Improving K-12 Online Learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 38-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Ntuli ◽  
Lydia Kyei-Blankson
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
State Standards ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Internet Resources ◽  
The Common ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Online Sources ◽  
Classroom Use

Research indicates the need for teachers to be able to locate, evaluate, and use Internet resources in their teaching and learning processes. In addition, the Common Core State Standards require that students are able to think critically and know how to search and use alternative views and perspectives in their assignments. These skills are imperative for teachers and teacher candidates. This article reports the results of a study that sought to examine strategies used by teacher candidates when using Internet search engines, their ability to integrate the information they find into their own assignments, and use the acquired skills for future classroom use. The study employed a mixed-method approach in the collection and analysis of data gathered from a sample of 45 teacher candidates. Data sources included a survey, class assignments that required documentation of the search process as well as the located sources, and semi-structured interviews. Findings from the study revealed the need to teach teacher candidates how to conduct searches effectively, critically evaluate the sources, and integrate the information acquired from the online sources into professional and academic writing that models such behavior for their students. Suggestions for improvement of practice offered in this paper were piloted in one instructional technology course.

Improving K-12 Online Learning

2019 ◽  
pp. 1377-1391
Author(s):  
Esther Ntuli ◽  
Lydia Kyei-Blankson
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
State Standards ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Internet Resources ◽  
The Common ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Online Sources ◽  
Classroom Use

Research indicates the need for teachers to be able to locate, evaluate, and use Internet resources in their teaching and learning processes. In addition, the Common Core State Standards require that students are able to think critically and know how to search and use alternative views and perspectives in their assignments. These skills are imperative for teachers and teacher candidates. This article reports the results of a study that sought to examine strategies used by teacher candidates when using Internet search engines, their ability to integrate the information they find into their own assignments, and use the acquired skills for future classroom use. The study employed a mixed-method approach in the collection and analysis of data gathered from a sample of 45 teacher candidates. Data sources included a survey, class assignments that required documentation of the search process as well as the located sources, and semi-structured interviews. Findings from the study revealed the need to teach teacher candidates how to conduct searches effectively, critically evaluate the sources, and integrate the information acquired from the online sources into professional and academic writing that models such behavior for their students. Suggestions for improvement of practice offered in this paper were piloted in one instructional technology course.

Bringing Dynamic Geometry to Three Dimensions

2015 ◽  
pp. 68-99
Author(s):  
Nicholas H. Wasserman
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Spatial Reasoning ◽  
Mathematics Classroom ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dynamic Geometry ◽  
State Standards ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
The Common ◽  
K 12

Contemporary technologies have impacted the teaching and learning of mathematics in significant ways, particularly through the incorporation of dynamic software and applets. Interactive geometry software such as Geometers Sketchpad (GSP) and GeoGebra has transformed students' ability to interact with the geometry of plane figures, helping visualize and verify conjectures. Similar to what GSP and GeoGebra have done for two-dimensional geometry in mathematics education, SketchUp™ has the potential to do for aspects of three-dimensional geometry. This chapter provides example cases, aligned with the Common Core State Standards in mathematics, for how the dynamic and unique features of SketchUp™ can be integrated into the K-12 mathematics classroom to support and aid students' spatial reasoning and knowledge of three-dimensional figures.

Dialogic and Direct Instruction: Two Distinct Models of Mathematics Instruction and the Debate(s) Surrounding Them

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (11) ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Charles Munter ◽  
Mary Kay Stein ◽  
Margaret S. Smith
Keyword(s):  
State Standards ◽  
Student Thinking ◽  
Instructional Models ◽  
Common Goal ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
The Common ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Background Context

