Sample records for teacher enhancement workshops

  1. Teachers' learning on the workshop of STS approach as a way of enhancing inventive thinking skills

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ngaewkoodrua, Nophakun; Yuenyong, Chokchai

    2018-01-01

    To improve science teachers to develop the STS lesson plans for enhancing the students' inventive thinking skills, the workshop of improving science teachers to develop the STS lesson plans for enhancing the Inventive thinking skills were organized. The paper aimed to clarify what teachers learn from the workshop. The goal of the activity of the workshop aimed to: 1) improve participants a better understanding of the relationship between the Inquiry based learning with STS approach, 2) understand the meaning and importance of the STS approach and identify the various stages of Yuenyong (2006) STS learning process, 3) discuss what they learned from the examples of Yuenyong (2006) lesson plan, 4) develop some activities for each stage of Yuenyong (2006) STS approach, and 5) ideas of providing STS approach activities for enhancing inventive thinking skills. Participants included 3 science teachers who work in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Methodology regarded interpretive paradigm. Teachers' learning about pedagogy of enhancing the students' inventive thinking skills will be interpreted through participant observation, teachers' tasks, and interview. The finding revealed that all participants could demonstrate their ideas how to generate the STS lesson plans as a way of enhancing inventive thinking skills. Teachers could mention some element of inventive thinking skills which could be generated on their STS learning activities.

  2. Teacher workshop

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2012-10-20

    John C. Stennis Space Center educators and area teachers partnered together during a professional development workshop Oct. 20 to learn about the LEGO Bricks in Space curriculum issued by NASA. The curriculum is designed to encourage students in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Stennis Space Center Educator Resource Center hosted the workshop to equip teachers of grades 3-12.

  3. Teacher workshop

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2012-10-20

    The John C. Stennis Space Center Educator Resource Center hosted an Oct. 20 workshop to equip teachers of grades 3 through 12 in using the LEGO Bricks in Space curriculum issued by NASA. Participants in the professional development workshop built their own LEGO simple machine prototypes and explored the engineering principles that make them work (on Earth and in space).

  4. Effect of Teachers Training Workshop Outcomes on Real Classroom Situations of Undergraduate Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Baral, N; Nepal, A K; Paudel, B H; Lamsal, M

    2015-01-01

    Faculty development by conducting regular training, workshops and research related to medical education has been a key feature to upgrade quality of medical education. The aim of this study was to explore responses of the health science teachers, students and peers after the workshop after providing training on student assessment tools and teaching-learning methods. Two teacher-training workshops were conducted to the faculty members of B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences from the departments of basic, clinical and allied sciences in Oct. 2010 and Jan. 2011. Qualitative questionnaire based study was conducted, and the questions were validated before the study by expert peer review process. The effect of the training workshop in real classroom outcomes was assessed incorporating student's feedback, evaluation by peers and the self-evaluation by the teacher trainees. Pre-test and post-test scores of the participating teachers, before and after the workshop were 62.53 and 71.17 respectively. Among the participants 90.3% teachers expressed enhanced in their role as a teacher for medical undergraduates after the workshop. In present study, the faculty members showed accrued interest to participate in teacher's training workshops. The peer evaluation of teacher's performance in their real classroom situations were rated higher than evaluation by the students. Therefore, such training workshops will have a greater impact on the ability of teachers in effective teaching in real classroom situations.

  5. Examining Science Teachers' Argumentation in a Teacher Workshop on Earthquake Engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cavlazoglu, Baki; Stuessy, Carol

    2018-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine changes in the quality of science teachers' argumentation as a result of their engagement in a teacher workshop on earthquake engineering emphasizing distributed learning approaches, which included concept mapping, collaborative game playing, and group lesson planning. The participants were ten high school science teachers from US high schools who elected to attend the workshop. To begin and end the teacher workshop, teachers in small groups engaged in concept mapping exercises with other teachers. Researchers audio-recorded individual teachers' argumentative statements about the inclusion of earthquake engineering concepts in their concept maps, which were then analyzed to reveal the quality of teachers' argumentation. Toulmin's argumentation model formed the framework for designing a classification schema to analyze the quality of participants' argumentative statements. While the analysis of differences in pre- and post-workshop concept mapping exercises revealed that the number of argumentative statements did not change significantly, the quality of participants' argumentation did increase significantly. As these differences occurred concurrently with distributed learning approaches used throughout the workshop, these results provide evidence to support distributed learning approaches in professional development workshop activities to increase the quality of science teachers' argumentation. Additionally, these results support the use of concept mapping as a cognitive scaffold to organize participants' knowledge, facilitate the presentation of argumentation, and as a research tool for providing evidence of teachers' argumentation skills.

  6. Geoscience Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops at the European Geoscience Union General Assembly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Macko, S. A.; Arnold, E. M.; Barnikel, F.; Berenguer, J. L.; Cifelli, F.; Funiciello, F.; Schwarz, A.; Smith, P.; Summesberger, H.; Laj, C. E.

    2015-12-01

    GIFT workshops are a two-and-a-half-day teacher enhancement workshops organized by the EGU Committee on Education and held in conjunction with the EGU annual General Assembly. The program of each workshop focuses on a different general theme each year. Past themes have included, for example, "Mineral Resources", "Our Changing Planet", "Natural Hazards", "Water" and "Biodiversity and Evolution". These workshops combine scientific presentations on current research in Earth and Space Sciences, given by prominent scientists attending EGU General Assemblies, with hands-on, inquiry-based activities that can be used by the teachers in their classrooms to explain related scientific principles or topics. Teachers are also invited to present their own classroom activities to their colleagues, regardless of the scientific topic. The main objective of these workshops is to communicate first-hand scientific information to teachers in primary and secondary schools, significantly shortening the time between discovery and textbook. The GIFT workshop provides the teachers with materials that can be directly incorporated into their classroom, as well as those of their colleagues at home institutions. In addition, the full immersion of science teachers in a truly scientific context (EGU General Assemblies) and the direct contact with leading geoscientists stimulates curiosity towards research that the teachers can transmit to their pupils. In addition to their scientific content, the GIFT workshops are of high societal value. The value of bringing teachers from many nations together includes the potential for networking and collaborations, the sharing of experiences and an awareness of science education as it is presented in other countries. Since 2003, the EGU GIFT workshops have brought together more than 700 teachers from more than 25 nations. At all previous EGU GIFT workshops teachers mingled with others from outside their own country and informally interacted with the

  7. Geoscience Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops at the European Geoscience Union General Assembly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnold, E. M.; Macko, S. A.; Barnikel, F.; Berenguer, J. L.; Cifelli, F.; Funiciello, F.; Laj, C. E.; Schwarz, A.; Smith, P.; Summesberger, H.

    2016-12-01

    GIFT workshops are teacher enhancement workshops organized by the EGU Committee on Education and held in conjunction with the EGU annual General Assembly. The program focuses on a different general theme each year. Past themes have included, for example, "Water!", "Energy and Sustainable Development", "The Carbon Cycle", "Mineral Resources" and "The Solar System And Beyond". These workshops combine scientific presentations on current research in Earth and Space Sciences, given by prominent scientists attending EGU General Assemblies, with hands-on, inquiry-based activities that can be used by the teachers in their classrooms to explain related scientific principles or topics. Participating teachers are also invited to present their own classroom activities to their colleagues, regardless of the scientific topic. The main objective of these workshops is to communicate first-hand scientific information to teachers in primary and secondary schools, significantly shortening the time between discovery and textbook. The GIFT workshop provides the teachers with materials that can be directly incorporated into their classroom, as well as those of their colleagues at home institutions. In addition, the full immersion of science teachers in a truly scientific context (EGU General Assemblies) and the direct contact with leading geoscientists stimulates curiosity towards research that the teachers can transmit to their pupils. In addition to their scientific content, the GIFT workshops are of high societal value. The value of bringing teachers from many nations together includes the potential for networking and collaborations, the sharing of experiences and an awareness of science education as it is presented in other countries. Since 2003, the EGU GIFT workshops have brought together more than 700 teachers from more than 25 nations. At all previous EGU GIFT workshops teachers mingled with others from outside their own country and informally interacted with the scientists

  8. Geoscience Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops at the European Geoscience Union General Assembly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Macko, S. A.; Arnold, E. M.; Laj, C. E.; Barnikel, F.; Berenguer, J. L.; Schwarz, A.; Cifelli, F.; Smith, P.; Funiciello, F.; Summesberger, H.

    2017-12-01

    GIFT workshops are teacher enhancement workshops organized by the EGU Committee on Education and held in conjunction with the EGU annual General Assembly. The program focuses on a different general theme each year. Past themes have included, for example, "Energy and Sustainable Development", "The Carbon Cycle", "Mineral Resources", "The Solar System And Beyond" and "The Mediterranean". These workshops combine scientific presentations on current research in Earth and Space Sciences, given by prominent scientists attending EGU General Assemblies, with hands-on, inquiry-based activities that can be used by the teachers in their classrooms to explain related scientific principles or topics. Participating teachers are also invited to present their own classroom activities to their colleagues, regardless of the scientific topic. The main objective of these workshops is to communicate first-hand scientific information to teachers in primary and secondary schools, significantly shortening the time between discovery and textbook. The GIFT workshop provides the teachers with materials that can be directly incorporated into their classroom, as well as those of their colleagues at home institutions. In addition, the full immersion of science teachers in a truly scientific context (EGU General Assemblies) and the direct contact with leading geoscientists stimulates curiosity towards research that the teachers can transmit to their pupils. In addition to their scientific content, the GIFT workshops are of high societal value. The value of bringing teachers from many nations together includes the potential for networking and collaborations, the sharing of experiences and an awareness of science education as it is presented in other countries. Since 2003, the EGU GIFT workshops have brought together more than 700 teachers from more than 25 nations. At all previous EGU GIFT workshops teachers mingled with others from outside their own country and informally interacted with the

  9. Geoscience Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops at the European Geoscience Union General Assembly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnold, Eve; Barnikel, Friedrich; Berenguer, Jean-Luc; Cifelli, Francesca; Funiciello, Francesca; Laj, Carlo; Macko, Stephen; Schwarz, Annegret; Smith, Phil; Summesberger, Herbert

    2016-04-01

    GIFT workshops are a two-and-a-half-day teacher enhancement workshops organized by the EGU Committee on Education and held in conjunction with the EGU annual General Assembly. The program of each workshop focuses on a different general theme each year. Past themes have included, for example, "Mineral Resources", "Our changing Planet", "Natural Hazards", "Water", "Evolution and Biodiversity" and "Energy and Sustainable Development". These workshops combine scientific presentations on current research in the Earth and Space Sciences, given by prominent scientists attending EGU General Assemblies, with hands-on, inquiry-based activities that can be used by the teachers in their classrooms to explain related scientific principles or topics. Participating teachers are also invited to present their own classroom activities to their colleagues, even when not directly related to the current program. The main objective of these workshops is to communicate first-hand scientific information to teachers in primary and secondary schools, significantly shortening the time between discovery and textbook. The GIFT workshop provides the teachers with materials that can be directly incorporated into their classroom, as well as those of their colleagues at home institutions. In addition, the full immersion of science teachers in a truly scientific context (EGU General Assemblies) and the direct contact with leading geoscientists stimulates curiosity towards research that the teachers can transmit to their pupils. In addition to their scientific content, the GIFT workshops are of high societal value. The value of bringing teachers from many nations together includes the potential for networking and collaborations, the sharing of experiences and an awareness of science education as it is presented in other countries. Since 2003, the EGU GIFT workshops have brought together more than 700 teachers from more than 25 nations. At all previous EGU GIFT workshops teachers mingled with others

  10. Geoscience Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops of the European Geoscience Union General Assembly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnold, Eve; Barnikel, Friedrich; Berenguer, Jean-Luc; Cifelli, Francesca; Funiciello, Francesca; King, Chris; Laj, Carlo; Macko, Stephen; Schwarz, Annegret; Smith, Phil; Summesberger, Herbert

    2017-04-01

    GIFT workshops are a two-and-a-half-day teacher enhancement workshops organized by the EGU Committee on Education and held in conjunction with the EGU annual General Assembly in Vienna, and also elsewhere in the world usually associated with large geoscience conferences. The program of each workshop focuses on a different general theme each year. Past themes have included, for example, "The solar system and beyond", "Mineral Resources", "Our changing Planet", "Natural Hazards", "Water" and "Evolution and Biodiversity". These workshops combine scientific presentations on current research in the Earth and Space Sciences, given by prominent scientists, with hands-on, inquiry-based activities that can be used by the teachers in their classrooms to explain related scientific principles or topics. Participating teachers are also invited to present their own classroom activities to their colleagues, even when not directly related to the current program. The main objective of these workshops is to communicate first-hand scientific information to teachers in primary and secondary schools, significantly shortening the time between discovery and textbook. The GIFT workshop provides the teachers with materials that can be directly incorporated into their classroom, as well as those of their colleagues at home institutions. In addition, the full immersion of science teachers in a truly scientific context (EGU General Assemblies) and the direct contact with leading geoscientists stimulates curiosity towards research that the teachers can transmit to their pupils. In addition to their scientific content, the GIFT workshops are of high societal value. The value of bringing teachers from many nations together includes the potential for networking and collaborations, the sharing of experiences and an awareness of science education as it is presented in other countries. Since 2003, the EGU GIFT workshops have brought together more than 800 teachers from more than 25 nations. At all

  11. A Chaperone: Using Twitter for Professional Guidance, Social Support and Personal Empowerment of Novice Teachers in Online Workshops

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pieterse, Efrat; Peled, Yehuda

    2014-01-01

    This research examines the feasibility and benefits of using Twitter as a support tool to enhance social interaction among teachers in their first year of service, as they participate in an online induction workshop, and as a tool to aid the workshop's moderator in monitoring the group and enhancing and supporting the early-service teachers'…

  12. Geoscience Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops at the European Geoscience Union General Assembly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnold, Eve; Barnikel, Friedrich; Berenguer, Jean-Luc; Camerlenghi, Angelo; Cifelli, Francesca; Funiciello, Francesca; Laj, Carlo; Macko, Stephen; Schwarz, Annegret; Smith, Phil; Summesberger, Herbert

    2015-04-01

    GIFT workshops are a two-and-a-half-day teacher enhancement workshops organized by the EGU Committee on Education and held in conjunction with the EGU annual General Assembly. The program of each workshop focuses on a different general theme each year. Past themes have included, for example, "Water!", "Natural Hazards", "Biodiversity and Evolution", "The Polar Regions", "The Carbon Cycle" and "The Earth from Space". These workshops combine scientific presentations on current research in the Earth and Space Sciences, given by prominent scientists attending EGU General Assemblies, with hands-on, inquiry-based activities that can be used by the teachers in their classrooms to explain related scientific principles or topics. Participating teachers are also invited to present their own classroom activities to their colleagues, even when not directly related to the current program. The main objective of these workshops is to communicate first-hand scientific information to teachers in primary and secondary schools, significantly shortening the time between discovery and textbook. The GIFT workshop provides the teachers with materials that can be directly incorporated into their classroom, as well as those of their colleagues at home institutions. In addition, the full immersion of science teachers in a truly scientific context (EGU General Assemblies) and the direct contact with leading geoscientists stimulates curiosity towards research that the teachers can transmit to their pupils. In addition to their scientific content, the GIFT workshops are of high societal value. The value of bringing teachers from many nations together includes the potential for networking and collaborations, the sharing of experiences and an awareness of science education as it is presented in other countries. Since 2003, the EGU GIFT workshops have brought together more than 600 teachers from more than 25 nations. At all previous EGU GIFT workshops teachers mingled with others from outside

  13. Connecting with the Arts: A Workshop for Middle Grades Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Annenberg Media, 2005

    2005-01-01

    "Connecting with the Arts: A Workshop for Middle Grades Teachers" is a video workshop for middle school teachers of the arts and other subjects. The workshop includes eight hour-long video programs and a companion workshop guide and Web site. The workshop shows middle school teachers why and how to integrate the arts (dance, music, theatre, and…

  14. An AHP-based evaluation method for teacher training workshop on information and communication technology.

    PubMed

    Lucas, Rochelle Irene; Promentilla, Michael Angelo; Ubando, Aristotle; Tan, Raymond Girard; Aviso, Kathleen; Yu, Krista Danielle

    2017-08-01

    The emergence of information and communication technology (ICT) has created opportunities for enhancing the learning process at different educational levels. However, its potential benefits can only be fully realized if teachers are properly trained to utilize such tools. The rapid evolution of ICT also necessitates rigorous assessment of training programs by participants. Thus, this study proposes an evaluation framework based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to systematically evaluate such workshops designed for teachers. The evaluation model is decomposed hierarchically into four main criteria namely: (1) workshop design, (2) quality of content of the workshop, (3) quality of delivery of the content of the workshop, and the (4) relevance of the workshop. These criteria are further disaggregated into 24 sub-indicators to measure the effectiveness of the workshop as perceived by the participants based on their own expectations. This framework is applied to a case study of ICT workshops done in the Philippines. In this case, relevance of the workshop is found to be the most important main criterion identified by the participants, particularly on the new ICT knowledge that promotes teachers' professional growth and development. The workshop evaluation index (WEI) is also proposed as a metric to support decision-making by providing a mechanism for benchmarking performance, tracking improvement over time, and developing strategies for the design and improvement of training programs or workshops on ICT for teachers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Teacher Workshops in the US: Goals, Best Practices and Impact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hörst, S. M.

    2011-10-01

    The goal of the workshop is to educate the teachers on a few focused topics so that they can transfer the knowledge they gain to their students. We will recruit scientists who are attending the meeting to participate in the workshops and will also pair the teachers with scientists in the field who can serve as a resource for the teacher and their class throughout the school year. The scientists can answer questions the teachers may have, be available to do video lectures or interactive question and answer sessions over skype, and work with the teachers to develop hands-on classroom activities. We will partner closely with EPO professionals in NASA's Science Mission Directorate to ensure that best practices for the workshops are employed, including ensuring that the workshop and workshop materials are designed within the framework of the state standards, surveying participating teachers before the workshops about their needs and goals, assessing the participants pre-workshop knowledge, and engaging participants as learners during the workshop [1]. The impact of the workshop will be increased by providing the teachers and students with a scientist who will serve as a long-term resource. We will maintain contact with the teachers after the workshop to ensure that the scientists are still actively engaged in their classroom and to collect feedback. References [1] Shupla C, et al. (2011) Lessons Learned: Best Practices in Educator Workshops. 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, no. 2828. EPSC Abstracts Vol. 6, EPSC-DPS2011-1775, 2011 EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011 c Author(s) 2011

  16. Gestalt Workshops: Suggested In-Service Training for Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fiordo, Richard

    1981-01-01

    Fritz Perls' Gestalt Workshops are explained and recommended for inservice training for teachers. Since Gestalt Workshops increase their participants' growth, awareness, and integration personally and environmentally, their benefit to classroom teachers would be direct and dramatic. (Author)

  17. Media Production Workshop for Teachers of the Deaf.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gray, Gary L.; And Others

    The manual contains a collection of handouts used in a 3 to 5 day media production and utilization workshop for preservice and inservice teachers of deaf students. The material, which was developed and used in approximately 45 workshops serving 800 teachers over a 2 year period, is considered appropriate for all teachers who use media in their…

  18. Connecting Changes in Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge to Their Experiences in a Professional Development Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boston, Melissa D.

    2013-01-01

    This investigation describes secondary mathematics teachers' learning and instructional change following their participation in a professional development workshop, the Enhancing Secondary Mathematics Teacher Preparation Project (ESP) (2004-2005), specifically focused on the selection and implementation of cognitively challenging mathematical…

  19. Field/Lab Training Workshops in Planetary Geology and Astrobiology for Secondary School Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Treiman, A.; Newsom, H.; Hoehler, T.; Tsairides, C.; Karlstrom, K.; Crossey, L.; Kiefer, W.; Kadel, S.; Garcia-Pichel, F.; Aubele, J.; Crumpler, L.

    2003-12-01

    , with heightened appreciation, excited, and energetic. The teachers are asked to share their knowledge in their districts (in one case, saving the district thousands of dollars). For the presenters, the workshop format allows personal interactions with the teachers, leading to enhanced appreciation of their perspectives and needs. This year, teacher input assisted with an NSF-sponsored National Park education initiative. And in one case, a meaningful research collaboration has come from these workshops. Logistics is the greatest challenge of this workshop format. Hosts and teaching/lab venues need to be arranged early in sites dictated by science content, not convenience. Travel and lodging must be arranged for teachers and presenters at several sites, usually all distant from the organizing institution. Logistics also dictates that each workshop cannot serve more than about 30 teachers. The depth of knowledge imparted and its long-term effects on the teachers and their districts offsets the small number of teachers reached per year. Authors here are the 2003 organizers and presenters. Many others have organized and presented at past workshops - especially Dr. A.J. Irving of U. Wash. We are grateful for past support from NASA Broker/Facilitator, and now from Sandia National Laboratory and NASA OSS/EPO.

  20. Kepler Mission IYA Teacher Professional Development Workshops

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Devore, E. K.; Harman, P.; Gould, A. D.; Koch, D.

    2009-12-01

    NASA's Kepler Mission conducted six teacher professional development workshops on the search for Earth-size in the habitable zone of Sun-like stars. The Kepler Mission launched in March, 2009. As a part of International Year of Astronomy 2009, this series of one-day workshops were designed and presented for middle and high school teachers, and science center and planetarium educators prior to and after the launch. The professional development workshops were designed using the best practices and principals from the National Science Education Standards and similar documents. Sharing the outcome of our plans, strategies and formative evaluation results can be of use to other Education and Public Outreach practitioners who plan similar trainings. Each event was supported by a Kepler team scientist, two Education & Public Outreach staff and local hosts. The workshops combined a science content lecture and discussion, making models, kinesthetic activities, and interpretation of transit data. The emphasis was on inquiry-based instruction and supported science education standards in grades 7-12. Participants’ kit included an orrery, optical sensor and software to demonstrate transit detection. The workshop plan, teaching strategies, and lessons learned from evaluation will be discussed. Future events are planned. Kepler's Education and Public Outreach program is jointly conducted by the SETI Institute and Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley in close coordination with the Kepler Mission at NASA Ames Research Center. The IYA Kepler Teacher Professional Development workshops were supported by NASA Grants to the E. DeVore, SETI Institute NAG2-6066 Kepler Education and Public Outreach and NNX08BA74G, IYA Kepler Mission Pre-launch Workshops. Teachers participate in human orrery.

  1. Aviation/Aerospace Teacher Education Workshops: Program Development and Implementation

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-01-01

    The Aviation/Aerospace Teacher Education Workshops have been recommended by the Illinois Task force for Aviation/Space Education (1988) as a way of encouraging aeronautical education. The workshop will be offered to elementary school teachers. During...

  2. Physics Teachers Workshop

    ScienceCinema

    Huggins, DaNel; Calhoun, John; Palmer, Alyson; Thorpe, Steve; Vanderveen, Anne

    2017-12-09

    INL is looking for the nation's top high school physics teachers to attend our July workshop in Idaho Falls. Participants get to learn from nuclear researchers, tour facilities including a research reactor and interact with peers from across the country. You can learn more about INL projects at http://www.facebook.com/idahonationallaboratory

  3. Physics Teachers Workshop

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huggins, DaNel; Calhoun, John; Palmer, Alyson

    INL is looking for the nation's top high school physics teachers to attend our July workshop in Idaho Falls. Participants get to learn from nuclear researchers, tour facilities including a research reactor and interact with peers from across the country. You can learn more about INL projects at http://www.facebook.com/idahonationallaboratory

  4. Teacher Enhancement and Preparation Programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1995-01-01

    These two programs provide opportunities for K-12 teachers of mathematics, science, and technology to spend two weeks at a NASA center learning about aeronautics and space. Participants are selected by peer review from a contracting agent that assists NASA in administering the program. Each teacher receives a stipend that covers the cost of travel, housing, meals, and graduate credit. NEWMAST provides for approximately 100 secondary teachers, and NEWTEST is a program designed to meet the needs of approximately 125 elementary teachers each summer. Teachers are provided with a wide variety of experiences including research laboratory observations, presentations, and 'shadowships'. Individual and team projects are used to enhance the participants knowledge of space and aeronautics and to motivate the teachers to incorporate the summer workshop activities into their classrooms.

  5. "Teachers Touch the Sky:" A Workshop in Astronomy for Teachers in Grades 3-9

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buratti, B. J.

    2012-08-01

    Eight times during the past two decades, JPL technical staff, assisted by master teachers, conducted a one-week workshop for teachers in grades 3-9. In these workshops, the teachers are walked through hands-on activities that are all based on current projects in astronomy and space science at JPL. The activities are inquiry-based and emphasize the scientific method and fundamental math and science skills. Each year the workshop focuses on a NASA theme: in 2011 it was the Dawn Mission to the asteroid 4 Vesta, as orbit insertion occurred right before the workshop. Several activities are based on the Lawrence Livermore Lab's Great Exploration in Math and Science (GEMS) guides. Teachers tour JPL's facilities such as the Space Flight Operations Center, the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, and the Mars Yard. The integration of the lessons into the teachers' own curricula is discussed, and a field trip to JPL's Table Mountain Observatory is included. Teachers learn of the resources NASA makes available to them, and they have the opportunity to talk to "real" scientists about their work. Teachers receive an honorarium for participation plus classroom materials.

  6. New Zealand Teachers' Understanding of Childhood Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Investigating and Enhancing Teacher Knowledge and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Case, Rosalind Jane Leamy; Starkey, Nicola J.; Jones, Kelly; Barker-Collo, Suzanne; Feigin, Valery

    2017-01-01

    This two-phase study investigated New Zealand primary school teachers' knowledge and perceptions of childhood mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI), and evaluated the effectiveness of a professional development workshop for enhancing teacher knowledge regarding mTBI. In phase one, 19 teachers from schools in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty engaged in…

  7. Workshop Results: Teaching Geoscience to K-12 Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nahm, A.; Villalobos, J. I.; White, J.; Smith-Konter, B. R.

    2012-12-01

    A workshop for high school and middle school Earth and Space Science (ESS) teachers was held this summer (2012) as part of an ongoing collaboration between the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and El Paso Community College (EPCC) Departments of Geological Sciences. This collaborative effort aims to build local Earth science literacy and educational support for the geosciences. Sixteen teachers from three school districts from El Paso and southern New Mexico area participated in the workshop, consisting of middle school, high school, early college high school, and dual credit faculty. The majority of the teachers had little to no experience teaching geoscience, thus this workshop provided an introduction to basic geologic concepts to teachers with broad backgrounds, which will result in the introduction of geoscience to many new students each year. The workshop's goal was to provide hands-on activities illustrating basic geologic and scientific concepts currently used in introductory geology labs/lectures at both EPCC and UTEP to help engage pre-college students. Activities chosen for the workshop were an introduction to Google Earth for use in the classroom, relative age dating and stratigraphy using volcanoes, plate tectonics utilizing the jigsaw pedagogy, and the scientific method as a think-pair-share activity. All activities where designed to be low cost and materials were provided for instructors to take back to their institutions. A list of online resources for teaching materials was also distributed. Before each activity, a short pre-test was given to the participants to gauge their level of knowledge on the subjects. At the end of the workshop, participants were given a post-test, which tested the knowledge gain made by participating in the workshop. In all cases, more correct answers were chosen in the post-test than the individual activity pre-tests, indicating that knowledge of the subjects was gained. The participants enjoyed participating in these

  8. The Workshop Program on Authentic Assessment for Science Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rustaman, N. Y.; Rusdiana, D.; Efendi, R.; Liliawati, W.

    2017-02-01

    A study on implementing authentic assessment program through workshop was conducted to investigate the improvement of the competence of science teachers in designing performance assessment in real life situation at school level context. A number of junior high school science teachers and students as participants were involved in this study. Data was collected through questionnaire, observation sheets, and pre-and post-test during 4 day workshop. This workshop had facilitated them direct experience with seventh grade junior high school students during try out. Science teachers worked in group of four and communicated each other by think-pair share in cooperative learning approach. Research findings show that generally the science teachers’ involvement and their competence in authentic assessment improved. Their knowledge about the nature of assessment in relation to the nature of science and its instruction was improved, but still have problem in integrating their design performance assessment to be implemented in their lesson plan. The 7th grade students enjoyed participating in the science activities, and performed well the scientific processes planned by group of science teachers. The response of science teachers towards the workshop was positive. They could design the task and rubrics for science activities, and revised them after the implementation towards the students. By participating in this workshop they have direct experience in designing and trying out their ability within their professional community in real situation towards their real students in junior high school.

  9. Relationship among science teacher personality characteristics and degree of teacher classroom implementation after in-service workshop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sechler, Phares Lochiel Coleman

    State departments of public instruction require that teachers periodically update their licenses throughout their teaching careers. Various professional development events such as in-service workshops, university offerings, and special innovative programs provide opportunities for novice and experienced teachers to grow professionally. The "Team Science" workshop was designed from models supported by research that described guidelines for successful workshop strategies. In evaluating the workshop, the question was asked "Why did not all teachers implement the ideas from the workshop in their science classrooms?" This study investigates the possible relationship between teacher personality characteristics and implementation of technology innovations. Team Science was an extensive workshop program planned to develop science teachers' expertise in using computer and video technology to teach in physical science, chemistry, and physics classrooms in rural school in North Carolina. Upon evaluating the four-year effort, it was found that the 23 participants implemented the technological strategies at various levels. At the higher end of the range of technology use, some teachers exhibited complete integration of the computers and interfacing devices into both the laboratory work and the classroom inquiry. At the lower end of the range, some teachers used the technology very little. The resulting question emerged from the data collected: Do specific teacher personality characteristics (independent variables) correlate with the degree of implementation (dependent variable) of the innovative ideas and tools used in the teacher's science classroom after the in-service workshop? To determine if there were any significant personality traits, each teacher was given five personality tests. The tests were Hunt's Conceptual Development Test, the Paragraph Completion Test; James Rest's Defining Issues Test; Simmons Personal Survey, an emotional tendency test; the Myers-Briggs Type

  10. Texas Water Quality Board Teachers Workshop Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas Water Quality Board, Austin.

    These materials are designed for teachers participating in an inservice workshop on water quality. Included in the materials are a workshop agenda, a water awareness pretest, and the various parameters and tests that are used to determine and measure water quality. The parameters are discussed from the standpoint of their potential impact to…

  11. NASA Kennedy Space Center Educator Workshops: Exploring Their Impact on Teacher Attitudes and Concerns

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dreschel, Thomas W.

    1996-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration holds summer teacher workshops to motivate teachers to use space science in their lessons. In evaluating these workshops, the areas of interest were participant beliefs about science and science teaching and concerns about educational change and innovation. The teachers attending workshops in 1995, past participants, teachers that received materials but had not attended a workshop, and science researchers were surveyed using the Beliefs about Science and Science Education Survey and/or the Stages of Concern Questionnaire. Comparisons were made by workshop length, time since workshop, and highest grade taught. Reductions in concerns were most evident in the four week workshop. Changes in beliefs were also observed relative to teaching approach and ability. Differences in beliefs were observed between teachers and science researchers. Differences were also observed relative to time since attendance and by grade level taught. It is recommended that the workshops be at least four weeks in length and in length and target specific grade levels, that refresher workshops be offered.

  12. Providing Effective Professional Development for Teachers through the Lunar Workshops for Educators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Canipe, Marti; Buxner, Sanlyn; Jones, Andrea; Hsu, Brooke; Shaner, Andy; Bleacher, Lora

    2014-11-01

    In order to integrate current scientific discoveries in the classroom, K-12 teachers benefit from professional development and support. The Lunar Workshops for Educators is a series of weeklong workshops for grade 6-9 science teachers focused on lunar science and exploration, sponsored by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and conducted by the LRO Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Team. The Lunar Workshops for Educators, have provided this professional development for teachers for the last five years. Program evaluation includes pre- and post- content tests and surveys related to classroom practice, daily surveys, and follow-up surveys conducted during the academic year following the summer workshops to assess how the knowledge and skills learned at the workshop are being used in the classroom. The evaluation of the workshop shows that the participants increased their overall knowledge of lunar science and exploration. Additionally, they gained knowledge about student misconceptions related to the Moon and ways to address those misconceptions. The workshops impacted the ways teachers taught about the Moon by providing them with resources to teach about the Moon and increased confidence in teaching about these topics. Participants reported ways that the workshop impacted their teaching practices beyond teaching about the Moon, encouraging them to include more inquiry and other teaching techniques demonstrated in the workshops in their science classes. Overall, the program evaluation has shown the Lunar Workshops for Educators are effective at increasing teachers’ knowledge about the Moon and use of inquiry-based teaching into their classrooms. Additionally, the program supports participant teachers in integrating current scientific discoveries into their classrooms.

  13. Elementary school science teachers' reflection for nature of science: Workshop of NOS explicit and reflective on force and motion learning activity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patho, Khanittha; Yuenyong, Chokchai; Chamrat, Suthida

    2018-01-01

    The nature of science has been part of Thailand's science education curriculum since 2008. However, teachers lack of understanding about the nature of science (NOS) and its teaching, particularly element school science teachers. In 2012, the Science Institute of Thailand MOE, started a project of Elementary Science Teacher Professional Development to enhance their thinking about the Nature of Science. The project aimed to enhance teachers' understanding of NOS, science teaching for explicit and reflective NOS, with the aim of extending their understanding of NOS to other teachers. This project selected 366 educational persons. The group was made up of a teacher and a teacher supervisor from 183 educational areas in 74 provinces all Thailand. The project provided a one week workshop and a year's follow up. The week-long workshop consisted of 11 activities of science teaching for explicit reflection on 8 aspects of NOS. Workshop of NOS explicit and reflective on force and motion learning activity is one of eight activities. This activity provided participants to learn force and motion and NOS from the traditional toy "Bang-Poh". The activity tried to enhance participants to explicit NOS for 5 aspects including empirical basis, subjectivity, creativity, observation and inference, and sociocultural embeddedness. The explicit NOS worksheet provided questions to ask participants to reflect their existing ideas about NOS. The paper examines elementary school science teachers' understanding of NOS from the force and motion learning activity which provided explicit reflection on 5 NOS aspects. An interpretive paradigm was used to analyse the teachers' reflections in a NOS worksheet. The findings indicated that majority of them could reflect about the empirical basis of science and creativity but few reflected on observation and inference, or sociocultural embeddedness. The paper will explain the teachers' NOS thinking and discuss the further enhancing of their understanding

  14. The Art of Teaching the Arts: A Workshop for High School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Annenberg Media, 2005

    2005-01-01

    "The Art of Teaching the Arts: A Workshop for High School Teachers" is an eight-part professional development workshop for use by high school dance, music, theatre, and visual art teachers. The workshop examines how principles of good teaching are carried out in teaching the arts at the high school level. In the eight one-hour video programs,…

  15. Aviation/Aerospace Teacher Education Workshops: Program Development and Implementation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Mavis F.

    1998-01-01

    Describes an aviation/aerospace teacher-education workshop that allows elementary school teachers to become familiar with aviation fundamentals and issues and with ways to incorporate aviation topics into their curricula. (JOW)

  16. Honors Workshop for Middle School Science Teachers. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meisner, Gerald W.; Lee, Ernest W.

    The Honors Workshop for Middle School Science Teachers was designed to address teachers' conceptual understanding of basic scientific principles, student misconceptions and how to deal with them, and observation and measurement techniques. For 4 weeks in summer and on 6 Saturdays during 2 academic years, 30 leaders among science teachers from the…

  17. How Old Is Your Universe?: A Workshop For Middle Grade Science Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wulff, A. H.; Siewers, F.; Gelderman, R.; Carini, M.; Roberts, J.; Tyler, R.; McGruder, C.

    2005-05-01

    Recent attempts to revise how evolution is taught in US schools have found fault not just with Darwin's theory of biological evolution but with current scientific theories about the age and evolution of the cosmos. A multidisciplinary team including physicists, astronomers and geologists initiated two workshops to provide clear, easy to implement curriculum material to help middle grade science teachers explain to their students how we know the ages of the earth, stars, our own solar system, and the entire universe. The nature of science was explained, with special attention paid to distinguishing knowledge gained through the scientific method from matters of faith. In-service and pre-service teachers worked together as a team to master the content behind a series of hands-on activities and develop the best strategies for integrating the lesson plans into the classroom. Research scientists collaborated with educators to present the workshop; and after the workshop traveled to the classrooms to work with the teachers to assist in the implementation of the material. These pairings resulted in a diversity of approaches and implementation strategies being discussed and ultimately implemented. During the workshop the teachers were introduced to a series of inquiry-based, hands-on activities designed to integrate thematic content from the life, earth, and physical sciences. Additional resources (various physics lab materials, earth materials kits, posters, CD-ROMs, etc.) and information were provided to allow each teacher to become familiar with the reasons for our belief in an ancient and evolving universe. The chosen lesson plan activities provide just-in-time introduction of background materials integrating math skills and concepts with the process of discovery. The inquiry-based activities emphasize the methods by which scientists study cosmic distances, ages, and evolution. The entire workshop format has been aligned with, and each activity is linked with, National

  18. An Evaluation of a Media Literacy Program Training Workshop for Late Elementary School Teachers

    PubMed Central

    Scull, Tracy Marie; Kupersmidt, Janis Beth

    2012-01-01

    The present study examined the efficacy of a media literacy education, substance abuse prevention training workshop for late elementary school teachers. Analyses revealed that the randomly assigned intervention (n = 18) and control (n = 23) teachers were similar in demographic characteristics and pre-training beliefs and knowledge. Teachers who participated in the workshop reported stronger beliefs in the importance of and familiarity with media literacy education and scored higher on a direct assessment of media deconstruction skills than teachers in the control group. Teachers reported positive program assessment ratings. This randomized controlled trial provides evidence that a one-day teacher training workshop on media literacy education is effective at improving teachers’ beliefs and knowledge about media literacy that are relevant for successful student outcomes. PMID:23275894

  19. An Effective Model of In-Service Workshops for Elementary Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manning, Patricia C.; Dziuban, Charles

    After needs assessments were conducted in six Florida school districts, strategies were developed for implementing creative and relevant workshops emphasizing curricular innovations and individualized instruction. Procedures and techniques evolved from 50 workshops given to 1500 elementary school teachers. Among the activities were: multimedia…

  20. Teachers Touch the Sky: A Workshop in Astronomy for Teachers in Grades 3-9

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buratti, B.; Edberg, S.

    2011-12-01

    Using the natural fascination the public holds towards its work, NASA encourages and funds its scientists to do education and public outreach (E&PO) to both children and adults. Space science is especially interesting to students, less threatening to teachers than some other sciences, and interdisciplinary in nature. These features make it the ideal vehicle for teaching basic scientific concepts to children in a concrete and captivating manner. During the past decade, and again during the summer of 2011, JPL staff and two master teachers conducted a one-week workshop for teachers in grades 3-9. The teachers are walked through hands-on activities that are all based on current projects in astronomy and space science at the Jet Propulsion Lab. The activities are inquiry-based and emphasize the scientific method and fundamental math and science skills. Each year the workshop focuses on a NASA theme: this year it will be the Dawn Mission to the asteroid 4 Vesta, as orbit insertion occurs right before the workshop. At least two activities are based on the Lawrence Livermore Lab's Great Exploration in Math and Science (GEMS) guides. Teachers tour JPL's facilities such as the Space Flight Operations Center, the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, and the Mars Yard. The integration of the lessons into the teachers' own curricula is discussed, and a field trip to JPL's Table Mountain Observatory is included. Teachers learn of the resources NASA makes available to them, and they have the opportunity to talk to "real" scientists about their work. Teachers receive an honorarium for participation plus classroom materials An extensive evaluation is done each year and improvements are made the next year based on the results of the evaluation. Funded by NASA.

  1. Using a Conference Workshop Setting to Engage Mathematics Teachers in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Timmons-Brown, Stephanie; Warner, Catharine

    2016-01-01

    In this article, the authors explore using a conference workshop setting to engage mathematics teachers, who serve largely underserved student populations, in culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP). The conference workshop encouraged the exchange of information among teachers of similar grade levels and classroom contexts. The authors' analysis of the…

  2. Travelling educational workshops for clinical teachers: are they worthwhile?

    PubMed

    Gallagher, Peter; Pullon, Sue

    2011-03-01

    The support of doctors who teach medical students in clinical settings is considered very important. In order to function as effectively as possible in their role as clinical teachers, these clinicians require educational support from faculty members. The most usual form that support takes is university staff offering face-to-face teaching on educational topics. It is estimated that in the course of 1 year, and across the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Otago, there could be up to 600 clinicians actively involved in the direct support of medical students. Many of these clinicians work in locations some considerable distance from the university campus. In 2009 the Medical Education Unit based at the Wellington Campus introduced a series of peripatetic face-to-face workshops for clinical teachers in several different geographical locations. Educational support of this nature is challenging to organise and potentially expensive, which begs the question: are travelling workshops worthwhile? Whereas the subject matter of the workshops was of interest to those who attended, of equal importance was the opportunity the workshops created to interact with colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere. In addition, the workshops were the catalyst for some clinicians to formally pursue their particular educational interests. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011.

  3. Between the Stars: A Professional Development Workshop for Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hemenway, Mary Kay; Redfield, S.

    2008-05-01

    A workshop for secondary school science teachers was conducted at McDonald Observatory in July 2007. Participants did classroom experiments to detect and compare radiation in the ultraviolet, optical, and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Other activities involved various aspects of stellar evolution and telescope design. They built spectrometers and considered how astronomers use scientific models. These topics were chosen to help them form a conceptual understanding of the parent projects' research topic: Variations in the Ionization Structure within the Local Interstellar Cloud and Neighboring Clouds. Fifteen teachers from Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas performed these standards-aligned activities at the workshop in preparation for using them within their own classrooms. During three scheduled nights of observing, the participants became familiar with the night sky and the operation of small telescopes. The workshop included tours of other observatory facilities and time to reflect on their own teaching practices. They concluded the workshop by developing concept maps that integrated all aspects of the workshop, including lectures, activities, observing experiences, and tours. Support from The National Aeronautics and Space Administration under an Education and Public Outreach supplement to the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer Guest Investigator grant NNX07AN07G issued through the Office of Space Science is gratefully acknowledged.

  4. Teachers Touch the Sky: A Workshop in Astronomy for Teachers in Grades 3-9

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buratti, Bonnie J.; Banholzer, S.; Dalba, P. A.; Edberg, S.

    2012-10-01

    Nine times during the past two decades, JPL technical staff assisted by master teachers conducted a one-week workshop for teachers in grades 3-9. The teachers are walked through hands-on activities that are all based on current projects in astronomy and space science at JPL. The activities are inquiry-based and emphasize the scientific method and fundamental math and science skills. Each year the workshop focuses on a NASA theme: in 2012 it was the Dawn Mission to the asteroid 4 Vesta. Several activities are based on the Lawrence Livermore Lab’s Great Exploration in Math and Science (GEMS) guides. Teachers tour JPL’s facilities such as the Space Flight Operations Center, the Spacecraft Assembly Facility, and the Mars Yard. The integration of the lessons into the teachers’ own curricula is discussed, and a field trip to JPL’s Table Mountain Observatory is included. Teachers learn of the resources NASA makes available to them, and they have the opportunity to talk to “real” scientists about their work. Teachers receive a stipend for participation plus classroom materials. Work funded by NASA through an E&PO supplement to the Dawn Participating Scientist Program.

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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

  6. Teaching Teachers about Energy: Lessons from an Inquiry-Based Workshop for K-8 Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tobin, R. G.; Crissman, Sally; Doubler, Sue; Gallagher, Hugh; Goldstein, Gary; Lacy, Sara; Rogers, C. B.; Schwartz, Judah; Wagoner, Paul

    2012-01-01

    We report results and impressions from a three-day inquiry-based workshop for K-8 teachers, aimed at improving their understanding of energy from a science and engineering perspective. Results suggest that the teachers made significant gains in understanding and appreciation of important energy concepts, but their comprehension of some key ideas…

  7. Faculty opinion survey following attendance to teacher training workshop in Kathmandu Medical College.

    PubMed

    Joshi, S; Pradhan, A; Dixit, H

    2004-01-01

    With the growing awareness of the importance of teaching and learning in Universities, the need to improve professional qualities in teachers has been identified. This paper describes the outcome of the impact of teacher training workshops on faculty- teaching performance. A total of 30 faculties who had undergone teacher training in the one-year period were included in the study. Survey questionnaire were distributed and all the forms were returned. All (100%) respondents found the teacher training to be very useful/useful for improvement of teaching skills. A total of 76.66% said that the skills learnt in the workshop were very applicable, 80% perceived changes in students classroom behaviour and found their lecture to be more participatory and interactive. As for their own change in behaviour, 66.66% respondents experienced better interaction with the students in classroom. The overall impression of the training was very positive. Future studies should include student feed back and classroom teaching observation for faculty teaching evaluation. We also need to utilise the feed back information obtained in this article, to further improve the strength of the future teacher training workshops. The future workshops should include sessions in problem-based learning and follow up refresher courses.

  8. Teacher Professional Development: Lessons Learned from Six Kepler Mission Workshops

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DeVore, Edna; Harman, P.; Gould, A.; Koch, D.

    2010-01-01

    NASA's Kepler Mission conducted teacher professional development workshops on the search for exoplanets in the habitable zone of Sun-like stars. During late 2008 and into 2009, six workshops were conducted surrounding the launch of the Kepler Mission. These were a part of the Kepler Mission's outreach honoring the International Year of Astronomy. Each workshop was supported by a Kepler team scientist, two Education & Public Outreach staff and local hosts. Activities combined a science content lecture and discussion, making models, kinesthetic activities, and interpretation of transit data. The emphasis was on inquiry-based instruction and supported science education standards in grades 7-12. Participants’ kit included an orrery, optical sensor and software to demonstrate transit detection. The workshop plan, teaching strategies, and lessons learned from evaluation will be discussed. The Kepler Mission teacher professional development workshops were designed using the best practices and principals from the National Science Education Standards and similar documents. Sharing the outcome of our plans, strategies and evaluation results can be of use to other Education and Public Outreach practitioners who plan similar events. In sharing our experiences, we hope to assist others, and to learn from them as well. Future events are planned. Supported by NASA Grants to the SETI Institute: NAG2-6066 Kepler Education and Public Outreach and NNX08BA74G, IYA Kepler Mission Pre-launch Workshops.

