scholarly journals Application of creative learning principles within blended teacher professional development on integration of computer programming education into elementary and middle school classrooms

2020 ◽  
Vol 121 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 665-675
Author(s):  
Yumiko Murai ◽  
Hiroyuki Muramatsu
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Middle School ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Computer Programming ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Creative Learning ◽  
Learning Principles ◽  
Elementary And Middle School

Purpose While it is particularly important that professional programs help teachers become members of a community of practice, especially in crisis situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lack of research about strategies to effectively encourage the development of a community of practice and to support teachers’ transformation of their way of teaching. Thus, this paper aims to report on lessons learned from a blended professional development (PD) program for elementary and middle school teachers in Japan focused on computer programming education. In particular, the authors explored how application of the creative learning principles in the blended teacher PD may have helped to nurture a community of practice among teachers in Japan, and how the creative learning principles may be a valuable framework for designing online or blended teacher PD to support teachers’ transition into emergency remote education. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on the lessons learned from two iterations of blended teacher PD situated within a larger design-based research project on applying creative learning pedagogy in teacher PD. Creative learning is a learning approach focused on engagement in personally meaningful projects by tinkering with materials and learning from peers. A total of 26 teachers and coaches participated, all of whom work in elementary or middle schools across Nagano prefecture in Japan. Participant experiences were evaluated based on a pre-survey and a post-survey conducted before and after the in-person kick-off camp; observation notes taken; a final report submitted by each teacher; a debrief meeting at the end of the program; and semi-structured interviews with three selected participants after the program concluded. For this paper, the authors focus on two participants who fully and actively engaged in the program, and they introduce their stories to highlight the outcomes from the PD. Findings The results highlight how a blended PD designed to support creative learning of teachers provided teachers with opportunities to gain help from other teachers and cultivate their expertise. The results also illustrated that how a community of practice emerged from the PD program, providing teachers with moral support when they tried new lesson designs. This paper offers several recommendations for designing professional learning experiences for instructional designers and professional developers that incorporate remote learning technologies. Originality/value While an increased number of studies have shown the values of online and blended communities of practice for teacher PD, there are still limited insights on different strategies to support teachers in transforming their teaching practices. They generally do not provide teachers with opportunities to continue learning with and from one another beyond the program itself. This study examined the teachers’ experiences in a unique PD that implemented a creative learning approach into a blended learning environment for teachers.

Music, Loops, Coding, OH MY! (Beginner)

2020 ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
Meredith Allen
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Computer Technology ◽  
Computer Programming ◽  
Music Teacher ◽  
School Students ◽  
Technology Teacher ◽  
Elementary And Middle School

The lesson detailed in this chapter can be used by a music teacher looking to introduce loops or DAWs to their students. It could also be used for participating in an Hour of Code school-wide event, or the computer technology teacher could use this lesson in conjunction with their Code.org or similar curriculum. This lesson could be adapted to all ages but is designed predominately for elementary and middle school. Students will learn the importance of loops in reference to computer programming by manipulating loops within Soundtrap to compose their own piece of music. One could also use this activity with colleagues for professional development if the goal is familiarizing and educating oneself with a DAW.

Computer Programming in Elementary and Middle School

2015 ◽  
pp. 337-361
Author(s):  
Danielle Boyd Harlow ◽  
Hilary Dwyer ◽  
Alexandria K. Hansen ◽  
Charlotte Hill ◽  
Ashley Iveland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Middle School ◽  
Computer Science ◽  
Computer Programming ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Content Areas ◽  
Almost All ◽  
School Schedule ◽  
Elementary And Middle School

Computing has impacted almost all aspects of life, making it increasingly important for the next generation to understand how to develop and use software. Yet, a lack of research on how children learn computer science and an already impacted elementary school schedule has meant that very few children have the opportunity to learn computer science prior to high school. This chapter introduces literature on teaching computer programming to elementary and middle school, highlights three studies that span elementary and middle school, and discusses how programming can be integrated into other content areas and address national standards.

Experiences of practice-based learning in phenomenographic perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Airi Rovio-Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Social Practice ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Learning Object ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Design Work ◽  
Training Centre ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The paper aims to examine, within the context of professional practice and learning, how designers collaboratively working in international teams experience practice-based learning and how such occasions contribute to professional development. Design/methodology/approach The paper introduces the cooperation project between Tibro Training Centre and Furniture Technology Centre Trust and its workshop context organized as practice-based learning. Participants’ learning context consisted of a mixture of professional practices allowing different logics and different cultures make up an innovative working site. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interview data suggests that three phenomenographic hierarchical categories constitute the learning process: getting a recognized professional identity; perceiving new elements and expanding knowledge and seeing new aspects of design work and new steps of development in profession. Findings Cooperative practice-based learning is understood as social practice in a community of practice, and as continuous changes of the learning object due to that new aspects are discerned by the learners. These categories illustrate how participants’ meaning making and understanding of the learning object were expressed in cooperation as doings and sayings, as translation and as situated activities in a community of practice. Accordingly, it contributed to participants’ professional development in spite of their different professional educations and professional experiences. Practical implications More studies of practice-based learning environments in work places are needed that could help societies and companies to advance integrative efforts of new employees and new immigrants into an increasingly diverse globalized labour market. Originality/value The results suggest that understanding as well as content structure and meaning making of the learning object are intertwined constituent aspects of practice-based learning.

