Peer group reflection helps clinical teachers to critically reflect on their teaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Boerboom, Tobias B B; Jaarsma, Debbie; Dolmans, Diana H J M; Scherpbier, Albert J J A; Mastenbroek, Nicole J J M; Van Beukelen, Peter

2011-01-01

Student evaluations can help clinical teachers to reflect on their teaching skills and find ways to improve their teaching. Studies have shown that the mere presentation of student evaluations is not a sufficient incentive for teachers to critically reflect on their teaching. We evaluated and compared the effectiveness of two feedback facilitation strategies that were identical except for a peer reflection meeting. In this study, 54 clinical teachers were randomly assigned to two feedback strategies. In one strategy, a peer reflection was added as an additional step. All teachers completed a questionnaire evaluating the strategy that they had experienced. We analysed the reflection reports and the evaluation questionnaire. Both strategies stimulated teachers to reflect on feedback and formulate alternative actions for their teaching practice. The teachers who had participated in the peer reflection meeting showed deeper critical reflection and more concrete plans to change their teaching. All feedback strategies were considered effective by the majority of the teachers. Strategies with student feedback and self-assessment stimulated reflection on teaching and helped clinical teachers to formulate plans for improvement. A peer reflection meeting seemed to enhance reflection quality. Further research should establish whether it can have lasting effects on teaching quality.

Aquaculture. Teacher Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Susan S.

This color-coded guide was developed to assist teachers in helping interested students plan, build, stock, and run aquaculture facilities of varied sizes. The guide contains 15 instructional units, each of which includes some or all of the following basic components: objective sheet, suggested activities for the teacher, instructor supplements,…

Transactional Relations between Motivational Beliefs and Help Seeking from Teachers and Peers across Adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Amemiya, Jamie; Wang, Ming-Te

2017-08-01

Adolescents often avoid seeking academic help when needed, making it important to understand the motivational processes that support help seeking behavior. Using expectancy-value theory as a framework, this study examined transactional relations between motivational beliefs (i.e., academic self-concept or academic importance) and seeking help from teachers and peers across adolescence (i.e., from approximately age 12 to 17 years). Data were collected from 1479 adolescents (49% female; 61.9% African American, 31.2% European American, 6.9% other race). Analyses were conducted with cross-lagged panel models using three waves of data from seventh, ninth, and eleventh grade. Results indicated that both academic self-concept and academic importance were associated with increases in teacher help seeking in earlier adolescence, but were associated only with increases in peer help seeking in later adolescence. Help-seeking behavior positively influenced motivational beliefs, with teacher help seeking increasing academic self-concept earlier in adolescence and peer help seeking increasing academic importance later in adolescence. These transactional relations differed by adolescents' prior achievement and racial background, but not by adolescents' gender.

Approaches to Building Teacher-Parent Cooperation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franc Cankar

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to explore the areas of cooperation inwhich parent and teacher expectations were the same and where they differed. Data were obtained from a sample of 55 randomly selected primary schools. We analyzed school-to home communications, parentalinfluence on school decisions, and parent involvement in different school activities. At the same time, we also explored building cooperation among the teachers, students, and their parents, within the framework of the program ‘Reading and Conversation’. The findings indicated that the third- and ninth- grade lead teachers were mostly in agreement about the importance of parent involvement and as such represented a fairly homogenous group. The third-grade lead teachers were more open about actual involvement of parents in instruction than their ninth-grade colleagues, who were more cautious and restrained. In contrast to the lead teachers who represented a relatively narrow professional group, parents’ views were much more diverse. Parental education was the best predictor of their readiness to become involved in the life and work of their children’s school. Whether the area in which the families lived was urban or suburban did not make any difference. The evaluation of the one-year ‘Reading and Conversation’ programme revealed increases in parents’motivation to collaborate with the school as a consequence of the program’s approach to work, as well as improvement in mutual relationships and dialogue.

CAPACITY BUILDING OF TEACHERS THROUGH DISTANCE MODE USING TELECONFERENCEING AS AN INNOVATIVE TOOL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manas RANJAN PANIGRAHI

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA is a national programme to the goals of Universalization of Elementary Education in India. Distance Education Programme (DEP plays a major role in providing technical support to the states in building capacity among institutions and people at national, state, district and sub-district levels to design, develop, produce and deliver distance learning inputs and materials in a recurrent manner. Rajasthan Council of Primary Education, Jaipur and DEP-SSA, IGNOU, New Delhi has organized 07 content based teleconferences during the period January, 2005 to October, 2005 for the capacity building of elementary school teachers. The main Objective of the study was to find out the effectiveness of the capacity building of teachers through distance mode using teleconferencing as an innovative tool. Method: the researcher was used survey method under descriptive research for investigating the impact of teleconference programmes organized on different topics and areas. Sample: The sample consists of 4775 elementary school teachers as participants from the different learning ends of the Rajasthan were selected for the study. Tools: The DEP-SSA, IGNOU developed structured opinionnaire/feedback format to know the effectiveness of teleconference programme. Data analysis: The collected data were tabulated and analyzed with the percentage techniques and it is presented in table. Finding: Most of the teacher respondents agreed on the positive contribution of teleconferencing towards capacity building of teachers.

Computer-facilitated community building for E-learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijholt, Antinus; Petrushin, V.; Kommers, Petrus A.M.; Kinshuk, X.; Galeev, I.

2002-01-01

This is a short survey of tools and ideas that are helpful for community building for E-learning. The underlying assumption in the survey is that community building for students and teachers in a joint learning and teaching situation is useful. Especially student-student interaction in student life

Technology for curriculum and teacher development : Software to help educators learn while designing teacher guides

NARCIS (Netherlands)

McKenney, Susan

2005-01-01

This article describes research on the quality of a computer program designed to help secondary level science teachers in southern Africa create exemplary paper-based lesson materials. Results of this study show that the content, support, and interface of the program combine to form a tool that is

Commentary: Building Web Research Strategies for Teachers and Students

Science.gov (United States)

Maloy, Robert W.

2016-01-01

This paper presents web research strategies for teachers and students to use in building Dramatic Event, Historical Biography, and Influential Literature wiki pages for history/social studies learning. Dramatic Events refer to milestone or turning point moments in history. Historical Biographies and Influential Literature pages feature…

Lessons from the Other Side of the Teacher's Desk: Discovering Insights to Help Language Learners

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Westbrook, Frances

2011-01-01

Most language teachers become teachers because they are fascinated by language. They like the way languages work, they are intrigued by differences between their native tongues and other languages, and they enjoy the process of helping their students learn. Most language teachers have had positive experiences as language students themselves…

A recommendation module to help teachers build courses through the Moodle Learning Management System

Science.gov (United States)

Limongelli, Carla; Lombardi, Matteo; Marani, Alessandro; Sciarrone, Filippo; Temperini, Marco

2016-01-01

In traditional e-learning, teachers design sets of Learning Objects (LOs) and organize their sequencing; the material implementing the LOs could be either built anew or adopted from elsewhere (e.g. from standard-compliant repositories) and reused. This task is applicable also when the teacher works in a system for personalized e-learning. In this case, the burden actually increases: for instance, the LOs may need adaptation to the system, through additional metadata. This paper presents a module that gives some support to the operations of retrieving, analyzing, and importing LOs from a set of standard Learning Objects Repositories, acting as a recommending system. In particular, it is designed to support the teacher in the phases of (i) retrieval of LOs, through a keyword-based search mechanism applied to the selected repositories; (ii) analysis of the returned LOs, whose information is enriched by a concept of relevance metric, based on both the results of the searching operation and the data related to the previous use of the LOs in the courses managed by the Learning Management System; and (iii) LO importation into the course under construction.

School-University-Community Pathways to Higher Education: Teacher Perceptions, School Culture and Partnership Building

Science.gov (United States)

Alemán, Enrique, Jr.; Freire, Juan A.; McKinney, Ashley; Delgado Bernal, Dolores

2017-01-01

This article provides a snapshot in time of teacher perceptions, school culture, and partnership building. We delineate how teachers perceive our partnership's purpose and its role in transforming school culture. Second, we describe how teachers express the life expectations they have and the possibilities they hope for their students and the…

Structural analysis of reactor buildings with help of complete FE models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz, B.E.; Vaz, L.E.; Martha, L.F.R.; Costa, E.

1984-01-01

The reinforced concrete structures located within the steel containment shell of a Reactor Building are formed by highly complex structures subjected to a large amount of actions due to different causes. The analysis of this complex structure can be performed with help of small models, each one representing a part of the global structure. The interaction effects among the partial models are accounted for in approximate way. This approach has been used previously with entire success in the design of 1300 MW PWR nuclear power plants. However a new and entire different approach can be used in the design of these structures. The entire assembly of structural elements of the building is represented and analyzed with help of a single and very large FE model. This paper will present the main characteristics of this type of analysis as well as all the necessary procedures, which must be implemented for the proper data processing of the forces and the automatic reinforced concrete design of the structural elements of the Reactor Building. (Author) [pt

Building Relationships Step by Step: One Teacher Leader's Journey

Science.gov (United States)

Mangin, Melinda M.

2010-01-01

This case describes how Hannah, a new math specialist, strives to create a positive math culture in her elementary school. Along the way, she works to build relationships with the teachers and the school principal. The accompanying teaching notes facilitate analysis of the case from the perspective of professional relationships in schools.

Listening to Music: Helping Children Regulate Their Emotions and Improve Learning in the Classroom

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Foran, Lucille M.

2009-01-01

Early education teachers are familiar with using music and rhythm as tools for learning language and building memory. However, the potential of music to help across all special education settings is largely unexplored. Work with music has been widely judged helpful in cases of psychological trauma, yet people do not know why it is helpful. The…

The Role of Learning Goals in Building a Knowledge Base for Elementary Mathematics Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Jansen, Amanda; Bartell, Tonya; Berk, Dawn

2009-01-01

In this article, we describe features of learning goals that enable indexing knowledge for teacher education. Learning goals are the key enabler for building a knowledge base for teacher education; they define what counts as essential knowledge for prospective teachers. We argue that 2 characteristics of learning goals support knowledge-building…

Teacher-Education Students' Views about Knowledge Building Theory and Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Huang-Yao; Chen, Fei-Ching; Chai, Ching Sing; Chan, Wen-Ching

2011-01-01

This study investigated the effects of engaging students to collectively learn and work with knowledge in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment called Knowledge Forum on their views about knowledge building theory and practice. Participants were 24 teacher-education students who took a required course titled "Integrating Theory…

CoRes utilization for building PCK in pre-service teacher education on the digestive system topic

Science.gov (United States)

Nugraha, Ikmanda

2017-05-01

Knowledge of teachers in learning activities in the classroom has a close relationship with how well and how much students learn. Recently, a promising development in teacher education has appeared that centers on the academic construct of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This study was an exploratory study into a science teacher education program that seeks to build the foundations on which pre-service teachers can begin to build their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The program involved the use of Content Representations (CoRes), which was initially applied as component of a strategy for exploring and gaining insights into the PCK of in-service science teachers. This study involved the researcher and 20 students (third year) in a pre-service teacher education course (School Science I) in science education when the students worked to make content analysis on the digestive system topic. During the course, the students make their own CoRes through a workshop for digestive system topic individually, in pairs and whole class discussion. Data were recorded from students' CoRes, student reflective journals, interviews, and field notes recorded in the researcher's reflective journal. Pre-service teachers' comments from interviews and reflective journals were coded in relation to references about: (1) the effectiveness of variety strategies in building the knowledge bases required to design a CoRes and (2) their awareness and/or development of tentative components of future PCK for a digestive system topic as a result of CoRes construction. Observational data were examined for indications of increasing independence and competency on the part of student teachers when locating appropriate information for designing their CoRes. From this study, it is hoped that the pre-service science teachers are able to build knowledge and then transform it into a form of PCK for digestive system topic for their first classroom planning and teaching to teach digestive system

Digital portfolio in building teaching efficacy of pre-service teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cimermanová Ivana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper discusses the role of e-portfolio in the development of reflective thinking in a group of pre-service English as a foreign language teachers. It stresses the benefits it can bring (e.g. autonomous learning, cooperative learning - the author highlights the social context of e-portfolio as well as presents the threats and risks it might bring based on the own experience of the author. The results of this case study showed that the process of e-portfolio building can enhance professional development, self-confidence and the ability to self-reflect own work and progress. The author indicates also the possibilities of its use not only in the groups of pre-service teacher trainers but also in the groups of in-service teachers.

Building a Community among Teachers, Researchers and University Students. A Blended Approach to Training

Science.gov (United States)

Cesareni, Donatella; Martini, Francesca; Mancini, Ilaria

2011-01-01

In this paper we present a case study about a community of practice's foundation and development among Italian teachers, researchers and university students who participated in a European project aimed at developing and testing innovative pedagogical models and technologies for collaborative knowledge building. Forty-five people (34 teachers, five…

Help provided by school counsellor to teachers and students in behaviour management at secondary school

OpenAIRE

Atıcı, Meral; Çekici, Ferah

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the views of teachers, school counsellors, and students on counsellor help for dealing with misbehaviour at school. Qualitative data were collected from counsellors, teachers and students using interviews to address the research questions. Five counsellors, 20 teachers and 35 students in five high schools with a low socioeconomic level in Adana, Turkey, participated in the study. Data were analysed by using a content analysis technique. Results sho...

Helping Foster Children in School: A Guide for Foster Parents, Social Workers and Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

DeGarmo, John

2015-01-01

"Helping Foster Children in School" explores the challenges that foster children face in schools and offers positive and practical guidance tailored to help the parents, teachers and social workers supporting them. Children in care often perform poorly at school both in terms of their behavior and their academic performance, with many…

Fighting Baddies and Collecting Bananas: Teachers' Perceptions of Games-Based Literacy Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Gerber, Hannah R.; Price, Debra P.

2013-01-01

This paper discusses how practicing teachers conceptualize commercial off the shelf (COTS) videogames within classroom-based English language arts instruction. Understanding how today's teachers perceive virtual worlds and videogames as an instructional tool for schema building within literacy development will help researchers better understand…

Helping Immigrants Become Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Flynn

2001-01-01

Describes Newcomers Entering Teaching, a program designed by the Portland (Maine) Public Schools to prepare recent immigrants and refugees to enter local university's 9-month teacher-certification program. (PKP)

The ASSISTments Ecosystem: Building a Platform That Brings Scientists and Teachers Together for Minimally Invasive Research on Human Learning and Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Heffernan, Neil T.; Heffernan, Cristina Lindquist

2014-01-01

The ASSISTments project is an ecosystem of a few hundred teachers, a platform, and researchers working together. Development professionals help train teachers and get teachers to participate in studies. The platform and these teachers help researchers (sometimes explicitly and sometimes implicitly) simply by using content the teacher selects. The…

A Collaborative Approach to Helping Teacher Education Faculty Model Technology Integration in Their Courses: An Informal Case.

Science.gov (United States)

Zachariades, Iacovos; Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth

1995-01-01

Describes an innovative and collaborative approach to helping teacher educators better prepare preservice teachers to utilize technology for effective instruction. A mentoring program that paired graduate students in instructional technology with interested faculty members is discussed, and attitudes of the mentors and the faculty members are…

Teacher Practice and Pedagogical Competence Building in a Digitally Permeated Learning Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Levinsen, Karin Tweddell

2017-01-01

Teachers in Danish primary schools face new professional challenges because digital learning environments are changing the professional practices regarding pedagogy, classroom management and the agency, roles and relationships between students and teachers. This paper presents the results from...... a qualitative research and development study conducted as an action research-based case study. The study aimed to explore the impact on teachers’ practice in a digitally permeated learning environment and to identify areas for their competence building. The research questions were as follows: 1) What options...... research, the researcher and the teachers collaboratively discussed the emerging challenges regarding the students' ability to take on responsibility and agence, and explored new practices and methods. The anthropological data collection methods included observation and thick description, informal...

Conflicts and Contradictions: Conceptions of Empathy and the Work of Good-Intentioned Early Career White Female Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Warren, Chezare A.

2015-01-01

Empathy is theorized to help teachers build strategic student--teacher relationships, develop productive parent partnerships, and acquire professionally informed social and cultural perspectives of students and families. However, this literature offers little empirical evidence regarding how practicing teachers conceive of and enact empathy in…

Re-Inventing Teachers' Competences at Early Childhood Education in Building Characters Needed for Global Competition

OpenAIRE

Machmud, Karmila

2015-01-01

The goal of this paper is to elaborate and to re-invent the competencies needed by early childhood education teachers. Building children’s character from an early age is significant, but the main problem that is often overlooked is the contribution of Early Childhood Education teachers. Children’s character formation is largely determined by the quality of early childhood teachers. So if we want to instill character values required by our nations, the improvement of the quality of early child...

Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: A Guide for Teachers and Other School Personnel

Science.gov (United States)

... for stress and can help build confidence and self-esteem. Communication with parents and healthcare professionals Teachers usually get ... in the life of the school. teaching assertiveness, communication, and problem-solving skills that will help the child make sound decisions ...

A school mental health literacy curriculum resource training approach: effects on Tanzanian teachers' mental health knowledge, stigma and help-seeking efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kutcher, Stan; Wei, Yifeng; Gilberds, Heather; Ubuguyu, Omary; Njau, Tasiana; Brown, Adena; Sabuni, Norman; Magimba, Ayoub; Perkins, Kevin

2016-01-01

Mental health literacy (MHL) is foundational for mental health promotion, prevention, stigma reduction, and care; School supported information pertaining to MHL in sub-Saharan Africa is extremely limited, including in Tanzania. Successful application of a school MHL curriculum resource may be an effective way to increase teacher MHL and therefore help to improve mental health outcomes for students. Secondary school teachers in Tanzania were trained on the African Guide (AG) a school MHL curriculum resource culturally adapted from a Canadian MHL resource (The Guide) for use in Africa. Teacher training workshops on the classroom application of the AG were used to evaluate its impact on mental health literacy in a sample of Tanzanian Secondary school teachers. Pre-post training assessment of participant knowledge and attitudes was conducted. Help-seeking efficacy for teachers themselves and their interventions for students, friends, family members and peers were determined. Paired t test (n = 37) results demonstrate highly significant improvements in teacher's overall knowledge (p Teachers' stigma against mental illness decreased significantly following the training (p teacher's overall knowledge (p Teachers also reported high rates (greater than ¾ of the sample) of positive help-seeking efficacy for themselves as well as for their students, friends, family members and peers. As a result of the training, the number of students teachers identified for potential mental health care totaled over 200. These positive results, when taken together with other research, suggest that the use of a classroom-based resource (the AG) that integrates MHL into existing school curriculum through training teachers may be an effective and sustainable way to increase the MHL (improved knowledge, decreased stigma and positive help-seeking efficacy) of teachers in Tanzania. As this study replicated the results of a previous intervention in Malawi, consideration could be given to

The Financial Education Tool Kit: Helping Teachers Meet State- Mandated Personal Finance Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

St. Pierre, Eileen; Richert, Charlotte; Routh, Susan; Lockwood, Rachel; Simpson, Mickey

2012-01-01

States are recognizing the need for personal financial education and have begun requiring it as a condition for high school graduation. Responding to teacher requests to help them meet state-mandated financial education requirements, FCS educators in the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service developed a financial education tool kit. This article…

Developing a workable teacher identity: Building and negotiating identity within a professional network

Science.gov (United States)

Rostock, Roseanne

these beginning teachers work to negotiate a workable professional identity that may sustain them in a teaching career. In addition, they help us understand how a support network like KSTF can serve as a resource for helping new teachers construct professional identities, therefore addressing some of the issues that may lead to attrition among this population of new teachers.

Building and Leading a Learning Culture among Teachers: A Case Study of a Shanghai Primary School

Science.gov (United States)

Haiyan, Qian; Walker, Allan; Xiaowei, Yang

2017-01-01

A positive teacher learning culture is important to effect meaningful changes in schools. Literature has established that successful school leaders can build and nurture learning cultures among teachers. However, less is known about how school leaders can shape the culture and make learning conditions happen at the schools in the Chinese education…

Helping technophobic teachers ease the burden of marking with easy-to-use online quizzes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIP Paul Chi Hong

2008-12-01

Full Text Available A number of studies have shown that teacher stress was due to teachers spending long hours in marking their students’ work such as quizzes and examination papers from large class sizes. With this problem in mind, a new web 2.0 technology has emerged, Quiz Center supported by DiscoverySchool.com which can help technophobic teachers make a free and easy-to-use online quiz. Online quizzes can be automatically marked by a script or managed by a server. In this paper, the following sections were addressed:1 the need for using online quizzes to ease the burden of teachers:2 the definitions of different types of online quizzes and the advantages and reasons for using them;3 the reasons for using Quiz Center from DiscoverySchool.com; 4 a sharing of how I made an online multiple-choice email quiz with Quiz Center from the perspective of a technophobic teacher; and 5 a discussion on the limitations, recommendations and implications for using online quizzes.

SCHOOL and WORK. HOW TO HELP TEACHERS AND STUDENTS COPE WITH CHANGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Anca COLIBABA

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The School and Work project (2014-1-UK01-KA204-000071, co-financed by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme, intends to capitalise the existing results of previous European projects addressing the early school leaving issue with a view to establish a more concrete and effective cooperation between schools and the world of work, which will enhance students’motivation to learn and complete their studies. The article introduces e-learning resources focusing on strategies teachers could use in order to help students unveil their interests and aptitudes. This will enable teachers plan and implement personalized educational paths and guidance services and valorize students' talents through curricular and extracurricular activities , which will motivate students to stay at school.

Lesson Study-Building Communities of Learning Among Pre-Service Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Hamzeh, Fouada

Lesson Study is a widely used pedagogical approach that has been used for decades in its country of origin, Japan. It is a teacher-led form of professional development that involves the collaborative efforts of teachers in co-planning and observing the teaching of a lesson within a unit for evidence that the teaching practices used help the learning process (Lewis, 2002a). The purpose of this research was to investigate if Lesson Study enables pre-service teachers to improve their own teaching in the area of science inquiry-based approaches. Also explored are the self-efficacy beliefs of one group of science pre-service teachers related to their experiences in Lesson Study. The research investigated four questions: 1) Does Lesson Study influence teacher preparation for inquiry-based instruction? 2) Does Lesson Study improve teacher efficacy? 3) Does Lesson Study impact teachers' aspiration to collaborate with colleagues? 4) What are the attitudes and perceptions of pre-service teachers to the Lesson Study idea in Science? The 12 participants completed two pre- and post-study surveys: STEBI- B, Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument (Enochs & Riggs, 1990) and ASTQ, Attitude towards Science Teaching. Data sources included student teaching lesson observations, lesson debriefing notes and focus group interviews. Results from the STEBI-B show that all participants measured an increase in efficacy throughout the study. This study added to the body of research on teaching learning communities, professional development programs and teacher empowerment.

An Argument for Learning. Science Teachers and Students Build Literacy through Text-Based Investigations

Science.gov (United States)

Greenleaf, Cynthia; Brown, Willard R.

2017-01-01

This article describes how participants in the California Teacher Inquiry Network learn the art of making their invisible thinking processes visible, helping them see more clearly that they have internal resources to help students master similar kinds of thinking processes.

Teachers as Air Traffic Controllers: Helping Adolescents Navigate the Unfriendly Skies of Executive Functioning

Science.gov (United States)

Hodgkinson, Todd; Parks, Stephanie

2016-01-01

The purpose of this article is to familiarize teachers with the concept of executive functioning and to provide them with a collection of strategies that they can use to help support middle and high school students with planning, organization, task-initiation, and impulse control.

Using Google Docs to Enhance the Teacher Work Sample: Building e-Portfolios for Learning and Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Gugino, Jessica

2018-01-01

The use of teaching portfolios in teacher education programs is a widely accepted practice. This article describes how a traditional teacher work sample was transformed using the online platform, Google Docs. The use of online digital portfolios may help to satisfy both the need to evaluate teacher candidates' performance in special education…

Building Teachers' Data-Use Capacity: Insights from Strong and Developing Coaches

Science.gov (United States)

Huguet, Alice; Marsh, Julie A.; Farrell, Caitlin C.

2014-01-01

Coaching has become a central strategy in district and school efforts to build teacher capacity to interpret and respond to student learning data. Despite their popularity, there is limited research on the implementation of these initiatives. This article begins to addresses this gap by examining the elements of a coach's practice that appear…

Building the Capacity of Indonesian Education Universities for ICT in Pre-Service Teacher Education: A Case Study of a Strategic Planning Exercise

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Cher Ping; Pannen, Paulina

2012-01-01

This paper documents how four Indonesian teacher education institutions (TEIs) engaged in strategic planning to build their capacity in developing pre-service teachers' ICT in education competencies. These TEIs adopted a holistic approach towards strategic planning by drawing upon the six dimensions of the "Capacity Building Toolkit" for…

"Don't Leave Me!": Helping the Child Whose Parents Are Separating. Between Teacher & Parent

Science.gov (United States)

Brodkin, Adele M.

2005-01-01

This article relates the story of a young girl's difficulties in accepting her parents' separation, and offers suggestions for both teachers and parents on how to help a child cope with his or her feelings and anxiety in this situation. Resources for further study are also offered.

Structure Building Predicts Grades in College Psychology and Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Kathleen M.; Daniel, David B.; Jensen, Jamie L.; McDaniel, Mark A.; Marsh, Elizabeth J.

2016-01-01

Knowing what skills underlie college success can allow students, teachers, and universities to identify and to help at-risk students. One skill that may underlie success across a variety of subject areas is structure building, the ability to create mental representations of narratives (Gernsbacher, Varner, & Faust, 1990). We tested if…

K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators and Higher Education Faculty: Partners Helping Rural Disadvantaged Students Stay on the Pathway to a Geoscience Career

Science.gov (United States)

Slattery, W.; Antonucci, C.; Myers, R. J.

2013-12-01

The National Science Foundation funded project K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators and Higher Education Faculty: Partners Helping Rural Disadvantaged Students Stay on the Pathway to a Geoscience Career is a research-based proof of concept track 1 pilot project that tests the effectiveness of an innovative model for simultaneous K-12 teacher professional development, student learning and workforce development. The project builds a network of science experiences designed to keep eighth and ninth grade students from the Ripley, Union, Lewis, Huntington (RULH) Ohio school district on the path to a geoscience career. During each summer of the ongoing two-year project teams of RULH students, parents, teachers, administrators and college faculty traveled to the facilities of the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium at Sandy Hook, New Jersey to study science from an Earth system perspective. Teachers had the opportunity to engage in professional development alongside their students. Parents participated in the science activities alongside their children. Administrators interacted with students, parents and their teachers and saw them all learning science in an engaging, collaborative setting. During the first academic year of the project professional development was provided to RULH teachers by a team of university scientists and geoscience educators from the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA), a National Science Foundation funded project. Teachers selected for professional development were from science disciplines, mathematics, language arts and civics. The teachers selected, taught and assessed ESSEA Earth system science modules to all eighth and ninth grade students, not just those that were selected to go on the summer trips to New Jersey. In addition, all ninth grade RULH students had the opportunity to take a course that includes Earth system science concepts that will earn them both high school and college science credits. Professional

Caring Enough to Teach Science. Helping Pre-service Teachers View Science Instruction as an Ethical Responsibility

Science.gov (United States)

Grinell, Smith; Rabin, Colette

2017-11-01

The goal of this project was to motivate pre-service elementary teachers to commit to spending significant instructional time on science in their future classrooms despite their self-assessed lack of confidence about teaching science and other impediments (e.g., high-stakes testing practices that value other subjects over science). Pre-service teachers in science methods courses explored connections between science and ethics, specifically around issues of ecological sustainability, and grappled with their ethical responsibilities as teachers to provide science instruction. Survey responses, student "quick-writes," interview transcripts, and field notes were analyzed. Findings suggest that helping pre-service teachers see these connections may shape their beliefs and dispositions in ways that may motivate them to embark on the long road toward improving their science pedagogical content knowledge and ultimately to teach science to their students more often and better than they otherwise might. The approach may also offer a way for teachers to attend to the moral work of teaching.

Leveraging federal science data and tools to help communities & business build climate resilience

Science.gov (United States)

Herring, D.

2016-12-01

Decision-makers in every sector and region of the United States are seeking actionable science-based information to help them understand and manage their climate-related risks. Translating data, tools and information from the domain of climate science to the domains of municipal, social, and economic decision-making raises complex questions—e.g., how to communicate causes and impacts of climate variability and change; how to show projections of plausible future climate scenarios; how to characterize and quantify vulnerabilities, risks, and opportunities facing communities and businesses; and how to make and implement "win-win" adaptation plans. These are the types of challenges being addressed by a public-private partnership of federal agencies, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and private businesses that are contributing to the development of the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit (toolkit.climate.gov), a new website designed to help people build resilience to extreme events caused by both natural climate variability and long-term climate change. The site's Climate Explorer is designed to help people understand potential climate conditions over the course of this century. It offers easy access to downloadable maps, graphs, and data tables of observed and projected temperature, precipitation and other decision-relevant climate variables dating back to 1950 and out to 2100. Of course, climate change is only one of many variables affecting decisions about the future so the Toolkit also ties climate information to a wide range of other relevant tools and information to help users to explore their vulnerabilities and risks. In this session, we will describe recent enhancements to the Toolkit, lessons learned from user engagements, and evidence that our approach of coupling scientific information with actionable decision-making processes is helping Americans build resilience to climate-related impacts.

Evolving minds: Helping students with cognitive dissonance

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Bramschreiber, Terry L.

Even 150 years after Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, public school teachers still find themselves dealing with student resistance to learning about biological evolution. Some teachers deal with this pressure by undermining, deemphasizing, or even omitting the topic in their science curriculum. Others face the challenge and deliver solid scientific instruction of evolutionary theory despite the conflicts that may arise. The latter were the topic of this study. I interviewed five teachers that had experience dealing with resistance to learning evolution in their school community. Through these in-depth interviews, I examined strategies these teachers use when facing resistance and how they help students deal with the cognitive dissonance that may be experienced when learning about evolution. I selected the qualitative method of educational criticism and connoisseurship to organize and categorize my data. From the interviews, the following findings emerged. Experienced teachers increased their confidence in teaching evolution by pursuing outside professional development. They not only learned more about evolutionary theory, but about creationist arguments against evolution. These teachers front-load their curriculum to integrate the nature of science into their lessons to address misunderstandings about how science works. They also highlight the importance of learning evolutionary theory but ensure students they do not have an agenda to indoctrinate students. Finally these experienced teachers work hard to create an intellectually safe learning environment to build trusting and respectful relationships with their students.

The History of the Austin College Building and Old Main at Sam Houston State University

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Singer, Erin; Shields, Samantha

2017-01-01

Austin Hall and Old Main serve as the heart of what is now Sam Houston State University. The buildings' rich histories help one to understand how Sam Houston State University and its proud teacher education heritage came to be. To begin with Austin Hall's story, the University's original building has a unique and interesting tale that journeys…

Building-related health symptoms and classroom indoor air quality: a survey of school teachers in New York State.

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Kielb, C; Lin, S; Muscatiello, N; Hord, W; Rogers-Harrington, J; Healy, J

2015-08-01

Most previous research on indoor environments and health has studied school children or occupants in non-school settings. This investigation assessed building-related health symptoms and classroom characteristics via telephone survey of New York State school teachers. Participants were asked about 14 building-related symptoms and 23 classroom characteristics potentially related to poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Poisson regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between these symptoms and each classroom characteristic, controlling for potential confounders. About 500 teachers completed the survey. The most frequently reported classroom characteristics included open shelving (70.7%), food eaten in class (65.5%), dust (59.1%), and carpeting (46.9%). The most commonly reported symptoms included sinus problems (16.8%), headache (15.0%), allergies/congestion (14.8%), and throat irritation (14.6%). Experiencing one or more symptoms was associated most strongly with reported dust (relative risk (RR) = 3.67; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.62-5.13), dust reservoirs (RR = 2.13; 95% CI: 1.72-2.65), paint odors (RR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.40-2.13), mold (RR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.39-2.11), and moldy odors (RR = 1.65 95% CI: 1.30-2.10). Stronger associations were found with increasing numbers of reported IAQ-related classroom characteristics. Similar results were found with having any building-related allergic/respiratory symptom. This research adds to the body of evidence underscoring the importance to occupant health of school IAQ. Teachers play an important role in educating children, and teacher well-being is important to this role. Health symptoms among New York teachers while at work are common and appear to be associated with numerous characteristics related to poor classroom IAQ. Improving school Indoor Air Quality may reduce sickness and absenteeism and improve teacher performance. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Teachers Who Grow As Collaborative Leaders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard D. Sawyer

2001-10-01

Full Text Available The following narratives examine three teachers over a course of ten years as they first entered teaching and began to collaborate with other teachers on curriculum. Specifically, the study examines how the teachers 1 developed as collaborators and 2 perceived elements of support from both within and outside the classroom for their collaborative efforts. The article argues that the successful collaborative efforts helped deepen their sense of agency and initiative within their teaching and, to a lesser degree, stimulated reform and change within their schools. In turn and to varying degrees, the process of collaboration supported their personal renewal in their work. The article suggests that structural support for these teachers that connected to their emerging personal practical knowledge was crucial for their development as teacher collaborators. The article concludes by suggesting how schools may be restructured to start to become sites of authentic leadership that build on the talents, meaning, voice, and knowledge of teachers.

Teachers' and Students' Perception of Instructional Supervision on Capacity Building in Electrical Installation Trade

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Eze, Ogwa Christopher

2015-01-01

This research was conducted to ascertain teachers' and students perception of instructional supervision in relation to capacity building in electrical installation trade in technical colleges. Three research questions and a null hypothesis were employed to guide the study. Descriptive survey was adopted. A 23-item questionnaire was used to elicit…

Using Multimedia Technology to Build a Community of Practice: Pre-Service Teachers' and Digital Storytelling in South Africa

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Chigona, Agnes

2013-01-01

Employing the theory of Community of Practice (CoP), this paper shows how the use of multimedia led a group of pre-service teachers to build a community of practice in the process of completing their individual digital stories for assessment. The paper is focused on a group of diverse pre-service teachers doing their final year at a teacher…

Shifting Perspectives and Practices: Teacher Candidates’ Experiences of a First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Infusion in Mainstream Teacher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa Marilyn Fern Blimkie

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This exploratory case study shares teacher candidates’ perspectives and experiences of the First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Infusion at ABC University’s Faculty of Education field site in XYZ, Ontario. For this initiative, Aboriginal content and pedagogies were infused throughout placements and courses of the mainstream teacher education program. Teacher candidates shared that the Infusion prepared them to teach Aboriginal content in culturally respectful and meaningful ways by providing them with a foundation to build on and helping them to develop teaching practices inclusive of diverse ways of knowing and being in the world. These findings may be useful to other educators developing and implementing their own infusion initiatives.