  9. Contextualized Support for Urban Teachers Implementing Writer's Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaiser, Eileen

    2013-01-01

    Gladwell (2000) describes context as "the tipping point" for leveraging change. This paper explores how differentiated learning opportunities situated in the school context supported changes in practice for urban elementary teachers during the implementation of Writer's Work-shop (Calkins, 2003 & 2006). The teachers in this…

  10. Organizing Science Popularization and Teacher Training Workshops : A Nigerian Experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Okpala, Kingsley; Okere, Bonaventure

    Funding for science popularization has become a huge challenge in recent times especially for developing countries like Nigeria. However, a change in the school system from the 6-3-3-4 system (6 years primary, 3 years Junior secondary, 3year senior secondary, and 4 years tertiary education) to the 9-3-4 system ( 9 years junior basic, 3 years secondary, and 4 tertiary education) has made it even more convenient to strategically target the students through their teachers to attain the desired quality of education since the introduction of space science into the curriculum at the primary and secondary levels. Considering the size of Nigeria, there Is need for a shift in paradigm for sourcing resources to tackle this deficiency in a sustainable manner. Recently a teacher training and science popularization workshop was organized as a first in a series of subsequent workshops geared towards having a sustainable means of popularizing Science in Nigeria. Principally, the key lies in the partnership with the colleges of education which produce the teachers for primary schools in addition to the usual governmental actions. Experiences from this workshop will be enumerated with the hope of inspiring the same success in similar societies.

  11. Report of Summer, 1980 Workshop. Roosevelt University/Chicago Board of Education Teacher Corps Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ginsberg, Rick; Melnick, Curtis C.

    An overview is presented of the planning, activities and evaluation of a Teacher Corps summer workshop held in Chicago in 1981. Participants in the fifteen-day workshop were faculty and administrators from the Hyde Park Career Academy and Dumas Elementary School, community council members, and Teacher Corps interns. The purposes of the workshop…

  12. "Model Your Genes the Mathematical Way"--A Mathematical Biology Workshop for Secondary School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martins, Ana Margarida; Vera-Licona, Paola; Laubenbacher, Reinhard

    2008-01-01

    This article describes a mathematical biology workshop given to secondary school teachers of the Danville area in Virginia, USA. The goal of the workshop was to enable teams of teachers with biology and mathematics expertise to incorporate lesson plans in mathematical modelling into the curriculum. The biological focus of the activities is the…

  13. E-BEST Principles: Infusing Technology into the Writing Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coskie, Tracy L.; Hornof, M. Michelle

    2013-01-01

    As teachers work to move their writing workshop into the 21st century and to help students meet new standards expectations, they are ramping up their use of technology. This article lays out a set of guiding principles (E-BEST) to help teachers make reflective choices, so that the digital technologies in their workshops will enhance and extend…

  14. "Concept to Classroom": Web-based Workshops for Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donlevy, James G.; Donlevy, Tia Rice

    2000-01-01

    Describes "Concept to Classroom", a series of free, online workshops developed by channel Thirteen/WNET New York and Disney Learning Partnerships to help teachers explore issues in education including multiple intelligences, constructivism, academic standards, cooperative and collaborative learning, assessment, curriculum redesign,…

  15. Teachers' learning about research for enhancing students' thinking skills in science learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nammungkhun, Wisanugorn; Satchukorn, Sureerat; Saenpuk, Nudchanard; Yuenyong, Chokchai; Chantharanuwong, Warawun

    2018-01-01

    This paper aimed to clarify teachers' learning about research for enhancing students' thinking skills in science learning. The study applied the lens of sociocultural view of learning to discuss teachers' learning about research. Participants included teachers who participated in the project of thinking research schools: research for enhancing students' thinking skills. The project of thinking research schools provided participants chance to learn knowledge about research and thinking research, doing research and publication, and participate in the international conference. Methodology regarded ethnographic research. The tools of interpretation included participant observation, interview, and document analysis. The researchers as participants of the research project of thinking research schools tried to clarify what they learned about research from their way of seeing the view of research about enhancing students' thinking skills through participant observation. The findings revealed what and how teachers as apprenticeship learn about research through legitimate peripheral participation in the research project community of practice. The paper clarified teachers' conceptualization about research for enhancing students' thinking through the workshop, doing research, writing up research article with supported by experts, presenting research in the international conference, editing their research article on the way of publishing, and so on.

  16. The ERESE Workshop: a Unique Opportunity for Collaboration Between Classroom Teacher and Research Scientist

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Symons, C. M.; Helly, M.; Staudigel, H.; Koppers, A.; Reining, J.; Helly, J.; Miller, S.

    2005-12-01

    The ERESE Project (Enduring Resources for Earth Science Education) has hosted 10-15 teachers during a two-week workshop at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) each of the last two summers. The workshop is a concentrated introduction to the resources available on two National Science Digital Library collections maintained at SIO - http://www.EarthRef.org and http://www.SIOExplorer.ucsd.edu. The workshop is run by a team of scientists from SIO, the San Diego Supercomputer Center and a Lead Educator who is also a classroom teacher. This year three teachers from the first year were invited to return to serve as mentors. During the first week of the workshop teachers play the role of student while a lead scientist plays the role of teacher. The students (aka, teachers) analyze maps of seafloor magnetic anomalies to investigate plate tectonic problems. The magnetic data were collected onboard Scripps ships and are archived at SIOExplorer.ucsd.edu. Technical content lessons were designed to introduce the resource matrices on EarthRef.org, how to upload and download classroom lessons within the collection, SIOExplorer's CruiseViewer (portal to over 600 archived cruises) and Mozilla Browser and Composer for building lessons using our inquiry template. The inquiry lesson templates model scientific inquiry and help to streamline lesson design, enactment and sharing. They reference local, state and national standards in order to increase their appeal to a broad audience. The most valuable feature of hosting an on-campus workshop was that participants were afforded the opportunity to collaborate with scientists and research staff on a daily basis. More than 15 guest speakers addressed the teachers, some of whom led guided tours of their respective research facilities and collections. Guest speakers shared data, lecture notes and engaging "sea stories" all of which painted a picture of life as a research earth scientist. Combining their workshop experience in the role of

  17. Polymers, Polymers, Everywhere! A Workshop for Pre-High School Teachers and Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherman, Marie

    1987-01-01

    Described is a workshop for grades 5-8 school teachers and students related to synthetic polymers. Participants become familiar with polymer theory and practice experiments they can use in class. Sources of materials used in the workshop are listed. (RH)

  18. NASA's Kepler Mission: Lessons Learned from Teacher Professional Development Workshops

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Devore, E.; Harman, P.; Koch, D.; Gould, A.

    2010-08-01

    NASA's Kepler Mission conducts teacher professional development workshops on the search for exoplanets in the habitable zone of Sun-like stars. Each is supported by a Kepler team scientist, two Education and Public Outreach staff and local hosts. Activities combine a science content lecture and discussion, making models, kinesthetic activities, and interpretation of transit data. The emphasis is on inquiry-based instruction and supports science education standards in grades 7-12. Participants' kit includes an orrery, optical sensor and software to demonstrate transit detection. The workshop plan, teaching strategies, and lessons learned from evaluation will be discussed. Future events are planned. The Kepler Mission teacher professional development workshops are designed using the best practices and principals from the National Science Education Standards and similar documents. Sharing the outcome of our plans, strategies and formative evaluation results can be of use to other Education and Public Outreach practitioners who plan similar events. In sharing our experiences, we hope to assist others, and to learn from them as well. Supported by NASA Grants to the E. DeVore, SETI Institute NAG2-6066 Kepler Education and Public Outreach and NNX08BA74G, IYA Kepler Mission Pre-launch Workshops.

  19. Modeling Teacher Professional Development Through a Telescope Making Workshop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meredith, J. T.; Schleigh, S. P.; Lee, T. D.

    2010-08-01

    The International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009) provides a springboard to develop innovative enduring educational programming directed toward astronomy education. We examine current professional development models focusing on astronomy and discuss the need for improvement. We propose a professional development design that follows the medical field philosophy using a low cost telescope making workshop as a vehicle to test and modify the model. The workshop promotes teacher content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and develops skills and confidence in an inquiry, integrative lesson. This model can be shared with professional development leaders, coordinators and teachers in any topic or level of education. Professional development designs such as the proposed promote excitement and interest in astronomy and makes it possible for underserved and economically depressed regions to have opportunities to promote the values of scientific investigation, STEM education, and public awareness of astronomy.

  20. Pre-service teacher professional development on climate change: Assessment of workshop success and influence of prior knowledge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Veron, D. E.; Ad-Marbach, G.; Fox-Lykens, R.; Ozbay, G.; Sezen-Barrie, A.; Wolfson, J.

    2017-12-01

    As states move to adopt the next generation science standards, in-service teachers are being provided with professional development that introduces climate change content and best practices for teaching climate change in the classroom. However, research has shown that it is challenging to bring this information into the higher education curriculum in education courses for pre-service teachers due to curricular and programming constraints. Over two years, the Maryland and Delaware Climate Change Assessment and Research (MADE-CLEAR) project explored a professional development approach for pre-service teachers which employed paired workshops that resulted in participant-developed lesson plans based on climate change content. The workshops were designed to provide pre-service teachers with climate change content related to the carbon cycle and to model a variety of techniques and activities for presenting this information in the classroom. Lesson plans were developed between the first and second workshop, presented at the second workshop and discussed with peers and in-service teachers, and then revised in response to feedback from the second workshop. Participant climate change content knowledge was assessed before the first workshop, and after the final revision of the lesson plan was submitted to the MADE-CLEAR team. Climate content knowledge was also assessed using the same survey for additional pre-service teacher groups who did not participate in the professional development. Results show that while the paired workshop approach increased climate content knowledge, the amount of improvement varied depending on the participants' prior knowledge in climate change content. In addition, some alternate conceptions of climate change were not altered by participant involvement in the professional development approach. Revised lesson plans showed understanding of underlying climate change impacts and demonstrated awareness of appropriate techniques for introducing this

  1. Designing Contemporary Teacher Education Curricula. Report of the Annual North Central Association Teacher Education Workshop (38th, Flagstaff, Arizona, 1985).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Donald W., Ed.

    The theme of the 1985-1986 Teacher Education Workshop, sponsored by the North Central Association Teacher Education Project, was "Designing Contemporary Teacher Education Curricula." Group reports are presented on: (1) "Forces Affecting Parameters of Teacher Education"; (2) "A Window of Analysis for Examining One Major Curriculum Recommendation";…

  2. Views, Achievements and Implementation of Preschool Teachers Regarding Movement Education Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mirzeoglu, A. Dilsad; Altay, Figen; Agca, Sumeyra Sert

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the views, achievements and actions of preschool teachers regarding the workshop on movement education. In this study qualitative research design and action research approach were used. The participants comprised 10 voluntary female preschool teachers working in the Central district of Bolu province. In order…

  3. Quality Assurance in Teacher Education. Proceedings of the 1981 Summer Workshop of the Association of Teacher Educators (East Lansing, MI, August 2-5, 1981).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Association of Teacher Educators, Reston, VA.

    Participants in the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE)/Institute for Research on Teaching (IRT) Summer Workshop on "Quality Assurance in Teacher Education: Research Into Practice," attended sessions on higher education and took part in workshops focusing on research on teaching. The ATE presented 32 sessions reviewing current developments in…

  4. Preparing Teachers to Prepare Students for Post-Secondary Science: Observations from a Workshop about Evolution in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schrein, Caitlin M.; Lynch, John M.; Brem, Sarah K.; Marchant, Gary E.; Schedler, Karen K.; Spencer, Mark A.; Kazilek, Charles J.

    2009-01-01

    This paper summarizes the content and results of a workshop about the teaching of evolution presented to public middle school and high school science teachers by individuals involved both in university education and the professional development of teachers. The goals of the workshop were to: (1) provide teachers with knowledge and resources to…

  5. The Teacher's Role. Implementing Title IX and Attaining Sex Equity: A Workshop Package for Elementary-Secondary Educators. Outline and Participants' Materials for Application Sessions for Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCune, Shirley; And Others

    This 2-day workshop package was developed to address the needs of elementary and secondary school teachers with regard to Title IX and sex equity. The role of elementary and secondary school teachers in reinforcing sex fairness and in eliminating sex bias in teacher education curricula and in the classroom is the focus of the workshop. The…

  6. Specialized Workshops on the Agricultural Science and Technology Curriculum for Secondary Agricultural Science Teachers. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock.

    This brief report describes six 2- to 3-day specialized workshops conducted at Texas Tech University and Stephen F. Austin University campuses for 121 secondary agriscience teachers. The workshops provided teachers with instruction and materials to assist them in teaching the new 100, 200, and 300 level semester courses. Topics were as follows:…

  7. GeoGebra Workshop for the Initial Teacher Training in Primary Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopez, Natalia Ruiz

    2011-01-01

    The GeoGebra Workshop for the degree "Teacher in Primary Education" has been designed to work the main geometric competencies that primary pre-service teachers need to develop. In this paper, some case studies are included in which we analyse the development of geometric skills and the use of GeoGebra dynamic tools in three types of activities:…

  8. Educator workshop

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-01-22

    Middle school teachers from across Louisiana participate in a hands-on activity during a professional development workshop at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge on Jan. 22, 2011. Fifty-five teachers participated in the workshop, which was hosted by the Stennis Education Office. During the workshop, Stennis specialists presented hands-on, problem-based learning and technology-based activities teachers can use in their classrooms to promote interest in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

  9. Collaboration in teacher workshops and citizen science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gibbs, M. G.; Buxner, S.; Gay, P.; Crown, D. A.; Bracey, G.; Gugliucci, N.; Costello, K.; Reilly, E.

    2013-12-01

    The Moon and Earth system is an important topic for elementary and middle school science classrooms. Elementary and middle school teachers are challenged to keep current in science. The Planetary Science Institute created a program titled Workshops in Science Education and Resources (WISER): Planetary Perspectives to assist in-service K-12 teachers with their knowledge in earth and space science, using up-to-date science and inquiry activities to assist them in engaging their students. To augment the science and add a new aspect for teacher professional development, PSI is working in a new partnership collaborating with the Cosmoquest project in engaging teachers in authentic inquiry of the Moon. Teachers now learn about the Moon from PSI scientists and education staff and then engage in inquiry of the Moon using CosmoQuest's online citizen science project MoonMappers and its accompanying classroom curriculum TerraLuna. Through MoonMappers, teachers and students explore the lunar surface by viewing high-resolution pictures from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and marking craters and other interesting features. In addition, TerraLuna provides a unit of inquiry-based activities that bring MoonMappers and its science content into the classroom. This program addresses standards teachers need to teach and helps them not only teach about the Moon but also engage their students in authentic inquiry of the lunar surface.

  10. Novice Music Teachers Learning to Improvise in an Improvisation Professional Development Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Filsinger, Mark H.

    2013-01-01

    With the intent of improving music improvisation pedagogy, the purpose of this research was to examine experiences of six novice music teachers and a professional development facilitator in an eight-week Improvisation Professional Development Workshop (IPDW). The research questions were: 1. How do teachers learn to improvise within the context of…

  11. An Evaluation of a Media Literacy Program Training Workshop for Late Elementary School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scull, Tracy Marie; Kupersmidt, Janis Beth

    2011-01-01

    The present study examined the efficacy of a media literacy education, substance abuse prevention training workshop for late elementary school teachers. Analyses revealed that the randomly assigned intervention (n = 18) and control (n = 23) teachers were similar in demographic characteristics and pre-training beliefs and knowledge. Teachers who…

  12. Space Science Field Workshops for K-12 Teacher-Scientist Teams

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, P. B.; Kiefer, W. S.; Treiman, A. H.; Irving, A. J.; Johnson, K. M.

    2002-01-01

    In collaboration with NASA Space Grant Consortia and other partners, we developed workshops for K-12 teachers that involve intensive, direct interaction with scientists. Field trips allow informal and spontaneous interaction, encouraging active participation. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

  13. Examining the effects of a DNA fingerprinting workshop on science teachers' professional development and student learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sonmez, Duygu

    The 21st century has become the age of biology with the completion of the human genome project and other milestone discoveries. Recent progress has redefined what it means to be scientifically literate, which is the ultimate goal in science education. "What students should know?" "What needs to be taught?" These questions lead to reformulation of the science curriculum due to the changing nature of scientific knowledge. Molecular biology is increasingly emphasized in the science curriculum along with applications of the latest developments within our daily lives, such as medicine or legal matters. However, many schools and classrooms exclude the latest advances in molecular genetics from science curriculum and even teach biology as a non-laboratory science. Many science educators wonder what can be done to help every child gain meaningful experiences with molecular genetics. Limited content knowledge among teachers due to the changing nature of scientific knowledge, and the rapid discoveries in technology are known to be a part of the problem for teachers, especially for teachers who have been in the workforce for many years. A major aim of professional development is to help teachers cope with the advances in scientific knowledge and provide paths for teachers to continually improve their knowledge and skills. The expectation is that increased knowledge and skills among teachers will be reflected in student achievement. Professional development is typically offered in a variety of formats, from short-term, one-shot workshop approaches to long term courses. The effectiveness of short-term exposures, though, is in many cases is questionable. One of the issues appears to be the gap between the incidence of teachers' attendance at professional development programs and the incidence of implementation in participants' classrooms. This study focuses on this issue by exploring the relationship between teachers' professional development attendance and their implementation

  14. #ClimateEdCommunity : Field Workshops Bring Together Teachers and Researchers to Make Meaning of Science and Classroom Integration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartholow, S.; Warburton, J.; Wood, J. H.; Steiner, S. M.

    2015-12-01

    Seeing Understanding and Teaching: Climate Change in Denali is a four-day immersive teacher professional development course held in Denali National Park. Developed through three partner organizations, the course aims to develop teachers' skills for integrating climate change content into their classrooms. This presentation aims to share tangible best practices for linking researchers and teachers in the field, through four years of experience in program delivery and reported through a published external evaluation. This presentation will examine the key aspects of a successful connection between teachers, researchers, science, and classrooms: (1) Inclusion of teacher leaders, (2) dedicated program staff, (3) workshop community culture, and will expose barriers to this type of collaboration including (1) differences in learning style, (2) prior teaching experience, (3) existing/scaffolding understanding of climate change science, and (4) accessibility of enrollment and accommodations for the extended learning experience. Presentation Content Examples:Participants overwhelmingly value the deep commitment this course has to linking their field experience to the classroom attributing to the role of a teacher-leader; an expert science teacher with first-hand field research experience in the polar regions. The goal of including a teacher-leader is to enhance translatability between fieldwork and the classroom. Additionally, qualitative aspects of the report touches on the intangible successes of the workshop such as: (1) the creation of a non-judgmental learning atmosphere, (2) addressing accessibility to science learning tools in rural and under-served communities, (3) defining successful collaboration as making meaning together through exploratory questioning while in the field (4) discussed the social and cultural implications of climate change, and the difficulty of navigating these topics in educational and/or multicultural spaces. Next Steps? Create a #Climate

  15. Discover science: Hands-on science workshops for elementary teachers and summer science camps for elementary students

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gotlib, L.; Bibby, E.; Cullen, B.

    1994-12-31

    Teams of local mentor teachers (assisted by college students in the NC Teaching Fellows Program) run week-long workshops for elementary teachers (at four sites in 1993, six in 1994). Major funding for the camps is provided through The Glaxo Foundation, supplemented with local funds. The workshops focus on hands-on science (using inexpensive materials) and provide familiarity and experience with the new NC science curriculum and assessment program. The use of local resources is stressed (including visiting scientists and readily available store-bought materials). Each camp has its own theme and provides teachers with a variety of resources to be used withmore » students of all abilities. The mentor teachers then run week-long, all expense paid, non-residential science camps for elementary students (open to all students, but with females and minorities as target groups). Students take part in long-and short-term projects, working individually and in groups. Pre and post participation surveys of all participants were conducted and analyzed, with favorable results for both the student and teacher weeks. Additional activities include parent nights, and follow-up workshops. Eighty-nine teachers and 208 students participated in 1993.« less

  16. Secondary School Teachers' Perceptions of Interactive Whiteboard Training Workshops: A Case Study from Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lai, Horng-Ji

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore secondary school teachers' perceptions of interactive whiteboard (IWB) training workshops in Taiwan. This study also sought to identify potential problems associated with the design of IWB training workshops in order to improve their effectiveness. This research employed observations and interviews to…

  17. Free Workshop for Teachers at the 2013 AGU Fall Meeting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tamalavage, Anne

    2013-10-01

    In keeping with its commitment to fostering the next generation of Earth and space scientists, AGU is partnering with the National Earth Science Teachers Association to hold the annual Geophysical Information for Teachers (GIFT) workshop at the 2013 AGU Fall Meeting. GIFT allows K-12 science educators (both classroom and informal) to hear from scientists about their latest Earth and space science research, explore new classroom resources for engaging students, and visit exhibits and technical sessions during the Fall Meeting.

  18. Staff Development Workshops for High School Science Teachers of Limited English Proficient Students 1988-89.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berney, Tomi D.; Cantalupo, Denise

    The staff development workshops for high school science teachers of Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students program are described. The project provided services which involved: creating a resource library, collecting videotaped records of the staff development workshops for future training sessions, disseminating information and materials, and…

  19. Earth Exploration Toolbook Workshops: Web-Conferencing and Teleconferencing Professional Development Bringing Earth Science Data Analysis and Visualization Tools to K-12 Teachers and Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McAuliffe, C.; Ledley, T.

    2008-12-01

    The Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) Workshops Project provides a mechanism for teachers and students to have successful data-using educational experiences. In this professional development project, teachers learn to use National Science Digital Library (NSDL), the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE), and an Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) chapter. In an EET Data Analysis Workshop, participants walk through an Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET) chapter, learning basic data analysis techniques and discussing ways to use Earth science datasets and analysis tools with their students. We have offered twenty-eight Data Analysis Workshops since the project began. The total number of participants in the twenty-eight workshops to date is three hundred eleven, which reflects one hundred eighty different teachers participating in one or more workshops. Our workshops reach middle and high school teachers across the United States at schools with lower socioeconomic levels and at schools with large numbers of minority students. Our participants come from thirty-eight different states including Alaska, Maine, Florida, Montana, and many others. Eighty-six percent of our participants are classroom teachers. The remaining fourteen percent are staff development specialists, university faculty, or outreach educators working with teachers. Of the classroom teachers, one third are middle school teachers (grades 6 to 8) and two thirds are high school teachers (grades 9 to 12.) Thirty-four percent of our participants come from schools where minority populations are the majority make up of the school. Twenty-five percent of our participants are at schools where the majority of the students receive free or reduced cost lunches. Our professional development workshops are helping to raise teachers' awareness of both the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). Prior to taking one of our workshops, forty-two percent of

  20. Changes in One Teacher's Proportional Reasoning Instruction after Participating in a CGI Professional Development Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de la Cruz, Jessica A.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined how one teacher used research-based knowledge of how adolescents think about proportions. Observations, interviews, document collection, and a workshop intervention were utilized. The design of the workshop was inspired by the cognitively guided instruction studies and its purpose was to explore the research findings on…

  1. Enhancing Professional Development for Teachers: Potential Uses of Information Technology, Report of a Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Academies Press, 2007

    2007-01-01

    Teachers, like other professionals, need to stay informed about new knowledge and technologies. Yet many express dissatisfaction with the professional development opportunities made available to them in schools and insist that the most effective development programs they have experienced have been self-initiated. "Enhancing Professional…

  2. A Model for Local Experiential Learning: Teacher Workshop on Mangroves, Oceans & Climate in Kosrae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maloney, A. E.; Sachs, J. P.; Barros, C.; Low, M.

    2016-02-01

    A curriculum for an intensive one-day workshop about mangroves, oceans, and climate has been developed for school teachers in the Federated States of Micronesia. The goals of the workshop are for teachers/attendees to be able to (i) explain what salinity is and describe how it varies from the ocean to the river, (ii) explain what a mangrove is and describe adaptations mangroves have developed that allow them to live in saline or brackish water and adjust to changing sea level, and (iii) develop a grade-appropriate poster on mangroves or salinity and one interactive activity that uses the poster to engage students in learning. These objectives are accomplished by field trips to the ocean and mangrove swamp, where each participant learns how to measure salinity and identify mangrove species. The hands-on field component is followed by a poster development session where participants design, present, and share feedback on their posters that they will bring back to their classrooms. This experience allows schoolteachers to intimately explore their coastal ecosystems and gain new perspectives about their environment that they can take back to their students. The workshop was designed through a collaborative effort between Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) NSF Pacific Climate Education Partnership, University of Washington professors, graduate students and undergraduate students, Kosrae Department of Education, Kosrae Island Resource Management Authority (KIRMA), Kosrae Island Conservation and Safety Organization (KCSO), and local Kosraean schoolteachers and administrators. The workshop was offered to elementary school teachers from 4 of 5 school districts in 2013, 2014, and 2015, led by University of Washington scientists and PREL. Local education officials and PREL staff will lead future workshops.

  3. Enhancing elementary-school mathematics teachers' efficacy beliefs: a qualitative action research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katz, Sara; Stupel, Moshe

    2016-04-01

    Individuals and societies that can use mathematics effectively in this period of rapid changes will have a voice on increasing the opportunities and potentials which can shape their future. This has brought affective characteristics, such as self-efficacy, that affect mathematics achievement into focus of the research. Teacher efficacy refers to the extent to which a teacher feels capable to help students learn, influence students' performance and commitment, and thus plays a crucial role in developing the student in all aspects. In this study, we used two sources of efficacy beliefs, mastery experiences and physiological and emotional states, in an interesting and challenging seven month workshop, as tools to foster teacher efficacy for six elementary-school teachers who were frustrated and wanted to leave their job. Our aim was to study the nature of these teachers' efficacy in order to change it. In this qualitative action research, we used open interviews, non-participant observations and field notes. Results show that these teachers became efficacious, their students' achievements and motivation were enhanced, and the school climate was changed. Qualitative inquiry of this construct sheds light on efficacy beliefs of mathematics teachers. Nurturing teacher efficacy has borne much fruit in the field of mathematics in school.

  4. Integrating Mobile Phones into Teaching and Learning: A Case Study of Teacher Training through Professional Development Workshops

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ekanayake, Sakunthala Y.; Wishart, Jocelyn

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the development and implementation of a professional development workshop series on integrating mobile phones into science teaching for a group of teachers in Sri Lanka. The series comprised a 3-day Planning Workshop followed by implementation of the planned lessons in real classrooms and a subsequent 1-day Reviewing Workshop.…

  5. Model for Developing an In-Service Teacher Workshop To Help Multilingual and Multicultural Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kachaturoff, Grace; Romatowski, Jane A.

    This is a model for designing an inservice teacher workshop to assist teachers working with multicultural students. The basic assumption underlying the model is universities and schools need to work cooperatively to provide experiences for improving the quality of teaching by increasing awareness of educational issues and situations and by…

  6. The role of exhibits in teacher workshops at science museums

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stein, Fred D.

    Between 1986 and 1998, the Exploratorium Institute for Inquiry offered multi-week science institutes for elementary educators involving museum exhibit use during a three-day independent investigation on light and color. Many museums tend to underutilize exhibit use in their teacher education programs. This study addresses the question, "What are the contributions of exhibit use to teachers' learning of science content during a workshop at a science museum?" Data from workshops over three successive years was collected in the form of 13 case studies of participants' investigations. Pre- and post-testing of six participants showed a large (ES = 3.0 SD) and significant gain in their understanding of light and color concepts. The case studies were analyzed by coding each incident of exhibit use according to how the exhibit interaction might have helped the participant in his or her learning. Clusters of recurring themes emerged inductively from the coding process suggesting that the exhibits conferred both logistical and conceptual benefits. Logistically, the exhibits acted as "labor-saving" devices, saving participants time because they were always set up and ready to use, and saving the workshop facilitators time because facilitators could recommend that a participant visit an exhibit rather than spend time giving them individual attention or helping them construct their own investigation apparatus. Conceptually, the exhibits supported each aspect of the Piagetian conceptual change process---accommodation, assimilation, and disequilibrium. They supported accommodation of idea structures and the development of new ones by encouraging participants to ask and answer "What would happen if...?" questions which often generated ideas to explain the new experiences. They supported assimilation of experiences into recently developed idea structures or schemes (supporting and consolidating them) by providing opportunities for participants to ask and answer "Will it happen if

  7. Measuring Engagement and Learning Outcomes During a Teacher Professional Development Workshop about Creative Climate Communication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morrison, A.; Gold, A. U.; Soltis, N.; McNeal, K.; Kay, J. E.

    2017-12-01

    Climate science and global climate change are complex topics that require system-level thinking and the application of general science concepts. Identifying effective instructional approaches for improving climate literacy is an emerging research area with important broader impacts. Active learning techniques can ensure engagement throughout the learning process and increase retention of climate science content. Conceptual changes that can be measured as lasting learning gains occur when both the cognitive and affective domain are engaged. Galvanic skin sensors are a relatively new technique to directly measure engagement and cognitive load in science education. We studied the engagement and learning gains of 16 teachers throughout a one-day teacher professional development workshop focused on creative strategies to communicate about climate change. The workshop consisted of presentations about climate science, climate communication, storytelling and filmmaking, which were delivered using different pedagogical approaches. Presentations alternated with group exercises, clicker questions, videos and discussions. Using a pre-post test design we measured learning gains and attitude changes towards climate change among participating teachers. Each teacher wore a hand sensor to measure galvanic skin conductance as a proxy for emotional engagement. We surveyed teachers to obtain self-reflection data on engagement and on their skin conductance data during and after the workshop. Qualitative data provide critical information to aid the interpretation of skin conductance readings. Based on skin conductance data, teachers were most engaged during group work, discussions and videos as compared to lecture-style presentations. We discuss the benefits and limitations of using galvanic skin sensors to inform the design of teacher professional development opportunities. Results indicate that watching videos or doing interactive activities may be the most effective strategies for

  8. Computer Visualizations for K-8 Science Teachers: One Component of Professional Development Workshops at the Planetary Science Institute

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kortenkamp, S.; Baldridge, A. M.; Bleamaster, L. F.; Buxner, S.; Canizo, T.; Crown, D. A.; Lebofsky, L. A.

    2012-12-01

    The Planetary Science Institute (PSI), in partnership with the Tucson Regional Science Center, offers a series of professional development workshops targeting K-8 science teachers in southern Arizona. Using NASA data sets, research results, and a team of PSI scientists and educators, our workshops provide teachers with in-depth content knowledge of fundamental concepts in astronomy, geology, and planetary science. Current workshops are: The Earth-Moon System, Exploring the Terrestrial Planets, Impact Cratering, The Asteroid-Meteorite Connection, Volcanoes of the Solar System, Deserts of the Solar System, and Astrobiology and the Search for Extrasolar Planets. Several workshops incorporate customized computer visualizations developed at PSI. These visualizations are designed to help teachers overcome the common misconceptions students have in fundamental areas of space science. For example, the simple geometric relationship between the sun, the moon, and Earth is a concept that is rife with misconceptions. How can the arrangement of these objects account for the constantly changing phases of the moon as well as the occasional eclipses of the sun and moon? Students at all levels often struggle to understand the explanation for phases and eclipses even after repeated instruction over many years. Traditional classroom techniques have proven to be insufficient at rooting out entrenched misconceptions. One problem stems from the difficulty of developing an accurate mental picture of the Earth-Moon system in space when a student's perspective has always been firmly planted on the ground. To address this problem our visualizations take the viewers on a journey beyond Earth, giving them a so-called "god's eye" view of how the Earth-Moon system would look from a distance. To make this journey as realistic as possible we use ray-tracing software, incorporate NASA mission images, and accurately portray rotational and orbital motion. During a workshop our visualizations are

  9. Rocks, Rain, and Climate: a GIFT Workshop for Teachers in Brazil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Passow, M. J.; Krusche, N.; Carneiro, C. D.

    2010-12-01

    Classroom teachers and university professors from two continents joined to learn about “Rocks, Rain, and Climate” in the GIFT (Geophysical Information For Teachers) Workshop at the Meeting of the Americas, held in Foz de Iguaçu (Iguassu Falls), Brazil, 8 - 9 August 2010. GIFT workshops have long been part of the AGU Fall Meetings, but among “the pioneers” from this program were the first GIFT in South America and the first GIFT presented in Portuguese and English. Its success will provide a model for future teacher-professor-researcher professional development in Brazil. The two-day course opened with overviews of the “Geology and Relief of South America” from C.D.R. Carneiro and the “Weather and Climate in South America” from Michelle R. Reboita (Federal University of Itajubá/UNIFEI). M.J. Passow organized a discussion about the “Challenges to Teaching about Climate Change,” followed by an exchange among the participants about their teaching experiences. The first day ended with a presentation by Antonio Carlos Alves Carvalho (Ministry of Education) about governmental initiatives to enhance distance learning and educational technology across the country to provide greater access to quality resources for all students and teachers. On the second day, Rachel Albrecht (Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies of the National Space Research Institute/CPTEC-INPE) described her research using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)satellite precipitation data. M.J. Passow explained additional classroom applications of satellite data for studying precipitation and other patterns in the Tropics. C.D.R. Carneiro then discussed current research into “Weathering, Rocks, and the Carbon Cycle.” In the final session, Maria Assunção Faus da Silva Dias (University of São Paulo/USP)explained creation and educational uses of mathematical models to study the evolution of climate, especially as it relates to the hydrologic cycle. Participants

  10. A Description and Evaluation of the 1979 Summer Training Workshop. Roosevelt University and the Chicago Board of Education Teacher Corps Project--Program '78.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asser, Eliot; And Others

    A report is given of a fifteen-day summer workshop sponsored by the Teacher Corps. The workshop was held in Chicago, Illinois and involved faculty from the Hyde Park Career Academy, Dumas Elementary School, representatives from the Community Council, and interns from the Teacher Corps Member Training Institute. The focus of the workshop was on…

  11. Chemistry Teachers' Journey through Modeling Instruction: From Workshop to Classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frick, Tasha

    This presentation will feature case study research that describes the difficulties that four high school chemistry teachers faced while implementing Modeling Instruction into their classrooms. Modeling Instruction is characterized by the development of understanding through cooperative inquiry and collective discourse on a path from concrete to abstract. The complications in transforming a classroom from traditional teacher centered methods to one which focuses on the use of student-centered Modeling Instruction will be thoroughly investigated through the stories of each of the participants. The study begins with observations of the teachers prior to the introduction of Modeling Instruction and follows them into the professional development in the summer, the initial use in the fall term, a follow-up workshop, and finally back into the classrooms. The enlightening findings highlight the difficulties teachers had in aligning the standards, and developing a scope and sequence, as well as reconciling their beliefs about student ability.

  12. Community Interactive Research Workshop Series: Community Members Engaged as Team Teachers to Conduct Research.

    PubMed

    Nguyen-Truong, Connie Kim; Tang, Joannie; Hsiao, Chiao-Yun

    2017-01-01

    Vietnamese women are diagnosed with cervical cancer at twice the rate of non-Hispanic White women and the highest compared to Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Japanese women. ἀ e Vietnamese Women's Health Project, a community-based participatory research partnership, was developed to address this concern. In earlier studies, community members received research training. To describe how we developed an innovative curricular research training framework. Community members developed their own learning goals and activities, taught alongside a nurse scientist, and participated in a community interactive research workshop series. Popular education principles were used to guide team teaching. Topics, learning goals, lesson plans, and an evaluation w ere de veloped t ogether. ἀ ree, 4 -5.5 h our workshops were hosted. Topics included qualitative research, art of hearing data, reflexivity, analysis, validity, and dissemination. Community members and a nurse scientist co-constructed knowledge through participatory methods. ἀe workshops ran concurrent to the study timeline to inform community members' research activities and vice versa. A range from 8 to 20 participants attended the workshops, of which six community members were team teachers and three facilitated at each workshop. In an evaluation, team teachers reported workshop strengths: an empathetic and trusting learn ing environment, a sense of ownership in learning, a greater under standing of roles in research partnerships, and a feel ing of safety to conduct research with academic investigators. Academic investigators need to be aware that co-constructing knowledge is foundational to long-term sustainability of community-based participatory research partnership (CBPR) partnerships, but requires building team capacity to conduct research collaboratively.

  13. Educational Technology Training Workshops for Mathematics Teachers: An Exploration of Perception Changes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lau, Wilfred Wing Fat; Yuen, Allan Hoi Kau

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the effects of educational technology training workshops on perception changes of mathematics teachers. Three perceptions, namely, pedagogical orientation, efficacy, and liking in relation to technology integration, were explored in this study. Two research questions were addressed: Do educational technology training workshops…

  14. Creating Teachers' Perceptual, Behavioral, and Attitudinal Change Using Professional Development Workshops

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shriner, Michael; Schlee, Bethanne; Hamil, Melissa; Libler, Rebecca

    2009-01-01

    As part of an on-going project designed to impact teacher quality at the pre-service, induction, and professional development levels, this paper summarizes the parametric results of a series of four different workshops conducted in the summer of 2007. In an effort to glean a better understanding of their knowledge, attitudinal, perceptual, and…

  15. "Novice Teachers" Views of an Introductory Workshop about Teaching in the Biosciences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gartland, Kevan M. A.; Perkins, Joy; Shearer, Morven C.; Tierney, Anne M.; Wilson, Jackie J.

    2013-01-01

    Seven regional networking events, aimed at supporting and developing "early stage" novice university bioscience teachers were held across the UK. These workshops allowed 230 participants to reflect on teaching styles, learn about Higher Education Academy resources and discuss strategies to deal with a range of teaching situations.…

  16. The Curriculum Workshop: A Place for Deliberative Inquiry and Teacher Professional Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansen, Klaus-Henning

    2008-01-01

    In this article, the curriculum workshop (CW) is elaborated as an approach to professional learning, deliberation and inquiry. It offers a comprehensive framework for school-based deliberation and inquiry, is rooted in curriculum theory, promises a broad range of applications in teacher education and provides tools to assess the trustworthiness of…

  17. Self-regulation workshop and Occupational Performance Coaching with teachers: A pilot study.

    PubMed

    Hui, Caroline; Snider, Laurie; Couture, Mélanie

    2016-04-01

    Teachers' occupational role and performance can be undermined when working with students with disruptive classroom behaviours. This pilot study aimed to explore the impact of school-based occupational therapy intervention on teachers' classroom management self-efficacy and perceived performance/satisfaction in their management of students with disruptive behaviours. This pilot study used a multiple-case replication study design. A cohort of regular classroom elementary school teachers (n = 11) participated in a 1-day workshop on sensorimotor strategies for supporting student self-regulation followed by eight individual sessions of Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC). Measurement tools were the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), and Teachers' Self-Efficacy Scale-Classroom Management. Improvement in teachers' perception of performance, satisfaction, and classroom management was seen. GAS showed clinically significant improvement. Improvements were sustained at 7 weeks follow-up. Preliminary results support the use of sensorimotor education combined with OPC to enable teachers' occupational performance. © CAOT 2016.

  18. Teacher Enhancement Institute

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Marshall-Bradley, Tina

    1994-01-01

    During the 1980's, a period of intense concern over educational quality in the United States, few indicators of U.S. student achievement garnered the interest of policy makers and pundits as successfully as the results of international testing in mathematics and science. This concern was so great that as a part of the Goals 2000 initiative, President George Bush indicated that 'By the year 2000, U.S. students should be first in the world in mathematics and science.' The Clinton Administration is placing a major emphasis, not only on rigorous academic standards and creating a new system for assessing students' progress, but also including professional development as a major focus. The argument being that teachers need more sustained, intensive training to prepare them to teach to higher standards. Executive order 12821 mandates that national laboratories 'assist in the mathematics and science education of our Nation's students, teachers, parents and the public by establishing programs at their agency to provide for training elementary and secondary school teachers to improve their knowledge of mathematics and science'. These and other issues led to the development of ideas for a project that addresses the need for excellence in mathematics, science and technology instruction. In response to these initiatives the NASA/LaRC Teacher Enhancement Institute was proposed. The TEI incorporated systemic reform perspectives, enhanced content knowledge for teachers, and teacher preparation. Emphasis was also placed on recruiting those educators who teach in impoverished urban school districts with at-risk student populations who have been traditionally under represented in science, mathematics, technology and engineering. Participants in the Teacher Enhancement Institute were 37 teachers from grades K-8, teaching in Region 2 in the state of Virginia, as well as 2 preservice teachers from Norfolk State University and one teacher from Dublin, Virginia, where a Science

  19. Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops held in Conjunction with Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) EGU Conferences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laj, Carlo; Cifelli, Francesca

    2015-04-01

    The Alexander von Humboldt Conference Series of the European Geosciences Union are a series of meetings held outside of Europe, in particular in South America, Africa or Asia, on selected topics of geosciences with a socio-economic impact for regions on these continents, jointly organised with the scientists and their institutes and the institutions of these regions. Given the increasing success of the GIFT workshops held in conjunction with the General Assemblies, since 2010 EGU has also developed a series of GIFT workshops held in conjunction with AvH conferences. Associated GIFT workshops were held in Merida, Yucatan, on the theme of Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Societies (March 2010), then in Penang, Malaysia (June 2011) on the theme of Ocean Acidification, in November 2012 in Cusco (Peru) on the theme of Natural Disasters, Global Change and the Preservation of World Heritage Sites, finally in Istanbul (March 2014) on "High Impact Natural Hazards Related to the Euro-Mediterranean Region. The next GIFT workshop is already planned for October 2015 in Adis Ababa (Ethiopia) on the theme "Water". In each case, the GIFT workshop was held on the last two days of the AvH conference and reunited 40-45 teachers from the nation where the AvH was held. Keynote speakers from AvH were speakers to the GIFT workshops which also included hands-on activities animated by sciences educators. These GIFT workshops represented the first workshops specifically aimed at teachers held in the country, and therefore represents a significant Earth Sciences contribution to secondary education in non European countries.

  20. Effect of the science teaching advancement through modeling physical science professional development workshop on teachers' attitudes, beliefs and content knowledge and students' content knowledge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dietz, Laura

    The Science Teaching Advancement through Modeling Physical Science (STAMPS) professional development workshop was evaluated for effectiveness in improving teachers' and students' content knowledge. Previous research has shown modeling to be an effective method of instruction for improving student and teacher content knowledge, evidenced by assessment scores. Data includes teacher scores on the Force Concept Inventory (FCI; Hestenes, Wells, & Swackhamer, 1992) and the Chemistry Concept Inventory (CCI; Jenkins, Birk, Bauer, Krause, & Pavelich, 2004), as well as student scores on a physics and chemistry assessment. Quantitative data is supported by teacher responses to a post workshop survey and classroom observations. Evaluation of the data shows that the STAMPS professional development workshop was successful in improving both student and teacher content knowledge. Conclusions and suggestions for future study are also included.

  1. Results from pre- and post- tests of professional development astronomy workshops for teachers in Peru

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deustua, Susana; Ros, Rosa

    2015-08-01

    Since 2009, the Network for Astronomy School Education (NASE) has held 55+ workshops in countries in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America, training more than 1200 teachers and potentially reaching one million or more students. Like modern professional development programs, NASE’s emphasis is on interactive, hands-on learning. However, our emphasis is on “low-tech” tools that are readily available, and, inexpensive. Teachers are led through a series of activities that cover a wide range of topics in astronomy, more or less equivalent to that covered in the typical 1st year astronomy course in US colleges.In 2014 we adopted the Astronomy Diagnostic Test as pre- and post- workshop tests to guage the change in teachers’ knowledge as a result of participation in this intervention. In this paper we discuss the first results using the Astronomy Diagnostic Test in astronomy workshops in Peru during March 2014 and February 2015. NASE workskhops were held at the facilities of the Observatorio de Radio de Sicaya of the Instituto Geofisico del Peru, in Chupaca, a farming community approximately 20 km from the Andean city, Huancayo. Sponsors of the Chupaca workshop were the IGP, NASE and the UGEL (regional school district). The second workshop was held at the University of Ica, in the coastal city of Ica, 250 km south of Lima, sponsored by the Instituto Geofisico del Peru and the University, and the 3rd workshop in Lima.We will discuss our results, which for the most part do indeed show a positive change in knowledge, but in a couple of areas the change is either null or negative.

  2. Brazilian Physical Education Teachers' Attitudes toward Inclusion before and after Participation in a Professional Development Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haegele, Justin A.; Hodge, Samuel; Filho, Paulo José Barbosa Gutierres; de Rezende, Alexandre Luiz Gonçalves

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyze the attitudes of physical education teachers about inclusion and teaching students with disabilities in Brazil before and after they participated in a professional development workshop focused on inclusive ideology and strategies. The participants were Brazilian physical education teachers (pretest sample,…

  3. Bilingual Pairs in Teacher Education: Exploring Wild Strategies in an Environmental Education Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arreguín-Anderson, María Guadalupe; Garza, Esther V.

    2014-01-01

    In this study, the authors narrate the results of a linguistically accommodated environmental education workshop in which monolingual and bilingual preservice teachers were exposed to instruction in English and Spanish. The authors contend that environmental initiatives, such as Project Wildlife in Learning Design, can promote an understanding of…

  4. Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) Workshops held in Conjunction with Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) EGU Conferences.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Laj, C. E.; Cifelli, F.

