Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons^™

A Practical Approach To Building Web Sites In The Classroom, William Robertson

Selected Works Temporary Series

The five-phased process for building Web sites in the classroom may be useful in helping educators facilitate the process of integrating computer technology and the Internet into instruction and curriculum design. The method described is a synthesis of a personal process of discovery, teaching, and learning that has come from practical experience with teachers and students. To effectively utilize this five-phased approach, the instructor must ascertain the final goal, whether it is a curriculum product, Web site, oral presentation, or some other form of demonstration of learning. The identified phases are a set of guiding principles that at any time …

Creating A Critical Mass: The Visiting Teacher Programme, Bernadett L. Dean

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Developing Professional Development Teacher, Fauzia Shamim, Anjum Halai

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Mentoring Student Teachers From A Distance: An Action Research Project, Michael K. Barbour, Anthony Thomas, Jason Ritter

Education Faculty Publications

At a large public university in the south eastern United States, prospective middle and high school social studies teachers complete a four semester undergraduate program that prepares them for the classrooms of America. Like many programs, this one begins with an introductory course that provides students an opportunity to explore questions about the nature, purpose, and practices of social studies in the modern school curriculum. As a part of this course, students also develop a rationale for teaching social studies which is used as a part of admission into the Social Studies Education program. Once they have been admitted to …

A Series Of Teacher Inservice Workshops: Teaching Comprehension Using Informational Text With Intermediate Students, Tracy Lynn Denney

All Graduate Projects

Best practices for teaching comprehension using informational text with intermediate students were researched. Using information and knowledge gained from this research, a series of teacher in-service workshops was created. Subjects addressed in the workshops include differences between narrative and expository text, expository text structures, reading as a metacognitive process, strategies for activating and or building background knowledge, strategies for building vocabulary, and effective use of graphic organizers. The workshops will be presented to the intermediate teaching staff at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Yakima Washington.

School Improvement: A Case From Bangladesh, Yasmeen Bano, Sultan M. Bhuiyan

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Mentoring As An Alternative Approach To In-Service Teacher Education In Balochistan: Some Successes And Challenges, Muhammad Memon, Firdousali Lalwani, Rakhshinda Meher

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

A Study Of The Qualities Of Effective Mentor Teachers, Eileen Mooney Cambria

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

A STUDY OF THE QUALITIES OF EFFECTIVE MENTOR TEACHERS The purpose of this study is to identify the attributes of teachers who are master teachers and exemplary mentors. This qualitative inquiry was designed to shed light on the values, attributes, beliefs and practices of these individuals as they relate to the art of teaching and mentoring novice teachers. A stable faculty provides schools with a strong support structure that enables students to achieve high levels of instruction and new teachers the high quality of mentoring needed during the first phase of their careers. Recruiting new teachers to fill the void …

Clark County School District Attitudes, Perceptions, Barriers, And Desires For Field Trip Experiences, Allison Brody

Education about the Environment

Field trip opportunities are plentiful throughout Clark County, Nevada, including museums, parks, and designated locations within the nearly seven million acres of public lands surrounding the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The majority of these field trip destinations, which this paper will refer to as Informal Education (IE) sites, have education teams that can create and deliver programs and/or tours for classes. Many also offer professional development opportunities for teachers. Although the IE sites are rich in natural and cultural resources and provide abundant opportunities for authentic learning experiences, teachers may not think of some of the sites as prime destinations …

A Practical Approach To Building Web Sites In The Classroom, William Robertson

Departmental Papers (TE)

The five-phased process for building Web sites in the classroom may be useful in helping educators facilitate the process of integrating computer technology and the Internet into instruction and curriculum design. The method described is a synthesis of a personal process of discovery, teaching, and learning that has come from practical experience with teachers and students. To effectively utilize this five-phased approach, the instructor must ascertain the final goal, whether it is a curriculum product, Web site, oral presentation, or some other form of demonstration of learning. The identified phases are a set of guiding principles that at any time …

Science Education On The U.S./Mexico Border: Field-Based Studies For Future Teachers In Bilingual/Binational Schools, William Robertson, Judith Munter, Claudia Garcia

Departmental Papers (TE)

