Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Homework: A Nightly Ritual Beginning In The Elementary Grades, Ann-Marie N. Skaggs

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Homework has become an accepted staple within education in the United States. However, little is acknowledged regarding the influences homework has on students. The purpose of this extended literature review is to look at the influences of homework on students in the elementary grades. The following research on homework was found through books, peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports, magazine articles, and interviews. Within the research, educational, socioeconomic, and parental factors show the largest influence, both positive and negative toward homework. The author discusses future implications to better improve homework's influence on students in the elementary grades. These implications include a …

A Cross-Cultural Teacher Training Program For Singaporean Muslim Students, Margaret Bowering

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Drawing upon evaluations of a teacher-training program for Muslim participants presented by Edith Cowan University staff in Singapore, this case study provides readers with insights into program design and management. It reports on lecturer and student attitudes as revealed in evaluations of the Singapore short course. In drawing the conclusion that attention must be given to cultural matters such as religious values and obligations and issues of language and assessment, the article asks the reader to rethink the universality of prevailing notions about internationalisation, particularly those relating to the necessary redesign of the curriculum. It ends with the suggestion that …

Professional Knowledge In Initial Teacher Education (Ite): A Preliminary Review Of Hispanic Literature, Raymond Mccluskey

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The global dominance of English as the principal language of international interchange in the teacher education field has, perhaps, diverted English-speaking scholars from the task of reviewing discourses in non-English languages. Taking as its focus the issue of professional knowledge in ITE, the present article considers scholarship predominantly of Spanish origin – to a lesser extent Portuguese and Latin American also – in an effort to begin to form an understanding of both historical antecedents and more recent approaches to professional knowledge in a Hispanic context. While the remit of the present article is one of introducing the work and …

Reflecting On Teaching Practices Using Digital Video Representation In Teacher Education, C Paul Newhouse, Jenny Lane, Claire Brown

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on the perceptions of teacher education student of the value of using digital tools to analyse video-based information on the practice of teachers in classrooms. This strategy was employed to address a dilemma in providing sufficient exposure to real examples of good classroom teaching to link theory with practice. The use of video of teachers in action could augment their practicum experience in schools but this required efficient and effective access to appropriate video material. For this purpose, the use of digital tools in a system called LessonLab was successfully implemented in an introductory unit focussed on …

Unpacking The Millennials: A Cautionary Tale For Teacher Education, Sharn Donnison

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper is about the millennial generation. Much has been written about the generation: their character; beliefs; motivations; values; and future potentialities. This literature has gained momentum as marketers, employers, and educators seek to understand the generation as they come of age and enter into positions of social responsibility. The purpose of this paper is to examine the claims made about the Millennials, determine who are making these claims and why, and discuss the utility of such claims for teacher educators. This paper argues that teacher educators should be cautious about accepting and adopting popular discourses about the generation as …

Prospective Teachers Of Secondary School Learners: Learning To Teach - Teaching To Learn, Felicity-Ann Lewis

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Prospective teachers in their third year of a Bachelor of Education degree in secondary teacher education use a journal to respond to a range of questions about their experiences as learners prior to, during and after their first practicum. These stories are used as a source of data to analyze how 14 prospective secondary teachers understand the interaction between university–based and school-based studies; the points of conjunction and disjunction that they experience. The paper shows that during the first teaching practicum their ideas about learners and pedagogy are challenged and argues that more can be done in both the university …

Voices Echoing The Past: 'I Decided To Do Teaching Because Of The Teacher That I Had.' Thirteen Female Secondary Entry-Level Teachers Candidates Teaching Not Only What But Also How They Were Taught, Steven S. Sexton

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports on a study that sought to uncover and explore the beliefs female secondary pre-service teachers held about teaching and being the teacher as they entered into their teacher education programs. The results indicated that for the participating teacher candidates it was their prior teachers in their intended subject who most informed how they saw themselves in the role as the teacher. Specifically, those secondary teachers who sought critical thinking in them as students impacted upon this teacher-role identity the most. Implications highlight the lack of research on females in secondary education and the importance in-service teachers play …