    2014-12-01

    Given the increasing success of the GIFT workshops held in conjunction with the General Assemblies, since 2010 EGU has also developed a series of GIFT workshops held in conjunction with AvH conferences. The Alexander von Humboldt Conference Series of the European Geosciences Union are a series of meetings held outside of Europe, in particular in South America, Africa or Asia, on selected topics of geosciences with a socio-economic impact for regions on these continents, jointly organised with the scientists and their institutes and the institutions of these regions. Associated GIFT workshops were held in Merida, Yucatan, on the theme of Climate Change, Natural Hazards and Societies (March 2010), then in Penang, Malaysia (June 2011) on the theme of Ocean Acidification, in November 2012 in Cusco (Peru) on the theme of Natural Disasters, Global Change and the Preservation of World Heritage Sites, finally in Istanbul (March 2014) on "High Impact Natural Hazards Related to the Euro-Mediterranean Region. The next GIFT workshop is already planned for October 2015 in Adis Ababa (Ethiopia) on the theme "Water". In each case, the GIFT workshop was held on the last two days of the AvH conference and reunited 40-45 teachers from the nation where the AvH was held. Keynote speakers from AvH were speakers to the GIFT workshops which also included hands-on activities animated by sciences educators. In 3 cases of the 4 cases, these GIFT workshops represented the first workshop specifically aimed at teachers held in the country, and therefore represents a significant Earth Sciences contribution to secondary education in non European countries.

  5. Progress in Teachers' Readiness to Promote Positive Youth Development among Students during the Lions Quest Teaching Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Talvio, Markus; Berg, Minna; Ketonen, Elina; Komulainen, Erkki; Lonka, Kirsti

    2015-01-01

    Modern learning psychology places an emphasis on the ability of teachers to promote their students' social and emotional learning (SEL) and living a good life. Research on precisely how teachers promote SEL and well-being among their students, however, remains scarce. This study focused on evaluating the Lions Quest teaching workshop (LQ), which…

  6. Enhancing literacy practices in science classrooms through a professional development program for Canadian minority-language teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rivard, Léonard P.; Gueye, Ndeye R.

    2016-05-01

    Literacy in the Science Classroom Project was a three-year professional development (PD) program supporting minority-language secondary teachers' use of effective language-based instructional strategies for teaching science. Our primary objective was to determine how teacher beliefs and practices changed over time and how these were enacted in different classrooms. We also wanted to identify the challenges and enablers to implementing these literacy strategies and practices at the classroom, school, and district levels. Data collection involved both qualitative and quantitative methodologies: student questionnaires; interviews with teachers, principals, and mentor; and focus groups with students. The findings suggest that the program had an impact on beliefs and practices commensurate with the workshop participation of individual teachers. These language-enhanced teacher practices also had a positive impact on the use of talking, reading and writing by students in the science classroom. Finally, continuing PD support may be needed in certain jurisdictions for strengthening minority-language programs given the high teacher mobility in content-area classrooms evident in this study.

  7. Enhancing Teacher Efficacy in Special Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDaniel, Elizabeth A.; McCarthy, Holly DiBella

    1989-01-01

    A special education teacher's sense of teaching efficacy and personal teaching efficacy influences teacher motivation and effort, teacher-student interactions, and student achievement. Methods for enhancing teachers' sense of efficacy are suggested. (JDD)

  8. Writer's Workshop: Implementing Units of Study, Findings from a Teacher Study Group, and Student Success in Writing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chaney, Sandra Lynne

    2011-01-01

    Background: An elementary teacher study group supports each other in a year-long journey as they learn how to work through writer's workshop curriculum in order to implement Units of Study by Lucy Calkins at a K-6 school. Time spent in writing instruction has been largely neglected, and a teacher-researcher wants to document the support found from…

  9. Professional Development, Writer's Workshop and Identity: A Case Study of Women Elementary School Teachers Using Writing as Resistance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zisook, Karla Jean

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative case study was to uncover the ways that women elementary school teachers negotiate their identities within the context of writer's workshop by exploring issues of gender, literacy, and identity. The two central participants were women elementary school teachers who were involved at their Professional Development…

  10. Preserving and enhancing the functionality of highways in Texas : workshop.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-01-01

    Workshop Objectives: : To promote the importance of Highway Functionality : To review functionality in highway lifecycle : To provide how to materials to preserve, maintain, and enhance functionality : To promote coordination be...

  11. Teaching Decolonial Sounds on the Margins: Reflections on a K-12 Teacher Workshop Covering Black & Brown Musical Transculturation in Texas

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cervantes, Marco Antonio

    2015-01-01

    To demonstrate the significance of cultural crossings in Texas and how cultural exchanges can inform teachers and students in the areas of history, fine arts, geography, and social studies, the author constructed a Summer 2013 teacher workshop for Texas K-12 teachers through the Smithsonian Affiliated Institute of Texan Cultures. The author…

  12. Preserving and enhancing the functionality of highways in Texas : workshop.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-01-01

    Workshop Objectives: To promote the importance of Highway Functionality To review functionality in highway lifecycle To provide how to materials to preserve, maintain, and enhance functionality To promote coordination between Tx...

  13. A Program to Train Apprentices to Lead Inservice Workshops for Secondary Teachers of Basic Skills. Developer/Demonstration Project. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stallings, Jane A.

    The Development and Demonstration project has trained interns to lead Effective Use of Time inservice workshops for secondary school teachers of basic reading and mathematical skills. These interns then returned to their home bases and trained teachers who could in turn train other teachers to use the Stallings Effective Use of Time methods. The…

  14. Family Workshops

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bennett, Dave; Rees-Jones, Tanny

    1978-01-01

    A Family Workshop is an informal, multidisciplined educational program for adults and children, organized by a team of teachers. This article discusses the Lavender Hill Family Workshop, one of many, which attempts to provide education in various subject areas for adults and for children while also integrating both objectives in order to educate…

  15. GLOBE Hydrology Workshop SEIP program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    Matt Krigbaum (left), a teacher at Mitchell Elementary in Ann Arbor, Mich., pours water from the Pearl River into a turbidity tube to measure the river's light penetration. Krigbaum, along with Lois Williams, principal at Elizabeth Courville Elementary in Detroit, Mich.; and Carolyn Martin and Arlene Wittmer, teachers at Elizabeth Courville Elementary; conducted the experiment during a GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) hydrology workshop. GLOBE is a worldwide, hands-on science education program in which teachers can become certified to implement the program at their schools after taking hydrology, land cover/biology, atmosphere/climate and soil protocol workshops. Twelve teachers from across the country attended the recent weeklong GLOBE training at SSC, offered through its Educator Resource Center and the NASA Explorer Schools program. All workshops are free and offer continuing education units.

  16. GLOBE Hydrology Workshop SEIP program

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2005-06-30

    Matt Krigbaum (left), a teacher at Mitchell Elementary in Ann Arbor, Mich., pours water from the Pearl River into a turbidity tube to measure the river's light penetration. Krigbaum, along with Lois Williams, principal at Elizabeth Courville Elementary in Detroit, Mich.; and Carolyn Martin and Arlene Wittmer, teachers at Elizabeth Courville Elementary; conducted the experiment during a GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) hydrology workshop. GLOBE is a worldwide, hands-on science education program in which teachers can become certified to implement the program at their schools after taking hydrology, land cover/biology, atmosphere/climate and soil protocol workshops. Twelve teachers from across the country attended the recent weeklong GLOBE training at SSC, offered through its Educator Resource Center and the NASA Explorer Schools program. All workshops are free and offer continuing education units.

  17. Impact of a Resident-as-Teacher Workshop on Teaching Behavior of Interns and Learning Outcomes of Medical Students

    PubMed Central

    Hill, Andrew G.; Srinivasa, Sanket; Hawken, Susan J.; Barrow, Mark; Farrell, Susan E.; Hattie, John; Yu, Tzu-Chieh

    2012-01-01

    Background Residents and interns are recognized as important clinical teachers and mentors. Resident-as-teacher training programs are known to improve resident attitudes and perceptions toward teaching, as well as their theoretical knowledge, skills, and teaching behavior. The effect of resident-as-teacher programs on learning outcomes of medical students, however, remains unknown. An intervention cohort study was conducted to prospectively investigate the effects of a teacher-training workshop on teaching behavior of participating interns and on the clerkship learning outcomes of instructed fourth-year medical students. Methods The House Officer-as-Teacher Training Workshop was implemented in November 2009 over 1.5 days and attended by all 34 interns from one teaching hospital. Subsequently, between February and August 2010, 124 fourth-year medical students rated the observable teaching behavior of interns during 6-week general surgery clerkships at this intervention hospital as well as at 2 comparable hospitals serving as control sites. Ratings were collected using an anonymous 15-item Intern Clinical Teaching Effectiveness Instrument. Student achievement of clerkship learning outcomes during this period was evaluated using a validated and centralized objective structured clinical examination. Results Medical students completed 101 intern clinical teaching effectiveness instruments. Intern teaching behavior at the intervention hospital was found to be significantly more positive, compared with observed behavior at the control hospitals. Objective structured clinical examination results, however, did not demonstrate any significant intersite differences in student achievement of general surgery clerkship learning outcomes. Conclusions The House Officer-as-Teacher Training Workshop noticeably improved teaching behavior of surgical interns during general surgery clerkships. This improvement did not, however, translate into improved achievement of clerkship learning

  18. Organizing Astronomy Popularization and Teacher Training Workshops in Nigeria: A paradigm shift in Sourcing funds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chukwudi Okpala, Kingsley; Iheanyi Okere, Bonaventure

    2015-08-01

    Funding for astronomy popularization and workshops has become a huge challenge in recent times especially for developing countries like Nigeria. However, a modification of the primary and secondary school curriculum to include space science topics in the school system has led to a ripe desire by the relevant agencies/corporate bodies to make commitments towards the astronomy popularization activities as part of their social responsibility. Considering the size of Nigeria, there is need for a shift in paradigm for sourcing resources to tackle the dart of funds for organizing educational activities in a sustainable manner. Recently a teacher training and science popularization workshop was organized as a first in a series of subsequent workshops geared towards having a sustainable means of popularizing astronomy for development in Nigeria. Principally, the key lies in the partnership with schools and other corporate bodies in addition to the usual governmental actions. Experiences from this workshop will be enumerated with the hope of inspiring the same success in similar societies.

  19. Impact of Online Support for Teachers' Open-Ended Questioning in Pre-K Science Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Youngju; Kinzie, Mable B.; Whittaker, Jessica Vick

    2012-01-01

    We examined the effects of teacher supports in enhancing teachers' open-ended questioning in pre-k activities. The blended teacher supports included online video demonstrations of questioning techniques and companion workshop activities. Twenty-five teachers received the blended supports while the control group did not. The data consisted of…

  20. A Plan for Evaluating Teacher Training Workshops and Institutes. Technical Report 87-2-3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ayers, Jerry B.

    A plan for evaluating teacher training workshops and institutes is presented. Juxtaposition of the target group and the type of evaluation provides the framework for evaluating such a program. Evaluation is formative, aimed at modifying and improving the plan as it is being developed, and summative, assessed at the end of the experience. The use…

  1. Description of Workshop Series for Precollege Teachers on Women and Gender, Including Topics Covered, Readings Used, and Sample Handouts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chapman, Anne

    A 2-year curriculum transformation project for 12 humanities teachers from seven independent schools sought to help pre-college teachers integrate new information and insights based on women's studies and gender scholarship into their teaching. Topics covered during the workshops included the history of concern with women and gender; engenderment…

  2. A Physics Workshop in Hispaniola.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Little, R. N.

    1983-01-01

    Describes two workshops for physics teachers in Hispaniola. Workshops demonstrated how mechanics could be developed from planetary motions and how basic mechanics concepts could be introduced through a guided discovery approach. Comments on workshop activities, organization, participant attitudes, and physics curriculum/instruction in Hispaniola…

  3. Physics and Astronomy New Faculty Workshops: 20 Years of Workshops and 2000 Faculty

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hilborn, Robert

    Most college and university new faculty members start their teaching careers with almost no formal training in pedagogy. To address this issue, the American Association of Physics Teachers, the American Astronomical Society, and the American Physical Society have been offering since 1996 workshops for physics and astronomy new faculty members (and in recent years for experienced faculty members as well). The workshops introduce faculty members to a variety of interactive engagement teaching (IET) methods and the evidence for their effectiveness, embedded in a framework of general professional development. Currently the workshops engage about 50% of the new tenure-track hires in physics and astronomy. The workshops are quite successful in making the participants aware of IET methods and motivating them to implement them in their classes. However, about 1/3 of the participants stop using IET methods within a year or two. The faculty members cite (a) lack of time and energy to change, (b) content coverage concerns, and (c) difficulty getting students engaged as reasons for their discontinuance. To help overcome these barriers, we have introduced faculty online learning communities (FOLCs). The FOLCs provide peer support and advice through webinars and coaching from more experienced faculty members. Recommendations based on the workshops and the experiences of the participants can enhance the teaching effectiveness of future physics and astronomy faculty members. This work was supported in part by NSF Grant 1431638.

  4. The Couples Enhancement Workshop: A Brief Approach for Group Work With Couples

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beckenbach, John; Patrick, Shawn; Carlino, Gina; Carlino, Stephanie; Gross, Katie; Einig, Katy; Pyle, Emily

    2014-01-01

    The Couples Enhancement Workshop (CEW) offers a unique time-limited, group-oriented approach to strength building and relationship enhancement. The need for enhancement practices is established, followed by a review of the theoretical influences of the CEW. This includes a review of the Relationship Conflict and Restoration Model, the concept of…

  5. "Change My Thinking Patterns towards Maths": A Bibliotherapy Workshop for Pre-Service Teachers' Mathematics Anxiety

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Sue; Raven, Monica

    2014-01-01

    In small-group workshops, a joint initiative of the researcher and the student counsellor, primary (elementary) pre-service teachers (PSTs) wrote about critical incidents in their mathematics learning, and shared them with the group. Then, PSTs read extracts about mathematics anxiety (maths anxiety), and wrote and shared their reflections…

  6. Effects of a Sexual Enhancement Workshop on Young Adults.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fyfe, Bill

    1979-01-01

    Twenty-four undergraduate volunteers participated in a sexual enhancement workshop, designed to explore the emotional aspects of sex through the use of small group discussion and sexually explicit films. Results indicated that participants experienced significant change toward acceptance of masturbation and a lessening of sex-related anxiety. (SJL)

  7. Teacher Education and Curriculum for Development. Report of a Regional Planning Workshop (Quezon City, Philippines, May 19-31, 1975).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Philippines Univ., Quezon City. Asian Inst. for Teacher Educators.

    The Regional Planning Workshop on Teacher Education and Curriculum for Development had as its aim the preparation of guidelines for: 1) the development of modules for curriculum designers with reference to curriculum for development; 2) the development of modules for selected elements of the core curriculum of teacher education; and 3)…

  8. OMLTA Workshop Booklet, 1978-1979.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio Modern Language Teachers Association, Columbus.

    This booklet is a guideline to those interested in the Ohio Modern Language Teachers Association Workshops. Outlined are the membership policies, responsibilities of the local workshop director, guidelines for selecting consultants, site selection, publicity guidelines, and OMLTA workshops and consultants. A complete description of each workshop…

  9. Enhancing mathematics teachers' quality through Lesson Study.

    PubMed

    Lomibao, Laila S

    2016-01-01

    The efficiency and effectivity of the learning experience is dependent on the teacher quality, thus, enhancing teacher's quality is vital in improving the students learning outcome. Since, the usual top-down one-shot cascading model practice for teachers' professional development in Philippines has been observed to have much information dilution, and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization demanded the need to develop mathematics teachers' quality standards through the Southeast Asia Regional Standards for Mathematics Teachers (SEARS-MT), thus, an intensive, ongoing professional development model should be provided to teachers. This study was undertaken to determine the impact of Lesson Study on Bulua National High School mathematics teachers' quality level in terms of SEARS-MT dimensions. A mixed method of quantitative-qualitative research design was employed. Results of the analysis revealed that Lesson Study effectively enhanced mathematics teachers' quality and promoted teachers professional development. Teachers positively perceived Lesson Study to be beneficial for them to become a better mathematics teacher.

  10. Man and His Environment (Environmental Workshop).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henderson, Paula; Dillner, Harry

    This monograph presents what was originally designed as a nine-week course in population ecology. The course guide is intended to provide the teacher and student with a basic framework for an environmental workshop. Learning objectives are not listed, based on the intent that they be developed as teachers and students interact during the workshop.…

  11. High Tech/High Touch: A Computer Education Leadership Development Workshop. Second Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moursund, David

    This document contains materials and suggested activities for use in a 5-day workshop on leadership development for instructional computer coordinators, computer education teachers, workshop leaders, teachers of teachers, and other people who play a leadership role in the workshop format in small group discussions, together with sharing and…

  12. Influence of Motivation Theory and Supplemental Workshops on First-Time Passing Rates of HBCU Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moffett, Noran L.; Frizzell, Melanie M.; Brownlee-Williams, Yolanda; Thompson, Jill M.

    2014-01-01

    The action research methodology for this study reports descriptive statistical findings from the performance of 19 Early Childhood Education African American teacher candidates matriculating through a state-approved program at an HBCU. Researcher-moderators provided a treatment plan of focused summer workshops, conceptualized based upon the…

  13. Li'l Red Schoolhouse workshops

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1993-01-01

    Education specialists at Stennis conduct staff development workshops for elementary and secondary teachers of math, science and technology and other subjects as well as specialized workshops conducted in the NASA Li'l Red Schoolhouse.

  14. Successfully Engaging Scientists in NASA Education and Public Outreach: Examples from a Teacher Professional Development Workshop Series and a Planetary Analog Festival

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, A. P.; Hsu, B. C.; Bleacher, L.; Shaner, A. J.

    2014-12-01

    The Lunar Workshops for Educators are a series of weeklong workshops for grade 6-9 science teachers focused on lunar science and exploration, sponsored by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). These workshops have been held across the country for the past five years, in places underserved with respect to NASA workshops and at LRO team member institutions. MarsFest is a planetary analog festival that has been held annually in Death Valley National Park since 2012, made possible with support from the Curiosity (primarily the Sample Analysis at Mars) Education and Public Outreach team, NASA's Ames Research Center, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the SETI Institute, and Death Valley National Park. Both the Lunar Workshops for Educators and MarsFest rely strongly on scientist engagement for their success. In the Lunar Workshops, scientists and engineers give talks for workshop participants, support facility tours and field trips, and, where possible, have lunch with the teachers to interact with them in a less formal setting. Teachers have enthusiastically appreciated and benefited from all of these interactions, and the scientists and engineers also provide positive feedback about their involvement. In MarsFest, scientists and engineers give public presentations and take park visitors on field trips to planetary analog sites. The trips are led by scientists who do research at the field trip sites whenever possible. Surveys of festival participants indicate an appreciation for learning about scientific research being conducted in the park from the people involved in that research, and scientists and engineers report enjoying sharing their work with the public through this program. The key to effective scientist engagement in all of the workshops and festivals has been a close relationship and open communication between the scientists and engineers and the activity facilitators. I will provide more details about both of these programs, how scientists and engineers

  15. Teachers and Their Use of Educational Technology. Report of a Regional Training Workshop (Seoul, South Korea, September 16-27, 1985).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific.

    The workshop described in this report focused on uses of educational technology in the training and upgrading of teachers and on promoting the use of appropriate educational technology techniques by teachers. Experiences in the use of educational technology are described for each of the participating nations, i.e., Bangladesh, India, Indonesia,…

  16. Key Issue: Enhancing Teacher Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  17. Minority Pre-service Teachers' and Faculty Training on Climate Change Education in Delaware State University

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ozbay, G.; Fox-Lykens, R.; Veron, D. E.; Rogers, M.; Merrill, J.; Harcourt, P.; Mead, H.

    2015-12-01

    Delaware State University is working toward infusing undergraduate education with climate change science and enhancing the climate change learning content of pre-service teacher preparation programs as part of the MADE-CLEAR project (www.madeclear.org). Faculty development workshops have been conducted to prepare and educate a cadre of faculty from different disciplines in global climate science literacy. Following the workshops, the faculty participants have integrated climate literacy tenets into their existing curriculum. Follow up meetings have helped the faculty members to use specific content in their curriculum such as greenhouse gases, atmospheric CO2, sea level rise, etc. Additional training provided to the faculty participants in pedagogical methods of climate change instruction to identify common misconceptions and barriers to student understanding. Some pre-service teachers were engaged in summer internships and learned how to become messenger of climate change science by the state parks staff during the summer. Workshops were offered to other pre-service teachers to teach them specific climate change topics with enhanced hands-on laboratory activities. The participants were provided examples of lesson plans and guided to develop their own lesson plans and present them. Various pedagogical methods have been explored for teaching climate change content to the participants. The pre-service teachers found the climate content very challenging and confusing. Training activities were modified to focus on targeted topics and modeling of pedagogical techniques for the faculty and pre-service teachers. Program evaluation confirms that the workshop participant show improved understanding of the workshop materials by the participants if they were introduced few climate topics. Learning how to use hands-on learning tools and preparing lesson plans are two of the challenges successfully implemented by the pre-service teachers. Our next activity includes pre

  18. Physics Teacher SOS: Supporting New Teachers without Pushing an Agenda

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baird, Dean

    2013-01-01

    Few workshops for teachers focus primarily on instruction methods for basic high school physics. In Northern California, Physics Teacher SOS (PTSOS) has gained popularity doing just that. PTSOS workshops are directed toward early-career science teachers, though veterans are welcome too. The program is not influenced by scientific supply companies,…

  19. Rethinking the Reading-Writing Workshop: Tensions and Negotiations between a Stephen King Reader and Her Teacher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chandler, Kelly

    2000-01-01

    Explores the participation in reading-writing workshops of students who consider reading to be an important part of their lives. Finds students who are engaged readers of fiction bring a set of expectations that differ from their teachers' and from students who do not read regularly for pleasure. (NH)

  20. In-Service Teachers' Attitudes, Knowledge and Classroom Teaching of Global Climate Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Shiyu; Roehrig, Gillian; Bhattacharya, Devarati; Varma, Keisha

    2015-01-01

    This study explores in-service teachers' attitudes and knowledge about a pressing environmental issue, "global climate change" (GCC), and how these may relate to their classroom teaching. In this work, nineteen teachers from Native American communities attended a professional development workshop that focused on enhancing their…

  1. A Performance Enhanced Interactive Learning Workshop Model as a Supplement for Organic Chemistry Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phillips, Karen E. S.; Grose-Fifer, Jilliam

    2011-01-01

    In this study, the authors describe a Performance Enhanced Interactive Learning (PEIL) workshop model as a supplement for organic chemistry instruction. This workshop model differs from many others in that it includes public presentations by students and other whole-class-discussion components that have not been thoroughly investigated in the…

  2. Design and implementation of two two-week Teacher Enhancement Institutes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lambert, Lynn

    1994-01-01

    During this summer, I have been part of a four team effort that planned and executed two two-week Teacher Enhancement Institutes (TEI) for 40 K-8 teachers from this area. The TEI was designed to enhance teachers' background in aeronautics and technology so that they would be better equipped to encourage and to train students in the mathematics, science, and technology fields. The teachers were given a stipend and three graduate credits from Christopher Newport University for their participation in this program. The four ASEE fellows worked together to develop objectives and a schedule of activities for each two-week session based on the program outline given in the grants that were funding this effort. We divided the responsibilities in coordinating and implementing each part of the TEI based on the specific strengths and background of each ASEE fellow. My specific responsibilities were: (1) to develop the course syllabus and generally handle all matters involved with the graduate course; (2) coordinate the follow-up sessions; and (3) design and manage half of the technology sessions that we had scheduled (approximately 30% of the TEI was devoted to technology). Because the first two responsibilities were primarily administrative in nature, I will address only the last. The technology sessions were divided into computer-only and other technologies (e.g., television and digital technology including scanning, digital photography and CD-ROM). I had responsibility for the computer-only technology sessions. The emphasis of these sessions was on use of the Internet specifically to locate and use educational resources. To maximize learning, these sessions were hands-on with two teachers at each computer. Each teacher received instruction in, and actually used, the most popular tools available on the Internet: email (they were given temporary accounts at NASA LaRC), anonymous ftp and archie, gopher and veronica, mosaic, and telnet. Teachers participated in hands

  3. The Effect of Using Writer's Workshop Approach on Developing Basic Writing Skills (Mechanics of Writing) of Prospective Teachers of English in Egypt

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salem, Ashraf Atta M. S.

    2013-01-01

    The present study aimed at investigating the effects of using a program based on the writing workshop approach on developing basic writing skills of prospective teachers of English in Hurgada faculty of Education. For that purpose, the researcher constructed and validated a teaching program based on the writing workshop approach, checklist of the…

  4. Examining teacher self-efficacy about best practices in science during a professional development series

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Menez, Jessica L.

    Using extant data that were collected as part of a larger project, the current study examined teacher self-efficacy and the teachers' intentions to implement workshop content throughout the course of a six-week professional development workshop focused on enhancing science motivation for students through the adoption of specific instructional strategies. There were a total of 20 middle and high school teacher participants. Results indicated teacher self-efficacy changed significantly from pre to post. Teachers showed higher teacher self-efficacy after the professional development, in particular for influencing student engagement. In addition, we found a moderate correlation between the level of confidence after the implementation of a strategy and teachers intention of trying the strategy again. Finally, new direction for future research topics made possible by this study are presented.

  5. I-LLINI Partnerships for 21st Century Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Read, K.; Wong, K.; Charlevoix, D. J.; Tomkin, J.; Hug, B.; Williams, M.; Pianfetti, E.

    2008-12-01

    I-LLINI Partnerships is two-year State funded program to initiate enhance communication between the faculty at University of Illinois and K-12 teachers in the surrounding communities. The program focuses on math and science with a particular emphasis on the use of technology to teaching math and science to middle-school aged children. The Partnership provides participating teachers with a suite of technology including a computer, digital camera, and software, as well as a small stipend. University partners include representatives from the Departments of Mathematics as well as the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and the Department of Geology. The Atmospheric Sciences and Geology faculty have partnered to provide content using an Earth Systems Science approach to presenting content to the teachers. Additionally, teachers provide feedback to university faculty with relation to how they might better prepare future science teachers. Teacher participants are required to attend a series of workshops during the academic year as well as a summer workshop. The first workshop was held June 2008 on the University of Illinois campus. Our poster will highlight the first workshop providing a discussion and photographs of the activities, an analysis of the benefits and challenges - both to the university representatives as well as the teachers ­ and a summary of future changes planned for the 2009 summer workshop. During the second morning of the workshop, the science teachers participated in an EcoBlitz via a field trip to a collect data from a stream near campus. During the EcoBlitz, math teachers attended tutorial sessions on campus on statistical analysis software. The EcoBliz teachers were provided with instruments and equipment necessary to collect data on the weather conditions and water quality of the stream. Instruments included a temperature probe, turbidity sensor, dissolved oxygen sensor and a hand held weather instrument. Data was recorded with Vernier Lab

  6. The ECCO Logo Project: Materials for Classroom Teachers and Teacher Trainers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tempel, Michael; And Others

    In the fall of 1985, the Educational Computer Consortium of Ohio (ECCO) presented an extensive series of workshops on Logo. The workshops were divided into two categories: those for teacher-trainers and those for classroom teachers. This booklet presents materials developed by a core of five participants in the workshops for trainers using Logo…

  7. Teacher training

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2012-06-14

    Mississippi educators participated in a variety of hands-on activities, including rocketry, robotics, and NASA's BEST (Beginning Engineering, Science, and Technology) during a pair of during a pair of professional development workshops conducted by Stennis Space Center educators in June. On June 14, Stennis educators presented workshops to 96 kindergarten-through-12th-grade science teachers and eight Jackson State University faculty, as part of JSU's Project MAST (Mississippi Academy for Science Teaching) Project. On June 21, educators presented workshops in Starkville to 43 fourth-through-eighth-grade science teachers as part of Mississippi State University's Advancing Teachers of Middle School Science initiative.

  8. Teachers as Designers of Technology Enhanced Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kali, Yael; McKenney, Susan; Sagy, Ornit

    2015-01-01

    While the benefits of teacher involvement in designing technology enhanced learning are acknowledged in the literature, far less is known about shaping that involvement to yield those benefits. Research is needed to understand how teachers learn through design; how teacher design activities may be supported; and how teacher involvement in design…

  9. Workshop on active learning: two examples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ben Lakhdar, Zohra; Lahmar, Souad; Lakshminarayanan, Vasudevan

    2014-07-01

    Optics is an enabling science that has far ranging importance in many diverse fields. However, many students do not find it to be of great interest. A solution to this problem is to train teachers in active learning methodologies so that the subject matter can be presented to generate student interest. We describe a workshop to present an example of an active learning process in Optics developed for training of teachers in developing countries (a UNESCO project) and will focus on 2 two different activities: 1. Interference and diffraction is considered by students as being very hard to understand and is taught in most developing countries as purely theoretical with almost no experiments. Simple experiments to enhance the conceptual understanding of these wave phenomena will be presented and 2. Image formation by the eye. Here we will discuss myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism as well as accommodation. In this module we will discuss image. The objective of the workshop will be to provide an experience of the use of the active learning method in optics including the use of experiments, mind's on and hands-on exercises, group and class discussions

  10. Developing workshop module of realistic mathematics education: Follow-up workshop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palupi, E. L. W.; Khabibah, S.

    2018-01-01

    Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) is a learning approach which fits the aim of the curriculum. The success of RME in teaching mathematics concepts, triggering students’ interest in mathematics and teaching high order thinking skills to the students will make teachers start to learn RME. Hence, RME workshop is often offered and done. This study applied development model proposed by Plomp. Based on the study by RME team, there are three kinds of RME workshop: start-up workshop, follow-up workshop, and quality boost. However, there is no standardized or validated module which is used in that workshops. This study aims to develop a module of RME follow-up workshop which is valid and can be used. Plopm’s developmental model includes materials analysis, design, realization, implementation, and evaluation. Based on the validation, the developed module is valid. While field test shows that the module can be used effectively.

  11. Chemistry Outreach Project to High Schools Using a Mobile Chemistry Laboratory, ChemKits, and Teacher Workshops

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Long, Gary L.; Bailey, Carol A.; Bunn, Barbara B.; Slebodnick, Carla; Johnson, Michael R.; Derozier, Shad

    2012-01-01

    The Chemistry Outreach Program (ChOP) of Virginia Tech was a university-based outreach program that addressed the needs of high school chemistry classes in underfunded rural and inner-city school districts. The primary features of ChOP were a mobile chemistry laboratory (MCL), a shipping-based outreach program (ChemKits), and teacher workshops.…

  12. Analysis of Design and Delivery of Critical Incident Workshops for Elementary School English as a Foreign Language Teachers in Community of Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chien, Chin-Wen

    2018-01-01

    Language teachers can uncover new understanding of the teaching and learning process through reflecting on critical incidents [Richard, J.C., and T.S.C. Farrell. 2005. "Professional Development for Language Teachers." New York, NY: Cambridge University Press]. Based on the data analysis of workshop handouts, observation notes, and…

  13. Connecting High School and University Teachers in National and International Contexts: Perspectives from the 2012 Bangalore Workshop of the AAG-CGGE

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Basu, Pratyusha; Pawson, Eric; Akhter, Majed; Palmer, David; Mervine, Valerie M.

    2014-01-01

    This paper focuses on the Center for Global Geography Education teaching workshop held in Bangalore, India, in March 2012 which served as a collaborative forum linking geography teachers in secondary and higher education in the USA and India. It considers the inclusion of the Advanced Placement Human Geography teachers from the USA and the…

  14. The Impact of Economics Workshops for Elementary School Teachers on the Economic Understanding of Their Pupils.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dawson, George G.; Davison, Donald D.

    A group of 34 experimental and 45 control teachers provided data on 1,866 pupils in 75 different classrooms in 24 communities in the United States to determine the extent to which the workshop training provided for recipients of the Sears-Roebuck Foundation Fellowships in the summer of 1972 affected the economic understanding of their pupils.…

  15. Supporting Science Teachers in Alignment with State Curriculum Standards through Professional Development: Teachers' Preparedness, Expectations and Their Fulfillment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paik, Sunhee; Zhang, Meilan; Lundeberg, Mary A.; Eberhardt, Jan; Shin, Tae Seob; Zhang, Tianyi

    2011-08-01

    Since A Nation at Risk was released in the 1980s, standards-based reform has been the most dominant trend in American educational policy, and the No Child Left Behind Act pushed the trend further by requiring states to develop rigorous curriculum standards. Though much has been said about these new standards, less has been said about whether or how well professional development helps teachers link their instruction to these standards. This study examined the impact of a professional development program for K-12 science teachers in helping teachers meet state curriculum standards. Seventy-five science teachers in Michigan participated in a 2-week summer workshop that used Problem-Based Learning for improving teachers' content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Researchers surveyed participating teachers about the change of teachers' preparedness for standards-based teaching, their expectations to meet state curriculum standards, and whether their expectations were met. In addition, the usefulness of workshop activities was examined. Data analysis showed that to align teaching with state curriculum standards, participating teachers expected to learn instructional strategies and enhance science content knowledge through professional development, and by and large their expectations were well met. Collaboration with colleagues and facilitators helped teachers achieve their goals in terms of teaching within state curriculum standards. These findings have important implications for designing professional development to help teachers align instruction with curriculum standards.

  16. Informal teacher communities enhancing the professional development of medical teachers: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    van Lankveld, Thea; Schoonenboom, Judith; Kusurkar, Rashmi; Beishuizen, Jos; Croiset, Gerda; Volman, Monique

    2016-04-14

    Informal peer learning is a particularly powerful form of learning for medical teachers, although it does not always occur automatically in the departments of medical schools. In this article, the authors explore the role of teacher communities in enhancing informal peer learning among undergraduate medical teachers. Teacher communities are groups of teachers who voluntarily gather on a regular basis to develop and share knowledge. Outside of medical education, these informal teacher communities have proved to be an effective means of enhancing peer learning of academic teachers. The processes underlying this outcome are, however, not known. This study therefore aims to explore the processes that make informal teacher communities effective in supporting peer learning of teachers. A qualitative study was performed at a Dutch medical school, where a student-centred undergraduate curriculum had recently been introduced. As part of this curriculum, tutors are segregated into separate specialty areas and thus have only limited opportunities for informal learning with other tutors. The authors followed two informal teacher communities aimed at supporting these tutors. They observed the interactions within the teacher communities and held semi-structured interviews with ten of the participants. The observation notes and interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. The informal teacher communities allowed the tutors to engage in a dialogue with colleagues and share questions, solutions, and interpretations. The teacher communities also provided opportunities to explicate tacit expertise, which helped the tutors to develop an idea of their role and form a frame of reference for their own experiences. Furthermore, the communities enhanced the tutors' sense of belonging. The tutors felt more secure in their role and they felt valued by the organisation due to the teacher communities. This study shows that informal teacher communities not only support the professional

  17. Enhancing Teacher Efficacy and Pedagogical Practices amongst General and Special Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coleman, Michael

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this action research project was to collect both qualitative and quantitative data to acquire information in teacher efficacy from the viewpoint of teachers themselves so that pedagogical practices could be enhanced to better serve the special needs student population. In this study, the relationship between teachers' perception of…

  18. Teacher Learning of Technology Enhanced Formative Assessment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feldman, Allan; Capobianco, Brenda M.

    2008-02-01

    This study examined the integration of technology enhanced formative assessment (FA) into teachers' practice. Participants were high school physics teachers interested in improving their use of a classroom response system (CRS) to promote FA. Data were collected using interviews, direct classroom observations, and collaborative discussions. The physics teachers engaged in collaborative action research (AR) to learn how to use FA and CRS to promote student and teacher learning. Data were analyzed using open coding, cross-case analysis, and content analysis. Results from data analysis allowed researchers to construct a model for knowledge skills necessary for the integration of technology enhanced FA into teachers' practice. The model is as a set of four technologies: hardware and software; methods for constructing FA items; pedagogical methods; and curriculum integration. The model is grounded in the idea that teachers must develop these respective technologies as they interact with the CRS (i.e., hardware and software, item construction) and their existing practice (i.e., pedagogical methods, curriculum). Implications are that for teachers to make FA an integral part of their practice using CRS, they must: 1) engage in the four technologies; 2) understand the nature of FA; and 3) collaborate with other interested teachers through AR.

  19. Pre- and In-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Learning through Research Workshops in a Hispanic-Serving Institution in USA: A Review of Two Years' Accumulative Data

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lu, Ming-Tsan P.; Shin, Yousun; Overton, Terry

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to report the analysis results of two-year accumulative data from Research Academy workshops held for pre-service and in-service teachers in a southern state Hispanic-Serving Institution. Graduate students' perceptions of learning through these professional development workshops were reported. Statistical analyses were…

  20. Teaching Reading: 3-5 Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Annenberg Media, 2005

    2005-01-01

    This video workshop with auxiliary classroom videos will show intermediate elementary teachers how to help their students transition from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." Eight half-hour workshop video programs feature leading experts who discuss current research on learning to read and teaching a diverse range of students. The research…

  1. Examination of a Strategy for Maximizing Teacher Implementation of Workshop Learning Experiences through the Use of Electronic Conferencing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lowell Univ., MA.

    This research project was designed to evaluate the synergistic effects of linking workshops for science teachers with electronic conferencing. The rationale for this study was that these two methods of professional development and communication would have an impact beyond that which either would have alone. Included are the abstract, a description…

  2. Promoting Student-Teacher Interactions: Exploring a Peer Coaching Model for Teachers in a Preschool Setting.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Stacy R; Finlon, Kristy J; Kobak, Roger; Izard, Carroll E

    2017-07-01

    Peer coaching provides an attractive alternative to traditional professional development for promoting classroom quality in a sustainable, cost-effective manner by creating a collaborative teaching community. This exploratory study describes the development and evaluation of the Colleague Observation And CoacHing (COACH) program, a peer coaching program designed to increase teachers' effectiveness in enhancing classroom quality in a preschool Head Start setting. The COACH program consists of a training workshop on coaching skills and student-teacher interactions, six peer coaching sessions, and three center meetings. Pre-post observations of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System of twelve classrooms assigned to peer coaching were compared to twelve control classrooms at baseline and following the intervention. Findings provide preliminary support that the peer coaching program is perceived as acceptable and feasible by the participating preschool teachers and that it may strengthen student-teacher interactions. Further program refinement and evaluation with larger samples is needed to enhance student-teacher interactions and, ultimately, children's adaptive development.

  3. Defining Environmental Technology. A Report from the "Defining Environmental Technology" Workshop (St. Louis, MO, March 13-15, 1996).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Advanced Tech. Environmental Education Center, Bettendorf, IA.

    This workshop identified and defined environmental technology occupations, particularly at the technician level. The resulting report aims to enhance counselor, teacher, and student awareness of environmental careers at the technician level, and ultimately to address the environmental workforce needs of business, industry, and government by…

  4. The Effectiveness of a Two-Day Inclusion Workshop on Teachers' Attitudes, Understanding, and Competence in Inclusive Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sunardi; Maryardi; Sugini

    2014-01-01

    The previously UNESCO initiated policy of inclusive education has been adopted by the Indonesian government since 2003. As a new policy, inclusion will require many changes in the existing system of education which tends to be segregative. This research investigated the effects of a two-day workshop on parents attitudes, teachers' competence and…

  5. Workshop on using natural language processing applications for enhancing clinical decision making: an executive summary

    PubMed Central

    Pai, Vinay M; Rodgers, Mary; Conroy, Richard; Luo, James; Zhou, Ruixia; Seto, Belinda

    2014-01-01

    In April 2012, the National Institutes of Health organized a two-day workshop entitled ‘Natural Language Processing: State of the Art, Future Directions and Applications for Enhancing Clinical Decision-Making’ (NLP-CDS). This report is a summary of the discussions during the second day of the workshop. Collectively, the workshop presenters and participants emphasized the need for unstructured clinical notes to be included in the decision making workflow and the need for individualized longitudinal data tracking. The workshop also discussed the need to: (1) combine evidence-based literature and patient records with machine-learning and prediction models; (2) provide trusted and reproducible clinical advice; (3) prioritize evidence and test results; and (4) engage healthcare professionals, caregivers, and patients. The overall consensus of the NLP-CDS workshop was that there are promising opportunities for NLP and CDS to deliver cognitive support for healthcare professionals, caregivers, and patients. PMID:23921193

  6. Electronic Tutoring as a Tool for Promoting Conceptual Change: A Case Study of In-Service Science Teacher Workshops

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stott, Angela; Case, Jennifer M.

    2014-01-01

    Electronic tutors able to respond appropriately to a user's input have been shown to be effective in improving learning in a number of contexts. This study extends this research into the context of conceptual change during in-service science teacher workshops. Quantitative data were collected from 1,049 South African grade 12 physical sciences…

  7. Enhancing the Transition to University by Facilitating Social and Study Networks: Results of a One-Day Workshop.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peat, Mary; Dalziel, James; Grant, Anthony M.

    2000-01-01

    Describes a one-day workshop developed at the University of Sydney (Australia) to facilitate social and study-related peer networks. Qualitative and quantitative analyses found that the workshops enhanced study, self-motivation, and general enjoyment of university life and were helpful in easing the transition of undergraduate students.…

  8. Collaborative Online Professional Development for Teachers in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teräs, Hanna

    2016-01-01

    Enhancing teaching quality has become a priority for many universities. The need for high-quality professional development for university teachers is therefore crucial. Earlier research has indicated that isolated workshops often fail to result in significant changes in teaching practice. It has been suggested that the desired transformation…

  9. Teachers' Opinions about the Responsibilities of Parents, Schools, and Teachers in Enhancing Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Korkmaz, Isa

    2007-01-01

    Enhancing student learning is a complex process in itself and is related to a variety of factors. This study deals with the three of these factors (i.e., parents, schools, and teachers) based on teachers' perceptions. A short survey composed of three open-ended questions was administered to 148 teachers. The teachers were asked to write their…

  10. Ten years (1990--1999) of teacher workshops in Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues and Actions (IEEIA) curriculum: Teachers' implementation practices and perceptions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paul, Regina J.

    This study examined the success rate of IEEIA inservice training, and attempted to identify key variables that influenced successful implementation of the IEEIA curriculum. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to obtain in-depth data. The total sample consisted of 251 participants; 132 usable surveys were returned resulting in a 53% response rate. The quantitative phase of the study consisted of a nine-page survey. The survey was designed to determine the effectiveness of inservice teacher training for the implementation of IEEIA, teachers' implementation, and their perceptions of the effectiveness of the inservice, the impact using IEEIA had on students and themselves, and barriers that prevented complete implementation. Additional analyses examined the relationships between use of the approach with the variables of length and type of training, and support types teachers received. The second phase analyzed both comments written by the respondents on their surveys, and eight teacher interviews. The research found that teachers perceived their workshops to be between moderately to very effective in helping them develop skills related to IEEIA and for teaching them how to implement it with students. Analyses revealed that teachers who received extended training or attended multiple inservices tended to use IEEIA more than teachers who did not. However, the number of years the teachers had been using the approach had a stronger influence for addressing the action components. Over half of the teachers had used the approach. Support after the inservice was important to implementation. The component of having students conduct an actual issue investigation was addressed the most. Fewer teachers addressed the final component of action by having their students resolve the issues they investigated. However, the teachers who fully implemented IEEIA had students who were active in their communities. Teachers perceived using the approach resulted in positive

  11. Teacher Learning of Technology Enhanced Formative Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feldman, Allan; Capobianco, Brenda M.

    2008-01-01

    This study examined the integration of technology enhanced formative assessment (FA) into teachers' practice. Participants were high school physics teachers interested in improving their use of a classroom response system (CRS) to promote FA. Data were collected using interviews, direct classroom observations, and collaborative discussions. The…

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  13. The Utility of Inquiry-Based Exercises in Mexican Science Classrooms: Reports from a Professional Development Workshop for Science Teachers in Quintana Roo, Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Racelis, A. E.; Brovold, A. A.

    2010-12-01

    The quality of science teaching is of growing importance in Mexico. Mexican students score well below the world mean in math and science. Although the government has recognized these deficiencies and has implemented new policies aimed to improve student achievement in the sciences, teachers are still encountering in-class barriers to effective teaching, especially in public colleges. This paper reports on the utility of inquiry based exercises in Mexican classrooms. In particular, it describes a two-day professional development workshop with science teachers at the Instituto Tecnologico Superior in Felipe Carrillo Puerto in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Felipe Carrillo Puerto is an indigenous municipality where a significant majority of the population speak Maya as their first language. This alone presents a unique barrier to teaching science in the municipality, but accompanied with other factors such as student apathy, insufficient prior training of both students and teachers, and pressure to deliver specific science curriculum, science teachers have formidable challenges for effective science teaching. The goals of the workshop were to (1) have a directed discussion regarding science as both content and process, (2) introduce inquiry based learning as one tool of teaching science, and (3) get teachers to think about how they can apply these techniques in their classes.

  14. Perspectives on Science Teacher Professional Development: A study of the ASSET Experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reeves, Katrina; Miller, Scott; Foster, Andrea

    2015-01-01

    The Astronomy Summer School of East Texas (ASSET) is a two-year NASA-funded teacher professional development program created to help improve middle and high school science teachers' knowledge of and attitudes toward astronomy. During an intensive summer astronomy course experience, science teachers are taught astronomy concepts and principles through engaging pedagogical techniques. The workshop models hands-on/minds-on teaching strategies that strengthened teachers' own pedagogical content knowledge and ways of teaching astronomy to students.As part of our second year of ASSET, participants were observed and interviewed before, during and after the workshop experience to ascertain their perspectives on their own professional development and understanding of astronomy. Interview data, participant observations, surveys, and artifact data (journaling, one-minute papers, etc...) were analyzed and three broad themes emerged regarding the significance of the ASSET experience on teacher enhancement of content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and the significance of teacher professional development communities in teaching and learning science. We will discuss the major implications of our observations and outline what tools and techniques can be best implemented as part of professional development workshops such as ASSET.This project is supported by the NASA Science Mission Directorate Education and Public Outreach for Earth and Space Science (EPOESS), which is part of the Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES), Grant Number NNX12AH11G.

  15. Teachers Explore Earth Science in South America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Passow, Michael; Krusche, Nisia; Carneiro, Celso D. R.

