Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Blending Community And Content Through Place-Based Science, Terri Hebert, Judith L. Lewandowski

Collaborations: A Journal of Community-Based Research and Practice

Place-based education connects the learner to the local environment through diverse strategies that increase awareness and connectedness to the community, and ultimately to the world (Sobel, 2004). Constructivist principles of learning – the belief that individuals “construct their own knowledge by engaging in the learning process, interacting and collaborating with teachers and other students, reflecting on the content, and meaningfully integrating the new information with prior knowledge” (Sowan & Jenkins, 2013, p. 316) – run deep within place-based education as the learner constructs meaning through personal interactions with the local environment. In other words, the “landscape shapes [one’s] mindscape” (Haas …

Teaching And Modeling Social Justice In University Teacher Education Programs And The Communities They Serve, Bryan P. Gillis

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The presentation will engage participants in discussion describing how a university teacher education program and the schools it serves collaborates through community partnerships to teach and model action for social justice. Research, instructional strategies, and practical examples will demonstrate ways to advocate for the inclusion of social justice in classrooms.

Sjsu Erfa Board Minutes, March 6, 2017, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

SJSU ERFA Minutes

SJSU ERFA Executive Board Minutes March 6, 2017

Working With Linguistically Diverse Classes Across The Disciplines: Faculty Beliefs, Jennifer Haan, Colleen E. Gallagher, Lisa Varandani

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

The rapid growth of international students at United States universities in recent years (Institute of International Education, 2013) has prompted discussions about how best to serve this population in and out of the classroom. This article reports on faculty cognitions (Borg, 2006) regarding internationalization and the teaching of international students who are emergent multilinguals. Researchers surveyed faculty members on one campus about their beliefs regarding internationalization, techniques for instruction in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms, and their own efficacy in teaching international students. Results indicate a theory-reality split in beliefs about internationalization and techniques for teaching international students along with …

Academics And The Student Athlete: A Mixed Methods Study On The Role Of Athletics In The High School Educational Setting, Meredith Mcgee

Theses and Dissertations

Athletics are a strong component in the educational experiences of students. Without the proper social support, student athletes are presenting academically through a deficit lens (Cohen & Wills, 1985; Comeaux & Harrison, 2011; House, Umberson, & Landis, 1988; Sarason, Sarason,& Pierce, 1990). Coaches, teachers, and administrators must work collaboratively to enhance the education of student athletes. As a result, high schools can better prepare their student athletes for post-secondary life specifically through the significant relationships formed between athletic personnel and their athletes.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore athletic administrators' and coaches' practices related to fostering …

An Evaluation Of Idea Part C Interventionists’ Knowledge And Use Of Evidence-Based Practices For Young Children With Challenging Behavior, Sarah Elizabeth Dickinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a limited understanding of the practices provided by interventionists under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C, and there is no knowledge of how providers deliver services for children who have challenging behaviors. In particular, few studies have examined the extent to which Part C interventionists use evidence-based practices. Decreasing occurrences of challenging behaviors in early childhood is particularly important, as there are many negative ramifications associated with untreated challenging behaviors, including troubled peer and adult relationships, academic failure, and increased antisocial behaviors in adulthood. Research has shown that Positive Behavior Supports and the Pyramid Model are …

Revitalizing The Hero Within Teachers: An Analysis Of The Effects Of The Psycap Development Training, Mahmut Kalman, M. Semih Summak

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of the study was to investigate middle school teachers’ perceptions of the effects of a teacher-targeted intervention, that is, Psychological Capital Development Training Intervention (PCDTI), aiming at enhancing positive psychological capacities of teachers. The PCDTI was prepared and implemented by the researchers at a state university in a large city in Turkey during the academic year of 2014-2015. The implementation of the PCDTI lasted for 2 months, once in a week, and after completing the training intervention, interviews were conducted with twelve teachers who were the participants in the experimental group. Data were gathered through one-on-one interviews and …

Learning To Teach: A Case Study Of Student Teachers’ Practicum And Policy Recommendations, Urip Sulistiyo, Amirul Mukminin, Kemas Abdurrahman, Eddy Haryanto

The Qualitative Report

This qualitative case study was conducted to gather information on the implementation of teaching practicum in order to improve the quality of the program in an English teacher education program at a state-owned university, Jambi, Indonesia. Information was gathered from five recent teacher graduates, five beginner teachers, five school principals, and five teacher educators on their perceptions of English Foreign Language Teacher Education Program (EFLTEP) graduates as beginner teachers. This qualitative study employed a background survey, document analyses and interviews for data collection. Document analyses were used to examine the aims and content of the English teacher education program and …

Session E-5: Diy Microbial Fuel Cells, Peter Clancy, Mark Carlson

Professional Learning Day

Energy is a ubiquitous concept that cuts across scientific disciplines and is well represented among standards. As part of a unit on alternative energy we use to satisfy NGSS Engineering standards, we build microbial fuel cells. While standard kits exist, their cost can become significant. We will lead participants in the creation of their own microbial fuel cells. They will also be given some of the more inaccessible electrode material to take with them.