Children’S Hopes And Fears, Bernadette L. Dean, Shazia Solangi

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Character Education On A Third Grade Inclusion Classroom, Christina M. Barbato

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to implement a character education program with a third grade inclusion classroom at Cooper's Poynt School in Camden, New Jersey. This study was conducted in efforts to improve relationships and interpersonal skills using qualitative action research. Character education is a concept that describes implementing moral conduct in schools in order to encourage positive behaviors. Several benefits to character education programs include reduced negative behaviors, a more positive school environment conducive to learning, and higher academic achievement. This study conducted discusses the impacts of a character education program initiated in a third grade inclusion classroom. …

How To Establish And Maintain Positive Parent-Teacher Relationships, Tracy Cwiakala

Theses and Dissertations

Studies and literature have shown that when parents and teachers possess a positive relationship, students will be more successful and show an increase in academic achievement. The purposes of this research study were to (a) determine how to establish a positive parent-teacher relationship and (b) ascertain the most effective and ineffective methods, approaches and utilizations for maintaining a positive parent-teacher relationship. Teachers and parents defined what a parent-teacher relationship means to them as well as what roles they play within the relationship. Different obstacles and barriers encountered are discussed in addition to the best ways to approach them in order …

Students As Agents Of Change, Meghan Lynch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how literacy instruction encouraged students to think of themselves as agents of change. Using a qualitative design, a case study examined the effect literacy instruction had on students' perceptions of themselves as agents of change. The study took place in a fifth grade inclusion classroom of twenty three students. Journal prompts and class discussions were utilized to gather data. The data collected was analyzed and categorized according to student responses. Significant findings pointed that students were willing to think of themselves as agents of change.

Student Perceptions Regarding The Use Of Rubrics In Writing Assignments, Lindsay C. O'Neill

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore student perceptions regarding the use of rubrics in writing assignments. This qualitative research study was conducted with 16 students in a first grade classroom. I have conducted 4 mini-lessons on different writing components with the class. As a class we created a scoring rubric that includes important parts of the assignment and a number scale to further weigh the importance. The students were a part of creating the rubric and were given the rubric prior to their writing assignment. During the assignment I observed how the students use their knowledge of the …

What Is The Result When Responsive Classroom Techniques Are Used As Both A Classroom Management And Character Education Program Without Implementing The Whole Approach?, Lisa Jewell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if six Responsive Classroom techniques can be used as a classroom management system and character education program, without implementing the entire approach. The six approaches used were class meetings, stress the deed not the doer, time-outs, voices of authority, social conferences and logical conferences. The research was conducted in the researcher's co-teach classroom in a suburban elementary school. A researcher's journal, teacher and aide interviews, teacher reflections and student surveys were used to collect data. Results are aligned with the literature on the subjects of character education and classroom management and the …

An Examination Of The Effect Of Constructivist And Cooperative Learning Teaching Techniques On Student Engagement In Social Studies, Dana Olivieri

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to see if teaching students through constructivist and cooperative learning teaching techniques increases student engagement in social studies. Thirteen sixth grade students participated in the investigation. They completed surveys before and after a curricular intervention that consisted of social studies instruction based on constructivist and cooperative learning techniques. During the intervention, the students' engagement was observed by the researcher. The students demonstrated that constructivist and cooperative learning teaching techniques led to an increase in engagement in social studies. Implications for future research and implications for teaching are discussed.