Teaching and Learning Science Through Song: Exploring the experiences of students and teachers

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Governor, Donna; Hall, Jori; Jackson, David

2013-12-01

This qualitative, multi-case study explored the use of science-content music for teaching and learning in six middle school science classrooms. The researcher sought to understand how teachers made use of content-rich songs for teaching science, how they impacted student engagement and learning, and what the experiences of these teachers and students suggested about using songs for middle school classroom science instruction. Data gathered included three teacher interviews, one classroom observation and a student focus-group discussion from each of six cases. The data from each unit of analysis were examined independently and then synthesized in a multi-case analysis, resulting in a number of merged findings, or assertions, about the experience. The results of this study indicated that teachers used content-rich music to enhance student understanding of concepts in science by developing content-based vocabulary, providing students with alternative examples and explanations of concepts, and as a sense-making experience to help build conceptual understanding. The use of science-content songs engaged students by providing both situational and personal interest, and provided a mnemonic device for remembering key concepts in science. The use of songs has relevance from a constructivist approach as they were used to help students build meaning; from a socio-cultural perspective in terms of student engagement; and from a cognitive viewpoint in that in these cases they helped students make connections in learning. The results of this research have implications for science teachers and the science education community in developing new instructional strategies for the middle school science classroom.

Local Talent: By Tapping into the Resources Just outside Their School Walls, Music Teachers Can Help Broaden Their Students' Horizons

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Randall, Mac

2009-01-01

Many music teachers across the country have learned how beneficial it can be to tap into the communities around them. The author discusses how music teachers can help broaden their students' horizons by tapping into the resources just outside their school walls. One way is by employing local talents. Another is to put an ad in nearby music stores,…

Using Children's Literature to Build Concepts of Teaching about Global Citizenship

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Bradbery, Debbie

2012-01-01

Children's literature can be used to help teachers to build into their teaching programs ways to examine and change personal lifestyles to secure a sustainable future; to identify, investigate, evaluate and undertake appropriate action to maintain, protect and enhance local and global environments; to challenge preconceived ideas, accept…

Will building new reservoirs always help increase the water supply reliability? - insight from a modeling-based global study

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Zhuang, Y.; Tian, F.; Yigzaw, W.; Hejazi, M. I.; Li, H. Y.; Turner, S. W. D.; Vernon, C. R.

2017-12-01

More and more reservoirs are being build or planned in order to help meet the increasing water demand all over the world. However, is building new reservoirs always helpful to water supply? To address this question, the river routing module of Global Change Assessment Model (GCAM) has been extended with a simple yet physical-based reservoir scheme accounting for irrigation, flood control and hydropower operations at each individual reservoir. The new GCAM river routing model has been applied over the global domain with the runoff inputs from the Variable Infiltration Capacity Model. The simulated streamflow is validated at 150 global river basins where the observed streamflow data are available. The model performance has been significantly improved at 77 basins and worsened at 35 basins. To facilitate the analysis of additional reservoir storage impacts at the basin level, a lumped version of GCAM reservoir model has been developed, representing a single lumped reservoir at each river basin which has the regulation capacity of all reservoir combined. A Sequent Peak Analysis is used to estimate how much additional reservoir storage is required to satisfy the current water demand. For basins with water deficit, the water supply reliability can be improved with additional storage. However, there is a threshold storage value at each basin beyond which the reliability stops increasing, suggesting that building new reservoirs will not help better relieve the water stress. Findings in the research can be helpful to the future planning and management of new reservoirs.

When Teachers Learn to Use Technology, Students Benefit. Lessons from Research

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Kilion, Joellen

2016-01-01

Joellen Killion is senior advisor to Learning Forward. In each issue of JSD, Killion explores a recent research study to help practitioners understand the impact of particular professional learning practices on student outcomes. The study presented here builds on past research about the relationships between teacher practice and beliefs, teacher…

Helping Them Grow.

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Kreidler, William J.; And Others

1995-01-01

Three articles present suggestions to help elementary teachers promote student development. The first describes games that encourage a sense of community. The second deals with making parent teacher conferences a positive experience. The third discusses how to give confused children who are involved in custody battles an alternative to acting out.…

Field-Based Teacher Research: How Teachers and Scientists Working Together Answers Questions about Turtle Nesting Ecology while Enhancing Teachers' Inquiry Skills

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Winters, J. M.; Jungblut, D.; Catena, A. N.; Rubenstein, D. I.

2013-12-01

Providing rigorous academic supplement to a professional development program for teachers, QUEST is a fusion of Drexel University's environmental science research department with Princeton University's Program in Teacher Preparation. Completed in the summers of 2012 (in partnership with Earthwatch) and 2013 in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, QUEST's terrapin field research program enhances K-12 teachers' ecological knowledge, develops inquiry-based thinking in the classroom, and builds citizen science engagement. With a focus on quality question development and data analysis to answer questions, teachers are coached in developing, implementing, and presenting independent research projects on diamondback terrapin nesting ecology. As a result, teachers participating in QUEST's week long program bring a realistic example of science in action into their classrooms, helping to develop their own students' critical thinking skills. For teachers, this program provides training towards educating students on how to do real and imaginative science - subsequently sending students to university better prepared to engage in their own independent research. An essential component of the collaboration through QUEST, in addition to the teacher's experience during and after the summer institute, is the research data collected which supplements that of the Principal Investigator. In 2012, by documenting terrapin nest site predators, teachers gained valuable scientific experience, while Drexel acquired important ecological data which would have not been able to be collected otherwise. In 2013, teachers helped answer important questions about terrapin nesting success post Superstorm Sandy. In fact, the 2013 QUEST teachers are the first to visualize the frighteningly increased erosion of a primary terrapin nesting site due to Sandy; showing how most terrapin nests now lie in the bay, instead of safe on shore. Teachers comment that interacting with scientists in the field, and contributing to

Learn every day about numbers 100 best ideas from teachers

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Charner, Kathy

2009-01-01

Classroom-tested and teacher approved, these activities help children ages three to six learn all about numbers. With one hundred engaging and fun activities, Learn Every Day About Numbers offers everything a teacher needs to build a foundation for future math learning. Children will love becoming a Number Detective, a Flashlight Writer, or a Number Hero as they investigate the wonderful world of numbers. Each activity offers learning objectives to meet standards, a materials list, related children's books, and an assessment component to measure children's learning. Learning about numbers has never been so much fun!.

Teaching the Teachers on Building Climatology. (CIB Steering Group S 4, Colloquium, Stockholm, September 4-6, 1972). CIB Proceedings No. 25.

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National Swedish Inst. for Building Research, Stockholm.

This publication comprises a collection of papers and synopses of discussions dating from the "Teaching the Teachers in Building Climatology" colloquium which was held under the auspices of the International Council for Building Research (CIB) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The papers deal with the use of various…

Crossing the Border: Science Student Teachers Using Role-Play in Grade 7

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Braund, Martin; Moodley, Trevor; Ekron, Christelle; Ahmed, Zaiboenisha

2015-01-01

Drama is used to build knowledge and understanding in science as part of a socio-linguistic, constructivist approach. Role-plays, where learners act as analogues for components and processes, help access abstract ideas. However, a problem restricting many science teachers using these approaches has been that they lack sufficient pedagogical…

Teachers' Coping Strategies for Teaching Science in a ``Low-Performing'' School District

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Moore, Felicia M.

2007-10-01

This study describes how teachers use their personal knowledge of a school district and their students to cope with teaching under stressful situations associated with economic, social, and institutional factors. The 3 teachers dealt with these issues in unique ways, focusing on helping students to overcome negative perceptions, value the importance of an education, and build strong relationships. A model of multicultural science professional development is proposed that complements the strengths that these teachers have. A task for science educators working with teachers and administration in schools and districts that are “critically low performing” is to support everyone in implementing pedagogical methods aimed at empowerment, social justice, and high achievement for all students.

Identifying and Supporting Productive Collaborative Teacher Talk

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Flarend, Alice M.

As improvements and changes in science education are promulgated, science teachers must be educated about these changes. Professional development programs are central to promoting teacher learning. Although the field seems to have agreed upon large-scalepedagogical features of high quality professional development with an emphasis on building a collaborative community of learners, effective implementation of these features is still problematic. The connections between these collaborative features and actual teacher work during the professional development remain unclear. This qualitative discourse study investigated how teachers engaged in small group discussions use discourse to collaborate during a weeklong professional development program that employed these useful pedagogical features. Small group discussions among the forty-two participants, diverse in their demographics and teaching experiences, were video and audio recorded. A collaborative discourse framework is developed and applied to the discussions, successfully categorizing episodes of discourse according to their productive potential for learning. The structure of the PD activities is then investigated to determine characteristics encouraging to these productive learning conversations. The analysis in this study indicated requiring groups to come to a consensus helps groups dig deeper into the content, promoting a more productive negotiation of concepts. Building consensus around an artifact such as a graph strengthened the need for consensus and thereby strengthened the opportunities for productive conversation. In addition, professional development activities that target building and using specific language were also opportunities for productive learning talk, providing opportunities to negotiate the deep meaning of words and concepts rather then leaving them unexamined. When viewed through the lens of Wenger's Community of Practice (1998) these findings are ways of strengthening the community

The Building of Pre-Service Primary Teachers' Knowledge of Mathematics Teaching: Interaction and Online Video Case Studies

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Llinares, Salvador; Valls, Julia

2009-01-01

This study explores how preservice primary teachers became engaged in meaning-making mathematics teaching when participating in online discussions within learning environments integrating video-clips of mathematics teaching. We identified different modes of participation in the online discussions and different levels of knowledge-building. The…

Crossing a Broad Gray Line to Help Children

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Allen, Megan M.

2015-01-01

Helping students with mental health issues sometimes presents teachers with the dilemma of following the letter of school rules or doing what is best for the child. One teacher tells her story of crossing such lines, but only in service to children. She also outlines what teachers can and should do to help students who need mental health services.

"Boss of the United States" Kindergarteners' Concept of Voting: Five Scaffolded Lessons that Build Understanding

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Mulrey, Betty C.; Ackerman, Ann T.; Howson, Patricia H.

2012-01-01

In any U.S. presidential election year, classroom teachers integrate lessons into their curriculum that help students understand their privileges, responsibilities, and rights as good citizens. Teaching about the electoral process and voting in primary classrooms is one way to build a foundation that promotes civic engagement. In this article, the…

Teacher and student supports for implementation of the NGSS

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Severance, Samuel

Through three articles, this dissertation examines the use of supports for implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) within a large urban school district. Article one, titled Organizing for Teacher Agency in Curricular Co-design, examines the need for coherent curriculum materials that teachers' had a meaningful role in shaping and how the use of a co-design approach and specific tools and routines can help to address this need. Article two, titled Relevant Learning and Student Agency within a Citizen Science Design Challenge, examines the need for curriculum materials that provide students with learning experiences they find relevant and that expands their sense of agency and how a curriculum centered around a community-based citizen science design challenge can help achieve such an aim. Article three, titled Implementation of a Novel Professional Development Program to Support Teachers' Understanding of Modeling, examines the need for professional development that builds teachers' understanding of and skill in engaging their students in the practice of developing and using models and how a novel professional development program, the Next Generation Science Exemplar, can aid teachers in this regard by providing them with carefully sequenced professional development activities and specific modeling tools for use in the classroom.

Bringing the Outside In: One Teacher's Ride on the Anime Highway.

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Mahar, Donna

2003-01-01

Discusses how a group of lunchtime gamers mentored their teacher to help her understand and appreciate the art form of anime. Considers how students create a space within the school building and school day to pursue personal literacy practices. Notes that these students were able to take school-based strategies and retool them to fit out-of-school…

Two Contrasting Approaches to Building High School Teacher Capacity to Teach About Local Climate Change Using Powerful Geospatial Data and Visualization Technology

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Zalles, D. R.

2011-12-01

The presentation will compare and contrast two different place-based approaches to helping high school science teachers use geospatial data visualization technology to teach about climate change in their local regions. The approaches are being used in the development, piloting, and dissemination of two projects for high school science led by the author: the NASA-funded Data-enhanced Investigations for Climate Change Education (DICCE) and the NSF funded Studying Topography, Orographic Rainfall, and Ecosystems with Geospatial Information Technology (STORE). DICCE is bringing an extensive portal of Earth observation data, the Goddard Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure, to high school classrooms. STORE is making available data for viewing results of a particular IPCC-sanctioned climate change model in relation to recent data about average temperatures, precipitation, and land cover for study areas in central California and western New York State. Across the two projects, partner teachers of academically and ethnically diverse students from five states are participating in professional development and pilot testing. Powerful geospatial data representation technologies are difficult to implement in high school science because of challenges that teachers and students encounter navigating data access and making sense of data characteristics and nomenclature. Hence, on DICCE, the researchers are testing the theory that by providing a scaffolded technology-supported process for instructional design, starting from fundamental questions about the content domain, teachers will make better instructional decisions. Conversely, the STORE approach is rooted in the perspective that co-design of curricular materials among researchers and teacher partners that work off of "starter" lessons covering focal skills and understandings will lead to the most effective utilizations of the technology in the classroom. The projects' goals and strategies for student

Claude Bernard Distinguished Lecture. Becoming a truly helpful teacher: considerably more challenging, and potentially more fun, than merely doing business as usual.

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Jason, Hilliard

2007-12-01

Few medical faculty members are adequately prepared for their instructional responsibilities. Our educational traditions were established before we had research-based understandings of the teaching-learning process and before brain research began informing our understandings of how humans achieve lasting learning. Yet, there are several advantages you may have. If your expertise is at one of the frontiers of human biology, your teaching can be inherently fascinating to aspiring health professionals. If your work has implications for human health, you have another potential basis for engaging future clinicians. And, thanks to Claude Bernard's influence, you likely are "process oriented," a necessary mindset for being an effective teacher. There are also challenges you may face. Your medical students will mostly become clinicians. Unless you can help them see connections between your offerings and their future work, you may not capture and sustain their interest. To be effective, teachers, like clinicians, need to be interactive, make on-the-spot decisions, and be "emotional literate." If you aren't comfortable with these demands, you may have work to do toward becoming a truly helpful teacher. Program changes may be needed. Might your program need to change 1) from being adversarial and controlling to being supportive and trust based or 2) from mainly dispensing information to mainly asking and inviting questions? In conclusion, making changes toward becoming a truly helpful teacher can bring benefits to your students while increasing your sense of satisfaction and fulfillment as a teacher. If you choose to change, be gentle with yourself, as you should be when expecting your students to make important changes.

Earth Exploration Toolbook Workshops: Helping Teachers and Students Analyze Web-based Scientific Data

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McAuliffe, C.; Ledley, T.; Dahlman, L.; Haddad, N.

2007-12-01

One of the challenges faced by Earth science teachers, particularly in K-12 settings, is that of connecting scientific research to classroom experiences. Helping teachers and students analyze Web-based scientific data is one way to bring scientific research to the classroom. The Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) was developed as an online resource to accomplish precisely that. The EET consists of chapters containing step-by-step instructions for accessing Web-based scientific data and for using a software analysis tool to explore issues or concepts in science, technology, and mathematics. For example, in one EET chapter, users download Earthquake data from the USGS and bring it into a geographic information system (GIS), analyzing factors affecting the distribution of earthquakes. The goal of the EET Workshops project is to provide professional development that enables teachers to incorporate Web-based scientific data and analysis tools in ways that meet their curricular needs. In the EET Workshops project, Earth science teachers participate in a pair of workshops that are conducted in a combined teleconference and Web-conference format. In the first workshop, the EET Data Analysis Workshop, participants are introduced to the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) and the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE). They also walk through an Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) chapter and discuss ways to use Earth science datasets and tools with their students. In a follow-up second workshop, the EET Implementation Workshop, teachers share how they used these materials in the classroom by describing the projects and activities that they carried out with students. The EET Workshops project offers unique and effective professional development. Participants work at their own Internet-connected computers, and dial into a toll-free group teleconference for step-by-step facilitation and interaction. They also receive support via Elluminate, a Web

Equity Audit: A Teacher Leadership Tool for Nurturing Teacher Research

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View, Jenice L.; DeMulder, Elizabeth; Stribling, Stacia; Dodman, Stephanie; Ra, Sophia; Hall, Beth; Swalwell, Katy

2016-01-01

This is a three-part essay featuring six teacher educators and one classroom teacher researcher. Part one describes faculty efforts to build curriculum for teacher research, scaffold the research process, and analyze outcomes. Part two shares one teacher researcher's experience using an equity audit tool in several contexts: her teaching practice,…

Teacher Satisfaction with School and Psychological Well-Being Affects Their Readiness to Help Children with Mental Health Problems

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Sisask, Merike; Värnik, Peeter; Värnik, Airi; Apter, Alan; Balazs, Judit; Balint, Maria; Bobes, Julio; Brunner, Romuald; Corcoran, Paul; Cosman, Doina; Feldman, Dana; Haring, Christian; Kahn, Jean-Pierre; Poštuvan, Vita; Tubiana, Alexandra; Sarchiapone, Marco; Wasserman, Camilla; Carli, Vladimir; Hoven, Christina W.; Wasserman, Danuta

2014-01-01

Objective: In support of a whole-school approach to mental health promotion, this study was conducted to find out whether and how significantly teachers' satisfaction with school and their subjective psychological well-being are related to the belief that they can help pupils with mental health problems. Design: Cross-sectional data were collected…

Helping Teachers Use Research Findings: The Consumer-Validation Process.

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Eaker, Robert E.; Huffman, James O.

A program stressing teacher involvement and classroom implementation of educational research findings is described. The program was designed to familiarize teachers with current findings, have them apply the findings in their classrooms, analyze their own teaching behavior, and critically evaluate the findings in terms of their applicability to…

Reflections on "A Qualitative Analysis of Mainstreamed Behaviorally Disordered Aggressive Adolescents' Perceptions of Helpful and Unhelpful Teacher Attitudes and Behaviors."

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Crowley, E. Paula

1993-01-01

The author of EC 607 583 responds to questions about her research on mainstreamed behaviorally disordered aggressive adolescents' perceptions of helpful and unhelpful teacher attitudes and behaviors. Issues relevant to future research in this area are noted. (JDD)

Innovative Approaches to Building Comprehensive Talent Pipelines: Helping to Grow a Strong and Diverse Professional Workforce

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Cherinka

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The world today is constantly changing requiring organizations to adapt quickly and seek expertise to help meet the demands on their business. There are many workforce challenges that organizations seek to overcome, and one of the hardest things to do in modern corporations is to keep the talent pool young and vibrant. Early career hires tend to bring new and exciting ideas into play that may not even be considered by their more seasoned peers. The challenge with early career hires, especially in the Science, Technology, Engineeringand Math (STEM career fields, is the extreme difficulty in finding candidates who, not only have book knowledge, but also have hands-on, real world experience. Statistics show that this is a real concern to professional workforce employers. In this presentation, we highlight a model aimed at adopting new approaches for seeking and evaluating high quality candidates for on-boarding, conducting interviews and hiring to build a corporate talent pipeline. We discuss the model as it relates to recruiting, training, competition-based interviewing and providing hands-on work experience toward helping to build strong professionals in an organization. We conclude by highlighting several examples of successful approaches and their outcomes.

Building Collaborative Structures for Teachers' Autonomy and Self-Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Participative Management and Learning Culture

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Lu, Jiafang; Jiang, Xinhui; Yu, Huen; Li, Dongyu

2015-01-01

This study focused on the collaborative structure-building behavior of school principals and examined how such behavior affects teacher empowerment. More important, it tested the mediating effects of participative management and learning culture. By collecting nested data from 104 schools in Hong Kong and adopting multilevel structural equation…

Sustaining Physics Teacher Education Coalition programs in physics teacher education

OpenAIRE

Rachel E. Scherr; Monica Plisch; Renee Michelle Goertzen

2017-01-01

Understanding the mechanisms of increasing the number of physics teachers educated per year at institutions with thriving physics teacher preparation programs may inspire and support other institutions in building thriving programs of their own. The Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), led by the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), has supported transformation of physics teacher preparation programs at a number of institutions aro...

Building Self-Esteem: A Self-Help Guide

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... ways you can help yourself to feel better. Charles G. Curie, M.A., A.C.S.W. Administrator ... Thoughts About Yourself to Positive Ones Activities That Will Help You Feel Good About Yourself In Conclusion ...

Investigating the Building of a WeChat-Based Community of Practice for Language Teachers' Professional Development

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Qi, Grace Yue; Wang, Yuping

2018-01-01

This study explores the process of Community of Practice (CoP) building for language teachers' professional development through the support of a WeChat group. WeChat is an instant messenger app that provides a multimodal platform for one-on-one and group interactions through text, audio and video. In order to support the implementation of flipped…

Teacher education program explores building professional learning ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2 mai 2016 ... ... use are influencing educational practices and policy across the developing world. ... STF is an in-service teacher education program for high school teachers ... to use digital tools and resources in their classroom teaching.

Helping Teachers to Help Children Living with a Mentally Ill Parent: Teachers' Perceptions on Identification and Policy Issues

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Bibou-Nakou, I.

2004-01-01

The material presented here is based on a pilot European project (Daphne Project, 2000/EU funding, collaboration of Greece and England) regarding parental mental illness and children's welfare and needs (1).The presentation focuses upon the responses of a group of teachers working in primary education in relation to identification issues and…

THE ROLE OF NON-NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER TEACHERS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lutfi Ashar Mauludin

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Native-English Speaker Teachers (NESTs and Non-Native English Speaker Teachers (NNESTs have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, for English Language Learners (ELLs, NNESTs have more advantages in helping students to acquire English skills. At least there are three factors that can only be performed by NNESTs in English Language Learning. The factors are knowledge of the subject, effective communication, and understanding students‘ difficulties/needs. The NNESTs can effectively provide the clear explanation of knowledge of the language because they are supported by the same background and culture. NNESTs also can communicate with the students with all levels effectively. The use of L1 is effective to help students building their knowledge. Finally, NNESTs can provide the objectives and materials that are suitable with the needs of the students.

Sustaining Physics Teacher Education Coalition programs in physics teacher education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachel E. Scherr

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Understanding the mechanisms of increasing the number of physics teachers educated per year at institutions with thriving physics teacher preparation programs may inspire and support other institutions in building thriving programs of their own. The Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC, led by the American Physical Society (APS and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT, has supported transformation of physics teacher preparation programs at a number of institutions around the country for over a decade. In 2012–2013, PhysTEC supported an independent study on the sustainability of its sites after project funding ends. The study sought to measure the extent to which programs have been sustained and to identify what features should be prioritized for building sustainable physics teacher preparation programs. Most of the studied sites have sustained increases in the number of physics teachers educated per year as well as funding for physics teacher preparation. About half of the programs are thriving, in that in the post-award period, they have further increased both the number of physics teachers educated per year and funding for physics teacher preparation. All studied sites that sustained increases in the number of physics teachers educated per year have two features in common: a champion of physics teacher education and institutional commitment. The thriving physics teacher preparation programs in this study implemented different elements of physics teacher preparation according to diverse local priorities and opportunities, including the unique expertise of local personnel.

Sustaining Physics Teacher Education Coalition Programs in Physics Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Scherr, Rachel E.; Plisch, Monica; Goertzen, Renee Michelle

2017-01-01

Understanding the mechanisms of increasing the number of physics teachers educated per year at institutions with thriving physics teacher preparation programs may inspire and support other institutions in building thriving programs of their own. The Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), led by the American Physical Society (APS) and the…

On teacher beliefs, self-identity and the stages of professional development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danuta Gabrys-Barker

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This article describes teachers as a professional group, focusing on pre-service teachers and refining their profiles on the basis of the studies carried out in educational research. Personality as a major contributor to beliefs and teacher presence in the classroom in a more general sense help to building teacher identity over the period of first becoming and then being a fully-functioning classroom practitioner. Teacher self-concept and identity are developmental in nature and undergo constant fluctuations. They make for the success and/or failure, enthusiasm or burnout of every individual teacher, irrespective of his/her teaching contexts. New teachers who enter classrooms for the first time do not enter them empty-handed. They hold beliefs which have various origins and enjoy varying degrees of sustainability over time and the experiences they encounter. These are discussed here, both theoretically and by means of illustrative studies. When considering teachers over their whole careers, clear developmental stages can be distinguished. These are shown in the form of different models presented in the literature on teacher training and development. The article concludes with a brief description of pre-service teachers` profiles.

Facilitating Participant Success: Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic Program

Science.gov (United States)

Shipp, S. S.; Bruccoli, A.; Porter, M.; Meese, D.

2003-12-01

Through the NSF-funded Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic (TEA) Program K-12 science teachers participate as members of polar field projects. Objectives of the program include: immersing the science teacher in the experience of research; 2) leveraging the research experience of the teacher to better inform teaching practices; and 3) sharing the experience with the broader educational and general community. The polar field experience is an exciting opportunity accompanied by a daunting number of responsibilities. In addition to preparing for field research, TEA teachers bring their experience to colleagues, classrooms, and communities. Before going into the field, they give presentations, help plan how students can connect to the polar regions, and share the expedition with the public. In the field, the TEA teacher is a team member and educational liaison, responding to questions by e-mail, and posting e-journals describing the research experience. Upon return, the TEA again shares the experience broadly with the community. In addition, they work closely with 3 colleagues for 140 hours to bring the experience of research into classrooms. Formative evaluation of the TEA Program underscores the need to support teachers in accomplishing their responsibilities; this support is necessary to achieve program objectives. TEA teachers are responsible for sharing the science content of their research. While many broadcast the excitement of the experience, they may not have the scientific background to convey the content. This is due, in part, to many teachers having to be generalists in their classrooms. Shifting into the role of specialist can be challenging. In the year of preparation before the field experience, TEA teachers attend orientation, meet with their research teams for several days, and are encouraged to learn more about their science topic. Understanding builds through the field experience. It may take two or more years after the field work for the

School Leadership that Builds Teacher Social Capital

Science.gov (United States)

Minckler, Cheri Hoff

2014-01-01

This quantitative study explores the relationship between school leadership and the development and sustenance of teacher social capital. The literature review discusses aspects of leadership theory to elucidate understanding of how leadership influences teachers' working relationships. Quantitative methodology and analyses ascertain the…

Setting the Stage with Geometry: Lessons & Worksheets to Build Skills in Measuring Perimeter, Area, Surface Area, and Volume. Poster/Teaching Guide. Expect the Unexpected with Math[R

Science.gov (United States)

Actuarial Foundation, 2013

2013-01-01

"Setting the Stage with Geometry" is a new math program aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards that is designed to help students in grades 6-8 build and reinforce basic geometry skills for measuring 2D and 3D shapes. Developed by The Actuarial Foundation, this program seeks to provide skill-building math…

Teacher training, capacity building and professional capital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Jens

well it is performed. High performing countries do not only praise the quality of the individual teacher, which is important, they also focus on support on the job, the importance of strong professional learning communities, and teachers possibility of taking part in successful school development...

Burnout Syndrome of Teachers

OpenAIRE

Semrádová, Michaela

2013-01-01

The bachelor's thesis covers burnout syndrome of teachers. Defines burnout syndrome, describes its causes and symptoms. Describes teaching as helping profession and focousing on stressful situations at school. In the last chapter described different prevention strategies burnout syndrome. Key words: burnout syndrome, teaching, teacher, helping professions, beginning teacher, stress

The early moments of Social Help and its buildings for childhood. The press as a means of propaganda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina González Maza

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is the study of Social Help, one of the most important aid organizations and greater activity in the recent past in Spain.Emerged to meet the needs of a population without means for the devastating effects of war. Of all the buildings for the poor, large numbers were intended for children's world.To better understand the operation of this organization, besides the consultation of somemonographs, managing the local press has been a great help, since it is a reflection of the society in wich it arises.

The Perceptions of Elementary School Teachers Regarding Their Efforts to Help Students Utilize Student-to-Student Discourse in Science

Science.gov (United States)

Craddock, Jennifer Lovejoy

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of elementary teachers who teach science as opposed to science teacher specialists regarding their efforts to help students use student-to-student discourse for improving science learning. A growing body of research confirms the importance of a) student-to-student discourse for making meaning of science ideas and b) moving students' conceptual development towards a more scientific understanding of the natural world. Based on those foundations, the three research questions that guided this study examined the value elementary teachers place on student-to-student discourse, the various approaches teachers employ to promote the use of student-to-student discourse for learning science, and the factors and conditions that promote and inhibit the use of student-to-student discourse as an effective pedagogical strategy in elementary science. Data were gathered from 23 elementary teachers in a single district using an on-line survey and follow-up interviews with 8 teachers. All data were analyzed and evolving themes led to the following findings: (1) elementary teachers value student-to-student discourse in science, (2) teachers desire to increase time using student-to-student discourse, (3) teachers use a limited number of student-to-student discourse strategies to increase student learning in science, (4) teachers use student-to-student discourse as formative assessment to determine student learning in science, (5) professional development focusing on approaches to student-to-student discourse develops teachers' capacity for effective implementation, (6) teachers perceive school administrators' knowledge of and support for student-to-student discourse as beneficial, (7) time and scheduling constraints limit the use of student-to-student discourse in science. Implications of this study included the necessity of school districts to focus on student-to-student discourse in science, provide teacher and

More and Better Prepared Teachers, More and Better Prepared Majors

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Gay

2010-02-01

A more scientifically literate society benefits physics as a profession. It is best realized by better serving all undergraduate physics students. Arguably, the most important are future K-12 teachers. In better serving all students, the department also benefits. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville has seen a drastic change in number of majors, the number of students active in research and the number of graduates pursuing graduate work while also increasing the number of majors who decide to teach. Building these numbers and strengthening these resources at Arkansas began with an NSF course revision project, grew as a we became primary program institution in the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (www.PTEC.org), received a Noyce Scholarship grant, and now continues in our building of an NSF Math Science Partnership utilizing our experiences coupled with PTRA materials, and expanding our efforts to Mathematics. Through APLU's SMTI, we are making changes in chemistry as well. These efforts will be discussed, with additional information on PTEC which is bringing together innovative ideas and practices throughout the country to help meet the critical shortage of well prepared and actively supported teachers. )

Building Future Directions for Teacher Learning in Science Education

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kathy; Lindsay, Simon

2016-04-01

In 2013, as part of a process to renew an overall sector vision for science education, Catholic Education Melbourne (CEM) undertook a review of its existing teacher in-service professional development programs in science. This review led to some data analysis being conducted in relation to two of these programs where participant teachers were positioned as active learners undertaking critical reflection in relation to their science teaching practice. The conditions in these programs encouraged teachers to notice critical aspects of their teaching practice. The analysis illustrates that as teachers worked in this way, their understandings about effective science pedagogy began to shift, in particular, teachers recognised how their thinking not only influenced their professional practice but also ultimately shaped the quality of their students' learning. The data from these programs delivers compelling evidence of the learning experience from a teacher perspective. This article explores the impact of this experience on teacher thinking about the relationship between pedagogical choices and quality learning in science. The findings highlight that purposeful, teacher-centred in-service professional learning can significantly contribute to enabling teachers to think differently about science teaching and learning and ultimately become confident pedagogical leaders in science. The future of quality school-based science education therefore relies on a new vision for teacher professional learning, where practice explicitly recognises, values and attends to teachers as professionals and supports them to articulate and share the professional knowledge they have about effective science teaching practice.

The Hands-On Guide to School Improvement: Transform Culture, Empower Teachers, and Raise Student Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Randle-Robins, Evelyn

2016-01-01

This no-nonsense handbook from a working principal helps school leaders bring transformational change to struggling or underperforming schools. Based on the wisdom and experience gained during the author's years as a teacher and principal in Chicago public schools, the book shows you how to become a visionary leader and build a culture of respect…

Teacher Leaders' Work with Peers in a Quasi-Formal Teacher Leadership Model

Science.gov (United States)

Supovitz, Jonathan A.

2018-01-01

Building on evolving conceptions of teacher leadership in the literature, this article argues that an integration of both positional and empowering elements of teacher leadership are the seeds of an evolved approach to teacher leadership for instructional improvement. Using data from a study of quasi-formal teacher leadership, the research…

Student Teachers' Experiences of Relation Building in Teaching Practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anne Maj; Laursen, Per Fibæk

The study explores how 22 student teachers in a Danish college of education experience and interpret their own becoming a teacher and the implied attitudes to pupils. The student teachers attending mainstream teacher education and a course in mindful awareness and relational competencies have...... – to a larger extend than the mainstream educated student teachers - learned a reflexive attitude to their state of being in teaching practice and to their relational interaction with children in class....

Indonesian Teacher Engagement Index (ITEI): An Emerging Concept of Teacher Engagement in Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Sasmoko; Doringin, F.; Indrianti, Y.; Goni, A. M.; Ruliana, P.

2018-02-01

This paper presents a new concept of teacher engagement in Indonesia. The various studies in this paper examine various perspectives and even criticize the initial research on teacher engagement, so as to build the concept of different teacher engagement and in accordance with the Indonesian context so that it can be implemented and has direct impact as a guideline on improving the quality of teachers and education personnel in Indonesia. The method used in this paper is the Neuroresearch research method focused on exploratory research. The conclusion of this research is the development of Indonesian Teacher Engagement Index concept (ITEI) as a concept that describes the condition of teachers who experienced various psychological conditions positively, actively participate in building positive education, able to show good performance, have supportive competence, have national character as Characteristic of Indonesia and able to show the nationalism leadership engagement.

Model program for the recruitment and preparation of high ability elementary mathematics/science teachers: A collaborative project among scientists, teacher educators and classroom teachers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-12-01

This teacher education program will provide a model for recruiting, educating and retaining high ability students to become mathematics and science lead teachers in elementary schools. The quality experiences and support provided these students will help them develop the knowledge and attitudes necessary to provide leadership for elementary mathematics and science programs. Students will have research experiences at the Ames Laboratory, high quality field experiences with nationally recognized mathematics and science teachers in local schools and opportunities to meaningfully connect these two experiences. This program, collaboratively designed and implemented by scientists, teacher educators and classroom teachers, should provide a replicatable model for other teacher education institutions. In addition, materials developed for the project should help other laboratories interface more effectively with K-8 schools and help other teacher education programs incorporate real science and mathematics experience into their curriculum.

Right from the Start: A Kindergarten Program That Helps Prevent Reading Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Shea, Mary; Cole, Ardith

2014-01-01

This article describes a study conducted with four Kindergarten teachers and students. The researchers were the building's literacy specialist/reading teacher and a college professor teaching pre-service teachers on site at the school. This was a naturally evolving teacher research study generated from questions raised as children demonstrated…

How Physical Education Teachers Can Help Encourage Students to Read

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Maurine; Richardson, James; Sacks, Mary Kathleen

2012-01-01

The pressure to ensure that all children learn to read and become lifelong readers has never been as strong at it is now. For this to become a reality for all students, including those that are not motivated to read, teachers must use any and all appropriate strategies. With this in mind, literacy teachers should enlist assistance from other…

Divorce: Helping Children Cope.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Alicia S.; McBride, Jean

1982-01-01

Examines children's reactions to the divorce process and explores ways in which adults can promote growth and adjustment in children of divorce. Suggests ways in which parents, teachers, and counselors can help children. (RC)

Teacher Motivation: Factors and their Consequences in Culture and Commitment Building in Teachers.