Session E-2: Sharing Analogies And Demonstrations To Reinforce Chemistry Concepts, Dave Devol, Angela Ahrendt

Professional Learning Day

Chemistry concepts can often be difficult for students to understand, in part due to the fact that we are discussing with students things that cannot be seen (atoms and molecules!). Analogies that relate chemistry concepts to things that students are more familiar with can be a powerful way to help them understand concepts, as can demonstrations that make concepts come to life visually. We will share a few of our favorite analogies/demos, and ask that each participant share one of their favorite analogies or demos. As we realize it would be difficult for visiting teachers to bring what they need …

Session E-4: Labs For Next Generation Science Standard: Waves And Electromagnetic Radiation, Brooke Schmidt

Professional Learning Day

Participants will have the opportunity to participate in two labs aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards for Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation. The first explores the relationship between the speed, frequency, and wavelength of a wave while changing the medium, and the second lab demonstrates the wave nature of light through interference.

Session C-3: The Black Hawk War, Eric Smith

Professional Learning Day

The Trail of Tears was but one of the many removal programs undertaken by an expansive and industrializing United States. The Black Hawk War offers a number of documents that help promote historical thinking by considering accounts of the events by both sides in the conflict.

Session F-2: More Than Meets The Eye, Christine L. Moskalik, Carmela Jones

Professional Learning Day

What your eyes take-in and report to your brain is not necessarily exactly what you have seen. The eye is an important sensory organ allowing for vision but without light, vision is impossible. This session will engage participants in elementary lessons that introduce the physics of color and light and illustrate various aspects of human visual perception. Properties of light will be investigated by mixing the primary light colors (not pigments) and simple tests will be performed to measure peripheral vision and explore depth perception, pupil constriction/dilation, and the blind spot. Do you “see” yourself coming to this session?

Session D-5: Informal Comparative Inference: What Is It?, Karen Togliatti

Professional Learning Day

Come and experience a hands-on task that has middle-school students grapple with informal inferential reasoning. Three key principles of informal inference – data as evidence, probabilistic language, and generalizing ‘beyond the data’ will be discussed as students build and analyze distributions to answer the question, “Does hand dominance play a role in throwing accuracy?” Connections to the CCSSM statistics standards for middle-school will be highlighted.

Session D-2: Don’T Overdose The Patient: A Unit Conversion Literacy Project, Gary M. Baker, David Anim-Addo, Patrick Young

Professional Learning Day

General chemistry for non-science majors is often a prerequisite course for students pursuing degree programs in allied health fields, such as nursing. A core nursing skill is medicine management, which includes correctly calculating drug dosage volumes administered by I.V. or injection. Such calculations are nothing more than general chemistry problems involving concentration units and dilution. Our data show, however, that more than 90% of students lack this skill after taking a traditional general chemistry course. This presentation will focus on documenting this curricular gap and how we, as teachers, can address it.

Session D-1: Lies, Damn Lies, And Statistics, Peter Dong, Joseph Traina

Professional Learning Day

The crucial and sometimes difficult areas of data analysis and statistics can be made clearer by looking at examples of how they can be done badly - examples which, unfortunately, are easy to find. We share our experience teaching a short course which examines disingenuous graphs, biased surveys, deliberately misworded statements, and other methods of misrepresenting data. The negative examples provide an opportunity to discuss how statistics should properly be done, and explain what can happen when statistics are used incorrectly. We include a discussion of the failure of polls to predict the outcome of the presidential election.

Session D-3: Robotics Programming Using Java, Pat Patankar

Professional Learning Day

I will discuss how to program NXT kit with various sensors using Java programming language.

Session B-2: Forensic Metallurgy – A Challenge In Basic Measurements, Patrick Young

Professional Learning Day

Chinese antiquities may be readily found for sale on eBay. Ancient coins may be purchased for very reasonable prices. Are these authentic artifacts, or modern forgeries? An investigation will include measurements and calculations to identify the metals involved. Using only inexpensive, school-grade equipment, participants will be challenged to solve the mystery. Success will hinge on careful measurement, deductive reasoning, and a thoughtful consideration of experimental uncertainty.

Session B-5: Planning Your School's New Innovation/Makerspace, Britta W. Mckenna

Professional Learning Day

Are you thinking about or moving forward with plans for your school to host a makerspace, entrepreneurship or innovation area? Take a tour of IN2, IMSA's new 6,400 square food innovation center and makerspace and get tips from IMSA's Chief Innovation Officer, who spent three years studying best practice, designing the center, hiring the staff, furnishing and launching programs. The session includes a 30 minute tour and 30 minutes of sharing lessons learned and answering questions from participants.

Session B-1: Current Events In Biology, Crystal Randall, Don Dosch, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll

Professional Learning Day

Teaching fundamentals, while important, can sometimes take a toll on our motivation and enthusiasm for our subject because there are rarely significant changes in the content we might present from year to year. However, keeping up with the current progress of our field, what’s new and exciting in research, and how current advancements can impact our health, well-being, and society in the future can keep us inspired, and help us continue to inspire our students. Come discuss what’s happening in biology news today, hear what we’re excited about and bring your own ideas to share!

