Online Discussion Tools in Teacher Education

Currently, a major trend in teacher education is the use of blended learning, which allows institutions to use the advantages of online learning while maintaining the regular course structure and professors' role. The authors present a case study of a mathematics methods course in a teacher education program at Western University. In this blended course, the online component consisted of three elements: (1) online modules publicly available at researchideas.ca/wmt, (2) online journal assignments through threaded forums, and (3) collaborative mind maps through Mindomo (https://www.mindomo.com). In this chapter, the authors look specifically into the latter two online components. Through a qualitative data analysis of teacher candidates' online discussion (both in online forums and mind-maps), the researchers respond to the question: What are the roles that each online activity played in the participants' education as mathematics teachers?

Digital Resources for Mathematics Teachers

With the increased push for digital resources in mathematics education, it is increasingly necessary to develop the skills needed to navigate the ever-changing digital landscape of the World Wide Web. The purpose of this chapter is three-fold. First, we help the reader develop a better understanding of the digital landscape through discussion of the contributors and contributions of the entities developing digital resources in the field of mathematics education. Second, we consider means to successfully navigate the digital landscape by developing a better understanding of the machinations of the tools that are commonly used to seek out digital resources. Finally, we consider ways the reader can become more intelligent consumers of digital resources. We synthesize knowledge of stakeholders, resources, and search tools to help teachers and teacher educators develop the habits of mind that will help them seek out quality resources and relevant information in much in the same way as researchers do.

Using the PRIME Leadership Framework to Support Emerging Leaders in a Professional Development Project

In this chapter, we describe how the Appalachian Mathematics Partnership (AMP) used the PRIME Leadership Framework (National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, 2008) to inform professional development activities that respond to teachers' content and pedagogical needs and cultivate emerging mathematics leadership. The PRIME Leadership Framework fit philosophically with the goals of the project, identifying the reflective, knowledgeable leader, including teachers as classroom leaders, as essential to committing knowledge to action. Further, AMP aligned the leadership framework with its underlying principles for professional development of engaging teachers in meaningful content connected to classroom experiences and high leverage teaching practices, providing a model for how projects can embed meaningful interpretations of leadership in content-oriented professional development.

Target Inquiry

Researchers have identified several features of effective teacher professional development. Yet, there is little research on long-term Professional Development (PD) programs that provides information on the impact of such programs on in-service teacher experiences and practice during long-term PD. A qualitative case-study approach was used to investigate the impact of the Target Inquiry (TI), a long-term PD program, on change in teacher practice and the factors that support or impede these changes. The TI program is for science teachers who wish to earn a Master of Education focused on advanced content or to complete a 15-credit certificate program. Bell & Gilbert's model of teacher development and Spillane's model of teacher enactment of reforms were used as a frameworks to examine change. Teachers reported that participating in long-term PD, when combined with the necessary tools, resources, and strategies empowered them to embrace an inquiry-based practice.

Positive Psychology Competences of Pre-School Teachers as a Tool for Understanding and Nurturing Children's Play

The Positive Psychology frame and definition present a natural environment for understanding and researching children's play in the context of nurturing overall positive characteristics in children's development. Therefore, this article presents a structured review of the common ground between the basic principles of positive psychology and children's play in the context of early and preschool institutions. Also, it demonstrates the implementation of positive psychology principles in children's play and the methods by which positive psychology could be promoted through children's play in kindergartens. Within that frame, the importance is given to the needed preschool teachers' competences in this area. In this context, various activities are presented that reflect a common ground of positive psychology and children's play. Finally, some significant guidelines for future research and practice enhancement are presented.

Meeting the Need for Inclusive Educators Online

The purpose of this chapter is to detail how online courses and programs influence teacher education for both preservice and inservice inclusive educators. Specifically, this chapter will examine how online courses and programs that are focused on inclusive special education and dual certification in general and special education have the potential to address teacher shortages in special education, expand teacher competence, and provide pathways for career development. Teacher education programs have the opportunity and the civic responsibility to create courses and programs in inclusive education that are accessible, relevant to the career development needs of both preservice and inservice teachers, and promote meaningful and just education for all students in inclusive schools and classrooms.

Developing Self- and Cultural-Awareness Through Introductory Education Courses

Using case study method, this project examines the perceptions and practices related to development of self and cultural awareness among a cohort of 104 (n=104) first-year students, all aspiring to become future teachers. Over the course of one academic semester, first year students who planned to enter the teacher education program participated in readings, activities, assignments, field based observations, and discussions developed to facilitate self and cultural awareness. The findings from analyses of these artifacts indicate that pre-service teachers began to demonstrate deeper awareness of how personal opinions and biases influenced their interactions with others and the types of characteristics related to appreciating diversity (Akiba, 2011) in urban classrooms. This study has implications for engaging first year students in early field-based clinical experiences in order to develop self and cultural awareness in preparation for teaching.

Integrating Culture in Language Classrooms

Language and culture go hand in hand. Naturally, they are intertwined and inseparable from one another. Therefore, language teachers who are teaching the language itself also need to recognize the importance of integrating culture in their teaching practices and raise the awareness of the learners about the culture that the target language belongs to. In light of these observations, the present chapter aims to find out whether technology is an effective tool to integrate culture in language classrooms as well as identify the perceptions of teachers and students about learning and teaching the target language through culture. The participants were 153 students and 26 teachers enrolled in a language preparatory program at a public university in Turkey. While the quantitative data were collected through the Target Culture Knowledge Test, the qualitative data were collected by means of in-depth interviews in semi-structured design. The results of the study revealed that technology (i.e., videos) is an effective tool to provide students with background information about the target culture. The findings also reported positive perceptions towards learning and teaching the target language through culture. Based on the findings, this study can contribute to the program developers and teacher educators for the development of quality in teaching and learning in language preparatory programs.

How Powerful Is Digital Storytelling for Teaching?

The purpose of this study is to reveal the opinions of pre-service teachers regarding the teaching of digital storytelling, which is one of the methods where students actively participate in the learning process, produce content, and learn while having fun, unlike the conventional methods. The research was undertaken as a case study. The study was carried out in Gazi University in the 2015-2016 academic year. The results of the research suggest that the pre-service teachers were mostly pleased with the digital storytelling task. Pre-service teachers who studied in groups were more satisfied and the pre-service teachers believed that digital storytelling positively affected many higher-order thinking skills, creativity in particular. Although higher-order thinking skills are not expected to improve with such short tasks, it can be suggested that the topic may have a positive effect.

Developmental Changes in Teachers' Attitudes About Professional Development

Teachers' attitudes about professional development exert strong influence on the outcomes of professional-development programs. This chapter provides a review of the research literature in this area, pointing to a three-phase developmental pattern in these attitudes. This pattern is then elucidated with a theoretical model based on the development of teachers' working styles in the classroom, as a function of processes of innovation and routinization. The three-phase model encompasses early career challenges, mid-career establishment of a working style, and later-career stability. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of these data and theoretical model for optimal use of PD resources.