    2010-11-01

    Rain, Rocks, and Climate: A Geophysical Information for Teachers Workshop; Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, 8-9 August 2010; Classroom teachers and university professors from two continents joined to learn about “rocks, rain, and climate” in the Geophysical Information for Teachers (GIFT) workshop at the AGU Meeting of the Americas held in Brazil. This was the first GIFT workshop in South America. GIFT workshops have long been part of AGU Fall Meetings in San Francisco, European Geosciences Union Spring Meetings in Vienna, and other AGU conferences. Two Brazilian geoscience professors, Celso Dal Ré Carneiro of State University of Campinas and Nisia Krusche of Federal University of Rio Grande, organized the program, together with a high-school teacher from the United States, Michael J. Passow of Dwight Morrow High School, Englewood, N. J. Joining the presenters were 15 Brazilian teachers and another teacher from New Jersey.

  16. Expanding Teacher Understanding of Wisconsin's Prairie Chickens

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Melinda S.; Sivek, Daniel J.; Thomas, Christine L.

    2008-01-01

    The principal author developed a workshop through the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program, based on central Wisconsin's prairie chicken population, to present teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to provide quality environmental education. Seventeen high school teachers attended the 2003 workshop. Pre-and post-workshop surveys were…

  17. [Health enhancing behaviors of teachers and other school staff].

    PubMed

    Woynarowska-Sołdan, Magdalena; Tabak, Izabela

    2013-01-01

    Any activity undertaken for the purpose of health enhancing behavior is an important element of taking care of one's health. The aim of this paper was to analyze the frequency of health enhancing behaviors and avoiding health-risk behaviors among teachers and other school staff by gender and age. The sample consisted of 750 teachers and 259 individuals of non-teaching staff of 22 health promoting schools. A questionnaire that included Positive Health Behaviors Scale for Adults and questions on avoiding risk behaviors were used as a research tool. Of the 32 analyzed health enhancing (positive) behaviors, only 11 were undertaken by teachers and 10 by non-teaching staff at a desirable frequency (always or almost always) in a group of more than 50% of respondents. Almost one third of health enhancing behaviors were under taken with this frequency by less than 20% of respondents. The highest deficits concerned physical activity, nutrition and mental health-related behaviors, and the lowest concerned safety. Deficits in all positive health behaviors were smaller in teachers than in non-teaching staff, in women than in men and in older than in younger teachers. The majority of respondents, mostly teachers, irrespective of gender and age did not undertake risk behaviors. There was a lot of deficits in the healthy lifestyle of teachers and other school workers what is alarming from the point of view of school workers' health, their tasks and their role in shaping positive health behavior in children and adolescents. There is a great need for taking actions to improve the situation, such as the development of health promotion programs addressed to teachers and other school staff, including issues concerning healthy lifestyles in teacher's pre- and in-service training, counselling in the area of healthy lifestyle in preventive health care of school staff.

  18. Enhancing student performance in introductory physics in topics related to electricity and magnetism through the use of voluntary workshops

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DeSilva, L. Ajith; Pullen, Adam; Hasbun, J. E.

    2018-05-01

    This article examines the effect of voluntary workshops on students’ performance in a university for algebra-based introductory physics on the topics of electricity, magnetism and related areas. A workshop is an optional one-hour-per-week session that promotes a small group’s peer instruction and co-operative learning, in order to enhance the conceptual understanding of physical principles and to improve problem-solving skills. During the workshops, a small group of students were encouraged to exchange ideas in a co-operative learning environment. Most students enrolled were poorly motivated, underprepared, and did not possess the prerequisite mathematics needed. For those who attended workshops, the result of scores on a standardized conceptual survey in electricity and magnetism showed a pre-test-post-test gain of 21% in the number of correct responses. This is to be contrasted with a 5% increase for those students who did not attend workshops. Further, we present a breakdown of the final letter grades obtained by students who attended workshops versus those who did not. Since the introduction of the workshops (out of 374 students), 95% of those who attended made a ‘C’ or better in the course. This compares to only 50% of the students who did not attend workshops and making a ‘C’ or better. The workshops have been offered since the Fall of 2010, but analyzed data includes fourteen years of student letter grades from 2001 to 2014 in order to study the effects on the workshops of the D, F, or W grades (DFW rate). We report a 7% reduction of the DFW rates, which we attribute to the incorporation of the workshops. The workshops are easy to implement and relatively inexpensive, yet appear to be an effective instructional method that enhances the success of underprepared students.

  19. Integrating Scientists into Teacher Professional Development—Strategies for Success

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lynds, S. E.; Buhr, S. M.; Smith, L. K.

    2010-12-01

    Professional development workshops for science teachers can be greatly enhanced by scientist participation. Such workshops may promote a collegial community and mutual understanding between researchers and educators. The CIRES (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences) Education and Outreach (EO) group at the University of Colorado, Boulder, has over a decade of experience in successfully developing and hosting such events. Scientist participation in these workshops varies widely—from giving formal presentations to working one-on-one with educators in designing a research project. Researchers from CIRES, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), NSIDC (National Snow and Ice Data Center), and other Colorado agencies and institutions have participated in the workshops. In addition, graduate students in scientific research programs at the University of Colorado are frequently involved. Such workshops can be effective broader impacts components of scientific programs. One example of a long-running successful program was the Earthworks project (1998-2007), a one-week workshop for secondary science teachers from around the country. With the help of practicing geoscientists, participants working in teams designed and conducted a field-based interdisciplinary study. Attendees were so enthusiastic that the ongoing Listserv community (including both scientist and educators) is still active and engaged three years after the last workshop. In a more recent example, since 2009 CIRES EO has been hosting an annual week-long summer workshop as the COSEE (Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence) West—Colorado Collaborative. The COSEE workshops have had a different theme each year. In 2010, the workshop explored the link between Arctic sea ice, the Greenland ice sheet, sea level, and global climate processes. Extensive evaluation efforts have been included in the design of each workshop and the evaluation results are used to improve

  20. Technology-Enhancement for Papua New Guinean Professional Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bino, Vagi; Edmonds-Wathen, Cris

    2014-01-01

    Technology facilitated the implementation of teacher professional learning based on a design of principles to improve the teaching of "Cultural Mathematics" in elementary schools in Papua New Guinea. An offline "website", a set of interlinked resource materials was used in workshops to enhance the professional learning.…

  1. Enhancing E-Learning through Teacher Support: Two Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gaudioso, E.; Hernandez-del-Olmo, F.; Montero, M.

    2009-01-01

    Teachers in e-learning play a crucial role as facilitators of the students' learning experiences. To this end, a teacher needs to monitor, understand and evaluate the activity of the students in the course. What is more, e-learning can be enhanced if tools for supporting teachers in this task are provided. In this paper, two experiences are…

  2. "The Bright Side Is the Help Surrounding Me in Coping with Problems": A Reflective Workshop in Induction for Dance Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perlshtein, Talia

    2017-01-01

    The article presents a combined study--quantitative and qualitative--that examined the changes that occurred in the perceptions of beginning dance teachers over their internship year, following their participation in a targeted induction workshop, in which the collaborative reflection methodology was used. The study examined an intervention plan…

  3. Easing the transition for queer student teachers from program to field: implications for teacher education.

    PubMed

    Benson, Fiona J; Smith, Nathan Grant; Flanagan, Tara

    2014-01-01

    Tensions exist between what some queer student teachers experience in the university setting, their lives in schools during field placements, and upon graduation. We describe a series of workshops designed for queer student teachers and their allies that were conducted prior to field placement. Participants revealed high degrees of satisfaction with the program and increased feelings of personal and professional self-efficacy. Participants reported high levels of experienced homophobia in their academic programs; as such, the workshops were a valuable "safe space." These workshops appear to fill a significant gap for queer students and their allies in teacher preparation programs.

  4. Mentoring. Beginnings Workshop.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scallan-Berl, Patricia; Moguil, Leslie; Nyman, Sessy I.; Mercado, Miriam Mercado

    2003-01-01

    This workshop presents information on mentoring relationships within child care settings. Articles are: (1) "Mentoring Teachers...A Partnership in Learning" (Patricia Scallan-Berl); (2) "The Potential Gains of Peer Mentoring among Children" (Leslie Moguil); (3) "Mentoring Advocates in the Context of Early Childhood…

  5. Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Programme: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Education Endowment Foundation, 2016

    2016-01-01

    The Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Programme (TEEP) is a CPD programme that aims to improve teachers' classroom practice. TEEP training is offered as a whole-school approach by the Schools, Students and Teachers Network (SSAT). All staff in a school received three days of training over a period of two terms. A smaller cohort of teachers, chosen…

  6. What's the Technology For? Teacher Attention and Pedagogical Goals in a Modeling-Focused Professional Development Workshop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilkerson, Michelle Hoda; Andrews, Chelsea; Shaban, Yara; Laina, Vasiliki; Gravel, Brian E.

    2016-02-01

    This paper explores the role that technology can play in engaging pre-service teachers with the iterative, "messy" nature of model-based inquiry. Over the course of 5 weeks, 11 pre-service teachers worked in groups to construct models of diffusion using a computational animation and simulation toolkit, and designed lesson plans for the toolkit. Content analyses of group discussions and lesson plans document attention to content, representation, revision, and evaluation as interwoven aspects of modeling over the course of the workshop. When animating, only content and representation were heavily represented in group discussions. When simulating, all four aspects were represented to different extents across groups. Those differences corresponded with different planned uses for the technology during lessons: to teach modeling, to engage learners with one another's ideas, or to reveal student ideas. We identify specific ways in which technology served an important role in eliciting teachers' knowledge and goals related to scientific modeling in the classroom.

  7. Physics at the Frontier HS Teacher Workshop: bringing particle physics and cloud chambers into the classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gleason, Alyx; Bedard, Jamie; Bellis, Matthew; CMS Collaboration

    2016-03-01

    In the summer of 2015, we hosted 10 high school teachers for a three-day ``Physics at the Frontier'' Workshop. The mornings were spent learning about particle physics, CMS and the LHC, and radiation safety while the afternoons were spent building turn-key cloud chambers for use in their classrooms. The basic cloud chamber design uses Peltier thermoelectric coolers, rather than dry ice, and instructions can be found in multiple places online. For a robust build procedure and for easy use in the classroom, we redesigned parts of the construction process to make it easier to put together while holding costs below 200 per chamber. In addition to this new design, we also created a website with instructions for those who are interested in building their own using this design. This workshop was funded in part by a minigrant for Outreach and Education from the USCMS collaboration. Our experience with the workshop and the lessons learned from the cloud chamber design will be discussed. This work was funded in part by NSF Grants PHY-1307562 and a USCMS-administered minigrant for Outreach and Education.

  8. Teacher Professional Development to Foster Authentic Student Research Experiences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conn, K.; Iyengar, E.

    2004-12-01

    This presentation reports on a new teacher workshop design that encourages teachers to initiate and support long-term student-directed research projects in the classroom setting. Teachers were recruited and engaged in an intensive marine ecology learning experience at Shoals Marine Laboratory, Appledore Island, Maine. Part of the weeklong summer workshop was spent in field work, part in laboratory work, and part in learning experimental design and basic statistical analysis of experimental results. Teachers were presented with strategies to adapt their workshop learnings to formulate plans for initiating and managing authentic student research projects in their classrooms. The authors will report on the different considerations and constraints facing the teachers in their home school settings and teachers' progress in implementing their plans. Suggestions for replicating the workshop will be offered.

  9. Short-term family-centered workshop for children with developmental delays enhances family functioning and satisfaction: A prospective clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Hsieh, Ru-Lan; Hsieh, Wen-Huei; Lee, Wen-Chung

    2016-08-01

    We investigated the clinical efficacy on family functioning and parental satisfaction of a short-term family-centered workshop for children with developmental delays.A total of 32 children with developmental delays and their parents participated in 2-hour weekly group therapy sessions over 6 weeks. The workshop was conducted by rehabilitation professionals and teachers using a family-centered multidisciplinary approach. Both before and after the 6-week workshop, the parents were administered the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Family Impact Module, the PedsQL Healthcare Satisfaction Module, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life brief assessment instrument. Overall satisfaction with the workshop was also evaluated.Significant improvements were noted in physical aspect (P = 0.03), communication (P = 0.002), and daily activities (P = 0.04) in the PedsQL Family Impact Module, and in communication (P = 0.03) and technical skills (P = 0.05) in the PedsQL Healthcare Satisfaction Module. Overall satisfaction with the workshop was rated as very high. There was no significant effect on psychological distress or quality of life.Short-term family-centered workshops for children with developmental delays improved family functioning and the parental perception of satisfaction, including health care satisfaction.

  10. Languages for Communication Workshops, 1988: Tarrant County Junior College, Northeast Campus. Final Project Evaluation Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harper, Jane; Lively, Madeleine

    In summer 1988, Tarrant County Junior College, Northeast Campus, conducted a series of eight 16-hour workshops and three 32-hour workshops for high school teachers of foreign languages. The workshops were intended primarily as in-service training to help foreign language teachers: (1) improve their oral proficiency in the language they teach; (2)…

  11. Professional Development That Promotes Powerful Interactions: Using Teacher Book Clubs to Reflect on Quality in Teacher-Child Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Kelley Mayer

    2016-01-01

    For a majority of teachers, traditional professional development workshops lack relevancy and leave teachers on their own to implement what was learned. Workshops are frequently structured in ways in which teachers are seen simply as recipients of information handed down by trainers (a more passive role) versus those who reflect on and construct…

  12. 1997 NASA/MSFC Summer Teacher Enrichment Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    This is a report on the follow-up activities conducted for the 1997 NASA Summer Teacher Enrichment Program (STEP), which was held at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) for the seventh consecutive year. The program was conducted as a six-week session with 17 sixth through twelfth grade math and science teachers from a six-state region (Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi and Missouri). The program began on June 8, 1997, and ended on July 25, 1997. The long-term objectives of the program are to: increase the nation's scientific and technical talent pool with a special emphasis on underrepresented groups, improve the quality of pre-college math and science education, improve math and science literacy, and improve NASA's and pre-college education's understandings of each other's operating environments and needs. Short-term measurable objectives for the MSFC STEP are to: improve the teachers' content and pedagogy knowledge in science and/or mathematics, integrate applications from the teachers' STEP laboratory experiences into science and math curricula, increase the teachers' use of instructional technology, enhance the teachers' leadership skills by requiring them to present workshops and/or inservice programs for other teachers, require the support of the participating teacher(s) by the local school administration through a written commitment, and create networks and partnerships within the education community, both pre-college and college. The follow-up activities for the 1997 STEP included the following: academic-year questionnaire, site visits, academic-year workshop, verification of commitment of support, and additional NASA support.

  13. Supporting French Teachers for a Paradigm Shift in Grammar Education: A Teacher Trainer's Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thibeault, Joël

    2016-01-01

    This article presents a series of pedagogical workshops that was offered over two years to a cohort of 50 teachers practising in Ontarian French schools. Focusing on grammar teaching, the workshops' objectives were to: (a) contribute to the teachers' development of linguistic knowledge consistent with the grammar under new provincial standards and…

  14. Museum-Based Teacher Professional Development: Peabody Fellows in Earth Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pickering, Jane; Ague, Jay J.; Rath, Kenneth A.; Heiser, David M.; Sirch, James N.

    2012-01-01

    The Peabody Fellows in Earth Science program was a professional development opportunity for middle and high school teachers to enhance their knowledge of, and teaching skills in, the Earth sciences. It combined a summer institute and academic year workshops with the production of new curricular resources on the interpretation of landforms in…

  15. Workshop II: Physics Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horton, Renee; Milner-Bolotin, Marina

    2015-12-01

    Participants in the Physics Education Workshop at the 5th IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics heard about, among other topics, a study exploring why students have difficulty with concepts related to magnetism (and whether explicitly evoking gender affects the results), work in Europe to develop materials to help teachers implement inquiry-based science education, and the use of peer instruction and online collaboration to help teacher-candidates develop questioning skills.

  16. Clinical Teachers' Attitudes toward the Efficacy of Evidence-Based Medicine Workshop and Self-Reported Ability in Evidence-Based Practice in Iran

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kouhpayehzadeh, Jalil; Baradaran, Hamid; Arabshahi, Kamran Soltani; Knill-Jones, Robin

    2006-01-01

    Introduction: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) has been introduced in medical schools worldwide, but there is little known about effective methods for teaching EBM skills, particularly in developing countries. This study assesses the impact of an EBM workshop on clinical teachers' attitudes and use of EBM skills. Methods: Seventy-two clinical…

  17. Teacher Professional Development in Laredo, TX

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Finkelstein, Keely D.; Macri, L. M.; Hemenway, M.; Wetzel, M.; Preston, S.; Rood, M.

    2014-01-01

    In the fall of 2012, McDonald Observatory, Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M International University conducted a series of workshops on astronomy content for 5th - 8th grade teachers in Laredo, Texas. Three one-day workshops were held at the Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium of Texas A&M International University, using a mix of in-person and distance learning technology. Texas A&M professor Lucas Macri gave public talks in English and Spanish, and a lunch-time presentation to the teachers. A series of evaluation tools were used to assess the success of the workshops. A Nominal Group Technique (NGT) discussion was used, through which groups developed consensus answers about their learning, expectations for classroom use, and satisfaction with the workshop. The Astronomy/Space Science Test (MOSART Grades 5-8) was also issued as a pre- and post-test to assess gains in knowledge. Teacher consensus was that the materials and activities of the workshop had been helpful for learning and that they expected to use many of them in their classrooms. However, the evaluation also showed that teachers would have preferred the Observatory educator be physically present for all workshops. Past video-conferencing workshops, where local facilitators first participated in workshops at the Observatory, showed better feedback and results concerning this point. Comparing those results to the present case, we conclude that more clearly defined roles and better training for the science specialists and local facilitators would improve the video conference experience for the teachers. Comparison of pre- and post-test results showed improved teacher knowledge. An additional benefit of this project was the further development of partnerships between McDonald Observatory and Texas A&M International University, which has resulted in further education projects, including a video-conference presentation series to eight-grade students and their families. This secondary project focused on

  18. Keeping Teachers Up-to-Date in Ag Mechanics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruwelheide, Kenneth L.

    1977-01-01

    Describes one of Montana State University's Agricultural and Industrial Education Department teacher workshops for vocational agriculture teachers. The planning, organization, and evaluation of the workshop (which covered farm tractor maintenance) are briefly described. (SH)

  19. The Results of an Era of Teacher Professional Development at McDonald Observatory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Finkelstein, K. D.; Hemenway, M. K.; Preston, S.; Wetzel, M.; Meyer, J.; Rood, M.

    2014-07-01

    During the past decade, McDonald Observatory has been developing and refining its Teacher Professional Development Workshops, many of which have been supported by NASA. Metrics include attendance, perceived knowledge gain, and readiness to apply what was learned in the classroom. Evaluations show impact through the classroom application at five to six months after the workshops and through consistently high positive workshop results. This paper will show that a) our Teacher Professional Development Workshops are consistently well attended, b) the workshops improve teachers' confidence and their understanding of concepts, c) teachers enjoy unique interactions with astronomers and engineers, d) teachers appreciate hands-on and inquiry-based activities that are modeled and tied to state and national standards, and e) many teachers experience using the activities in their classrooms with good results.

  20. The Science and Issues of Human DNA Polymorphisms: A Training Workshop for High School Biology Teachers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Micklos, David A.

    2006-10-30

    This project achieved its goal of implementing a nationwide training program to introduce high school biology teachers to the key uses and societal implications of human DNA polymorphisms. The 2.5-day workshop introduced high school biology faculty to a laboratory-based unit on human DNA polymorphisms â which provides a uniquely personal perspective on the science and Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) of the Human Genome Project. As proposed, 12 workshops were conducted at venues across the United States. The workshops were attended by 256 high school faculty, exceeding proposed attendance of 240 by 7%. Each workshop mixed theoretical, laboratory, andmore » computer work with practical and ethical implications. Program participants learned simplified lab techniques for amplifying three types of chromosomal polymorphisms: an Alu insertion (PV92), a VNTR (pMCT118/D1S80), and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mitochondrial control region. These polymorphisms illustrate the use of DNA variations in disease diagnosis, forensic biology, and identity testing - and provide a starting point for discussing the uses and potential abuses of genetic technology. Participants also learned how to use their Alu and mitochondrial data as an entrée to human population genetics and evolution. Our work to simplify lab techniques for amplifying human DNA polymorphisms in educational settings culminated with the release in 1998 of three Advanced Technology (AT) PCR kits by Carolina Biological Supply Company, the nationâÂÂs oldest educational science supplier. The kits use a simple 30-minute method to isolate template DNA from hair sheaths or buccal cells and streamlined PCR chemistry based on Pharmacia Ready-To-Go Beads, which incorporate Taq polymerase, deoxynucleotide triphosphates, and buffer in a freeze-dried pellet. These kits have greatly simplified teacher implementation of human PCR labs, and their use is growing at a rapid pace. Sales

  1. The Science and Issues of Human DNA Polymoprhisms: A Training Workshop for High School Biology Teachers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    David. A Micklos

    2006-10-30

    This project achieved its goal of implementing a nationwide training program to introduce high school biology teachers to the key uses and societal implications of human DNA polymorphisms. The 2.5-day workshop introduced high school biology faculty to a laboratory-based unit on human DNA polymorphisms – which provides a uniquely personal perspective on the science and Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI) of the Human Genome Project. As proposed, 12 workshops were conducted at venues across the United States. The workshops were attended by 256 high school faculty, exceeding proposed attendance of 240 by 7%. Each workshop mixed theoretical, laboratory, andmore » computer work with practical and ethical implications. Program participants learned simplified lab techniques for amplifying three types of chromosomal polymorphisms: an Alu insertion (PV92), a VNTR (pMCT118/D1S80), and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the mitochondrial control region. These polymorphisms illustrate the use of DNA variations in disease diagnosis, forensic biology, and identity testing - and provide a starting point for discussing the uses and potential abuses of genetic technology. Participants also learned how to use their Alu and mitochondrial data as an entrée to human population genetics and evolution. Our work to simplify lab techniques for amplifying human DNA polymorphisms in educational settings culminated with the release in 1998 of three Advanced Technology (AT) PCR kits by Carolina Biological Supply Company, the nation’s oldest educational science supplier. The kits use a simple 30-minute method to isolate template DNA from hair sheaths or buccal cells and streamlined PCR chemistry based on Pharmacia Ready-To-Go Beads, which incorporate Taq polymerase, deoxynucleotide triphosphates, and buffer in a freeze-dried pellet. These kits have greatly simplified teacher implementation of human PCR labs, and their use is growing at a rapid pace. Sales of human

  2. Defining Environmental Education. Workshop Resource Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Disinger, John F.; Monroe, Martha C.

    This booklet is one in a series of resource manuals to help teacher educators conduct environmental education (EE) teacher workshops or promote EE programs. This unit is an orientation to the field of EE. It offers a definition of EE and some ways to explain its value to educators and environmental managers. The unit explains current and…

  3. Earth System Science for Elementary Teachers: An Innovative Approach to Teacher Professional Development.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Purkiss, C.

    2015-12-01

    In many professional development programs, teachers attend workshops to learn new knowledge and skills and then are expected to go back to their classrooms and implement what they learned. Often skills or an activity is learned but does not necessarily get practiced in the classroom. Very few professional development programs add direct, immediate practice with children where teachers can try out immediately the new activities or the knowledge they have just learned. In this case, the program directors wanted to see that, by having children to practice with in a non-threatening, low stakes environment, if participants would incorporate the activities and knowledge learned during the workshop into their classrooms in a more immediate way. Would immediate practice help participants internalize the new knowledge and skills and thus create a fund of knowledge that they would use immediately on their return to the classroom. As part of a grant for professional development for underserved elementary teachers on climate literacy, an innovative children's camp was added to a summer intensive workshop. Prior to the summer workshop, participants completed an eight-week online graduate level course on the basics of inquiry-based science. Participants then attended the intensive three-week workshop to gain knowledge in weather and climate and how to teach these concepts in their classrooms. The workshop was rich in materials and resources for participants. During the third week of the workshop, teachers were camp leaders to 100 elementary students in grades 3 through 5 who were participating in "Climate Camp". Various evaluation and assessments were completed during the program on all participants. Through various evaluation methods, it was found that there was a positive transfer of knowledge to the classroom.

  4. Professional Development of PMRI Teachers for Introducing Social Norms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Putri, Ratu Ilma Indra; Dolk, Maarten; Zulkardi

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports implementation results of designing a workshop for mathematics teachers in introducing classroom social norms. The participants are eight mathematics teachers in primary and junior secondary level. Teachers learned and did some activities about social norms during the workshop. First, they watched an example of learning videos…

  5. Using Online Case Studies to Enhance Teacher Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richman, Laila

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to assess the impact interactive, online case studies have on learning for preservice teachers. More specifically, it evaluated whether the use of online case studies in instruction could enhance the level of knowledge the preservice teacher gained from the content material. This study utilized a nonequivalent group,…

  6. Workshop 6 by and for Teachers: The Teacher as Writer.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barbieri, Maureen, Ed.; Rief, Linda, Ed.

    A testament to the belief that K-12 teachers should be writers, this book invites readers into the classrooms and minds of teachers who write. The fiction, poetry, personal essays, and two teacher interviews celebrate the power of writing and invite teachers to become more seriously involved in writing for themselves. The classrooms described in…

  7. Training Teachers to Use Technology and Inquiry-based Learning Practices in the Geosciences through an Industry-University Partnership

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNeal, K.; Buell, R.; Eiland, L.

    2009-12-01

    Teacher professional development centered about the Geosciences is necessary in order to train K-12 teachers about this science field and to effectively educate K-12 students about Earth processes. The partnership of industries, universities, and K-12 schools is a collaborative pathway to support these efforts by providing teachers access to technology, inquiry-based learning, and authentic field experiences within the Geosciences context. This research presents the results of Project SMARTER (Science and Mathematics Advancement and Reform utilizing Technology and Enhanced Resources), a co-lead industry-university partnership and teacher professional development workshop program that focused on technology and inquiry-based learning in the Geosciences. The workshop included fifteen teachers from five distressed counties in Mississippi as defined by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Three (one science, once math, one technology) 7-12 grade teachers were selected from each school district and worked together during activities as a team to foster a cooperative learning experience. The two week workshop trained teachers on the use of a variety of technologies including: Vernier Probes and software, TI-calculators and presenter, Mimio Boards, GPS receivers, Google Earth, Excel, PowerPoint, projectors, and the use of historic geologic datasets. Furthermore, teachers were trained on proper field collection techniques, the use of Hach Kits and field probes, and the interpretation of geologic data. Each daily program incorporated the use of technology-rich and inquiry-based activities into one of the five Earth spheres: atmosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and anthrosphere. Results from the pre-post technology attitude survey showed that participating teachers significantly (p < 0.05) increased their confidence level in using technology. Furthermore, all participants self-reflected that the workshop both increased their interest in the Geosciences and their

  8. Advancing climate literacy in Idaho K-12 schools using STEM education approaches, open source electronics, and Maker culture as vehicles for teacher training

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flores, A. N.; Gelb, L.; Watson, K. A.; Steimke, A.; Chang, C.; Busche, C.; Breidenbach, J.

    2016-12-01

    A climate literate citizenry is essential to the long-term success of climate change adaptation and to enhancing resilience of communities to climate change impacts. In support of a National Science Foundation CAREER award, we developed a teacher training workshop on a project that engages students in creating functioning, low-cost weather stations using open source electronics. The workshop aims to improve climate literacy among K-12 students while providing an authentic opportunity to acquire and hone STEM skills. Each station measures temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, light level, soil moisture, and precipitation occurrence. Our day-long workshop focuses on three elements: (1) providing context on the scientific importance of climate observation, (2) equipping teachers with technical skills needed to assemble and use a station from provided components, and (3) highlighting relevant educational standards met by the weather station activities. The workshop was attended by twelve 4th-9th grade teachers from southwest Idaho, all of whom teach at rural and/or Title I schools. Attendees reported having minimal or no previous experience with open source electronics, but all were able to effectively use their weather station with less than two hours of hands-on training. In written and oral post-workshop reflections teachers expressed a strong desire to integrate these activities into classrooms, but also revealed barriers associated with rigid curricular constraints and risk-averse administrators. Continued evolution of the workshop will focus on: (1) extending the duration and exploratory depth of the workshop, (2) refining pre- and post-assessments and performing longitudinal monitoring of teacher participants to measure short- and long-term efficacy of the workshop, and (3) partnering with colleagues to engage school district administrators in dialog on how to integrate authentic activities like this one into K-12 curriculum.

  9. Enhancing of Self-Efficacy in Teacher Education Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malinauskas, Romualdas K.

    2017-01-01

    In this study, the effectiveness of training module on enhancing self-efficacy in teacher education students was investigated. Sixty-eight (68) teacher education students (M age = 22.74; SD = 0.57) participated in this study, 36 of whom were assigned to an experimental group and the other 32 were assigned to a control group. The training module on…

  10. Enhancing Advocacy Skills of Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holmes, Melissa A.; Herrera, Socorro G.

    2009-01-01

    This case study explores the dynamics of enhancing the capacities of teacher candidates in the Bilingual/Bicultural Education Students Interacting to Obtain Success (BESITOS) recruitment and retention program to advocate for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. Herrera and Murry's advocacy framework provides the theoretical…

  11. The Use of Digital Repositories for Enhancing Teacher Pedagogical Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, Anat; Kalimi, Sharon; Nachmias, Rafi

    2013-01-01

    This research examines the usage of local learning material repositories at school, as well as related teachers' attitudes and training. The study investigates the use of these repositories for enhancing teacher performance and assesses whether the assimilation of the local repositories increases their usage of and contribution to by teachers. One…

  12. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Lunar Workshops for Educators, Year 1 Report

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, A. P.; Hsu, B. C.; Bleacher, L.; Shaner, A. J.; Dalton, H.

    2011-12-01

    This past summer, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) sponsored a series of weeklong professional development workshops designed to educate and inspire grade 6-12 science teachers: the Lunar Workshops for Educators. Participants learned about lunar science and exploration, gained tools to help address common student misconceptions about the Moon, heard some of the latest research results from LRO scientists, worked with LRO data, and learned how to bring these data to their students using hands-on activities aligned with grade 6-12 National Science Education Standards and Benchmarks. Where possible, the workshops also included tours of science facilities or field trips intended to help the teachers better understand mission operations or geologic processes relevant to the Moon. The workshops were very successful. Participants demonstrated an improved understanding of lunar science concepts in post-workshop assessments (as compared to identical pre-assessments) and a greater understanding of how to access and productively share data from LRO with their students and provide them with authentic research experiences. Participant feedback on workshop surveys was also enthusiastically positive. 5 additional Lunar Workshops for Educators will be held around the country in the summer of 2012. For more information and to register, visit http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/lwe/index.html.

  13. Tools to Assess the Impact of Teacher Enhancement Programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heatherly, S. A.; Maddalena, R. J.; Govett, A.; Hemler, D.

    1997-05-01

    Beginning in 1994, the NRAO has hosted an NSF-funded program, ``Research Experience in Teacher Preparation (RETP),'' in which inservice and preservice science teachers participate in residential institutes lasting one or two weeks. While on site, they conduct open-ended investigations using a 40-foot diameter working radio telescope. The aim of RETP has been to deepen and personalize participants' understanding of the nature of science, and to assist them in applying their newfound knowledge to their classroom teaching. So far RETP, and the teacher enhancement programs from which it evolved, have trained 434 inservice and 69 preservice teachers. The impact of the research experience on teachers' perceptions of themselves as professionals and their views of science was initially assessed through open-ended questionnaires and participant journals. From teachers' responses we learned that the research experience has a profound, positive influence on participants' views of science and increased their confidence in using research-based teaching methods. However, determining what actually happens in the classroom is harder to evaluate and requires a more structured approach. Therefore, to determine what changes occurred in teachers and their students, five survey instruments were developed. The instruments: 1) assess changes in teachers' perceptions of their ability to conduct research; 2) gauge teachers' perceptions of three aspects of the institute; 3) measure changes in teachers' concerns about implementing classroom research projects; 4) evaluate the development of teachers' understanding into the nature of science; and 5) determine changes in their students' perceptions of science and science class. To increase the reliability of the instruments, the survey questions were tested for internal consistency. Early results show that the RETP program has significantly affected participants and their students. These instruments are useful not only for evaluating this

  14. Teachers Teaching Teachers: The Belen Goals 2000 Professional Development Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norton, Priscilla; Sprague, Debra

    Belen Public Schools (New Mexico) received a Goals 2000 grant for teacher education and technology integration. The Belen Goals 2000 professional development project established two three-day teachers-teaching-teachers workshops. The first focused on using an integrated software package and the second focused on using e-mail and the Internet.…

  15. Synthetic Vision Workshop 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kramer, Lynda J. (Compiler)

    1999-01-01

    The second NASA sponsored Workshop on Synthetic/Enhanced Vision (S/EV) Display Systems was conducted January 27-29, 1998 at the NASA Langley Research Center. The purpose of this workshop was to provide a forum for interested parties to discuss topics in the Synthetic Vision (SV) element of the NASA Aviation Safety Program and to encourage those interested parties to participate in the development, prototyping, and implementation of S/EV systems that enhance aviation safety. The SV element addresses the potential safety benefits of synthetic/enhanced vision display systems for low-end general aviation aircraft, high-end general aviation aircraft (business jets), and commercial transports. Attendance at this workshop consisted of about 112 persons including representatives from industry, the FAA, and other government organizations (NOAA, NIMA, etc.). The workshop provided opportunities for interested individuals to give presentations on the state of the art in potentially applicable systems, as well as to discuss areas of research that might be considered for inclusion within the Synthetic Vision Element program to contribute to the reduction of the fatal aircraft accident rate. Panel discussions on topical areas such as databases, displays, certification issues, and sensors were conducted, with time allowed for audience participation.

  16. NEWEST teachers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    NEWEST, or NASA Educational Workshops for Elementary School Teachers, is a two-week honors program for teachers, sponsored by NASA, the National Science Teachers Association, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the International Technology Education-Association. A total of 25 teachers from the United States and U.S. State Department schools in Europe are chosen to work with NASA and other federal agency science and engineering professionals. Pictured, participants make hot air balloons as part of their activities.

  17. Core Leadership: Teacher Leaders and Common Core Implementation in Tennessee

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aspen Institute, 2014

    2014-01-01

    In the summer of 2012, thousands of teachers across the United States attended several days of professional development workshops. The workshops, which focused on the Common Core State Standards, were part of a Tennessee Department of Education initiative in teacher leadership. The department recruited and trained 200 highly-effective teachers to…

  18. BIOINFORMATICS IN THE K-8 CLASSROOM: DESIGNING INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHER IMPLEMENTATION

    PubMed Central

    Shuster, Michele; Claussen, Kira; Locke, Melly; Glazewski, Krista

    2016-01-01

    At the intersection of biology and computer science is the growing field of bioinformatics—the analysis of complex datasets of biological relevance. Despite the increasing importance of bioinformatics and associated practical applications, these are not standard topics in elementary and middle school classrooms. We report on a pilot project and its evolution to support implementation of bioinformatics-based activities in elementary and middle school classrooms. Specifically, we ultimately designed a multi-day summer teacher professional development workshop, in which teachers design innovative classroom activities. By focusing on teachers, our design leverages enhanced teacher knowledge and confidence to integrate innovative instructional materials into K-8 classrooms and contributes to capacity building in STEM instruction. PMID:27429860

  19. Handbook of Classroom and Workshop Metric Activity Stations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois State Office of Education, Springfield.

    The objectives of this handbook are to assist K-8 classroom teachers in launching an activity-oriented metric program that provides learning experiences in the measurement strands of linear, mass, and temperature, and to assist metric coordinators in planning metric awareness workshops for teachers, parents, and various community organizations.…

  20. Teacher? Learner? Both!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanuscin, Deborah L.; van Garderen, Delinda; Menon, Deepika; Davis, Jeni; Lee, Eun; Smith, Rena

    2011-01-01

    Teachers often have questions about how the strategies they learned at a professional development (PD) workshop will work with their students. Wouldn't it be great if teachers had the opportunity to practice implementing new strategies during PD so that they could hone their skills before returning to their classrooms? That's what 35 teachers got…

  1. 34 CFR 611.1 - What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality... Education (Continued) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS PROGRAM General Provisions § 611.1 What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality Enhancement...

  2. 34 CFR 611.1 - What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality... Education (Continued) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS PROGRAM General Provisions § 611.1 What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality Enhancement...

  3. 34 CFR 611.1 - What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality... Education (Continued) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS PROGRAM General Provisions § 611.1 What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality Enhancement...

  4. The Unforgettable Experience of a Workshop on Pythagoras Theorem

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arwani, Salima Shahzad

    2011-01-01

    The author conducted a workshop with colleagues in which awareness of Pythagoras' theorem was raised. This workshop was an unforgettable event in the author's life because it was the first time that she had interacted with teachers from a different school system, and it allowed her to develop presentation skills and confidence in her own…

  5. Enhancing Teachers' Motivation to Apply Humanist Information Technology Innovations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  6. Prospective Teachers' Views about Video-Enhanced General Biology Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Çetin, Gülcan

    2014-01-01

    The aim of the study is to determine the views of the prospective physics and chemistry teachers about the video-enhanced General Biology instruction. The participants included 19 second-year prospective teachers (10 in Physics and 9 in Chemistry Education) at Necatibey Faculty of Education, Balikesir University, Turkey in the 2011-2012 academic…

  7. Strong schools against suicidality and self-injury: Evaluation of a workshop for school staff.

    PubMed

    Groschwitz, Rebecca; Munz, Lara; Straub, Joana; Bohnacker, Isabelle; Plener, Paul L

    2017-06-01

    Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidality are common among adolescents. School staff are often the first adults to be confronted with those behaviors. However, previous studies have shown a lack of knowledge and confidence in dealing with self-harming behaviors. Objectives of this study were to evaluate a workshop on NSSI and suicidality in adolescence for teachers, school social workers and school psychologists. In total, N = 267 school staff participated in 1 of 16 two-day workshops, which were offered in different cities in southern Germany. Pre-, post- and 6-month follow-up assessments were conducted concerning attitudes, confidence in own skills, perceived knowledge, and knowledge on NSSI and suicidality. Satisfaction with the workshop was evaluated directly after the workshop; changes in handling situations involving youth with self-harm were evaluated at follow-up. Overall, participants were very satisfied with the workshop. Few negative attitudes regarding NSSI and suicidality were prevalent before and after the workshop. Large effect sizes were found for improvement in confidence, perceived knowledge, and knowledge at postassessment, which were still present at 6-month follow-up. There were significant differences between professions, with teachers seemingly benefitting the most from the workshop. At follow-up, participants reported more changes in their own behavior than having been able to implement changes on a school level. A 2-day workshop seems to be effective in changing knowledge and confidence in school staff regarding NSSI and suicidality. Workshops catered to different professions (i.e., teachers and school psychologists) might be feasible. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Inservice Science Teachers' Views of a Professional Development Workshop and Their Learning of Force and Motion Concepts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramlo, Susan

    2012-01-01

    Teacher attitudes affect their instruction such that positive teacher attitudes enhance the teaching and learning process. The purpose of this study was to explore inservice science teachers' views of learning physics within the context of a professional development experience and to investigate the relationship between those views and the…

  9. An Evaluation of the '72 Summer Workshop on Individualized Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mohan, Madan; Hull, Ronald E.

    This report evaluated a 2-week summer workshop for 37 teachers, supervisors, and administrators involved in the study and implementation of individualized instruction programs in western New York. After a brief introduction, general objectives and planning procedures of the workshop were presented. Participation selection was based on a…

  10. Recipe for a Small Workshop: A Population Education Leader's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Elaine M.

    A variety of resources, learning activities, and instructional materials make up this population education resource kit. Four major components comprise the kit. The first section is a leader's guide for the organization of an educational workshop about population education. Designed for teachers and community people, the workshop guide presents…

  11. Reclaiming Power in the Writers' Workshop: Defending Curricula, Countering Narratives, and Changing Identities in Prekindergarten Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kissel, Brian T.; Miller, Erin T.

    2015-01-01

    In this article, we examine how young writers and their teachers transformed the language arts curriculum by asserting their power within a familiar framework--the writer's workshop. We present three narratives in which multiple pre-kindergarten agents (students, teachers, and administrators) used their power within the Writer's Workshop to a)…

  12. Education Partnerships in Teacher Training: McDonald Observatory and the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Finkelstein, Keely; Preston, Sandra Lee; Hemenway, Mary; Malasarn, Davin; Wetzel, Marc

    2015-08-01

    McDonald Observatory in remote, west Texas has a long history of providing K-12 teacher professional development (PD) through workshops at the observatory. Recently, we have started a new teacher PD program in partnership with the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) to provide teacher training and establish a network of teachers and students engaged in the Giant Magellan Telescope. The GMT Teacher workshop has been offered to 30 teachers during the summers of 2014 and 2015; continued engagement has been offered to the teachers through online resources, networking, participation in other teacher PD opportunities and conferences. Evaluation has been conducted using several metrics immediately post workshops, and long term followup evaluation methods. At the close of the 2014 workshop teachers reported learning about the telescopes and nighttime observing, and the promise of the GMT. Consensus statements at the close of the workshop also spoke about passion for and appreciation of astronomy. The major source of recommendation during the year one workshop was to provide more detailed information or activities on the GMT during the workshops. While this does prove challenging to incorporate a full slate of activities on the GMT before the telescope is even built, we are currently working to produce more take-home materials which are GMT specific, continue to make general connections to telescope technology and science that are applicable to the GMT with the teachers. McDonald Observatory and GMTO will continue to partner to offer teacher PD related to the GMT, and increase the network of teachers and students engaged in the GMT, up and through the beginning of its operations in 2020. We will present the current highlights, evaulation outcome results, and future outlook for this program and collaboration.

  13. Effective Professional Development for Teacher Leaders: Lessons Learned from K-6 Mathematics Teacher Enhancement Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Friel, Susan N.; Bright, George W.

    The National Science Foundation (NSF) has supported a wide variety of teacher enhancement projects in order to identify and explore strategies that are effective in bringing genuine, long-term teacher change, and, ultimately, long-term systemic change in schools. In November 1994, with funding provided from NSF (Grant Number ESI-9452859), a small,…

  14. Writing and Learning in the Business Classroom: The Workshop Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fernsten, Linda; Fernsten, Jeffrey

    2008-01-01

    A writing workshop is a pedagogical tool that can create a more productive experience for teachers and students alike. Business students who have used this technique with experienced instructors agree that a well-planned writing workshop can be useful for dispelling writing fears, furthering understanding of business communication skills,…

  15. Enhancing ICT Competency for Teachers in the Thailand Basic Education System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akarawang, Chaiya; Kidrakran, Pachoen; Nuangchalerm, Prasart

    2015-01-01

    Information and communications technologies (ICT) competency has been identified as a deficiency in teacher training in the basic education system of Thailand. This research aimed to study needs and training for enhancing ICT competency. Some 377 teachers from 35 schools and 12 school directors, supervisors and professional teachers were surveyed…

  16. Developing Partnerships between Higher Education Faculty, K-12 Science Teachers, and School Administrators via MSP initiatives: The RITES Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caulkins, J. L.; Kortz, K. M.; Murray, D. P.

    2011-12-01

    The Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science Project (RITES) is a NSF-funded Math and Science Partnership (MSP) project that seeks to improve science education. RITES is, at its core, a unique partnership that fosters relationships between middle and high school science teachers, district and school administrators, higher education (HE) faculty members, and science education researchers. Their common goal is to enhance scientific inquiry, increase classroom technology usage, and improve state level science test scores. In one of the more visible examples of this partnership, middle and high school science teachers work closely with HE science faculty partners to design and teach professional development (PD) workshops. The PD sessions focus on technology-enhanced scientific investigations (e.g. use of probes, online simulations, etc.), exemplify inquiry-based instruction, and relate expert content knowledge. Teachers from these sessions express substantial satisfaction in the program, report increased comfort levels in teaching the presented materials (both via post-workshop surveys), and show significant gains in content knowledge (via pre-post assessments). Other benefits to this kind of partnership, in which K-12 and HE teachers are considered equals, include: 1) K-12 teachers are empowered through interactions with HE faculty and other science teachers in the state; 2) HE instructors become more informed not only about good pedagogical practices, but also practical aspects of teaching science such as engaging students; and 3) the PD sessions tend to be much stronger than ones designed and presented solely by HE scientists, for while HE instructors provide content expertise, K-12 teachers provide expertise in K-12 classroom practice and implementation. Lastly, the partnership is mutually beneficial for the partners involved because both sides learn practical ways to teach science and inquiry at different levels. In addition to HE faculty and K-12 science teacher

  17. News Quantum physics: German Physical Society spring meeting Journal access: American Physical Society's online journals will be available for free in all US high schools Award: High-school physics teacher receives American award for excellence Teacher training: Fobinet offers coordination of teacher-training activities Astronomy: Astronomy fans see stars at Astrofest Conference: Delegates enjoy the workshops and activities at CPD conference Forthcoming events

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2011-05-01

    Quantum physics: German Physical Society spring meeting Journal access: American Physical Society's online journals will be available for free in all US high schools Award: High-school physics teacher receives American award for excellence Teacher training: Fobinet offers coordination of teacher-training activities Astronomy: Astronomy fans see stars at Astrofest Conference: Delegates enjoy the workshops and activities at CPD conference Forthcoming events

  18. Exploring Climate Science with WV Educators: A Regional Model for Teacher Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruberg, L. F.; Calinger, M.