Session B-4: Why Study War? The Importance Of Teaching Military History, Justin Riskus

Professional Learning Day

This session will provide educators with the means and methods of incorporating American military history into the classroom, and how its study fosters critical thinking skills. A global perspective of American military power {Civil War, Cold War, War on Terror), and ideas on how to teach such perspectives, will be explored.

Session B-2: Pirates: Past And Present, Kitty Lam

Professional Learning Day

Piracy has endured for as long as maritime trade has existed. From the ancient Mediterranean world to the modern-day Somali coast, pirates have threatened merchant ships. The legacy of piracy has inspired countless songs, poems, novels, and movies. Who were pirates? What did they want? Where did they go? How did they interact with states? Students have internalized stereotypes about pirates from popular culture, but rarely consider these questions about piracy. This workshop will examine the significance of piracy in world history through texts and visual material. Case studies will be global, but focus on the early modern period.

Session A-4: Makerspaces In The School: Understanding And Creating An Educational Makerspace, Erik Swanson

Professional Learning Day

This session will cover the process of opening and running a school-based Makerspace, using our Makerspace’s journey as the lens. The learning outcomes for this seminar will be as follows: understanding what a Makerspace is, and how it fits into the school environment; figuring out what equipment you need; how to tailor your space to your situation; and what it takes to run and upkeep a Makerspace. Additionally we will tour IMSA’s IN2 Makerspace, and end with a Q&A session to address any specific inquiries.

Session A-3: Three-Act Math Tasks, Lindsey Herlehy

Professional Learning Day

Participants will engage in a Three-Act Math task highlighting the application of properties of geometrical figures. Developed by Dan Meyer, an innovative and highly regarded mathematics instructor, Three-Act Math tasks utilize pedagogical skills that elicit student curiosity, collaboration and questioning. By posing a mathematical problem through active storytelling, this instructional approach redefines real-world mathematics and clarifies the role that a student plays in the learning process. Participants will be given multiple resources where they can access Three-Act Math tasks appropriate for upper elementary grades through Algebra and Geometry courses.

Session A-2: Use Your Noodle – Tips From Neuroscience To Sauce Up Your Lessons, Nicole Ross

Professional Learning Day

How many times in a day do you look at your students and internally scream for them to use their noodle while hiding the fact that your internal waters are boiling? Turn the heat down and join us for an interactive and informative session exploring ways to engage your students to use their noodles and save yours from being cooked. We will experience activities designed to engage the brain, and explore the research behind why these technique may work to enhance learning. Leave with tips from the neurosciences that are easy to reproduce in your classroom.

Session A-1: Bca Method, Focusing On Mole Ratios In Stoichiometry, Carmela Jones, Deb Scarano, Anita White

Professional Learning Day

Traditionally stoichiometry is done using dimensional analysis. Although effective, it is confusing, messy, and does not focus on mole ratios. On the other hand, the BCA method (Before-Change-After), is clear, clean, and highlights the mole ratios in a chemical reaction. Participants will collect mass data in an experiment and learn how to use a BCA table. Teachers will bring the BCA method back to their classrooms and provide an extremely useful tool for the next generation of chemistry savvy students.

Session C-1: Modeling Stem Activities Into Classroom Practice, Sowmya Anjur

Professional Learning Day

Students understand concepts better when they have had a chance to work hands on with relevant material. Examples will be presented from my classroom where difficult concepts have been modeled into simple experiments with considerable success in enhancing student understanding. Special focus will be given to selected topics that students seem to have the most difficulty grasping. The objective is to enable students to transfer their understanding to solve complex problems with considerable ease and apply their understanding to real world scenarios on assessments. Suggestions will also be provided for implementation of various concepts into the high school classroom.

Session A-3: The Yin And Yang Of U.S.-China Relations 1840-Present, Diane Haleas

Professional Learning Day

The United States and China have experienced both difficult relations and positive relations. For over 150 years these interactions between the United States and China have resulted in significant influences on political, economic, and cultural decisions in both countries. This presentation will offer an overview of time periods, emphasize crucial events, and analyze the implications for U.S.-China relations today and in the future. Lesson plan ideas will be included.

Session A-4: Legacy: Enslaved African Muslims In The Americas, Steven Buenning, Elizabeth Buenning

Professional Learning Day

Among the estimated 12.5 million enslaved African persons deported to the Americas, about 10-20% were Muslims. What were their experiences? How did their actions influence life in the Western Hemisphere? What is their legacy today? Through new scholarship, the Transatlantic Slave Trade Database, primary sources, and geography exercises, we will explore how this topic can enrich your teaching of the history of slavery. In addition, books for young readers about Islam and other world religions will be discussed.

Infographic: Workload And Quality Of Teaching, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

A recent school staff workload survey in Victoria, Australia asked teachers to consider 17 demands of quality teaching. Here are some of the results.