Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Supporting Informational Text Comprehension: One Educator’S Scaffolding During Instruction In Kindergarten, Nicole M. Martin

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Educators’ support when using informational text in kindergarten is foundational to children’s comprehension and future learning. Prior research has not offered clear insight into their help when children experience difficulties during informational text comprehension instruction. The current study examined one kindergarten educator’s support. Mrs. Swanson’s teaching was observed two to three times per week for 15 weeks, and lesson artifacts were collected. Discourse analytic coding procedures, constant comparison, and thematic analysis revealed that the educator consistently provided verbal scaffolding but inconsistently supported the individual children who were experiencing comprehension difficulty. An expanded focus on educators’ scaffolding at children’s points of …

The Status Of Phonics Instruction: Learning From The Teachers, Sherry Sanden, Deborah A. Macphee, Luminita Hartle, Stephen Poggendorf, Caleb Zuiderveen

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Increasingly alarmed by instructional mandates more founded on journalistic rhetoric and popular opinion than on research findings or practitioner expertise, researchers gathered survey data from teachers to better understand the status of K–2 phonics instruction. Data demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of these K–2 teachers teach phonics, rely on a published curriculum, and teach phonics in systematic and explicit ways. These findings contradict media assertions that reading classrooms are largely devoid of phonics instruction and that teachers fail to include phonics as an important element of their reading instruction. Implications include calls for researchers to explore what teachers can share …

“Pockets Of Hope”: Changing Representations Of Diversity In Newbery Medal–Winning Titles, Kathleen A. Paciga, Melanie D. Koss

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Newbery Medal–winning books provide cultural models for children’s developing cultural understandings of themselves and others. This article presents results of a critical content analysis that used sociocultural and historical lenses to examine representations of race/ethnicity, gender, and ability of main characters across the Newbery-winning corpus and how these representations have changed over the history of the award, 1922–2019. Findings present a lack of consistent diverse representation across all fields, with increased diverse representation in the most recent decades. The discussion contextualizes findings against historical events. Understanding the representations of diversity in these texts and the historical contexts within which such …

Editorial Review Board

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

No abstract provided.

Wicked²: The Increasing Wickedness Of Educational Developers As Dei Cultural Influencers, Lauri Dietz, China M. Jenkins, Laura Cruz, Amber Handy, Rita Kumar, Rita Kumar, Julia Metzger, Ian Norris

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The global pandemic that began in 2020 amplified the chasm between higher education’s stated goals to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and the systemic realities that many students, instructors, and staff grapple with on a daily basis. We contend that attenuating the barriers to DEI outcomes means first acknowledging that DEI is a wicked problem, in that it is impossible to solve because of competing, conflicting, and complex sociocultural forces from within and outside our institutions. We also contend that educational developers (EDs) are particularly well situated within the higher education ecology to be key cultural influencers in how …

Caring For Our Communities Of Practice In Educational Development, Christopher V. H.-H. Chen, Katherine Kearns, Lynn Eaton, Darren S. Hoffmann, Denise Leonard, Martin Samuels

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Given the backdrop of multiple concurring crises—a global pandemic, political instability and violence, and multiple structural inequalities—we see the problem of now as this: How do educational developers continue to address the wicked problems in teaching and learning when we are simply so exhausted? Our article presents the importance of communities of practice for educational developers, inviting us to witness and name the communities in which we belong; the important functions they engage; who they nurture and how; and what care is undertaken to sustain these groups and ourselves. To help educational developers understand and appreciate the ways that communities …

Contexts For Agency: A Framework For Managing Educational Development Work, Kathleen Landy, Anna L. Bostwick Flaming, Suzanne Tapp, Eric C. Kaldor