OpenAIRE

Santosh Verma

2018-01-01

This study “Teacher Motivation” is an effort to recognize the factors which cause to diminish motivation in teachers, within and outside the system as well. During the study, I found two categories one is "General Issues but significant, need to resolve them with focus" which lays largely on the overall resources and second is Specific "The deep state in the bureaucratic system, the government approach towards teachers" lays on the practices and culture amongst the peer members and authoritie...

School Buildings for the 21st Century Some Features of New School Buildings in Iceland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Kristín Sigurðardóttir

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to identify features of change in the recent design of school buildings in Iceland, and how they might affect teaching practices. Environmental and architectonic features characterising school buildings designed and built at the beginning of the 21st century are examined in light of challenges involving architecture, educational ideology, school policy and digital technology. The sample for the study consists of 20 schools located in four municipalities. Four of the school buildings were developed and built in this century, while the other 16 were designed in the 20th century. The design of all of the buildings was explored and reviewed by a multidisciplinary team. Data was collected by observations and photography at each school site, as well as by reviewing technical documents. The relationship between school design and school practices was studied through a questionnaire survey among all teachers, in order to find out whether teachers working in new environments differ from teachers in more traditional classroom settings. The results indicate a clear shift in the design of educational buildings. Flexibility, flow, openness and teamwork seem to guide recent school design. Clusters of classrooms or open spaces, transparent or movable boundaries, as well as shared spaces allowing for manifold interactions in flexible groups seem to be replacing traditional classrooms along confining corridors. Teachers working in open classroom environments collaborate more often than their counterparts. Teaching practices are also characterised by more opportunities for pupils to choose between tasks and enjoy more variation regarding group division and workspace arrangements.

Differentiation: Lessons from Master Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Carolan, Jennifer; Guinn, Abigail

2007-01-01

Carolan and Guinn assert that differentiated instruction helps diversity thrive. Observing how experienced teachers practice differentiation in real-life situations helps teachers who are reluctant to try such strategies take the plunge. The authors draw on two observational studies they conducted of five expert teachers in a high-performing,…

Lifelong Learning Theory and Pre-Service Teachers' Development of Knowledge and Dispositions to Work with Australian Aboriginal Students

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Bennet, Maria; Moriarty, Beverley

2016-01-01

This article draws on previous research by the authors and others as well as lifelong learning theory to argue the case for providing pre-service teachers with deep and meaningful experiences over time that help them to build their personal capacity for developing knowledge and dispositions to work with Australian Aboriginal students, their…

Building a Cyber Training Center for Teachers in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Baek, Young-Kyun; Westrom, Marv

2001-01-01

Describes the development of a system for the delivery of teacher retraining on the Internet in Korea. Explains cooperation between the government and Korea National University of Education; and discusses goals of the project, including minimizing teacher's retraining costs and making inservice training available to all teachers. (Author/LRW)

Music Teachers and Music Therapists: Helping Children Together.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Allyson

2003-01-01

Provides background information on music therapy. Discusses how music therapy works in the public school setting and offers advice to music teachers. Explores music therapy and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, addressing the benefits of having access to music therapists. (CMK)

Building High-Performing and Improving Education Systems: Teachers. Review

Science.gov (United States)

Slater, Liz

2013-01-01

There is overwhelming evidence that teachers have the most effect on pupil outcomes (closely followed by the quality of leadership). The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) concluded that: (1) teachers were central to school improvement; (2) in order to improve the quality and fairness of education, teachers had to be…

The Attitude of Math Teachers toward Cooperative Learning and Institutional Elements that May Help or Hinder its Use as a Teaching Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Gerardo Meza-Cascante

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the results of research conducted in high schools in the central region of the Cartago province, Costa Rica. The goal of the research was to determine the attitude of high school math teachers toward cooperative learning in math and identify factors in secondary education institutions that can help or hinder the implementation of cooperative learning as a strategy for teaching mathematics. The research was conducted with 39 secondary education math teachers, who participated in a workshop on cooperative learning in mathematics. The attitude toward this methodology was measured by using semantic differential. This information was triangulated with data obtained from non-participant observation. A combination of in-depth interviews and non-participant observation was used to access data that identifies institutional factors helping or hindering the implementation of math cooperative learning. Findings suggest a positive attitude from teachers toward integrating cooperative work as a teaching strategy to promote math learning and toward the role played by school principals in the adoption of educational innovations. It also reveals that high schools have adequate material conditions to implement the methodology, although the need for training is considered. This finding should be taken into account by the proponents of this methodological option.

Teachers Building Dwelling Thinking with Slideware | Adams | Indo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Teacher-student discourse is increasingly mediated through, by and with information and communication technologies: in-class discussions have found new, textually-rich venues online; chalk and whiteboard lectures are rapidly giving way to PowerPoint presentations. Yet, what does this mean experientially for teachers?

Educational Dimensions of School Buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Bengtsson, Jan, Ed.

2011-01-01

In all modern societies almost everyone of their citizens have spent many years in school buildings, and the largest professional group in modern societies, teachers, is working every day during the working year in school buildings. In spite of this, we know surprisingly little about the influence of school buildings on the people who use them and…

Teacher and Student Perceptions on High School Science Flipped Classrooms: Educational Breakthrough or Media Hype?

Science.gov (United States)

Hunley, Rebecca C.

For years educators have struggled to ensure students meet the rigors of state mandated tests. Challenges that often impede student success are student absences, school closings due to weather, and remediation for students who need additional help while advanced students can move ahead. Many educators, especially secondary math and science teachers, have responded to these issues by implementing a teaching strategy called the flipped classroom where students view lectures, power points, or podcasts outside of school and class time shifts to allow opportunities for collaborative learning. The purpose of this research was to evaluate teacher and student perceptions of high school flipped science classrooms. A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to observe 3 high school science teachers from Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee selected through purposeful sampling who have used the flipped classroom method for a minimum of 2 years. Analysis of data from an online survey, direct observation, teacher interviews, and student focus groups helped to identify challenges and benefits of this teaching and learning strategy. Findings indicated that teachers find the flipped classroom beneficial to build student relationships but requires a significant amount of time to develop. Mixed student reactions revealed benefits of a flipped classroom as a successful learning tool for current and future endeavors for college or career preparation.

Math Anxiety: Can Teachers Help Students Reduce It? Ask the Cognitive Scientist

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Beilock, Sian L.; Willingham, Daniel T.

2014-01-01

How does the mind work--and especially how does it learn? Teacher's instructional decisions are based on a mix of theories learned in teacher education, trial and error, craft knowledge, and gut instinct. Such knowledge often serves teachers well, but is there anything sturdier to rely on? Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field of…

Parental Expectations of Their Adolescents' Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Tatar, Moshe; Horenczyk, Gabriel

2000-01-01

Examines parental expectations of their children's teachers through use of the Expectations of Teachers questionnaire. Participating parents (N=765) reported greater expectations for help and assistance, followed by teaching competence and fairness on the part of the teacher. Mothers were found to hold higher fairness, help, and assistance…

Preparing culturally and linguistically diverse preservice Early Childhood teachers for field experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melinda Miller

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This article reports on an action research project focussed on preparing culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD preservice early childhood teachers for field experience. A series of targeted workshops delivered over one semester was designed to support the students to develop intercultural competence in relation to knowledge, attitude, skills and behaviours that contribute to success on field placement. Findings indicate that short-term initiatives targeted specifically to students’ identified needs and strengths can help to build intercultural competence for both students and teacher educators. For the participants, access to communication strategies, opportunities for rehearsal of teaching practice, and peer and academic support contributed to shifts in attitude, and the development of skills and new knowledge. New learnings for the teacher educators included challenging assumptions about CALD students’ sense of community and belonging in the university context.

Building Minds, Minding Buildings: Our Union's Road Map to Green and Sustainable Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Spake, Amanda

2008-01-01

Late in 2006, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) released the first report in this series, "Building Minds, Minding Buildings: Turning Crumbling Schools into Environments for Learning." This second report, which covers the green schools movement is a natural follow-up; it highlights the work of AFT members and affiliates involved…

Teachers Know Best: Making Data Work for Teachers and Students

Science.gov (United States)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2015

2015-01-01

As part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's broader efforts to improve educational opportunities for all students, the "Teachers Know Best" research project seeks to encourage innovation in K-12 education by helping product developers and those who procure resources for teachers better understand teachers' views. The original…

Models for Building Knowledge in a Technology-Rich Setting: Teacher Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory MacKinnon

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Technology offers promising opportunities for creating new types of classroom learning environments. This paper describes three technology models used by teacher education interns: electronic portfolios, negotiative concept mapping, cognote-supported electronic discussions. As implemented in the current study, these models invoke graduated attributes of knowledge building and as such serve as a useful continuum of examples of the potential of technology to assist in promoting progressive knowledge construction. A description of the models is followed by a discussion of the relationship of these classrooms to Knowledge-Building principles. Résumé La technologie offre des possibilités prometteuses pour la création de nouveaux types d’environnements d’apprentissage en classe. Le présent article décrit trois modèles technologiques utilisés par les stagiaires en enseignement : portfolios électroniques, cartographie conceptuelle de négociation, discussions électroniques avec codage. Tels que mis en œuvre dans le cadre de la présente étude, ces modèles font appel à des attributs hiérarchiques de coélaboration des connaissances et constituent donc en eux-mêmes un continuum utile d’exemples illustrant comment la technologie peut aider à encourager l’élaboration progressive des connaissances. Une description des modèles est suivie d’une discussion portant sur la relation de ces classes avec les principes de coélaboration des connaissances.

Hooked on Helping

Science.gov (United States)

Longhurst, James; McCord, Joan

2014-01-01

In this article, teens presenting at a symposium on peer-helping programs describe how caring for others fosters personal growth and builds positive group cultures. Their individual thoughts and opinions are expressed.

Building Knowledge Structures by Testing Helps Children With Mathematical Learning Difficulty.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yiyun; Zhou, Xinlin

2016-01-01

Mathematical learning difficulty (MLD) is prevalent in the development of mathematical abilities. Previous interventions for children with MLD have focused on number sense or basic mathematical skills. This study investigated whether mathematical performance of fifth grade children with MLD could be improved by developing knowledge structures by testing using a web-based curriculum learning system. A total of 142 children with MLD were recruited; half of the children were in the experimental group (using the system), and the other half were in the control group (not using the system). The children were encouraged to use the web-based learning system at home for at least a 15-min session, at least once a week, for one and a half months. The mean accumulated time of testing on the system for children in the experimental group was 56.2 min. Children in the experimental group had significantly higher scores on their final mathematical examination compared to the control group. The results suggest that web-based curriculum learning through testing that promotes the building of knowledge structures for a mathematical course was helpful for children with MLD. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

Planning for What Kind of Teaching? Supporting Cooperating Teachers as Teachers of Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Norman, Patricia J.

2011-01-01

Planning is a central task of teaching and a central focus in learning to teach. But what does planning entail, and how is planning best learned? What challenges do experienced teachers serving as school-based teacher educators face in becoming teachers of planning? What role can university teacher educators play in helping mentor teachers learn…

Promoting Teacher Adoption of GIS Using Teacher-Centered and Teacher-Friendly Design

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jung Eun

2014-01-01

This article reports the results of a case study that employed user-centered design to develop training tutorials for helping middle school social studies teachers use Web-based GIS in their classrooms. This study placed teachers in the center of the design process in planning, designing, and developing the tutorials. This article describes how…

Utilizing Teacher Leadership as a Catalyst for Change in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Ankrum, Raymond J.

2016-01-01

School leaders are constantly trying to find alternative ways to leverage and explore teacher leadership potential in their school building(s). Teachers leaders that are willing to go above and beyond their general duties. Teacher leaders are the type of educators that fall under the motif of potentially taking on additive responsibilities that…

Evaluation of self-esteem in nursing teachers at public and private universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Terra, Fábio de Souza; Marziale, Maria Helena Palucci; Robazzi, Maria Lúcia do Carmo Cruz

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the self-esteem of Nursing faculty in public and private universities and compare the measures presented by two groups of teachers. This descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with 71 teachers from two universities (public and private) from a municipality in the south of the State of Minas Gerais. After pilot testing and validation, A questionnaire and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale were used. It was found that most teachers had high self-esteem, with no significant difference between the two groups. When the continuous scores on this scale were analyzed, there was a significant difference between universities, showing that the private university teachers had lower self-esteem scores. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale showed high value for coefficient alpha. It was concluded that self-esteem was high predominantly in the studied teachers, but those from the private university had lower scores. These data may help institutions to reflect on the issue and invest in building healthy environments, with the worker/teacher of Nursing as the protagonist, which represents advancement in the knowledge of the subject in the field of Nursing.

Establishing a mathematical Lesson Study culture in Danish teacher education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skott, Charlotte Krog; Østergaard, Camilla Hellsten

Bridging theory and practice is a general challenge in mathematics teacher education. Research shows that Lesson Study (LS) is an effective way for prospective mathematics teachers to build relations between course work and field experiences......Bridging theory and practice is a general challenge in mathematics teacher education. Research shows that Lesson Study (LS) is an effective way for prospective mathematics teachers to build relations between course work and field experiences...

Designing a Reflective Teacher Education Course and Its Contribution to ELT Teachers' Reflectivity

Science.gov (United States)

Tajik, Leila; Pakzad, Kazem

2016-01-01

Researchers in the present study planned a reflective teacher education course and documented the contribution of such a course to improving teachers' reflectivity. Five English teachers took part in the reflective teacher education course designed by the researchers. To record how the course could help improve reflective teaching, researchers…

Research Capacity-Building with New Technologies within New Communities of Practice: Reflections on the First Year of the Teacher Education Research Network

Science.gov (United States)

Fowler, Zoe; Stanley, Grant; Murray, Jean; Jones, Marion; McNamara, Olwen

2013-01-01

This article focuses on a virtual research environment (VRE) and how it facilitated the networking of teacher educators participating in an Economic and Social Research Council-funded research capacity-building project. Using the theoretical lenses of situated learning and socio-cultural approaches to literacy, participants' ways of engaging with…

PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE IN TEACHER EDUCATION

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

therefore, argued that the academic program of the teacher education should be coupled ... practicum which provides students with supervised experiences and help the student teachers to ... Lecturer, Department of Pedagogy, Eduction Faculty, Jimma University. ... teachers, different approaches to teacher .... Leadership.

Helping Students Acquire Thinking Skills through Mathematics Instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Devender, Evelyn M.

1992-01-01

Describes three activities that the teacher can employ to help students develop thinking skills through mathematics instruction: (1) memorization using the technique of chunking; (2) higher order thinking with magic squares; and (3) predicting games. Identifies eight facets of the teacher's role in promoting thinking skills. (MDH)

The Role of Physical Educators in Helping Classroom Teachers to Promote Physical Activity

Science.gov (United States)

Russ, Laura

2015-01-01

Elementary classroom teachers are an increasingly important constituency in school-based physical activity promotion. This article situates the need for classroom teacher physical-activity promotion at the intersection of what we know about teacher actions, what informs those actions, and what recent research has uncovered. Recommendations are…

Reactions of teachers versus non-teachers toward people who stutter.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jian; Arnold, Hayley S

2015-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to assess whether kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers differ from people in non-teaching occupations in their reactions to people who stutter (PWS). Taking differences in age and education into account, we compared reactions to PWS between 263 teachers and 1336 non-teachers in the United States based on their responses on the Public Opinion Survey on Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S, St. Louis, 2012). Findings indicated that teachers use a greater number and variety of information sources about PWS than the general public and that male teachers do so even more than female teachers. With regard to the other POSHA-S components, accommodating/helping, knowledge/experience, and sympathy/social distancing of PWS, teachers' responses were not significantly different from their non-teaching counterparts. Regardless of occupation, women reported reactions to PWS that are considered more accommodating and helpful to PWS than the reported reactions of men. Readers should be able to: (1) identify the challenges that students who stutter encounter in the K-12 school setting, (2) identify recommended ways teachers can react to their students who stutter, (3) summarize findings regarding teachers' reactions to people who stutter (PWS), and (4) identify key variables that are associated with reactions to PWS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Community Building of (Student) Teachers and a Teacher Educator in a School-University Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

Vandyck, Inne; de Graaff, Rick; Pilot, Albert; Beishuizen, Jos

2012-01-01

School-university partnerships (SUPs) are considered a way of improving teacher education. For the successful implementation of such partnerships, cooperation between the different stakeholders is of crucial importance. Therefore, most partnerships are organised in short- and long-term teams, which are usually composed of teachers, student…

CES--Cultural, Experiential, Skill Building: The Cognitive Foundation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rheams, Annie E.; Gallagher, Maureen

1995-01-01

Critiques the assimilation strategy and the hero-heroine-ritual approach to multicultural education, and offers a third model, the Cultural, Experiential, Skill Building (CES) approach, as an alternative for teacher training. Effects of the CES model on potential teachers and the implications for teacher training are addressed. (GR)

Building Communities: Teachers Researching Literacy Lives

Science.gov (United States)

Cremin, Teresa; Mottram, Marilyn; Collins, Fiona; Powell, Sacha; Drury, Rose

2012-01-01

In the light of wide recognition that the traffic between home and school is traditionally one-way, this article reports on a deliberately counter-cultural project that involved teachers in researching children's everyday literacy practices and "funds of knowledge" (Gonzalez, Moll, & Amanti, 2005) over a year. Eighteen primary…

Designing for health in school buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkeby, Inge Mette; Jensen, Bjarne Bruun; Larsen, Kristian

2015-01-01

Aim: To investigate the kinds of knowledge practitioners use when planning and designing for health in school buildings. Methods: Twelve semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with architects, teachers and officials to investigate use of knowledge in the making of school buildings...

Who Wants to Become a Teacher? Typology of Student-Teachers' Commitment to Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Moses, Ikupa; Berry, Amanda; Saab, Nadira; Admiraal, Wilfried

2017-01-01

Understanding student-teachers' decisions to enter and stay in the teaching profession after graduation could help teacher educators to find appropriate procedures to enhance commitment to teaching. This study classified student-teachers based on their levels of commitment to teaching, and described these types based on student-teachers'…

Building mathematics cellular phone learning communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wajeeh M. Daher

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Researchers emphasize the importance of maintaining learning communities and environments. This article describes the building and nourishment of a learning community, one comprised of middle school students who learned mathematics out-of-class using the cellular phone. The building of the learning community was led by three third year pre-service teachers majoring in mathematics and computers. The pre-service teachers selected thirty 8th grade students to learn mathematics with the cellular phone and be part of a learning community experimenting with this learning. To analyze the building and development stages of the cellular phone learning community, two models of community building stages were used; first the team development model developed by Tuckman (1965, second the life cycle model of a virtual learning community developed by Garber (2004. The research findings indicate that a learning community which is centered on a new technology has five 'life' phases of development: Pre-birth, birth, formation, performing, and maturity. Further, the research finding indicate that the norms that were encouraged by the preservice teachers who initiated the cellular phone learning community resulted in a community which developed, nourished and matured to be similar to a community of experienced applied mathematicians who use mathematical formulae to study everyday phenomena.

Teacher Leadership--Connecting Learning to Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Coughlan, Margaret

2015-01-01

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS, 2010) as the latest initiative in the ongoing effort of educational reform in the United States reinforces the need to build the capacity of teachers as leaders and change agents. As such, graduate teacher leadership programs function to support and develop teacher leadership praxis. Although studies of…

The Schoolhouse Network: How School Buildings Affect Teacher Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Spillane, James P.; Shirrell, Matthew

2018-01-01

In recent years, teacher collaboration has emerged as an important strategy to drive improvement, informed by research showing how on-the-job interactions can boost teacher development and effectiveness. Schools across the United States are adjusting their professional cultures and workplace practices in response, creating formal opportunities for…

In-Service Teachers' Training: The Case of University Teachers in Yangon, Myanmar

Science.gov (United States)

Ulla, Mark B.

2018-01-01

Research studies show a number of significant contributions of professional development programs towards teachers' teaching skills. This paper explores the views of eight (8) university lecturers in a university in Yangon, Myanmar with regards to the teacher capacity building and language enhancement training program they attended from 2014-2016.…

The nature and quality of the mathematical connections teachers make

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael K. Mhlolo

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Current reforms in mathematics education emphasise the need for pedagogy because it offers learners opportunities to develop their proficiency with complex high-level cognitive processes. One has always associated the ability to make mathematical connections, together with the teacher’s role in teaching them, with deep mathematical understanding. This article examines the nature and quality of the mathematical connections that the teachers’ representations of those connections enabled or constrained. The researchers made video recordings of four Grade 11 teachers as they taught a series of five lessons on algebra-related topics. The results showed that the teachers’ representations of mathematical connections were either faulty or superficial in most cases. It compromised the learners’ opportunities for making meaningful mathematical connections. The researchers concluded by suggesting that helping teachers to build their representation repertoires could increase the effectiveness of their instructional practices.

Teacher Portfolios.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe-Quintero, Kate; Brown, James Dean

1998-01-01

A portfolio of achievements, experiences, and reflections can help English-as-a-Second-Language teachers attain professional development goals and offer administrators greater insight for making informed hiring and job-performance decisions. This paper focuses on what teacher portfolios are, what their contents should be, and what their uses are…

Increasing Secondary Teachers' Capacity to Integrate the Arts

Science.gov (United States)

Richard, Byron; Treichel, Christa J.

2013-01-01

Examples from a team of collaborating secondary teachers--one visual arts teacher and one science teacher--highlight key aspects of this professional development project in arts integration. The article traces a regional network designed to build teacher capacity with implications for the design, effectiveness, and sustainability of professional…

Perceptions and Reflections of Music Teacher Education in Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Akuno, Emily Achieng'

2012-01-01

This article builds on enquiry aimed to discover Kenyan music teachers' perceptions and expectations of their role; their view of the training they received; head teachers' perceptions and expectations of the role of the music teacher; and the expectations of both music teachers and head teachers of a music teacher education programme in Kenya.…

Tribal Green Building Toolkit

Science.gov (United States)

This Tribal Green Building Toolkit (Toolkit) is designed to help tribal officials, community members, planners, developers, and architects develop and adopt building codes to support green building practices. Anyone can use this toolkit!

Teachers' Ability and Help Attributions and Children's Math Performance and Task Persistence

Science.gov (United States)

Tõeväli, Paula-Karoliina; Kikas, Eve

2016-01-01

The present longitudinal study examined the reciprocal relationships between teachers' causal attributions and children's math performance and task persistence. In total, 760 elementary school children and their teachers participated in this study. The children were tested in math twice, at the end of the second and third grades. At both time…

Technological Literacy for Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Hasse, Cathrine

2017-01-01

Ongoing developments in educational technologies place increasing demands on teachers who have to make decisions on a daily basis concerning how, when, and where to make use of technologies in classrooms. Building on results from the Danish project Technucation, this paper argues that there is a marked need for a teacher-specific version of the…

Allowing the Voices of Parents To Help Shape Teaching and Learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, Karen; Evans, Judith F.; Tellier-Robinson, Dora; Aviles, Leticia

2001-01-01

Three teachers describe how parents of deaf, severely disabled, and bilingual children participated in their children's learning. Qualitative research methods were used to help parents share their knowledge with teachers. (SK)

Inspiring Climate Education Excellence(ICEE): Developing Elearning professional development modules - secondary science teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Kellagher, E.; Buhr, S. M.; Lynds, S. E.; McCaffrey, M. S.; Cires Education Outreach

2011-12-01

Inspiring Climate Education Excellence (ICEE) is a NASA-funded project to develop content knowledge and knowledge of effective teaching strategies in climate education among secondary science teachers. ICEE resources are aligned with the Essential Principles of Climate Science. Building upon a needs assessment and face to face workshop, ICEE resources include iTunesU videos, an ICEE 101 resource site with videos and peer-reviewed learning activities, and a moderated online forum. Self-directed modules and an online course are being developed around concepts and topics in which teachers express the most interest and need for instruction. ICEE resources include attention to effective teaching strategies, such as awareness of student misconceptions, strategies for forestalling controversy and advice from master teachers on implementation and curriculum development. The resources are being developed in partnership with GLOBE, and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) and are informed by the work of the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) project. ICEE will help to meet the professional development needs of teachers, including those participating in the GLOBE Student Climate Research Campaign.

Globalization and Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Flinders, David J.

2009-01-01

Educational researchers and teacher educators are often concerned with immediate and practical questions. How can health teachers help youth avoid substance abuse? Should a high school biology teacher show Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," or is that film too political for a science classroom? What sports should be included in a physical…

Teachers and Counselors: Building Math Confidence in Schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph M. Furner

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Mathematics teachers need to take on the role of counselors in addressing the math anxious in today's math classrooms. This paper looks at the impact math anxiety has on the future of young adults in our high-tech society. Teachers and professional school counselors are encouraged to work together to prevent and reduce math anxiety. It is important that all students feel confident in their ability to do mathematics in an age that relies so heavily on problem solving, technology, science, and mathematics. It really is a school's obligation to see that their students value and feel confident in their ability to do math, because ultimately a child's life: all decisions they will make and careers choices may be determined based on their disposition toward mathematics. This paper raises some interesting questions and provides some strategies (See Appendix A for teachers and counselors for addressing the issue of math anxiety while discussing the importance of developing mathematically confident young people for a high-tech world of STEM.

Care and support of orphaned and vulnerable children at school: helping teachers to respond

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lesley Wood

2011-01-01

Full Text Available It is acknowledged that teacher training programmes around HIV in most of sub-Saharan Africa appear not to have been very effective in assisting teachers to respond to the demands placed on them by the pandemic. In response to the need identified by international development agencies, for research into teacher education and HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, this study investigated teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of training programmes offered in a specific school district in South Africa to equip them to deal with issues arising from having orphans and vulnerable children in their classrooms. A qualitative research design was followed to purposively select teachers who had attended the departmental training to participate in focus groups to explore the phenomenon of teaching orphaned and vulnerable children. The findings that emerged from the thematic data analysis provided supporting evidence that current teacher education approaches in this regard are not perceived to be effective. The results are used to suggest guidelines for an alternative approach to the current forms of HIV and AIDS training for teachers that is more likely to be sustainable, culturally appropriate and suited to the context.

Optimizing Energy Consumption in Building Designs Using Building Information Model (BIM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Egwunatum Samuel

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Given the ability of a Building Information Model (BIM to serve as a multi-disciplinary data repository, this paper seeks to explore and exploit the sustainability value of Building Information Modelling/models in delivering buildings that require less energy for their operation, emit less CO2 and at the same time provide a comfortable living environment for their occupants. This objective was achieved by a critical and extensive review of the literature covering: (1 building energy consumption, (2 building energy performance and analysis, and (3 building information modeling and energy assessment. The literature cited in this paper showed that linking an energy analysis tool with a BIM model helped project design teams to predict and create optimized energy consumption. To validate this finding, an in-depth analysis was carried out on a completed BIM integrated construction project using the Arboleda Project in the Dominican Republic. The findings showed that the BIM-based energy analysis helped the design team achieve the world’s first 103% positive energy building. From the research findings, the paper concludes that linking an energy analysis tool with a BIM model helps to expedite the energy analysis process, provide more detailed and accurate results as well as deliver energy-efficient buildings. The study further recommends that the adoption of a level 2 BIM and the integration of BIM in energy optimization analyse should be made compulsory for all projects irrespective of the method of procurement (government-funded or otherwise or its size.

Teacher and student perspectives on motivation within the high school science classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Pickens, Melanie Turnure

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher and student perspectives on the motivation of high school science students and to explore specific motivational strategies used by teachers as they attempt to enhance student motivation. Four science teachers took part in an initial audio-taped interview, classroom observations with debriefing conversations, and a final audio-taped interview to discuss findings and allow member checking for data triangulation and interpretation. Participating teachers also took part in a final focus group interview. Student participants from each teacher's class were given a Likert style anonymous survey on their views about motivation and learning, motivation in science class, and specific motivational strategies that emerged in their current science class. This study focused on effective teaching strategies for motivation commonly used by the four teachers and on specific teaching strategies used by two of these four teachers in different tracks of science classes. The intent was to determine not only what strategies worked well for all types of science classes, but also what specific motivational approaches were being used in high and low tracked science classes and the similarities and differences between them. This approach provided insight into the differences in motivating tracked students, with the hope that other educators in specific tracks might use such pedagogies to improve motivation in their own science classrooms. Results from this study showed that science teachers effectively motivate their students in the following ways: Questioning students to engage them in the lesson, exhibiting enthusiasm in lesson presentations, promoting a non-threatening environment, incorporating hands-on activities to help learn the lesson concepts, using a variety of activities, believing that students can achieve, and building caring relationships in the classroom. Specific to the higher tracked classroom, effective motivational

Teachers under examination: reflections on teacher assessment policies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eneida Oto Shiroma

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the current proposals of teacher assessment in Brazil. Based on historical materialism, we analysed national and international documents aiming at identifying the goals of this sort of assessment, the justifications for its implementation and debates about its outcomes. We found convergences between the policies recommended by the multilateral agencies, especially by the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and those adopted in Brazil, which indicates the great interest and influence of multilateral organizations in the development of policies for teachers. The first reactions of teachers, researchers, teacher associations and training institutions, added to the experiences of other countries that have adopted teacher assessment policies earlier, help us to understand possible outcomes and implications of these policies for teachers as a class, their careers and unions.

Trying To Reduce Your Technostress?: Helpful Activities for Teachers and Library Media Specialists.

Science.gov (United States)

McKenzie, Barbara K.; And Others

1997-01-01

As pressure increases to integrate technology into instruction, many teachers and library media specialists are having difficulty coping with "technostress." Presents suggestions and activities for teachers and library media specialists designed to reduce "technostress." (PEN)

Teacher - parent partnerships: Preservice teacher competences and attitudes during teacher training in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Denessen, E.J.P.G.; Bakker, J.T.A.; Kloppenburg, H.L.; Kerkhof, M.

2010-01-01

Teachers are expected to build strong relationships with their students' parents, but little is known about the way they develop their perspectives on parent involvement and their competences in relating to parents. To gain insight in these developments, a survey study was conducted about the

Vocabulary Instruction and Mexican-American Bilingual Students: How Two High School Teachers Integrate Multiple Strategies to Build Word Consciousness in English Language Arts Classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Ajayi, Lasisi

2015-01-01

Despite the significance of vocabulary knowledge to student learning, limited studies have examined English language arts (ELA) teachers' skills and practices that may be effective for building word consciousness in high school Mexican-American bilingual students. The research objective of the present study is to examine how two high school ELA…

Grief: Helping Young Children Cope

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Frances B.

2008-01-01

In their role as caregivers supporting the children they teach, it is important for teachers to understand the grieving process and recognize symptoms of grief. The author explains Elisabeth Kubler-Ross's five stages of grief and offers 10 classroom strategies to help young children cope with their feelings.

Structural building screening and evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Kurniawandy, Alex; Nakazawa, Shoji; Hendry, Andy; Ridwan, Firdaus, Rahmatul

2017-10-01

An earthquake is a disaster that can be harmful to the community, such as financial loss and also dead injuries. Pekanbaru is a city that located in the middle of Sumatera Island. Even though the city of Pekanbaru is a city that rarely occurs earthquake, but Pekanbaru has ever felt the impact of the big earthquake that occurred in West Sumatera on September 2009. As we know, Indonesia located between Eurasia plate, Pacific plate, and Indo-Australian plate. Particularly the Sumatera Island, It has the Semangko fault or the great Sumatra fault along the island from north to south due to the shift of Eurasia and Indo-Australian Plates. An earthquake is not killing people but the building around the people that could be killing them. The failure of the building can be early prevented by doing an evaluation. In this research, the methods of evaluation have used a guideline for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) P-154 and Applied Technology Council (ATC) 40. FEMA P-154 is a rapid visual screening of buildings for potential seismic hazards and ATC-40 is seismic evaluation and retrofit of Concrete Buildings. ATC-40 is a more complex evaluation rather than FEMA P-154. The samples to be evaluated are taken in the surroundings of Universitas Riau facility in Pekanbaru. There are four buildings as case study such as the rent student building, the building of mathematics and natural science faculty, the building teacher training and education faculty and the buildings in the faculty of Social political sciences. Vulnerability for every building facing an earthquake is different, this is depending on structural and non-structural components of the building. Among all of the samples, only the building of mathematics and the natural science faculty is in critical condition according to the FEMA P-154 evaluation. Furthermore, the results of evaluation using ATC-40 for the teacher training building are in damage control conditions, despite the other three buildings are

What Schools Are Doing To Help the Children of Divorce.

Science.gov (United States)

Sammons, William A. H.; Lewis, Jennifer M.

2000-01-01

Describes how teachers' observations of children can help behavioral pediatricians identify family situations contributing to marked changes in children's behavior related to divorce. Discusses ways teachers can support children of divorce, including maintaining consistency and discipline, making children feel competent, listening to the child's…

Care and Support of Orphaned and Vulnerable Children at School: Helping Teachers to Respond

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Lesley; Goba, Linda

2011-01-01

It is acknowledged that teacher training programmes around HIV in most of sub-Saharan Africa appear not to have been very effective in assisting teachers to respond to the demands placed on them by the pandemic. In response to the need identified by international development agencies, for research into teacher education and HIV in sub-Saharan…

Mobilizing knowledge in physical education teacher education: building the knowledge of inclusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor J. Santos da Conceição

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This study aimed at understanding how teachers seek knowledge about inclusion, to work with Students with Special Educational Needs, included in physical education classes in ordinary elementary school classes. Participated in this study three Physical Education teachers, regents class in elementary school. Was used a interview with teacher about study objective. The information was transcribed and analyzed through a survey of the meaning units and construction of analytical categories. The results showed that the three teachers interviewed had direct contact with the physical education during their school life, as well as the sport of income. The teacher traning happens only the teacher of faces with student included.

Relationship Building: Understanding the Extent and Value

Science.gov (United States)

Lester, Nita C.