Background/Context Which ideas should be included in the K–12 curriculum, how they are learned, and how they should be taught have been debated for decades in multiple subjects. In this article, we offer mathematics as a case in point of how new standards-related policies may offer an opportunity for reassessment and clarification of such debates. Purpose/Objective Our goal was to specify instructional models associated with terms such as “reform” and “traditional”—which, in this article, we refer to as “dialogic” and “direct”—in terms of perspectives on what it means to know mathematics, how students learn mathematics, and how mathematics should be taught. Research Design In the spirit of “adversarial collaboration,” we hosted a series of semi-structured discussions among nationally recognized experts who hold opposing points of view on mathematics teaching and/or learning. During those discussions, the recent consensus regarding what students should learn—as represented by the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM)—was taken as a common goal, and additional areas of agreement and disagreement were identified and discussed. The goal was not to reach consensus but to invite representatives of different perspectives to clarify and come to agreement on how they disagree. Findings/Results We present two instructional models that were specified and refined over the course of those discussions and describe nine key areas that distinguish the two models: (a) the importance and role of talk; (b) the importance and role of group work; (c) the sequencing of mathematical topics; (d) the nature and ordering of mathematical instructional tasks; (e) the nature, timing, source, and purpose of feedback; (f) the emphasis on creativity (i.e., authoring one's own learning; mathematizing subject matter from reality); (g) the purpose of diagnosing student thinking; (h) the introduction and role of definitions; and (i) the nature and role of representations. Additionally, we elaborate a more nuanced description of the ongoing debate, as it pertains to particular sources of difference in perspective. Conclusions/Recommendations With this article, we hope to advance ongoing debates in two ways: (a) discrediting false assumptions and oversimplified conceptions of the “other side's” arguments (which can obscure both the real differences and real similarities between different models of instruction), and (b) framing the debates in a manner that allows for more thoughtful empirical investigation oriented to understanding learning in the discipline.

Preservice Teachers Consider Game-Based Teaching and Learning

2020 ◽  
pp. 240-255
Author(s):  
Nancy B. Sardone
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Instructional Strategy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Combination Strategy ◽  
Strategy Research ◽  
Teaching Content ◽  
K 12

Gaming has become a core activity with children and more teachers are using games for teaching content than they did five years ago. Yet, teachers report that they learn about game titles, impact studies, and facilitation techniques through their own initiatives or from other teachers rather than from their teacher education program. This chapter reports on a combined curricular strategy built on game strategy research that asked teacher candidates (n= 125) to discuss news headlines about games, play educational games, review games, and game research, teach others how to play educational games, and construct games. Findings reveal that candidates saw value in using games in K-12 to teach content, were able to develop assessments based on game content at a novice level, and were able to construct games either alone or in small groups. Educators contemplating gaming as an instructional strategy may be interested in the espoused combination strategy to encourage game adoption in K-12 settings.

scholarly journals Including Passion within Teacher-Candidate Assignments: How Genius Hour has created a more positive perspective on teaching and learning.

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-71
Author(s):  
Taylor Downes ◽  
Dr. Candace Figg
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Content Knowledge ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Candidate ◽  
Personal Interest ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Positive Perspective ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Learning With Technology

As the educational world becomes more technologically inclusive, the need for teacher candidates to become proficient at integrating technology into their practice is crucial. Teacher Education programming in Ontario needs to reflect the current climate of K-12 teaching. In order to improve the learning environments for our teaching candidates, Teaching and Learning with Technology instructors decided to incorporate the concept of Genius Hour within our courses. Using this strategy, we hoped the teacher candidates would become more passionate within their learning, while developing the necessary technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge and skills. This study sought to understand the ways in which Teacher Candidate participation in Genius Hour influences their perceived participation within the course, as well as their opinions on the benefits of teaching with Genius Hour. According to teacher candidates, Genius Hour allowed for the time to focus on something of personal interest, with 2/3 of the participants seeing personal improvements in creativity and participation in their overall program.

Technology for Management, Communication, and Instruction

2005 ◽  
pp. 146-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia L. Sapone ◽  
Kim J. Hyatt
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Management Communication ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Technology Changes ◽  
Diverse Student ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Diverse Student Population

This chapter introduces a pedagogically sound experience for teachers and teacher candidates as they prepare or continue to learn about the use of technology for the K-12 classroom. The authors hope that learning about fundamental technology skills will not only inform teachers about how to effectively meet the needs of a diverse student population, but also expand their knowledge base in terms of professional growth. Technology changes the way teachers interact with curriculum and engage in discourse with students and their families, peers, and administrators; therefore, it is essential to address how it can be utilized for management, communication, and instructional purposes in order to enhance the learning environment. This chapter argues that districts need to develop a plan that incorporates technology training for all teachers to create a positive impact on teaching and learning.

