liberal arts college. This seminar is distinctive because it is facilitated by second- and third-year faculty. We argue that this peer-mentoring model has three distinct benefits. First, it avoids many of the pitfalls identified with traditional one-on-one mentoring. Second, it addresses the distinctive challenges that faculty face at small colleges. Third, it provides a strong base for faculty to pursue the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). We believe that our peer-mentoring model may well be adaptable …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Creative Potential And Personality Types Among American And Taiwanese College Students Of Teacher Education, Yiling Cheng

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Previous research has studied the effects of personality on creativity. The present study examined the relationship between personality types and creativity. Creativity was measured by using the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT)-Figural, whereas personality type was measured by using Keirsey Temperament Sorter II (KTS II). 57 Americans and 72 Taiwanese college students who specialize in teacher education participated in this study. Consistent with previous research, significant correlation coefficients between the Creativity Index of the TTCT and both the Intuitive (p < .0001) and Perceiving (p = .029) personality types of the KTS II were found. In addition, significant cultural differences in creativity …

The Impact Of Daily Writing On Kindergarten Students' Phonemic Awareness., C. A. Snell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether or not a significant relationship exists among daily writing and student growth in phonemic awareness. The study also considered the impact of writing on the phonemic awareness development of students at different literacy levels. Although studies exist on the importance of phonemic awareness development in reading acquisition, a deficit exists examining the correlation among daily writing and the phonemic awareness development of students representing different literacy levels. Forty students in an experimental group engaged in daily writing opportunities, while 37 students in the control group engaged in less frequent writing …

Managing Scarce Resources In Training Projects, Richard D. Busby, James J. Goldsmith

Publications & Research

Every training organization has a limited amount of people, time and/or money available to complete a project, and this limited resource availability undoubtedly will affect the scope and success of projects the organization undertakes. Busby and Goldsmith discuss the knowledge and skills thing in the instructional design field will need to successfully address these circumstances. The authors begin the chapter by defining what they mean by "resources" and "resource scarcity," and then go on to describe how resource availability and the scope of a project affect one another. They then discuss such basic economic concepts as supply and demand and …

Elementary School Principals' Perceptions Of The Instructional Role Of The School Library Media Specialist, Audrey Puckett Church

Theses and Dissertations

Studies conducted in numerous states by various researchers demonstrate that library media specialists who take an active role in the instructional process positively impact student achievement in their schools. Principals are the instructional leaders of their schools, yet the research indicates that they are not knowledgeable regarding the role of the library media specialist. This study explored Virginia elementary school principals' perceptions of the instructional role of the library media specialist, the effect of library schedule on these perceptions, and the origin of these perceptions. Principals who responded to the study strongly endorsed the role of library media specialist as …

Creating Mathematics Performance Assessments That Address Multiple Student Levels, Damon L. Bahr

Faculty Publications

In recent times there has been considerable commentary regarding the need to enhance mathematical assessment as evidenced by Numeracy, A Priority for All: Challenges for Australian Schools (2000). This emphasis on assessment is timely because although the mathematical reform movement has produced much-needed improvements in both curriculum and instruction, changes in assessment have not kept pace (Firestone & Schorr. 2004; Morgan, 1998). As Ridgeway (1998, p.2) states, "As an issue of policy, the implementation of standards-based curricula should always be accompanied by the implementation of standards-based assessment. In fact, incremental change in assessment systems will foster concurrent improvement in professional …