    2014-12-01

    The National Research Council Framework for K-12 Science Literacy reports that children reared in rural agricultural communities, who experience regular interactions with plants and animals, develop more sophisticated understanding of ecology and biological systems than do urban and suburban children of the same age. West Virginia (WV) is a rural state. The majority of its residents live in communities of fewer than 2,500 people. Based on the features of the population being served and their unique strengths, this presentation focuses on a regional model for teacher professional development that addresses agricultural and energy vulnerabilities and adaptations to climate change in WV. The professional development model outlined shows how to guide teachers to use a problem-based learning approach to introduce climate data and analysis techniques within a scenario context that is locally meaningful. This strategy engages student interest by focusing on regional and community concerns. Climate science standards are emphasized in the Next Generation Science Standards, but WV has not provided its teachers with appropriate instructional resources to meet those standards. The authors addressed this need by offering a series of climate science education workshops followed by online webinars offered to WV science educators free of charge with funding by the West Virginia Space Grant Consortium. The authors report on findings from this series of professional development workshops conducted in partnership with the West Virginia Science Teachers Association. The goal was to enhance grades 5-12 teaching and learning about climate change through problem-based learning. Prior to offering the climate workshops, all WV science educators were asked to complete a short questionnaire. As Figure 1 shows, over 40% of the teacher respondents reported being confident in teaching climate science content. For comparison post workshops surveys measure teacher confidence in climate science

  19. Promoting an Integrated Science Approach in Teacher Training Programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morris, P. A.; Reiff, P.; Garcia, J.; McKay, G. A.

    2007-12-01

    The Rio Grande Valley of Texas presents a unique opportunity for teacher workshops. First of all, it is separated geographically from major Texas metropolitan areas and it is still primarily rural with relatively small cities and the population is predominantly Hispanic. Teacher workshop offerings in the valley are limited and the teachers usually travel at their own expense to larger cities such as Corpus Christi, San Antonio or Houston to enhance their science background. A few years ago we were prompted by Javier Garcia to offer a workshop at the University of Texas at Brownsville. For three consecutive summers, with NASA funding and support, we taught a one week integrated science teacher workshop at the University of Texas at Brownsville. The workshop is nontraditional, as we do not concentrate on a single scientific discipline such as geology, physics but cover the broader scientific disciplines. Each day is devoted to a separate field, i.e. physics, terrestrial geology, space geology, etc. The topics can vary from year to year. Scientists are brought to Brownsville from the greater Houston area and represent the University of Houston-Downtown, Rice University, Texas Southern University and Johnson Space Center. All sessions are inquiry based and include short introductions to subjects and interactive activities that can be adapted to a variety of age groups. For example, the relationship between Earth and Moon is a crucial state middle school education standard. We begin the Earth/Moon activities with standard inquiry activities such as using flashlights to create phases of the Moon and eclipses, and extend the activities to higher mathematical levels through calculations of the height of lunar features through measuring shadow lengths, and discussion of space weather concerns for lunar exploration. As a way to illustrate the contrast between the Earth and the Moon, we show our planetarium show "Earth's Wild Ride", which is set on a lunar colony, as a start

  20. Enhancing Teachers' Technological Pedagogical Knowledge and Practices: A Professional Development Model for Technology Teachers in Malawi

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chikasanda, Vanwyk Khobidi Mbubzi; Otrel-Cass, Kathrin; Williams, John; Jones, Alister

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports on a professional development that was designed and implemented in an attempt to broaden teachers' knowledge of the nature of technology and also enhance their technological pedagogical practices. The professional development was organised in four phases with each phase providing themes for reflection and teacher learning in…

  1. The Cube and the Poppy Flower: Participatory Approaches for Designing Technology-Enhanced Learning Spaces

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casanova, Diogo; Mitchell, Paul

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents an alternative method for learning space design that is driven by user input. An exploratory study was undertaken at an English university with the aim of redesigning technology-enhanced learning spaces. Two provocative concepts were presented through participatory design workshops during which students and teachers reflected…

  2. Ohio Teacher Professional Development in the Physical Sciences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cervenec, Jason; Harper, Kathleen A.

    2006-02-01

    An in-service teacher program held during the summers of 2004 and 2005 is described. This program, sponsored with state funds, drew a varied group of participants to learn Modeling Instruction in physics. The workshop leaders used the state science proficiency standards and physics education research (PER) results to guide many of the workshop's activities. In 2004, the participants experienced the Modeling mechanics curriculum while pretending to be students; in 2005, the teachers worked in small teams to develop Modeling-consistent units in other areas, often utilizing PER-based materials. Indications are that the experience was valuable to the teachers and that the workshop series should be offered for a new cohort.

  3. Understanding science teacher enhancement programs: Essential components and a model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spiegel, Samuel Albert

    Researchers and practioners alike recognize that "the national goal that every child in the United States has access to high-quality school education in science and mathematics cannot be realized without the availability of effective professional development of teachers" (Hewson, 1997, p. 16). Further, there is a plethora of reports calling for the improvement of professional development efforts (Guskey & Huberman, 1995; Kyle, 1995; Loucks-Horsley, Hewson, Love, & Stiles, 1997). In this study I analyze a successful 3-year teacher enhancement program, one form of professional development, to: (1) identify essential components of an effective teacher enhancement program; and (2) create a model to identify and articulate the critical issues in designing, implementing, and evaluating teacher enhancement programs. Five primary sources of information were converted into data: (1) exit questionnaires, (2) exit surveys, (3) exit interview transcripts, (4) focus group transcripts, and (5) other artifacts. Additionally, a focus group was used to conduct member checks. Data were analyzed in an iterative process which led to the development of the list of essential components. The Components are categorized by three organizers: Structure (e.g., science research experience, a mediator throughout the program), Context (e.g., intensity, collaboration), and Participant Interpretation (e.g., perceived to be "safe" to examine personal beliefs and practices, actively engaged). The model is based on: (1) a 4-year study of a successful teacher enhancement program; (2) an analysis of professional development efforts reported in the literature; and (3) reflective discussions with implementors, evaluators, and participants of professional development programs. The model consists of three perspectives, cognitive, symbolic interaction, and organizational, representing different viewpoints from which to consider issues relevant to the success of a teacher enhancement program. These

  4. Enhancing science teaching in an elementary school: A case study of a school-initiated Teacher Professional Development Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brooks, Clare M.

    1998-12-01

    This naturalistic case study documents a year long Teacher Professional Development Program (TPDP) initiated by an elementary school staff in British Columbia. The TPDP was designed to enable the teachers to meet their objective of making science instruction more frequent, more active, and more student-centered in all classrooms in the school. This case study addresses two research questions: (1) What attributes of the Teacher Professional Development Program supported the school's "objective" for improved science instruction? (2) How did the outcomes of the Teacher Professional Development Program relate to the achievement of the school's educational objective? The site for the research was a kindergarten--Grade 7 school. A university professor and the researcher were invited to visit the school on a bi-weekly basis during one school year (1993--94) to facilitate a series of science workshops involving the entire teaching staff and to provide classroom support to teachers. Teachers were offered university course credit for their participation. This case study draws on qualitative data including: audio recordings of planning/debriefing sessions, workshop discussions, and interviews with participants; field notes and written observations; a survey of teachers' opinions about the TPDP; and documents relating to the school accreditation process in 1994--95. The results of the study show that teachers, administrators, and parents were satisfied that the school's objective for science instruction was met, and that the TPDP contributed significantly to this outcome. The study identifies TPDP attributes which supported the school's objective with reference to the teachers and their context, the planning process, and the organizational context, that is, the school. This study contributes to our understanding of teacher professional development by examining an alternative to more common approaches to elementary teacher science inservice in British Columbia, which are

  5. Positioning Sex Educators: A Critical Ethnography of a Professional Development Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, Brigitte C.

    2013-01-01

    In this ethnographic research, I offer an analysis of a state-sponsored professional development workshop for sex educators. Positioning theory is used to understand how the lived space of the workshop -- including texts, talk and silence -- positions sex education teachers as professionals and practitioners with certain (limited) speaking rights…

  6. Playful Teaching Workshop Sampler. Classroom Play Ideas for Early Childhood Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Battista, Donna

    Based on Piaget's theory "children learn best by doing," play offers a natural way of learning for young children. The "Playful Teaching" Workshop Sampler offers teachers several different movement activities for incorporation into academic classroom curricula. The play ideas were presented at national and regional teaching workshops. The…

  7. Using sunshine for elementary space science education: A model for IHY scientist teacher partnerships

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moldwin, M. B.; Fiello, D.; Harter, E.; Holman, G.; Nagumo, N.; Pryharski, A.; Takunaga, C.

    2008-12-01

    An elementary science education professional development partnership between Culver City Unified School District teachers and UCLA has been formed. The project was designed to assist teachers to comfortably present introductory space science concepts, to support them in their efforts, and to aid them in encouraging their students to develop inquiry skills related to space sciences. The project encourages teacher use of observational science techniques in their classrooms, the use of NASA solar mission images and enhanced use of astronomical observation to facilitate discovery learning. The integrated approach of the project has fostered collegial learning activities among the participating teachers and offered them opportunities for continued renewal and professional development of teacher competencies in astronomy and space science. The activities used in the classroom were developed by others, classroom tested, and specifically address National Science Education and California Science Content Standards. These activities have been sustained through on-going collaboration between the scientist and the teachers, a summer Research Experience for Teachers program, and on-going, grade-specific, district-sponsored workshops. Assessment of the value of the program is done by the school district and is used to continuously improve each workshop and program component. Culver City (California) Unified School District is a small urban school district located on the Westside of Los Angeles. This paper describes the program and the plans for incorporating IHY-themed science into the classroom.

  8. Professional Development: Teachers Use of GIS to Enhance Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McClurg, Patricia A.; Buss, Alan

    2007-01-01

    This article explains a professional development experience of fifth to twelfth grade teachers in using geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) technologies to enhance classroom teaching and learning environments. A key challenge faced by the developers was whether teachers would value the technology tools enough…

  9. ESTEC/Geovusie/ILEWG planetary student design workshop: a teacher training perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Preusterink, Jolanda; Foing, Bernard H.; Kaskes, Pim

    of this setting was inspirational and motivating. A good method with vision to modernize school education and bring innovation to educators: they are the key promoters and facilitators for change in the culture of education. Tutors and mentors are very important to pave the way with more modern interactive learning, including: 1. Social Media 2. Online Learning 3. Creator Society 4. Data-driven learning 5. Virtual Assistance The great importance of emerging technologies and their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning, and creative inquiry in pre-college education environments offer good prospects. The International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG) has given support to emphasize their vision, goal to "international cooperation towards a world strategy for the exploration and utilization of the Moon” by organizing and facilitating students, teachers, schools and universities with relevant material, ready to use in the classroom and inform the greater audience. This underlines the vision of the importance and responsibility to “draw in” education for primary, secondary and higher education on a more regular base and to implant space exploration on its widest scale and on a more sustainable way in the future. Developing and building a stronger network is crucial to gain technical personal for future Moon missions, samples return and research on other planets, moons or asteroids. This workshop helped to give more outreach about current space projects and will have a follow-up. The international and cooperative character was an innovative experience with enriching information and great promising students for more science and future space exploration. Acknowledgements: we thank the volunteer organiser students from VU GeoVUsie, the participants and the tutors. A video of highlights is available on " 2. Planetary Design student workshop organised by VU Amsterdam GeoVusie/ESTEC/ILEWG" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJxvHKcNeKo

  10. Perform or Else: The Performative Enhancement of Teacher Professionalism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liew, Warren Mark

    2012-01-01

    The Singapore Ministry of Education's Enhanced Performance Management System (EPMS) was instituted in 2005 as a system of professional accountability to enhance the standards and stakes of teacher professionalism in schools. This essay explores how the EPMS, with its underlying paradigm of performance management, functions as a "technology of…

  11. Implementing a Digital Reading and Writing Workshop Model for Content Literacy Instruction in an Urban Elementary (K-8) School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ciampa, Katia

    2016-01-01

    This article describes how one urban elementary school's professional development workshop on technology helped teachers grow in their knowledge and practice of a digital reading and writing workshop model. Created in partnership with university faculty, school administration, and elementary teachers, this whole-school professional development…

  12. A faculty development workshop in narrative-based reflective writing.

    PubMed

    Boudreau, J Donald; Liben, Stephen; Fuks, Abraham

    2012-08-01

    Narrative approaches are used increasingly in the health professions with a range of objectives. We must acquaint educators with this burgeoning field and prepare them for the incorporation of story-telling in their pedagogical practices. The authors describe a template for a faculty development workshop designed to foster self-reflection through the use of narrative techniques and prepare clinical teachers to deploy such approaches. The design is based on a six-year experience in delivering introductory workshops in narrative approaches to medical teachers. The workshops, which served as a model for the template, have been offered to a total of 92 clinicians being trained to mentor medical students. A generic template is described. It includes a table of core concepts from narrative theory, a set of probing questions useful in a basic technical analysis of texts and a list of initiating prompts for exercises in reflective writing. A workshop organized and deployed using this template is deliverable over a half-day. The model has proven to be feasible and highly valued by participants. It can be adapted for other contexts by educators across the continuum of health professional education.

  13. Mentoring: Findings from a Title II Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suters, Leslie A.; Kershaw, Cheryl

    Urban Impact is a Title II Teacher Quality Enhancement Act partnership grant supporting the development of new strategies and structures to strengthen the preparation and development of beginning teachers in urban settings in Tennessee. This study evaluated the success of Urban Impact in establishing professional and social supports for the first…

  14. Application of E-Portfolio System to Enhance Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liao, Chin-Wen

    2011-01-01

    This study focuses on the meaning, applications and future development of e-teaching portfolios as an attempt to highlight the important role it plays in the "post-modern teaching practice mode". For the purpose of enhancing teacher professional development, application of the teaching portfolio system in the post-modern teacher qualification…

  15. Fermilab Science Education Office - Educators/Teachers

    Science.gov Websites

    Search Professional Development and Research Opportunities Prepare for NGSS/Work with Scientists Professional Development Teacher Workshops and Scholarships Teacher Resource Center Research Opportunities TRAC

  16. RX for science literacy: The what, where, how, and why of health science research (A teacher`s manual about biomedical research)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hoffman, K.S.

    1994-12-31

    When the North Carolina Association for Biomedical Research (NCABR) surveyed the state`s science teachers in March 1993, 92% of those responding requested information related to biomedical research. Most of the teachers requested lesson plans and activities designed to help them give students an accurate and balanced perspective on research. In response to that need, NCABR has recently completed production of a 300-page teacher`s manual that provides an overview of the biomedical research process and describes the role and care of animals in that process. Rx for Science Literacy incorporates background information, lesson plans, handouts and activities to assist teachers inmore » K-12 classrooms. Developed by a science teacher with assistance from science and education experts, the manual captures the complex biomedical research process in an easy-to-follow, easy-to-use format. In North Carolina, NCABR plans to begin these workshops in fall 1994. The workshops will include a tour of a biomedical research laboratory and on-site presentations by bench scientists. Teacher evaluation of the manual will be structured into the workshop program. The manual is available at cost to all interested individuals and organizations.« less

  17. Investigating Technology-Enhanced Teacher Professional Development in Rural, High-Poverty Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blanchard, Margaret R.; LePrevost, Catherine E.; Tolin, A. Dell; Gutierrez, Kristie S.

    2016-01-01

    This 3-year, mixed-methods study investigated the effects of teacher technology-enhanced professional development (TPD) on 20 teachers' beliefs and practices. Teachers in two middle schools located in neighboring rural, high-poverty districts in the southeastern United States participated in reform-based lessons and learned how to integrate…

  18. After the Elementary Mathematics Teacher Workshop: Stories of Becoming Complex Instruction Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oslund, Joy A.

    2016-01-01

    Teacher educators worldwide have increasingly understood the importance of studying teacher identity. This article uses data from a narrative study of teacher learning from a mathematics professional development (PD) experience that were collected after the PD as teachers were integrating new ideas into their practices. Data were generated as…

  19. A Survey and In-Service Workshop Package on Moral Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crow, Marsha Lou

    This document reviews moral education literature, presents results of a questionnaire on moral education for Seventh-day Adventist elementary school teachers, and provides an inservice workshop package in moral education. Fifty-two teachers in Seventh-day Adventist schools in Montana and Idaho answered the questionnaire and participated in the…

  20. PowerPoint Workshop for Teachers[TM].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caughlin, Janet

    This guide for teachers to the Microsoft PowerPoint multimedia presentation program begins with a section that introduces what PowerPoint is and why teachers should use it, Windows 95/98 basics, Macintosh basics, getting started, PowerPoint toolbars, and presentation tips. The next section discusses learning PowerPoint, including creating a…

  1. Best Ideas for Teaching with Technology: A Practical Guide for Teachers, by Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reich, Justin; Daccord, Thomas

    2008-01-01

    This practical, how-to guide makes it easy for teachers to incorporate the latest technology in their classes. Employing an informal workshop approach, the book avoids technical jargon and pays special attention to the needs of teachers who are expanding the use of computers in their classroom. The authors focus on what teachers do and how they…

  2. Recombinant DNA for Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duvall, James G., III

    1992-01-01

    A science teacher describes his experience at a workshop to learn to teach the Cold Spring Harbor DNA Science Laboratory Protocols. These protocols lead students through processes for taking E. coli cells and transforming them into a new antibiotic resistant strain. The workshop featured discussions of the role of DNA recombinant technology in…

  3. Information Technologies in Teacher Education. Issues and Experiences for Countries in Transition. Proceedings of a European Workshop, University of Twente (Enschede, Netherlands, February 20-23, 1994).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Collis, Betty, Ed.; And Others

    This document contains 21 papers from an international workshop designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas concerning the use of information technology in teacher education among experts from Central, Eastern, and Western Europe. The papers include: (1) "Communication and Information Technologies as Change Agents" (Jef Moonen); (2)…

  4. Teacher Candidates Implementing Universal Design for Learning: Enhancing Picture Books with QR Codes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grande, Marya; Pontrello, Camille

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate if teacher candidates could gain knowledge of the principles of Universal Design for Learning by enhancing traditional picture books with Quick Response (QR) codes and to determine if the process of making these enhancements would impact teacher candidates' comfort levels with using technology on both…

  5. A Teacher-Focused Approach to Prevent and Reduce Students' Aggressive Behavior

    PubMed Central

    Orpinas, Pamela; Home, Arthur M.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe the GREAT (Guiding Responsibility and Expectations for Adolescents for Today and Tomorrow) Teacher Program, a prevention program for middle school teachers to deter students' aggressive behavior. It was developed on the basis of an ecologic understanding of aggression and on specific constructs of Social Cognitive Theory. The goals of the program were (1) to increase teacher awareness of different types of aggression, risk factors, role of the classroom teacher, and influence of the school climate on the child's behavior; (2) to develop strategies that will prevent aggression; (3) to improve teacher management skills to reduce power struggles and aggression; and (4) to enhance skills to assist students who are the targets of aggression. To accomplish these goals, teachers participated in a 12-hour workshop and 10 support group sessions. Training, manuals, and supervision were provided to maintain program integrity and to assure the quality of implementation. PMID:14732185

  6. Radiation and Health: A Workshop for Science Educators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krieger, Kenneth

    2010-03-01

    This workshop covers nuclear science and technology topics suitable for science teachers to use in grade 4-12 classes. Subjects included are Fundamentals of Radiation, Exposure to natural and man- made Radiation, Cellular Biology and Radiation Effects, Radioactive Waste Management, Health Physics and Radiation Physics, and Career possibilities in Nuclear Technology. Schools of participants will receive a working Geiger Counter. Workshop presenter is a TEA-approved CPE Provider. Limited to 20 participants - 3 hours - Cost 2.00

  7. Nuclear Innovation Workshops Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jackson, John Howard; Allen, Todd Randall; Hildebrandt, Philip Clay

    The Nuclear Innovation Workshops were held at six locations across the United States on March 3-5, 2015. The data collected during these workshops has been analyzed and sorted to bring out consistent themes toward enhancing innovation in nuclear energy. These themes include development of a test bed and demonstration platform, improved regulatory processes, improved communications, and increased public-private partnerships. This report contains a discussion of the workshops and resulting themes. Actionable steps are suggested at the end of the report. This revision has a small amount of the data in Appendix C removed in order to avoid potential confusion.

  8. Exploring Teacher Knowledge and Actions Supporting Technology-Enhanced Teaching in Elementary Schools: Two Approaches by Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Figg, Candace; Jamani, Kamini Jaipal

    2011-01-01

    Two approaches to teaching with technology to highlight practice-based teacher knowledge and actions for teaching technologically enhanced lessons are presented. Participants were two elementary pre-service teachers teaching during practicum. Qualitative data sources included verbatim transcripts of participant interviews, field notes of planning…

  9. [What Enhances Teachers' Health at Inclusive Primary Schools? A Mixed-Methods Approach].

    PubMed

    Riechmann-Wolf, Merle; Claus, Matthias; Kimbel, Renate; Schöne, Klaus; Claus, Annika; Letzel, Stephan; Rose, Dirk-Matthias

    2018-02-01

    Teachers' suggestions to enhance their health at inclusive primary schools ("Schwerpunktgrundschulen") were analyzed by quantitative content analysis taking personal or job-related parameters of effort and strain into consideration. The paper and pencil cross-sectional study was conducted by Institut für Lehrergesundheit (IFL) between August 2013 and April 2015 at 14 schools in Rhineland-Palatinate. Overall response rate was 46.3% (143/309 teachers). The answers to the open-ended question "Which concrete job-related measures would enhance your wellbeing or health situation at your work place?" was categorized and quantified. An analysis of the item-non-response was undertaken. The aim was to identify by logistic regression, personal or job-related parameters of effort or strain associated with a specific category. Data from 143 teachers were analyzed. 79 teachers made 362 suggestions to enhance the health situation at their work place. Making a suggestion was not related to socio-demographic parameters. 33.6% of the teachers addressed physical environmental conditions of work, e. g., climatic or acoustic conditions or the availability of space for recreation. 29.4% of the teachers made suggestions concerning human resource strategy (e. g., "double teaching"). 9.1% of the teachers referred to aspects of relationships with colleagues. After regression analysis, there were relationships between suggestions of single categories and specific job-related parameters of effort. Furthermore, teachers under (high) strain - here: teachers who (very) strongly experienced their work as hazardous to health - showed significantly higher odds to make suggestions of the categories "Colleagues" (aOR 3.71; 95%CI 1.00-13.76) or "External Support" (e. g., "supervision") (aOR 3.92; 95%CI 1.15-13.41) than teachers experiencing less stress. Teachers of inclusive primary schools are ready to take active part in health-related organizational development. The development of problem

  10. 78 FR 55684 - ConnectED Workshop

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-11

    ... schools for digital learning. The ConnectED Workshop will discuss the growing bandwidth needs of K-12 schools as more schools use mobile devices to enrich the learning experience; as teachers increasingly... Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program; and the U.S. Department of Education. The meeting will be open...

  11. Developing a Learner's Perspective and a Critical Perspective in a Faculty Workshop.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dick, John A. R.

    A college faculty workshop on developing a cross-disciplinary writing program is detailed in this paper. The goals of the workshop are defined as first helping content area teachers to learn to revise their syllabi, restructure their writing assignments, and teach content and disciplinary perspectives through writing, and then giving English…

  12. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Professional Development Workshop Series: Example of an Excellent Mechanism of Scientific Dissemination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, A. P.; Hsu, B. C.; Bleacher, L.; Millham, R. A.

    2010-12-01

    The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Lunar Institute for Educators pilot workshop was held at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD in July of 2010. At this workshop, educators of grades 6-12 learned about lunar science, exploration, and how our understanding of the Moon has changed since the Apollo missions. The workshop exposed teachers to science results from recent lunar missions, particularly LRO, through presentations and discussions with lunar scientists. It allowed them to explore real LRO data, participate in hands-on lunar science activities, and learn how to incorporate these data and activities into their classrooms. Other workshop activities focused on mitigating student, and teacher, misconceptions about the Moon. As a result of the workshop, educators reported feeling a renewed excitement about the Moon, and more confidence in teaching lunar science to their students. Quarterly follow-up professional development sessions will monitor the progress of the workshop participants throughout the year, and provide additional support to the teachers, as needed. Evaluations from the 2010 pilot program are being used to improve LRO workshops as they expand contextually and geographically in the coming years. Ten workshops will be held across the United States in 2011 and 2012. Areas that have been underserved, with respect to NASA workshops, will be specifically targeted. Educator professional development workshops such as this one are an excellent mechanism for scientists to disseminate the latest discoveries from their missions and research to educators across the country and to get real data in the hands of students, further strengthening the students’ interest and understanding of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) content and careers. Making a model: educators construct topographic maps of Play-Doh volcanoes.

  13. 34 CFR 611.1 - What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What definitions apply to the Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program? 611.1 Section 611.1 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT...

  14. Writing Workshop Revisited: Confronting Communicative Dilemmas through Spoken Word Poetry in a High School English Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scarbrough, Burke; Allen, Anna-Ruth

    2014-01-01

    Workshop pedagogy is a staple of writing classrooms at all levels. However, little research has explored the pedagogical moves that can address longstanding critiques of writing workshop, nor the sorts of rhetorical challenges that teachers and students in secondary classrooms can tackle through workshops. This article documents and analyzes the…

  15. Workshop Summaries: Excite Students with Tech

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gonzalez, Augusta; Sonstrom, Stefanie; Silvey, Patricia; Boscarino, Maryanne; Shea, Ida; Trusz, Jean; Perugini, Dorie; Krzemien, Marta; Caplette, Pamela; Lindsey, Barbara; Lindstrom, Sarah

    2011-01-01

    Glastonbury Public Schools hosted the NNELL Northeast Regional Workshop on September 24, 2011 in which the theme was "Engaging Digital Natives". Rita A. Oleksak, Director of Foreign Languages/ELL and NNELL vice-president delivered the keynote speech motivating the teachers to engage foreign language learners within the classroom and across their…

  16. Evaluation of a classroom program of creative expression workshops for refugee and immigrant children.

    PubMed

    Rousseau, Cécile; Drapeau, Aline; Lacroix, Louise; Bagilishya, Déogratias; Heusch, Nicole

    2005-02-01

    This evaluative study assessed the effect of a creative expression program designed to prevent emotional and behavioral problems and to enhance self-esteem in immigrant and refugee children attending multiethnic schools. The 12-week program involved 138 children, aged 7 to 13, registered in both integration classes designed for immigrant children and regular classes at two elementary schools. Pretest and posttest data were collected from the children themselves and from their teacher. Teachers used Achenbach's Teacher's Report Form to assess the emotional and behavioral symptoms of their pupils whereas children self-reported their symptoms with the Dominic, a computerized questionnaire. Self-esteem was measured with the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale administered by interviewers to the children. At the end of the program, the children in the experimental groups reported lower mean levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and higher mean levels of feelings of popularity and satisfaction than the children in the control groups, when controlling for baseline data. In integration classes, the effect on self-esteem was especially notable in boys. The intervention's effect on internalizing and externalizing symptoms was not modified by gender, age or fluency in the mainstream language. The study provides some evidence that creative workshops in the classroom can have a beneficial effect on the self-esteem and symptomatology of immigrant and refugee children from various cultures and backgrounds. These quantitative results support previous qualitative analysis showing that the workshops participate in the reconstruction of a meaningful personal world while simultaneously strengthening the link of the child to the group. They also transform the teachers' perceptions of newcomers by placing an emphasis on their strength and their resilience, while not negating their vulnerabilities.

  17. Florida-focused climate change lesson demonstrations from the ASK Florida global and regional climate change professional development workshops

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weihs, R. R.

    2013-12-01

    A variety of Florida-focused climate change activities will be featured as part of the ASK Florida global and regional climate change professional development workshops. In a combined effort from Florida State University's Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS) and University of South Florida's Coalition for Science Literacy (CSL), and supported by NASA's NICE initiative, the ASK Florida professional development workshops are a series of workshops designed to enhance and support climate change information and related pedagogical skills for middle school science teachers from Title-I schools in Florida. These workshops took place during a two-year period from 2011 to 2013 and consisted of two cohorts in Hillsborough and Volusia counties in Florida. Featured activities include lab-style exercises demonstrating topics such as storm surge and coastal geometry, sea level rise from thermal expansion, and the greenhouse effect. These types of labs are modified so that they allow more independent, inquiry thinking as they require teachers to design their own experiment in order to test a hypothesis. Lecture based activities are used to cover a broad range of topics including hurricanes, climate modeling, and sink holes. The more innovative activities are group activities that utilize roll-playing, technology and resources, and group discussion. For example, 'Climate Gallery Walk' is an activity that features group discussions on each of the climate literacy principles established by the United States Global Change Research Program. By observing discussions between individuals and groups, this activity helps the facilitators gather information on their previous knowledge and identify possible misconceptions that will be addressed within the workshops. Furthermore, 'Fact or Misconception' presents the challenge of identifying whether a given statement is fact or misconception based on the material covered throughout the workshops. It serves as a way to

  18. Place of Instructional Supervision in Enhancing Public Primary School Teachers' Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nwambam, Aja Sunday; Eze, Prisca Ijeoma

    2017-01-01

    The study examined the place of instructional supervision in enhancing teachers' effectiveness in public primary schools in Ebonyi State. Four research questions were formulated to guide the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consists of all the 462,186 teachers including the…

  19. Pacific CRYSTAL Teacher Professional Development Models: Lessons Learned

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van der Flier-Keller, E.; Yore, L.

    2010-12-01

    From 2005 to 2010 Pacific CRYSTAL (Centre for Research in Youth Science Teaching and Learning) has been engaged in community-based research fostering teacher leadership in innovative science education through a variety of approaches to teacher professional development. Pacific CRYSTAL is a University of Victoria based, NSERC funded project founded on a collaborative research model involving scentists, science educators and community members including schools, teachers, community groups and government. Pacific CRYSTAL professional development approaches embrace both in-service teachers and pre-service teachers, and include Lighthouse schools, workshops (ongoing as well as one-time), community-based partnerships in Pacific CRYSTAL research projects, teachers as researchers, and university science courses and workshops for pre-education and education students. A number of common themes, identified through these approaches, should be considered in the development and implementation of future science professional development initiatives. They include; teacher turnover, expanding and adding schools and participating teachers, teacher apprehension, building leadership capacity, further engagement of 'tourist' teachers, continuing professional support for teachers, as well as on-going mentoring.

  20. Scribliotherapy: Enhancing Communication among Students, Parents, and Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fine, Joyce C.

    Researchers have long noted the psychologically-liberating effects of expressive language. This paper explores how a writing technique, scribliotherapy, enhances communication among students, parents, and teachers. Scribliography is the technique of matching children with books on the topics of their emotional concerns and writing their response…

  1. Teachers' Conceptions of Tangent Line

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paez Murillo, Rosa Elvira; Vivier, Laurent

    2013-01-01

    In order to study the conceptions, and their evolutions, of the tangent line to a curve an updating workshop which took place in Mexico was designed for upper secondary school teachers. This workshop was planned using the methodology of cooperative learning, scientific debate and auto reflection (ACODESA) and the conception-knowing-concept model…

  2. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Lunar Workshops for Educators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jones, A. P.; Hsu, B. C.; Hessen, K.; Bleacher, L.

    2012-12-01

    The Lunar Workshops for Educators (LWEs) are a series of weeklong professional development workshops, accompanied by quarterly follow-up sessions, designed to educate and inspire grade 6-12 science teachers, sponsored by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Participants learn about lunar science and exploration, gain tools to help address common student misconceptions about the Moon, find out about the latest research results from LRO scientists, work with data from LRO and other lunar missions, and learn how to bring these data to their students using hands-on activities aligned with grade 6-12 National Science Education Standards and Benchmarks and through authentic research experiences. LWEs are held around the country, primarily in locations underserved with respect to NASA workshops. Where possible, workshops also include tours of science facilities or field trips intended to help participants better understand mission operations or geologic processes relevant to the Moon. Scientist and engineer involvement is a central tenant of the LWEs. LRO scientists and engineers, as well as scientists working on other lunar missions, present their research or activities to the workshop participants and answer questions about lunar science and exploration. This interaction with the scientists and engineers is consistently ranked by the LWE participants as one of the most interesting and inspiring components of the workshops. Evaluation results from the 2010 and 2011 workshops, as well as preliminary analysis of survey responses from 2012 participants, demonstrated an improved understanding of lunar science concepts among LWE participants in post-workshop assessments (as compared to identical pre-assessments) and a greater understanding of how to access and effectively share LRO data with students. Teachers reported increased confidence in helping students conduct research using lunar data, and learned about programs that would allow their students to make authentic

  3. Pre-Service Teachers Institute

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2008-07-18

    The Pre-Service Teachers Institute sponsored by Jackson (Miss.) State University participated in an agencywide Hubble Space Telescope workshop at Stennis Space Center on July 18. Twenty-five JSU junior education majors participated in the workshop, a site tour and educational presentations by Karma Snyder of the NASA SSC Engineering & Safety Center and Anne Peek of the NASA SSC Deputy Science & Technology Division.

  4. Pre-Service Teachers Institute

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2008-01-01

    The Pre-Service Teachers Institute sponsored by Jackson (Miss.) State University participated in an agencywide Hubble Space Telescope workshop at Stennis Space Center on July 18. Twenty-five JSU junior education majors participated in the workshop, a site tour and educational presentations by Karma Snyder of the NASA SSC Engineering & Safety Center and Anne Peek of the NASA SSC Deputy Science & Technology Division.

  5. Teachers Engaging Parents as Reading Tutors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kupzyk, Sara S.; Daly, Edward J., III.

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the application of evidence-based tutoring for oral reading fluency (ORF) to a natural setting, using teachers as parent trainers. Three teachers were trained in a 3-h workshop to develop individualized tutoring programs with parents. Following training, the teachers trained four parents to use individualized tutoring programs.…

  6. Enhancing Teachers' Technological Knowledge and Assessment Practices to Enhance Student Learning in Technology: A Two-year Classroom Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moreland, Judy; Jones, Alister; Northover, Ann

    2001-02-01

    This paper reports on a two-year classroom investigation of primary school (Years 1-8) technology education. The first year of the project explored emerging classroom practices in technology. In the second year intervention strategies were developed to enhance teaching, learning and assessment practices. Findings from the first year revealed that assessment was often seen in terms of social and managerial aspects, such as teamwork, turn taking and co-operative skills, rather than procedural and conceptual technological aspects. Existing formative interactions with students distorted the learning away from the procedural and conceptual aspects of the subject. The second year explored the development of teachers' technological knowledge in order to enhance formative assessment practices in technology, to inform classroom practice in technology, and to enhance student learning. Intervention strategies were designed to enhance the development of procedural, conceptual, societal and technical aspects of technology for teachers and students. The results from this intervention were very positive. This paper highlights the importance of developing teacher expertise pertaining to broad concepts of technology, detailed concepts in different technological areas and general pedagogical knowledge. The findings from this research therefore have implications for thinking about teaching, learning and assessment in technology.

  7. Tolstoy, the Writing Teacher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blaisdell, Bob

    1998-01-01

    Discusses Tolstoy's nearly lifelong career as a teacher. Quotes from Tolstoy's own writings about teaching: his accounts of his interactions with the peasant children at his school; his own theories about teaching; and how the teacher should follow the child. Draws parallels to the author's experiences teaching writing workshops at a soup kitchen…

  8. Enhancing Your Library's Public Relations with "Lunch-and-Learn" Workshops.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Godbey, Ruth

    The staff of the Creighton University (Omaha, Nebraska) Health Sciences Library has been able to improve not only the library's public relations but also the image of the library by presenting weekly "Lunch-and-Learn" workshops. Since 1990, approximately 15 workshops have been presented each semester with topics ranging from cancer…

  9. Professional development in inquiry-based science for elementary teachers of diverse student groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Okhee; Hart, Juliet E.; Cuevas, Peggy; Enders, Craig

    2004-12-01

    As part of a larger project aimed at promoting science and literacy for culturally and linguistically diverse elementary students, this study has two objectives: (a) to describe teachers' initial beliefs and practices about inquiry-based science and (b) to examine the impact of the professional development intervention (primarily through instructional units and teacher workshops) on teachers' beliefs and practices related to inquiry-based science. The research involved 53 third- and fourth-grade teachers at six elementary schools in a large urban school district. At the end of the school year, teachers reported enhanced knowledge of science content and stronger beliefs about the importance of science instruction with diverse student groups, although their actual practices did not change significantly. Based on the results of this first year of implementation as part of a 3-year longitudinal design, implications for professional development and further research are discussed.

  10. The Value of Workshops on Psychological Flexibility for Early Childhood Special Education Staff

    PubMed Central

    Biglan, Anthony; Layton, Georgia L.; Jones, Laura Backen; Hankins, Martin; Rusby, Julie C.

    2013-01-01

    High stress and burnout are common for early childhood special educators, contributing to high rates of attrition, diminished educational effectiveness, and high turnover. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of a wide variety of problems. Using a randomized wait-list control design, this pilot study evaluated whether ACT workshops delivered to preschool teachers who serve children with developmental disabilities would improve stress-related problems of teachers (i.e., stress, depression, and burnout) and increase collegial support. At pretest, measures of experiential avoidance (EA) and mindful awareness (MA) showed significant relationships to reports of depression, stress, and burnout. The intervention reduced staff members' EA, increased teachers' MA and valued living (VL), and improved teachers' sense of efficacy. This suggests that ACT workshops can help influence factors affecting depression, stress, and burnout in an early childhood special education setting. PMID:24223451

  11. The implementation of inclusive education in South Africa: Reflections arising from a workshop for teachers and therapists to introduce Universal Design for Learning.

    PubMed

    Dalton, Elizabeth M; Mckenzie, Judith Anne; Kahonde, Callista

    2012-01-01

    South Africa has adopted an inclusive education policy in order to address barriers to learning in the education system. However, the implementation of this policy is hampered by the lack of teachers' skills and knowledge in differentiating the curriculum to address a wide range of learning needs. In this paper we provided a background to inclusive education policy in South Africa and a brief exposition of an instructional design approach, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that addresses a wide range of learning needs in a single classroom. We reported on a workshop conducted with teachers and therapists in South Africa as a first attempt to introduce UDL in this context. Knowledge of UDL was judged to be appropriate and useful by the course participants in the South African context as a strategy for curriculum differentiation in inclusive classrooms. Furthermore, knowledge of the UDL framework facilitates dialogue between teachers and therapists and provides a relatively simple and comprehensive approach for curriculum differentiation. We therefore conclude that there is potential for this approach that can be expanded through further teacher training.

  12. Rationale for Content and Method of the Teacher and Teacher-Aide Training Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tennessee Appalachia Educational Cooperative, Oak Ridge.

    This document gives the rationale for the content and method of five teacher and teacher-aide training workshops. Results of a questionnaire confirmed the need for improvement in in-service training in the entire Appalachian area and also indicated the kinds of changes needed. Deficiencies in content were identified as: 1) application of…

  13. Utilizing Community Resources To Enhance Creativeness and Aesthetic Awareness in Head Start Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Irving, Virginia

    The primary goal of this practicum study was to provide opportunities for Head Start teachers to become knowledgeable of community resources that would encourage their aesthetic awareness and enhance their creative growth. A total of 16 teachers and teacher aides visited a local Dali Museum, a fine arts museum, a planetarium, a historical museum,…

  14. From TPACK-in-Action Workshops to Classrooms: CALL Competency Developed and Integrated

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tai, Shu-Ju Diana

    2015-01-01

    This study investigated the impact of a CALL teacher education workshop guided by the TPACK-in-Action model (Tai, 2013). This model is framed within Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK, Mishra & Koehler, 2006) and advocates a learning-by-doing approach (Chapelle & Hegelheimer, 2004) to understand how English teachers develop…

  15. Literature-Based Workshops for Language Arts: Ideas for Active Learning Grades K-2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrison, Kathy; Dittrich, Tina

    This book is intended for teachers who want to integrate high-quality children's literature into the language arts curriculum. The illustrated book provides a host of small-group workshops for children in kindergarten through second grade, planned around storybooks they love. Each workshop suggested in the book is geared to specific High/Scope…

  16. Collaborative innovations with rural and regional secondary teachers: enhancing student learning in mathematics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pegg, John; Panizzon, Debra

    2011-06-01

    When questioned, secondary mathematics teachers in rural and regional schools in Australia refer to their limited opportunities to engage and share experiences with peers in other schools as an under-utilised and cost-effective mechanism to support their professional learning and enhance their students' learning. The paper reports on the creation and evaluation of a network of learning communities of rural secondary mathematics teachers around a common purpose—enhancement and increased engagement of student learning in mathematics. To achieve this goal, teams of teachers from six rural schools identified an issue hindering improved student learning of mathematics in their school. Working collaboratively with support from university personnel with expertise in curriculum, assessment and quality pedagogy, teachers developed and implemented strategies to address an identified issue in ways that were relevant to their teaching contexts. The research study identifies issues in mathematics of major concern to rural teachers of mathematics, the successes and challenges the teachers faced in working in learning communities on the issue they identified, and the efficacy of the professional learning model.

  17. A Workshop on High Energy Astrophysical for Amateur Astronomers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fishman, Gerald J.; Mattei, J. A.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Amateur astronomers are, in general, an enthusiastic and dynamic group of individuals who can help greatly in astronomy public outreach and education programs. In the U.S., they outnumber professional astronomers by over a factor of ten. Over eighty amateur astronomers from all over the U.S. and abroad attended a unique workshop in Huntsville, Alabama in April of this year. Most attendees were provided with travel grants under the condition that they disseminate knowledge gained at the workshop to civic groups, astronomy clubs and science teacher groups in their home communities. Twelve lecturers were given over two days, primarily by active high-energy researchers from NASA-MSFC and NASA-GSFC. Funding for the workshop was provided by a variety of NASA-sponsored projects, offices within OSS and private funding sources. The workshop attendees were selected by the AAVSO, which also administered the funding for the workshop. This high-leverage educational and public outreach program was deemed to be highly successful and bodes well for similar, future workshops. Many of the participants have already begun to give public talks on HEA and GRBs.

  18. The "Earth Physics" Workshops Offered by the Earth Science Education Unit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davies, Stephen

    2012-01-01

    Earth science has a part to play in broadening students' learning experience in physics. The Earth Science Education Unit presents a range of (free) workshops to teachers and trainee teachers, suggesting how Earth-based science activities, which show how we understand and use the planet we live on, can easily be slotted into normal science…

  19. A framework for high-school teacher support in Geosciences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    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.

  20. From Workshop to Classroom: Bridging GIS Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stonier, Francis; Hong, Jung Eun

    2016-01-01

    This article shares the first-time geographic information system (GIS) experiences of two advanced placement human geography classes. The teacher had participated in a summer GIS workshop and then brought those skills into her classroom for the students' benefit. Eighteen students shared their experiences researching their family history, working…

  1. Technology Enhanced Teacher Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teter, Richard B.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this research and development study was to design and develop an affordable, computer-based, pre-service teacher assessment and reporting system to allow teacher education institutions and supervising teachers to efficiently enter evaluation criteria, record pre-service teacher evaluations, and generate evaluation reports. The…

  2. Laptops and Diesel Generators: Introducing PhET Simulations to Teachers in Uganda

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKagan, Sam

    2010-01-01

    This article describes workshops for high school physics teachers in Uganda on inquiry-based teaching and PhET simulations. I hope it increases awareness of the conditions teachers face in developing countries and inspires others to give similar workshops. This work demonstrates what is possible with some concerted, but not extraordinary, effort.

  3. Teachers Pedagogical Change Framework: A Diagnostic Tool for Changing Teachers' Uses of Emerging Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tarling, Isabel; Ng'ambi, Dick

    2016-01-01

    One of the challenges facing education systems in general and the South African education system in particular is how to understand ways that teachers change from nonusers of technologies to becoming transformative teachers with technology. Despite numerous initiatives, not limited to training, workshops and so forth, to bring about sustained and…

  4. Knowing and Learning Mathematics for Teaching: Proceedings of a Workshop (March 19-21, 1999).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Mathematical Sciences Education Board.

    The Mathematics Teacher Preparation Content Workshop, held March 19-21, 1999, focused on two questions: (1) What is the mathematical knowledge teachers need to know in order to teach well? and (2) How can teachers develop the mathematical knowledge they need to teach well? Chapters include: (1) "Knowledge of Fundamental Mathematics for Teaching"…

  5. Exemplary Programs Supporting Teacher Professional Development in the U.S.A.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Passow, Michael J.

    2015-04-01

    that utilize the AMNH collections in New York City. Each year at the American Geophysical Union Meeting, teachers find out about "Hot Topics in Science" through the GIFT Workshops (http://education.agu.org/education-activities-at-agu-meetings/gift/). Field experiences aboard the scientific ocean drilling vessel, "JOIDES Resolution," have enhanced the knowledge and skills of teachers from the USA and Europe (http://joidesresolution.org/node/3002). Many teachers also connect with each other through the ESPRIT list-serv and others (http://external.oneonta.edu/mentor/listserv.html). These are just a sample of the many programs offered to provide life-long professional development for Earth Science educators and promote 'Science in Tomorrow's Classroom.'

  6. ASK Florida; a climate change education professional development program for middle school teachers in Florida

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weihs, R. R.

    2012-12-01

    A series of professional development workshops covering the fundamentals of climate change have been developed and facilitated for two groups of middle school science teachers in three Florida counties. The NASA-supported joint venture between Florida State University's Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS) and the University of South Florida's (USF's) Coalition for Science Literacy, ASK Florida, focuses on expanding and deepening teachers' content knowledge of a wide range of climate change topics, connecting local and regional changes to the global picture, and supporting classroom implementation and effective teaching practices. Education experts from USF, climate scientists from COAPS, and Hillsborough county teachers and science coaches coordinated and developed the workshop content, which is based on Florida's Next Generation Sunshine State Standards in science, science curriculum guides for 6th grade, and teacher interest. Several scientists have facilitated activities during the workshop, including professors in meteorology and climatology, research scientists in the field, a NOAA program manager, the state climatologists for Florida, and others. Having these climate scientists present during the workshop provides teachers an opportunity to interact directly with the scientists and gain insight into the climatology field. Additionally, we host an open-forum discussion panel during which teachers can ask the experts about any topics of interest. Activities are designed to enhance the scientific skill level of the teachers. Introductory activities reinforce teachers' abilities to distinguish facts from opinions and to evaluate sources. Other activities provide hands-on experience using actual scientific data from NASA and other agencies. For example, teachers analyze precipitation data to create distributions of Florida rainfall, examine sea level trends at various locations, identify Atlantic hurricane frequencies during the phases of ENSO

  7. Teacher's Role: Identifying and Overcoming Sex Bias in Classroom Management. Participant Workbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fair, Martha H.; And Others

    This manual was developed for use of participants in 10 workshops that were designed to help teachers to identify and overcome sex and ethnic bias. The workshops provide a framework for consideration of the often subtle ways that bias may be an inherent element in textbooks, instructional materials, and teachers' attitudes and behaviors.…

  8. Research Experiences in Teacher Preparation: Effectiveness of the Green Bank preservice teacher enhancement program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hemler, Debra A.