2011-01-01

Relationship building in the remote rural settings studied occurred at various levels: professional, school-based, personal, and community-wide. Principals and teachers who understand the importance of relationship building--especially its personal and community-wide facets--who take the initiative in establishing and nurturing relationships and…

Teaching strategies and conceptual change in a professional development program for science teachers of K--8

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Ji

This case study investigates two consecutive science courses for teachers of K-8 in a professional development program at Washington University. It aims (1) to trace the processes of the teachers' conceptual change; (2) to analyze the teaching strategies by course instructors; and (3) to try to establish possible links between the two. To achieve this goal, I build a modeling theory to account for the observations. The main body of the study consists of four sub-cases. The first two cases instantiate the elements of the modeling theory. The opening case of balance shows that learning tools and task structures shape the learning outcome, and discusses cycles of modeling. The case also delineates the strategy that the instructors employed---moving from concrete experience to abstract explanation. The second case of buoyancy demonstrates that the modeling theory is able to explain the origins and forming mechanism of the alternative conceptions held by the teachers. It also shows that the teaching strategies of using alternative conceptions, applying analogies and following a logical sequence helped the teachers build new models. The last two cases demonstrate the ways of improving the competence of modelers. The third case of physical models emphasizes the metacognition of the learner who builds models. It illustrates that teachers' level of self-awareness in learning is increased when the models are physical. It shows that the creativity of modeling is rooted in agency, curiosity, communicability, and confidence, and that a chain of transformation among models is the key of systematizing and forming knowledge. The last case of frames of reference tries to answer the question "what is the justification of models if there are alternatives?" The teachers employed different forms of justification which relied heavily on common sense, authority, relativism, and pragmatism, all of which are not rational. While discussing both the positive and negative traits of these

ORIGINAL Is the Role of Teacher Performance Appraisal in Ethiopia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

aware of the purposes of the current teacher performance appraisal. However, the ... building, and expensive equipment (Daniel,. 2009). ... development of teachers, teachers' job ...... Appraisers' tend to rate high a person who is similar.

A storied-identity analysis approach to teacher candidates learning to teach in an urban setting

Science.gov (United States)

Ibourk, Amal

highlighted his struggle with navigating talkativeness in the class, but also his struggle being an authority figure in his classroom. At present, only Becky and Ashley pursued teaching in a high needs setting. A storied identity analysis provided as well an insight into their storied strategies, or the teaching strategies shaped by the stories the interns told about how they made sense of the challenges they faced in their teaching practice. There were five teaching strategies the interns named that were important in supporting their learning to teach were (1) building relationships with their students, (2) being resourceful and creative when faced with limited lab materials, (3) making science relevant to their students, (4) scaffolding their students in their learning, and (5) having a network of people as resources in helping them be better teachers and helping their students learn. Out of these five teaching strategies, I called those they named and highlighted as helping them teach in ways they valued and that connected back to their storied identity of science learning their storied strategies. Implications for further pushing storied identities as a tool for teacher educators to help pinpoint priorities that surface in teacher candidates' practice are discussed. An insight into the priorities that teacher candidates highlight in their practice as well as the storied strategies they name and use to deal with challenges that surface in their practice has potential in better helping teacher candidates navigate their developing practice.

Mars mission program for primary students: Building student and teacher skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Mathers, Naomi; Pakakis, Michael; Christie, Ian

2011-09-01

The Victorian Space Science Education Centre (VSSEC) scenario-based programs, including the Mission to Mars and Mission to the Orbiting Space Laboratory, utilize methodologies such as hands-on applications, immersive learning, integrated technologies, critical thinking and mentoring. The use of a scenario provides a real-life context and purpose to what students might otherwise consider disjointed information. These programs engage students in the areas of maths and science, and highlight potential career paths in science and engineering. The introduction of a scenario-based program for primary students engages students in maths and science at a younger age, addressing the issues of basic numeracy and science literacy, thus laying the foundation for stronger senior science initiatives. Primary students absorb more information within the context of the scenario, and presenting information they can see, hear, touch and smell creates a memorable learning and sensory experience. The mission also supports development of teacher skills in the delivery of hands-on science and helps build their confidence to teach science. The Primary Mission to the Mars Base gives primary school students access to an environment and equipment not available in schools. Students wear flight suits for the duration of the program to immerse them in the experience of being an astronaut. Astronauts work in the VSSEC Space Laboratory, which is transformed into a Mars base for the primary program, to conduct experiments in areas such as robotics, human physiology, microbiology, nanotechnology and environmental science. Specialist mission control software has been developed by La Trobe University Centre for Games Technology to provide age appropriate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based problem solving and support the concept of a mission. Students in Mission Control observe the astronauts working in the space laboratory and talk to them via the AV system. This interactive

Building Mainteance Module I: Orientation to Building Maintenance. Instructor's Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Eck, Francis

This document contains teacher's materials for a seven-lesson Missouri secondary education course on building maintenance fundamentals. The document begins with an explanation of its components and how to use them. Next is a table that associates individual instructional materials in the lessons with the competencies they teach. The lessons are:…

Gathering Requirements for Teacher Tools: Strategies for Empowering Teachers Through Co-Design

Science.gov (United States)

Matuk, Camillia; Gerard, Libby; Lim-Breitbart, Jonathan; Linn, Marcia

2016-02-01

Technology can enhance teachers' practice in multiple ways. It can help them better understand patterns in their students' thinking, manage class progress at individual and group levels, and obtain evidence to inform modifications to curriculum and instruction. Such technology is most effective when it is aligned with teachers' goals and expectations. Participatory methods, which involve teachers closely in the design process, are widely recommended for establishing accurate design requirements that address users' needs. By collaborating with researchers, teachers can contribute their professional expertise to shape the tools of their practice, and ultimately ensure their sustained use. However, there is little guidance available for maintaining effective teacher-researcher design partnerships. We describe four strategies for engaging teachers in designing tools intended to support and enhance their practice within a web-based science learning environment: discussing physical artifacts, reacting to scenarios, customizing prototypes, and writing user stories. Using design artifacts and documents of teachers' reflections, we illustrate how we applied these techniques over 5 years of annual professional development workshops, and examine their affordances for eliciting teachers' ideas. We reflect on how these approaches have helped inform technology refinements and innovations. We moreover discuss the further benefits these strategies have had in encouraging teachers to reflect on their own practice and on the roles of technology in supporting it; and in allowing researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between technology, teaching, and design.

Helpful Entry Level Skills Checklist--Revised Manual [and] Helpful Entry Level Skill Checklist--Revised Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Child Development Centers of the Bluegrass, Lexington, KY.

The Helpful Entry Level Skills Checklist was designed to assist preschool teachers in selecting functional skills that children (including children with disabilities) may need to make a successful transition into the public schools. These skills, for the most part, deal with attending, compliance, ability to follow directions, turn taking, ability…

Heritage building as a Concept and as a part of Technology Education Conceptions of, structuredness of conceptions of, and conceptual change in students in teacher training during a study module on heritage building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jani Kaasinen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available As a concept, heritage building is young and previously undefined in Finnish scientific literature. Earlier studies about the very notions of heritage building are also nonexistent in Finland. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the conceptions of students in teacher training about heritage building before and after a study module on heritage building, which constitutes a part of their subject studies in didactics of crafts. The lack of previous studies about conceptions of heritage building in Finland led to the selection of these conceptions as a research target. The study uses two different approaches for achieving its purpose. In order to find answers to the research problem, the students' common conceptions about heritage building were examined first. Secondly, it was considered how structured these conceptions were. Therefore, the research process included a conceptual review of heritage building to provide a baseline for comparing the student's conceptions and their structuredness.The research results indicate that even though students in didactics of handicrafts have conceptions about heritage building that are parallel with the definition formulated for the purposes of the study, they are superficial on average. The review of structuredness of conceptions supported the results achieved in the phenomenographical analysis of conceptions. It was observed that completing the study module had an impact on the structuredness of conceptions. Furthermore, the students' personal background was found to have some implications on how structured their conceptions of heritage building were, which was evidenced by notable differences in structuredness of conceptions on an individual level. This article is based on the writer’s doctoral dissertation.Keywords: Heritage building, conceptions, conceptual change, level of structuredness, phenomenography, technology education

Latino Parents and Teachers: Key Players Building Neighborhood Social Capital

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Elizabeth; Ulanoff, Sharon H.

2013-01-01

This narrative study examines how Latino parents and teachers in the Boyle Heights/East Los Angeles community create and appropriate social capital to increase student achievement. Specifically, the study explores how parents and teachers participate in two community organizations to extend resources that have the potential to positively impact…

Documentation Panels Enhance Teacher Education Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Warash, Bobbie Gibson

2005-01-01

Documentation of children's projects is advantageous to their learning process and is also a good method for student teachers to observe the process of learning. Documentation panels are a unique way to help student teachers understand how children learn. Completing a panel requires a student teacher to think through a process. Teachers must learn…

Building an Understanding: What Motivates Teachers to use Science in Motion

Science.gov (United States)

Spuck, Karen M.

Science education reform documents call for instructional practices that include scientific equipment and materials. Often, these types of resources are inaccessible for schools, especially those which are rural and socio-economically challenged, due largely to budgetary considerations. Science outreach partnerships are able to bridge the gap between what is called for in science education reform documents and the realities of many schools. Science in Motion is a science outreach partnership project located in rural Northwestern Pennsylvania, supported by state funds, that provides equipment, curricular materials, and professional development free of charge for area science educators. Teacher participation in this project is completely voluntary. Not a grassroots initiative, nor a top down mandated project, why do teachers decide to use this project? This study examined the volitional use of the Science in Motion project at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Qualitative research methods were used to answer the following research question: what are the reasons for project use reported by teachers who use the project on a regular basis? Sub research questions were: what is it about the teacher that encouraged her/him to initiate Science in Motion services, and what is it about the teacher that encourages her/him to continue using Science in Motion services? Two focus group interviews as well as a paper/pencil questionnaire were used to collect data from teacher participants who use the project on a regular basis. A phenomenological lens was used to examine data. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze data. Research findings reveal teachers initiated use because: the project provided opportunities for teaching and learning that otherwise were inaccessible, the project was perceived as user friendly and easy to access, the project embedded professional development provided the support needed to encourage initial use, and the project resources were perceived as

Teacher Leadership Capacity-Building: Developing Democratically Accountable Leaders in Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Mullen, Carol A.; Jones, Rahim J.

2008-01-01

Using a qualitative case study approach, the authors explore social justice implications of inservice principals' practices that affect attitudes and empower teachers. If a primary educational goal of progressive schooling is to create and sustain more democratic schools by enabling the growth of teachers as leaders who are responsible for their…

Frank McCourt’s Teacher Man: A Novel Approach to Teacher Learning and Professional Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renate Schulz

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research was to investigate how stories can be a learning tool to help teachers make sense of and learn from their own stories of teaching. The participants in this study were teachers enrolled in a graduate level course.  Frank McCourt’s novel, Teacher Man acted as a stimulus, springboard and guide for class discussions and for teachers writing their own story of teaching. My mode of inquiry included collecting the teachers’ written responses to class readings, noting their oral responses during class discussions, asking them to complete a short questionnaire, and following up with a taped focus group three months after the completion of the course. By reading, hearing and discussing the stories of others, teachers came to recognize the power of stories.  Writing their own stories helped them to understand their own practice better.

Building Social Justice among Academic Staffs of Tertiary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR Nneka

Institutions, the Influence of Acculturation, Networking and. School Management .... research on predictors of social justice building among teachers, and how it is related ... Acculturation theory has historically focused on individual and group ... behaviors are used to build and maintain informal contacts that enhance career.

Chinese Teachers' Perceptions of Students' Classroom Misbehaviour

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Meixia; Li, Yeping; Li, Xiaobao; Kulm, Gerald

2008-01-01

This study focuses on Chinese teachers' perceptions of students' classroom misbehaviour. A questionnaire was designed to assess teachers' general concerns about classroom management, teachers' perceptions of the most frequent and troublesome types of misbehaviour, and teachers' perceived needs for help with improving classroom management. A total…

Alternative Certification Teachers: Building Partnerships with Paraprofessionals

Science.gov (United States)

Karge, Belinda Dunnick; Pierson, Melinda; Robinson, Suzanne

2011-01-01

There were 282 special education teachers enrolled in an alternative certification program in education at a university in southern California who were surveyed over the course of two years to determine the extent of their training in working with paraprofessionals and the professional development they received on how to successfully work with the…

Building trust with teachers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plater-Zyberk, Kristin

1995-01-01

Industry stresses the need to respond to its stakeholders. If industry recognizes that there are stakeholders which serves shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees and the community where the company operates, they must meet the legitimate expectations of these groups through a healthy bottom line. A healthy bottom line. The importance of this cannot ba underestimated. Helping people understand the role of profits is a key motivator for business involvement with education

Conducting Classroom Design Research with Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, Michelle. L.

2015-01-01

Design research is usually motivated by university members with experience and interest in building theory and instructional designs in collaboration with one teacher. Typically, the teacher is considered as a member of the research team, with the primary responsibility of implementing instruction. However, in this chapter, I describe a Classroom…

EPIC: Helping School Life and Family Support Each Other.

Science.gov (United States)

Montgomery, David

1992-01-01

Born out of a 1981 murder, Buffalo (New York) Public Schools' EPIC (Effective Parenting Information for Children) program successfully combines parenting, effective teaching, and community programs to help family and school life support each other. Under EPIC, teachers are advised to help students acquire 23 skills involving self-esteem, rules,…

The Teacher-Scholar Project: how to help faculty groups develop scholarly skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinrich, Kathleen T; Hurst, Helen; Leigh, Gwen; Oberleitner, Melinda Granger; Poirrier, Gail P

2009-01-01

Nursing education's challenge in the new millennium is to prepare all nurses as scholars. With many nurse educators feeling like impostors when it comes to scholarship, this is no small task. Turning the millenial challenge into an opportunity, this article describes how a collaborative faculty development initiative is turning a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence school's "scholar-impostors" into teacher-scholars. This Teacher-Scholar Project will interest those in teaching intensive schools of nursing or in teaching tracks in research-intensive institutions.

Teachers' Understanding and Operationalisation of `Science Capital'

Science.gov (United States)

King, Heather; Nomikou, Effrosyni; Archer, Louise; Regan, Elaine

2015-12-01

Across the globe, governments, industry and educationalists are in agreement that more needs to be done to increase and broaden participation in post-16 science. Schools, as well as teachers, are seen as key in this effort. Previous research has found that engagement with science, inclination to study science and understanding of the value of science strongly relates to a student's science capital. This paper reports on findings from the pilot year of a one-year professional development (PD) programme designed to work with secondary-school teachers to build students' science capital. The PD programme introduced teachers to the nature and importance of science capital and thereafter supported them to develop ways of implementing science capital-building pedagogy in their practice. The data comprise interviews with the participating teachers (n = 10), observations of classroom practices and analyses of the teachers' accounts of their practice. Our findings suggest that teachers found the concept of science capital to be compelling and to resonate with their own intuitive understandings and experiences. However, the ways in which the concept was operationalised in terms of the implementation of pedagogical practices varied. The difficulties inherent in the operationalisation are examined and recommendations for future work with teachers around the concept of science capital are developed.

Revising Teacher Candidates' Views of Science and Self: Can Accounts from the History of Science Help?

Science.gov (United States)

Lewthwaite, Brian; Murray, John; Hechter, Richard

2012-01-01

Our inquiry uses accounts from the history of science to develop teacher-candidate (student teacher) understanding of the nature of science (NOS) in a science teacher education methods course. This understanding of the NOS is then used as a foundation for developing teacher candidate appreciation of the attributes of authentic science lessons.…

Virtual building environments (VBE) - Applying information modeling to buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bazjanac, Vladimir

2004-06-21

A Virtual Building Environment (VBE) is a ''place'' where building industry project staffs can get help in creating Building Information Models (BIM) and in the use of virtual buildings. It consists of a group of industry software that is operated by industry experts who are also experts in the use of that software. The purpose of a VBE is to facilitate expert use of appropriate software applications in conjunction with each other to efficiently support multidisciplinary work. This paper defines BIM and virtual buildings, and describes VBE objectives, set-up and characteristics of operation. It informs about the VBE Initiative and the benefits from a couple of early VBE projects.

Promoting elementary students' epistemology of science through computer-supported knowledge-building discourse and epistemic reflection

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Feng; Chan, Carol K. K.

2018-04-01

This study examined the role of computer-supported knowledge-building discourse and epistemic reflection in promoting elementary-school students' scientific epistemology and science learning. The participants were 39 Grade 5 students who were collectively pursuing ideas and inquiry for knowledge advance using Knowledge Forum (KF) while studying a unit on electricity; they also reflected on the epistemic nature of their discourse. A comparison class of 22 students, taught by the same teacher, studied the same unit using the school's established scientific investigation method. We hypothesised that engaging students in idea-driven and theory-building discourse, as well as scaffolding them to reflect on the epistemic nature of their discourse, would help them understand their own scientific collaborative discourse as a theory-building process, and therefore understand scientific inquiry as an idea-driven and theory-building process. As hypothesised, we found that students engaged in knowledge-building discourse and reflection outperformed comparison students in scientific epistemology and science learning, and that students' understanding of collaborative discourse predicted their post-test scientific epistemology and science learning. To further understand the epistemic change process among knowledge-building students, we analysed their KF discourse to understand whether and how their epistemic practice had changed after epistemic reflection. The implications on ways of promoting epistemic change are discussed.

Teaching Primary Science: How Research Helps

Science.gov (United States)

Harlen, Wynne

2010-01-01

The very first edition of "Primary Science Review" included an article entitled "Teaching primary science--how research can help" (Harlen, 1986), which announced that a section of the journal would be for reports of research and particularly for teachers reporting their classroom research. The intervening 24 years have seen…

TPACK in teacher education: are we preparing teachers to use technology for early literacy?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Voogt, Joke; McKenney, Susan

2017-01-01

This study examines if and how five teacher education institutes are helping students to develop the technological pedagogical content knowledge needed to effectively use technology for early literacy. Focus group discussions were held with teacher educators in which their responses to expert

Student-Teachers' Supervision as a Professional Development Activity: Building Work-Related Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Minott, Mark A.; Willett, Ionie Liburd

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research was to identify and outline the work-related skills that cooperating teachers in the Cayman Islands and Saint Kitts-Nevis developed or reinforced as they supervised student-teachers. A qualitative case-study methodology was used. The findings indicate that cooperating teachers developed and reinforced essential…

Teachers for Multicultural Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivlin, Harry N.; Gold, Milton J.

Developing teachers for multicultural education is an essential assignment for teacher education and school administration today so that educators might help their students learn to live in a multicultural society. In an earlier view, public schools were considered the "great equalizers" among America's social institutions. The assumption was that…

Teacher in Residence: Bringing Science to Students

CERN Multimedia

Daisy Yuhas

CERN welcomes its first Teacher in Residence, Terrence Baine of the University of Oslo. Baine, who originally hails from Canada, will be concurrently completing his PhD in Physics Education during his time at CERN. Like CERN’s High School Teacher Programme (HST), of which Baine is an alumnus, the Teacher in Residence position is designed to help educators spread the science of CERN in a form that is accessible to students and can encourage them to pursue physics throughout their education.   Terrence Baine, first 'teacher in residence' at CERN Baine explains, “It’s very important to have a teacher present who can be that middle person between the young peoplecoming here, whom we are trying to enlighten, and the physicists who work at CERN. The Teacher in Residence can act as an on-site educational consultant.” As Teacher in Residence, Baine’s primary project will be to develop teaching modules, or a series of lesson plans, that can help high schoo...

Second Career Teachers and (Mis)Recognitions of Professional Identities

Science.gov (United States)

Nielsen, Ann

2016-01-01

Since the late 1980s there has been an increase of "second career teachers" (SCTs), professionals that switch careers to become teachers. Little is known about SCTs and their sense of professional identity. Building from Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of power and cultural capital, the professional identities of teachers were examined…

Studying revolutions in Cuban education: A need of teachers training at the university

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cossío, María Elena

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In Cuba, Revolution and education are overlapping processes, one might be impossible without the other. Three educational revolutions are identified and characterized in the paper; a definition for the term is given. Likewise, the role of teachers and educators contributing to the construction of socialism is discussed. After diagnosing pupils being trained as teachers of Marxism-Leninism and History, the lack of knowledge of the role of teachers and their contribution the educational program of the Revolution was revealed. This paper is aimed at describing the method of emotional commitment to paradigm of educators. This method helps to account the enrolment of professor of José Martí” College of Education in the task of doing a revolution in education and constructing socialism in Cuba. The novelty of the method is the revelation of the connection between landmarks and protagonists, a person who teachers’ trainees take as a paradigm in building their own personality and as the object of study in history of education research process they are carrying out.

Teachers' Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The article advocates for gender-sensitive and developmental-oriented approaches that will ensure rehabilitation and re-integration of pregnant girls into the school system after their delivery, and recommend the need to build teachers skills and promote students-teachers dialogue in order to optimize school environment ...

Green Building Research Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sailor, David Jean [Portland State Univ., Portland, OR (United States)

2013-12-29

This project provided support to the Green Building Research Laboratory at Portland State University (PSU) so it could work with researchers and industry to solve technical problems for the benefit of the green building industry. It also helped to facilitate the development of PSU’s undergraduate and graduate-level training in building science across the curriculum.

Preservice Teachers Connecting Mathematics and Drumming

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Anne Marie

2014-01-01

Increasingly, elementary classroom teachers are being called to teach a myriad of subjects, including visual art, dance, and music. Preservice teachers must be prepared to teach and integrate multiple subjects. To that end, preservice teachers will need experiences in their preparation that help them to see connections across content areas and…

Building Structure into a Class for Emotionally Disturbed Children: One Teacher's Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Cambone, Joseph

The paper is a description of how one teacher structured a classroom for five seriously disturbed violent boys (ages 5.5 to 8 years) at a private residential and day school for emotionally disturbed students. Anecdotes are reported as well as the teacher's reflections. Changes in the teacher's original planned class structure while maintaining the…

The Future of Instructional Teacher Leader Roles

Science.gov (United States)

Mangin, Melinda M.; Stoelinga, Sara Ray

2010-01-01

In response to increased performance expectations, schools and districts are turning to nonsupervisory, school-based, instructional teacher leader roles to help improve teachers' instruction and enhance student learning. Increased opportunities to learn about teacher leadership may facilitate the implementation and institutionalization of…

Helping Children Develop Resiliency: Providing Supportive Relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Kersey, Katharine C.; Malley, Catherine Robertson

2005-01-01

Helping children develop resiliency begins with positive, meaningful connections between teachers and students. This article defines the importance of encouraging children to develop characteristics related to resiliency including confidence in their ability to bounce back from setbacks, overcome challenges and frustrations. Furthermore, critical…

Four discourse models of physics teacher education

OpenAIRE

Larsson, Johanna; Airey, John

2017-01-01

In Sweden, as in many other countries, the education of high-school physics teachers is typically carried out in three different environments; the education department, the physics department and school itself during teaching practice. Trainee physics teachers are in the process of building their professional identity as they move between these three environments. Although much has been written about teacher professional identity (see overview in Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop, 2004) little ...

Teachers as Therapeutic Agents: Perceptions of a School-Based Mental Health Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Lindo, Natalya A.; Taylor, Dalena Dillman; Meany-Walen, Kristin K.; Purswell, Katherine; Jayne, Kimberly; Gonzales, Terri; Jones, Leslie

2014-01-01

Teacher-child relationship building (TCRB) is a play-based professional development programme adapted from kinder training and filial therapy. Intended for early education teachers and students, TCRB is designed to strengthen the teacher-child relationship, improve student behaviour, enhance academic involvement and develop teachers' classroom…

Building Measures of Instructional Differentiation from Teacher Checklists

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Ryan; Swanlund, Andrew; Miller, Shazia; Konstantopoulos, Spyros; van der Ploeg, Arie

2012-01-01

Differentiated instruction is commonly believed to be critical to improving the quality and efficiency of teachers' instructional repertoires (Fischer & Rose, 2001; Tomlinson, 2004). Tomlinson (2000) describes differentiation in four domains: content, process, product, and learning environment. Content differentiation involves varying…

Teachers and Coaches in Adolescent Social Networks Are Associated With Healthier Self-Concept and Decreased Substance Use.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudovitz, Rebecca N; Chung, Paul J; Wong, Mitchell D

2017-01-01

Poor academic (eg, "I am a bad student") and behavioral (eg, "I am a troublemaker") self-concepts are strongly linked to adolescent substance use. Social networks likely influence self-concept. However, little is understood about the role teachers and athletic coaches play in shaping both academic and behavioral self-concepts. We analyzed cross-sectional surveys of 929 9th-12th grade low-income minority adolescents in Los Angeles assessing self-concept, social networks, and 30-day use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. We performed generalized estimating equations, accounting for clustering at the school level and controlling for family and peer influences and contextual factors. We also tested whether self-concept-mediated associations between relationships with teachers or coaches and 30-day substance use. More perceived teacher support was associated with lower odds of marijuana and other drug use and better academic and behavioral self-concepts. Behavioral self-concept mediated the associations between teacher support and substance use. By facilitating relationships with adults and improving teachers' capacity to build supportive environments, schools may positively shape how adolescents see themselves, which might help reduce adolescent substance use. © 2016, American School Health Association.

COMMENTARY: I'M ONLY TRYING TO HELP: A ROLE FOR INTERVENTIONS IN TEACHING LISTENING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Rost

2007-02-01

Full Text Available In my work as an author and teacher trainer, I have the opportunity to travel around the world and talk to teachers in a variety of settings. Though I meet teachers with a range of backgrounds and a wide disparity of resources, I find that a few common themes come up whenever I talk with teachers about language teaching and technology. One of the familiar refrains is that most of us claim to lack the technological resources we feel we need to teach effectively. There’s always something new on the horizon that we feel we just have to have. Another recurring theme is the lament that most of our students just don’t seem to take advantage of the extra learning opportunities we present them anyway! Teachers want to help, but often feel under appreciated for their efforts. Personally, I have relished the ongoing advances in technology over the course of my teaching career. I started out as a secondary school teacher in Togo, West Africa with chalk – sometimes yellow or pink! – and a blackboard as my only teaching technology. When teachers express a sense of being overwhelmed by new technology, I sometimes talk about my own beginnings and also remind them of a few of Donald Norman’s principles of human-centered design. According to Norman (2004, for any new technology to be effective, it must be intuitively helpful and elegantly efficient. In the case of language teaching, this means the technology must – immediately and transparently – help us teach better than we do already. If it doesn’t, we simply shouldn’t use it. In addition, Norman says, for any new technology to be widely adopted, it must appeal to the emotions as well as to reason. If people don’t enjoy using a particular technology, no matter how logically useful it may be, they will tend to shun it. Perhaps because as language teachers we tend to favor eclecticism, we will often throw any emerging technology into the mix as a "helpful resource." As Doughty and Long (2003

Southwest University's Innovative No-Fee Teacher Education Internships

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Huirong; Xiong, Jianjie; Song, Naiqing

2013-01-01

This article describes Southwest University's no-fee teacher education internship models in terms of their organization, content, requirements, and quality assurance. It further introduces the quality assurance system, which comprises building a teaching internship system, establishing internship sites, guiding teacher training, and processing…

Pre-Service Science Teachers' PCK: Inconsistency of Pre-Service Teachers' Predictions and Student Learning Difficulties in Newton's Third Law

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Shaona; Wang, Yanlin; Zhang, Chunbin

2016-01-01

There is widespread agreement that science learning always builds upon students' existing ideas and that science teachers should possess knowledge of learners. This study aims at investigating pre-service science teachers' knowledge of student misconceptions and difficulties, a crucial component of PCK, on Newton's Third Law. A questionnaire was…

Instructional Coaching through Dialogic Interaction: Helping a Teacher to Become Agentive in Her Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Haneda, Mari; Teemant, Annela; Sherman, Brandon

2017-01-01

We investigate the instructional coaching interactions between a kindergarten teacher and an experienced coach using the analytic lens of dialogic teaching. The data were collected in the context of a US professional development project that supports urban elementary school teachers in enacting critical sociocultural teaching practices. We…

Developing an International Survey of Teachers' Assessment Capabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Renken, Maggie; Otrel-Cass, Kathrin; Cowie, Bronwen

teacher education into the first years as teachers across six countries. We target the nature of programmes and changes in understanding assessment purposes, practices, principles and policy. This project builds on the ACT survey of student-teacher understandings of assessment conducted over three years......Professional standards require teachers to be assessment literate - to construct, administer, and score reliable, valid assessments, communicate interpretations and use evidence to adjust teaching to support students. This project investigates student-teachers’ assessment literacy throughout...

A Window into New Teachers' Minds

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Jacqueline Grennon; Mammo, Behailu

2016-01-01

The authors--directors of the Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program that recruits new teachers to help students in high-needs schools learn math and science--gave participants in their program the chance to present a metaphor or symbol for good teaching. Each novice teacher presented an artifact or image and described what that artifact represented to…

A Team Building Model for Software Engineering Courses Term Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Sahin, Yasar Guneri

2011-01-01

This paper proposes a new model for team building, which enables teachers to build coherent teams rapidly and fairly for the term projects of software engineering courses. Moreover, the model can also be used to build teams for any type of project, if the team member candidates are students, or if they are inexperienced on a certain subject. The…

TPACK in Teacher Education: Are We Preparing Teachers to Use Technology for Early Literacy?

Science.gov (United States)

Voogt, Joke; McKenney, Susan

2017-01-01

This study examines if and how five teacher education institutes are helping students to develop the technological pedagogical content knowledge needed to effectively use technology for early literacy. Focus group discussions were held with teacher educators in which their responses to expert recommendations were probed. Findings indicate that,…

Preparing Content Area Teachers for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction: The Role of Literacy Teacher Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Zhihui

2014-01-01

The recent call for secondary reading instruction to move away from a focus on generic literacy strategies to discipline-specific language and literacy practices presents new challenges for secondary teacher preparation. This column identifies some of the roles literacy teacher educators can play in helping address these challenges.

The Influence of Achievement Goals on Online Help Seeking of Computer Science Students

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Qiang; Barnes, Brad; Wright, Ewan; Branch, Robert Maribe

2017-01-01

This study investigated the online help-seeking behaviors of computer science students with a focus on the effect of achievement goals. The online help-seeking behaviors investigated were online searching, asking teachers online for help, and asking peers or unknown people online for help. One hundred and sixty-five students studying computer…

The extent to which Latina/o preservice teachers demonstrate culturally responsive teaching practices during science and mathematics instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez, Cecilia M.

2011-12-01

Complex social, racial, economic, and political issues involved in the practice of teaching today require beginning teachers to be informed, skilled, and culturally responsive when entering the classroom. Teacher educators must educate future teachers in ways that will help them teach all children regardless of language, cultural background, or prior knowledge. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) novice teachers described and demonstrated culturally responsive teaching strategies using their students' cultural and academic profiles to inform practice in science and mathematics instruction. This qualitative exploratory case study considered the culturally responsive teaching practices of 12, non-traditional, Latina/o students as they progressed through a distance-based collaborative teacher education program. Qualitative techniques used throughout this exploratory case study investigated cultural responsiveness of these student teachers as they demonstrated their abilities to: a) integrate content and facilitate knowledge construction; b) illustrate social justice and prejudice reduction; and c) develop students academically. In conclusion, student teachers participating in this study demonstrated their ability to integrate content by: (1) including content from other cultures, (2) building positive teacher-student relationships, and (3) holding high expectations for all students. They also demonstrated their ability to facilitate knowledge construction by building on what students knew. Since there is not sufficient data to support the student teachers' abilities to assist students in learning to be critical, independent thinkers who are open to other ways of knowing, no conclusions regarding this subcategory could be drawn. Student teachers in this study illustrated prejudice reduction by: (1) using native language support to assist students in learning and understanding science and math content

Physics Teacher Knowledge Aimed in Pedagogical Studies in Finland and in South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Krzywacki, Heidi; Kim, Byeong-Chan; Lavonen, Jari

2017-01-01

This paper analyzes the pedagogical studies of Finnish and South Korean physics teacher education programs that guide teacher educators to support student teachers' to build readiness for acting as professional teachers in a secondary school classroom. Research on the domains and origin of teachers' professional knowledge provides a framework for…

"Met" Made Simple: Building Research-Based Teacher Evaluations. Issue Analysis Report

Science.gov (United States)

New Teacher Project, 2012

2012-01-01

Groundbreaking new findings from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project hold the potential to answer crucial questions about how to assess teachers' performance. For the past two years, MET researchers have conducted a research project of unprecedented scope, involving 3,000 teachers in six school…

Psychological factors of the readiness of teachers to ensure social security in the educational environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shmeleva E.A.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The negative sociocultural transformations that are taking place in modern society and the resulting psychological transformation of personality and mode of life strongly require searching for ways of providing social safety to the next generation, with teachers being the implementers of this process. Teachers’ professionalism is determined by their willingness to solve personal and socially relevant problems, including the willingness to provide social security for other people, to thwart social risks, and to build constructive interpersonal relationships. The aim of our research was to reveal and to analyze the psychological factors affecting the readiness of teachers to ensure social security in educational environments. The environmental factors of social risk have been theoretically characterized. It has been shown that the essential factor in ensuring students’ social security is providing a safe social environment in educational institutions; such an environment provides the learners and the teachers with sociopsychological security and psychosocial well-being. The empirical part of our study was devoted to identifying negative social phenomena in the schools in the Ivanovo region (with the help of a questionnaire administered to 700 students and to identifying the personally and professionally important qualities of the teachers and the subjective psychological factors of their readiness to ensure social security in the educational environment (through interviewing 300 teachers; the administration of the questionnaires and the interviewing were followed by an assessment of their significance (with the help of a questionnaire administered to 140 teachers. Using factor analysis we identified the relevant indicators and grouped them into six factors of the readiness of teachers to ensure a safe educational environment. Relevant personal and professional qualities of teachers were revealed; these are the subjective factors of the

Social Goals and Willingness to Seek Help for School Violence

Science.gov (United States)

Yablon, Yaacov B.

2012-01-01

The relation between students' social goals and their willingness to seek help for school violence was examined. Four hundred and sixty-two students from sixth, eighth, and tenth grades responded to vignettes used to assess willingness to seek help from teachers and friends for dealing with relational and physical violence. Intimacy goals enhanced…

Key Issue: Enhancing Teacher Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, 2007

2007-01-01

"Teachers are leaders when they function in professional communities to affect student learning; contribute to school improvement; inspire excellence in practice; and empower stakeholders to participate in educational improvement" (Childs-Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner, 2000, p. 28). Enhancing teacher leadership can help schools and districts reach the…

Using Diagnostic Assessment to Help Teachers Understand the Chemistry of the Lead-Acid Battery

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Derek

2011-01-01

Nineteen pre-service and in-service teachers taking a chemistry teaching methods course at a university in Hong Kong were asked to take a diagnostic assessment. It consisted of seven multiple-choice questions about the chemistry of the lead-acid battery. Analysis of the teachers' responses to the questions indicated that they had difficulty in…

Help! They Don't Speak English: Partnering Preservice Teachers with Adult English Language Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Hooks, Laura M.

2008-01-01

It is well documented that parent and family involvement in children's education correlates with success in school. The increasing number of English Language Learners in public schools has created a need for teacher educators to prepare preservice teachers to be able to work with families who have limited English. This study examined the outcomes…

Buildings for the 21st Century, Summer 2001. Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS) Newsletter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burgert, S.

2001-01-01

The Buildings for the 21st Century newsletter is produced by the Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs and contains information on building programs, events, products, and initiatives, with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy. The summer issue includes information on technology roadmap initiatives, new energy computer simulation software, an educational CD with energy lessons for teachers, a CD with energy-saving tips, a study on the efficiency of clothes washers, a loan program in New York, and a calendar of meetings and conferences

Buildings for the 21st Century, Summer 2001. Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS) Newsletter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burgert, S.

