Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

The Effects On Student Understanding When Questioning Techniques Are Used During The Reading Of Informational Text, Ashleyann R. Iannelli

Theses and Dissertations

If students are taught strategies to use when they come across informational texts, then they will be able to apply this information when they come across complex texts. Students not only need to be aware of the strategies, but they need to have the metacognitive ability of when to use the best strategy for the task at hand. In order to determine how student comprehension improves once strategy instruction has been given, I chose to do a survey that focused on questions referring to the children’s metacognitive awareness. I gave that survey in the beginning and then at the end …

Nonfiction Interests And Reading Habits Of Third Grade Students, Kimberly Astacio

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been a push for informational text use in the areas of reading and writing. The Common Core State Standards was introduced in 2009 as an initiative to have all students, no matter where they live, be prepared for college and careers. Further the reading panel of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) requires a high proportion of informational text on its assessments particularly as children advance through the grades. The NAEP (2007) developed a framework to look at the distribution of literary and informational passages. By fourth grade the literary and informational passages are …

Will It Change Their Reflection? A Culturally Responsive Reaction To Literacy Failures, Idalis J. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This teacher research study was conducted in a second grade classroom. The teacher set out to find out: What happens when students who are faced with repeated literacy failures receive culturally responsive instruction in place of basic skills instruction? Children that struggle with reading often receive basic skills support as a form of intervention; yet still struggle in reading and other areas of literacy. Students often develop a negative identify of themselves as a reader and this leads to diminish and sometimes a lack of self-efficacy. The students in this study are at risk for falling below grade level in …

Brains In Pain Cannot Learn!, Lori Desautels

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

Educators want nothing more than for our students to feel successful and excited to learn, and to understand the importance of their education. We want our students' attention and respect to match our own. I believe that most if not all of our students desire the same, but walking through our classroom doors are beautifully complex youth who are neurobiologically wired to feel before thinking.

How To Con Your Teacher, Bernice M. Wilson

Thought and Practice: (1987-1991) the Journal of the Graduate School of Bank Street College of Education

Describes how specific and detailed instruction in social awareness is as important to teaching the child with learning problems as the teaching of reading.

The "Concept Teaching" Game: A Rationale, Hal Melnick

Thought and Practice: (1987-1991) the Journal of the Graduate School of Bank Street College of Education

Teachers recognize the importance of motivation in successful children's learning and are looking for approaches to mathematics teaching that promote strong, positive feelings toward the subject. Thus, learning games have once again become part of the instructional repertoire.

The Value Of Re-Reading...Again And Again, Bernice M. Wilson

Thought and Practice: (1987-1991) the Journal of the Graduate School of Bank Street College of Education

Describes the importance of allowing children to re-read their favorite books.

The Fisher-Landau/Dalton Program: A Pilot Study Of Teachers' Perceptions Of Learning Disabilities, Herbert Zimiles, Sylvia Ross

Thought and Practice: (1987-1991) the Journal of the Graduate School of Bank Street College of Education

Describes the two major objectives of the Fisher-Landau program at Dalton: 1. To achieve early identification of specific learning abilities in otherwise intellectually gifted children in order to help them compensate for and thereby forestall some of their difficulties and academic defeats earlier in their school careers, and 2. to improve the effectiveness with which schools are able to meet the educational and developmental needs of learning-disabled children.

The Master Teacher: A Personal Reflection, Carol Hillman

Thought and Practice: (1987-1991) the Journal of the Graduate School of Bank Street College of Education

Describes that working with young children requires an attitude based on willingness to grow, one that puts the teacher as well as the children in the role of the learner.

The Role Of The Teacher In The Interdisciplinary Team, Sue S. Suratt

Thought and Practice: (1987-1991) the Journal of the Graduate School of Bank Street College of Education

Describes the author's impression that teachers are inadequately prepared to assume leadership roles in clinical settings, especially as members of interdisciplinary teams.

Front Matter

Thought and Practice: (1987-1991) the Journal of the Graduate School of Bank Street College of Education

No abstract provided.

What Can The Lit Lab Do For You? A Qualitative Analysis Of High School Literacy Lab Participants, Bridget P. Jaensch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to document the changes in student progress, motivation, and achievement. The specific aim is to see what happens when students replace a traditional study hall with small group guided instruction in a literacy lab. Motivation profiles, goal setting, and reflection are all analyzed. The focus group of students demonstrated changes in how they viewed themselves as learners and in their academic endeavor to achieve goals. The implications for teaching in a literacy lab environment are discussed.

High School General Education Teachers' Perception Of Iep Accommodations For Students With Asperger Syndrome, Mary Patricia Krones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative design study was to better understand the experiences of high school general education English teachers who have students with Asperger Syndrome in their classes. More specifically, this researcher wanted to better understand the teacher's perception of the IEP-denoted accommodations the general education teachers are responsible for implementing. Data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, journal entries and collection of artifacts. Findings of this study include: the IEP document and IEP process from the lens of the general education teacher do not provide adequate information when considering the unique needs of students with Asperger Syndrome; …

The Schema-Building Lesson Plan, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

There are a variety of lesson plan forms. Different kinds of lessons call for different kinds of lesson plan formats. This article describes what I believed to be the basic elements necessary to effectively teach a schema-building lesson. A schema (plural is schemata) is an organized body of knowledge in our head. If long term memory were a file cabinet, schemata would be the individual file folders.