Missing the sociopolitical: examining discourses of writing in a US high-performing, urban middle school

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Behizadeh
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Middle School ◽  
Writing Instruction ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Urban Middle School

Purpose This paper aims to examine two teachers’ beliefs and practices on teaching writing at an urban, high-performing middle school to determine: What discourses of writing are being taught in an urban, high-performing US public middle school? What factors prevent or enable particular discourses? Design/methodology/approach Drawing on case study methods, this study uses a single-case design with two seventh-grade teachers at a high-performing urban school as embedded units of analysis. Data collection took place over one semester. Data sources included observations and interviews with the two teachers, an interview with an administrator and multiple instructional artifacts, including unit and lesson plans. Observational data were analyzed using a priori code for writing discourses (Ivanic, 2004) and interview data were analyzed for factors affecting instruction using open, axial and selective coding. Findings Both teachers enacted extended multi-discourse writing instruction integrating skills, creativity, process, genre and social practices discourses supported by their beliefs and experience; colleagues; students’ relatively high test scores; and relative curricular freedom. However, there was minimal evidence of a sociopolitical discourse aligned with critical literacy practices. Limits to the sociopolitical discourse included a lack of a social justice orientation, an influx of low-performing students, a focus on raising test scores, data-focused professional development and district pacing guides. Racism is also considered as an underlying structural factor undermining the sociopolitical discourse. Research limitations/implications Although generalizability is limited because of the small sample size and the unique context of this study, two major implications are the need to layer discourses in writing instruction while centering critical pedagogy and develop teacher beliefs and knowledge. To support these two implications, this study suggests developing university-school partnerships and professional development opportunities that create a community of practice around comprehensive writing instruction. Future research will involve continuing to work with the participants in this study and documenting the effects of providing theory and tools for integrating the sociopolitical discourse into middle school curricula and instruction. Originality/value This study contributes to the field of literacy education’s understanding of internal and external factors limiting the sociopolitical discourse in a high-performing, urban middle school in the USA, an understudied context.

Providing Elementary and Middle School Science Teachers with Content and Pedagogical Professional Development in an Online Environment

2015 ◽  
pp. 611-631
Author(s):  
Mary V. Mawn ◽  
Kathleen S. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Middle School ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
School Science ◽  
Middle School Science ◽  
Time Distance ◽  
Middle School Science Teachers ◽  
Elementary And Middle School

There is a great need to provide science teachers with on-going and relevant professional development, but access to such opportunities can be challenging due to time, distance, and budget pressures. Online courses and programs can provide alternatives to address these challenges. This chapter presents approaches, findings, and recommendations for online professional development of elementary and middle school science teachers based on a case study of an online science education course and an online chemistry course. Three themes are discussed: the ability to incorporate inquiry-based teaching and learning in online environments, the importance of online discourse and reflection, and the role of linking theory with practice. Teacher participants reported increased experience exploring content via inquiry, felt actively engaged with their peers as they constructed their knowledge, and expected to adapt inquiry-based activities in their classrooms as a result of these online courses.

Providing Elementary and Middle School Science Teachers with Content and Pedagogical Professional Development in an Online Environment

2015 ◽  
pp. 228-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary V. Mawn ◽  
Kathleen S. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Middle School ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
School Science ◽  
Middle School Science ◽  
Time Distance ◽  
Middle School Science Teachers ◽  
Elementary And Middle School

There is a great need to provide science teachers with on-going and relevant professional development, but access to such opportunities can be challenging due to time, distance, and budget pressures. Online courses and programs can provide alternatives to address these challenges. This chapter presents approaches, findings, and recommendations for online professional development of elementary and middle school science teachers based on a case study of an online science education course and an online chemistry course. Three themes are discussed: the ability to incorporate inquiry-based teaching and learning in online environments, the importance of online discourse and reflection, and the role of linking theory with practice. Teacher participants reported increased experience exploring content via inquiry, felt actively engaged with their peers as they constructed their knowledge, and expected to adapt inquiry-based activities in their classrooms as a result of these online courses.

Supporting collaborative and continuing professional development in education for sustainability through a communities of practice approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 681-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Warr Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Community Of Practice ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Peer Learning ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider an expanded vision of professional development for embedding education for sustainability (EfS) in a higher education institution. Through an exploration of a community of practice at the University of Tasmania, this paper examines how collaborative peer learning can sustain and promote continued professional development for staff in higher education who are committed to EfS as an educational paradigm. Design/methodology/approach This research was conducted through a mixed methods investigation that involved participant observation and semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Data were analysed and grouped into themes that are discussed in the paper. Findings This research reveals that personal values and professional identity were the two driving factors for continued engagement in a collaborative peer learning initiative. Despite institutional challenges and a lack of success of growing membership in the community of practice, participants found a level of job satisfaction and personal connection to the initiative and to each other that has sustained action and impact for this group. Originality/value This work contributes an alternative voice to the professional development discussion around EfS. While most professional development activities are aimed at transferring knowledge to individuals and groups that are identified to lack awareness or capacity in a topic, this work highlights the need to include and foster safe learning spaces for continued professional learning. Particular attention is paid to the value of peer learning to support the professional development of sessional staff engaged in EfS.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document