2001-07-11

The Buildings for the 21st Century newsletter is produced by the Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs and contains information on building programs, events, products, and initiatives, with a focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy. The summer issue includes information on technology roadmap initiatives, new energy computer simulation software, an educational CD with energy lessons for teachers, a CD with energy-saving tips, a study on the efficiency of clothes washers, a loan program in New York, and a calendar of meetings and conferences.

Radon in buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Connell, J.J.

1991-01-01

This guide is intended to inform designers, householders and other building owners about the radon problem and to help in deciding if there is need to take any action to reduce radon levels in their homes or other buildings.It explains what radon is, how it enters buildings and what effect it may have on health. Reference is made to some of the usual ways of reducing the level of radon and guidance is given on some sources of assistance

Teacher-student contact : Exploring a basic but complicated concept

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korthagen, Fred A J; Attema-Noordewier, Saskia; Zwart, Rosanne C.

2014-01-01

Contact is fundamental to teacher-student relationships, but empirical studies or theoretical frameworks on teacher-student contact are rare. This article describes a theoretical and empirical exploration aimed at building such a framework. In two studies using classroom observations and interviews

How a Beacon Community Program in New Orleans Helped Create a Better Health Care System by Building Relationships before Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Khurshid, Anjum; Brown, Lisanne

2014-01-01

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, much of New Orleans' healthcare infrastructure was destroyed. Initial federal funding after the storm expanded primary care services and helped set up medical homes for New Orleans' large uninsured and underinsured population. Following that, the Beacon Community in New Orleans, charged with improving health care through the use of technology, decided the best way to accomplish those goals was to build community partnerships and introduce technology improvements based on their input and on their terms. The purpose of this paper is to describe how those partnerships were wrought, including the innovative use of a conceptual framework, and how they are being sustained; how different technologies were and are being introduced; and what the results have been so far. Past successful community experiences, as well as a proven conceptual framework, were used to help establish community partnerships and governance structures, as well as to demonstrate their linkages. This paper represents a compilation of reports and information from key Beacon leaders, staff and providers and their firsthand experiences in setting up those structures, as well as their conclusions. The community partnerships proved extremely successful in not only devising successful ways to introduce new technology into healthcare settings, but in sustaining those changes by creating a governance structure that has enough fluidity to adapt to changing circumstances. Building and developing community partnerships takes time and effort; however, these relationships are necessary and essential to introducing and sustaining new technologies in a healthcare setting and should be a first step for any organization looking to accomplish such goals.

Building trust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, Meriel

1995-01-01

'Activate' is the energy magazine for secondary schools and is part of the Education Programme which is managed on behalf of the British Nuclear Industry Forum by AEA Technology. activate is the flagship communication device between the British Nuclear Industry Forum's Education Programme and secondary schools in the UK. It was developed from a previous publication, Nuclear Bulletin. There is a need for the nuclear industry to build trust with teachers and students in the UK, where for a long time, everything that the industry has said, written or printed has been disregarded by school teachers as propaganda. Over the last few years the industry has put in a great deal of effort to position itself as a provider of educationally sound and socially acceptable information. 'Activate' was an evolution of this idea and there was a hole in the market for a lively, activity and article based magazine that could be used in the classroom. The target audience is principally teachers of science, mathematics and geography, but also includes teachers of art,, English and history with students of between 11 and 18. The results were very positive in that teachers appreciated the colourful and lively nature of activate and they felt that it provided information and opinions in an un biased and non-propagandist way. Their comments about layout, number of activities style of presentation were taken into account and during the summer of 1994 activate was remodelled ready for re launch in September. The feedback so far is good with more teachers signing up every week to receive their own free copy

Empathy Research and Teacher Preparation: Benefits and Obstacles

Science.gov (United States)

Bouton, Bobette

2016-01-01

Teacher preparation is critical in cultivating good teachers, but more importantly in helping teachers learn how to meet the academic and emotional needs of preK-12 students. Teaching and training the socio-emotional trait of empathy is an important skill for pre-service teachers to develop. However, due to the multiple definitions, fields of…

A framework for high-school teacher support in Geosciences

Science.gov (United States)

Bookhagen, B.; Mair, A.; Schaller, G.; Koeberl, C.

2012-04-01

To attract future geoscientists in the classroom and share the passion for science, successful geoscience education needs to combine modern educational tools with applied science. Previous outreach efforts suggest that classroom-geoscience teaching tremendously benefits from structured, prepared lesson plans in combination with hands-on material. Building on our past experience, we have developed a classroom-teaching kit that implements interdisciplinary exercises and modern geoscientific application to attract high-school students. This "Mobile Phone Teaching Kit" analyzes the components of mobile phones, emphasizing the mineral compositions and geologic background of raw materials. Also, as geoscience is not an obligatory classroom topic in Austria, and university training for upcoming science teachers barely covers geoscience, teacher training is necessary to enhance understanding of the interdisciplinary geosciences in the classroom. During the past year, we have held teacher workshops to help implementing the topic in the classroom, and to provide professional training for non-geoscientists and demonstrate proper usage of the teaching kit. The material kit is designed for classroom teaching and comes with a lesson plan that covers background knowledge and provides worksheets and can easily be adapted to school curricula. The project was funded by kulturkontakt Austria; expenses covered 540 material kits, and we reached out to approximately 90 schools throughout Austria and held a workshop in each of the nine federal states in Austria. Teachers received the training, a set of the material kit, and the lesson plan free of charge. Feedback from teachers was highly appreciative. The request for further material kits is high and we plan to expand the project. Ultimately, we hope to enlighten teachers and students for the highly interdisciplinary variety of geosciences and a link to everyday life.

Teacher Education for the 21st Century: Creativity, Aesthetics and Ethics in Preparing Teachers for Our Future

Science.gov (United States)

Blumenfeld-Jones, Donald S., ed.

2016-01-01

This book is for anyone interested in how to build a teacher education program utilizing the arts as one central modality for teaching and learning or for those interested in building some of their program along these lines. Throughout the book you will find reference to the intersection of ethics, aesthetics, and teaching. We provide an…

Student Generated Rubrics: An Assessment Model To Help All Students Succeed. Assessment Bookshelf Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Ainsworth, Larry; Christinson, Jan

The assessment model described in this guide was initially developed by a team of fifth-grade teachers who wrote objectives of integrating social studies and language arts. It helps the teacher guide students to create a task-specific rubric that they use to evaluate their own and peers' work. Teachers review the student evaluations, determine the…

Teacher to Researcher: Reflections on a New Action Research Program for University EFL Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Anne; Westmacott, Anne

2018-01-01

One of the current challenges facing many universities is how to support teachers in becoming researchers. This article discusses the experiences at a small private Chilean university of a new action research programme that was developed as a vehicle for helping teachers to become involved in research and write a research publication for…

Sustainable Architecture in the Context of Education: Reponses of Primary School Teachers on the Topical Subject

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cencič Majda

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The concept of sustainability and a sustainable and ecological development are common debate topics in today’s society. This paper discusses the concept of sustainability in green building with regard to schools. The research was conducted on a representative sample of primary school teachers, focusing on some of their opinions on green building. We asked them which aspect of building they favoured and how often they asked themselves certain questions about the school they taught in. Furthermore, we were interested to see whether we would find age-related differences. To this end, teachers were divided into two groups, namely, teachers of up to 35 years of age and teachers over 35. We were surprised to find that teachers over 35 had a more positive attitude towards green building in schools compared to their younger colleagues. Based on the results, we came to a conclusion that the topics pertaining to ecology and sustainable development are neglected in today’s education. However, making them part of school curriculum is not enough, as the opinions and attitudes of teachers on sustainable and ecological issues also have an important impact on the subject-matter itself.

Enterprise Education in Initial Teacher Education in Ireland

Science.gov (United States)

Tiernan, Peter

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of enterprise education on students' understanding of and attitudes to entrepreneurship and enterprise education in initial teacher education. Design/methodology/approach: This paper builds on current literature by introducing student teachers to the theory and practice of…

Across the Arctic Teachers Experience Field Research

Science.gov (United States)

Warnick, W. K.; Warburton, J.; Wiggins, H. V.; Marshall, S. A.; Darby, D. A.

2005-12-01

From studying snow geese on the North Slope of Alaska to sediment coring aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy in the Arctic Ocean, K-12 teachers embark on scientific expeditions as part of a program that strives to make science in the Arctic a "virtual" reality. In the past two years, seventeen K-12 teachers have participated in Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating (TREC), a program that pairs teachers with researchers to improve science education through arctic field experiences. TREC builds on the scientific and cultural opportunities of the Arctic, linking research and education through topics that naturally engage students and the wider public. TREC includes expeditions as diverse as studying plants at Toolik Field Station, a research facility located 150 miles above the Arctic Circle; climate change studies in Norway's Svalbard archipelago; studying rivers in Siberia; or a trans-arctic expedition aboard the USCGC Healy collecting an integrated geophysical data set. Funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs, TREC offers educators experiences in scientific inquiry while encouraging the public and students to become active participants in the scientific inquiry by engaging them virtually in arctic research. TREC uses online outreach elements to convey the research experience to a broad audience. While in remote field locations, teachers and researchers interact with students and the public through online seminars and live calls from the field, online journals with accompanying photos, and online bulletin boards. Since the program's inception in 2004, numerous visitors have posted questions or interacted with teachers, researchers, and students through the TREC website (http://www.arcus.org/trec). TREC teachers are required to transfer their experience of research and current science into their classroom through the development of relevant activities and resources. Teachers and researchers are encouraged to participate

A Multicultural Fairy Tale for Teacher Educators

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Scott

2014-01-01

The purpose of this narrative research is to examine cultural diversity among teacher candidates. A secondary purpose is to offer a pedagogical tool for teacher educators to use with their teacher candidates to help them develop a critical consciousness in their encounters with diverse students and their reflections on their own cultural…

Introducing Rubrics to Physical Education Teacher Candidates

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Gerard F.

2014-01-01

The importance of using rubrics as an assessment tool has been well established. Rubrics communicate to students what is expected of them, scaffold learning, provide feedback to students and teachers concerning the teaching-learning process, and allow teachers and students to self- and peer-assess. They also help teachers evaluate consistently and…

Implication of formative assessment practices among mathematics teacher

Science.gov (United States)

Samah, Mas Norbany binti Abu; Tajudin, Nor'ain binti Mohd

2017-05-01

Formative assessment of school-based assessment (SBA) is implemented in schools as a move to improve the National Education Assessment System (NEAS). Formative assessment focuses on assessment for learning. There are various types of formative assessment instruments used by teachers of mathematics, namely the form of observation, questioning protocols, worksheets and quizzes. This study aims to help teachers improve skills in formative assessments during the teaching and learning (t&l) Mathematics. One mathematics teacher had been chosen as the study participants. The collecting data using document analysis, observation and interviews. Data were analyzed narrative and assessments can help teachers implement PBS. Formative assessment is conducted to improve the skills of students in t&l effectively.

Autobiographies in Preservice Teacher Education: A Snapshot Tool for Building a Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Science.gov (United States)

Gunn, AnnMarie Alberton; Bennett, Susan V.; Evans, Linda Shuford; Peterson, Barbara J.; Welsh, James L.

2013-01-01

Many scholars have made the call for teacher educators to provide experiences that can lead preservice teachers to embrace a culturally responsive pedagogy. We investigated the use of brief autobiographies during an internship as a tool (a) for preservice teachers to examine their multidimensional culture; and (b) for teacher educators to assess…

Mentoring as a Profession-Building Process in Physical Education Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Fiona C.; Armour, Kathleen; Luttrell, Sinead; Bleakley, Walter; Brennan, Deirdre; Herold, Frank

2012-01-01

This paper describes the findings of a one-year collaborative research project funded by the Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South (SCoTENS). The paper is derived from a Short Report on this study prepared for SCoTENS on 16th May 2012. The study examined the role of physical education (PE) teachers as mentors to new members of…

Education System and Teacher Training in India | Vadivelu ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Education is the basic necessity to any society. According to a Tamil poet, the deeper we dig, the more we discover. The role of teacher also involves the character building of the taught apart from designing and implementation of the curriculum. Teachers cause desirable and anticipated revolution in the society silently.

Technology Integration Support Levels for In-Service Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Mable Evans

2017-01-01

In-service teachers across the globe are expected to integrate technology in their respective instructional content area. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of in-service teachers concerning building-level support for technology integration. Participants in the study were asked to participate in semi-structured…

Celebrating 40 years of Medical Teacher: As the "last man standing" I look back to help us look forward.

Science.gov (United States)

Jason, Hilliard

2018-04-01

In this reflective, descriptive, analytical, first-person piece, I offer recollections, data, and literature to help elucidate the emergence of medical education as a scholarly field, as part of celebrating Medical Teacher's 40-year anniversary. I emphasize the impressive growth of the professional literature in medical education, and recognize that much remains to be done. Medical education as a domain for research and development has transitioned from being largely ignored during the first 20 of the past 60 years, through a slow growth phase, to rapid acceleration during the last 2 decades. By introducing the use and potential of "edumarkers," we can see that medical education as a focus of scholarly pursuits was absent to minimal before recent decades, and we can identify trends and questions that deserve further exploration. Concern and recommendations: Only a small subset of the large population assigned to instruct health professions learners actually conducts and responds to medical education scholarship. I raise several questions as possible guides to the future for those of us who are devoted to enhancing educational processes and outcomes for learners who are expected to help prevent and manage the health challenges faced by the world's people.

Democracy Project: Building Citizenship through Schools | CRDI ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

, and ... materials and teachers' training modules on citizenship education. ... and the political class, frail government institutions, high social unrest, corruption, and ... Citizenship education in schools is a powerful tool to build people's ability to ...

Iranian EFL Teachers' Perceptions of Teacher Self-Disclosure

Science.gov (United States)

Rahimi, Ali; Askari Bigdeli, Rouhollah

2016-01-01

Teacher self-disclosure (TSD) as a communication behavior can influence students' learning by increasing their engagement and class participation as well as helping them establish effective interpersonal relationships. Owning to its context-sensitive and culture-dependent nature, however, TSD topics, purposes, and considerations may vary…

Tried & Tested. Ideas from Teacher Centers in the Southeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Bohstedt, Jinx, Ed.; Eisenmann-Donahue, Pat, Ed.

Throughout the southeastern United States, teacher centers share much in common. The conceptual framework of teachers helping teachers inspires the development of resources and services which are similar whether the center serves a large district or only a few schools. Although the teacher centers share similar philosophies, concerns, successes,…

Novice Mathematics Teachers Create Themselves

Science.gov (United States)

Schatz Oppenheimer, Orna; Dvir, Nurit

2018-01-01

This study presents a qualitative research based on three narratives written by novice mathematics teachers. We examine their unique professional world during their first year of work. The methodology of narrative framework, on which this article is based, helps to gain better understanding of the need for novice mathematics teachers to have…

The nature of student teachers' regulation of learning in teacher education.

Science.gov (United States)

Endedijk, Maaike D; Vermunt, Jan D; Verloop, Nico; Brekelmans, Mieke

2012-09-01

Self-regulated learning (SRL) has mainly been conceptualized to involve student learning within academic settings. In teacher education, where learning from theory and practice is combined, student teachers also need to regulate their learning. Hence, there is an urgent need to extend SRL theories to the domain of teacher learning and to obtain scientific knowledge on the nature of student teachers' SRL to enable support of these processes in teacher education. This study was aimed at exploring the nature of student teachers' regulation of learning across various theoretical and practical contexts in teacher education. Twenty-eight students from a post-graduate academic teacher education institute participated in this study. For the measurement of student teachers' regulation activities, an open question log, called Learning Report, was developed. Content analysis and multiple correspondence analyses of 133 Learning Reports were used to identify qualitative differences in regulation activities and the underlying structure in the data. The analyses resulted in the identification and description of the variety and frequency of student teachers' regulation activities. The relations among the regulation activities were described by an underlying structure of two dimensions: passive versus active regulation of learning and prospective versus retrospective regulation of learning. Active regulation dominated in practice schools, passive regulation at the university. It is argued that for learning to teach, a different conceptualization of SRL is needed, focusing less on setting initial learning goals and more on retrospective aspects of SRL. Building blocks for such a conceptualization are offered. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Teachers' perceptions about children's movement and learning in early childhood education programmes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gehris, J S; Gooze, R A; Whitaker, R C

2015-01-01

Efforts to improve the academic skills of preschool-aged children have resulted in approaches that tend to limit children's movement. However, movement experiences have long been considered important to children's learning and have received increased attention because of the obesity epidemic. Early childhood educators are important sources of information about if and how to promote learning and school readiness through movement, but little effort has been made to understand teachers' views on this topic. We conducted six focus groups with 37 teachers from a Head Start programme with centres in three cities in eastern Pennsylvania. We inquired about: (1) how movement influences children's learning; (2) what types of movement experiences are most beneficial for children; (3) what settings best support children's movement; and (4) challenges related to children's movement. To identify key themes from the focus groups, transcripts were analysed using an inductive method of coding. Teachers' views were expressed in four major themes. First, young children have an innate need to move, and teachers respond to this need by using movement experiences to prepare children to learn and to teach academic concepts and spatial awareness. However, teachers wanted more training in these areas. Second, movement prepares children for school and for life by building children's confidence and social skills. Third, teachers and children benefit from moving together because it motivates children and promotes teacher-child relationships. Finally, moving outdoors promotes learning by engaging children's senses and promoting community interaction. More training may be required to help early childhood educators use movement experiences to teach academic concepts and improve children's spatial awareness. Future interventions could examine the impacts on children's movement and learning of having teachers move with children during outdoor free play and including more natural features in the

Community building of (student) teachers and a teacher educator in a school-university partnership

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vandyck, I.J.J.; van Graaff, R.; Pilot, A.; Beishuizen, J.J.

2012-01-01

School-university partnerships (SUPs) are considered a way of improving teacher education. For the successful implementation of such partnerships, cooperation between the different stakeholders is of crucial importance. Therefore, most partnerships are organised in short- and long-term teams, which

Development: Ages & Stages--Helping Children Manage Fears

Science.gov (United States)

Poole, Carla; Miller, Susan A.; Church, Ellen Booth

2004-01-01

By watching, listening, and offering gentle reassurance, you can help young children work through their fears. Sudden noises, movement, or unfamiliar people often frighten babies. After 12 months of nurturing experiences with familiar teachers and routines, a baby is more prepared and less easily startled. Preschoolers have a variety of fears such…

Building materials. Stichwort Baustoff

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rohwer, W

1981-01-01

To handle building materials properly, one must know about their characteristics. This pocket book will be of help: structured like a glossary, it gives brief descriptions of the most common building materials. It is small and handy enough to be a constant companion to resident engineers, foremen, gangers, building tradesmen, and construction workers and an aid in their training. The following groups of building materials are discussed: Natural stone; units for brick walls, floors, and roofs; mortar and concrete (definitions, binders, aggregates, additives, admixtures, mixing water); special types of plaster and rendering; light-weight building boards and wood wool basis; multilayer light-weight building boards; gypsum plasterboards; chimney construction; sewers; thermal insulation and sound section; structural steels; plastics.

Providing Effective Feedback to EFL Student Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Holi Ibrahim Holi; Al-Adawi, Hamed Ahmed

2013-01-01

Feedback on school practicum is of utmost importance for student teachers to help them to develop their pedagogical and teaching skills. This paper attempts to collect data from both student teachers and their mentors in an ELT teacher training programme in Oman to answer the questions which are raised by this study: 1) What kind of feedback do…

Teacher Education--Online.

Science.gov (United States)

Leach, Jenny

1996-01-01

The Open University of United Kingdom's Postgraduate Certificate of Education program is an 18-month, part-time course that annually trains over 1000 graduate teachers via electronic conferencing and open learning methods. The program provides every student and tutor with a Macintosh computer, printer, and modem and builds on face-to-face contacts…

Measuring Teachers' Knowledge of Vocabulary Development and Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Duguay, Annie; Kenyon, Dorry; Haynes, Erin; August, Diane; Yanosky, Tiffany

2016-01-01

This article describes the development of an instrument to measure teachers' knowledge of vocabulary development and instruction, the Teacher Knowledge of Vocabulary Survey (TKVS). This type of knowledge has become increasingly important as all classroom teachers are expected to help students meet language and literacy standards that include…

Searching for Satisfaction: Black Female Teachers' Workplace Climate and Job Satisfaction

Science.gov (United States)

Farinde-Wu, Abiola; Fitchett, Paul G.

2018-01-01

Job satisfaction may decrease teacher attrition. Furthermore, job satisfaction correlates with teacher retention, which may influence school building climate and student achievement. Potentially affecting students' progress and seeking to reduce attrition rates among Black teachers, this quantitative study uses data from the 2007-2008 Schools and…

Investigating Elementary Teachers' Thinking About and Learning to Notice Students' Science Ideas

Science.gov (United States)

Luna, Melissa Jo

Children naturally use observations and everyday thinking to construct explanations as to why phenomena happen in the world. Science instruction can benefit by starting with these ideas to help children build coherent scientific understandings of how the physical world works. To do so, science teaching must involve attending to students' ideas so that those ideas become the basis for learning. Yet while science education reform requires teachers to pay close attention to their students' ideas, we know little about what teachers think this means in practice. To examine this issue, my dissertation research is two-fold. First, I examine teacher thinking by investigating how teachers understand what it means to pay attention to students' science ideas. Specifically, using new digital technology, three participating teachers captured moments of student thinking in the midst of instruction. Analysis of these moments reveals that teachers capture many different kinds of moments containing students' ideas and think about students' science ideas in different ways at different times. In particular, these three teachers most often think about students' ideas as being (a) from authority, (b) from experience, and (c) under construction. Second, I examine teacher learning through the development of an innovative science teaching video club model. The model differs from previous research on video clubs in several key ways in an attempt to focus teachers on student thinking in a sustained way. I investigate the ways in which this model was effective for engaging teachers in noticing and making sense of their students' science ideas during one implementation. Results indicate that teachers talked about student thinking early, often, and in meaningful ways. Science education leaders have recognized the potential of science teaching video clubs as a form of professional development, and the model presented in this work promotes the conditions for successful teacher learning. This

Self-help and help-seeking for communication disability in Ghana: implications for the development of communication disability rehabilitation services.

Science.gov (United States)

Wylie, Karen; McAllister, Lindy; Davidson, Bronwyn; Marshall, Julie; Amponsah, Clement; Bampoe, Josephine Ohenewa

2017-12-29

In low and middle-income countries, such as Ghana, communication disability is poorly recognised and rehabilitation services for people with communication disability are limited. As rehabilitation services for communication disability develop, and the profession of speech-language pathology grows, it is important to consider how services can most appropriately respond to the needs and preferences of the community. Understanding the ways in which people currently self-help and seek help for communication disability is central to developing services that build on existing local practices and are relevant to the community. A qualitative descriptive survey was used to explore likely self-help and help-seeking behaviours for communication disability, in Accra, Ghana. The survey required participants to describe responses to hypothetical scenarios related to communication disability. A mix of theoretical sampling and convenience sampling was used. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data and develop categories and subcategories of reported self-help behaviours and sources of help and advice for communication disability. One hundred and thirty-six participants completed the survey. Results indicated that community members would be likely to engage in a variety self-help strategies in response to communication disability. These included working directly with a person with a communication disability to attempt to remediate a communication impairment, altering physical and communication environments, changing attitudes or care practices, educating themselves about the communication disability, providing resources, and responding in spiritual ways. Participants indicated that they would seek help for communication disability across a range of sectors - including the Western healthcare, religious, and traditional sectors. Understanding existing community actions to self-help and help-seek may allow emerging communication rehabilitation services, including the

Helping Young Children See Math in Play

Science.gov (United States)

Parks, Amy Noelle; Blom, Diana Chang

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide strategies for recognizing meaningful mathematics in common play contexts in early childhood classrooms and to offer suggestions for how teachers might intervene in these moments to help children attend to the mathematical ideas embedded in their play. In particular, the author's focus on the concepts of…

How Middle Grade Teachers Think about Algebraic Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Glassmeyer, David; Edwards, Belinda

2016-01-01

Algebraic reasoning is an essential habit of mind for building conceptual knowledge in K-12 mathematics, yet little is known about how middle school mathematics teachers think about algebraic reasoning. In this article we describe a research project examining how algebraic reasoning was considered by grades 6, 7, or 8 mathematics teachers in a…

The First Summer--Critical for Vo-Ag Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughn, Paul R.; Vaughn, Roscoe C.

1979-01-01

To aid beginning New Mexico vocational agriculture teachers, the New Mexico State Department of Vocational Education initiated two activities: developing a first-year handbook to provide direction and guidance and making a visit to beginning teachers before the start of school. Beginning teachers indicated that both activities have been helpful.…

Identified Phases in the Building and Maintaining of Positive Teacher-Student Relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Newberry, Melissa

2010-01-01

Teacher-student relationships are accepted as influential but the dynamics of those relationships are not well understood, especially with difficult students. A series of interviews were combined with classroom observations and written reflections to understand in what ways a teacher negotiated her relationship with a behaviorally challenging…

Building an Online Community: Student Teachers' Perceptions on the Advantages of Using Social Networking Services in a Teacher Education Program

Science.gov (United States)

Habibi, Akhmad; Mukinin, Amirul; Riyanto, Yatim; Prasohjo, Lantip Diat; Sulistiyo, Urip; Sofwan, Muhammad; Saudagar, Ferdiaz

2018-01-01

This inquiry examined student teachers' perceptions on the advantages of using Social Networking Services (SNS) in an English teacher education program at a public university in Jambi, Indonesia to ease the communication, supervision, discussion, and report submissions between supervisors and student teachers. The networking types included in the…

Teacher Attitude to Inspectors and Inspection: Quality Control ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

International Journal of Educational Research. Journal Home · ABOUT ... These will help to change the negative attitude of teachers to inspectors and inspection to positive. Keywords: Teacher Attitude; School Inspection; Education Inspectors.

Building eCommerce sites with Drupal commerce cookbook

CERN Document Server

Carter, Richard

2013-01-01

Building eCommerce Sites with Drupal Commerce Cookbook is written in a helpful, practical style with numerous hands-on recipes to help you build attractive eCommerce sites.This book is primarily for store owners and web designers with little or no experience of Drupal and Drupal Commerce who want to build and customise a store in Drupal Commerce. You will have a basic knowledge of websites, but you don't need to be familiar with Drupal or PHP. However, this book would also suit experienced Drupal and Ubercart users who want to migrate to or build a Drupal Commerce store

The liminality of new foundation phase teachers: Transitioning from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper explores novice foundation phase teachers' descriptions of their experiences in the liminal stage between being a student teacher and entering the professional world of the early grade classroom. The term “liminality” was popularised by anthropologist Turner (1969), building on the early work of Van Gennep ...

Designing an Earthquake-Resistant Building

Science.gov (United States)

English, Lyn D.; King, Donna T.

2016-01-01

How do cross-bracing, geometry, and base isolation help buildings withstand earthquakes? These important structural design features involve fundamental geometry that elementary school students can readily model and understand. The problem activity, Designing an Earthquake-Resistant Building, was undertaken by several classes of sixth- grade…

Building Oral Language and Vocabulary through the Use of Literature

Science.gov (United States)

McCorquodale, Gwenyth J.; Kirkland, Lynn

2006-01-01

Children are coming to classrooms across the United States with a need to develop their oral language. With the increased promotion of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, commercialized programs are being provided for teachers to use to build oral language in their students. The authors believe that schools and teachers can best enhance…

Teachers' Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheuch, Klaus; Haufe, Eva; Seibt, Reingard

2015-05-15

Almost 800,000 teachers were working in Germany in the 2012-13 school year. A determination of the most common medical problems in this large occupational group serves as the basis for measures that help maintain teachers' health and their ability to work in their profession. We present our own research findings, a selective review of the literature, and data derived from the German statutory health insurance scheme concerning medical disability, long-term illness, and inability to work among teachers. Compared to the general population, teachers have a more healthful lifestyle and a lower frequency of cardiovascular risk factors (except hypertension). Like non-teachers, they commonly suffer from musculoskeletal and cardiovascular diseases. Mental and psychosomatic diseases are more common in teachers than in non-teachers, as are nonspecific complaints such as exhaustion, fatigue, headache, and tension. It is commonly said that 3-5% of teachers suffer from "burnout," but reliable data on this topic are lacking, among other reasons because the term has no standard definition. The percentage of teachers on sick leave is generally lower than the overall percentage among statutory insurees; it is higher in the former East Germany than in the former West Germany. The number of teachers taking early retirement because of illness has steadily declined from over 60% in 2001 and currently stands at 19%, with an average age of 58 years, among tenured teachers taking early retirement. The main reasons for early retirement are mental and psychosomatic illnesses, which together account for 32-50% of cases. Although German law mandates the medical care of persons in the teaching professions by occupational physicians, this requirement is implemented to varying extents in the different German federal states. Teachers need qualified, interdisciplinary occupational health care with the involvement of their treating physicians.

Can New Modes of Digital Learning Help Resolve the Teacher Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Bob; Villet, Charmaine

2017-01-01

Sub-Saharan Africa, more than any other part of the world, is experiencing a crisis in finding sufficiently qualified teachers to meet the needs of expanding school systems. The professional development support provided to serving teachers is also inadequate in most countries. The most recent data on learner outcomes has revealed a worrying…

Greenhouse Schools: How Schools Can Build Cultures Where Teachers and Students Thrive

Science.gov (United States)

TNTP, 2012

2012-01-01

Successful teachers make successful schools. Yet some schools are better than others at accelerating student learning by developing and keeping great teachers, even compared to schools that serve the same population of students and have access to the same resources. These schools are called "greenhouse schools"--schools with carefully…

Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Kearney-Gissendaner, Janet E.

2010-01-01

The tools and resources in this book help school leaders seamlessly incorporate minority teacher recruitment and retention programs into current human-resources activities. With details about exemplary minority teacher recruitment and retention programs, this book also showcases strategies for how to replicate such programs in your own school or…

Building Bounce-Back Kids

Science.gov (United States)

Lloyd-Zannini, Lou

2011-01-01

In this article, the author talks about building resilience--that ability to push through hardship to success, to rebound from failure, and to "keep on keepin' on" when things seem impossible. The author assert that lots of gifted and talented kids need help building their resilience. In today's world, when striving for mediocrity can seem like…

The Shared Building Portfolio: an exploration and typology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brinkø, Rikke; Meel, Juriaan van; Nielsen, Susanne Balslev

2014-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore shared-use of facilities as a concept that can help organizations to make better, more sustainable use of their building portfolios. The practical aim is to present a typology to help classify, describe and evaluate the different options for sharing...... facilities from a facility manager’s point of view. Background (State of the Art) : Space management literature provides examples and concepts for sharing space, such as ‘hot-desking’, within a given organisational and physical setting. However, this literature rarely deals with sharing on a building level...... of municipalities and larger companies. It can help them get a better understanding of how they can minimize the need for building new by better utilization of the existing building stock for increased sustainability or as a corporate-socialresponsibility activity. Research limitations: The typology is a work...

The Effects of Reciprocal Imitation on Teacher-Student Relationships and Student Learning Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Jiangyuan

2012-01-01

Neuroscientific and developmental psychological research in imitation has yielded important insights into building teacher-student relationships and enhancing students' learning. This study investigated the effects of reciprocal imitation on teacher-student relationships and students' learning outcomes in one-on-one teacher-student interactions.…

Pre-Service Teachers' Dispositions towards Diversity: Arguing for a Developmental Hierarchy of Change

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Carmen; Ballantyne, Julie

2010-01-01

This article explores Australian pre-service teachers' beliefs about and attitudes towards diversity. Building on Garmon's [Garmon, M. A. (2004). "Changing preservice teachers' attitudes/beliefs about diversity: what are the critical factors?" "Journal of Teacher Education, 55"(3), 201-213] argument that there are three…

Breaking Down Barriers--Building Strong Foundations: Parents and Teachers of Exceptional Students Working Together.

Science.gov (United States)

Spinelli, Cathleen G.

1999-01-01

Provides guidelines for fostering positive teacher-parent relationships. Discusses recent legislative mandates, how parent/teacher relationships are affected by current policy issues promoted by professional education organizations, and methods of constructive communication. Parents and teachers of students with learning disabilities are urged to…

Support for teachers in improving science instruction and building a professional culture: An investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Meg

Teachers, already working in a demanding and complex occupation, face new challenges posed by current recommendations for changes in science teaching. Reform challenges that teachers face today and principles for professional development suggested by Judith Warren Little are used as a conceptual framework for this study. The study examines one professional development opportunity, the South Coast Science Project (SCSP) which is one site of the statewide California Science Project. In 1995 twenty-eight teachers of grades K--12 participated in the SCSPs four week summer institute and six follow-up days during the next two school years. Responses to open-ended questions on questionnaires answered by each teacher and my observation as a participant were used to study teachers' experiences in the institute. In classroom observations and interviews I gathered data about teaching practice and leadership activities of the teachers after the institute. Findings show that after the institute participating teachers made changes in teaching practice and leadership activities congruent with the aims of the SCSP. Important factors in the institute's success in supporting teachers to make changes include: the institute's mission, design, principles, and aims are in agreement with Little's (1993) suggested principles for professional development; investigations in an inquiry method are used to emphasize teaching science, rather than separating science and teaching; teacher leadership was enhanced by modeling and opportunities for the participants to practice leadership; a non-elitist model gave all teachers access to this learning opportunity. The method used for this study shows a way to better understand how professional development can have an impact on classroom practice. By collecting data in both the contexts---the learning opportunity and the subsequent classroom applications---the impact of the professional development can be traced. Findings for this study show that well

Charting a path forward: building AGU's capacity to help foster scientist-decision maker engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Vano, J. A.; Behar, D. H.; Mote, P.; Ferguson, D. B.; Pandya, R.