    1997-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the preservice teacher component of the Research Experiences in Teacher Preparation (RETP) project aimed at enhancing teacher perceptions of the nature of science, science research, and science teaching. Data was collected for three preservice teacher groups during the three phases of the program: (I) a one week institute held at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia where teachers performed astronomy research using a 40 foot diameter radio telescope; (II) a secondary science methods course; and (III) student teaching placements. Four Likert-type instruments were developed and administered pre and post-institute to assess changes in perceptions of science, attitudes toward research, concerns about implementing research in the classroom, and evaluation of the institute. Instruments were re-administered following the methods course and student teaching. Observations of classroom students conducting research were completed for seven preservice teacher participants in their student teaching placements. Analysis, using t-tests, showed a significant increase in preservice teachers perceptions of their ability to do research. Preservice teachers were not concerned about implementing research in their placements. No significant change was measured in their understanding of the nature of science and science teaching. Concept maps demonstrated a significant increase in radio astronomy content knowledge. Participants responded that the value of institute components, quality of the research elements, and preparation for implementing research in the classroom were "good" to "excellent". Following the methods course (Phase II) no significant change in their understanding of the nature of science or concerns about implementing projects in the classroom were measured. Of the 7 preservice teachers who were observed implementing research projects, 5 projects were consistent with the Green

  9. Idaho Dance Project. Creative Movement/Dance: A Model Program for Idaho K-6 Elementary Teachers 1990-1993.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neely, Hilarie

    This report outlines and evaluates the Idaho Dance Project, a series of creative movement workshops designed for elementary school classroom teachers, physical education teachers, and music specialists. For three years, the workshops, conducted at various sites throughout the state, provided an introductory course for teachers who had little or no…

  10. Exploring the Malaysian Rural School Teachers' Professional Local Knowledge in Enhancing Students' Thinking Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jamil, Hazri; Arbaa, Rohani; Ahmad, Mohamad Zohir

    2017-01-01

    This paper discussed a qualitative research findings on the case of Malaysian teachers employed their professional local knowledge for enhancing students' thinking skills in classroom practices. In this paper, a teacher's professional local knowledge is viewed as a teacher's professional knowledge and skills developed through the combination of…

  11. Promoting Elementary School Students' Autonomous Reading Motivation: Effects of a Teacher Professional Development Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Naeghel, Jessie; Van Keer, Hilde; Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Haerens, Leen; Aelterman, Nathalie

    2016-01-01

    Responding to the declining trend in reading motivation in and beyond the elementary school years, the authors aimed to enhance late-elementary school students' autonomous reading motivation. Toward this end, the authors evaluated the influence of a teacher professional development grounded in self-determination theory on fifth-grade students' (n…

  12. Environmental Virology Workshop Summary, Tucson, Arizona, Jan 7-12, 2013

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sullivan, Matthew

    Full Text of the report: A total of 66 researchers participated in this workshop, including 44 attendees, 3 program officers from private and federal funding agencies, and 19 workshop teachers. The workshop was incredibly productive and focused on identifying knowledge-gaps critical for predictive modeling, and developing the framework (experimental, informatic, theoretical) needed to obtain the data. All attendees developed a strong foundation in cutting-edge methods and a network of researchers that are now aiding in advancing environmental virology research. To more broadly reach Environmental Virologists, a subset of the attendees since proposed and ran a viromics workshop at the Americanmore » Society of Microbiology meeting in 2014 in Boston, MA where the workshop sold-out. The workshop proposal was accepted again by ASM and is scheduled to occur at the New Orleans meeting in May, 2015. Additionally, PI Sullivan is co-convening a ''Viromics: Tools and Concepts'' session at the FEMS meeting in the Netherlands in June 2015 to continue getting the word out about Environmental Virology. A second formal Environmental Virology Workshop is being planned to occur in Scotland in summer 2016, likely held jointly with the Aquatic Virology Workshop. I wish to thank DOE for their critical support for this workshop which has helped galvanize the field.« less

  13. Mainstream Classroom Teachers and ESL Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clair, Nancy

    1995-01-01

    This case study argues that teachers are ill-prepared to give English-as-a-Second-Language students the instruction they need for integration into mainstream classrooms, and advocates ongoing teacher study groups as a replacement for traditional one-shot workshops. (Contains 21 references.) (LR)

  14. Awakening Brilliance in the Writer's Workshop: Using Notebooks, Mentor Texts, and the Writing Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Lisa

    2012-01-01

    Master teacher Lisa Morris invites you to share her secrets of success with writer's workshops. After years of experimenting with the workshop model, she has developed the most effective ways to apply it in the classroom, yielding higher test scores and increased student engagement. Through practical, step-by-step instruction, Morris demonstrates…

  15. Workshop on Molecular Animation

    PubMed Central

    Bromberg, Sarina; Chiu, Wah; Ferrin, Thomas E.

    2011-01-01

    Summary February 25–26, 2010, in San Francisco, the Resource for Biocomputing, Visualization and Informatics (RBVI) and the National Center for Macromolecular Imaging (NCMI) hosted a molecular animation workshop for 21 structural biologists, molecular animators, and creators of molecular visualization software. Molecular animation aims to visualize scientific understanding of biomolecular processes and structures. The primary goal of the workshop was to identify the necessary tools for: producing high quality molecular animations, understanding complex molecular and cellular structures, creating publication supplementary materials and conference presentations, and teaching science to students and the public. Another use of molecular animation emerged in the workshop: helping to focus scientific inquiry about the motions of molecules and enhancing informal communication within and between laboratories. PMID:20947014

  16. Highschool astronomy research workshop in Thailand and how it transforms Thai astronomy education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tangmatitham, Matipon

    2017-01-01

    The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) have launched the program "Advance Teacher Training Workshop" that aims to introduce both the students and astronomy teacher alike to the nature of critical thinking in science via hands on experience in astronomy projects. Students and accompanying teachers are participated in 5 days workshop in which each of them must select an individual astronomy research project. The project is then carried out on their own for the next 6 months, after which their works are presented in a conference. Progress is monitored and extra aid is delivered as needed via the use of social media. Over a hundred projects have been completed under this program. Follow up study have suggests that this workshop has shown to be quite successful at improving critical thinking skills in participants. As the program became more popular, other schools began to follow. To support the growing interest, we have also launched the "Thai Astronomical Society: student session", a highschool astronomy conference for anyone who participated or interested in astronomy related projects. Via these stages we are able to secure a permanent foothold in Thai astronomy education and inspire new generations to participate in astronomy projects.

  17. Ghana: capacity-building workshops for lawyers and judges.

    PubMed

    2004-08-01

    In 2004, AIDS Alert Ghana (an Accra-based NGO) commenced a series of two-day workshops to enhance the capacity of lawyers and judges to respond to HIV/AIDS. The workshops are organized by the AIDS Alert Law Project (AALP).

  18. Little meteorological workshop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poler Čanić, K. Å.; Rasol, D.

    2010-09-01

    Little meteorological workshop (LMW) is a project the main goal of which is promotion and popularisation of meteorology in Croatia. The project has been taking place at the Science Festival in Zagreb since 2007 where the audience includes the general public. Since 2009 the project has been introduced as an extracurricular school activity in some primary schools where the main audience are children and teachers. Here, the methods used in the LMWs will be presented. Furthermore, the evaluation results of the LMWs that were held in schools will be shown.

  19. Space Weather Workshop

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gallagher, D. L.

    2004-01-01

    This workshop will focus on what space weather is about and its impact on society. An overall picture will be "painted" describing the Sun's influence through the solar wind on the near-Earth space environment, including the aurora, killer electrons at geosynchronous orbit, million ampere electric currents through the ionosphere and along magnetic field lines, and the generation of giga-Watts of natural radio waves. Reference material in the form of Internet sites will be provided so that teachers can discuss space weather in the classroom and enable students to learn more about this topic.

  20. Same But Different: An Intercultural Training Workshop Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ching, Judith; And Others

    This manual is a product of the Intercultural Training Program (ICT) Workshops which were originally designed to provide experiential training to Hawaii's teachers, students, and administrators. The training, however, may be useful to anyone interested in acquiring the experience and knowledge necessary to communicate effectively with varied…

  1. From Teacher Professional Development to the Classroom: How NLP Technology Can Enhance Teachers' Linguistic Awareness to Support Curriculum Development for English Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burstein, Jill; Shore, Jane; Sabatini, John; Moulder, Brad; Lentini, Jennifer; Biggers, Kietha; Holtzman, Steven

    2014-01-01

    This article reports on two studies using "Language Muse[superscript SM]" (LM), a web-based, teacher professional development (TPD) application designed to enhance teachers' linguistic awareness and to support teachers in the development of language-based instructional scaffolding for English language learners (ELL). In Study 1,…

  2. The Influence of In-Service Training, Seminars and Workshops Attendance by Social Studies Teachers on Academic Performance of Students in Junior Secondary Schools In Cross River State, Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Essien, Ekpenyong Essien; Akpan, Okon Edem; Obot, Imo Martin

    2016-01-01

    This research examined the influence of in-service training, seminar and workshop attendance by social studies teachers on students' academic performance in Cross River State, Nigeria. To achieve the purpose of this study, one hypothesis was formulated to direct the study. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. A sample of five…

  3. Report of Workshop on Reconceptualization of Pre-service Teacher Education in the University of Kerala. Organized by the Department of Education, University of Kerala on 22 December 2009

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Praveen, C.

    2010-01-01

    As suggested by the Kerala Higher Education Council, the Department of Education of the University of Kerala organized a half-day workshop for reconceptualization of the teacher education curriculum of the University of Kerala as a preliminary step in the original plan of the Council for introducing an unified BEd curriculum in the state of…

  4. Student Feedback of Career Development Workshops for Program Improvement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LeBeau, J. E.; Pressley, S. N.

    2016-12-01

    A number of techniques are employed each year to evaluate the effectiveness of and to identify opportunities for improvement in the Laboratory for Atmospheric Research (LAR) REU program at Washington State University. For example, information gathered from pre-/post-surveys and pre-/post-interviews provides information regarding students' perceptions and levels of experience with the scientific process, career and academic goals, and motivation for joining the REU program. Poster session rubrics assess students' abilities to summarize their experiences in a professional setting. Alumni surveys gauge former participants' perceptions of the REU experience. One seemingly simple and highly useful, but often less documented, component of the evaluation process for program improvement is the use of workshop feedback forms. Weekly workshops are designed to provide students with enhanced knowledge and skills in the area of atmospheric chemistry as well as research design skills, academic and career guidance, and presentation skills. According to previous years' evaluation reports, workshops are largely beneficial to students for learning new skills. Yet, students suggest a number of recommendations that may benefit any REU program, such as: providing slides beforehand to provide a framework for the upcoming workshop, having instructors speak in more student-friendly language, covering higher-level topics, and including more hands-on, instructor-guided practice during the workshops. Thus, workshop feedback forms provide meaningful feedback to increase learning outcomes and enhance the REU student experience. This presentation will offer ideas gathered from over five years of workshop feedback forms that, while somewhat specific to workshops offered for the LAR REU, can offer faculty and PIs insight into the student experience, enhancing their ability to improve programming and achieve greater learning outcomes.

  5. Space Science for Middle School Teachers: Integrating CINDI E/PO into a Long-Term Professional Development Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Urquhart, M. L.; Hairston, M. R.

    2005-12-01

    Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) targeting pre-college education can be focused on teachers or students, but is ultimately only effective if it impacts classrooms. A challenge in the teacher workshop model is tracking the impact we have actually made. Teachers may be excited by our offerings, and rate workshops highly, but is our E/PO actually making a difference with pre-college students? In June 2005 we ran our second four-day teacher workshop for the joint NASA/U.S. Air Force sponsored ionospheric instrument package, the Coupled Ion Neutral Dynamics Investigation (CINDI) with a new twist. We experimented with the integration of our workshop into a long-term professional development program for 6th and 7th grade teachers at UT Dallas. Immediate direct benefits to the CINDI E/PO program included knowledge of teacher backgrounds prior to the workshop, a narrow target grade level range, and the elimination of the need for separate recruiting efforts. More importantly, by working within a year-long program supported by a Teacher Quality Grant we have been able to better assess teacher learning and the impact our outreach efforts is having on the middle school students of participants. The 20-contact hours our workshop contributed to the Teacher Quality Summer Institute were specifically designed to meet Texas standards for middle school science, and made connections between space weather, Earth systems, basic physics, technology, and communications. Participants were able to interact with members of the science team in formal settings and over casual lunches. We will present our motivations for this experiment, participant feedback, and lessons learned. In addition, we will give an update on our CINDI Educator Guide, and the newly completed Cindi in Space comic book. For the latest on CINDI E/PO, curriculum materials, and the comic book in pdf format, go to http://cindispace.utdallas.edu/education/.

  6. Developing Pedagogical Practices to Enhance Confidence and Competence in Science Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garbett, Dawn

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this self-study research was to deepen my understanding of pedagogy for teacher education and the factors that enhanced and hindered my confidence and competence as a teacher educator. I recorded my impressions and descriptions of events, discussions, and interpretations as a result of studying my practice in an electronic journal.…

  7. An evaluation of training of teachers in medical education in four medical schools of Nepal.

    PubMed

    Baral, Nirmal; Paudel, Bishnu Hari; Das, Binod Kumar Lal; Aryal, Madhukar; Das, Balbhadra Prasad; Jha, Nilambar; Lamsal, Madhab

    2007-09-01

    Effective teaching is a concern of all teachers. Therefore, regular teachers' training is emphasized globally. B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), a health science deemed university situated in eastern region of Nepal has an established Medical Education unit which attempts to improve teaching-learning skills by training faculty members through organizing regular medical education training programs. The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of 3-day training workshop on "Teaching-learning methodology and Evaluation" held in four different medical colleges of Nepal. The workshop was targeted at middle and entry level of health profession teachers who had not been previously exposed to any teacher's training program. The various components, such as teaching-learning principles, writing educational objectives, organizing and sequencing education materials, teaching-learning methods, microteaching and assessment techniques, were incorporated in the workshop. A team of resource persons from BPKIHS were involved in all the four medical institutions. The collection data had two categories of responses: (1) a questionnaire survey of participants at the beginning and end of the workshop to determine their gain in knowledge and (2) a semi-structured questionnaire survey of participants at the end of workshop to evaluate their perception on usefulness of the workshop. The later category had items with three-point likert scale (very useful, useful and not useful) and responses to open-ended questions/ statements to document participants general views. The response was entered into a spreadsheet and analyzed using SPSS. The result showed that all participants (n = 92) improved their scores after attending the workshop (p < 0.001). Majority of respondents expressed that the teaching-learning methods, media, microteaching and evaluation techniques were useful in teaching-learning. The workshop was perceived as an acceptable way of acquiring

  8. Middle East Studies Teacher Training Program. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sefein, Naim A.

    This guide presents a teacher training program in Middle Eastern studies and procedures for program implementation. Details concerning program announcement, participant selection, and travel accommodations are included. Participants attended an orientation and registration workshop and an intensive academic workshop before flying to Egypt for the…

  9. In-Service Secondary School Teachers' Technology Integration Needs in an ICT-Enhanced Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adegbenro, Janet B.; Gumbo, Mishack T.; Olakanmi, Eunice Eyitayo

    2017-01-01

    The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is becoming an essential skill for teachers to enhance teaching and learning. Teachers' training on ICT utilisation in higher education institutions in South Africa has emerged as an important issue. However, limited research has been done on a needs analysis for teachers who plan to make…

  10. Food allergies in school: design and evaluation of a teacher-oriented training action.

    PubMed

    Ravarotto, Licia; Mascarello, Giulia; Pinto, Anna; Schiavo, Maria Rita; Bagni, Marina; Decastelli, Lucia

    2014-12-04

    Food allergies are perceived as a significant problem in school environments; as a result, a teacher's ability to recognise and deal with allergic reactions is of fundamental importance to protect children's health. This paper includes the results of a study conducted for the purposes of designing, implementing and monitoring a specific set of teacher-oriented communication actions. The study involved designing, implementing and assessing five workshops. These workshops were designed on the basis of the analysis of perceptions and information needs investigated by three focus groups (25 teachers). The level of the teachers' knowledge and appreciation of the workshops was evaluated by using two structured questionnaires (n = 158). The teachers feel that they are insufficiently informed about food allergies; this knowledge gap is confirmed by an analysis of their knowledge before participating in the workshops. According to the teachers, the information which would be most useful to them has to do with the practical management of allergies in school. They feel that there is a lack of a professional contact person for precise and reliable information on health issues. The workshops seem to be appreciated as an information method. In addition, there appears to be a need to involve all children in awareness raising activities and education projects on this subject. There is an urgent need for training actions on food allergies in Italian schools, in particular the communication of practical information regarding the management of allergies and emergencies. More communication between the medical and school staff is, in particular, advisable.

  11. Principles of Technology. Workshop Presenter's Handbook for Pennsylvania Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wichowski, Chester P.

    This workshop presenter's handbook was developed to provide assistance to those who will serve as Principles of Technology trainers of science, industrial arts/technology education, and mathematics teachers throughout Pennsylvania. The handbook provides trainers with presentation materials, transparency masters, suggested activities, and selected…

  12. Measuring the learning effectiveness of Web-based teacher professional development in the hypothesis based learning method of teaching science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilson, Penne L.

    2007-12-01

    This study was conducted as part of the five year evaluation of the Star Schools grant awarded to Oklahoma State University for the development on online teacher professional development in the Hypothesis Based Learning (HbL) method of science instruction. Participants in this research were five teachers who had completed the online workshop, submitted a lesson plan, and who allowed this researcher and other members of the University of New Mexico Evaluation Team into their classrooms to observe and to determine if the learning of the method from the online HbL workshop had translated into practice. These teachers worked in inner city, suburban, metropolitan, and rural communities in the U.S. Southwest. This study was conducted to determine if teachers learned the HbL method from the online HbL workshop, to examine the relationship of satisfaction to learning, and to determine the elements of the online workshop that led to teacher learning. To measure learning of HbL, three different assessment instruments were used: embedded assessments within the online HbL workshop that gave teachers a scenario and asked them to generate questions to facilitate the HbL process; the analysis of a lesson plan provided by teachers using a science concept that they wished to incorporate in their curriculum using an HbL lesson template provided at the HbL website; and, observations of teachers facilitating the HbL process conducted at three different times during the year that they began the HbL online workshop. To determine if teachers were satisfied with the learning environment, the online HbL workshop, and the product, HbL Method for Teaching Science, and to determine if teachers could identify the elements of the online workshop that led to learning, interviews with the participants were conducted. The research findings were presented in two parts: Part I is an analysis of data provided by the assessment instruments and a content analysis of the transcripts of the teacher

  13. Challenging Teacher Beliefs about Student Engagement in Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bobis, Janette; Way, Jennifer; Anderson, Judy; Martin, Andrew J.

    2016-01-01

    This study explored the beliefs about student engagement in mathematics of three Year 5 and 6 teachers, focusing on the shifts that occurred during a 10-week intervention. Data obtained from teacher surveys, interviews, video-recorded workshop observations and artefacts from teachers' classrooms reveal variations in their reactions to the…

  14. Whole Class Dialogic Discussion Meets Taiwan's Physics Teachers: Attitudes and Culture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eshach, Haim; Wu, Hsin-Kai; Hwang, Fu-Kwun; Hsu, Ying-Shao

    2014-02-01

    There is a distance between the power that whole class dialogic discussions (WCDD) may offer to the science class and their use in practice. Teachers' attitudes toward WCDD are part of the problem. The aims of this study were twofold: (a) to examine Taiwanese physics teachers' attitudes toward WCDD by considering cultural perspectives and describe how these attitudes changed as a result of a special workshop designed for this purpose, and (b) to report on how these attitudes should be taken into account in designing such workshops in the future. Nine experienced physics teachers participated in the WCDD workshop. The workshop was based on the WCDD model developed by Eshach (2010). Inductive analyses were performed on interviews with the teachers and their students, which were composed of 36 questions and developed specially for the purpose of this study, yielded the following categories: (1) In-school reasons for opposing WCDD—reasons belonging to school ways/tradition of teaching that may cause barriers to WCDD implementation; (2) External Factors—cultural reasons relating to Taiwanese views concerning education in general, which cause barriers to WCDD implementation; and (3) Cognitive aspect—refers to what teachers know about WCDD. The paper concludes with a discussion on what should be done in order to successfully bring WCDD to the Taiwanese physics class.

  15. Implementing Teacher-Centred Online Teacher Professional Development (oTPD) Programme in Higher Education: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Moon-Heum; Rathbun, Gail

    2013-01-01

    Teacher Professional Development (TPD) is critical for educational improvement in higher education. However, one of the main concerns in TPD is that the traditional workshop format constrains active participation and the consequent creation of usable knowledge for teaching. In response to this challenge, we developed a series of teacher-centred…

  16. A Study of NSF Teacher Enhancement Program (TEP) Participants and Principal Investigators: 1984-1989. Volume I: Summary Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abt Associates, Inc., Cambridge, MA.

    The National Science Foundation (NSF) supported more than 600 inservice teacher training programs between 1984 and 1989 under its Teacher Enhancement Program (TEP). Two studies were undertaken of TEP: the first was a survey of the 600 Principal Investigators (PIs) who had operated inservice teacher enhancement projects and the second, a survey of…

  17. Teacher Design in Teams as a Professional Development Arrangement for Developing Technology Integration Knowledge and Skills of Science Teachers in Tanzania

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kafyulilo, Ayoub; Fisser, Petra; Voogt, Joke

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the impact of teacher design teams as a professional development arrangement for developing technology integration knowledge and skills among in-service science teachers. The study was conducted at a secondary school in Tanzania, where 12 in-service science teachers participated in a workshop about technology integration in…

  18. Enhanced Teacher Training Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrington, Ingrid

    2013-01-01

    Teacher preparation and preparedness have been the focus of much research connecting quality teaching and learning, retention, and teacher satisfaction (Halsey, 2005; Hayes, Mills, Christie, & Lingard, 2006; MCEETYA, 2006). The successful recruitment and retention of teachers to rural and remote schools Australia-wide has been problematic for…

  19. Geography and the Environment: International Perspectives. Teacher's Resource Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lang, Edward, Ed.; White, Caryn, Ed.

    This document is the second curriculum development project of the Connecticut Geographic Alliance. The Alliance focuses on equipping teachers for more effective geographic instruction by providing leadership training so teachers can conduct workshops in local districts, and offering institutes for teachers that focus on important geographic…

  20. Introducing Future Teachers to Science Beyond the Classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kisiel, James

    2013-02-01

    Informal science education institutions (ISEIs), such as museums, aquariums, and nature centers, offer more to teachers than just field trip destinations—they have the potential to provide ideas for pedagogy, as well as support deeper development of teachers' science knowledge. Although there is extensive literature related to teacher/museum interactions within the context of the school field trip, there is limited research that examines other ways that such institutions might support classroom teachers. A growing number of studies, however, examine how incorporating such ideas of connections of ISEIs to pre-service teacher education might improve teacher perceptions and awareness. Pre-service elementary teachers enrolled in a science methods class participated in a semester-long assignment which required participation in their choice of activities and events (workshops, field trips, family day activities) conducted at local ISEIs. Students generally saw this embedded assignment as beneficial, despite the additional out-of-class time required for completion. Comparison of pre-/post-class responses suggested that teachers shifted their perceptions of ISEIs as first and foremost as places for field trips or hands-on experiences, to institutions that can help teachers with classroom science instruction. Although basic awareness of the existence of such opportunities was frequently cited, teachers also recognized these sites as places that could enhance their teaching, either by providing materials/resources for the classroom or by helping them learn (content and pedagogy) as teachers. Implications for practice, including the role of ISEIs in teacher preparation and indication, are also discussed.

  1. Collaborative Design of Technology-Enhanced Learning: What Can We Learn from Teacher Talk?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKenney, Susan; Boschman, Ferry; Pieters, Jules; Voogt, Joke

    2016-01-01

    The collaborative design of technology-enhanced learning is seen as a practical and effective professional development strategy, especially because teachers learn from each other as they share and apply knowledge. But how teacher design team participants draw on and develop their knowledge has not yet been investigated. This qualitative…

  2. Using partnerships with scientists to enhance teacher capacity to address the NGSS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pavelsky, T.; Haine, D. B.; Drostin, M.

    2013-12-01

    Increasingly, scientists are seeking outreach experts to assist with the education and outreach components of their research grants. These experts have the skills and expertise to assist with translating scientific research into lessons and activities that are aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as well as state standards, are STEM-focused and that address the realities of the K-12 science classroom. Since 2007, the Institute for the Environment (IE) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been conducting teacher professional development and high school student science enrichment programs to promote climate literacy. Partnering with scientists to deepen content knowledge and promote engagement with technology and real data has been a successful strategy for cultivating increased climate literacy among teachers and students. In this session, we will share strategies for effectively engaging scientists in K-12 educational activities by providing specific examples of the various ways in which scientists can be integrated into programming and their research translated into relevant classroom activities. Engaging scientists and translating their research into classroom activities is an approach that becomes even more relevant with the advent of the NGSS. The NGSS's Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) that encompass climate literacy can be addressed by partnering with scientists to provide teachers with current content knowledge and technological tools needed to promote integration of relevant science and engineering practices and cross-cutting themes. Here we highlight a successful partnership in which IE science educators collaborated with with a faculty member to develop a lesson for North Carolina teachers introducing them to new research on satellite remote sensing of the water cycle, while also promoting student engagement with local data. The resulting lesson was featured during a two-day, IE-led teacher workshop for 21 North Carolina

  3. Teaching High School Chemistry in the Context of Pharmacology Helps Both Teachers and Students Learn

    PubMed Central

    Schwartz-Bloom, Rochelle D.; Halpin, Myra J.; Reiter, Jerome P.

    2014-01-01

    Few studies demonstrate the impact of teaching chemistry embedded in a context that has relevance to high school students. We build upon our prior work showing that pharmacology topics (i.e., drugs), which are inherently interesting to high school students, provide a useful context for teaching chemistry and biology. In those studies, teachers were provided professional development for the Pharmacology Education Partnership (PEP) in an onsite venue (either five-day or one-day workshop). Given financial difficulties to travel, teachers have asked for alternatives for professional development. Thus, we developed the same PEP training workshop using a distance learning (DL) (two-way live video) approach. In this way, 121 chemistry and biology teachers participated in the DL workshops to learn how to incorporate the PEP modules into their teaching. They field-tested the modules over the year in high school chemistry and biology classes. Teacher knowledge of chemistry and biology increased significantly after the workshop and was maintained for at least a year. Their students (N = 2309) demonstrated a significant increase in knowledge of chemistry and biology concepts, with higher scores as the number of modules used increased. The increase in both teacher and student knowledge in these subjects was similar to that found previously when teachers were provided with onsite professional development. PMID:24882881

  4. The Role of NLP in Teachers' Classroom Discourse

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Millrood, Radislav

    2004-01-01

    Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is an approach to language teaching which is claimed to help achieve excellence in learner performance. Yet there is little evidence of the impact that NLP techniques in teachers' discourse can have on learners. The article draws on workshops with teachers where classroom simulations were used to raise teachers'…

  5. Bridge Workshop : Enhancing Bridge Performance, February 21-22, 2008, Reston, Virginia : workshop report

    Treesearch

    Sreenivas Alampalli; Sheila Rimal Duwadi; Reagan Sentelle Herman; Danielle D. Kleinhans; Khaled Mahmoud; James C. Ray; James P. Wacker; Nur Yazdani

    2008-01-01

    The participants to the workshop were given the charge to discuss (1) bridge design issues including best practices in design and detailing that could be used to improve durability, extend service life and prevent premature deterioration, (2) performance measures needed to better determine bridge condition, (3) technologies that could be used to monitor bridge life and...

  6. What Workshop or Inservice Activity Has Been Most Valuable to You in Your Teaching?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Laurel Eury; Quatroke, Rosanne; Simpson, Amy J.; Easterling, Victoria J.; Felps, Maryann; McAloon, Noreen Watson; Danforth, Kathleen M.

    2001-01-01

    Offers brief descriptions from seven secondary school teachers describing a workshop or inservice activity that has been particularly valuable for their teaching, including a Shakespeare seminar, a Socratic teaching seminar, English-as-a-second language courses, a new teacher induction program, a program on the "Brody paragraph" method, and the…

  7. The implementation of inclusive education in South Africa: Reflections arising from a workshop for teachers and therapists to introduce Universal Design for Learning

    PubMed Central

    Dalton, Elizabeth M.; Kahonde, Callista

    2012-01-01

    South Africa has adopted an inclusive education policy in order to address barriers to learning in the education system. However, the implementation of this policy is hampered by the lack of teachers’ skills and knowledge in differentiating the curriculum to address a wide range of learning needs. In this paper we provided a background to inclusive education policy in South Africa and a brief exposition of an instructional design approach, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) that addresses a wide range of learning needs in a single classroom. We reported on a workshop conducted with teachers and therapists in South Africa as a first attempt to introduce UDL in this context. Knowledge of UDL was judged to be appropriate and useful by the course participants in the South African context as a strategy for curriculum differentiation in inclusive classrooms. Furthermore, knowledge of the UDL framework facilitates dialogue between teachers and therapists and provides a relatively simple and comprehensive approach for curriculum differentiation. We therefore conclude that there is potential for this approach that can be expanded through further teacher training. PMID:28729974

  8. Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) 2010 - Engaging Teachers in Space Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boice, D. C.; Reiff, P. H.

    2010-12-01

    During the past 18 years, Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) has been a community partnership between local high schools in San Antonio, Texas (USA), and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The goals of YES are to increase the number of high school students, especially those from underrepresented groups, seeking careers in science and engineering, to enhance their success in entering the college and major of their choice, and to promote teacher development in STEM fields. This is accomplished by allowing students and teachers to interact on a continuing basis with role models at SwRI in real-world research experiences in physical sciences (including space science), information sciences, and a variety of engineering fields. A total of 239 students have completed YES or are currently enrolled. Of these students, 38% are females and 56% are ethnic minorities, reflecting the local ethnic diversity, and 67% represent underserved groups. Presently, there are 21 students and 9 secondary school teachers enrolled in the YES 2010/2011 Program. YES consists of an intensive three-week summer workshop held at SwRI where students and teachers experience the research environment and a collegial mentorship where they complete individual research projects under the guidance of SwRI mentors during the academic year. YES students develop a website (yesserver.space.swri.edu) for topics in space science (this year was ESA's Rosetta Mission) and high school STEM teachers develop space-related lessons for classroom presentation. Teachers participate in an in-service workshop to share their developed classroom materials and spread awareness of space-related research. At the end of the school year, students publicly present and display their work, spreading career awareness to other students and teachers. Partnerships between research institutes, local high schools, and community foundations, like the YES Program, can positively affect students’ preparation for STEM careers via real

  9. Development of Professional Teacher Competences for Cooperation with Parents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Viskovic, Ivana; Višnjic Jevtic, Adrijana

    2017-01-01

    Based on the belief that professional competences can partially be developed through professional training a cycle of ten educational workshops was designed. Combining theoretical knowledge, quality practice examples and discussions, the workshops strived to improve professional teacher competences. The assumed outcome was determined by difference…

  10. Illustrating the multiple facets and levels of fidelity of implementation to a teacher classroom management intervention.

    PubMed

    Reinke, Wendy M; Herman, Keith C; Stormont, Melissa; Newcomer, Lori; David, Kimberly

    2013-11-01

    Many school-based interventions to promote student mental health rely on teachers as implementers. Thus, understanding the interplay between the multiple domains of fidelity to the intervention and intervention support systems such as coaching and teacher implementation of new skills is an important aspect of implementation science. This study describes a systematic process for assessing multiple domains of fidelity. Data from a larger efficacy trial of the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY TCM) program are utilized. Data on fidelity to the IY TCM workshop training sessions and onsite weekly coaching indicate that workshop leaders and the IY TCM coach implemented the training and coaching model with adequate adherence. Further, workshop leaders' ratings of engagement were associated with teacher implementation of specific praise, following training on this content. Lastly, the IY TCM coach differentiation of teacher exposure to coaching was evaluated and found to be associated with teacher implementation of classroom management practices and student disruptive behavior.

  11. The Effects of Implementing a Reading Workshop in Middle School Language Arts Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Angela Falter

    2012-01-01

    Two language arts teachers in a small, rural middle school set a goal of improving their reading instruction and ultimately their students' learning. The two teachers implemented Reading Workshop as their new methodology for teaching reading to all six of their 7th and 8th grade classes. Interviews and classroom observations, over the course of…

  12. Effective Professional Development for Teachers: A Checklist

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunzicker, Jana

    2011-01-01

    Teachers know it is important to keep their professional knowledge and skills up to date, and presentation-style workshops are an efficient way to accomplish this. However, "one shot," "sit and get" workshops are becoming less effective in today's busy world. Much of the information gained is not likely to be remembered, and even less is likely to…

  13. Unexpected Outcomes from Teachers' TV

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tanner, Ruth

    2006-01-01

    In this article, the author explains why she has unexpectedly become a fan of Teacher's TV. It started when she was asked to show some clips from Teachers' TV as part of a workshop she was leading. She dutifully accepted a CD containing three downloaded programmes about using ICT to teach mathematics and put it into her laptop. Within a few…

  14. Report and Evaluation of the Second Annual Workshop for Vocational Education Personnel Working with the Handicapped.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheppard, N. Alan

    The report describes an inservice workshop for vocational education teachers of the physically, mentally, and multiply handicapped. The first third of the report consists of a general introduction and a summary of workshop activities with respect to (1) general information, (2) topics covered, (3) requirements for a letter grade, (4) summaries of…

  15. Teachers' Use of Research Evidence in Practice: A Pilot Study of Feedback to Enhance Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    See, Beng Huat; Gorard, Stephen; Siddiqui, Nadia

    2016-01-01

    Background: There is worldwide interest in improving the effectiveness of teachers and teaching. This paper considers two strands of that interest. It revisits the impact of using enhanced feedback from teachers to pupils as a way of improving attainment, and it looks at the feasibility of teachers using research evidence to create their own…

  16. The Dialectics Informing Identity in an Urban Youth Digital Storytelling Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeGennaro, Donna

    2008-01-01

    This article examines an after-school program entitled Silk City Media Workshop. Briefly, the workshop engages youth in digital storytelling as a means of enhancing both their technology and literacy skills. Transcending these goals, this workshop also provides opportunities for youth to reveal multiple aspects of their unfolding identities as…

  17. Developing and Evaluating Interventions Aimed at Increasing Retention of Special Education Teachers (Teacher Support & Retention Project). Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooley, Elizabeth

    This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a 3-year federally funded project that developed and evaluated interventions aimed at increasing retention of special education teachers. The interventions developed and evaluated consisted of: (1) a series of stress management workshops aimed at preventing or alleviating teacher burnout,…

  18. Enhancing students' moral competence in practice: Challenges experienced by Malawian nurse teachers.

    PubMed

    Solum, Eva Merethe; Maluwa, Veronica Mary; Tveit, Bodil; Severinsson, Elisabeth

    2016-09-01

    Nurses and student nurses in Malawi often encounter challenges in taking a moral course of action. Several studies have demonstrated a need for increased awareness of ethical issues in the nursing education. To explore the challenges experienced by nurse teachers in Malawi in their efforts to enhance students' moral competence in clinical practice. A qualitative hermeneutic approach was employed to interpret the teachers' experiences. Individual interviews (N = 8) and a focus group interview with teachers (N = 9) from different nursing colleges were conducted. Ethical approval was granted and all participants signed their informed consent. Two overall themes emerged: (1) authoritarian learning climate, with three subthemes: (a) fear of making critical comments about clinical practice, (b) fear of disclosing mistakes and lack of knowledge and (c) lack of a culture of critical discussion and reflection that promotes moral competence; and (2) discrepancy between expectations on learning outcome from nursing college and the learning opportunities in practice comprising three subthemes: (a) gap between the theory taught in class and learning opportunities in clinical practice, (b) lack of good role models and (c) lack of resources. Our findings indicated that showing respect was a central objective when the students were assessed in practice. A number of previous studies have enlightened the need for critical reflection in nursing education. Few studies have linked this to challenges experienced by teachers for development of moral competence in practice. This is one of the first such studies done in an African setting. There is a clear relationship between the two themes. A less authoritarian learning climate may enhance critical reflection and discussion between students, teachers and nurses. This can narrow the gap between the theory taught in college and what is demonstrated in clinical practice. Moral competence must be enhanced in order to ensure patients' rights

  19. The TRUST Project: A Formal-Informal Teacher Education Partnership for the Promotion of Earth Science Teacher Certification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sloan, H.; Miele, E.; Powell, W.; MacDonald, M.

    2004-12-01

    The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in partnership with Lehman and Brooklyn Colleges of the City University of New York (CUNY) has initiated The Teacher Renewal for Urban Science Teaching (TRUST) project. TRUST combines informal and formal teacher education in a four-year initiative to enhance professional development and masters of science education programs, grades K-8 at Brooklyn College and 7-12 at Lehman College. This NSF-funded partnership brings together the resources of AMNH, CUNY, New York City school districts, New York City Department of Education-Museum Partnerships, and the expertise of scientists and teachers with research experiences. Following an initial planning year, TRUST will recruit and sustain 90 teachers over a period of 3 years as well as engage 30 school administrators in support of Earth science instruction. Program components include two new formal Earth systems science courses, intensive informal summer institutes, and a lecture and workshop series during which participants gain new Earth science content knowledge, develop action plans, and present their work on the local and national level. In addition, participants have access to ongoing resource and material support to enhance their learning and instruction. Continuous documentation and data collection by project investigators are being used to address questions regarding the impact various aspects of the TRUST participant experience on classroom instruction and learning, the acquisition of scientific knowledge in the new courses and institutes, and to examine the nature of the Museum experience in meeting certification goals. External formative and summative evaluation of the project is addressing issues surrounding the value of the program as a model for formal-informal partnership in urban Earth science teacher education and certification, analysis of policies that facilitate partnership arrangements, and how socialization of novices with experts affects retention and

  20. MTU-pre-service teacher enhancement program. Final report, September 1992--May 1995

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anderson, C.S.; Yarroch, W.J.

    1996-01-01

    The MTU Pre-Service Teacher Enhancement Program was a two year extended project designed to introduce a select group of science and engineering undergraduate students, with good {open_quotes}people skills,{close_quotes} to the teaching profession. Participants were paid for their time spent with area teacher/mentors and were involved in a variety of in school activities, projects and observations to illustrate the teaching profession. They were encouraged to consider the teaching profession as a future career option. The student participants, however, were under no obligation to enter the Teacher Education Program at the conclusion of the program.

  1. Scientific Modeling for Inquiring Teachers Network (SMIT'N): The Influence on Elementary Teachers' Views of Nature of Science, Inquiry, and Modeling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akerson, Valarie L.; Townsend, J. Scott; Donnelly, Lisa A.; Hanson, Deborah L.; Tira, Praweena; White, Orvil

    2009-01-01

    This paper summarizes the findings from a K-6 professional development program that emphasized scientific inquiry and nature of science within the theme of scientific modeling. During the 2-week summer workshop and follow up school year workshops, the instruction modeled a 5-E learning cycle approach. Pre and posttesting measured teachers' views…

  2. Professional Development Tools to Enhance the Abilities of Veteran Teachers in Pre-K through Eighth Grades

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kuykendall, Salvatrice Domenica

    2017-01-01

    "Professional Development Tools to Enhance the Abilities of Veteran Teachers in Pre-K Through Eighth Grades" examined the variety of professional development tools available to veteran educators. The quasi-experimental study allowed veteran teachers to participate in a pretest survey consisting of questions about teachers' desire for…

  3. Alternative Careers for Educators. A Workshop Presented by Pi Lambda Theta's Iota Chapter at Indiana University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiewitt, Eva L., Ed.

    This document summarizes a workshop to assist persons considering preparation in education to realistically look at the use of the wide range of skills and competencies developed in a teacher education program. The first section is an introduction that discusses the purposes of the workshop. The second section is the keynote address, A Look at…

  4. A Fingerprint Pattern of Supports for Teachers' Designing of Technology-Enhanced Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Svihla, Vanessa; Reeve, Richard; Sagy, Ornit; Kali, Yael

    2015-01-01

    Teachers often find themselves in a position in which they need to adapt technology-enhanced materials to meet the needs of their students. As new technologies--especially those not specifically designed for learning--find their way into schools, teachers need to be able to design learning experiences that use these new technologies in their local…

  5. Exploring Student Teachers' Views on ePortfolios as an Empowering Tool to Enhance Self-Directed Learning in an Online Teacher Education Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Wyk, Micheal M.

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores Economics student teachers' views on ePortfolios as an empowering tool to enhance self-directed learning in an online teacher education course. An interpretive phenomenological research approach was employed for data collection and a purposive convenient sampling technique was selected to collect data. Only Postgraduate…

  6. Helping Teachers to Help Children Cope with Stress.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dougherty, A. Michael; Deck, Mary D.

    1984-01-01

    Offers some ways counselors can work with teachers in an inservice format to help students cope with stress. The two-session workshop focuses on understanding causes of childhood stress and what teachers can do in their classrooms to reduce unnecessary stress. Includes suggested resources. (JAC)

  7. Everybody's Problem: Novice Teachers in Disadvantaged Mexican Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martínez, Nora H.

    2014-01-01

    This paper explores the difficulties that novice teachers confront at two economically, socially, and academically disadvantaged schools in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The researchers employed the action research tradition. Problems were identified using participant observation during reflexive workshops conducted with novice teachers and…

  8. Enhancing Intercultural Understanding for Pre-Service Teachers through Developing and Sustaining Education Abroad Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marcus, Alan S.; Moss, David M.

    2015-01-01

    This article discusses two education abroad programs that afford pre-service teachers with purposeful opportunities to enhance their intercultural competence through immersion in teaching internships in British schools. The programs, in London and Nottingham, provide pre-service teachers with direct experiences that engage them with diverse…

  9. Principal Leadership for Technology-enhanced Learning in Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gerard, Libby F.; Bowyer, Jane B.; Linn, Marcia C.

    2008-02-01

    Reforms such as technology-enhanced instruction require principal leadership. Yet, many principals report that they need help to guide implementation of science and technology reforms. We identify strategies for helping principals provide this leadership. A two-phase design is employed. In the first phase we elicit principals' varied ideas about the Technology-enhanced Learning in Science (TELS) curriculum materials being implemented by teachers in their schools, and in the second phase we engage principals in a leadership workshop designed based on the ideas they generated. Analysis uses an emergent coding scheme to categorize principals' ideas, and a knowledge integration framework to capture the development of these ideas. The analysis suggests that principals frame their thinking about the implementation of TELS in terms of: principal leadership, curriculum, educational policy, teacher learning, student outcomes and financial resources. They seek to improve their own knowledge to support this reform. The principals organize their ideas around individual school goals and current political issues. Principals prefer professional development activities that engage them in reviewing curricula and student work with other principals. Based on the analysis, this study offers guidelines for creating learning opportunities that enhance principals' leadership abilities in technology and science reform.

  10. The Stealth Curriculum: Manipulating America's History Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stotsky, Sandra

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this report is: (1) To point out the features of a number of manipulative supplemental resources for history and social studies teachers; and (2) to show how similarly manipulative professional development workshops propagate the distorted content and recommended teaching practices of such materials to teachers and their…

  11. [Profiles of factors enhancing teachers' occupational wellbeing and their use in health promoting schools].

    PubMed

    Woynarowska-Sołdan, Magdalena; Weziak-Białowolska, Dorota

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this article is to present the results of survey on general occupational being and factors contributing to the enhancement of teachers' occupational wellbeing. The authors also address the issue how to work out, analyze, present and use the survey results in health promotion at schools. Teachers of four selected health promoting schools (HPS) were surveyed and the results were analyzed. The Factors Enhancing Teachers's Occupational Wellbeing Scale was used. This instrument consisted of 45 statements on 5 subscales (working conditions, teachers' community, students' and parents' community, organization and workload, professional competences). They were measured from two points of view, the assessment of a current situation and the assessment of needs for the improvement. The scale was preceded by questions concerning the assessment of general occupational being and the assessment of general occupational being of other teachers at school. The self-assessment of the respondents' own and other teachers' occupational being was positive. The current situation related to factors influencing teachers' wellbeing was recognized by teachers as rather good and the need for change was rather low. There were differences between schools in the majority of analyzed factors. An easy method of analyzing data as numerical values and graphic profiles was proposed to be used in HPS. Factors influencing teachers' occupational wellbeing differed between schools. The results of their assessment should be analyzed in each school taking account of its individual context. The proposed instrument and method of data analysis are useful in the planning of teachers' health promotion projects, diagnosis of the initial status ("pre-test") and evaluation of their outcomes ("post-test").

  12. Inside Reading and Writing Workshops. [Videotapes and Viewing Guide].

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hindley, Joanne

    This videotape series and viewing guide is designed to complement the book "In the Company of Children." Each videotape includes four brief, real-life classroom segments that illustrate different aspects of workshop instruction. The guide will help teachers link readings from the book with different segments from the videotapes,…

  13. Earth2Class: Bringing the Earth to the Classroom-Innovative Connections between Research Scientists, Teachers, and Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Passow, M. J.