The University of Texas at El Paso’s field-based program of studies for future teachers provides opportunities for powerful learning through a dialectical union of reflection and action. Methods courses in academic disciplines are linked with seminars and coursework on community partnerships, critical pedagogy and culturally responsive education. This article illustrates the processes of planning, implementation and evaluation of this approach, highlighting the impacts of community service learning. Parents, students and future teachers interact in workshops that center on validating native language literacy, increasing parental involvement and providing conceptually correct science education. The project indicates that two-way dual language programs with …

Review Of The Children's And Young Adult Literature Handbook: A Research And Reference Guide, Kathyanne W. Dobda

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

This article is a book review of The Children's and Young Adult Literature Handbook by John Thomas Gillespie

Small Is Healthy: A Guide To Promoting Health In Small Schools, Pat Pridmore, Tashmin Kassam-Khamis

Books

No abstract provided.

Teachers’ Experiences Of Learning Science: A Case Of Autobiographical Reflection, Nelofer Halai

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper analyzes the experience of learning science in school of 34 teachers enrolled in a science methods course in the M.Ed. programme offered by the Aga Khan University, Pakistan. The participants were expected to write their reflections after recalling their experience of learning science in school. The findings reveal that the majority of teachers recalled negative experiences of learning science and that the teaching style of their teachers influenced the way they feel about science even to this day. It follows that if teachers are helped to recall their own experience of learning science in the classroom, it opens …

Creating Independent Learners: Using Inquiry In Pakistani Classrooms, Bernadette L. Dean, Farah Huma

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

The Stress Management Self-Efficacy Inventory (Smsei): Development And Initial Psychometrics, Kristin Higgins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of the current study was to develop, pilot, and establish the initial psychometrics of the Stress Management Self-Efficacy Inventory (SMSEI). Once developed and positive psychometrics established, middle school counselors and other mental health professionals can use the SMSEI to identify children who lack self-efficacy in the area of stress management. Once adolescents are identified as having low stress management self-efficacy, this measure can also aid professionals in creating programs and interventions. The SMSEI measures how well adolescents believe they can manage their stress as well as measures specific areas or management techniques that a child believes they …

Are Middle Years Teacher Education Courses Justifiable?, Terry De Jong, Rod Chadbourne

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

The recent growth of separate middle schools for young adolescents raises the question – do we now need separate teacher education programs in middle schooling? Or, can the staffing requirements of middle schools be met adequately by existing primary and secondary teacher education programs? This paper provides a contribution to answering these questions by discussing the rationale underlying a new graduate diploma in the middle years of schooling offered at Edith Cowan University. In doing so, the paper draws attention to the contested nature of innovations in teacher education and some uncertainty about what the future holds for them.

Native Texan Cultures [7th Grade], Beth Mcphail

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

In this unit, students will explore the basic understanding that geography influences history within the context of Native American cultures. They will begin by finding ways in which geography has influenced their own culture and presenting these connections in a brochure for newcomers to the area. Students will then apply the same concept to the study of native cultures. They will learn about the major tribes and cultural groups that existed in Texas prior to European exploration, and how these cultures reflected the environments in which they lived. The culminating performance assessment will require students to develop a fictional native …

The Giver [8th Grade], Melissa Garza

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Students will explore the implications of a society where personal freedom is eliminated for the benefit of all. Through the use of provocative questions, studies in contemporary issues in their school and nation, and reading of The Giver students will come to terms with their own understanding of this essential question: How much should a government be able to control your individual rights for the benefit of the society? Other essential questions include: Could something intended for the good of society really be bad? What makes an ideal society?

Catastrophic Events [7th Grade], Theodore Risinger

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit focuses on the study of earthquakes and volcanoes as a means for better understanding the dynamic Earth we live on; and the impact of catastrophic events on human life. The student should complete this unit with a greater understanding of Earth's dynamic nature, being able to scientifically explain the cause of earthquakes and volcanoes. Along with the science of volcanoes and earthquakes the student will appreciate the value of scientific study as it relates to the protection of human life and society. This unit is by no means an all inclusive look at all catastrophic events. The goal …

We Can Make A Difference [8th Grade], Lisa Sutherland

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

In this unit students will be reading about a variety of injustices that exist both locally and around the world. Students will be uncovering the understanding that justice is not always a black and white issue and often has more than one perspective it can be seen from. Students will also see examples of individuals who have fought against injustice. Students will practice using their reading skills on both fiction and non-fiction pieces on this topic. Students will also participate in shared inquiry discussion and a debate wrestling with the ideas of justice. In the culminating performance task, students choose …