2016-12-01

Most research proposals, papers, and presentation abstracts begin with the motivation that the new science presented will benefit society. Behind this, beyond making good on the promises to get funding, is a sincere effort to contribute our knowledge and talent to build a better (safer, sustainable, more resilient) world. For this to happen, however, the science needs to be connected to people in communities who make decisions. While this happens in a variety of ways, often for research to be most useful to society, engagement with decision makers should occur at the beginning and throughout the research process. Increasingly this is being recognized as important, as evidenced by the growing number of boundary organizations (e.g., U.S. Department of the Interior's Climate Science Centers, NOAA's Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessment programs). Even within AGU, in recent years there has been a number of new activities and networks that suggest a growing community of practice for those doing work at the science-society interface (e.g., The Thriving Earth Exchange, the Water and Society Technical Committee in the Hydrology Section). In this presentation, we highlight what these activities are and share insights from those involved. We evaluate trends (e.g., have the number of abstracts on this topic increased?) and present responses from AGU members to questions on where this community of practice should go next (e.g., What is the most important task the AGU community should do to improve decision maker-scientist engagement?). The goal of this presentation is to promote a conversation about how the AGU community can be better prepared to foster engagement with decision makers that will lead to more actionable science. This will help us ensure our science is useful to society, fulfilling our motivations, and arguably responsibilities, both individually and as a community. It will also serve to prepare new scientists for a broader range of careers beyond

eTeacher: Providing Personalized Assistance to E-Learning Students

Science.gov (United States)

Schiaffino, Silvia; Garcia, Patricio; Amandi, Analia

2008-01-01

In this paper we present eTeacher, an intelligent agent that provides personalized assistance to e-learning students. eTeacher observes a student's behavior while he/she is taking online courses and automatically builds the student's profile. This profile comprises the student's learning style and information about the student's performance, such…

Professional Competencies of (Prospective) Mathematics Teachers--Cognitive versus Situated Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, Gabriele; Blömeke, Sigrid; König, Johannes; Busse, Andreas; Döhrmann, Martina; Hoth, Jessica

2017-01-01

Recent research on the professional competencies of mathematics teachers, which has been carried out during the last decade, is characterized by different theoretical approaches on the conceptualization and evaluation of teachers' professional competencies, namely cognitive versus situated approaches. Building on the international IEA Teacher…

Experience, theory, and practical wisdom in teaching and teacher education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lunenberg, Mieke; Korthagen, Fred

In this contribution, we discuss what it means to be a professional teacher with practical wisdom, and how practical wisdom is related to theory and experience. These questions are especially relevant as nowadays, in many countries, teacher education becomes more school?based. Building on theories

Experience, theory, and practical wisdom in teaching and teacher education

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lunenberg, Mieke; Korthagen, Fred

2009-01-01

In this contribution, we discuss what it means to be a professional teacher with practical wisdom, and how practical wisdom is related to theory and experience. These questions are especially relevant as nowadays, in many countries, teacher education becomes more school-based. Building on theories

Pre- and in-Service Teachers Reading and Discussing Informational Texts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theresa A. Deeney

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This study investigates U.S. elementary (kindergarten-Grade 6, ages 5-12 pre- and in-service teachers’ discussions of informational texts to understand current practices and identify needs with respect to how teachers support students in building knowledge from complex informational text as specified in the grade-level expectations of the Common Core State Standards adopted in many U.S. states. Transcripts and reflections from 17 in-service and 31 pre-service teachers’ informational text discussions were analyzed for teachers’ focus on the text, background knowledge, and text/background knowledge. In addition, transcripts were analyzed for the types of text ideas teachers targeted (details/main ideas, the comprehension demands placed on students, how teachers used follow-up moves to encourage higher level thinking, and how teachers use transcripts of their discussions to analyze and critique their own practice. Findings suggest that both pre- and in-service teachers draw heavily on students’ background knowledge and text details in their questioning; but differences exist in how pre- and in-service teachers use follow-up responses to promote knowledge building. Findings also suggest that both pre- and in-service teachers can use their transcripts to recognize areas of need, and offer themselves suggestions to better support students’ understanding. Implications are offered for teacher education and professional development.

The Effects of Study Abroad on Teacher Competencies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Altun

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Promoting harmony within diversity has become a goal of both global education and multicultural education. Schools need to help students to become more culturally aware today. Teachers who study abroad can enable diverse groups to live in harmony. Individuals need to promote respect and mutual understanding to function in modern diverse societies. Unless people develop better inter-community relations, a cohesive and tolerant society cannot be created. Study abroad experience helps teachers develop increased cultural awareness as they acquire more cultural knowledge and cultural sensitivity while studying abroad. It has been assumed that teachers who study abroad can work more effectively in an intercultural context. This article attempts to explain whether study abroad experience allows teachers to encourage students to recognize the diversity of cultures and values.

Greek Teachers Programme 2015

CERN Multimedia

Hoch, Michael

2015-01-01

The 3rd edition of this year's Greek Teachers Programme was co-organized by CERN Education Group and the Hellenic Physical Society and took place from 8 to 12 November 2015. The programme targets physics high-school teachers from all over Greece. It aims to help teachers inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers by motivating their students to understand and appreciate how science works at the world's largest physics laboratory, whereby increasing their interest in pursuing studies in STEM fields in secondary and post-secondary education. 33 teachers took part in this programme which comprised lectures by Greek members of the CERN scientific community, with visits to experimental facilities, hands-on activities and dedicated sessions on effective and creative ways through which participants may bring physics, particle physics and CERN closer to their school classroom. In 2015, more than 100 teachers took part in the three editions of the Greek Teachers Programme.

Exploring reforms while learning to teach science: Facilitating exploration of theory-practice relationships in a teacher education study group

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Jacob G.

This dissertation inserts a new view into an old problem in teacher education. The study explores the theory-practice gap, the large distance between what preservice science teachers experience in schools, are able to enact, and are told they should hold themselves to in their practice. It does so by narrowing the focus of analysis to a secondary science study group and examining how the facilitator uses sociocultural constructivism to promote discussion. The analysis surfaces key communicative moves made by the facilitator and preservice teachers that yield fruitful discussion of theory-practice relationships. Additionally, the study's use of discourse analysis as a methodology and intertextuality as a conceptual framework opens new directions for applied sociolinguistic research and scholarship in science teacher education. Findings from the study focus on what was discussed and how explorations of theory-practice relationships were facilitated. Preservice teachers in the study group engaged in meaningful conversations about constructivist theory and its application to their students and teaching of science. They discussed many science education topics such as planning science lessons that actively engage students, assessment of content understanding, and management of content-based activities. Discussions of broader science education goals, including implementation of inquiry or development of collaborative communities, were not promoted. Examination of the facilitation illuminates a number of strategies found to be helpful in supporting these explorations. This study shows that facilitation can successfully support preservice teachers to construct understanding of social constructivist assumptions underlying the National Science Education Standards (NSES), as well as a few components of the Standards themselves. The focus on the underlying assumptions suggests that science teacher education should focus on these so that preservice teachers can build a strong

75 FR 8854 - Teacher Incentive Fund Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-26

..., evaluation, retention, and advancement into instructional leadership roles. When the PBCS's implementation... responsibilities and leadership roles; and (4) Include helping teachers and principals to better understand and use... high-need schools by creating incentives for effective teachers and principals in these schools. DATES...

Research and Development Needs for Building-Integrated Solar Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2014-01-01

The Building Technologies Office (BTO) has identified Building Integrated Solar Technologies (BIST) as a potentially valuable piece of the comprehensive pathway to help achieve its goal of reducing energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings by 50% by the year 2030. This report helps to identify the key research and development (R&D) needs that will be required for BIST to make a substantial contribution toward that goal. BIST include technologies for space heating and cooling, water heating, hybrid photovoltaic-thermal systems (PV/T), active solar lighting, and building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV).

Elementary Teacher's Conceptions of Inquiry Teaching: Messages for Teacher Development

Science.gov (United States)

Ireland, Joseph E.; Watters, James J.; Brownlee, Jo; Lupton, Mandy

2012-02-01

This study explored practicing elementary school teacher's conceptions of teaching in ways that foster inquiry-based learning in the science curriculum (inquiry teaching). The advocacy for inquiry-based learning in contemporary curricula assumes the principle that students learn in their own way by drawing on direct experience fostered by the teacher. That students should be able to discover answers themselves through active engagement with new experiences was central to the thinking of eminent educators such as Pestalozzi, Dewey and Montessori. However, even after many years of research and practice, inquiry learning as a referent for teaching still struggles to find expression in the average teachers' pedagogy. This study drew on interview data from 20 elementary teachers. A phenomenographic analysis revealed three conceptions of teaching for inquiry learning in science in the elementary years of schooling: (a) The Experience-centered conception where teachers focused on providing interesting sensory experiences to students; (b) The Problem-centered conception where teachers focused on engaging students with challenging problems; and (c) The Question-centered conception where teachers focused on helping students to ask and answer their own questions. Understanding teachers' conceptions has implications for both the enactment of inquiry teaching in the classroom as well as the uptake of new teaching behaviors during professional development, with enhanced outcomes for engaging students in Science.

Listen, Protect, Connect--Model & Teach: Psychological First Aid (PFA) for Students and Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Schreiber, M.; Gurwitch, R.; Wong, M.

2006-01-01

Just as teachers help connect students with appropriate academic and counseling services under normal circumstances, after a disaster they can help them return to school, stay in school, continue to learn, and return to their usual school-based activities. This pamphlet presents some steps for teachers to follow to help themselves and their…

Building thermography as a tool in energy audits and building commissioning procedure

Science.gov (United States)

Kauppinen, Timo

2007-04-01

A Building Commissioning-project (ToVa) was launched in Finland in the year 2003. A comprehensive commissioning procedure, including the building process and operation stage was developed in the project. This procedure will confirm the precise documentation of client's goals, definition of planning goals and the performance of the building. It is rather usual, that within 1-2 years after introduction the users complain about the defects or performance malfunctions of the building. Thermography is one important manual tool in verifying the thermal performance of the building envelope. In this paper the results of one pilot building (a school) will be presented. In surveying the condition and energy efficiency of buildings, various auxiliary means are needed. We can compare the consumption data of the target building with other, same type of buildings by benchmarking. Energy audit helps to localize and determine the energy saving potential. The most general and also most effective auxiliary means in monitoring the thermal performance of building envelopes is an infrared camera. In this presentation some examples of the use of thermography in energy audits are presented.

New Materials for the Undergraduate Classroom to Build Pre-Service Teachers' NGSS Skills and Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Egger, A. E.; Awad, A. A.; Baldwin, K. A.; Birnbaum, S. J.; Bruckner, M. Z.; DeBari, S. M.; Dechaine, J.; Ebert, J. R.; Gray, K. R.; Hauge, R.; Linneman, S. R.; Monet, J.; Thomas, J.; Varrella, G.

2014-12-01

As part of InTeGrate, teams of 3 instructors at 3 different institutions developed modules that help prepare pre-service teachers to teach Earth science aligned with the NGSS. Modules were evaluated against a rubric, which addresses InTeGrate's five guiding principles, learning objectives and outcomes, assessment and measurement, resources and materials, instructional strategies and alignment. As all modules must address one or more Earth-related grand challenge facing society, develop student ability to address interdisciplinary problems, improve student understanding of the methods of geoscience, use authentic geoscience data, and incorporate systems thinking, they align well with the NGSS. Once modules passed the rubric, they were tested by the authors in their classrooms. Testing included pre- and post-assessment of geoscience literacy and assessment of student learning towards the module goal; materials were revised based on the results of testing. In "Exploring Geoscience Methods with Secondary Education Students," pre-service science teachers compare geoscientific thinking with the classic (experimental) scientific method, investigate global climate change and its impacts on human systems, and prepare an interdisciplinary lesson plan that addresses geoscience methods in context of a socioscientific issue. In "Soils and Society," pre-service elementary teachers explore societal issues where soil is important, develop skills to describe and test soil properties, and create a standards-based Soils and Society Kit that consists of lessons and supporting materials to teach K-8 students about a soil-and-society issue. In "Interactions between Water, Earth's Surface, and Human Activity," students explore the effects of running water on shaping Earth's surface both over geologic time and through short-term flooding events, and produce a brochure to inform citizens of the impact of living near a river. The modules are freely available at http

Building LGBTQ Awareness and Allies in Our Teacher Education Community and Beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Kearns, Laura-Lee; Kukner, Jennifer Mitton; Tompkins, Joanne

2014-01-01

In this article we share the impact of a training program (Positive Space I and Positive Space II) on pre-service teachers' understandings of and abilities to create safe spaces for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgendered and Queering/Questioning (LGBTQ) youth and allies in our teacher-education program and in schools. Research has demonstrated…

Building a Culinary Arts Academy

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Robert L.

2005-01-01

When Judy Karen Brown (the 2004 Alabama Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher of the Year) arrived at Bob Jones High School (BJHS) in Madison, Alabama, in the summer of 1999, she immediately identified a need to build both student and community interests in family and consumer sciences (FACS). She noticed the student and faculty interest in the…

University Student and Teacher Perceptions of Teacher Roles in Promoting Autonomous Language Learning with Technology outside the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Chun; Yeung, Yuk; Hu, Jingjing

2016-01-01

Helping students to become autonomous learners, who actively utilize technologies for learning outside the classroom, is important for successful language learning. Teachers, as significant social agents who shape students' intellectual and social experiences, have a critical role to play. This study examined students' and teachers' perceptions of…

Teaching the teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zavalkoff, Anne

2002-10-01

SUMMARY This paper presents a conceptual tool designed to help teacher education students think critically about the roots and consequences of personal, parental, community, and institutional resistance to diverse sexual identities and behaviours. To explore the roots of sexualized and gendered prejudice and ground the conceptual tool theoretically, it begins with a careful examination of Judith Butler's work on performativity. The paper then describes and illustrates the conceptual tool. The Continuum of (Subversive) Drag Performance helps stimulate critical thinking about the power implications of people's sexed and gendered performances through its six ranges: Radical, Stealth, Commercial, Passing, Mainstream, and Privileged. Because these ranges are independent of common considerations of "normalcy," they offer teacher education students a relatively unthreatening framework for analyzing conceptions of sexuality and gender that, left unexamined, can contribute to sexism, heterosexism, and homophobia.

Enhancing Teachers' Motivation to Apply Humanist Information Technology Innovations

Science.gov (United States)

Assor, Avi

2009-01-01

This article focuses on the following issue: How can we build a training and support system that would enhance the motivation and capacity of teachers for high-quality implementation of information technology innovations guided by humanist ideas? That is, a system that would not only increase teachers' motivation to apply Humanist Information…

Collaboration Model for ESL and Content Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Broer, Kathleen

2013-01-01

This study will examine strategies that ESL teachers and content teachers can use to help middle school ESL students acquire science vocabulary and meta-cognitive strategies for writing skills in non-fiction text forms. Two appendixes are included. (Contains 3 figures and 2 footnotes.)

Teacher training in multicultural educational institutions and vulnerable. Base to build inclusive and intercultural citizenship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iván Manuel Sánchez Fontalvo

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Education for an inclusive and intercultural citizenship has recreate in all educational institutions, since the nature of the sociocultural reality in their daily requests for urgent manner the formation of competent citizens to interact with diverse individuals and groups that make and build local, political and cultural communities. It is within reach mutual exchange of goods and cultural values, based on the active promotion of respect and interdependence, allowing the development of projects that benefit the common good, which together different people involved. It is necessary, point and carry out processes of teacher training in their own institutions which are dimensional development of critical judgment to problems hindering social welfare, allowing sensitize people towards assume e introspecten suspicion and evidence of marginalization and exclusion. In this altruistic line is required to learn or awaken the ability to identify the voices of people and groups involved in the processes of social injustice and sociocultural, economic and educational backwardness, be flexible and put us alongside them in their emancipation justified in the research standing reach their dignity and freedom.

Math Is Like a Scary Movie? Helping Young People Overcome Math Anxiety

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkin, Margaret

2016-01-01

Afterschool teachers who tutor students or provide homework help have a unique opportunity to help students overcome the social or emotional barriers that so often block learning. They can embrace a creative and investigative approach to math learning. Margaret Kulkin's interest in being a math attitude "myth-buster" led her to apply to…

Know How? Show How: Experienced Teachers Share Best Practices through Ontario Program

Science.gov (United States)

Amato, Lindy; Anthony, Paul; Strachan, Jim

2014-01-01

Launched in 2007, the Teacher Learning and Leadership Program, out of Ontario, Canada, operates on the belief that classroom teachers know their learning needs and the needs of their students best. Additionally, the program assumes teachers have the greatest knowledge of how to build and foster multiple learning networks in order to share their…

Green building challenge 2002 in Canada : an overview

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-02-01

The Green Building Challenge (GBC) in Canada was launched to help the building community meet environmental challenges and improve the environmental performance of buildings. Tools have been made available to the building industry to make informed environmental choices during the conception design stage of a project. The tools help architects, researchers and policy analysts in choosing material mixes and other design options that will minimize a building's potential life cycle environmental impacts and promote sustainable development. Green buildings involve the complete structure and envelope, including cladding, insulation, gypsum wall board, roofing and windows. The type of building and its location is also considered. Long term sustainability also considers energy use and emissions related to a building's energy system. This presentation described the following 3 projects which were selected for assessment in the GBC-2002: (1) the Mayo School in Mayo, Yukon Territory, (2) the Jackson-Triggs Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and (3) the Red River College in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The GBC-2002 Canadian Team nominated them as the best buildings being designed in Canada.10 figs.

Seniority Rules: Do Staffing Reforms Help Redistribute Teacher Quality and Reduce Teacher Turnover? CRPE Working Paper 2010-1

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Betheny; DeArmond, Michael; Goldhaber, Dan

2010-01-01

Education reformers routinely call on school districts to stop hiring teachers based on seniority, which they argue interferes with effective staffing, especially in disadvantaged schools. The few researchers who have empirically studied the issue, however, disagree about whether seniority-based hiring is systematically associated with staffing…

Effects of Help Options in a Multimedia Listening Environment on L2 Vocabulary Acquisition

Science.gov (United States)

Mohsen, Mohammed Ali

2016-01-01

Several types of help options have been incorporated into reading and listening comprehension activities to aid second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition. Textbook authors, teachers, and sometimes even students may pick and choose which help options they wish to use. In this paper, I investigate the effects of two help options in a multimedia…

Re-Inventing Teachers’ Competences at Early Childhood Education in Building Characters Needed for Global Competition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karmila Machmud

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The goal of this paper is to elaborate and to re-invent the competencies needed by early childhood education teachers. Building children’s character from an early age is significant, but the main problem that is often overlooked is the contribution of Early Childhood Education teachers. Children’s character formation is largely determined by the quality of early childhood teachers. So if we want to instill character values required by our nations, the improvement of the quality of early childhood teachers is very significant. In terms of shaping children’s character, they should be equipped with some important skills and competences, because they have a significant role in building the Indonesian Children’s characters needed in global competition without abandoning their identity as a dignified Indonesian.

Building Maintenance: Introduction. Units of Instruction. Teacher's Guide. First Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnes, Bill

This volume, the first in a series of publications that will provide entry-level competencies in the area of building maintenance, is designed as an introduction. The seven instructional units cover these areas in the shop program: (1) introduction to building maintenance, (2) leadership development, (3) personal development, (4) job application…

Building Evidence for Health: Green Buildings, Current Science, and Future Challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Cedeño-Laurent, J G; Williams, A; MacNaughton, P; Cao, X; Eitland, E; Spengler, J; Allen, J

2018-04-01

Civilizational challenges have questioned the status quo of energy and material consumption by humans. From the built environment perspective, a response to these challenges was the creation of green buildings. Although the revolutionary capacity of the green building movement has elevated the expectations of new commercial construction, its rate of implementation has secluded the majority of the population from its benefits. Beyond reductions in energy usage and increases in market value, the main strength of green buildings may be the procurement of healthier building environments. Further pursuing the right to healthy indoor environments could help the green building movement to attain its full potential as a transformational public health tool. On the basis of 40 years of research on indoor environmental quality, we present a summary of nine environment elements that are foundational to human health. We posit the role of green buildings as a critical research platform within a novel sustainability framework based on social-environmental capital assets.

Burnout does not help predict depression among French school teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Renzo; Schonfeld, Irvin Sam; Laurent, Eric

2015-11-01

Burnout has been viewed as a phase in the development of depression. However, supportive research is scarce. We examined whether burnout predicted depression among French school teachers. We conducted a 2-wave, 21-month study involving 627 teachers (73% female) working in French primary and secondary schools. Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory and depression with the 9-item depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 grades depressive symptom severity and provides a provisional diagnosis of major depression. Depression was treated both as a continuous and categorical variable using linear and logistic regression analyses. We controlled for gender, age, and length of employment. Controlling for baseline depressive symptoms, linear regression analysis showed that burnout symptoms at time 1 (T1) did not predict depressive symptoms at time 2 (T2). Baseline depressive symptoms accounted for about 88% of the association between T1 burnout and T2 depressive symptoms. Only baseline depressive symptoms predicted depressive symptoms at follow-up. Similarly, logistic regression analysis revealed that burnout symptoms at T1 did not predict incident cases of major depression at T2 when depressive symptoms at T1 were included in the predictive model. Only baseline depressive symptoms predicted cases of major depression at follow-up. This study does not support the view that burnout is a phase in the development of depression. Assessing burnout symptoms in addition to "classical" depressive symptoms may not always improve our ability to predict future depression.

Compliance with building energy regulations for new-build dwellings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, Wei; Garmston, Helen

2012-01-01

Despite increasingly stringent building energy regulations worldwide, non-compliance exists in practice. This paper examines the profile of compliance with building energy regulations for new-build dwellings. In total 404 new-build dwellings completed in the UK from 2006 to 2009 were investigated. Only a third of these dwellings were evidenced as being compliant with Building Regulations Part L (England and Wales). Such low compliance casts a serious concern over the achievability of the UK Government's target for all new-build homes to be ‘zero carbon’ from 2016. Clearly evidenced was a lack of knowledge of Part L and its compliance requirements among the supply and building control sides of new-build dwellings. The results also indicate that the compliance profile was influenced by factors including Standard Assessment Procedure (UK Government's methodology for energy efficiency) calculation submissions, learning and experience of builders and building controls with Part L, use of Part L1A checklist, the introduction of energy performance certificate (EPC), build method, dwelling type, and project size. Better compliance was associated with flats over houses and timber frame over masonry. The use of EPC and Part L1A checklist should be encouraged. Key to addressing the lack of compliance with building energy regulations is training. -- Highlights: ► There exists a lack of compliance, worldwide, with building energy regulations. ► The implementation of England and Wales building energy regulations is problematic. ► Training, learning and experience of builders and building control are critical. ► Energy performance certificate and Part L 2006 checklist helped achieve compliance. ► Flats achieved better compliance over houses; and timber frame over masonry.

Designing domestic buildings for future summers: Attitudes and opinions of building professionals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gul, Mehreen S.; Menzies, Gillian F.

2012-01-01

A changing climate will produce summertime overheating where conventional domestic building design approaches do not adequately address future warming risk. This risk cannot be fully identified and avoided unless future climate information and building related adaptation measures are considered. The Low Carbon Futures project is developing a tool that uses UKCP09 climate projections input to predict dwelling overheating risks. To enhance the usefulness of this tool for the building industry, and to better understand current building design processes, interviews were conducted with building professionals, allowing industry preferences for the tool to be sought and to provide clearer indications of proposed outcomes. This paper examines results from a questionnaire, focus groups and semi-structured interviews with building industry professionals. The research shows that the housing industry maintains adherence to traditional designing methods where overheating, whether current or future, is not considered a serious concern. No design stage detailed overheating assessments are currently undertaken to reduce the UK's increased room air-conditioner sales, despite drives for low energy/zero carbon homes. The collated feedback will help tailor the tool and its eventual outputs, with this paper attempting to converge on a set of recommendations for low carbon dwelling design with reduced overheating risk. - Highlights: ► Interviews to gauge attitudes of building professionals towards future warming. ► Client requirements, capital costs and regulations take priority in typical practice. ► No actions are currently taken to prevent overheating risks in the housing sector. ► Overheating risks in housing can be tackled by the use of dynamic modelling. ► The LCF tool further helps to adapt a dwelling to reduce future overheating risks.

Exploring the Job Satisfaction of Late Career Secondary Physical Education Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Carson, Russell L.; Hemphill, Michael A.; Richards, K. Andrew R.; Templin, Tom

2016-01-01

As teachers move toward the end of their careers, understanding the experiences that help them derive satisfaction from their work has implications for helping them stay engaged in teaching. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine the job satisfaction of late career physical education teachers. Jessica, Sandy, and Bill were later…

Pre-Service Teachers' Conceptions of Probability

Science.gov (United States)

Odafe, Victor U.

2011-01-01

Probability knowledge and skills are needed in science and in making daily decisions that are sometimes made under uncertain conditions. Hence, there is the need to ensure that the pre-service teachers of our children are well prepared to teach probability. Pre-service teachers' conceptions of probability are identified, and ways of helping them…

State Teacher Policy Yearbook, 2009. Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

National Council on Teacher Quality, 2009

2009-01-01

The Hawaii edition of the National Council on Teacher Quality's (NCTQ's) 2009 "State Teacher Policy Yearbook" is the third annual look at state policies impacting the teaching profession. It is hoped that this report will help focus attention on areas where state policymakers can make changes that will have a positive impact on teacher…

Building Energy Monitoring and Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Tianzhen; Feng, Wei; Lu, Alison; Xia, Jianjun; Yang, Le; Shen, Qi; Im, Piljae; Bhandari, Mahabir

2013-06-01

This project aimed to develop a standard methodology for building energy data definition, collection, presentation, and analysis; apply the developed methods to a standardized energy monitoring platform, including hardware and software, to collect and analyze building energy use data; and compile offline statistical data and online real-time data in both countries for fully understanding the current status of building energy use. This helps decode the driving forces behind the discrepancy of building energy use between the two countries; identify gaps and deficiencies of current building energy monitoring, data collection, and analysis; and create knowledge and tools to collect and analyze good building energy data to provide valuable and actionable information for key stakeholders.

Teacher Leadership: Federal Policy Recommendations

Science.gov (United States)

Gran, Jackie; Young, Margaret; Broin, Alexandra

2015-01-01

This policy brief was developed specifically for federal policymakers, and builds upon the policy recommendations included in "Leading from Every Seat: Empowering Principals to Cultivate Teacher Leadership for School Improvement." The recommendations in this report include the following: (1) Uncover New Leadership Ideas and Seed…

10,000th teacher visits CERN

CERN Multimedia

Kathryn Coldham

2016-01-01

This year, the 10,000th teacher will visit CERN since its first teacher programme in 1998.   HST 2016 teachers with CERN Director-General Fabiola Gianotti in the CERN Council Chamber. (Image: Maximilien Brice/CERN) This summer, CERN welcomed the 10,000th teacher to participate in one of its teacher programmes! This milestone was achieved in this year’s International High School Teacher (HST) programme, a three-week residential programme that saw 48 enthusiastic teachers flock from all over the world to help inspire young minds. Taking place every July since 1998, the HST programme aims to increase teachers’ knowledge on the cutting-edge particle physics research currently being carried out at CERN. It also opens up a whole new world of educational resources available for use by the teachers to inspire their students’ curious young minds. More information is available here.

Small Commercial Building Re-tuning: A Primer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cort, Katherine A.; Hostick, Donna J.; Underhill, Ronald M.; Fernandez, Nicholas; Katipamula, Srinivas

2013-09-30

To help building owners and managers address issues related to energy-efficient operation of small buildings, DOE has developed a Small Building Re-tuning training curriculum. This "primer" provides additional background information to understand some of the concepts presented in the Small Building Re-tuning training. The intent is that those who are less familiar with the buidling energy concepts will review this material before taking the building re-tuning training class.

Student Data Privacy: Building a Trusted Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Foundation for Excellence in Education, 2017

2017-01-01

The effective use of student data is essential for improving student outcomes and equipping educators with the information they need to help every student remain on a path to educational success. Student data can help teachers personalize and customize instruction, equip parents and students with information to make informed educational choices,…

Queer Teachers' Ethical Dilemmas regarding Queer Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Vanessa Tamara

2010-01-01

Although all teachers are expected to be "role models," discursive trajectories reaching back to the West's gay liberation pressure queer teachers to be role models in specific ways--by "coming out" and helping queer students out of their "time of difficulty." Paradoxically, discourses that construct children as…

Literature Review of Data on the Incremental Costs to Design and Build Low-Energy Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hunt, W. D.

2008-05-14

This document summarizes findings from a literature review into the incremental costs associated with low-energy buildings. The goal of this work is to help establish as firm an analytical foundation as possible for the Building Technology Program's cost-effective net-zero energy goal in the year 2025.

Strangers and Professionals: Positioning Discourse in ESL Teachers' Work

Science.gov (United States)

Haneda, Mari; Nespor, Jan

2013-01-01

English Language Learners (ELLs) usually spend most of the school day with regular classroom teachers. The ability of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers to help these students, then, depends in part on their ability to influence how the classroom teachers think of ELL students and ESL itself. One way ESL teachers do this is through…

Teacher's Guide to Architectural Styles. Skinner's Butte Historical District. Revised Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer, Mary; Neimand, Hahn

This document is a teacher's guide to the historic buildings of Eugene, Oregon. Eighteen buildings in the Skinner's Butte Historical District are highlighted, including the U.S. Post Office, the Eagles Building, the Lane Hotel, the Oregon Electric Depot, the Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, and several houses. For each structure there is a brief…

Episode-Centered Guidelines for Teacher Belief Change toward Technology Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Er, Erkan; Kim, ChanMin

2017-01-01

Teachers' episodic memories influence their beliefs. The investigation of episodic memories can help identify the teacher beliefs that limit technology-integration. We propose the Episode-Centered Belief Change (ECBC) model that utilizes teachers' episodic memories for changing beliefs impeding effective technology integration. We also propose…

Using a Conceptual-Change Approach to Help Preservice Science Teachers Reorganize Their Knowledge Structures for Constructivist Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Dhindsa, H. S.; Anderson, O. R.

2004-02-01

This study, based on constructivist learning theory, examined how effectively preservice chemistry teachers (N = 43) can be educated to think flexibly and to reorganize their thinking in a way that may complement diverse ways students approach the subject domain. The teacher's cognitive structure was assessed prior to and after a conceptual change intervention using flow-map narrative analyses. There was a significant change in the organization of the preservice teacher's narrative after the conceptual change intervention, including greater networking of ideas and more thematic development of the content. Hence, a conceptual change approach may be a useful way to educate teachers to be more responsive to student individual differences when planning and delivering science lessons.

A Host of Histories: Helping Year 9s Explore Multiple Narratives through the History of a House

Science.gov (United States)

Waters, David

2014-01-01

Described by the author Monica Ali as a building that 'sparks the imagination and sparks conversations', 19 Princelet Street, now a Museum of Diversity and Immigration, captivated the imagination of teacher David Waters. He was struck by the building's potential not merely for exploring the diverse histories of migrant communities in London, but…

Jordanian Preservice Primary Teachers' Perceptions of Mentoring in Science Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Abed, Osama H.; Abd-El-Khalick, Fouad

2015-03-01

Quality mentoring is fundamental to preservice teacher education because of its potential to help student and novice teachers develop the academic and pedagogical knowledge and skills germane to successful induction into the profession. This study focused on Jordanian preservice primary teachers' perceptions of their mentoring experiences as these pertain to science teaching. The Mentoring for Effective Primary Science Teaching instrument was administered to 147 senior preservice primary teachers in a university in Jordan. The results indicated that the greater majority of participants did not experience effective mentoring toward creating a supportive and reflexive environment that would bolster their confidence in teaching science; further their understanding of primary science curriculum, and associated aims and school policies; help with developing their pedagogical knowledge; and/or furnish them with specific and targeted feedback and guidance to help improve their science teaching. Substantially more participants indicated that their mentors modeled what they perceived to be effective science teaching. The study argues for the need for science-specific mentoring for preservice primary teachers, and suggests a possible pathway for achieving such a model starting with those in-service primary teachers-much like those identified by participants in the present study-who are already effective in their science teaching.

Continuous commissioning of buildings: A case study of a campus building in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Markoska, Elena; Jradi, Muhyiddine; Jørgensen, Bo Nørregaard

2016-01-01

The general trend in building commissioning is that the commissioning is often either insufficiently comprehensive in its execution, or it is not conducted at all. As such, it has been observed that buildings often will contain faults that have not been discovered during the commissioning phase....... In this paper, we present a framework for continuous verification and commissioning of a building with a set of performance tests that are able to monitor the performance and functionality with a daily granularity. The performance tests are run on a newly constructed campus building in Denmark, over the course...... of three months, and the results of the performance tests are presented within a dashboard application, which helps verify that the building is performing accordingly to its original design intent....

Leadership Effects on Student Learning Mediated by Teacher Emotions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingping Sun

2015-06-01

Full Text Available School leaders’ influence on student achievement is largely indirect. Using systematic review techniques, this paper assesses the impact that leaders have on their students when they focus their improvement efforts on those teacher emotions or dispositions known to have direct effects on teaching and learning in the classroom. Building on an earlier conceptions of how leadership influences student learning and based on a review of research over the last 25 years, this study identifies four distinct teacher emotions which have significant effects on student learning—collective teacher efficacy, teacher commitment, teacher trust in others, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior. This review also describes leadership practices likely to foster productive teacher emotions, most such practices reflecting a transformational approach to leadership.

Teacher Perceptions of Their Curricular and Pedagogical Shifts: Outcomes of a Project-Based Model of Teacher Professional Development in the Next Generation Science Standards.

Science.gov (United States)

Shernoff, David J; Sinha, Suparna; Bressler, Denise M; Schultz, Dawna

2017-01-01

In this study, we conducted a model of teacher professional development (PD) on the alignment of middle and high school curricula and instruction to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSSs), and evaluated the impact of the PD on teacher participants' development. The PD model included a 4-day summer academy emphasizing project-based learning (PBL) in the designing of NGSS-aligned curricula and instruction, as well as monthly follow-up Professional Learning Community meetings throughout the year providing numerous opportunities for teachers to develop and implement lesson plans, share results of lesson writing and implementation (successes and challenges), provide mutual feedback, and refine curricula and assessments. Following the summer academy, six female teachers were interviewed about their current conceptualizations of NGSS, the extent of curricular shifts made that are required by NGSS, their self-perceptions regarding their level of accomplishment in curriculum writing, and the benefits of the PD in reaching their goals related to NGSS. Interviews were supplemented with an analysis of lesson plans written while participating in the PD program. The interviewed teachers suggested that they had made important conceptual and pedagogical shifts required by NGSS as they participated in the PD, and also noted a variety of challenges as they made this shift. While all teachers were relative novices at NGSS curriculum writing before the PD, most of the teachers interviewed felt that they had achieved the status of an "accomplished novice" following the summer academy. An analysis of their written lessons suggested a great range in the extent to which teachers effectively applied their understanding of NGSS to write lessons aligned to NGSS. Interviewed teachers believed that the PD model was helpful to their development as science teachers, and all reported that there were no aspects of the PD that were not helpful. Even though most teachers obtained a basic

Accountability or Authenticity? The Alignment of Professional Development and Teacher Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Yahui; Feng, Liyia; Hsu, Chang-Hui

2017-01-01

The alignment of professional development and teacher evaluation has been a growing concern in teacher professional development practices. The issue of how teacher evaluation can help authentic professional development is important in that teachers only learn what is real, useful and valuable to them. Based on our reflections on current…

Riding the Wave of Social Networking in the Context of Preservice Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Highfield, Kate; Papic, Marina

2015-01-01

This study examined the use of one online social networking tool, NING™, in teacher education, highlighting preservice teachers' engagement and perceptions of the tool. Data obtained from 91 preservice teachers suggest that they found the multimodal platform useful as a tool to build pedagogic and content knowledge. Responses to surveys and online…

Human Resource Management Strategies and Teacher's Efficiency within Schools: A Co-Relational Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hashmi, Kiran

2014-01-01

The aim of the paper is to study Human Resource Management and Development (HRMD) strategies and their effect on teachers' efficiency within the Catholic Board of Education (CBE) schools of Pakistan whose teachers are graduates in educational leadership courses from a private teacher education institutes in Karachi. The study endeavored to build a…

Improving building energy efficiency in India: State-level analysis of building energy efficiency policies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Sha; Tan, Qing; Evans, Meredydd; Kyle, Page; Vu, Linh; Patel, Pralit L.

