Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Ento 403/803: Management Of Horticultural Crop Pests—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Thomas J. Weissling

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

ENTO 403/803, management of horticultural crop pests, is an important class for many students. It is required by undergraduate horticulture majors at UNL, but because it is offered online, it is also of interest to entomology and horticulture graduate students across the U.S. and globally. I chose this class for the peer review process because I find it challenging due to online course delivery, and the breadth of knowledge of students that are enrolled. I feel I need to take this course to a higher level where I can engage students of all backgrounds, and ensure that each of them …

Thea 474: Digital Animation—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Steve Kolbe

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio provides an overview of student learning in my Digital Animation course - THEA 474. This report serves as documentation of my attempts to define and refine the course goals, activities, assignments, and assessment. Through this portfolio, I hope to more effectively see ways to make this course more impactful for the students, but also to lay the groundwork for additional courses within the major in order to open up a more realized and robust animation focus at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film. A facet of student learning that I plan to document and improve upon …

Ento 401: Insect Physiology—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Nicholas Miller

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Insect Physiology (ENTO 401) is a required course for majors in Insect Science. This portfolio documents my efforts to improve the course as I teach it for the second time. My intention was to use the development of a portfolio as a vehicle to modify the course so that the methods I use are better aligned to my overall goals for the course. Consequently, I have produced a portfolio that is directed toward my efforts to develop a more varied approach that improves integrated understanding and scientific thinking and to better document that the development of integrated understanding and scientific …

Metr 341: Synoptic Meteorology—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Inquiry Project, Matthew S. Van Den Broeke

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Synoptic meteorology is foundational to atmospheric science, and it is critical that students strengthen their ability to think critically and independently in this course. Anecdotal evidence from teaching similar courses, and from education literature in the physical sciences, has pointed to the value of problem solving using data from real events. This inquiry project allowed further investigation of optimal instructional methods for this particular course, and led to the qualitative and partially quantified conclusion that hands-on in-class activities seem to support the most significant learning gains. In addition, this project led to the conclusion that a high degree of peer …

Geog 140: Human Geography—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Inquiry Portfolio, Katherine Nashleanas

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Large lecture classes, often of 100 students or more, present unique challenges to both teaching and learning. The common method of “delivery” by instructors is lecture, often augmented by a set of Power Point slides while the research literature shows that this more traditional way of teaching does not reach students in the way we hope and often assume. At the same time, most of the current students populating these classes are born of the Digital Age and have different expectations for learning, requiring new approaches in the classroom. Faculty are exhorted to incorporate more critical thinking in their classes …

Jour 302: Reporting Ii—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Inquiry Portfolio, Joseph Weber

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This document summarizes the results of an inquiry conducted as part of an advanced reporting course. The questions at hand were, “can students be taught to avoid bias in their journalistic work and to provide fair accounts of news developments?” and “how might they best be taught that?” This exploration revolved around a single lecture and discussion session, several reading assignments and the viewing of a video interview, and involved two writing assignments. The results suggest that both the teaching and evaluation of bias and fairness are difficult and complex. The findings suggest a single lesson may not be adequate …

Muop 356/856: Intermediate/Advanced Opera Techniques—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Inquiry Portfolio, Jamie M. Reimer

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Intermediate/Advanced Opera Techniques is a two credit elective course offered each spring at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. At its genesis, the course was primarily an opera scenes workshop, focused solely on the preparation and performance of an opera scene in a final concert. It is a cross-listed course meaning that students from the first year through advanced graduate study may enroll. Students may or may not have any experience on the music theater stage, nor have they had training in how to prepare a new role from casting to completed performance.