The Papers Of Dorothy Brandfon, Brooklyn College

Finding Aids

This collection covers two periods in Dorothy Brandfon’s life: (1) her education at Brooklyn College and New York University, (2) her early years of teaching high school in the New York City schools.

Dorothy was editor-in-chief for the Brooklyn Literary Magazine. Included in this collection are two copies of the Magazine dated May, 1931 #2. Located here are several letters that from the administration of Brooklyn College expressing praise on the content. Boylan himself commented that the issue is “quite attractive and has considerable merit.” Brandfon’s diploma from Brooklyn College is included. An interesting section in this collection is the …

Are We Teaching Them Anything?: A Model For Measuring Methodology Skills In The Political Science Major, Christi Siver, Seth W. Greenfest, G. Claire Haeg

Political Science Faculty Publications

While the literature emphasizes the importance of teaching political science students methods skills, there currently exists little guidance for how to assess student learning over the course of their time in the major. To address this gap, we develop a model set of assessment tools that may be adopted and adapted by political science departments to evaluate the effect of their own methods instruction. The model includes a syllabi analysis, evaluation of capstone (senior) papers, and a transcript analysis. We apply these assessment tools to our own department to examine whether students demonstrate a range of basic-to-advanced methodological skills. Our …

Called To Serve: A Choice To Teach In A High-Need School, Bradley Lichtfuss

Student Presentations

This project examined the current intent of undergraduate students here at St. Norbert College, specifically looking at where they intend to teach. It also examined how they would respond to financial incentives to join an urban education program and go and teach in a high-need school for three years.

Impact Of Collaborative Teaching On K-12 Mathematics And Science Learning, Tonya D. Jeffery, Cherie A. Mccollough, Kim Moore

Faculty Publications

A national effort is underway to transform teacher education program practices and produce effective and highly qualified teachers for 21st century classrooms. This effort prescribes providing preservice teachers (PSTs) with authentic field-based experiences that connects what is taught in teacher preparation programs with what they do in the K-12 classroom. Bridging the gap between theory and practice requires that teacher education programs collaborate with schools districts, redesigning teacher training to better serve prospective teachers and their students (NCATE, 2010). This paper describes a mixed-methods study examining the impact of a STEM site-based professional development program (TEX) on the math and …

Integration Of Place-Based Education Into Science Classes From Prekindergarten Through Grade 5, Terri A. Wade-Lyles

The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership Publications

Abstract In a large urban district in Ohio, 29.2% of Grade 5, 28.7% of Grade 8, and 45.7% of Grade 10 students passed the state test in science. School district administrators formed a community partnership with local science institutions in order to provide students with hands-on place-based learning experiences intended to improve science academic achievement in PK-Grade 5. The purpose of this qualitative program evaluation was to determine the level of implementation of that place-based program by examining the efficacy of the teachers’ embedded professional development and their experiences with the training components. Bruner’s theory of cognitive development was used …

Impact Of An Eportfolio Faculty Learning Community On Course Design And Student Learning: A Progress Report On A Case Study, Devshikha Bose

University Author Recognition Bibliography: 2016

The purpose of this paper is to present a progress report on a case study which documents faculty perceptions regarding the impact of a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) on the pedagogical applications of ePortfolios in course design. The study will also document faculty perceptions on how changes made/planned to course design as a result of participation in the FLC may impact student learning. A post-completion electronic survey and a focus group meeting will be used to collect data from nine research participants. Initial observations made by FLC facilitators are reported and implications for future iterations of a similar FLC are …

Citizen Journalist To Activist: The Language Behind Black Lives Matter, Valeriana Colon

Teaching and Learning Publications

This study explores the discourse surrounding an event in the social movement, Black Lives Matter_, to gain insights into how digital literacy practices influence and mediate participation in the 21st century civil rights movement for a new generation of activist. This study examines three points of engagement, (1) the experience of the event as it is initially interpreted and shared online, (2) the intermingling of consciousness through social media, and (3) the post social media interpretation and action. Data was collected from Twitter analyzed using discourse analysis.

New Era Of Teaching, Learning, And Technology: Teachers’ Perceived Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge And Self-Efficacy Towards Differentiated Instruction, Robin A. Millen, Robert Gable

K-12 Education

Shifting from an industrial model of education to a model that best provides students with differentiated instruction (Tomlinson, 2014) requires educational philosophical change (Fullan, 2014) as well as innovation diffusion (Rogers, 2003). The problem is not the amount of research that exists on differentiation, the diffusion of innovations, or the change process. The problem is what new technological pedagogical content knowledge (Koehler & Mishra, 2008) do educators need to make this change process happen? How is this knowledge communicated to finally change the “fundamental processes of schooling” (Elmore, 1996, p. 4)?