2017-11-01

India is expected to add 40 billion m2 of new buildings till 2050. Buildings are responsible for one third of India’s total energy consumption today and building energy use is expected to continue growing driven by rapid income and population growth. The implementation of the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) is one of the measures to improve building energy efficiency. Using the Global Change Assessment Model, this study assesses growth in the buildings sector and impacts of building energy policies in Gujarat, which would help the state adopt ECBC and expand building energy efficiency programs. Without building energy policies, building energy use in Gujarat would grow by 15 times in commercial buildings and 4 times in urban residential buildings between 2010 and 2050. ECBC improves energy efficiency in commercial buildings and could reduce building electricity use in Gujarat by 20% in 2050, compared to the no policy scenario. Having energy codes for both commercial and residential buildings could result in additional 10% savings in electricity use. To achieve these intended savings, it is critical to build capacity and institution for robust code implementation.

Levi-Strauss's "Bricolage" and Theorizing Teachers' Work.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatton, Elizabeth

1989-01-01

A teacher's work is compared to Claude Levi-Strauss's concept of "bricolage." A "bricoleur" is a professional do-it-yourself person, falling somewhere between an odd-job person and a craftsperson. The concept helps to explain pedagogical inadequacy by linking inherent limiting features of teachers' work and some causal…

Attitude of Student Teachers towards Teaching Profession

Science.gov (United States)

Bhargava, Anupama; Pathy, M. K.

2014-01-01

Teaching being a dynamic activity requires a favourable attitude and certain specific competencies from its practitioners. Teachers' proficiency depends on the attitude she possesses for the profession. The positive attitude helps teacher to develop a conductive learner friendly environment in the classroom. This also casts a fruitful effect on…

Using an Adult Development Model to Help Explain Pre-Service Teacher Resistance to Learning about Race

Science.gov (United States)

Puchner, Laurel; Markowitz, Linda

2016-01-01

This article shows the potential usefulness of applying Kegan's constructive-developmental model to White teacher education students' difficulties in understanding racial dynamics in US society. The data for this analysis come from a study examining the evolution of White teacher candidates' understandings and practices related to diversity as…

Reflection on the Teaching-Learning Process in the Initial Training of Teachers. Characterization of the Issues on Which Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers Reflect

Science.gov (United States)

Chamoso, J. M.; Caceres, M. J.; Azcarate, P.

2012-01-01

Our aim was to highlight the issues of the reflections of pre-service mathematics teachers in their learning portfolio about the teaching-learning process taking place in a university teacher-training classroom. Category systems were designed which, together with the analysis system used, could provide a method helpful to teacher educators,…

Teaching Abroad: Why Teachers Prefer Teaching Overseas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Serbes

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Teaching overseas has always been a great opprotunity for academic and social development. Teachers who have international experiences stand a better chance of not only developing their teaching skills, communication skills and classroom management but also learning new languages and about other cultures. Teaching abroad can help teachers promote their skills for efficiency and effectiveness. It is important to stress that teachers with international experience can teach effectively and can contribute to the achievement of their students more. This paper focuses on five reasons why teachers prefer teaching overseas.

Literacy And Reward: Teachers’ Effort To Build Children Reading Habit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helena Arisandi Komang Widia

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Children at early levels of primary school require appropriate guidance in their initial reading skill. They need to be trained on how reading becomes an enjoyable routine activity. This study aimed at describing teachers’ effort to build children reading habit. This study employed a qualitative descriptive study and conducted at North Bali Bilingual School Bali. The data were collected through observations and interview. The findings of the study showed that there were several activities conducted by the teacher as efforts to build children reading habit. In terms of building students’ reading habit, the teacher used (1 Point-written in Reading Rocket Chart (PRRC, (2 Chip (white, yellow, green for appreciating good behaviour in reading and using English, (3 Certificate, (4 Class Reward, and (5 Free Play Time. With these efforts, it is evident that the students’ literacy improves and they exhibited great enthusiasm in their reading and studying literacy in the classroom.

Pedagogical Decision Making through the Lens of Teacher Preparation Program

Science.gov (United States)

Prachagool, Veena; Nuangchalerm, Prasart; Subramaniam, Ganakumaran; Dostal, Jirí

2016-01-01

Pedagogical decision making is very important for professional teachers, it concerns belief, self-efficacy, and actions that teachers expose to classroom. This paper employed theoretical lens and education policy in Thailand to examine the preservice teachers' views about pedagogical decision making. Discussion helps school mentors understand…

The "Come and Go" Syndrome of Teachers in Remote Indigenous Schools: Listening to the Perspective of Indigenous Teachers about What Helps Teachers to Stay and What Makes Them Go

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Lisa

2012-01-01

High turnover of teachers in remote Indigenous community schools in the Northern Territory has long been considered a significant contributing factor to low academic outcomes for students in those communities. The average length of stay for a non-Indigenous teacher in a remote school can more easily be measured in months than years. This…

Concept Mapping as an Approach to Facilitate Participatory Intervention Building.

Science.gov (United States)

L Allen, Michele; Schaleben-Boateng, Dane; Davey, Cynthia S; Hang, Mikow; Pergament, Shannon

2015-01-01

A challenge to addressing community-defined need through community-based participatory intervention building is ensuring that all collaborators' opinions are represented. Concept mapping integrates perspectives of individuals with differing experiences, interests, or expertise into a common visually depicted framework, and ranks composite views on importance and feasibility. To describe the use of concept mapping to facilitate participatory intervention building for a school-based, teacher-focused, positive youth development (PYD) promotion program for Latino, Hmong, and Somali youth. Particiants were teachers, administrators, youth, parents, youth workers, and community and university researchers on the projects' community collaborative board. We incorporated previously collected qualitative data into the process. In a mixed-methods process we 1) generated statements based on key informant interview and focus group data from youth workers, teachers, parents, and youth in multiple languages regarding ways teachers promote PYD for Somali, Latino and Hmong youth; 2) guided participants to individually sort statements into meaningful groupings and rate them by importance and feasibility; 3) mapped the statements based on their relation to each other using multivariate statistical analyses to identify concepts, and as a group identified labels for each concept; and 4) used labels and statement ratings to identify feasible and important concepts as priorities for intervention development. We identified 12 concepts related to PYD promotion in schools and prioritized 8 for intervention development. Concept mapping facilitated participatory intervention building by formally representing all participants' opinions, generating visual representation of group thinking, and supporting priority setting. Use of prior qualitative work increased the diversity of viewpoints represented.

TEACHER-ADVISORS: Where There's a Skill There's A Way.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamminen, Armas; And Others

This report discusses a program to present the Teacher Advisement Training Model. This model for training teacher-advisors is based on the assumption that tentative commitment to making school a more rewarding experience for all is the first step in starting an effective program. The approach is to help teachers learn specific skills and methods…

High School Physics Teacher Preparation: Results from the 2012-13 Nationwide Survey of High School Physics Teachers. Focus On

Science.gov (United States)

White, Susan; Tyler, John

2015-01-01

This report examines teachers' self-assessed preparedness to teach physics, their membership in professional organizations, and where they turn for help when they have questions. Almost every teacher reports feeling at least adequately prepared to teach basic physics knowledge and the application of physics to everyday experience. The smallest…

Mental health first aid training for high school teachers: a cluster randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Jorm, Anthony F; Kitchener, Betty A; Sawyer, Michael G; Scales, Helen; Cvetkovski, Stefan

2010-06-24

Mental disorders often have their first onset during adolescence. For this reason, high school teachers are in a good position to provide initial assistance to students who are developing mental health problems. To improve the skills of teachers in this area, a Mental Health First Aid training course was modified to be suitable for high school teachers and evaluated in a cluster randomized trial. The trial was carried out with teachers in South Australian high schools. Teachers at 7 schools received training and those at another 7 were wait-listed for future training. The effects of the training on teachers were evaluated using questionnaires pre- and post-training and at 6 months follow-up. The questionnaires assessed mental health knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes, confidence in providing help to others, help actually provided, school policy and procedures, and teacher mental health. The indirect effects on students were evaluated using questionnaires at pre-training and at follow-up which assessed any mental health help and information received from school staff, and also the mental health of the student. The training increased teachers' knowledge, changed beliefs about treatment to be more like those of mental health professionals, reduced some aspects of stigma, and increased confidence in providing help to students and colleagues. There was an indirect effect on students, who reported receiving more mental health information from school staff. Most of the changes found were sustained 6 months after training. However, no effects were found on teachers' individual support towards students with mental health problems or on student mental health. Mental Health First Aid training has positive effects on teachers' mental health knowledge, attitudes, confidence and some aspects of their behaviour. ACTRN12608000561381.

Building Procurement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Niclas

2007-01-01

evolves from a simple establishment of a contractual relationship to a central and strategic part of construction. The authors relate to cultural, ethical and social and behavioural sciences as the fundamental basis for analysis and understanding of the complexity and dynamics of the procurement system......‘The procurement of construction work is complex, and a successful outcome frequently elusive’. With this opening phrase of the book, the authors take on the challenging job of explaining the complexity of building procurement. Even though building procurement systems are, and will remain, complex...... despite this excellent book, the knowledge, expertise, well-articulated argument and collection of recent research efforts that are provided by the three authors will help to make project success less elusive. The book constitutes a thorough and comprehensive investigation of building procurement, which...

Possible Futures: Using Frameworks of Knowledge to Help Year 9 Connect Past, Present and Future

Science.gov (United States)

Nuttall, Dan

2013-01-01

How can we help pupils integrate history into coherent "Big Pictures" or mental frameworks? Building on traditions of classroom research and theorising reported in earlier editions of Teaching History, Dan Nuttall reports how his department set out to help Year 9 build a coherent big picture of twentieth-century history that would…

Information Communication Technology (Ict) In The Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

helping to build important communication links. ... seeks to assess the present status of ICT in our teacher education programmes and the extent to which Nigerian teacher educators use technology in preparing the preservice teacher for the ...

Yes You Can...Help Your Teenager Succeed in School.

Science.gov (United States)

Adamek, Sue; And Others

Ways parents can help their teenagers succeed in school are offered by teachers in the Minnetonka (Minnesota) Public Schools. Sections of the parent guide concern: (1) encouragement--encouraging the student through generous praise, encouraging best efforts, communicating love, making education a family priority, avoiding pressuring the teen,…

Reaching the Future Teachers in Your Classroom: New Directions in Pre-Service Education

Science.gov (United States)

Grier, Jennifer A.; Ruberg, L.

2006-09-01

We will present results and progress from initiatives seeking to improve the experiences of future teachers in college level science classes. A future teacher (pre-service teacher) is inspired to teach science based on personal experiences with college science classes. The most critical opportunity to make a real difference in science education in schools comes when the teachers themselves are first being educated. Given the difficulties in identifying future teachers and the wide variations in their needs, how can we best help future teachers in training? What critical thinking skills are most important for them to absorb from their exposure to science as undergraduates and graduate students? What teaching and learning experiences can we offer that will help science teachers in training confidently assess the relationship between evidence and explanations and then bring that understanding and experience effectively into their own classroom? Recent initiatives in pre-service education have identified several key strategies for improving teacher preparation at the post-secondary level: - Using a constructivist approach to teach physical science concepts and guided inquiry - Knowing common misconceptions about key scientific concepts that students bring to college-level science classrooms - Applying documented strategies for identifying and addressing student misconceptions; and - Knowing how to select and adapt curriculum materials based on common preconceptions held by students. The challenge of reaching these outcomes is complex and cannot be addressed with simple solutions. Teaching strategies that help prepare future teachers include modeling effective teaching of science, understanding the relationship between student/teacher misconceptions, designing and implementing evaluation and assessment, appropriate use of technology tools, and tapping into the existing community of learners to provide ongoing education opportunities and support as the pre

Twenty-first century learning for teachers: helping educators bring new skills into the classroom.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, John I

2006-01-01

The motivation behind every educator's dedication and hard work in the classroom is the knowledge that his or her teaching will result in students' success in life. Educators are committed to implementing twenty-first century skills; they have no question that students need such skills to be equipped for life beyond school. Members of the National Education Association are enthusiastic about the Partnership for 21st Century Skills framework, yet express frustration that many schools do not have adequate resources to make the necessary changes. Teaching these skills poses significant new responsibilities for schools and educators. To make it possible for teachers to build twenty-first century skills into the curriculum, physical and policy infrastructures must exist, professional development and curriculum materials must be offered, and meaningful assessments must be available. With an established understanding of what skills need to be infused into the classroom-problem solving, analysis, and com- munications-and educators' commitment to the new skill set, this chapter explores how to make such a dramatic reform happen. The author discusses existing strategies that will guide educators in infusing twenty-first century skills into traditional content areas such as math, English, geography, and science. Ultimately, public policy regarding educational standards, professional development, assessments, and physical school structures must exist to enable educators to employ twenty-first century skills, leading to student success in contemporary life. Any concern about the cost of bringing this nation's educational system up to par internationally should be offset by the price that not making twenty-first century skills a priority in the classroom will have on future economic well-being.

The Mentoring Profile Inventory: An Online Professional Development Resource for Cooperating Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Anthony; Collins, John; Triggs, Valerie; Nielsen, Wendy; Augustine, Ann; Coulter, Dianne; Cunningham, Joni; Grigoriadis, Tina; Hardman, Stephanie; Hunter, Lee; Kinegal, Jane; Li, Bianca; Mah, Jeff; Mastin, Karen; Partridge, David; Pawer, Leonard; Rasoda,Sandy; Salbuvik, Kathleen; Ward, Mitch; White, Janet; Weil, Frederick

2012-01-01

We report on the origins, development and refinement of an online inventory to help cooperating teachers focus on selected dimensions of their practice. The Mentoring Profile Inventory (MPI) helps quantify important features of both the motivating and challenging aspects of mentoring student teachers and provides results to respondents in a…

Teacher Trust in District Administration: A Promising Line of Inquiry

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Curt M.; Miskell, Ryan C.

2016-01-01

Purpose: We set out in this study to establish a foundation for a line of inquiry around teacher trust in district administration by (1) describing the role of trust in capacity building, (2) conceptualizing trust in district administration, (3) developing a scale to measure teacher trust in district administration, and (4) testing the…

TEACHER TRAINING: How to Produce Better Math and Science Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mervis, J

2000-09-01

Two National Research Council panels have released new reports on improving science and math education in the United States. One panel says that the best way to improve teacher education is to make it a continuum, with school districts taking more responsibility for the initial preparation of new teachers and university faculty playing a bigger role in ongoing professional development. The other panel says that more recent science Ph.D.s would be willing to teach high school science and math if the government helped with the transition, if the certification process were compressed, and if they could retain ties to research.

Rational-Emotive Therapy to Help Teachers Control Their Emotions and Behavior when Dealing with Disagreeable Students

Science.gov (United States)

Maag, John W.

2008-01-01

Students with challenging behaviors are very deft at engaging teachers in power struggles as a way to either feel empowered, obtain attention, or escape an unpleasant task. The more frustrated that teachers permit themselves to get, the less capable they are of responding in a therapeutic, productive fashion to students' challenging behaviors. The…

Investigating Teachers' Beliefs in the Implementation of Science Inquiry and Science Fair in Three Boston High Schools

Science.gov (United States)

De Barros Miller, Anne Marie

In previous decades, inquiry has been the focus of science education reform in the United States. This study sought to investigate how teachers' beliefs affect their implementation of inquiry science and science fair. It was hypothesized that science teachers' beliefs about inquiry science and science fair are predictive of their implementation of such strategies. A case study approach and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the data, and an original thematic approach was created to analyze the data. Findings seem to suggest that science teachers who embrace science inquiry and science fair believe these practices enhance students' performance, facilitate their learning experience, and allow them to take ownership of their learning. However, results also suggest that teachers who do not fully embrace inquiry science as a central teaching strategy tend to believe that it is not aligned with standardized tests and requires higher cognitive skills from students. Overall, the study seems to indicate that when inquiry is presented as a prescribed teaching approach, this elicits strong negative feelings/attitudes amongst science teachers, leading them not only to resist inquiry as a teaching tool, but also dissuading them from participating in science fair. Additionally, the findings suggest that such feelings among teachers could place the school at risk of not implementing inquiry science and science fair. In conclusion, the study reveals that science inquiry and science fair should not be prescribed to teachers as a top-down, mandatory approach for teaching science. In addition, the findings suggest that adequate teacher training in content knowledge and pedagogy in science inquiry and science fair should be encouraged, as this could help build a culture of science inquiry and implementation amongst teachers. This should go hand-in-hand with offering mentoring to science teachers new to inquiry and science fair for 2-5 years.

The Influence of the Pedagogical Content Knowledge Theoretical Framework on Research on Preservice Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Mecoli, Storey

2013-01-01

Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Lee S. Shulman's theoretical framework, has had a substantial influence on research in preservice teacher education, and consequently, schools of education. This review builds from Grossman's case studies that concluded that beginning teachers provided with excellent teacher education developed more substantial PCK…

Building a Team of Teachers for Designing and Implementation of Modul Educational Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kashtanova S.N.

2015-11-01

Full Text Available This article can be classified as thematic review, since it shows the actual experience of a human resources choice for the design and implementation of modular educational programs. It illustrates the main issues and initiative solutions to the team strategies modeling in a modernization of pedagogical education in Russia. We presents the basic ideological orientations of the modern university teacher from the point of view of reflective pedagogy and pedagogical management. We analyzed the experience of studying the teachers’ readiness to innovative activity and gave examples of dealing with the expectations and needs of potential employers and consumers of educational products using the foresight studies. A model of a graduate and the role of the teacher were analyzed based on expert panels method. Functional mechanisms, and technical aspects of teacher performance, designing and implementing modular educational programs were described with the projection of properties and qualities of the educational product on the professional and personal characteristics of the teacher.

Jordanian Preservice Primary Teachers' Perceptions of Mentoring in Science Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Abed, Osama H.; Abd-El-Khalick, Fouad

2015-01-01

Quality mentoring is fundamental to preservice teacher education because of its potential to help student and novice teachers develop the academic and pedagogical knowledge and skills germane to successful induction into the profession. This study focused on Jordanian preservice primary teachers' perceptions of their mentoring experiences as these…

The Research Portfolio: Educating Teacher Researchers in Data Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Bates, Alisa J.; Bryant, Jill D.

2013-01-01

This paper describes research on a course assignment, the research portfolio, designed for a two-course teacher research experience in a Masters of Arts in Teaching program. The focus of the assignment is the process of data collection and analysis that is critical to the success of teacher research. We sought a way to help our teacher candidates…

Teacher's Questions in Reading Classes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zuliati Rohmah

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The present paper discusses an English teacher's questions in Reading classes at MAN Malang III. Types of questions, functions of teacher's questions, question levels and the strategies applied by the teacher were put as the research problems. Non-participant observa­tion was applied to collect the data with the researcher as the main in­strument aided by field-notes and a tape recorder. It was found that the distribution of the questions did not allow the students to talk longer and to think more analytically. Meanwhile, the strategies applied by the teacher helped the students to respond to the questions previously unanswered. The teacher is suggested to produce more open and refer­ential question as well as inference and evaluation questions as to give more chances for the students to think aloud more.

Factor Analysis of Teacher Professional Development in Chinese Military Medical Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Juan-Juan; Chen, Gang; Wang, Zhen-Wei; Liu, Wei-Dong

2017-01-01

Background and purpose: Teacher professional development potentially enhances teachers' professional morale, knowledge, skills and autonomy, which helps improve the quality of education. The military medical university is an important medical education institution in China; however, studies of teacher professional development within military…

Comparing the Internet Usage of Pre-service Language Teachers With Teachers of Other Subjects: Distance Learning vs. On-Campus Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Firat

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Teachers play a crucial role in helping individuals gain adequate Internet competency, which requires teachers themselves to be Internet-literate. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Internet use of the distance and on-campus pre-service teachers of language and other disciplines by multiple parameters. A total of 789 teacher candidates participated in this survey. The findings show that the candidate teachers in on-campus and distance-learning programs have an average level of Internet usage adequacy and that the younger candidate teachers and those in higher classes use the Internet more frequently. Pre-service foreign language teachers have been found to have a moderate level of Internet usage frequency, adequacy and technology ownership in comparison with the other preservice teacher groups.

Preservice teachers working with narrative inquiry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daugbjerg, Peer

Application of inquiry in teacher education is gaining momentum. Inquiry is used to build connections with the local community (Nicholas, Baker-Sennett, McClanahan, & Harwood, 2012), student-centered inquiry is used as a curricular model (Oliver et al., 2015), inquiry is used to accentuate......’-module is a 6 week full-time study including a 2 weeks stay at a youth folk high school, where the teacher students are to focus on a self-determined element of the praxis. The students are to study this focus through narrative inquiry based on the North-American tradition within narrative inquiry (Clandinin....... Aarhus; Kbh.: Klim; i samarbejde med Folkehøjskolernes Forening. Salerno, A. S., & Kibler, A. K. (2015). Questions they ask: Considering teacher-inquiry questions posed by pre-service english teachers. Educational Action Research, 23(3), 399-415....

"Dear Teacher, Johnny Copied."

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Louise A.; And Others

1987-01-01

Presents the problem of intentional or unintentional plagiarism on the part of young students, several possible causes for it, and offers ways teachers can help students avoid copying and understand the value of owning one's writing. (JC)

Teachers' Leadership: A Maker or a Breaker of Students' Educational Motivation

Science.gov (United States)

Öqvist, Anna; Malmström, Malin

2016-01-01

Teachers' leadership plays a critical and central role in students' educational motivations. This indicates that, in the school context, a teacher's leadership can have both positive and negative impacts on students' educational motivation and performance. This article explores these assumptions, building on the path-goal theory, more specifically…

Aspiring to Quality Teacher-Parent Partnerships in Vietnam: Building Localised Funds of Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Hedges, Helen; Fleer, Marilyn; Fleer-Stout, Freya; Hanh, Le Thi Bich

2016-01-01

Collaborative and reciprocal teacher-parent partnerships have been established in prior research as vital in empowering ethnic-minority children to be competent learners who value their home background, culture, and language and also learn the language used by teachers as the medium of education. Such collaborative relationships may be challenging…

A Review of Literature on Teacher Efficacy and Classroom Management

Science.gov (United States)

Dibapile, Waitshega Tefo Smitta

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper was to review the literature on teacher efficacy and classroom management. The conceptual framework of this paper was based on the theories of Rotter (1966) and Bandura (1977). The review of literature indicated that teacher efficacy helps teachers plan effective instructional strategies, increases performance, and…

Building Social Web Applications

CERN Document Server

Bell, Gavin

2009-01-01

Building a web application that attracts and retains regular visitors is tricky enough, but creating a social application that encourages visitors to interact with one another requires careful planning. This book provides practical solutions to the tough questions you'll face when building an effective community site -- one that makes visitors feel like they've found a new home on the Web. If your company is ready to take part in the social web, this book will help you get started. Whether you're creating a new site from scratch or reworking an existing site, Building Social Web Applications

Practices implemented by a Texas charter school system to overcome science teacher shortage

Science.gov (United States)

Yasar, Bilgehan M.

The purpose of this study was to examine practices used by a charter school system to hire and retain science teachers. The research design for this study was a qualitative case study. This single instrumental case study explored the issue within a bounded system. Purposeful sampling strategy was used to identify the participants who were interviewed individually. Findings of the case study supported that using online resources, advertising in the newspaper, attending job fairs, using alternative certification programs, attracting alumni, contacting the college of educations and hiring internationally helped the charter school system with hiring science teachers. Improving teacher salary scale, implementing teacher mentorship programs, reimbursing teachers for certification and master's programs, providing professional development and supporting teachers helped to retain science teachers. Therefore, this study contributes to determining strategies and techniques, selecting methods and programs, training administrators, and monitoring for successful hiring and retaining science teacher implementation.

Advancing teacher knowledge of effective argumentation pedagogy

OpenAIRE

Simon,Shirley; Davies,Paul; Trevethan,Jillian

2012-01-01

This paper provides a discussion of the methodological approach to a research project that builds on previous studies of effective argumentation pedagogy undertaken by one of the authors. In this study, teachers from six schools in a city location are taking part in a one-year project to use new web-based professional development materials to advance their practice in using group discussion and argumentation in science. The teachers attend workshops on planning and organising effective group-...

Teaching Teachers for the Future Project: Building TPACK Confidence and Capabilities for Elearning

Science.gov (United States)

Finger, Glenn; Jamieson-Proctor, Romina; Grimbeek, Peter

2013-01-01

In Australian Higher Education, the importance of initial teacher education (ITE) programs is evident through enrolments totalling 105 858 students in the broad field of Education in 2012 (DIISRTE, 2012) which represent 9.7% of the 1 094 672 students enrolled in higher education. This paper provides insights into the "Teaching Teachers for…

Sustainable building organisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schmid, P.

1998-01-01

Sustainable Development and Sustainable Building is mainly a question of (human) environmentally-conscious Organisation and Management Criteria are needed in order to capture the best practices in the field. Therefore we developed modells and methods, which help to choose the most adequate

Mental health first aid training for high school teachers: a cluster randomized trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorm Anthony F

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mental disorders often have their first onset during adolescence. For this reason, high school teachers are in a good position to provide initial assistance to students who are developing mental health problems. To improve the skills of teachers in this area, a Mental Health First Aid training course was modified to be suitable for high school teachers and evaluated in a cluster randomized trial. Methods The trial was carried out with teachers in South Australian high schools. Teachers at 7 schools received training and those at another 7 were wait-listed for future training. The effects of the training on teachers were evaluated using questionnaires pre- and post-training and at 6 months follow-up. The questionnaires assessed mental health knowledge, stigmatizing attitudes, confidence in providing help to others, help actually provided, school policy and procedures, and teacher mental health. The indirect effects on students were evaluated using questionnaires at pre-training and at follow-up which assessed any mental health help and information received from school staff, and also the mental health of the student. Results The training increased teachers' knowledge, changed beliefs about treatment to be more like those of mental health professionals, reduced some aspects of stigma, and increased confidence in providing help to students and colleagues. There was an indirect effect on students, who reported receiving more mental health information from school staff. Most of the changes found were sustained 6 months after training. However, no effects were found on teachers' individual support towards students with mental health problems or on student mental health. Conclusions Mental Health First Aid training has positive effects on teachers' mental health knowledge, attitudes, confidence and some aspects of their behaviour. Trial registration ACTRN12608000561381

Teachers and ICT: a necessary meeting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ignacio Berzosa Ramos

2015-04-01

Full Text Available ICT (Information and Communication are a key element in today’s society and they will, little by little, sitting in the school. In this integration process teachers take a leading role research is needed. In this article the way the integration of ICT in a particular school affects the attitudes of teachers towards the same is reviewed, while the evolution that teachers experience in the uses made of ICT is observed and how they become an innovative tool that helps in the search for new educational practices.

Building the Relations of New and Veteran Teachers to Address Retention: An Action Research Study

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, John-Bernard

2016-01-01

This dissertation analyzed the factors that affected the retention of new teachers in the United States. This action research study was conducted utilizing qualitative data. Qualitative methods were relied upon to investigate perspectives from new and veteran teachers. It was proposed that teachers left the profession due to opportunity cost…

RCrane: semi-automated RNA model building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keating, Kevin S.; Pyle, Anna Marie

2012-01-01

RCrane is a new tool for the partially automated building of RNA crystallographic models into electron-density maps of low or intermediate resolution. This tool helps crystallographers to place phosphates and bases into electron density and then automatically predicts and builds the detailed all-atom structure of the traced nucleotides. RNA crystals typically diffract to much lower resolutions than protein crystals. This low-resolution diffraction results in unclear density maps, which cause considerable difficulties during the model-building process. These difficulties are exacerbated by the lack of computational tools for RNA modeling. Here, RCrane, a tool for the partially automated building of RNA into electron-density maps of low or intermediate resolution, is presented. This tool works within Coot, a common program for macromolecular model building. RCrane helps crystallographers to place phosphates and bases into electron density and then automatically predicts and builds the detailed all-atom structure of the traced nucleotides. RCrane then allows the crystallographer to review the newly built structure and select alternative backbone conformations where desired. This tool can also be used to automatically correct the backbone structure of previously built nucleotides. These automated corrections can fix incorrect sugar puckers, steric clashes and other structural problems

Musical competence of preschool teachers

OpenAIRE

Grdešič, Irena

2012-01-01

My diploma deals with musical competencies of preschool teachers. Music education includes many different activities: singing various songs, playing different instruments, listening to music, being creative while listening to music and creating the music itself. It is of utmost importance that kindergarten teachers are capable of mediating music to the children and are able to incorporate it into the every day of their kindergarten activities. Music helps calm children down, it relaxes them, ...

Institutional traditions in teachers' manners of teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Lundqvist, Eva; Almqvist, Jonas; Östman, Leif

2012-03-01

The aim of this article is to make a close case study of one teacher's teaching in relation to established traditions within science education in Sweden. The teacher's manner of teaching is analysed with the help of an epistemological move analysis. The moves made by the teacher are then compared in a context of educational philosophy and selective tradition. In the analyses the focus is to study the process of teaching and learning in action in institutionalised and socially shared practices. The empirical material consists of video recordings of four lessons with the same group of students and the same teacher. The students are all in Year 7 in a Swedish 9-year compulsory school. During these lessons the students work with a subject area called "Properties of materials". The results show that the teacher makes a number of different moves with regard to how to proceed and come to a conclusion about what the substances are. Many of these moves are special in that they indicate that the students need to be able to handle the procedural level of school science. These moves do not deal directly with the knowledge production process, but with methodological aspects. The function of the moves turns the students' attention from one source of knowledge to another. The moves are aimed at helping the students to help themselves, since it is through their own activity and their own thinking that learning takes place. This is characteristic in the teacher's manner of teaching. When compared in a context of educational philosophy, this manner of teaching has similarities with progressentialism; a mixture of essentialism and progressivism. This educational philosophy is a central aspect of what is called the academic tradition—a selective tradition common in science education in Sweden between 1960 and 1990.

An Economic Course for Elementary School Teachers. Second Revised Edition.

Science.gov (United States)

Lovell, Hugh; Harter, Charlotte

This handbook is intended to help economic educators develop teacher training courses for demonstrating to classroom teachers how to teach economics to children, grades 1-9. Teachers enrolled in the course carry out their own pupil activities which teach economic ideas. These activities include problem solving, case studies, skits, making posters,…

How Learning Conditions and Program Structure Predict Burnout and Satisfaction in Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmermann, Friederike; Rösler, Lena; Möller, Jens; Köller, Olaf

2018-01-01

To support prospective teachers' professional development, teacher education should be characterised by conditions that help to prevent burnout and facilitate satisfaction. This study investigates predictors of burnout and satisfaction in teacher education by drawing on universities with different teacher education programme structures and assumed…

Mesothelioma among employees with likely contact with in-place asbestos-containing building materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, H A; Hanrahan, L P; Schirmer, J; Higgins, D; Sarow, P

1991-12-31

The occurrence of mesothelioma is a sentinel event in occupational and environmental disease. A mesothelioma surveillance system was established utilizing existing computerized Wisconsin vital statistics data maintained since 1959 and a Cancer Reporting System (CRS) established in 1978. Review of the death certificate listing of usual occupation and industry from 487 mesothelioma deaths in Wisconsin from 1959 to 1989 led to the investigation of 41 persons with likely exposure to inplace asbestos-containing building materials (ACBM): 12 school teachers, 10 school maintenance employees, 7 public building maintenance workers, 5 private building maintenance workers, and 7 commercial and factory workers performing maintenance activities. For 10 (34%) of the 29 maintenance workers the only source of asbestos exposure identified was their maintenance work. For five (17%) histories indicated some prior employment in occupations and industries with probable asbestos exposures. Opportunities for indirect occupational exposure were identified for ten who had been employed in the residential construction industry. One maintenance worker was exposed to asbestos in the household and another had neighborhood exposure. For 9 (75%) of the school teachers, the only identifiable potential source of asbestos exposure was derived from in-place ACBM in schools. One teacher had spent a season in the merchant marine aboard an iron ore-hauling ship and 2 had worked in the residential construction industry. Two of the teachers were sisters, and in two instances, two teachers had taught in the same school facility. We conclude that individuals occupationally exposed to in-place ACBM are at risk for the subsequent development of mesothelioma.

A Special Issue of the Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology on Knowledge Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michele Jacobsen

2010-11-01

Full Text Available In a pervasive media and technology landscape that is increasingly global, participatory and connected, one in which learners and teachers can increasingly become creators of knowledge rather than mere consumers of prepared messages and ideas, it is vital for the field of educational technology to take stock of the latest research on knowledge building. Marlene Scardamalia and Carl Bereiter, innovative pioneers in the area of Knowledge Building in education, define the construct of Knowledge Building as having several characteristics that distinguish it from constructivist learning in general. Two key characteristics of Knowledge Building are intentionality and community knowledge. Intentionality captures that people engaged in knowledge building know they are doing it and that advances in knowledge are purposeful. Community knowledge captures that while learning is a personal matter, knowledge building is done for the benefit of the community. Scardamalia and Bereiter emphasize that in contrast to being spontaneous, a knowledge building culture requires a supportive learning environment and teacher effort and artistry to create and maintain a community devoted to ideas and to idea improvement. Distinct from improving individual students’ ideas and understanding, the collective work of Knowledge Building is explicitly focused on the creation and improvement of knowledge of value to one’s community – advancement of the knowledge itself.