This course is an elective in the School of …

Thea 234: Scripts In Performance—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Ian Borden

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This had traditionally been a theatre based course for the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film when I took over teaching it in the Fall semester of 2008. At that time, the course (a requirement for Theatre majors, Film and New Media majors, as well as Theatre and Musical Theatre minors) was populated almost entirely by upper level Theatre majors, particularly those in the performance stream. Over the next few years as the Film and new Media program grew, the needs of those students increased in relative importance as they comprised a larger and larger percentage of the class. …

Bioc 435: Advanced Topics In Biochemistry—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Edward N. Harris

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

BIOC 435 or Advanced Topics in Biochemistry is an ACE 10 (Achievement centered education)course for students in their senior year. This is a capstone course for Biochemistry majors and is the last of several biochemistry courses that they will take in their undergraduate enrollment. The course is also open to non-majors in a related science such as Biology and Biological Sciences, although these students typically do not do as well as the majors. Students who take this course should be well-prepared in the basic concepts of biochemistry with regards to nucleic acids and proteins as well as some familiarity with …

Agro/Hort 403/803: Scientific Writing And Communication—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Brian M. Waters

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The course portfolio overviews AGRO/HORT 403/803: "Scientific Writing and Communication”. This course combines science disciplines with English and communications. The course has 3 subsections. In phase 1, students learn to read and critically evaluate scientific literature in Plant Biology. In phase 2, which is the bulk of the course, students write a research paper based on their own original research, and peer-review research papers of fellow students. In phase 3, students present their research in a poster format. The overarching major goal for this course is to use the formal scientific research paper format to provide a framework for student …

Alec 397: Media Literacy And Popular Portrayals Of Agriculture—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Annie R. Specht

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

My goal is to disseminate this portfolio as a guide for other instructors who are interested in using media literacy as a guiding pedagogical principle for new courses as well as those who wish to incorporate popular media in existing curricula. My objectives for this Peer Review of Teaching benchmark portfolio are:

1. To produce a detailed overview of ALEC 397-001: Media Literacy and Popular Portrayals of Agriculture with extensive attention paid to text selection (identifying and choosing the proper materials to best enhance student learning outcomes).
2. To assist future instructors interested in media literacy with designing and implementing assessments. Assignment …

Transition To A Career Calling: A Phenomenological Study, Elaine Buckley

Theses & Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the experience of eight adults as they perceived, recognized, and transitioned (from valued work) to their career callings. The central phenomenon of this research, callings, is defined as “inner directives towards meaningful life pursuits” (Wall, 2010, p. 7). The response to a calling was explored using William Bridge’s model for moving through life transitions. The research participants were teachers in midlife who had taught in grades K-12 for a minimum of five years after participating in an alternative teacher certification program. Semi-structured interviews included the use of expressive arts providing rich descriptions of the lived experiences …

How To Enable Asian Teachers To Empower Students To Adopt Student-Centred Learning, Thanh Thi Hong Pham, Peter Renshaw

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Asian teachers’ reluctance to empower students has been claimed to be an significant barrier preventing their students from practising student-centred learning. To promote student-centredness in Asian classrooms, this study aimed to develop strategies that could enable Asian teachers to delegate part of their authority to students. Twelve college teachers and six hundred and fifteen Vietnamese college students participated in this one-semester study. The results revealed that ‘artificial’ innovations such as forming group work and regularly questioning students in class did not mean empowering students in active learning. Students were only positioned and given opportunities to engage in proper student-centredness when …

Inclusion: Problems And Potential Solutions In Mathematics Instruction, Lynnea Marie Salscheider

Mathematics Graduate Theses

The purpose of this study was (1) to identify and describe the attitudes and beliefs of general and special education teachers about inclusion and (2) to identify significant recommendations based on teacher attitudes for improving the teaching of mathematics to special needs students using inclusion.

Differentiated Instruction In The High School Mathematics Classroom, Sherri Kruger

Mathematics Graduate Theses

The purpose of this research paper is to address the challenges of instruction within a classroom whose census is a diverse mixture of student mathematical abilities. The diverse ability of low and high achieving students all required to master the different strands of mathematics creates problems for instructors and students to stay engaged and actively moving forward deepening and widening their knowledge base. This paper will focus on differentiated lessons, assessments, and projects of a mathematics classroom in a public high school.