Differentiating Instruction: What Does It Look Like When Utilized In A Kindergarten Classroom?, Andrea L. Concordia

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not students are successful when differentiated instruction is used in the classroom. By breaking students up into smaller groups and utilizing guided reading this study seeks to determine whether or not students are successful when instruction is geared to each individual's instructional level. The students in this study were broken up into four small groups and taught guided reading three times a week for twelve to fifteen minutes each over a period of three weeks. Through observations and reflections and pre and post assessments the study showed that differentiating instruction …

A Guidebook Of Resources And Interactive Literacy Activities For Use By Parents With Primary Students, Cheryl Ann Youngblood

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to create a home Literacy Guidebook to increase children's reading and writing skills. By encouraging parental support at home through the use of children's literature and relevant activities, the lessons are intended to make learning fun and meaningful for children and their parents. Research reviewed supported the significance of the parents' role in literacy development at home and at school. Parents who read to their children and practice related activities contribute to their children's success in school. The guidebook includes children's literature selections, book lists for future readings, step-by-step instructions to guide parents through …

Gen Ms 21 Edith Meserve Rice Papers Finding Aid, Daniel Draper

Search the General Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Description:

Edith Meserve Rice was a student at Gorham Normal School 1942-1946, and was active in the Alumni Association from the 1970s through the 1990s. The Papers include photographs and other material documenting Rice's life as a student at Gorham Normal School in the early 1940s, as well as alumni news, songs of Gorham Normal School and the State of Maine, and information about Gorham State Teachers College and the University of Southern Maine.

Date Range:

1940s-2002

Size of Collection:

0.5 ft.

Handwriting: Should Formal Instruction In Handwriting Be Taught To Elementary Students?, Cathleen Rutter

Education 589 Projects

Having taught students Language Arts from 2nd grade through sophomore year of high school, I have encountered numerous samples of handwriting, with great variance in their legibility. It has caused me frustration as a beginning teacher trying to decipher what has actually been written and just what the student was trying to convey to myself, as their teacher. In some cases I have graded a spelling test, marked words incorrect because I could not read the letters in the word. But then, because I felt that the student has mastered the spelling of a given word, I had the student …

Gen Ms 19 Fitts Family Collection Finding Aid, Daniel Draper

Search the General Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Description:

Bertha Rice Fitts was born in 1870, in Waterford, Maine. After graduating from Gorham Normal School in 1894, she became Master’s Assistant and eighth-grade teacher in Westbrook, Maine, before accepting a similar position at a grammar school in Quincy, MA. While in Quincy, she boarded with Mrs. Calvin Fitts, and in 1899 married her son, Arthur Fitts. She was involved in the Southern Branch of the Gorham Alumni Association for many years. The Collection consists of primarily late 19th c. commercial photographs of teachers and students of Gorham Normal School, plus photos of Gorham Normal School buildings, Bertha Fitts …

Gen Ms 23 Esther Wood Papers Finding Aid, Daniel Draper, Megan Turner

Search the General Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Description:

Esther Wood taught Social Sciences and History at Gorham Normal School from 1930 to 1972. She regularly wrote columns for the Christian Science Monitor and received many awards, including “Woman of the Year” from the Blue Hill Chamber of Commerce and a Doctorate of Humane Letters honoris causa from Colby College. In 1973, the University named a dormitory building on the Gorham campus in her honor. The Papers consist of her lecture notes on the history of New England from the 16th century through the colonial period and the Revolutionary War to the founding of the State of Maine …

Teachers Evaluations Of Nagc Initial Knowledge & Skill Standards For Gifted And Talented Education, Theresa Monaco

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) have jointly developed standards for the review of NAGC. These standards will be presented to the NCATE for adoption. If you are interested in reviewing the program standards and offering suggestions before they are presented for adoption, please click on the URL below. The standards may be accessed at: http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=1512 . These standards were evaluated by teachers enrolled in summer University graduate in the area of gifted education scheduled at the University of Houston. Comments are modified verbatim text. Teachers were asked to select one or …