A Tripartite Model of EFL Teacher Attributions, Burnout, and Self-Regulation: Toward the Prospects of Effective Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanizadeh, Afsaneh; Ghonsooly, Behzad

2014-01-01

The present study aims at delving into English as foreign language teachers' attributions by investigating the role of teacher attributions in teacher burnout and teacher self-regulation. This is accomplished by building a causal structural model through which the associations among these constructs are estimated. The results demonstrate that…

WASTE TREATMENT BUILDING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

F. Habashi

2000-06-22

The Waste Treatment Building System provides the space, layout, structures, and embedded subsystems that support the processing of low-level liquid and solid radioactive waste generated within the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR). The activities conducted in the Waste Treatment Building include sorting, volume reduction, and packaging of dry waste, and collecting, processing, solidification, and packaging of liquid waste. The Waste Treatment Building System is located on the surface within the protected area of the MGR. The Waste Treatment Building System helps maintain a suitable environment for the waste processing and protects the systems within the Waste Treatment Building (WTB) from most of the natural and induced environments. The WTB also confines contaminants and provides radiological protection to personnel. In addition to the waste processing operations, the Waste Treatment Building System provides space and layout for staging of packaged waste for shipment, industrial and radiological safety systems, control and monitoring of operations, safeguards and security systems, and fire protection, ventilation and utilities systems. The Waste Treatment Building System also provides the required space and layout for maintenance activities, tool storage, and administrative facilities. The Waste Treatment Building System integrates waste processing systems within its protective structure to support the throughput rates established for the MGR. The Waste Treatment Building System also provides shielding, layout, and other design features to help limit personnel radiation exposures to levels which are as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA). The Waste Treatment Building System interfaces with the Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System, and with other MGR systems that support the waste processing operations. The Waste Treatment Building System interfaces with the General Site Transportation System, Site Communications System, Site Water System, MGR

WASTE TREATMENT BUILDING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Habashi, F.

2000-01-01

The Waste Treatment Building System provides the space, layout, structures, and embedded subsystems that support the processing of low-level liquid and solid radioactive waste generated within the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR). The activities conducted in the Waste Treatment Building include sorting, volume reduction, and packaging of dry waste, and collecting, processing, solidification, and packaging of liquid waste. The Waste Treatment Building System is located on the surface within the protected area of the MGR. The Waste Treatment Building System helps maintain a suitable environment for the waste processing and protects the systems within the Waste Treatment Building (WTB) from most of the natural and induced environments. The WTB also confines contaminants and provides radiological protection to personnel. In addition to the waste processing operations, the Waste Treatment Building System provides space and layout for staging of packaged waste for shipment, industrial and radiological safety systems, control and monitoring of operations, safeguards and security systems, and fire protection, ventilation and utilities systems. The Waste Treatment Building System also provides the required space and layout for maintenance activities, tool storage, and administrative facilities. The Waste Treatment Building System integrates waste processing systems within its protective structure to support the throughput rates established for the MGR. The Waste Treatment Building System also provides shielding, layout, and other design features to help limit personnel radiation exposures to levels which are as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA). The Waste Treatment Building System interfaces with the Site Generated Radiological Waste Handling System, and with other MGR systems that support the waste processing operations. The Waste Treatment Building System interfaces with the General Site Transportation System, Site Communications System, Site Water System, MGR

Preparing teachers for ambitious and culturally responsive science teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Seiler, Gale

2013-03-01

Communities, schools and classrooms across North America are becoming more ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse, particularly in urban areas. Against this backdrop, underrepresentation of certain groups in science continues. Much attention has been devoted to multicultural education and the preparation of teachers for student diversity. In science education, much research has focused on classrooms as cultural spaces and the need for teachers to value and build upon students' everyday science knowledge and ways of sense-making. However it remains unclear how best to prepare science teachers for this kind of culturally responsive teaching. In attempting to envision how to prepare science teachers with cross-cultural competency, we can draw from a parallel line of research on preparing teachers for ambitious science instruction. In ambitious science instruction, students solve authentic problems and generate evidence and models to develop explanations of scientific phenomenon, an approach that necessitates great attention to students' thinking and sense-making, thus making it applicable to cultural relevance aims. In addition, this line of research on teacher preparation has developed specific tools and engages teachers in cycles of reflection and rehearsal as they develop instructional skills. While not addressing cross-cultural teaching specifically, this research provides insights into specific ways through which to prepare teachers for culturally responsive practices. In my presentation, I will report on efforts to join these two areas of research, that is, to combine ideas about multicultural science teacher preparation with what has been learned about how to develop ambitious science instruction. This research suggests a new model for urban science teacher preparation--one that focuses on developing specific teaching practices that elicit and build on student thinking, and doing so through cycles of individual and collective planning, rehearsal

Environmental indicators for buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dammann, S.

Whenever we shop, the products we consider buying are labelled with the economical price we have to pay if we want to purchase them - an important parameter in our decisions as purchasers. The increrasing awareness for environmental limits and backlashes of human activities also in the building...... sector have fostered the wish to define 'the ecological price' of a building as a help for environmental conscious decision-making. In a social constructivist approach this Ph.D. thesis looks across and beyond the manifold existing approaches for environmental indicators for buildings. It acknowledges...... in the Netherlands. It identifies lines of conflict and areas of consent betweeen the relevant actors and elaborates scenarios for a possible closure of ongoing debate about environmental indicators for buildings....

A Structural Equation Modelling Approach for Massive Blended Synchronous Teacher Training

Science.gov (United States)

Kannan, Kalpana; Narayanan, Krishnan

2015-01-01

This paper presents a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach for blended synchronous teacher training workshop. It examines the relationship among various factors that influence the Satisfaction (SAT) of participating teachers. Data were collected with the help of a questionnaire from about 500 engineering college teachers. These teachers…

Tourette--and Teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Teitelbaum, Blanche R.

1979-01-01

Describes the Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome, a little-known disorder of the central nervous system whose symptoms include involuntary movements, such as facial tics, and the production of involuntary sounds, such as grunts and obscenities. Suggests ways teachers can help a child afflicted with this disorder. (SJL)

Teacher Perceptions of Their Curricular and Pedagogical Shifts: Outcomes of a Project-Based Model of Teacher Professional Development in the Next Generation Science Standards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David J. Shernoff

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, we conducted a model of teacher professional development (PD on the alignment of middle and high school curricula and instruction to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSSs, and evaluated the impact of the PD on teacher participants’ development. The PD model included a 4-day summer academy emphasizing project-based learning (PBL in the designing of NGSS-aligned curricula and instruction, as well as monthly follow-up Professional Learning Community meetings throughout the year providing numerous opportunities for teachers to develop and implement lesson plans, share results of lesson writing and implementation (successes and challenges, provide mutual feedback, and refine curricula and assessments. Following the summer academy, six female teachers were interviewed about their current conceptualizations of NGSS, the extent of curricular shifts made that are required by NGSS, their self-perceptions regarding their level of accomplishment in curriculum writing, and the benefits of the PD in reaching their goals related to NGSS. Interviews were supplemented with an analysis of lesson plans written while participating in the PD program. The interviewed teachers suggested that they had made important conceptual and pedagogical shifts required by NGSS as they participated in the PD, and also noted a variety of challenges as they made this shift. While all teachers were relative novices at NGSS curriculum writing before the PD, most of the teachers interviewed felt that they had achieved the status of an “accomplished novice” following the summer academy. An analysis of their written lessons suggested a great range in the extent to which teachers effectively applied their understanding of NGSS to write lessons aligned to NGSS. Interviewed teachers believed that the PD model was helpful to their development as science teachers, and all reported that there were no aspects of the PD that were not helpful. Even though most teachers

Choosing Great Books for Babies: Helping Children Develop a Life-Long Love of Reading

Science.gov (United States)

Honig, Alice Sterling

2007-01-01

This article describes how a great choice of books could help children develop a life-long love of reading. Every teacher wants to boost a baby's chances in later success. The single most powerful tool a teacher has for awakening a deep love of books and learning is to read to children daily. Reading should become a loved, intimate activity filled…

Helping Italian science teachers to make earth and climate active lessons. Results of 3 years support with the ICLEEN project

Science.gov (United States)

Cattadori, M.

2013-12-01

collaboration with the University of Trento dealing with the effectiveness of the service as well as the usability of the graphic user interface (GUI). The present work aims to illustrate the essential features of the service I-cleen and the results achieved during the last three years of operation. It will be display and interpret for the first time data with web traffic, and other data from downloading and publishing documents of the teaching resources and the main outcomes of the above mentioned tests. The purpose of this contribution is to highlight strengths and weaknesses of this experience and potentially able to provide valuable information on the role of today's web based services and online communities to help support teachers in earth and climate sciences subjects.

Moving beyond Reflection: Reflexivity and Epistemic Cognition in Teaching and Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Feucht, Florian C.; Lunn Brownlee, Jo; Schraw, Gregory

2017-01-01

Building on reflective practices and action taking as cornerstones of teacher education and professional development, we argue that epistemic reflexivity becomes a powerful tool for teachers to facilitate meaningful and sustainable change in their classroom teaching. In this introductory article, we provide an overview of epistemic reflexivity…

Examining small "c" creativity in the science classroom: Multiple case studies of five high school teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Lasky, Dorothea Shawn

As the US continues to strive toward building capacity for a workforce in STEM fields (NSF, 2006), educational organizations and researchers have constructed frameworks that focus on increasing competencies in creativity in order to achieve this goal (ISTE, 2007; Karoly & Panis, 2004; Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2007). Despite these recommendations, many teachers either do not believe in the relevance of nurturing creativity in their students (Kaufman & Sternberg, 2007) or accept the importance of it, but do not know how best to foster it in their classrooms (Kampylis et al., 2009). Researchers conclude that teachers need to revise their ideas about the kind of creativity they can expect from their students to reflect the idea of small 'c' versus large 'C' creativity. There is a dearth of literature that looks closely at teacher practice surrounding creativity in the US and gives teachers a set of practical suggestions they can follow easily. I examined five case studies of teachers as they participated in and implemented a large-scale, NSF-funded project premised on the idea that training teachers in 21 st century pedagogies, (for example, problem-based learning), helps teachers create classrooms that increase science competencies in students. I investigated how teachers' curricular choices affect the amount of student creativity produced in their classrooms. Analysis included determining CAT scores for student products and continua scores along the Small 'c' Creativity Framework. In the study, I present an understanding of how teachers' beliefs influence practice and how creativity is fostered in students through various styles of teacher practice. The data showed a relationship between teachers' CAT scores, framework scores, and school context. Thus, alongside CAT, the framework was determined to be a successful tool for understanding the degree to which teachers foster small 'c' creativity. Other themes emerged, which included teachers' allotment of

SUPPORTING TEACHERS IN IMPLEMENTING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN EARTH SYSTEMS SCIENCE

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, C. J.; Penuel, W. R.; Haydel Debarger, A.; Blank, J. G.

2009-12-01

An important purpose of formative assessment is to elicit student thinking to use in instruction to help all students learn and inform next steps in teaching. However, formative assessment practices are difficult to implement and thus present a formidable challenge for many science teachers. A critical need in geoscience education is a framework for providing teachers with real-time assessment tools as well as professional development to learn how to use formative assessment to improve instruction. Here, we describe a comprehensive support system, developed for our NSF-funded Contingent Pedagogies project, for addressing the challenge of helping teachers to use formative assessment to enhance student learning in middle school Earth Systems science. Our support system is designed to improve student understanding about the geosphere by integrating classroom network technology, interactive formative assessments, and contingent curricular activities to guide teachers from formative assessment to instructional decision-making and improved student learning. To accomplish this, we are using a new classroom network technology, Group Scribbles, in the context of an innovative middle-grades Earth Science curriculum called Investigating Earth Systems (IES). Group Scribbles, developed at SRI International, is a collaborative software tool that allows individual students to compose “scribbles” (i.e., drawings and notes), on “post-it” notes in a private workspace (a notebook computer) in response to a public task. They can post these notes anonymously to a shared, public workspace (a teacher-controlled large screen monitor) that becomes the centerpiece of group and class discussion. To help teachers implement formative assessment practices, we have introduced a key resource, called a teaching routine, to help teachers take advantage of Group Scribbles for more interactive assessments. Routine refers to a sequence of repeatable interactions that, over time, become

A program plan for photovoltaic buildings in Florida

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ventre, Gerard G.

1999-01-01

The Florida Photovoltaic (PV) Buildings Program will conduct a variety of application experiments over the next decade to gather information that will help define the costs, value and benefits of using photovoltaics with buildings. Four main sources of revenue will support the program: a photovoltaic system buy down (from the present through December 2001), green pricing (present to 2010 and beyond), buy up by end users, and contracts, grants and other subsidies. To give the program sufficient breadth, three different application experiments are planned for each of nine target groups. The data and information from these experiments will help reduce or eliminate key barriers to the commercialisation of photovoltaic buildings. (Author)

Conflicting Goals of Educational Action: A Study of Teacher Agency from A Transactional Realism Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Bergh, Andreas; Wahlström, Ninni

2018-01-01

This study focuses on the different ways in which teachers relate their situational agency and professional assignment to the national curriculum content and curriculum dilemmas. It builds theoretically on transactional realism and empirically on analyses of interviews with teachers, exploring the nature of teacher agency during the enactment of a…

Inclusion Reconceptualized: Pre-Service Teacher Education and Disability Studies in Education

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Gilham, Christopher M.; Tompkins, Joanne

2016-01-01

In this article, two teacher educators describe and explain how they are reconceptualizing a pre-service teacher education course on inclusion using disability studies in education (DSE) scholarship. The DSE approach better connects the oft-separated field of diversity and inclusion, and builds on the program's overall focus on equity education.…

INL High Performance Building Strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jennifer D. Morton

2010-02-01

High performance buildings, also known as sustainable buildings and green buildings, are resource efficient structures that minimize the impact on the environment by using less energy and water, reduce solid waste and pollutants, and limit the depletion of natural resources while also providing a thermally and visually comfortable working environment that increases productivity for building occupants. As Idaho National Laboratory (INL) becomes the nation’s premier nuclear energy research laboratory, the physical infrastructure will be established to help accomplish this mission. This infrastructure, particularly the buildings, should incorporate high performance sustainable design features in order to be environmentally responsible and reflect an image of progressiveness and innovation to the public and prospective employees. Additionally, INL is a large consumer of energy that contributes to both carbon emissions and resource inefficiency. In the current climate of rising energy prices and political pressure for carbon reduction, this guide will help new construction project teams to design facilities that are sustainable and reduce energy costs, thereby reducing carbon emissions. With these concerns in mind, the recommendations described in the INL High Performance Building Strategy (previously called the INL Green Building Strategy) are intended to form the INL foundation for high performance building standards. This revised strategy incorporates the latest federal and DOE orders (Executive Order [EO] 13514, “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance” [2009], EO 13423, “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management” [2007], and DOE Order 430.2B, “Departmental Energy, Renewable Energy, and Transportation Management” [2008]), the latest guidelines, trends, and observations in high performance building construction, and the latest changes to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Four Essential Practices for Building Trust

Science.gov (United States)

Combs, Julie Peterson; Harris, Sandra; Edmonson, Stacey

2015-01-01

The presence of trust can enhance an organization's efforts to fulfill its mission, and the lack of trust can constrict those efforts. The authors offer four essential guidelines to help school leaders communicate in a way that builds trust. Build trust by understanding trust. Trusted leaders demonstrate care, character, and competence in their…

Misconceptions Regarding the Brain: The Neuromyths of Preservice Teachers

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Dündar, Sefa; Gündüz, Nazan

2016-01-01

Understanding preservice teachers' misconceptions regarding the brain and neuroscience (neuromyths) can provide information that helps teachers to apply neuroscience knowledge in an educational context. The objective of this study was to investigate these misconceptions. Following preliminary research, a questionnaire comprising 59 challenging…

Building scaffolding for care: Teachers' discourse and the inclusion of children and adolescents with impairments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Franca

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Knowledge construction is dialogically and socio-historically driven and guided. This article aims at identifying discourses used by school teachers around the inclusion of students with disabilities. Twelve school teachers with more than five years' worth of experience were interviewed through a semi-structured tape recorded interview that focused on: students' educational histories, their diagnosis and treatment, their follow-up by hospital teachers, their motor and locomotor abilities, and the teaching-learning processes they were involved in. The transcribed interviews were analyzed from a dialogical perspective. The analysis focused on these topics: a diagnosis; b treatment; c development-learning processes. The classroom teachers built meanings out of a conflict between old and new views of the development of students with neuromotor disorders. As our results show, contact between hospital and school teachers contributed to the understanding of the learning process.

In Search of Teaching Quality of EFL Student Teachers through Teaching Practicum: Lessons from a Teacher Education Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siti Nurul Azkiyah

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study was intended to investigate the teaching quality of student teachers when they conducted their teaching practicum. Teaching quality is conceptualised based on eight classroom factors (orientation, structuring, modelling, application, questioning, building classroom as a learning environment, assessment, and time management of the dynamic model, which have previously been found to affect student outcomes. The study used a mixed-methods design: a survey on students’ perceptions of the teaching quality of their teacher (student teachers and classroom observation. The study was conducted in Tangerang Selatan, Indonesia, involving English as a Foreign Language (EFL student teachers in the English Education Program, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Indonesia and 199 students of three different schools. The findings revealed that the student teachers did not yet practice the classroom factors of the dynamic model. Some recommendations include incorporating the classroom factors of the dynamic model in the curriculum or syllabus related to pedagogical skills to better prepare teachers in the future. It is also beneficial to study the possibility of sending student teachers to school earlier not only for the teaching practicum but also for other relevant purposes.

Using a motivation-based instructional model for teacher development and students' learning of science

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Bae, Min-Jung

2009-10-01

Science teachers often have difficulty helping students participate in scientific practices and understand scientific ideas. In addition, they do not frequently help students value their science learning. As one way to address these problems, I designed and examined the effects of professional development using a motivation-based instructional model with teachers and students. This motivation-based inquiry and application instructional model (MIAIM) consists of four steps of activities and identifies instructional and motivational functions that teachers can use to engage their students in scientific inquiry and application and to help them value their science learning. In order to conduct this study, I worked with three teachers (4 th, 8th, and 8th) in both suburban and urban environments. This study consisted of three parts-an initial observation of teachers' classrooms, professional development with MIAIM, and an observation of teachers' classrooms after the professional development. Data analysis of class observations, interviews, and class artifacts shows that there was a moderate change in teachers' teaching approach after the intervention. The three teachers designed and enacted some inquiry and application lessons that fit the intent of MIAIM. They also used some instructional and motivational practices more frequently after the intervention than they did before the intervention. In particular, they more frequently established central questions for investigations, helped students find patterns in data by themselves, provided opportunities for application, related science to students' everyday lives, and created students' interests in scientific investigation by using interesting stories. However, there was no substantial change in teachers' use of some practices such as providing explanations, supporting students' autonomy, and using knowledge about students in designing and enacting science lessons. In addition, data analysis of students' surveys, class

Teachers' Experiences With and Perceptions of Students With Attention Deficit/hyperactivity Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Kay; Estrada, Robin Dawson; McCormick, Jessica

The purpose of this research was to examine teacher experiences with and perceptions of students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Teachers are integral in helping these children learn effectively and foster healthy relationships, yet little is known about their interactions with these children. Semi structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of fourteen currently practicing or retired elementary and middle schools teachers in North Carolina and South Carolina. All interviews were audio-recorded then analyzed for common themes. Participants obtained ADHD information from in-services or peer interaction, rather than formal education. Culture and gender influenced teacher perceptions, and ADHD classroom strategies were based on anecdotal experience. Teachers experienced guilt and worry while negotiating student needs, school system constraints, and family issues. While teachers have developed effective coping mechanisms through informal means, formal education and support will help teachers better serve students with ADHD. Pediatric nurses in many settings can benefit from better understanding how teachers perceive and interact with students who have attentional issues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Challenges Confronting Career-Changing Beginning Teachers: A Qualitative Study of Professional Scientists Becoming Science Teachers

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Watters, James J.; Diezmann, Carmel M.

2015-03-01

Recruitment of highly qualified science and mathematics graduates has become a widespread strategy to enhance the quality of education in the field of STEM. However, attrition rates are very high suggesting preservice education programs are not preparing them well for the career change. We analyse the experiences of professionals who are scientists and have decided to change careers to become teachers. The study followed a group of professionals who undertook a 1-year preservice teacher education course and were employed by secondary schools on graduation. We examined these teachers' experiences through the lens of self-determination theory, which posits autonomy, confidence and relatedness are important in achieving job satisfaction. The findings indicated that the successful teachers were able to achieve a sense of autonomy and confidence and, in particular, had established strong relationships with colleagues. However, the unique challenges facing career-change professionals were often overlooked by administrators and colleagues. Opportunities to build a sense of relatedness in their new profession were often absent. The failure to establish supportive relationships was decisive in some teachers leaving the profession. The findings have implications for both preservice and professional in-service programs and the role that administrators play in supporting career-change teachers.

World History and Teacher Education: Challenges and Possibilities

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Marino, Michael

2011-01-01

This article discusses the role that teacher educators can play in helping their students develop a fuller understanding of world history. Trends such as globalization have led to calls for increased teaching about the diverse cultures and peoples of the world. However, prospective teachers' educational backgrounds have in most cases not…

Early Building Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østergård, Torben; Jensen, Rasmus Lund; Maagaard, Steffen

2017-01-01

Highlights •Development of a design methodology that can handle the vast design space in early building design. •A global design space is modelled from extensive Monte Carlo simulations. •Sensitivity analysis methods applied to guide decision-makers. •Interactive visualizations help the multi-act...

Towards Building Science Teachers’ Understandings of Contemporary Science Practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Greg Lancaster

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Faculties of Education and Science at Monash University have designed a Masters unit to assist pre-service and in-service science teachers in exploring the practices of contemporary science and examine how varied understandings can influence science communication. Teachers are encouraged to explore their current understandings of the Nature of Science (NoS and to contrast their views with those known to be widely held by society (Cobern & Loving, 1998. Teachers are challenged to provide insights into their thinking relating to the NoS. In order to build understandings of contemporary science practice each teacher shadows a research scientist and engages them in conversations intended to explore the scientists’ views of NoS and practice. Findings suggest that teachers were initially uncomfortable with the challenge to express ideas relating to their NoS and were also surprised how diverse the views of NoS can be among teachers, scientists and their peers, and that these views can directly impact ways of communicating contemporary science practice.

A Teacher's Bookshelf: The Historical Geography of the United States.

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Danzer, Gerald A.

1993-01-01

Contends that historical geography helps teachers understand the link between history and geography. Presents an annotated bibliography of recommended geography books for teachers. Asserts that the most essential volume is an atlas of U.S. history. (CFR)

Reflections on Structural Inequality, Struggle and the Meanings of Citizenship: A "zainichi" Korean Teacher Narrative

Science.gov (United States)

Osler, Audrey

2018-01-01

Teachers across the globe engage in day-to-day struggles for justice, often with support from unions and community-led groups. Teacher narratives reveal opportunities for building an inclusive theory and practice of education for social justice. I profile one teacher, a third generation "zainichi" Korean permanent resident in Japan,…

A Personal Journey to Merge Literacy Education and Multicultural Teacher Education

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Doepker, Gina M.

2015-01-01

There has been considerable attention to multicultural education and how to effectively integrate it into teacher education programs so that it helps teachers to be attentive to and effective for the economically, culturally, and racially diverse student populace. This article will focus on my personal journey with multicultural teacher education…

Positive Teacher Leadership: Building Mindsets and Capacities to Grow Wellbeing

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Cherkowski, Sabre

2018-01-01

Linking theory and research on positive psychology and positive organisational scholarship, with a focus on positive leadership, this article provides a conceptualisation of teacher leadership as an intentional reflective process of learning to grow wellbeing for self and others. Aligned with increasing international research on the importance of…

Organizational Conflict among Teachers and the Principal's Strategies of Dealing with It from the Teachers' Perspective in Schools of Jordan

Science.gov (United States)

Jubran, Ali Mohammad

2017-01-01

This research aimed to evaluate the degree of organizational conflict among teachers in Jordanian schools, along with the principal strategies to deal with them effectively. The research population was based on a sample of 123 teachers from Irbid, Jordan for the academic year 2013/2014. A descriptive research approach was adopted with the help of…

A psychotherapeutic approach with elementary school teachers.

Science.gov (United States)

Multari, G

1975-01-01

The tradional "lectures delivering" approach to classroom teachers used by mental health practitioners is investigated in the present study. An attempt is made to demonstrate the validity of preventative work in helping elementary school teachers as important agents in the promotion of more positive mental hygiene in the classroom and by adding to the lectures the variable of group therapy--"ego-sparing" techniques type. The latter approach seems to promote a teacher's own sense of security in dealing the pupils, an easier acceptance of differences in others, and, finally, it tends to stimulate the development of a teacher's own ability to deal sensibly, more conscientiously, and more realistically with daily problems.

Saudi Parents' Perceptions of the Kind of Help They Offer to Their Primary School Kids

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoud, Salameh S.

2018-01-01

Parents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia usually help their kids in early school years especially in English language. This help varies according to the parents' level of education, the degree of difficulty of the curriculum and the type of school their kids join. Sometimes they give the right kind of help that matches the teachers' strategies and…

Partnered Decisions? U.S. Couples and Medical Help-Seeking for Infertility

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Katherine M.; Johnson, David R.

2009-01-01

We examined male partners' influence on the decision to seek medical help for infertility using the National Study of Fertility Barriers. Building upon an existing help-seeking framework, we incorporated characteristics of both partners from 219 heterosexual couples who had ever perceived a fertility problem. In logistic regression analyses, we…

Appraisal of Fire Safety Management Systems at Educational Buildings

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Nadzim N.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Educational buildings are one type of government asset that should be protected, and they play an important role as temporary communal meeting places for children, teachers and communities. In terms of management, schools need to emphasize fire safety for their buildings. It is well known that fires are not only a threat to the building’s occupants, but also to the property and the school environment. A study on fire safety management has been carried out on schools that have recently experienced fires in Penang. From the study, it was found that the school buildings require further enhancement in terms of both active and passive fire protection systems. For instance, adequate fire extinguishers should be provided to the school and the management should inspect and maintain fire protection devices regularly. The most effective methods to increase the level of awareness on fire safety are by organizing related programs on the management of fire safety involving all staff, teachers and students, educational talks on the dangers of fire and important actions to take in the event of an emergency, and, lastly, to appoint particular staff to join the management safety team in schools.

The effect of different levels of constructive teaching practices on teacher question asking behaviors

Science.gov (United States)

Erdogan, Ibrahim

The purposes of the study were: (1) to examine the effectiveness of the Iowa Chautauqua Professional Development Program (ICPDP) in moving elementary science teachers toward the use of more constructive teaching practices and (2) to investigate the effectiveness of different levels of teaching practices, especially in terms of a sample of teachers achieving "expert" state at the end of program compared with some attaining only with "competent" level. The variables considered were their perceptions of their own classroom practices, stated philosophy of teaching and learning, and their actual classroom practices and question asking behaviors observed via videotape recording. Structured questionnaires, focus group interviews, teacher reflections, and examination of lesson modules were used to collect data from thirty-three K-5 in-service teachers who were involved in a one-year ICPDP. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of data revealed that: (1) Teacher perceptions regarding their teaching and learning, and their actual teaching practices in classroom in terms of constructivist approaches were significantly changed after participation in the ICPDP. (2) Teacher perceptions of their classroom practices and stated philosophies of teaching and learning have a great affect on their actual practices that can be observed. (3) Teacher stated philosophies of teaching and learning significantly influence the quantity and quality of their use of questions in their classrooms. (4) The "expert" teachers accept students' alternative answers and deliberately ask high cognitive level questions that enable students to think critically and to guide them based on what the students are thinking. Alternatively, the "competent" teachers do not follow student responses and used questions which do not help students to understand their current level of understanding nor encourage students to reflect on their own thinking. (5) The role of "expert" teacher is more geared toward challenging

Teachers staying ahead of the game

CERN Multimedia

2009-01-01

Even though the school holidays are in full swing, some 40 high-school teachers have come to CERN to take part in the High School Teachers (HST) programme organised by the CERN Education Group (see box). Far from considering this as a piece of holiday fun, the teachers are getting their hands dirty and putting in some serious hours’ learning. The High School Teachers 2009 at CERN.The 3-week HST programme hosts dozens of teachers from around the world, offering a deeper insight into particle physics through a variety of lectures, visits and workshops. The programme’s ambitious overall aim is to help these teachers to inspire their students to follow careers in science. In the second week, they split up into working groups to evaluate CERN’s existing educational tools or create new ones. "This year, one of the groups is reviewing some of the CERN visits service itineraries," says HST programme manager Mick Storr. "From their pers...

Comparing teacher roles in Denmark and England

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kelly, Peter; Dorf, Hans; Pratt, Nick

2014-01-01

This article reports the findings of a comparative study of teaching in Denmark and England. Its broader aim is to help develop an approach for comparing pedagogy. Lesson observations and interviews identified the range of goals towards which teachers in each country worked and the actions...... these prompted. These were clustered using the lens of Bernstein’s pedagogic discourse to construct teacher roles, which provided a view of pedagogy. Through this approach we have begun to identify variations in pedagogy across two countries. All teachers in this study adopted a variety of roles. Of significance...... was the ease with which competent English teachers moved between roles. The English teachers observed adopted roles consistent with a wider techno-rationalist discourse. There was a greater subject emphasis by Danish teachers, whose work was set predominantly within a democratic humanist discourse, whilst...

Factors Related to Professional Development of English Language University Teachers in Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Wichadee, Saovapa

2012-01-01

Professional development is deemed necessary for university teachers at all levels, as it helps to enhance teaching quality. However, the extent of English language university teachers' professional development might depend on a number of factors. This paper reports on a study investigating English language university teachers' professional…

Determining the Critical Skills Beginning Agriculture Teachers Need to Successfully Teach Welding

Science.gov (United States)

Pate, Michael L.; Warnick, Brian K.; Meyers, Tiffany

2012-01-01

Using the Delphi technique, agriculture teachers with significant experience teaching welding were asked to help determine the critical skills beginning agriculture teachers need to successfully teach welding. The study's objectives sought to (1) identify the knowledge and technical skill competencies that beginning agriculture teachers need to…

Teachers' Understanding of Algebraic Generalization

Science.gov (United States)

Hawthorne, Casey Wayne

Generalization has been identified as a cornerstone of algebraic thinking (e.g., Lee, 1996; Sfard, 1995) and is at the center of a rich conceptualization of K-8 algebra (Kaput, 2008; Smith, 2003). Moreover, mathematics teachers are being encouraged to use figural-pattern generalizing tasks as a basis of student-centered instruction, whereby teachers respond to and build upon the ideas that arise from students' explorations of these activities. Although more and more teachers are engaging their students in such generalizing tasks, little is known about teachers' understanding of generalization and their understanding of students' mathematical thinking in this domain. In this work, I addressed this gap, exploring the understanding of algebraic generalization of 4 exemplary 8th-grade teachers from multiple perspectives. A significant feature of this investigation is an examination of teachers' understanding of the generalization process, including the use of algebraic symbols. The research consisted of two phases. Phase I was an examination of the teachers' understandings of the underlying quantities and quantitative relationships represented by algebraic notation. In Phase II, I observed the instruction of 2 of these teachers. Using the lens of professional noticing of students' mathematical thinking, I explored the teachers' enacted knowledge of algebraic generalization, characterizing how it supported them to effectively respond to the needs and queries of their students. Results indicated that teachers predominantly see these figural patterns as enrichment activities, disconnected from course content. Furthermore, in my analysis, I identified conceptual difficulties teachers experienced when solving generalization tasks, in particular, connecting multiple symbolic representations with the quantities in the figures. Moreover, while the teachers strived to overcome the challenges of connecting different representations, they invoked both productive and unproductive

Implications from the Use of ICT by Language Teachers--Participants of International Projects

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Gajek, Elzbieta

2015-01-01

Telecollaboration in international school projects requires various competences from the participating teachers. A combination of intercultural, linguistic, technical and subject competences builds ground for successful team work with foreign partners. This article presents a survey on the use of ICT by language teachers, their attitudes to ICT…

A Methodological Framework for Studying Policy-Oriented Teacher Inquiry in Qualitative Research Contexts

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Koro-Ljungberg, Mirka

2014-01-01

System-based and collaborative teacher inquiry has unexplored potential that can impact educational policy in numerous ways. This impact can be increased when teacher inquiry builds momentum from classrooms and teaching practices and simultaneously addresses district, state, and national discourses and networks. In this conceptual paper, I…

BRAC in Afghanistan: Building South-South Partnerships in Teacher Training

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Mir Nazmul; Anwar, Arif

2012-01-01

Training paraprofessionals such as teachers is one of many significant challenges facing Afghanistan's educational system. This case study focuses on the innovations offered in that regard by BRAC, a large NGO based in Bangladesh that brought its many years of development experience to Afghanistan in 2002 and established itself there as the…

Get These Questions Right and Your Teachers Make the Grade.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Nancy H.

1989-01-01

A properly structured job-enrichment program can help motivate classroom teachers and encourage them to remain in the classroom. Offers examples of programs for enhancing the professional lives of teachers and cites pitfalls to avoid in designing a program. (MLF)

Building Leadership Capacity to Support Principal Succession

Science.gov (United States)

Escalante, Karen Elizabeth

2016-01-01

This study applies transformational leadership theory practices, specifically inspiring a shared vision, modeling the way and enabling others to act to examine the purposeful ways in which principals work to build the next generation of teacher leaders in response to the dearth of K-12 principals. The purpose of this study was to discover how one…

Improvisational Theater Games: Performatory Team-Building Activities

Science.gov (United States)

Ingalls, Joan S.

2018-01-01

This article describes five improvisational theater games for building "teams" in the classroom and on the sports field. Particular attention is given to understanding how teams must challenge the hyper-individuality of modern culture. Improvisational theater games for team building are designed to help participants find a balance…

Message from the Regional Director Partner in action Teacher ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Prabha Sethuraman

Teacher education program explores building professional learning communities ... Women and militarization in South Asia: Media Research Fellowships ... research has shown that, as more and more people go online in Asia, digital privacy.

Teachers Should Not Only Inform but Also Entertain

Science.gov (United States)

Kubli, Fritz

2007-01-01

Teaching is, in many respects, an art. Teachers must strike the right balance between sometimes opposite demands. On the one hand, they should lead students to scientific insights; and on the other hand, their teaching should be attractive. Teachers should not only inform, but also entertain. Experiments and stories can help them to combine these…

The Galileo Teacher Training Program Global Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Doran, R.; Pennypacker, C.; Ferlet, R.

2012-08-01

The Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) successfully named representatives in nearly 100 nations in 2009, the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). The challenge had just begun. The steps ahead are how to reach educators that might benefit from our program and how to help build a more fair and science literate society, a society in which good tools and resources for science education are not the privilege of a few. From 2010 on our efforts have been to strengthen the newly formed network and learn how to equally help educators and students around the globe. New partnerships with other strong programs and institutions are being formed, sponsorship schemes being outlined, new tools and resources being publicized, and on-site and video conference training conducted all over the world. Efforts to officially accredit a GTTP curriculum are on the march and a stronger certification process being outlined. New science topics are being integrated in our effort and we now seek to discuss the path ahead with experts in this field and the community of users, opening the network to all corners of our beautiful blue dot. The main aim of this article is to open the discussion regarding the urgent issue of how to reawaken student interest in science, how to solve the gender inequality in science careers, and how to reach the underprivileged students and open to them the same possibilities. Efforts are in strengthening the newly formed network and learning how to equally help educators and students around the globe.

The E.N.A.C.T. Model: Enhancing Teacher Candidates' Ability to Manage Student Behavior