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Often working in multiple roles and operating at multiple scales, educational developers deal with layered tensions and a complex context that can be difficult for an individual or team to reconcile. In May 2020, the authors participated in a cross-institutional scholarly project, the Pandemic Educational Development Research Collaborative (PEDRC), designed to explore the impact of multiple crises (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic and our collective civil and political unrest) and associated large-scale instructional changes on educational developers and their work. The Contexts for Agency framework reflects the project’s emergent theme that the circumstances in which we act have considerable influence on …

Building Resilience In Ctls: Reflections On Practice, Lisa J. Hatfield, Julie Maxson, Jennifer Marshall Shinaberger, Hanna E. Norton, Cynthia (Cia) H. Demartino, Annette Finley-Crosswhite, Gigi Gokcek

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

What are the qualities of the “now” that make teaching and learning an urgent, if not a moral, imperative? A group of faculty, administrators, and educational developers respond to this question with individual narratives bound together by a common theme of reflective practice in times of crises to help faculty become more resilient in preparing for ongoing upheavals and unexpected crises while pursuing more inclusive communities. Our personal narratives reflect on the subjects of flexibility in the face of crises, technology and ethics, study abroad exposure to ethical challenges, students’ growing anxiety and mental health, modeling metacognition with peers and …

Taking Teaching And Learning Seriously: Approaching Wicked Consciousness Through Collaboration And Partnership, Adam H. Smith, Laurie L. Grupp, Lindsay Doukopoulos, John C. Foo, Barbara J. Rodriguez, Janel Seeley, Linda M. Boland, Laurel L. Hester

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has demanded large-scale collaboration within all organizations, including higher education, and taking teaching and learning seriously, in this moment, means leveraging partnerships to address the wicked (large, complex) problems cited by Bass (2020). These problems are not ours alone to solve; rather, we make the case for a “wicked consciousness,” an amalgam of perspectives, in educational development. Guided by intellectual humility, our success as educational developers ought to be measured by the quality of our collaborations as well as our ability to learn with others, form equitable partnerships, and lead others by our example.

Toward Institutionalizing Successful Innovations In The Academy, Sarah B. Wise, Courtney Ngai, Joel Christopher Corbo, Mark A. Gammon, Jaclyn K. Rivard, Clara E. Smith

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Due to the “wicked problem” of the Academy’s resistance to innovation, new teaching and learning programs struggle to become integrated into the fabric of the Academy, which slows the uptake of evidence-based practices. This wicked problem is rooted in the lack of slow, intentional mechanisms for cultural change in the Academy. In this article, we analyze the institutionalization journey of the Departmental Action Team (DAT) project, which is a model for slow, intentional change. Over the last four years, partnering with two campus centers for teaching and learning (CTLs) allowed the DAT project to make institutionalization progress.

This analysis is …

Wku Course Evaluations, James W. Barker

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Course evaluations for James W. Barker between Fall 2015 and Spring 2022.

Analyzing The Impact Different Teaching Strategies On Student Learning Outcomes For The Online Graduate Class Soil Chemistry & Mineralogy (Agro/Nres/Soil 455/855), Michael Kaiser Phd

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

In this portfolio teaching materials, activities, and assessments applied in a Soil Chemistry & Mineralogy” online graduate class are analyzed towards their suitability to achieve learning objectives and class goals. For this, data from class surveys, a decision matrix, and individual student feedback are the main sources of information. The survey revealed that the learning objectives are successfully addressed. Lecture videos, quizzes, exams, scientific paper reading assignments, and a review paper assignment were evaluated to be suitable in achieving these objectives. The developed matrix and individual student feedback suggest that the overall student learning satisfaction would benefit from more activities …

From Reflection To Analysis: Languaging Lteracy Teaching And Learning, Lindsey Rowe, Jackie Ridley, Marie Borkowski, Michiko Hikida

Publications

While reflection is generally considered an important part of becoming a teacher, there is no consensus regarding how reflection assignments might be best incorporated into teacher education programs. In this multiple case study, we examine the writing of early-childhood (P-3) preservice teachers who were asked to write either reflections or analytic notes. Using a constant comparative analysis, we found that when asked to write analytic notes rather than reflections, preservice teachers tended to use more evidence to support their claims, but often used language that erased their interpersonal relationships with students. Implications for preservice teacher education programs are …