Print-Rich Classrooms Of New Zealand And America, Hallie Shumway, James Jacobs

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My research was to compare the difference of print-rich classroom environments at a school in America and a school in New Zealand. I used a 33 point scale created by a BYU alumnus to grade each classroom. I then randomly chose a representative grade from each level, Kindergarten through sixth, and compared the overall data from each school.

Teacher Self Reflection: It’S Affect On A Teacher’S Understanding Of Students, Erika Peterson, Dr. Stefinee Pinnegar

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the field of education, self-reflection is an important skill to help teachers assess and enhance their own teaching. As stated by Samaras and Freese, “When teachers critically reflect on their practice, they makes sense of the complexities of teaching and participate consciously and creatively in their own growth and development” (2006.) This active role in developing one’s work can greatly improve a teachers’ teaching. Self-reflection is a skill that can be developed and strengthened with practice. However, as a preservice teacher (a college student studying to become a teacher), self-reflection is a skill I am still developing.

Ever Learning, Ever Loving: Augustine On Teaching As Ministry, Ronnie P. Campbell Jr.

Liberty Theological Review

While most remember Augustine (354-430 AD) as theologian, exegete, and philosopher, the purpose of this essay is to consider Augustine’s legacy and ministry as teacher. After his conversion (386 AD), Augustine’s views on teaching took a turn. His theological convictions thus set the course for his views on teaching throughout the rest of his life. It is to such views on teaching that this essay seeks to examine. Therefore this essay will wrestle through Augustine’s views on the role of the teacher and the learner and the link between the two, his theological basis for teaching, and some of the …

Cataloging Lesson Plans Developed By Pre-Service Science Teachers During A Summer Research Experience, Robert Tollman Mclaren

Physics

This study is modeled after the senior project “Teachers Who Conduct Research and their Ability to Apply their Experience to Lesson Plans” by Cal Poly student Megan Ziegler and includes an independent analysis of the 2011 and 2012 lesson plans that participants in the STEM Teacher and Researcher (STAR) Program developed as part of their summer research experience. At the end of the STAR summer research program, STAR Fellows are required to submit lesson plans. During Spring Quarter of 2012, I had the opportunity to catalog lesson developed during Summer 2011. Later in Fall Quarter of 2012, Cal Poly undergraduates …

Lesson Study At The Bank Street School For Children, Ryan Harrity

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Lesson study, the primary form of professional development in Japan, is receiving increased attention in the U. S. Its efficacy in Japan is well documented, and it has been successfully implemented in the U. S. Other educator-scholars have adequately argued for its use in American schools. What is needed, however, is more documented evidence of its implementation and outcomes, as well as school-specific frameworks for conducting lesson study in various schools, especially independent schools. There has been extensive documentation of lesson study in public schools across the U. S., but none, as we know, in independent schools. This paper establishes …

Improving Student Achievement Through Feedback, Jennifer L. Mchlachlan

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper reviews the current research that exists on feedback given to students in an educational setting. Questions examined were what characteristics make feedback effective, what are the effects on student achievement if feedback is available to students in a math classroom and does timing of the feedback given play a role in its effectiveness. Results showed that feedback is effective if it is descriptive, including both strengths and weaknesses. Feedback given in small doses throughout the learning process, so as not to overwhelm students, has also proven effective. The research shows that the effect of feedback on student achievement …

A New Way To Assess Student Learning, Dr. Deborah Bracke

Education: Faculty Scholarship & Creative Works

This article describes an alternative to the traditional pre-test, post-test assessment of student learning.