    2017-12-01

    "Earth2Class" (E2C) is a unique program offered through the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. It connects research scientists, classroom teachers, middle and high school students, and others in ways that foster broader outreach of cutting-edge discoveries. One key component are Saturday workshops offered during the school year. These provide investigators with a tested format for sharing research methods and results. Teachers and students learn more about "real"science than what is found in textbooks. They discover that Science is exciting, uncertain, and done by people not very different from themselves. Since 1998, we have offered more than 170 workshops, partnering with more than 90 LDEO scientists. E2C teachers establishe links with scientists that have led to participation in research projects, the LDEO Open House, and other programs. Connections developed between high school students and scientists resulted in authentic science research experiences. A second key component of the project is the E2C website, https://earth2class.org/site/. We provide archived versions of monthly workshops. The website hosts a vast array of resources geared to support learning Earth Science and other subjects. Resources created through an NSF grant to explore strategies which enhance Spatial Thinking in the NYS Regents Earth Science curriculum are found at https://earth2class.org/site/?page_id=2957. The site is well-used by K-12 Earth Science educators, averaging nearly 70k hits per month. A third component of the E2C program are week-long summer institutes offering opportunities to enhance content knowledge in weather and climate; minerals, rocks, and resources; and astronomy. These include exploration of strategies to implement NGSS-based approaches within the school curriculum. Participants can visit LDEO lab facilities and interact with scientists to learn about their research. In the past year, we have begun to create a "satellite" E2C program at UFVJM

  14. Professional Development through Teacher Collaboration: An Approach to Enhance Teaching and Learning in Science and Mathematics in Tanzania

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kafyulilo, Ayoub Cherd

    2013-01-01

    This study introduces "teachers' collaboration" as an approach to teachers' professional development geared at enhancing science and mathematics teaching in Tanzania secondary schools. Teachers' professional development through teachers' collaboration has been reported to be effective for the improvement of schools' performance and…

  15. Examining High School Anatomy and Physiology Teacher Experience in a Cadaver Dissection Laboratory and Impacts on Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mattheis, Allison; Ingram, Debra; Jensen, Murray S.; Jackson, Jon

    2015-01-01

    This article describes the results of a study that investigated the experiences of a group of high school anatomy and physiology teachers who participated in a cadaver dissection laboratory workshop organized through a university-school partnership. Teacher feedback was collected before, during, and after the workshop through pre-arrival surveys,…

  16. Do Sheltered Workshops Enhance Employment Outcomes for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cimera, Robert Evert; Wehman, Paul; West, Michael; Burgess, Sloane

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated whether sheltered workshops help prepare individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for competitive employment within the community. Two groups of individuals were compared: (a) 215 supported employees who were in sheltered workshops prior to entering supported employment and (b) 215 supported employees who were not in…

  17. Evaluation of the impact of a simulation-enhanced breaking bad news workshop in pediatrics.

    PubMed

    Tobler, Kathleen; Grant, Estee; Marczinski, Cecile

    2014-08-01

    Our goal was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a simulation-based workshop for teaching pediatric trainees' communication skills in breaking bad news. A simulation-based workshop was developed to teach skills in breaking bad news. After a classroom-based introduction, small groups of residents participated in 3 scenarios, each starting with a simulated resuscitation, followed by 2 conversations with the patient's parent, played by actors. Each conversation was observed through a 1-way mirror and was followed by a debriefing. After the workshop, the residents completed workshop evaluations and a self-assessment. Before and after the workshop, residents were evaluated in Objective Structured Clinical Examination stations where they were required to give bad news. Two physician experts and 2 parents who personally experienced receiving bad news about their child evaluated resident performance using a previously validated communication evaluation tool. Residents' ratings of the workshop were very high for all items, and 100% of the residents reported improvement in their ability to deliver bad news after the workshop. Statistically significant improvement was found in 14 of 17 items of the evaluation tool used by experts and parents, with the parents reporting greater improvement than the experts. This reflective, simulation-based workshop successfully improved pediatric trainees' skills in having difficult conversations with families, as evaluated by the participants, by physician experts, and, most importantly, by parents who have experienced these conversations in real life.

  18. Poder es Saber. Workshop: Developing a Bilingual Curriculum (New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, New Mexico, June 1977).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bass de Martinez, Bernice

    Bilingual teachers and program directors of northern New Mexico attended a workshop at New Mexico Highlands University to examine the curriculum designed to meet the needs of students within the bilingual bicultural setting. Participants were asked to redefine curriculum within the "workshop" setting. Consultants assisted the group in…

  19. H2@Scale Workshop Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pivovar, Bryan

    2017-03-31

    Final report from the H2@Scale Workshop held November 16-17, 2016, at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory hosted a technology workshop to identify the current barriers and research needs of the H2@Scale concept. H2@Scale is a concept regarding the potential for wide-scale impact of hydrogen produced from diverse domestic resources to enhance U.S. energy security and enable growth of innovative technologies and domestic industries. Feedback received from a diverse set of stakeholders at the workshop will guide the development of an H2@Scale roadmap for research, development, and early stagemore » demonstration activities that can enable hydrogen as an energy carrier at a national scale.« less

  20. Nutrition Education Needs of Early Childhood Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forsythe, Hazel; Wesley, Myrna

    This study sought to determine the needs of early childhood teachers in Kentucky for education to help them manage children's nutrition in early childhood programs. The study also sought to determine whether formal classes, self-study via computer, or site-based inservice workshops is the most desirable format for teacher nutrition education. A…

  1. The Writing Workshop as an Inservice Tool: A Case Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pollock, Jeri

    1994-01-01

    Presents a case study of an inservice writing workshop (at Our Lady of Mercy School in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) designed to give teachers hands-on experience in applying computer writing to their individual subjects. Describes how a computer culture was developed at the school. (RS)

  2. A Structural Equation Modelling Approach for Massive Blended Synchronous Teacher Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  3. Agency and Choice in Education: Does School Choice Enhance the Work Effort of Teachers?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rapp, Geoffrey C.

    2000-01-01

    Investigates effects of school-choice laws on U.S. teachers' work incentives, using 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Survey data. Examines whether school system competitiveness works to solve the principal-agent problem in education. Results are mixed, but suggest that one type of choice policy--intradistrict choice--enhances teacher motivation.…

  4. PREPARING STUDENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT IN AGRICULTURE, AGRICULTURAL OCCUPATIONS INSTITUTE, WORKSHOP REPORT (JUNE 7-JULY 16, 1965).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater. Research Foundation.

    THIRTY VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE TEACHERS FROM 10 STATES ATTENDED A WORKSHOP TO DEVELOP THEIR ABILITIES TO INSTRUCT, SUPERVISE, AND COORDINATE STUDENT ACTIVITIES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL IN AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS. THEIR ACTIVITIES RESULTED IN THIS REPORT, INTENDED AS A GUIDE FOR AGRICULTURE TEACHERS IN INITIATING INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS FOR THE…

  5. An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Selected Aerospace Education Workshops in Tennessee

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maupin, Pauline Hicks

    1976-01-01

    Data from questionnaires indicated that the Tennessee Aerospace Education Workshops were successful in reaching their stated goals, which included developing a greater awareness of aerospace education and helping teachers incorporate more aerospace education in classroom activities. (MLH)

  6. The Role of Non-Formal Contexts in Teacher Education for STEM: The Case of Horno[superscript 3] Science and Technology Interactive Centre

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fernández-Limón, Claudia; Fernández-Cárdenas, Juan Manuel; Gómez Galindo, Alma Adrianna

    2018-01-01

    Teacher education can benefit directly from experiences in non-formal settings. This article presents a research study with elementary teachers who were teaching in public schools in the state of Nuevo León, México, and participated in a STEM Continuous Professional Development (CPD) workshop. The workshop provided a platform for teachers to…

  7. Teaching planetary sciences to elementary school teachers: Programs that work

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lebofsky, Larry A.; Lebofsky, Nancy R.

    1993-01-01

    Planetary sciences can be used to introduce students to the natural world which is a part of their lives. Even children in an urban environment are aware of such phenomena as day and night, shadows, and the seasons. It is a science that transcends cultures, has been prominent in the news in recent years, and can generate excitement in young minds as no other science can. Planetary sciences also provides a useful tool for understanding other sciences and mathematics, and for developing problem solving skills which are important in our technological world. However, only 15 percent of elementary school teachers feel very well qualified to teach earth/space science, while better than 80 percent feel well qualified to teach reading; many teachers avoid teaching science; very little time is actually spent teaching science in the elementary school: 19 minutes per day in K-3 and 38 minutes per day in 4-6. While very little science is taught in elementary and middle school, earth/space science is taught at the elementary level in less than half of the states. It was pointed out that science is not generally given high priority by either teachers or school districts, and is certainly not considered on a par with language arts and mathematics. Therefore, in order to teach science to our youth, we must empower our teachers, making them familiar and comfortable with existing materials. In our earlier workshops, several of our teachers taught in classrooms where the majority of the students were Hispanic (over 90 percent). However, few space sciences materials existed in Spanish. Therefore, most of our materials could not be used effectively in the classroom. To address this issue, NASA materials were translated into Spanish and a series of workshops for bilingual classroom teachers from Tucson and surrounding cities was conducted. Our space sciences workshops and our bilingual classroom workshops and how they address the needs of elementary school teachers in Arizona are

  8. MTFeedback: Providing Notifications to Enhance Teacher Awareness of Small Group Work in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martinez-Maldonado, Roberto; Clayphan, Andrew; Yacef, Kalina; Kay, Judy

    2015-01-01

    The teacher has very important roles in the classroom, particularly as manager of most resources for learning activities and in providing timely feedback that can enhance learning. But teachers need to be aware of students' achievements and weaknesses to decide how to time feedback. We present MTFeedback, a system that harnesses the new…

  9. From Monologue to Dialogue: A Teacher Training to Enhance Effective Student Engagement and Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dopson, Brian G.

    2010-01-01

    Many high schools are encouraging teachers to enhance the level of student engagement by having teachers interact more productively with students. Effective questioning, efficient use of wait time, use of high-quality examples, a clear goal, equitable distribution, and a balance of open and closed questions correlate with higher levels of student…

  10. Insights from a Subject Knowledge Enhancement Course for Preparing New Chemistry and Physics Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Inglis, Michael; Mallaburn, Andrea; Tynan, Richard; Clays, Ken; Jones, Robert Bryn

    2013-01-01

    A recent Government response to shortages of new physics and chemistry teachers is the extended subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) course. Graduates without a physics or chemistry bachelor degree are prepared by an SKE course to enter a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) programme to become science teachers with a physics or chemistry…

  11. Starting with Teachers: Bringing GIS technology to the secondary classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Claesgens, J.; Rubino-Hare, L.; Sample, J. C.; Fredrickson, K.; Manone, M.

    2010-12-01

    An aim of the NSF-ITEST funded POD project is to examine the effect that technology-integrated, problem-based learning modules have on the learning of secondary students whose teachers have participated in a curriculum implementation professional development structure. This research focuses on the professional development structure as the first step to achieving changes in student learning. The assumption is that the teachers themselves have to learn the technology before they can successfully implement it into their classrooms. Teachers attended a 2-week professional development workshop that presented pedagogy, content and GIS training. Our premise for the workshop was that modeling and practicing research-based pedagogical practice will improve participant science instruction through an immersion program focusing on real life problems. The second premise is that improving teacher technology skills and pedagogical knowledge and practice will improve student achievement in science. Professional development is necessary to help teachers learn not only how to use new technology but also how to provide meaningful instruction and activities using technology in the classroom. Therefore if our goal is to immerse the teachers in learning as the students, we need to measure if they indeed did learn. To evaluate if the teacher learned the material just as a student might, we administered a pre- and post-test to 23 teachers attending the workshops. There were 2 forms of the test, a multiple-choice test that focused on content questions in earth science, interpretation of GIS screen shots and spatial reasoning skills. The second component, the Geospatial Technology Performance Assessment, focused on the teachers’ abilities to use the GIS technology to gather data, sort and communicate information using maps, tables and keys. For the latter a grounded-theory approach was used to group teachers answers based on the responses provided. Teacher responses fell into 5 groups

  12. 34 CFR 611.2 - What management plan must be included in a Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program application?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS PROGRAM General Provisions § 611.2 What management plan must be... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What management plan must be included in a Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants Program application? 611.2 Section 611.2 Education Regulations of the Offices...

  13. Coordinated Inservice Activities for Health Occupations Teachers in Central Pennsylvania. Final Report. Health Occupations, Monograph Number 6. Vocational-Industrial Education Research Report. Volume 15, Number 16.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hole, F. Marvin

    This report contains a twenty-one page narrative of a project which provided inservice education to health occupations teachers in Central Pennsylvania through four summer workshops as well as the workshop materials. The narrative describes the workshops, which focused on dental assisting activities for health assistant teachers, improvement of…

  14. Connecting Mathematics and Writing Workshop: It's Kinda like Ice Skating

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Susan

    2009-01-01

    Second-grade students struggle with writing about mathematical topics during math class, so the teacher begins to integrate mathematical topics into their Writing Workshop. Content journals are used during math, and students are encouraged to write about personal connections to mathematical situations, as well as incorporate mathematical concepts…

  15. Pre-Vocational Education Workshop, July 8-19, 1974. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lorenz, James; Putnam, Margaret

    The report describes a workshop held to facilitate compliance with recent Tennessee legislation and organized to: (1) plan a model pre-vocational education program at the seventh and eighth grade level and (2) plan for personnel development for teachers, counselors, coordinators, and others responsible for prevocational education programs.…

  16. Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) 2009 - Engaging Students and Teachers in Space Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boice, D. C.; Reiff, P. H.

    2009-12-01

    During the past 17 years, Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) has been a community partnership between local high schools in San Antonio, Texas (USA), and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The goals of YES are to increase the number of high school students, especially those from underrepresented groups, seeking careers in science and engineering, to enhance their success in entering the college and major of their choice, and to promote teacher development in STEM fields. This is accomplished by allowing students and teachers to interact on a continuing basis with role models at SwRI in real-world research experiences in physical sciences (including space science), information sciences, and a variety of engineering fields. A total of 218 students have completed YES or are currently enrolled. Of these students, 37% are females and 56% are ethnic minorities, reflecting the local ethnic diversity, and 67% represent underserved groups. Presently, there are 20 students and 3 teachers enrolled in the YES 2009/2010 Program. YES consists of an intensive three-week summer workshop held at SwRI where students and teachers experience the research environment and a collegial mentorship where they complete individual research projects under the guidance of SwRI mentors during the academic year. At the end of the school year, students publicly present and display their work, spreading career awareness to other students and teachers. Teachers participate in an in-service workshop to share classroom materials and spread awareness of space-related research. YES students develop a website (yesserver.space.swri.edu) for topics in space science (this year was NASA's MMS Mission) and high school science teachers develop space-related lessons for classroom presentation. Partnerships between research institutes, local high schools, and community foundations, like the YES Program, can positively affect students’ preparation for STEM careers via real-world research experiences with

  17. European Stroke Science Workshop

    PubMed Central

    Mattle, Heinrich P.; Brainin, Michael; Chamorro, Angel; Diener, Hans Christoph; Hacke, Werner; Leys, Didier; Norrving, Bo; Ward, Nick

    2012-01-01

    The European Stroke Organisation (ESO) held its first European Stroke Science Workshop in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany (15-17 December 2011). Stroke experts based in Europe were invited to present and discuss their current research. The scope of the workshop was to review the most recent findings of selected topics in stroke, to exchange ideas, to stimulate new research and to enhance collaboration between European stroke research groups. Seven scientific sessions were held, each starting with a keynote lecture to review the state of the art of the given topic, followed by 4 or 5 short presentations by experts. They were asked to limit their presentations to 10 slides containing only recent information. The meeting was organized by the executive committee of the ESO (Heinrich Mattle, chairman, Michael Brainin, Angel Chamorro, Werner Hacke, Didier Leys) and supported by the European Stroke Conference (Michael Hennerici). In this article we summarize the main contents of this successful workshop. PMID:22836350

  18. Elementary Education Program for Engineering by Dual System of Workshop and Teaching Program with Practical Subject

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hara, Toshitsugu

    Elementary education program for engineering by the dual system combined with workshop program and teaching program with practical subject was discussed. The dual system which consists of several workshop programs and fundamental subjects (such as mathematics, English and physics) with practical material has been performed for the freshmen. The elementary workshop program (primary course) has four workshops and the related lectures. Fundamental subjects are taught with the practical or engineering texts. English subjects are taught by specified teachers who have ever worked in engineering field with English. The dual system was supported by such systems as the center for success initiative and the English education center.

  19. A psychoeducational approach for prevention of burnout among teachers dealing with HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Sharon Mary; Naidoo, Anthony Vernon

    2017-01-01

    Teaching is one of the most stressful occupations, with high stress and burnout levels of teachers necessitating intervention. This is especially relevant for South African teachers tasked with additional responsibilities of dealing with HIV/AIDS issues, as well as attending to normal curricula duties. A burnout prevention intervention, based on Paulo Freire's adult educational approach, using transpersonal psychology techniques, was introduced to HIV/AIDS coordinator teachers (n = 27) at high-risk schools in the Western Cape, South Africa, who attended six three-hour weekly workshops. This paper presents the bottom-up thematic analyses of the group, as well as individual global analysis (n = 10) of the qualitative data, derived from focus group interviews and workshop evaluations after the intervention, providing insights into the experiences of workshop participants and their teaching contexts. The mind map of one participant is illustrated. The findings of the study confirmed that transpersonal practices (TP) presented in psychoeducation workshops were helpful in mediating stress and burnout in the work and personal contexts of teachers dealing with HIV/AIDS. TP offer practical applications of right brain emotional and social intelligence practices that could be incorporated into care and wellness school programmes for teachers vulnerable to stressors related to HIV/AIDS.

  20. Science Teachers' Drawings of What Is inside the Human Body

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patrick, Patricia G.; Tunnicliffe, Sue Dale

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to report United States of America (USA) science teachers' understandings of the internal structures of the human body. The 71 science teachers who participated in this study attended a frog/pig, two-hour dissection workshop at the 2004 National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conference in Atlanta, Georgia. The…

  1. Europe in the Secondary School Curriculum. Report of the First Council of Europe Teacher's Seminar, September 26-28, 1978.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shennan, Margaret, Comp.

    Presented are formal addresses and discussion group reports from a teacher in-service workshop held in Donaueschingen, Western Germany, in September, 1978 to acquaint European secondary school teachers with the Council of Europe's educational program. Specific objectives of the workshop were to discuss approaches to teaching about Europe in…

  2. Cottrell Scholars Collaborative New Faculty Workshop: Professional Development for New Chemistry Faculty and Initial Assessment of Its Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Lane A.; Chakraverty, Devasmita; Columbus, Linda; Feig, Andrew L.; Jenks, William S.; Pilarz, Matthew; Stains, Marilyne; Waterman, Rory; Wesemann, Jodi L.

    2014-01-01

    The Cottrell Scholars Collaborative New Faculty Workshop (CSC NFW) is a professional development program that was initiated in 2012 to address absences in the preparation of chemistry faculty at research universities as funded researchers and educators (i.e., teacher-scholars). The primary focus of the workshop is an introduction to evidence-based…

  3. 4th Penn State Bioinorganic Workshop

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Krebs, Carsten

    Pennsylvania State University and our unique laboratory space are well suited for the continuation of such training workshops. The co-principal investigators of this award lead these efforts. After a smaller “trial workshop” in 2010, the Penn State bioinorganic group, led by the co-PIs, offers these workshops biennially. The 2012, 2014, and 2016 workshops provided training to 123, 162, and 153 participants, respectively, by offering (i) a series of lectures given by faculty experts on the given topic, (ii) hands-on training in small groups by experts in the various methods, and (iii) sharing research results of the participants by oral and poster presentations. The centerpiece of the workshops is the hands-on training, in which approximately half of the participants from all ranks (undergraduate students to faculty) served as teachers. In this section, the traditional roles of teachers and students were sometimes reversed to the extent that undergraduate students taught faculty in the students' areas of specialty. We anticipate that these workshops will facilitate research in bioinorganic chemistry and will help establish future collaborations among “workshop alumni” to carry out cutting-edge research in bioinorganic chemistry that will address many important topics relevant to our society.« less

  4. Second Greenhouse Gas Information System Workshop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boland, S. W.; Duren, R. M.; Mitchiner, J.; Rotman, D.; Sheffner, E.; Ebinger, M. H.; Miller, C. E.; Butler, J. H.; Dimotakis, P.; Jonietz, K.

    2009-12-01

    The second Greenhouse Gas Information System (GHGIS) workshop was held May 20-22, 2009 at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The workshop brought together 74 representatives from 28 organizations including U.S. government agencies, national laboratories, and members of the academic community to address issues related to the understanding, operational monitoring, and tracking of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon offsets. The workshop was organized by an interagency collaboration between NASA centers, DOE laboratories, and NOAA. It was motivated by the perceived need for an integrated interagency, community-wide initiative to provide information about greenhouse gas sources and sinks at policy-relevant temporal and spatial scales in order to significantly enhance the ability of national and regional governments, industry, and private citizens to implement and evaluate effective climate change mitigation policies. This talk provides an overview of the second Greenhouse Gas Information System workshop, presents its key findings, and discusses current status and next steps in this interagency collaborative effort.

  5. Technology to Support Teachers Using Evidence from Student Work to Customize Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Units

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matuk, Camillia F.; Linn, Marcia C.; Eylon, Bat-Sheva

    2015-01-01

    Teachers' involvement in curriculum design is essential for sustaining the relevance of technology-enhanced learning materials. Customizing--making small adjustments to tailor given materials to particular situations and settings--is one design activity in which busy teachers can feasibly engage. Research indicates that customizations based…

  6. Germany: The Search for Unity. Guide for Workshop Leaders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blankenship, Glen

    This document is designed to support teachers in the use of instructional materials related to contemporary Germany. The materials in this guide provide the basis for a one-day, 5 hour inservice session. The workshop agenda begins the guide and sets out the schedule of times for different activities and instruction. The suggested format can be…

  7. Faculty Development for Small-Group-Teaching with Simulated Patients (SP) - Design and Evaluation of a Competency-based Workshop.

    PubMed

    Hölzer, Henrike; Freytag, Julia; Sonntag, Ulrike

    2017-01-01

    Objective: The introduction of innovative teaching formats and methods in medical education requires a specific didactic training for teachers to use complicated formats effectively. This paper describes preliminary considerations, design, implementation and evaluation of a skills-based workshop (7,5 hours long) for teaching with simulated patients. The aim is to describe the essential components for a lasting effect of the workshop so that the concept can be adapted to other contexts. Method: We present the theoretical framework, the objectives, the didactic methodology and the implementation of the workshop. The evaluation of the workshop was carried out using questionnaires. First the participants (teachers of the faculty of medicine, clinical and science subjects) were asked to estimate how well they felt prepared for small group teaching immediately after workshop. Later, after some teaching experience of their own, they gave feedback again as a part of the general evaluation of the semester. Results: In the course of three years 27 trainings were conducted and evaluated with a total of 275 participants. In the context of semester evaluation 452 questionnaires were evaluated on the quality of training. Conclusion: The evaluation shows that participants appreciate the concept of the workshop and also feel sufficiently well prepared. As a limitation it must be said that this is so far only the lecturers' self-assessment. Nevertheless, it can be stated that even a one-day workshop with a stringent teaching concept shows long term results regarding innovative teaching methods.

  8. Guide to conducting state recycling economic development finance workshops

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1996-12-31

    The objective of this project was to demonstrate a two-pronged program for educating economic development and recycling officials about recycling business development opportunities. The project consisted of conducting a stat recycling finance workshop in each of three Northeastern states, as well as recycling economic development finance training program for the region`s economic development and recycling officials. The goal of the project is to facilitate the expansion of recycling businesses in the Northeast. The guide details seven steps to conducting a recycling economic development finance workshop: (1) establish a workshop planning committee, (2) select the target audience, (3) develop the workshopmore » message, (4) identify the message deliverer, (5) choose workshop topics and structure the workshop, (6) attract the audience, and (7) Conduct follow-up. In the process of planning and conducting the three state workshops for this project, NERC learned several important lessons: (1) Conduct workshops that are specific to the recycling and economic development programs in the state. (2) Include recycling business case studies on the workshop agenda. (3) Enhance the workshop with recycling economic development finance training. Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy.« less

  9. The Walking Wellness Teacher's Guide. A Resource Book for Elementary & Middle School Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sweetgall, Robert; Neeves, Robert

    This teacher's resource guide for implementing a "Walking Wellness" curriculum in grades four through eight offers 16 hands-on workshops. Activities focus on fitness walking, cardiovascular conditioning, nutrition and weight control, walking techniques and posture, stress control, tobacco-free living, and lifestyle planning. The student…

  10. NESTA Revolutionizing Teacher's Experiences at NSTA Conventions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ireton, F.

    2002-05-01

    National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conventions are traditionally composed of short workshops, half or full day workshops, and lectures on science teaching or education research. Occasional science lectures such as the AGU lecture offer science content information. The National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) will join the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT), American Geophysical Union (AGU), and the American Geological Institute (AGI) to bring teachers a suite of exciting and informative events at the (NSTA) 2002 convention. Events begin with a guided learning field trip to Mission Trails Regional Park and Torrey Pines State Reserve where Earth and space science teachers experience a model of constructivist leaning techniques. Most field trips are a "show and tell" experience, designed to transmit knowledge from the field trip leader to the field trip participants. In the "guided learning" environment, the leader serves as a facilitator, asking questions, guiding participants to discover concepts for themselves. Participants examine selected processes and features that constitute a constructivist experience in which knowledge acquired at any given location builds on knowledge brought to the site. Employing this strategy involves covering less breadth but greater depth, modeling the concept of "less is more." On Thursday NESTA will host two Share-a-thons. These are not what a person would think of as a traditional workshop where presenter makes a presentation then the participants work on an activity. They could be called the flea market of teaching ideas. Tables are set around the perimeter of a room where the presenters are stationed. Teachers move from table to table picking up information and watching short demonstrations. The Earth and Space Science Resource Day on Friday will focus on teachers needs. Starting with breakfast, teachers will hear from Soames Summerhays, Naturalist and President of Summerhays Films, about how he

  11. STEM education for teachers in the Rio Grande Valley

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ries, Judit Gyorgyey; Baguio, Margaret R.

    2015-11-01

    We have worked with elementary and middle school teachers in the Rio Grande Valley for the last 10 years bringing Earth and Space Science themed workshops to underserved areas of Texas. The Texas curriculum was also changed to include Astronomy and Space Science requirement in the tests students need to take to prove their academic preparedness. The teachers worked through a variety of inquiry-based, hands-on activities after a short presentation on the background science. In order to evaluate our effectiveness, we have asked the teachers to take pre- and post-workshop tests, and we asked them to fill out a self-reflective survey. We will report on our experiences, what works best with the teachers, and in what areas we still have a long way to go.This work was supported by various NASA education grants and Cooperative agreements, as well as grants provided by the Texas Space Grant Consortium.

  12. Workshop on nuclear technology: A joint effort between ANS and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brown, G.J.; McDevitt, M.A.; Schmidt, D.

    1992-01-01

    The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) (formerly University of Lowell) sponsored, along with the American Nuclear Society (ANS), a 5-day workshop entitled 'Understanding and Teaching about Nuclear Technology and Its Place in Our Society.' More than 30 middle and high school teachers from the New England area (Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts) attended the workshop, which was held June 24 through 28, 1991. Based on this experience, and with the expectation of replicating if not improving upon initial success, plans are now under way to offer a similar workshop at UML from June 29 through July 3, 1992.

  13. Improving Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of Pre-Service English Language Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ersanli, Ceylan Yangin

    2016-01-01

    Developing as teachers and optimizing learning experiences for future students is the ultimate goal in technology use in teacher education programs. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of a five-week workshop and training sessions on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of pre-service English language teachers. The…

  14. Implementing Energy Education in Florida's High Schools: A Two-Week Credit Institute for Teachers in South Florida. Final Report, Volume I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Univ., Tallahassee. Environmental Education Project.

    A 1977 inservice teacher training workshop in implementing energy education in Florida high schools is described. Designed for secondary teachers of science, social studies, vocational education, environmental studies, and home economics, the two-week workshop provided specific content instruction and teaching methods related to energy and energy…

  15. Enhancing clinical skills education: University of Virginia School of Medicine's Clerkship Clinical Skills Workshop Program.

    PubMed

    Corbett, Eugene C; Payne, Nancy J; Bradley, Elizabeth B; Maughan, Karen L; Heald, Evan B; Wang, Xin Qun

    2007-07-01

    In 1993, the University of Virginia School of Medicine began a clinical skills workshop program in an effort to improve the preparation of all clerkship students to participate in clinical care. This program involved the teaching of selected basic clinical skills by interested faculty to small groups of third-year medical students. Over the past 14 years, the number of workshops has increased from 11 to 31, and they now involve clerkship faculty from family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Workshops include a variety of common skills from the communication, physical examination, and clinical test and procedure domains such as pediatric phone triage, shoulder examination, ECG interpretation, and suturing. Workshop sessions allow students to practice skills on each other, with standardized patients, or with models, with the goal of improving competence and confidence in the performance of basic clinical skills. Students receive direct feedback from faculty on their skill performance. The style and content of these workshops are guided by an explicit set of educational criteria.A formal evaluation process ensures that faculty receive regular feedback from student evaluation comments so that adherence to workshop criteria is continuously reinforced. Student evaluations confirm that these workshops meet their skill-learning needs. Preliminary outcome measures suggest that workshop teaching can be linked to student assessment data and may improve students' skill performance. This program represents a work-in-progress toward the goal of providing a more comprehensive and developmental clinical skills curriculum in the school of medicine.

  16. Supporting Teachers Learning Through the Collaborative Design of Technology-Enhanced Science Lessons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kafyulilo, Ayoub C.; Fisser, Petra; Voogt, Joke

    2015-12-01

    This study used the Interconnected Model of Professional Growth (Clarke & Hollingsworth in Teaching and Teacher Education, 18, 947-967, 2002) to unravel how science teachers' technology integration knowledge and skills developed in a professional development arrangement. The professional development arrangement used Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge as a conceptual framework and included collaborative design of technology-enhanced science lessons, implementation of the lessons and reflection on outcomes. Support to facilitate the process was offered in the form of collaboration guidelines, online learning materials, exemplary lessons and the availability of an expert. Twenty teachers participated in the intervention. Pre- and post-intervention results showed improvements in teachers' perceived and demonstrated knowledge and skills in integrating technology in science teaching. Collaboration guidelines helped the teams to understand the design process, while exemplary materials provided a picture of the product they had to design. The availability of relevant online materials simplified the design process. The expert was important in providing technological and pedagogical support during design and implementation, and reflected with teachers on how to cope with problems met during implementation.

  17. The Impact of Collaborative Reflections on Teachers' Inquiry Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R.; Yang, Kuay-keng; Lee, Sung-Tao

    2013-01-01

    This study investigates the impact of collaborative reflections on teachers' inquiry teaching practices and identifies supportive actions relating to their professional development. Three science teachers in the same elementary school worked as a cooperative and collaborative group. They attended workshops and worked collaboratively through…

  18. An Impact Cratering Interactive Website Used for Outreach and in Professional Development Workshops for Middle School Science Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Croft, S. K.; Pierazzo, E.; Canizo, T.; Lebofsky, L. A.

    2009-12-01

    Impact cratering is one of the fundamental geologic processes affecting all planetary and asteroidal bodies in the Solar System. With few exceptions, all bodies with solid surfaces explored so far show the presence of impact craters - from the less than 200 known craters on Earth to the many thousands seen on the Moon, Mercury, and other bodies. Indeed, the study of crater populations is one of the principal tools for understanding the geologic history of planetary surfaces. In recent years, impact cratering has gained public notoriety through its portrayal in several Hollywood movies. Questions that are raised after watching these movies include: “How often do impacts occur?” “How do scientists learn about impact cratering?” and “What information do impact craters provide in understanding the evolution planetary surfaces?” On our website: “Explorer’s Guide to Impact Craters,” we answer those questions in a fun, informative and interactive way. The website provides the interested public with an opportunity to: 1) experience how scientists explore known terrestrial craters through a virtual fieldtrips; 2) learn more about the dynamics of impact cratering using numerical simulations of various impacts; and 3) investigate how impact cratering affects rocks via images and descriptions of field samples of impact rocks. This learning tool has been a popular outreach endeavor (recently reaching 100,000 hits), and it has recently been incorporated in the Impact Cratering Workshop developed by scientists and EPO specialists at the Planetary Science Institute. The workshop provides middle school science teachers with an inquiry-based understanding of the process of impact cratering and how it affects the solar system. Participants are instructed via standards-based multimedia presentations, analysis of planetary images, hands-on experience with geologic samples from terrestrial impact craters, and first-hand experience forming impact craters. Through the

  19. Toy Preference and Safety Knowledge: A Pilot Survey of Teachers of Young Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evans, Joyce; Stewart, Patricia

    This paper describes the procedures, instrumentation, data analysis and results of a pilot study of the extent of teachers' knowledge of (1) toy safety and (2) teachers' and children's preferences for toys. The survey was conducted in the form of a 22-item questionnaire administered during a training workshop for Head Start teachers. Teachers were…

  20. Preparing English Learners for Effective Peer Review in the Writers' Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Soo Hyon

    2015-01-01

    English Language Learners (ELLs) often face challenges when participating in peer review activities in writers' workshops. This article identifies some of the potential difficulties that ELL writers may experience, and provides teachers with strategies to address these problems. The author describes a simple three-step peer review training model…

  1. Development and implementation of a workshop to enhance the effectiveness of mentors working with diverse mentees in HIV research.

    PubMed

    Gandhi, Monica; Fernandez, Alicia; Stoff, David M; Narahari, Swathi; Blank, Michael; Fuchs, Jonathan; Evans, Clyde H; Kahn, James S; Johnson, Mallory O

    2014-08-01

    Abstract A growing body of evidence highlights the importance of competent mentoring in academic research in the field of HIV, particularly for early stage investigators from diverse, underrepresented backgrounds. We describe the development and implementation of a 2-day intensive workshop to train mid-level and senior-level investigators conducting HIV-related clinical and translational research across multiple academic institutions on more effective mentoring, with an emphasis on techniques to foster mentees of diversity. The workshop was focused on training mentors in techniques designed to improve the effectiveness of the mentor-mentee relationship, and included didactic presentations, interactive discussions, and small-group problem-based learning activities. Mid-level or senior-level faculty involved or planning to be involved in significant mentorship activities related to HIV research were eligible. Surveys and formal actions plans allowed for workshop evaluation and laid the groundwork for subsequent workshops. Twenty-six faculty from 16 U.S.-based institutions participated, with good representation across discipline, gender, and race/ethnicity. The sessions were highly rated and discussions and evaluations revealed important barriers and facilitators to mentoring, challenges and solutions related to mentoring mentees from diverse backgrounds, and specific tools to enhance mentoring effectiveness. The Mentoring the Mentors training program for HIV researchers focusing on early career investigators of diversity was the first of its kind and was well attended, was rated highly, and provided guidance for improving the program in the future. This training program fills an important gap in the HIV researcher community and offers guidance for training mentors interested in diversity issues in settings outside of HIV.

  2. Fusion/Astrophysics Teacher Research Academy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Correll, Donald

    2005-10-01

    In order to engage California high school science teachers in the area of plasma physics and fusion research, LLNL's Fusion Energy Program has partnered with the UC Davis Edward Teller Education Center, ETEC (http://etec.ucdavis.edu), the Stanford University Solar Center (http://solar-center.stanford.edu) and LLNL's Science / Technology Education Program, STEP (http://education.llnl.gov). A four-level ``Fusion & Astrophysics Research Academy'' has been designed to give teachers experience in conducting research using spectroscopy with their students. Spectroscopy, and its relationship to atomic physics and electromagnetism, provides for an ideal plasma `bridge' to the CA Science Education Standards (http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/scphysics.asp). Teachers attend multiple-day professional development workshops to explore new research activities for use in the high school science classroom. A Level I, 3-day program consists of two days where teachers learn how plasma researchers use spectrometers followed by instructions on how to use a research grade spectrometer for their own investigations. A 3rd day includes touring LLNL's SSPX (http://www.mfescience.org/sspx/) facility to see spectrometry being used to measure plasma properties. Spectrometry classroom kits are made available for loaning to participating teachers. Level I workshop results (http://education.llnl.gov/fusion&_slash;astro/) will be presented along with plans being developed for Level II (one week advanced SKA's), Level III (pre-internship), and Level IV (summer internship) research academies.

  3. Cross-Cultural Interprofessional Faculty Development in Japan: Results of an Integrated Workshop for Clinical Teachers.

    PubMed

    Wong, Jeffrey G; Son, Daisuke; Miura, Wakako

    2017-12-01

    Faculty development programs, studied both home and abroad, have been shown to be helpful for enhancing the scholarly and academic work of nonacademic clinicians. Interprofessional education and faculty development efforts have been less well studied. This project investigated the effect of a well-studied faculty development program applied in an interprofessional fashion across health profession educators in medicine and nursing. A faculty cohort of nurse and physician educators at The University of Tokyo underwent training in the Stanford Faculty Development Center (SFDC) model of clinical teaching through a sequence of 7 workshops. The workshops were performed in English with all materials translated into Japanese. A validated, retrospective pretest and posttest instrument was used to measure study outcomes on global assessment of teaching abilities and specific teaching behaviors (STBs) at 1 and 12 months after intervention. Successful completion of Commitment to Change statements were also assessed at 12 months. In total, 19 faculty participants completed the study. All participants found the workshops valuable. For global assessment, significant improvement in self-reported teaching abilities was seen comparing the mean pretest scores of 27.26 (maximum score = 55, standard deviation [SD] = 8.61) with mean scores at both 1 month (36.81, SD = 7.48, P < 0.001) and at 1 year (34.67, SD = 7.32, P < 0.001). For STBs, significant improvement was also seen comparing the mean group pretest score of 82.11 (maximum score = 145, SD = 15.72), to the posttest mean score of 111.11 (SD = 14.48, P < 0.001) and the 1-year mean score of 103.76 (SD = 12.87, P < 0.001). In total, 27/42 Commitment to Change statements were successfully completed at 1 year. Faculty development for improving clinical teaching can be performed across the cultures of medicine and nursing, as well as across the cultures of the United States and Japan. Copyright © 2017 Southern Society for Clinical

  4. The Effects of an Intervention Coach on the Implementation of Writing Workshop in a First Grade Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Holman, Linda A.

    2010-01-01

    The study documented the experience of a classroom teacher and an intervention coach as they collaborated to implement writing workshop with first grade students. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using a pre-post design to study the impact of intervention coaching on the teacher's knowledge and the students. writing development. A…

  5. Enhancing Pre-Service Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Skills of Using the Geometer's Sketchpad through Lesson Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meng, Chew Cheng; Sam, Lim Chap

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to enhance pre-service secondary mathematics teachers' skills of using the Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP) through Lesson Study. Twenty-four Lesson Study groups each comprising four or five pre-service secondary mathematics teachers who attended a mathematics teaching methods course in a local public university were set up…

  6. The Space and Earth Science Data Compression Workshop

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tilton, James C. (Editor)

    1993-01-01

    This document is the proceedings from a Space and Earth Science Data Compression Workshop, which was held on March 27, 1992, at the Snowbird Conference Center in Snowbird, Utah. This workshop was held in conjunction with the 1992 Data Compression Conference (DCC '92), which was held at the same location, March 24-26, 1992. The workshop explored opportunities for data compression to enhance the collection and analysis of space and Earth science data. The workshop consisted of eleven papers presented in four sessions. These papers describe research that is integrated into, or has the potential of being integrated into, a particular space and/or Earth science data information system. Presenters were encouraged to take into account the scientists's data requirements, and the constraints imposed by the data collection, transmission, distribution, and archival system.

  7. The Role of Teachers in a Cross-cultural Drama.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wenzlaff, Terri L.; Throd, Mary A.

    1995-01-01

    Examines why there are so few Native American teachers in this country, specifically in the upper Midwest. Describes how one institution has increased the number of native teachers and notes student reactions to assimilation at a traditional, largely white university. Proposes an eight-hour workshop on diversity training for faculty. (SM)

  8. Grading Written Work: An Integral Part of Writing Workshop Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robbins, Kristen

    2011-01-01

    This article chronicles how the process of reviewing and grading student written work became an integral part of a middle school teacher's writing workshop practice. In addition to discussing how reading student work can bring educators back to the heart of the profession (including the belief that spending time with drafts can reap more rewards…

  9. Technology-enhanced teacher development in rural Bangladesh: A critical realist evaluation of the context.

    PubMed

    Jamil, Md Golam

    2018-08-01

    This study arose in response to the complexity of implementing technology-enhanced learning for teacher development in a developing country. Bangladesh is a country with growing technological capacity including mobile phone network coverage, yet it faces vast challenges of utilising these facilities in the education sector. As educational change and technological innovation do not happen in a vacuum, the researcher used a critical realist approach to understand the layers of the rural Bangladesh context where technology-enhanced learning will take place. Findings have been drawn from survey data (n = 207) and a series of six focus group sessions with the same six stakeholders, informing future technology-enhanced teacher development programmes. The implications of the study are to suggest principles for pedagogical change and a methodological approach which attends to context. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. ESTEC/GEOVUSIE/ILEWG Planetary Student Designer Workshop: a Teacher Training Perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Preusterink, J.; Foing, B. H.; Kaskes, P.

    2014-04-01

    An important role for education is to inform and create the right skills for people to develop their own vision, using their talents to the utmost and inspire others to learn to explore in the future. Great effort has been taken to prepare this interactive design workshop thoroughly. Three days in a row, starting with presentations of Artscience The Hague to ESA colleagues, followed by a Planetary research Symposium in Amsterdam and a student design workshop at the end complemented a rich environment with the focus on Planetary exploration. The design workshop was organised by GeoVUsie students, with ESTEC and ILEWG support for tutors and inviting regional and international students to participate in an interactive workshop to design 5 Planetary Missions, with experts sharing their expertise and knowhow on specific challenging items: 1. Mercury - Post BepiColombo (with Sebastien Besse, ESA) 2. Moon South Pole Mission (with Bernard Foing, ESA) 3. Post-ExoMars - In search for Life on Mars (with Jorge Vago, ESA) 4. Humans in Space - Mars One investigated(with Arno Wielders, Space Horizon) 5. Europa - life on the icy moon of Jupiter? (with Bert Vermeersen, TU Delft. Lectures were given for more than 150 geology students at the symposium "Moon, Mars and More" at VU university, Amsterdam (organized by GeoVUsie earth science students). All students were provided with information before and at start for designing their mission. After the morning session there was a visit to the exhibition at The Erasmus Facility - ESTEC to inspire them even more with real artifacts of earlier and future missions into space. After this visit they prepared their final presentations, with original results, with innovative ideas and a good start to work out further in the future. A telescope session for geology students had been organized indoor due to rain. A follow-up visit to the nearby public Copernicus observatory was planned for another clear sky occasion.

  11. NRC Continental Margins Workshop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katsouros, Mary Hope

    The Ocean Studies Board of the National Research Council is organizing a workshop, “Continental Margins: Evolution of Passive Continental Margins and Active Marginal Processes,” to stimulate discussion and longterm planning in the scientific community about the evolution of all types of continental margins. We want to coordinate academic, industry, and government agency efforts in this field, and to enhance communication between sea-based and land-based research programs.The continental margins constitute the only available record of the long-term dynamic interaction of oceanic and continental lithosphere. Of great interest are the unique structures and thick sedimentary sequences associated with this interaction. A major focus of the workshop will be to define strategies for exploring and understanding the continental margins in three dimensions and through geologic time. The workshop will be divided into 7 working groups, each concentrating on a major issue in continental margins research. A background document is being prepared summarizing recent research in specific continental margin fields and identifying key scientific and technical issues.

  12. A Learner-Centred Game-Design Approach: Impacts on Teachers' Creativity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frossard, Frederique; Barajas, Mario; Trifonova, Anna

    2012-01-01

    This study presents an innovative pedagogical approach where teachers become game designers and engage in creative teaching practices. Within co-design training workshops, 21 Spanish primary and secondary school teachers have developed their own Game-Based Learning (GBL) scenarios, especially tailored to their teaching contexts and students…

  13. Using Technology for Geography Teacher Education: Web-Based Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frazier, Cheryl A.; Boehm, Richard G.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study explores the perceived value of a video-based online workshop in Geography, "Watershed Management," part of the Geography: Teaching with the Stars series, a 22 program professional development series for teachers of geography, social studies, and environmental science. Results indicated that teachers reported…

  14. Engaging teachers, interpreters and emergency management educators in disaster preparedness and EarthScope science through joint professional development workshops (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pratt-Sitaula, B. A.; Lillie, R. J.; Butler, R. F.; Hunter, N.; Magura, B.; Groom, R.; Hedeen, C. D.; Johnson, J. A.; Ault, C.; Olds, S. E.

    2013-12-01

    The same geological forces that form the spectacular beaches and headlands of the Pacific Northwest also threaten lives and infrastructure with earthquakes and tsunamis. A new project called the Cascadia EarthScope, Earthquake, and Tsunami Education Program (CEETEP), is helping to mitigate the effects of these potential disasters through collaboration building and professional development for K-12 teachers, park and museum interpreters, and emergency management outreach educators in communities along the Oregon and Washington coast. Tens of thousands of Oregon and Washington residents live within severe earthquake-shaking and tsunami-inundation zones, and millions of tourists visit state and federal parks in these same areas each year. Teachers in the K-12 school systems convey some basics about geological hazards to their students, and park rangers and museum educators likewise engage visitors at their sites. Emergency management educators make regular presentations to local residents about disaster preparedness. CEETEP is strengthening these efforts by providing community-based workshops that bring together all of these professionals to review the basic science of earthquakes and tsunamis, learn about EarthScope and other research efforts that monitor the dynamic Earth in the region, and develop ways to collectively engage students and the general public on the mitigation of coastal geologic hazards. As part of a nationwide effort, the NSF EarthScope Program has been deploying hundreds of seismic, GPS, and other geophysical instruments to measure movement of the Earth's crust and detect earthquakes along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. These instruments provide detail for ongoing research showing that coastal regions are storing energy that will be released in the next great Cascadia earthquake, with the resulting tsunami arriving onshore in 30 minutes or less. CEETEP is helping to convey these cutting-edge findings to coastal educators and fulfill Earth

  15. Guided Inquiry for Teacher Enhancement Utilizing Internet-Delivered Geophysical Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, J.; Weinbeck, R. S.; Geer, I. W.; Moran, J. M.