Examining Middle School Core Teacher Knowledge And Practices In Stem Education, Rachel Brill-Lee

All Theses And Dissertations

Many educational institutions reported challenges with achieving student success in STEM disciplines and attribute these challenges to the lack of knowledge and education among educators on how and what to teach regarding STEM education (Stehle & Peters-Burton, 2019). This qualitative case study explored how core subject teachers outside STEM/CTE education in one middle school in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States view, understand, and integrate STEM education and skills into their curriculum. The study used a combination of Likert surveys and semi-structured interviews to identify themes that may contribute to challenges many educational institutions are experiencing in regard to …

Paraeducator Experience Participating In Professional Development: A Phenomenological Perspective, Loren K. Sickles

Doctor of Education (EdD)

This qualitative research used a phenomenological method to foreground Washington State instructional paraeducator voices describing their experiences participating in state mandated professional development certification program. The participants all received a minimum of 14 hours, out of 98 hours, of the state’s required professional development for the paraeducator certificate program. An unstructured interview method was utilized to allow participants to openly describe their experience participating in the professional development and describe impacts the professional development had on how they understand their role and responsibility as a paraeducator. Analysis of the data was conducted through the lenses of two adult learning theories, …

Nefdc Exhange, Volume 36, Spring 2022, New England Faculty Development Consortium

New England Faculty Development Consortium Exchange

Contents

President's Message, Annie Soisson

A faculty learning community on assessment and equity

Swimming with students: Organizing effective fishbowl discussions

Designers and deliverers: Undergraduates co-creating a flipped and blended college course

Subverting the dominant paradigm: Holistically fostering transformative learning

Additive assessment

Quick tips for teaching and faculty development

Faculty helping faculty: Ten minute takeaway

NEFDC Board members

Developing Critical Cultural Awareness In The Elt Classroom, Akiko Takagi, Aleidine J. Moeller

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

In the current age of globalization, migration, and immigration, integrating interculturality into language instruction is essential in order to prepare language learners to become competent intercultural speakers (Byram, 2020), described as competent communicators (Byram & Zarate, 1996) who engage with complexity and multiple identities and who “avoid the stereotyping which accompanies perceiving someone through a single identity” (Bryam et al., 2002, p. 5). Intercultural speakers are successful not only in communicating information but also in developing human relationships with people of other languages and cultures with whom they live and work. In contrast to monolingual native speakers (NSs), intercultural speakers …

Rpe 70 Syllabus And Course Schedule, Donald Hume

Open Educational Resources

RPE 70 Syllabus and Course schedule. RPE 70 is an introductory methodology course required as part of the concentration in teacher training in Physical Education. This concentration is one three for the AS degree in Physical Education, Recreation/Recreation Therapy and Sport Management, PERRTSM. The course covers an introduction to curriculum and instruction in PE as, well as basic concepts in instructional management of space, time, equipment and students. Standars and recommendations provided by state agencies and professional organizations are also examined and discussed.

Music Is The Intervention: The Intersections Of Music As A Therapeutic Activity In At-Risk Youth, Gladys H. Gonzalez Landaverde

Senior Honors Theses

Across the United States, public schools face many discrepancies in the quality and caliber of education that a student can expect to receive. While schools try to address the vast needs of students, many children and adolescents are unfortunately faced with choosing between prioritizing their education and the circumstances faced outside of the school day. The discrepancies in schooling range from the quality in the commonly accepted core curriculum like English and mathematics to the opportunities offered outside of traditional academia like music. Unfortunately, at-risk students are unlikely to have access to music education in the same ease as their …

Pre-Service Teacher Preparation In Trauma-Informed Pedagogy: A Review Of State Competencies, Nicole C. Reddig, Janet Vanlone

Faculty Journal Articles

Trauma-informed pedagogy recognizes childhood trauma and its influence on students’ behavior, health, and ability to learn. By utilizing trauma- informed pedagogy, teachers can help children who have experienced trauma build resiliency. To determine if pre-service teachers are being trained in trauma-informed pedagogy, a systematic review of state-level teacher competency policies from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. was conducted. These teacher competencies were coded for the presence of elements of trauma-informed pedagogy. The review has shown that five states require teacher training in trauma-informed pedagogy and far more require training in individual elements, including social-emotional learning and cultural responsiveness.