This sequential, mixed-methods study addressed the following condensed research …

Aligning Professional Development To An Educator Evaluation System To Support Teachers, Kathleen A. Torregrossa, Robert K. Gable

K-12 Education

The professional development (PD) opportunities for teachers in a K-12 district were examined to determine the extent to which they related to, and supported, the teachers’ rating on their evaluations. This district addressed teacher evaluation and teacher professional development jointly with their local and state level teachers’ unions with the collective “conception of teacher evaluation as part of a teaching and learning system that supports continuous improvement” (Darling-Hammond, 2014, p. 5).

This mixed-methods study examined the perceived confidence of educators in relation to their PD needs and their evaluation standards utilizing an online questionnaire and a focus group to address …

Closing The Gap Between Technological And Best Practice Innovations: Tpack And Di, Robin A. Millen, Robert Gable

K-12 Education

Implementing differentiated instruction with the fast changing landscape of technology is a complex process (Fullan, 2014; Tomlinson; 2014) and requires widespread diffusion of multiple innovations by educators (Meyer, 2004). However, most U.S. classrooms remain stagnant in their attempts to successfully incorporate innovative pedagogies (Darling-Hammond, 2010; November, 2014; Prensky, 2010; Robinson, 2011). Thus Fullan (2014) reported, “The time is right to bring together knowledge of systems change, new pedagogies and technologies that allow change to scale through diffusion” (p. 13).

To understand this problem, this pragmatic, mixed-methods study (Creswell, 2009) collected data through the following condensed research questions: What are the …

Jumping Into The Abyss:Life After The Doctorate, Felice D. Billups

Higher Education

This multi-phase phenomenological study explored doctoral graduates‟ perceptions of self, identity and adjustment in the post-dissertation phase, using Neugarten‟s (1978) Adult Development Theory and Lachman‟s (2004) Midlife Development Theory to frame the findings. This third and final phase probed doctoral degree graduates‟ personal reflections and „crossroad‟ stories to highlight the commonalities of this adjustment phase for all participants. While considerable research has been conducted on currently enrolled doctoral students, it has focused predominantly on Ph.D. graduates (Baird, 1997; D‟Andrea, 2002; Di Pierro, 2007). Minimal research, however, has been conducted on Ed.D. graduates, already actively engaged as working professionals, where the …

A Comparison Of Professional Development Needs Of Beginning Teachers In West Virginia Schools, Carla A. Warren

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this research is to share findings about the perceptions of beginning teachers and mentor teachers throughout West Virginia regarding the professional development topics and skills that are most critical to the success of new teachers. In addition, this study provides data regarding perceptions of goals that are most important in the design of professional development and the most beneficial professional development delivery models for beginning teachers. Responses are used to examine the perceptions of mentors and beginning teachers regarding the professional development needs of beginning teachers. The West Virginia Center for Professional Development provides staff development targeted …

Preschool To School: Transition Through The Eyes Of Teachers, Ruthann Arneson

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This qualitative comparative case study conducted in two West Virginia school systems examined the factors that regulate the implementation of transition practices from pre-k into kindergarten from the perspective of pre-k and kindergarten teachers. The participants’ perceptions were explored in relation to teacher practices, school practices, and practices with families in both pre-k and kindergarten classrooms. The study investigated what teachers perceived to be barriers and/or inducements relating to the implementation of transition practices. Findings were based on interviews with pre-k and kindergarten teachers from the two counties. One county participated in a year-long professional development intervention on transitions; the …

Re-Professionalizing Teachers: Earning A Seat And A Voice At The Table, Donna Diane Hage

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This study explored the perceptions of teachers, the current culture of teaching, and ways to regain influence within the teaching profession. Some scholarly researchers have begun to analyze and critique this current culture of deprofessionalization of teachers (Barantovich, 2006; Beijaard, Meijer and Verloop, 2004; Bolton and Muzio, 2008; Boote, 2006; Duncan, 2009; Goldstein, 2014; Ingersoll and Merrill, 2012; Ingersoll and Perda, 2012; Ingersoll and Perda, 2008, Kuhn, 2014; Labaree, 1992; Lee, 1995; Lortie, 1975; Milner, 2013; Ravitch, 2011; Rooney, 2015; Sachs, 2001; Wills and Haymore Sandholtz, 2009). Very little is known, however, about how teachers themselves are experiencing this phenomenon …

Revisiting The Writing Process: The Teacher Writer In The Workshop, Alice L. Trupe Ph.D., Jenny M. Martin Ph.D.

Teacher Education Program Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Socialization To Academic Language In A Kindergarten Classroom, Colleen E. Gallagher

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Recognizing the importance of academic language for students’ success in schools, this article reports on an investigation of how narrative-focused literacy events in the classroom provide opportunities for academic language socialization. Data were collected from one public elementary school in a major metropolitan area in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Participants include an intact kindergarten class of 16 students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their teacher. The results of the investigation revealed that sharing time provides opportunities for socialization to academic register through: (1) requiring that students successfully navigate the academic language demands of the interaction, …