Does Involuntary Mental Time Travel Make Sense In Prospective Teachers’ Feelings And Behaviors During Lessons?, Altay Eren, Amanda Yesilbursa

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This study examined the effects of involuntary mental time travel into the past and into the future on prospective teachers’ feelings and behaviors during the period of a class hour. A total of 110 prospective teachers participated voluntarily in the study. The results of the present study showed that (a) the involuntary mental time travel into the past and into the future occurred in the classrooms even during the period of a class hour; (b) both involuntary memories/future images were significantly discernible in terms of their characteristics; (c) the characteristics of the participants’ feelings and behavior following the involuntary memories/future …

The Diversity Dialogue: Rethinking Pedagogical Practices To Provide Hope For Pre-Service Teachers, Mildred M. Pearson Dr., Samantha Cantu

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

This study examines how a diverse dialogue addresses cultural differences and social injustices and how cultural responsiveness helps teachers approach education more equitably. When teachers use a diverse dialogue, they are able to create a classroom curriculum that includes all voices, experiences, and activities and satisfies the needs of all learners. The study also suggests that teachers adjust their pedagogical practices to the ever-changing multicultural classrooms. Through an examination of best practices, teachers will be able to invest in more creative and diverse approaches that will not only benefit the individual student, but also the entire classroom. Applying positioning theory …

The Diversity Dialogue: Rethinking Pedagogical Practices To Provide Hope For Pre-Service Teachers, Mildred Pearson, Samantha Cantu

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

This study examines how a diverse dialogue addresses cultural differences and social injustices and how cultural responsiveness helps teachers approach education more equitably. When teachers use a diverse dialogue, they are able to create a classroom curriculum that includes all voices, experiences, and activities and satisfies the needs of all learners. The study also suggests that teachers adjust their pedagogical practices to the ever-changing multicultural classrooms. Through an examination of best practices, teachers will be able to invest in more creative and diverse approaches that will not only benefit the individual student, but also the entire classroom. Applying positioning theory …

Larc 331: Site Systems Iii (Landscape Implementation)—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Bret Betnar

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio investigates LARC 331 Site Systems III: Landscape Implementation, a 3rd year undergraduate course that focuses on the implementation of landscape architectural designs, in which students take a previous Site Design studio project and develop this project into a landscape architectural construction package.

Do Pre-Service Teachers Feel Ready To Teach In Inclusive Classrooms? A Four Country Study Of Teaching Self-Efficacy., Tim Loreman, Umesh Sharma, Chris Forlin

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This paper reports the results of an international study examining pre-service teacher reports of teaching self-efficacy for inclusive education; principally focusing on the explanatory relationship between a scale designed to measure teaching self-efficacy in this area and key demographic variables within Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. The study builds on earlier work by this research team on attitudes towards inclusion and offers a more comprehensive picture of pre-service teachers’ preparedness to teach in inclusive classrooms. Data were collected from 380 pre-service teachers in four countries. Results indicated that strong international differences existed. Other factors impacting responses regarding teaching self-efficacy …

Teaching Children According To Learning Preference, Anne J. Derby

Senior Honors Theses

Several learning preferences describe students learning preferences. Learning sequence influences teaching order. Contemporary lecture-based, small group based, and activity-based methods for teaching are evaluated for which learning preferences are most compatible with each teaching method. Products can aid the teacher and student in their respective roles during the lesson. Other resources can instruct the people who lead the lesson in the classroom.

The Moral Oppression Of The Teaching Profession: Learning To Transcend, Rebecca Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is both descriptive and philosophical, and at its core, it justifies the need for social foundations of education courses and programs in the university setting. It begins by analyzing the meaning of oppression and the part knowledge plays in confining the individual. The analysis then draws upon Patricia Hill Collins' theory of intersecting oppressions to get at the complexities and restrictions of working in the public schooling institution. It works through the ways in which sexist, classist, and racist practices afflict everyone in the institution through the bureaucratic mechanism and collateral oppression. The four components that make up …

Geol 440/840: Tectonics—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Inquiry Portfolio, Caroline M. Burberry

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This document is a follow-up document to the Benchmark Portfolio for this course, created in 2012. It details the changes made to the course following the observations from the Benchmark Portfolio and demonstrates that discussion of the metacognitive issues surrounding critical thinking does have some effect on increasing student learning. The document concludes with changes which will be made to the 2014 iteration of the class, to continue this inquiry and improvement process.