Let Me Check My Notes: Using Interactive Notebooks To Increase Retention Of Basic Math Facts, Chelsey K. Miller

MATL Action Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Classroom Mic Check: Amplifying Student Voice, Anjelika Ashna Saverio

MATL Action Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Increasing Student Interest Through The Explicit Teaching About Women And Bipoc Scientists In The Forensic Science Curriculum, Melissa Shaw Luna

MATL Action Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Sense Of Belonging Through Authentic Caring: Free Up Learning From Prejudgment, Jason Ernest Perenon

MATL Action Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Mathematical Discussions With Linguistically Diverse Students, Cecily Stevens

MATL Action Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Why Won't They Pay Attention? Improving Engagement And Classroom Climate Through Teaching A Conflict Resolution Program, Leeat Medina

MATL Action Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Reflection Types And Students’ Viewing Of Feedback In A First-Year Engineering Course Using Standards-Based Grading, Heidi A. Diefes-Dux, Laura M. Cruz Castro

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: Feedback is one of the most powerful and essential tools for learning and assessment, particularly when it provides the information necessary to close an existing gap between actual and reference levels of performance. The literature on feedback has primarily focused on addressing strategies for providing effective feedback rather than aspects of students’ readiness to engage with feedback. Purpose/Hypothesis: This study investigated whether reflection, as a routine pedagogical intervention grounded in self-regulated learning theory, promotes the frequency with which students view feedback. Design/Method: A quasi-experimental design was employed to examine the relationship between the use of four different reflection types, …

An Evaluation Of Educator Preparedness In Content Area And Disciplinary Literacies In The High School Classroom, Lauren E. Bernat

Dissertations

A secondary education debate that currently exists between the content area and disciplinary literacy is how content area and disciplinary literacy strategies and educator preparedness to teach those components to fit together to further student achievement. The purpose of my study was to evaluate if educators are prepared to teach content area and disciplinary literacy in high school content area classrooms. The context of this evaluation was to seek information from teachers and administrators about how literacy is integrated within high school classrooms in various communities across the United States. My study demonstrated both quantitative and qualitative data that reflect …

An Analysis Of Early Career Educator Experiences And The Impact Of Teacher Recruitment Initiatives, Induction Programs, And Retention Efforts In One School District, John Liddon Pope

Dissertations

The K-12 public education system faces a teacher shortage dilemma of unprecedented proportions. At the onset of the school year, out-of-field teachers, underqualified teachers, or long-term substitutes often fill instructional vacancies, causing many students to begin the school year with uncertainty. Recruiting, training, and retaining highly qualified teachers is critical to student success. The purpose of this study was to analyze early career educator experiences and the impact of teacher recruitment initiatives, induction programs, and retention efforts in one school district, explore common practices in recruitment, induction, and retention in other school districts, and develop strategies and actions to mitigate …

Teachers’ Lived Experiences And Perspectives Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Plans, Susanna J. Brice

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this case study was to examine how teachers from Title 1 elementary schools implemented school-wide positive behavior plans in Northeast Florida. This qualitative study was founded on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). According to TPB, an individual’s behavior can be predicted by attitude and purposes for the behavior. The research participants were six Title 1 elementary school teachers with whom semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather the data. Themes that emerged were professional development, consistency, teacher buy-in, administrative support, and the effectiveness of the plan. Participants indicated the importance of continued support through check-ins, collaborations, professional …