Teaching and Learning the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics with Web 2.0 Tools

2015 ◽  
pp. 214-227
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Hall ◽  
Lucy Bush ◽  
William Lacefield
Keyword(s):  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Common Core ◽  
Common Core State Standards ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
State Standards ◽  
Core State ◽  
Mathematical Concepts ◽  
Web 2.0 Tools ◽  
Technological Tools ◽  
The Common

With the initial implementation of the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM) currently under way across much of the United States and the continuing evolution and expansion of educational technology, it is imperative that teachers not only understand the new Common Core content expectations but also know how to incorporate the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice using technological tools. As teacher educators of pre-service and in-service K-12 teachers, the authors have developed and utilized a variety of methods to introduce the CCSSM and technology tools to our students. Among these methods are a heavy emphasis on mathematical problem solving and the use of Web 2.0 tools, both by us and our students, to illustrate mathematical concepts, promote exploration, and assess understanding. Asking pre-service and in-service teachers to produce their own CCSSM-aligned Web 2.0 creations is an effective way to teach the new standards while introducing them to the latest technological tools. With technology becoming ever more vital in the teaching and learning of mathematics, it is essential that teachers develop expertise in promoting the CCSSM with the latest technological tools.

The Common Core and the Evasion of Curriculum

PMLA ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
pp. 666-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Guillory
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
Common Core ◽  
High Stakes Testing ◽  
The United States ◽  
State Standards ◽  
National Standards ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Right ◽  
K 12

Although the common core state standards initiative was adopted with little controversy in forty-eight states, it soon became the target of attacks both on the right, for the mistaken perception that public education was being taken over by the federal government, and on the left, in response to the institution of an all-too-real draconian testing regime that served the needs more of the testing companies and other corporate agents than of students or teachers. Despite these attacks, it seems likely that the initiative will prevail in most states, perhaps both for better and for worse. My position is that real national standards—not simply state standards— are a desirable goal for the United States today, and long overdue. The “local control” of public education by states and school districts has been, let us admit, the greatest flaw of the K-12 system and a powerful obstruction to the reform of that system. On the other hand, I agree with many (Bryant; Hacker and Dreifus; Ravitch) who see the Common Core as a misguided effort at reform, fatally undermined by the use of punitive, high-stakes testing as the driver of implementation (Loveless). Opting for this strategy, the promoters of the Common Core unfortunately imposed a top-down procedure just where it is least appropriate. Testing, by its very nature, ought to arise from the classroom, the scene of a unique relation between teacher and students. This is not to deny that universal testing is possible and even necessary but rather to acknowledge that the more distant tests are from the scene of teaching, the more limited their informational value.

scholarly journals “I Can Write in My Language and Switch Back and Forth?”: Elementary Teacher Candidates Experiencing and Enacting Translanguaging Pedagogies in a Literacy Methods Course

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 211-229
Author(s):  
Emily Machado ◽  
Grace Cornell Gonzales
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Dual Language ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Literacy Methods ◽  
Literacy Teacher ◽  
And Shifts ◽  
Literacy Teacher Education ◽  
K 12

Although existing research examines how pre-K–12 teachers understand everyday translanguaging and enact translanguaging pedagogies in their literacy classrooms, considerably less research explores translanguaging pedagogies in literacy teacher education. Drawing on García, Johnson, and Seltzer’s theorization of translanguaging stance, design, and shifts, we redesigned a university-based literacy methods course to encourage both English-medium and dual-language teacher candidates (TCs) to engage their full linguistic repertoires in writing. In this study, we used qualitative methods to explore how TCs in our course experienced translanguaging pedagogies in coursework and enacted them with students in fieldwork settings. Findings illustrate that TCs experimented with language within our university classroom, drawing on their full linguistic repertoires in course assignments and countering the dominance of English in course activities. They also showcase how TCs began enacting translanguaging pedagogies in their fieldwork placements, planning intentionally for translanguaging in lesson plans, and tapping into the translanguaging corriente in everyday teaching and learning. Ultimately, this study offers insights into the potential of enacting translanguaging pedagogies in preservice literacy teacher education for English-medium and dual-language educators alike.

Winning the future for mathematics teaching and learning

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-7
Author(s):  
Robinson Marlene
Keyword(s):  
Common Core ◽  
Common Core State Standards ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
State Standards ◽  
Core State ◽  
Education Community ◽  
The Common ◽  
Mathematics Teaching And Learning ◽  
High Standards ◽  
Academic Year

As we launch the 2012–2013 academic year, we find ourselves positioned for the natural renewal of focus and energy that often accompany presidential election years. We recognize that in addition to the weak economy, state and national reductions to education resources can create their own challenges to the mathematics education community as we adopt common curriculum standards. More than forty U.S. states are collectively endeavoring to meet the challenge of understanding and implementing the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) with fidelity to both the Content and the Mathematical Practices (CCSSI 2010). Other states and regions we serve are also renewing their commitment to quality mathematics instruction and assessment that meets high standards.

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