Texas Revolution [7th Grade], Katharine Givens

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit focuses on the road to the Texas Revolution and the Texas Revolution. The unit begins with Students learning the causes of the Texas Revolution as well as the events that led up to the war. The unit will also focus on the people who were involved in the Texas Revolution. The road to revolution will end with students completing a letter writing activity in which they take on the role of a person living in Texas or Mexico before the revolution and write letters about the problems they are facing. Students will also respond to these letters and …

What Are Rational Numbers? [8th Grade], Catherine Risinger

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

In this pre-algebra unit of rational numbers, students will further their understanding of rational numbers and its application to everyday experiences. Pre-algebra is the stepping stone to high school mathematics. Therefore, it is imperative for students to recognize and demonstrate that there are appropriate situations in which rational numbers should be used and their usefulness to us. In the culminating performance task, students are asked to develop and present a plan for the BBQ that they will be hosting for a specified number of people. The BBQ scenario allows students to apply their knowledge of rational numbers in order to …

Survival Guide: Writing A Personal Narrative [7th Grade], Nilima Patel

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

The goals of this unit are threefold: first, instilling in students a sense of purpose for writing. Too often, students do not understand why it is important to write, and more acutely, they do not understand why it is important for them to write. Secondly, this unit aims to teach students specific strategies to implement when writing that will serve to engage the audience. There are three strategies that develop students writing in very concrete, understandable ways. Lastly, students will recognize the benefit of collaborating with peers when writing. While writing is primarily an individual exercise, this unit will challenge …

Action Research For Female Science Teacher Development: Case Pakistan, Harcharan Pardhan

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Computer Use And Integration Of Middle School Teachers, Susan Panco Medio

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in this study asks: Could it be that teachers who have high integration of computer use have different identifiable characteristics than teachers that have a low integration of computer use?

A data collection instrument was developed and distributed to 56 teachers at Landis Intermediate School in Vineland, New Jersey. The 20 questions on the survey that pertained to computer use and integration were assessed and a score was given to each subject. These scores were used to run independent sample t tests.

As a result of this study it was found that teachers that have a high computer …

Wisdom, Intelligence, And Creativity Synthesized., Susan Daniels

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Wisdom, as explored by Sternberg is the application of successful intelligence and creativity. For thirty years, Dr. Sternberg has been a vocal critic of narrow conceptions of intelligence. In this recent work, he argues that a more comprehensive view of intelligence must go beyond the psychometrically based, IQ-driven views predominant in the last century.

High-Stakes Testing And Special Populations, Gary H. Sherwin, Todd Jennings

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This opinion paper critically examines the use of high-stakes testing on special populations. Without appropriate accommodations, standardized exams are not valid for some students with special needs. Unfortunately, many classroom teachers who must initiate testing accommodations lack knowledge of appropriate accommodations and regularly fail to provide the necessary testing accommodations. The deficit understanding of testing accommodations makes comparisons between classrooms, schools, and districts invalid since some scores loose validity. Solutions specific to standardized testing and students with special needs are offered and a more encompassing solution to the problems incurred from these tests when used for high-stakes is suggested.

High-Stakes Testing And Assessment: One Is Not The Other, Enrique Murillo, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Since the institution of the common school and the advent of universal education, Americans have placed tremendous faith in public schools. Public education cultivates an informed citizenry, one of the pillars of a liberal democracy. But more importantly, schools are a repository for our common dreams of human potential and individual self-actualization. Because they so thoroughly shape the lives and life-chances of our youth, school issues are freighted with an emotional charge. Education remains the last fully public American institution, one in which millions of students cast their common lot daily and strive to become better readers, better citizens, better …

To Wonder, Wander, And Linger In The World Of Standardized Testing, Randall Wright, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

The standards movement began as a nobly-intended effort to establish a core curriculum—a template of knowledge and skills that would guide teaching and learning across the K-12 curriculum. Our attempts to standardize curriculum may have unintended and deleterious side-effect: The atrophying of the mind’s natural tendencies for exploratory play and inherently imaginative dimensions. This paper engages us in a critical remembering of our pedagogical relationships with children. It reminds us of children’s ways of being and asks how we might engage them in a rigorous appreciation of curricular literacies without thwarting their wonderful wanderings. Ultimately, we worry about the place …