Pssa Panic And Paranoia: Effects On Student Teachers, Linda Dessoye

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

It has been several years since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was renamed the No Child Left Behind Act. In this major expansion of the federal role in education, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 required annual testing, specified a method for judging school effectiveness, set a timeline for progress, and established specific consequences in the case of failure (Wenning, 2003). The Washington Post referred to it as the “broadest rewriting of federal education policy in decades”(Milbank, 2002). The effects of the overwhelming pressure to perform well on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) …

Expansion Of Experiential Learning Opportunities Through Medication Reconciliation Participation, Jane M. Gervasio, Julie M. Koehler, Kevin M. Tuohy, Julie L. Williams, Mary H. Andritz

Scholarship and Professional Work – COPHS

Abstract from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, July 12-18, 2007.

Activating The Desire To Learn By Bob Sullo, Liana Gonzales

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

A book review of Activating the Desire to Learn by Bob Sullo.

Effective Leadership Through Emotional Maturity, Linda Hyatt, Blaine Hyatt, James Hyatt

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

What makes a leader successful? This question has been asked throughout the ages; before one attempt to understand what makes a leader successful, one must first have a full comprehension of what constitutes success and what constitutes a leader. To merely hold the position of a leader does not make one a leader. Success is largely an individualistic interpretation of personal increase or satisfaction, whether physical, emotional, or psychological. One’s perception of success is influenced by the social contexts around the individual. A successful leader must possess certain characteristics and have the ability to transform those characteristics into action. A …

How Can Anyone Lead Others Until They Are Ready To Lead Themselves?, Peter A. Maresco

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

What I would like to focus on in this essay is the quality of personal leadership. What can each of us do in our personal and professional lives to assume leadership over what we do.

Initiating Your Successful Transition To School Principal, Timothy Glasspool

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The role and responsibilities of the principal and assistant principal have developed and been redeveloped to meet demands and legislative impact on the American public education system. With these additional demands, principals are required to lead students and faculties to greater educational outcomes and achievement. As the role of building level leadership evolves and more principals become instructional leaders first and a managers second, opportunities for changing roles could correct assistant principal pigeon-holing. Some researchers and practitioners do not agree the assistant principal position is an appropriate training ground for the Principalship. Even some principals and researchers believe the training …

Teacher Migration From High-Performing Middle Schools: A Case Study, Richard Conley

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

I recently conducted fieldwork to explore the dynamics of teacher migration and understand how it relates to teachers’ perceptions and attitudes. The research was conducted through the eyes of a sixth grade language arts/social studies’ teacher working in a middle school I will refer to as PLC (Professional Learning Community) Middle School. By spending extensive time and conducting multiple interviews with the teacher and other staff members, I was able to explore some of the reasons and conditions why teachers leave schools, particularly high-performing schools to teach in other high performing schools. Attending weekly meetings at all levels and content …

Telling Stories And Living Art: Making Room For Social Justice And Diversity In Graduate Education, Four Arrows

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Indigenous scholars discovered that indigenous knowledge is far more than the binary opposite of western knowledge. As a concept, indigenous knowledge benchmarks the limitations of Eurocentric theory — its methodology, evidence, and conclusions — reconceptualizes the resilience and self-reliance of indigenous peoples, and underscores the importance of their own philosophies, heritages, and educational processes. Indigenous knowledge fills the ethical and knowledge gaps in Eurocentric education, research, and scholarship (2002:5).

The State Of Intellectual Property Education Worldwide, Shaheen Lakhan, Meenakshi Khurana

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Intellectual property (IP) consists of any ideas, concepts, insignias, and symbols that are unique and original to the owner. IP has various broad categories: copyright, trademarks, patents, designs, and other types of information. The concept is best thought of as a bundle of rights protected by law. Trade secrets, expertise, and know-how, are instances of confidential company information that are also covered by IP laws. These ideas and concepts are assets to an organization or country and can be extremely valuable. It has been estimated that IP, as intangible assets, constitutes around 75 percent of the assets of publicly-listed U.S. …