    2002-12-01

    The Education Program of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) designed and nationally implemented two distance-learning courses for K-12 teacher enhancement that model scientific inquiry through investigations written that employ Internet-delivered geophysical data. DataStreme Atmosphere, launched in 1996, has introduced almost 6000 teachers nationwide to the basics of meteorology. DataStreme Water in the Earth System (WES), now in its fourth semester offering, employs the global water cycle as a vehicle to explore the flow and transformations of water and energy in the Earth system. By Spring 2003 almost 1000 teachers will have completed DataStreme WES. In both 12-week courses, participants complete two investigations per week and submit their work to a mentor on their Local Implementation Team (LIT) for discussion and evaluation. AMS staff scientists write part of each investigation to a current or archived situation utilizing specially formatted meteorological, hydrological, or oceanographic data. This component of the investigation is posted to the course homepage and has proven to be an exciting and highly motivational aspect of the DataStreme courses. In many cases, teachers learn scientific concepts by investigating a case (e.g., hurricane, flash flood) as it is happening, in near real-time. Participants who successfully complete a DataStreme course agree to serve their schools and school districts as a resource teacher and to offer peer training on the use of Internet-delivered geophysical data to upgrade science in the classroom.

  16. Teacher Training and Authentic Scientific Research Utilizing Cretaceous Fossil Resources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Danch, J. M.

    2016-12-01

    The readily accessible Cretaceous fossil beds of central New Jersey provide an excellent opportunity for both teacher training in the utilization of paleontological resources in the classroom and authentic scientific student research at the middle and high school levels. Woodbridge Township New Jersey School District teachers participated in field trips to various fossiliferous sites to obtain photographic and video data and invertebrate and vertebrate fossil specimens for use in the classroom. Teachers were also presented with techniques allowing them to mentor students in performing authentic paleontological research. Students participated in multi-year research projects utilizing Cretaceous fossils collected in the field and presented their findings at science fairs and symposia. A workshop for K - 12 teachers statewide was developed for the New Jersey Science Convention providing information about New Jersey fossil resources and allowing participants to obtain, study and classify specimens. Additionally, the workshop provided participants with the information necessary for them to plan and conduct their own field trips.

  17. The Influence of Time Management Concepts on the Productivity of Vocational Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gades, Robert E.; Dillon, Roy D.

    A study determined the amount of time vocational teachers devote to professional job activities and whether an intensive time management workshop could improve time utilization by vocational teachers. Thirty teachers in each of five vocational areas recorded professional time use in a booklet that was divided into 12 major duty categories and…

  18. Documentation Panels Enhance Teacher Education Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    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…

  19. A Model for Local Experiential Learning: Workshop on Mangroves, Oceans & Climate in Kosrae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maloney, A. E.; Sachs, J. P.; Barros, C.; Low, M.

    2015-12-01

    A curriculum for an intensive one-day workshop about mangroves, oceans, and climate has been developed for schoolteachers in the Federated States of Micronesia. The goals of the workshop are for teachers/attendees to be able to (i) explain what salinity is and describe how it varies from the ocean to the river, (ii) explain what a mangrove is and describe adaptations mangroves have developed that allow them to live in saline or brackish water, and adjust to changing sea level, and (iii) develop a grade-appropriate poster on mangroves or salinity and one interactive activity that uses the poster to engage students in learning. These objectives are accomplished by field trips to the ocean and mangrove swamp, where each participant learns how to measure salinity and identify mangrove species. The hands-on field component is followed by a poster development session where participants design, present, and share feedback on their posters that they will bring back to their classrooms. This experience allows schoolteachers to intimately explore their coastal ecosystems and gain new perspectives about their environment that they can take back to their students. The workshop was designed through a collaborative effort between Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) NSF Pacific Climate Education Partnership, University of Washington professors and graduate students and undergraduate students, Kosrae Department of Education, Kosrae Island Resource Management Authority (KIRMA), Kosrae Island Conservation and Safety Organization (KCSO), and local Kosraean schoolteachers and administrators. The workshop was offered to elementary school teachers from 4 of 5 school districts in 2013, 2014, and 2015, led by University of Washington scientists and PREL. Local education officials and PREL staff will lead future workshops.

  20. A Decision-Maker or a Collaborator? Reflecting Teacher's Professional Development Trends in Thailand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loima, Jyrki

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative article discussed the collaboration skills and pedagogical solutions of Thai teachers and teacher students as those were presented during the academic year 2014-15. Subsequently, the data were produced by teachers' in-service activities and students' workshops. Discussion adapted the latest research on topic, addressing two…

  1. The FOSTER Project: Teacher Enrichment Through Participation in NASA's Airborne Astronomy Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koch, David; Hull, G.; Gillespie, C., Jr.; DeVore, E.; Witteborn, Fred C. (Technical Monitor)

    1995-01-01

    NASA's airborne astronomy program offers a unique opportunity for K-12 science teacher enrichment and for NASA to reach out and serve the educational community. Learning from a combination of summer workshops, curriculum supplement materials, training in Internet skills and ultimately flying on NASA's C-141 airborne observatory, the teachers are able to share the excitement of scientific discovery with their students and convey that excitement from first hand experience rather than just from reading about science in a textbook. This year the program has expanded to include teachers from the eleven western states served by NASA Ames Research Center's Educational Programs Office as well as teachers from communities from around the country where the scientist who fly on the observatory reside. Through teacher workshops and inservice presentations, the FOSTER (Flight Opportunities for Science Teacher EnRichment) teachers are sharing the resources and experiences with many hundreds of other teachers. Ultimately, the students are learning first hand about the excitement of science, the scientific method in practice, the team work involved, the relevance of science to their daily lives and the importance of a firm foundation in math and science in today's technologically oriented world.

  2. "Operation Magpie": Inspiring Teachers' Professional Learning through Environmental Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zeegers, Yvonne; Paige, Kathryn; Lloyd, David; Roetman, Philip

    2012-01-01

    Operation Magpie was a citizen science project that involved the community in collecting data about magpies. This article describes one aspect of the project from an education perspective. The study began with a collaboration of teacher educators, environmental scientists and a local radio station. After an initial workshop with 75 teachers, three…

  3. Retraining Teachers in Physics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGervey, John D.; Heckathorn, Dick

    1990-01-01

    Provides an inservice workshop experience for underprepared physics or physical science teachers. Describes a demonstration showing conservation of momentum using an air track, gliders, and a model railway train. Includes a brief introduction to demonstrations of Newton's second law, scattering of laser light, and the effect of a telescope on…

  4. ASPIRE: Teachers and researchers working together to enhance student learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yager, P. L.; Garay, D. L.; Warburton, J.

    2016-02-01

    Given the impact of human activities on the ocean, involving teachers, students, and their families in scientific inquiry has never been more important. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines have become key focus areas in the education community of the United States. Newly adopted across the nation, Next Generation Science Standards require that educators embrace innovative approaches to teaching. Transforming classrooms to actively engage students through a combination of knowledge and practice develops conceptual understanding and application skills. The partnerships between researchers and educators during the Amundsen Sea Polynya International Research Expedition (ASPIRE) offer an example of how academic research can enhance K-12 student learning. In this presentation, we illustrate how ASPIRE teacher-scientist partnerships helped engage students with actual and virtual authentic scientific investigations. Scientists benefit from teacher/researcher collaborations as well, as funding for scientific research also depends on effective communication between scientists and the public. While contributing to broader impacts needed to justify federal funding, scientists also benefit by having their research explained in ways that the broader public can understand: collaborations with teachers produce classroom lessons and published work that generate interest in the scientists' research specifically and in marine science in general. Researchers can also learn from their education partners about more effective teaching strategies that can be transferred to the college level. Researchers who work with teachers in turn gain perspectives on the constraints that teachers and students face in the pre-college classroom. Crosscutting concepts of research in polar marine science can serve as intellectual tools to connect important ideas about ocean and climate science for the public good.

  5. Involving Teachers in Environmental Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ritz, William C.

    1977-01-01

    This article describes several trans-disciplinary summer institute designs and the general content of two teacher inservice education courses which have been established through the Environmental Studies Institute (ESI) of Syracuse University. Five activities for use in inservice workshops are identified and described. (BT)

  6. The Essential Parent Workshop Resource. The Teacher's Idea Book 4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graves, Michelle

    Fourth in a series designed to provide early childhood educators with ideas and strategies for applying High/Scope principles, this idea book focuses on working with the parents of young children and presents 30 one-hour parent workshops in five areas. The book's introduction presents guiding principles for working with adult learners, discusses…

  7. The use of abstract paintings and narratives to foster reflective capacity in medical educators: a multinational faculty development workshop

    PubMed Central

    Karkabi, Khaled; Wald, Hedy S; Cohen Castel, Orit

    2014-01-01

    Reflective capacity is integral to core healthcare professional practice competencies. Reflection plays a central role in teacher education as reflecting on teaching behaviours with critical analysis can potentially improve teaching practice. The humanities including narrative and the visual arts can serve as a valuable tool for fostering reflection. We conducted a multinational faculty development workshop aiming to enhance reflective capacity in medical educators by using a combination of abstract paintings and narratives. Twenty-three family physicians or physicians-in-training from 10 countries participated in the workshop. Qualitative assessment of the workshop showed that the combined use of art and narrative was well received and perceived as contributing to the reflective exercise. Participants generally felt that viewing abstract paintings had facilitated a valuable mood transformation and prepared them emotionally for the reflective writing. Our analysis found that the following themes emerged from participants’ responses: (1) narratives from different countries are similar; (2) the use of art helped access feelings; (3) viewing abstract paintings facilitated next steps; (4) writing reflective narratives promoted examination of educational challenges, compassion for self and other, and building an action plan; and (5) sharing of narrative was helpful for fostering active listening and appreciating multiple perspectives. Future research might include comparing outcomes for a group participating in arts–narrative-based workshops with those of a control group using only reflective narrative or in combination with figurative art, and implementing a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods of assessment. PMID:24273319

  8. Addressing the impact that workshop site coordinators and administrators have on the teaching of science in the classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McKenna, Valerie E.

    This dissertation studied the beliefs and practices of principals, workshop site coordinators, and science support personnel in two Central Florida school districts and compared those beliefs and practices to the literature on effective science in-service education. It is important to understand these beliefs and practices because they directly affect the content and pedagogical knowledge of classroom teachers, yet this aspect of instructional practices has been ignored in the science education literature. This study used a grounded theory methodology using open-ended individual interviews, participants observation, and documented analysis. Constant comparisons were built through analyzing the data. The research shows that in-service providers' and administrators' beliefs are aligned with the effective science education in-service literature. The conditions and context are ripe for changes because principals and workshop site coordinators' beliefs are aligned with the literature and changes are already beginning to take place. The intervening conditions may lead to improved teacher knowledge, teaching, and learning because standardized testing is expanding to incorporate the content area of science. Also workshop site coordinators are trying to set up a variety of opportunities to attend workshops on the same topic throughout the school year. Budgets are being restructured at the school level and district level to incorporate more science content professional development. However, it is too early to show how much improvement there will be in standardized test scores or whether teachers' have a deeper understanding of science content knowledge or effective science instruction.

  9. A.D.E.L.A.N.T.E. Alliance for Developing and Enhancing Latino Awareness and Needs in Teacher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montoya, Alicia L.

    ADELANTE (Spanish for Forward), Alliance for Developing and Enhancing Latino Awareness and Needs in Teacher Education, is a program designed to enhance the cultural sensitivity and teaching skills of experienced teachers. Developed cooperatively by Harrison-Morton Middle School, Kutztown University, and the community-based organization, Casa…

  10. A Study of the Generalizability of Teacher Change Quasi-Experiments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stringfield, Samuel; Schaffer, Eugene; Devlin-Scherer, Roberta

    2017-01-01

    Quasi-experimental teacher effectiveness studies have indicated that properly designed staff development programs can lead to changes in teacher and student behavior and to gains in student achievement. Those studies involved workshop series led by nationally known scholars. Using instructors from varied backgrounds, the current study examined the…

  11. The Irrational Numbers. A Source-Work Collection for In-Service and Pre-Service Teacher Courses.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arcavi, A.; Bruckheimer, M.

    These materials on irrational numbers are designed for use in workshops for pre- and in-service teacher training, especially for teachers in junior high schools. The general aims are: to improve teachers' mathematical knowledge of topics, to enrich teachers' mathematical background, to allow opportunity to discuss relevant didactics, and to create…

  12. Through the eyes of professional developers: Understanding the design of learning experiences for science teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Higgins, Tara Eileen

    Professional development is important for improving teacher practice and student learning, particularly in inquiry-oriented and technology-enhanced science instruction. This study examines professional developers' practices and their impact on teachers' classroom instruction and student achievement. It analyzes professional developers designing and implementing a five-year professional development program designed to support middle school science teachers. The professional developers are four university-based researchers who worked with sixteen science teachers over three years, setting program goals, facilitating workshops, providing in-classroom support for teachers, and continually refining the program. The analysis is guided by the knowledge integration perspective, a sociocognitive framework for understanding how teachers and professional developers integrate their ideas about teaching and learning. The study investigates the professional developers' goals and teachers' interpretations of those goals. It documents how professional developers plan teacher learning experiences and explores the connection between professional development activities and teachers' classroom practice. Results are based on two rounds of interviews with professional developers, audio recordings of professional developers' planning meetings and videotaped professional development activities. Data include classroom observations, teacher interviews, teacher reflections during professional development activities, and results from student assessments. The study shows the benefit of a professional development approach that relies on an integrated cycle of setting goals, understanding teachers' interpretations, and refining implementation. The professional developers based their design on making inquiry and technology accessible, situating professional development in teachers' work, supporting collaboration, and sustaining learning. The findings reflect alignment of the design goals with the

  13. Classroom Management Intervention: The Effects of Training and Mentoring on the Inductee Teacher's Behavior.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stallion, Brenda K.; Zimpher, Nancy L.

    1991-01-01

    Study assessed a classroom management program embedded in a mentor and beginning teacher induction program. Researchers assigned mentor/beginning teacher pairs to treatment conditions. Some pairs completed a midyear classroom management intervention workshop. Trained teachers received higher ratings than untrained ones. The presence of mentors did…

  14. Teacher Empowerment through Engagement in a Learning Community in Ireland: Working across Disadvantaged Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tannehill, Deborah; MacPhail, Ann

    2017-01-01

    This ongoing longitudinal study examined the professional development of physical education teachers in an Irish physical education learning community where all teachers worked in inner-city disadvantaged schools. This research is framed within teacher empowerment. Four years of data collection included in-service seminar/workshop evaluations,…

  15. Delivery of pilot workshop on preserving and enhancing the functionality of highways in Texas.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-03-01

    This report summarizes the delivery and results of a one-day pilot workshop conducted at the Texas : Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Waco District office in August 2010. This workshop was based on : material developed for research project 0-6208...

  16. Pedagogies of Discomfort and Empathy in Multicultural Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zembylas, Michalinos; Papamichael, Elena

    2017-01-01

    To show the potential and limitations of pedagogies of discomfort and empathy in anti-racist and multicultural teacher education, this paper engages in an in-depth analysis of two "critical moments" that are drawn from a series of teacher workshops. The purpose of the analysis is to show how discomfort and empathy may be combined…

  17. Using collaborative technology to enhance pre-service teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Donnelly, Dermot Francis; Hume, Anne

    2015-01-01

    Background:Supporting pre-service teacher (PT) collaboration as a means of professional learning is a challenging but essential task for effective practice. However, teacher placements or practicums in schools, which is common practice within teacher education programmes, can often isolate PTs from sharing their experiences with each other. Further, the articulation of effective pedagogical practices by high-quality teachers is limited, restricting PTs' ability to access such professional knowledge. Purpose:This study investigates how the introduction of a collaborative technology, a wiki, may enhance existing and new opportunities for pre-service teachers' (PTs) to develop pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Sample:Seven PT chemistry teachers of varied backgrounds participated in this study. Design and method:The PTs were learning to collaboratively formulate and document their early topic-specific teaching knowledge using a pedagogical tool known as Content Representation (CoRe) design. Once scaffolded into this process, the PTs continued and extended this collaborative work online through the introduction of a wiki. Data were collected for qualitative analysis through the CoRe artefacts, a semi-structured focus group interview, and PTs' reflective essays about their collaborative experiences representing their teaching knowledge in CoRes through the wiki. Results:Data analysis highlighted that while wiki use showed some potential for collaborative representation when participants were not face-to-face, the PTs were hesitant in critiquing each other's work. As such, the online representations remained relatively static without face-to-face interaction. However, developing artefacts online was favoured over established practice and the access to artefacts of their peers on the wiki enhanced PTs' consideration for their own PCK. Conclusion:Wikis show some potential in the hosting of CoRes, but issues in simultaneous posting and lack of chat functionality may

  18. Communication & Negotiation Skills Workshop for Women I

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2016-03-01

    This workshop is designed to provide women physics students and postdocs with the professional skills they need to effectively perform research, including: negotiating a position in academia, industry or at a national lab, interacting positively on teams and with a mentor or advisor, thinking tactically, articulating goals, enhancing their personal presence, and developing alliances. We will discuss negotiation strategies and tactics that are useful for achieving professional goals. This is a highly interactive workshop where participants are invited to bring examples of difficult professional situations to discuss.

  19. Communication & Negotiation Skills Workshop for Women II

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    2016-03-01

    This workshop is designed to provide women physics students and postdocs with the professional skills they need to effectively perform research, including: negotiating a position in academia, industry or at a national lab, interacting positively on teams and with a mentor or advisor, thinking tactically, articulating goals, enhancing their personal presence, and developing alliances. We will discuss negotiation strategies and tactics that are useful for achieving professional goals. This is a highly interactive workshop where participants are invited to bring examples of difficult professional situations to discuss.

  20. The Impact of Collaborative Reflections on Teachers' Inquiry Teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Huann-shyang; Hong, Zuway-R.; Yang, Kuay-keng; Lee, Sung-Tao

    2013-12-01

    This study investigates the impact of collaborative reflections on teachers' inquiry teaching practices and identifies supportive actions relating to their professional development. Three science teachers in the same elementary school worked as a cooperative and collaborative group. They attended workshops and worked collaboratively through observing colleagues' teaching practices and discussing with university professors about their own inquiry teaching. The pre- and post-treatment classroom observations and comparisons of their teaching reveal that the three teachers were more focussed on asking inquiry-oriented questions in the post-treatment teaching. With additional qualitative data analysis, this study identified supportive resources of professional development. Workshop training sessions and sample unit served as the initiative agent in the beginning stage. Discussions with peers and reflective observation of peer teaching acted as a facilitative agent. Finally, student responses and researchers' on-site visit comments worked as a catalytic agent for their professional development.

  1. A Teacher-Scientist Partnership as a Vehicle to Incorporate Climate Data in Secondary Science Curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hatheway, B.

    2013-12-01

    After three years of running a climate science professional development program for secondary teachers, project staff from UCAR and UNC-Greeley have learned the benefits of ample time for interaction between teachers and scientists, informal educators, and their peers. This program gave us the opportunity to develop and refine strategies that leverage teacher-scientist partnerships to improve teachers' ability to teach climate change. First, we prepared both teachers and scientists to work together. Each cohort of teachers took an online course that emphasized climate change content and pedagogy and built a learning community. Scientists were recruited based on their enthusiasm for working with teachers and coached to present materials in an accessible way. Second, the teachers and scientists collaborated during a four-week summer workshop at UCAR. During the workshop, teachers met with a wide range of climate and atmospheric scientists to learn about research, selected a specific scientist's research they would like to adapt for their classrooms, and developed and refined activities based on that research. The program includes strong mentoring from a team of science educators, structured peer feedback, and ample opportunity to interact with the scientists by asking questions, accessing data, or checking resources. This new model of professional development fosters teacher-scientist partnerships. By the end of the four-week workshop, the teachers have built customized activities based on the cutting-edge research being conducted by participating scientists, developed plans to implement and assess those activities, and further strengthened the learning-community that they will rely on for support during the following academic year. This session will provide information about how this model, which differs from the more common model of engaging teachers in research under the direction of scientists, was successful and accomplished positive outcomes for both the

  2. Development and Implementation of a Workshop to Enhance the Effectiveness of Mentors Working with Diverse Mentees in HIV Research

    PubMed Central

    Fernandez, Alicia; Stoff, David M.; Narahari, Swathi; Blank, Michael; Fuchs, Jonathan; Evans, Clyde H.; Kahn, James S.; Johnson, Mallory O.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract A growing body of evidence highlights the importance of competent mentoring in academic research in the field of HIV, particularly for early stage investigators from diverse, underrepresented backgrounds. We describe the development and implementation of a 2-day intensive workshop to train mid-level and senior-level investigators conducting HIV-related clinical and translational research across multiple academic institutions on more effective mentoring, with an emphasis on techniques to foster mentees of diversity. The workshop was focused on training mentors in techniques designed to improve the effectiveness of the mentor–mentee relationship, and included didactic presentations, interactive discussions, and small-group problem-based learning activities. Mid-level or senior-level faculty involved or planning to be involved in significant mentorship activities related to HIV research were eligible. Surveys and formal actions plans allowed for workshop evaluation and laid the groundwork for subsequent workshops. Twenty-six faculty from 16 U.S.-based institutions participated, with good representation across discipline, gender, and race/ethnicity. The sessions were highly rated and discussions and evaluations revealed important barriers and facilitators to mentoring, challenges and solutions related to mentoring mentees from diverse backgrounds, and specific tools to enhance mentoring effectiveness. The Mentoring the Mentors training program for HIV researchers focusing on early career investigators of diversity was the first of its kind and was well attended, was rated highly, and provided guidance for improving the program in the future. This training program fills an important gap in the HIV researcher community and offers guidance for training mentors interested in diversity issues in settings outside of HIV. PMID:24735004

  3. The perceptions of pre-service and in-service teachers regarding a project-based STEM approach to teaching science.

    PubMed

    Siew, Nyet Moi; Amir, Nazir; Chong, Chin Lu

    2015-01-01

    Whilst much attention has focused on project-based approaches to teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, little has been reported on the views of South-East Asian science teachers on project-based STEM approaches. Such knowledge could provide relevant information for education training institutions on how to influence innovative teaching of STEM subjects in schools. This article reports on a study that investigated the perceptions of 25 pre-service and 21 in-service Malaysian science teachers in adopting an interdisciplinary project-based STEM approach to teaching science. The teachers undertook an eight hour workshop which exposed them to different science-based STEM projects suitable for presenting science content in the Malaysian high school science syllabus. Data on teachers' perceptions were captured through surveys, interviews, open-ended questions and classroom discussion before and at the end of the workshop. Study findings showed that STEM professional development workshops can provide insights into the support required for teachers to adopt innovative, effective, project-based STEM approaches to teaching science in their schools.

  4. Recruiting student in Sciences in Rural Environment: The Air Pollution Workshop

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kubatova, A.; Pedersen, D.

    2011-12-01

    , starting with simple experiments such as making a cloud in a bottle, chromatography of marker colors, or conversion of dry ice to gas. These "easy" experiments provided explanation of fundamental principles for more scientifically oriented demonstrations including aerosol number concentration measurements, analysis of wood smoke using gas chromatography. The facilitators were mainly graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from the Chemistry Department. These people came from various countries, thus providing a diverse environment strongly appreciated by visiting students. The effectiveness of the workshop was evaluated through a series of pre- and post- surveys providing feedback on organization as well as on learning experiences given to students and teachers. The detailed results from the survey analysis will be reported. In general we were impressed by the current knowledge and interest of students coming to the workshop, suggesting that the decreasing number of students in the sciences may not be due to lack of knowledge or interest. In addition, we consider the workshop to be a success story based on the teachers who are bringing students back every year. The important features of the workshop, such as economical feasibility and details on organization and structure, will be discussed.

  5. The Negative Numbers. A Source-Work Collection for In-Service and Pre-Service Teacher Courses.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arcavi, A.; Bruckheimer, M.

    These materials on negative numbers are designed for use in workshops for pre- and in-service teacher training, especially for teachers in junior high schools. The general aims are: to improve teachers' mathematical knowledge of topics, to enrich teachers' mathematical background, to allow opportunity to discuss relevant didactics, and to create a…

  6. The Effects of a Computerized Professional Development Program on Teachers and Students with and without Disabilities in Secondary General Education Classes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schumaker, Jean B.; Fisher, Joseph B.; Walsh, Lisa D.

    2010-01-01

    Effects of a computerized professional development (PD) program were investigated in two studies. For each, teachers were randomly assigned to either a Virtual Workshop (VW) group that used a computerized program for PD or to an Actual Workshop (AW) group that participated in a live PD session. In Study 1, the teachers' knowledge about and…

  7. A Systematic, Inquiry-Based 7-Step Virtual Worlds Teacher Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nussli, Natalie Christina; Oh, Kevin

    2015-01-01

    Eighteen special education teachers explored one prominent example of three-dimensional virtual worlds, namely Second Life. This study aimed to (a) determine their perception of the effectiveness of a systematic 7-Step Virtual Worlds Teacher Training workshop in terms of enabling them to make informed decisions about the usability of virtual…

  8. Use of Graphic Organizers in a Language Teachers' Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chien, Chin-Wen

    2012-01-01

    Starting from 2009 academic year, the instructional coaches in a school district in a northwest American city began to provide Workshop II (pseudonym) to elementary school English teachers. This study aims to discuss the use of graphic organizers in English teachers' professional development. Different types of graphic organizers such as…

  9. Intellectual Energy Flow: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vogel, Amber; Muth, Christine

    2005-01-01

    This article features the workshop titled Exploring New Environments, developed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's DESTINY Traveling Science Learning Program. Exploring New Environments is a teacher professional development model based on the idea that teachers are also learners who thrive when given the means and encouragement…

  10. Sustained change in didactic skills--does teacher training last?

    PubMed

    Kuhnigk, Olaf; Schreiner, Julia; Harendza, Sigrid

    2013-01-01

    Teacher training programmes are necessary assets in faculty development. Few data exist on their long-term effects on participants' teaching skills. Our aim was to study participants' didactic competencies up to four years after attending a newly established faculty development workshop at Hamburg Medical School. Of the 322 participants who attended our teacher training between 2006 and 2009, 313 received a self-assessment and evaluation questionnaire in 2010. This follow-up self-assessment (t2) was compared with their self-assessment of the same didactic competencies before (t0) and directly after (t1) the training. Correlations between participants' personal reasons to attend the workshop and their assessment of didactic competencies were investigated. Self-assessment was significantly higher at the time of follow-up (t2) for all cohorts compared to the assessment before the workshop (t0). Personal reasons for participation differed greatly between voluntary and mandatory. However, self-assessment of the didactic competencies (t2) was not different between these groups. Participants involved in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE) rated their competency in this field higher than participants without OSCE involvement. In conclusion, teacher training can be effective in the long run even when participation is mandatory. Competencies seem to be retained best when the content of the training fits participants' teaching activities.

  11. IPY STEM Polar Connections Links Teachers with the Global Relevance of the High Latitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brigham-Grette, J.; Sternheim, M.; Bradley, R.; Caissie, B.; Snyder, R.; Devlin, K.; Silver, M.; Hargraves, H.

    2008-12-01

    IPY STEM Polar Connections is a curriculum development and professional development program involving a summer residential institute at UMass-Amherst and academic year, on-line communication for teachers involved in the professional development of colleagues. The project produces and disseminates a range of curriculum modules related to the Polar regions and climate change. The purpose of the summer institutes (2008 and 2009) is to test the modules and prepare teachers to disseminate selected materials in workshops in their districts, in their states and nationally. The institute agenda balanced content presentations with hands-on activities for use by teachers with diverse backgrounds and classroom settings. Power point presentations and accompanying flash videos are all posted on our website along with teacher guides and student handouts. Most of the materials were designed to be adaptable to a range of inquiry-based levels. The teachers shared their own experiences with dissemination in rounds of focus groups. Pre institute and post institute surveys confirmed our success in increasing the personal knowledge base of the teachers despite the fact that most were veteran teachers. The main outcomes of participation were the development of relationships with other teachers, enhanced knowledge of earth system science and inspiration for introducing the materials to their students. Many did see funding, time and state frameworks as potential barriers to including materials in their classrooms.

  12. Examining Factors Affecting Beginning Teachers' Transfer of Learning of ICT-Enhanced Learning Activities in Their Teaching Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agyei, Douglas D.; Voogt, Joke

    2014-01-01

    This study examined 100 beginning teachers' transfer of learning when utilising Information Communication Technology-enhanced activity-based learning activities. The beginning teachers had participated in a professional development program that was characterised by "learning technology by collaborative design" in their final year of…

  13. Not a One-Shot Deal: Generative Professional Development among Experienced Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flint, Amy Seely; Zisook, Karla; Fisher, Teresa R.

    2011-01-01

    This study examines two experienced teachers' transformations and sense of agency as they implemented a writer's workshop curriculum with multi-lingual third grade students. Multiple lines of inquiry guide the study including "communities of practice" (Lave & Wenger, 1991), "teacher identities in figured worlds" (Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, &…

  14. Science Teachers' Understanding and Practice of Inquiry-Based Instruction in Uganda

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ssempala, Fredrick

    High school students in Uganda perform poorly in science subjects despite the Ugandan government's efforts to train science teachers and build modern science laboratories in many public high schools. The poor performance of students in science subjects has been largely blamed on the inability by many science teachers to teach science through Inquiry-Based Instruction (IBI) to motivate the students to learn science. However, there have been no empirical studies done to establish the factors that influence science teachers' understanding and practice of IBI in Uganda. Most of the published research on IBI has been conducted in developed countries, where the prevailing contexts are very different from the contexts in developing countries such as Uganda. Additionally, few studies have explored how professional development (PD) training workshops on inquiry and nature of science (NOS) affect chemistry teachers' understanding and practice of IBI. My purpose in this multi-case exploratory qualitative study was to explore the effect of a PD workshop on inquiry and NOS on chemistry teachers' understanding and practice of IBI in Kampala city public schools in Uganda. I also explored the relationship between chemistry teachers' NOS understanding and the nature of IBI implemented in their classrooms and the internal and external factors that influence teachers' understanding and practice of IBI. I used a purposive sampling procedure to identify two schools of similar standards from which I selected eight willing chemistry teachers (four from each school) to participate in the study. Half of the teachers (those from School A) attended the PD workshop on inquiry and NOS for six days, while the control group (those from School B) did not. I collected qualitative data through semi-structured interviews, classroom observation, and document analysis. I analyzed these data by structural, conceptual and theoretical coding approach. I established that all the participating chemistry

  15. Infusing Neuroscience into Teacher Professional Development

    PubMed Central

    Dubinsky, Janet M; Roehrig, Gillian; Varma, Sashank

    2015-01-01

    Bruer (1997) advocated connecting neuroscience and education indirectly through the intermediate discipline of psychology. We argue for a parallel route: the neurobiology of learning, and in particular the core concept of plasticity, have the potential to directly transform teacher preparation and professional development, and ultimately to affect how students think about their own learning. We present a case study of how the core concepts of neuroscience can be brought to in-service teachers – the BrainU workshops. We then discuss how neuroscience can be meaningfully integrated into pre-service teacher preparation, focusing on institutional and cultural barriers. PMID:26139861

  16. Earthworks: Educating Teachers in Earth System Sciences

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spetzler, H.; Weaver, A.; Buhr, S.

    2000-01-01

    Earthworks is a national community of teachers and scientists. Initiated in 1998 with funding from NASA, our summer workshops in the Rocky Mountains each year provide unique opportunities for teachers to design and conduct field research projects, working closely with scientists. Teachers then develop plans for classroom implementation during the school year, sharing their ideas and experiences with other community members through e-mail and a listserv. Scientists, from graduate students to expert senior researchers, share their knowledge of field methods in environmental science, and learn how to better communicate and teach about their research.

  17. Exploring Inquiry as a Teaching Stance in the Writing Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ray, Katie Wood

    2006-01-01

    This article begins with a "snapshot" of a fifth grade writing workshop and its study of op-ed writing to show an inquiry in action. The framework for this inquiry involves immersing students in reading multiple examples of the kind of text the teacher would like them to write, studying closely how the texts are crafted, and writing their own…

  18. Space and Earth Science Data Compression Workshop

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tilton, James C. (Editor)

    1991-01-01

    The workshop explored opportunities for data compression to enhance the collection and analysis of space and Earth science data. The focus was on scientists' data requirements, as well as constraints imposed by the data collection, transmission, distribution, and archival systems. The workshop consisted of several invited papers; two described information systems for space and Earth science data, four depicted analysis scenarios for extracting information of scientific interest from data collected by Earth orbiting and deep space platforms, and a final one was a general tutorial on image data compression.

  19. Slaying the Writing Monsters: Scaffolding Reluctant Writers through a Writing Workshop Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gair, Marina

    2015-01-01

    Drawing on four years of anecdotal data and student feedback on course evaluations, this paper provides a retrospective account of the author's experience with teacher candidates in an elementary writing instruction course as first-time authors of children's books, in particular focusing on a writing workshop approach as an effective pedagogical…

  20. An Investigation of Teacher Impact on Student Inquiry Science Performance Using a Hierarchical Linear Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Ou Lydia; Lee, Hee-Sun; Linn, Marcia C.

    2010-01-01

    Teachers play a central role in inquiry science classrooms. In this study, we investigate how seven teacher variables (i.e., gender, experience, perceived importance of inquiry and traditional teaching, workshop attendance, partner teacher, use of technology) affect student knowledge integration understanding of science topics drawing on previous…

  1. Teacher-Coordinator's Guide for Related Instruction in Multi-Occupation Cooperative Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spooner, Kendrick, Ed.; Mutter, Marylouise, Ed.

    The product of two teacher-coordinator workshops, the guide represents the cooperative efforts of the teacher participants and provides supplementary instructional materials for secondary school multioccupational cooperative programs. The first section of the guide is intended for use in large group classroom instruction and deals with the goals,…

  2. Climate Literacy: Supporting Teacher Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haddad, N.; Ledley, T. S.; Dunlap, C.; Bardar, E.; Youngman, B.; Ellins, K. K.; McNeal, K. S.; Libarkin, J.

    2012-12-01

    Confronting the Challenges of Climate Literacy (CCCL) is an NSF-funded (DRK-12) project that includes curriculum development, teacher professional development, teacher leadership development, and research on student learning, all directed at high school teachers and students. The project's evaluation efforts inform and guide all major components of the project. The research effort addresses the question of what interventions are most effective in helping high school students grasp the complexities of the Earth system and climate processes, which occur over a range of spatial and temporal scales. The curriculum unit includes three distinct but related modules: Climate and the Cryosphere; Climate, Weather, and the Biosphere; and Climate and the Carbon Cycle. Climate-related themes that cut across all three modules include the Earth system, with the complexities of its positive and negative feedback loops; the range of temporal and spatial scales at which climate, weather, and other Earth system processes occur; and the recurring question, "How do we know what we know about Earth's past and present climate?" which addresses proxy data and scientific instrumentation. The professional development component of the project includes online science resources to support the teaching of the curriculum modules, summer workshops for high school teachers, and a support system for developing the teacher leaders who plan and implement those summer workshops. When completed, the project will provide a model high school curriculum with online support for implementing teachers and a cadre of leaders who can continue to introduce new teachers to the resource. This presentation will introduce the curriculum and the university partnerships that are key to the project's success, and describe how the project addresses the challenge of helping teachers develop their understanding of climate science and their ability to convey climate-related concepts articulated in the Next Generation

  3. Spitzer Space Telescope Research Program for Teachers and Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daou, D.

    2005-12-01

    The Spitzer Science Center (SSC) and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) have designed a program for teacher and student research using observing time on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The participating teachers attended a fall, 2004 workshop to become familiar with the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) archives, and to receive training in infrared astronomy and observational techniques. The teachers also attended a workshop offered by the SSC to learn about the observation planning process, and telescope and instrument capabilities. This program has as its goals the fundamental NASA goals of inspiring and motivating students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as well as to engage the public in shaping and sharing the experience of exploration and discovery. Our educational plan addresses the NASA objectives of improving student proficiency in science and improving science instruction by providing a unique opportunity to a group of teachers and students to observe with the Spitzer Space Telescope and work on their data with SSC and NOAO scientists. This program allows a team of 12 teachers and their students to utilize up to 3.5 hours of Director's discretionary observing time on the Spitzer Space Telescope for educational observations. Leveraging on a well-established teacher professional development, the SSC is offering this program to teachers in the Teacher Leaders in Research Based Science Education (TLRRBSE), an ongoing program at the NOAO. This NSF-sponsored program touches the formal education community through a national audience of well-trained and supported middle and high school teachers.

  4. Action Research: The Implementation of Writing Workshop in the Third Grade.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strech, Lorie L.

    By the 1980s, the whole language philosophy (Goodman, 1986), based on the idea that reading and writing should be done for authentic purposes, gained credibility. As the movement gained momentum, more teachers began to adopt the student-centered writing workshop as a way of teaching writing. A study of a class of 27 culturally diverse third…

  5. Enhancing the metalinguistic abilities of pre-service teachers via coursework targeting language structure knowledge.

    PubMed

    Purvis, Caralyn J; McNeill, Brigid C; Everatt, John

    2016-04-01

    Low metalinguistic knowledge of pre-service and in-service teachers is likely to restrict the provision of evidence-based literacy instruction in the classroom. Despite such concerns, relatively few studies have examined the effects of teacher preparation coursework in building pre-service teachers' language structure knowledge. This study examined the effects of 7 h of language structure coursework, delivered over 7 weeks, on 121 New Zealand pre-service teachers in their initial year of study. Changes in participants' phonological awareness, morphological awareness, and orthographic knowledge were tracked across the teaching period. The impact of the coursework for participants who presented with strong spelling (n = 24) and poor spelling (n = 24) ability was also compared. The cohort demonstrated significant gains across all measures. Strong spellers responded more favourably to the teaching than poor spellers, even when accounting for initial levels of meta-linguistic knowledge. Implications for the development of teacher preparation programmes that enhance the provision of effective literacy instruction are discussed.

  6. Environmental Education & Ecology in a Life Science Course for Preservice K-8 Teachers Using Project Wildlife in Learning Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Allan

    2010-01-01

    During laboratory sessions devoted to ecology, 182 preservice K-8 teachers participated in a Project Wildlife in Learning Design (WILD) workshop. Participants rated the workshop highly, indicated they would use more inquiry-based activities, and were more interested in teaching ecology following the workshop. Post-test scores indicated an…

  7. TEACHER-ADMINISTRATOR-SCHOOL BOARD RELATIONSHIPS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    HOOKER, CLIFFORD P.; MUELLER, VAN D.

    AT A WORKSHOP ON TEACHER-ADMINISTRATOR-SCHOOL BOARD RELATIONSHIPS HELD OCTOBER 12-15, 1966, AT HUDSON, WISCONSIN, MAJOR PRESENTATIONS CONCERNING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN EDUCATION WERE MADE BY FIFTEEN AUTHORITIES. THESE HAVE BEEN COMBINED INTO 12 CHAPTERS--(1) "THE LAW PERTINENT TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IN THE U.S.," (2) "THE LAW…

  8. A Phenomenological Research Study of the Experience of Teachers in the Virgin Islands Teacher Enhancement in Mathematics and Science Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thurland, Karen C.

    The purpose of conducting this study was to describe the experience of elementary teachers in a mathematics and science staff development project in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The focus of this study was to describe the meaning teachers attribute to their experience in this three year project, in which many of the national mathematics and science reform efforts were implemented. A phenomenological approach was used in order to develop a complete picture of the teachers' experiences. Data collection consisted of interviews with seven elementary teachers. The data were subjective descriptions of the teachers pertaining to the initial summer institute, the follow-up sessions, and the new innovative methods. The transcendental phenomenological model was used. The textural and structural themes included enhanced learning and changes in teaching practice, and interactions with colleagues. From these themes, individual and composite textual descriptions of the experience of the teacher participants were developed. The synthesis of those descriptions illuminated the meanings and essence of their lived experience. The findings indicate that the essence of the experience was the development of a positive attitude towards the teaching of math and science. The teachers gained confidence in their ability to motivate students with the inquiry method and taught more math and science. The implications for the Virgin Islands Department of Education include establishing a partnership with the local university to offer staff development training in mathematics and science and to conduct evaluations of its training efforts.

  9. Signal optimization and analysis using PASSER V-07 : training workshop: code IPR006.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this project was to conduct one pilot workshop and five regular workshops to teach the effective use of the enhanced PASSER V-07 arterial signal timing optimization software. PASSER V-07 and materials for conducting a one-day trainin...

  10. "I Am in Grade One and I Can Read!" The Readers' Workshop

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mounla, Ghina; Bahous, Rima; Nabhani, Mona

    2011-01-01

    This study analyzed the effects of the implementation of the readers' workshop on students' reading levels and comprehension skills in a first-grade, mixed-ability classroom in Lebanon. The instruments used at the beginning were running records and reading continuums, and at the end of the academic year, teachers' professional notebooks and notes…

  11. The Professional Development of College Science Professors as Science Teacher Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fedock, Patricia M.; And Others

    Teacher training projects have used university research scientists to conduct workshops for teachers, but because of faculty time constraints and university reward systems, it is unlikely this type of program will be used extensively. This project utilized community college professors whose main focus is teaching science and working with the…

  12. Primary Grades Teachers' Instructional Decisions during Online Mathematics Professional Development Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polly, Drew; Martin, Christie S.; Wang, Chuang; Lambert, Richard G.; Pugalee, David K.

    2016-01-01

    This study examines primary grades teachers' instructional decisions in their mathematics classroom during their participation in a year-long professional development program on formative assessment. Teachers participated in 40 h of face-to-face workshops followed by 40 h of classroom-embedded activities that were facilitated in an asynchronous…

  13. Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad: A Drama Workshop for Junior High and High School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tabone, Carmine; Albrecht, Robert

    2000-01-01

    Claims drama in the classroom offers teachers an opportunity to "bring to life" the challenges and triumphs of African Americans. Describes a drama workshop based on the story of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. (NH)

  14. Not Your Typical Simulation Workshop: Using LEGOs to Train Medical Students on the Practice of Effective Communication.

    PubMed

    Papanagnou, Dimitrios; Lee, Hyunjoo; Rodriguez, Carlos; Zhang, Xiao Chi C; Rudner, Joshua

    2018-01-21

    As students in the health professions transition from the classroom into the clinical environment, they will be expected to effectively communicate with their team members and their patients. Effective communication skills are essential to their ability to effectively contribute to their clinical team and the patient care they deliver. The authors propose an interactive workshop that can support students' deliberate practice of communication skills. The authors designed a simulation workshop that affords students the opportunity to practice their communication and peer-to-peer coaching skills. Using LEGOs, a one-hour workshop was conducted with medical students. Students were divided into groups of two. Each student took on a different role: teacher or builder. Teachers were tasked with instructing builders on how to construct a pre-made LEGO structure, not allowing builders to look at the structure. A group debriefing followed to evaluate the activity and explore the themes that emerged. Twenty first-year medical students and 25 fourth-year medical students participated in this activity. Most groups were successful in reproducing the pre-made structure. Groups that pre-briefed before building were most successful. Unsuccessful groups did not define orientation or direction in mutually understood terms, resulting in the creation of an incorrect mirror image of the structure - a common phenomenon seen during the teaching of procedures in the clinical learning environment. The workshop was well received. Students made requests to have similar sessions throughout their training to better support the development of effective communication skills. The workshop can easily be applied to other specialties to assist with procedural skills instruction or in workshops focusing on effective communication.

  15. Not Your Typical Simulation Workshop: Using LEGOs to Train Medical Students on the Practice of Effective Communication

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hyunjoo; Rodriguez, Carlos; Zhang, Xiao Chi C; Rudner, Joshua

    2018-01-01

    As students in the health professions transition from the classroom into the clinical environment, they will be expected to effectively communicate with their team members and their patients. Effective communication skills are essential to their ability to effectively contribute to their clinical team and the patient care they deliver. The authors propose an interactive workshop that can support students’ deliberate practice of communication skills. The authors designed a simulation workshop that affords students the opportunity to practice their communication and peer-to-peer coaching skills. Using LEGOs, a one-hour workshop was conducted with medical students. Students were divided into groups of two. Each student took on a different role: teacher or builder. Teachers were tasked with instructing builders on how to construct a pre-made LEGO structure, not allowing builders to look at the structure. A group debriefing followed to evaluate the activity and explore the themes that emerged. Twenty first-year medical students and 25 fourth-year medical students participated in this activity. Most groups were successful in reproducing the pre-made structure. Groups that pre-briefed before building were most successful. Unsuccessful groups did not define orientation or direction in mutually understood terms, resulting in the creation of an incorrect mirror image of the structure – a common phenomenon seen during the teaching of procedures in the clinical learning environment. The workshop was well received. Students made requests to have similar sessions throughout their training to better support the development of effective communication skills. The workshop can easily be applied to other specialties to assist with procedural skills instruction or in workshops focusing on effective communication. PMID:29568715

  16. Science teachers in deaf education: A national survey of K-8 teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaw, Cynthia

    A survey was conducted with 67 science teachers who taught deaf children at the elementary school level. Teacher background variables, information about teacher preparation and certification, preferred teaching methods, communication methodologies, curriculum, and the use of technology were gathered. A purposeful, convenience sampling technique was employed. Utilizing a non-experimental, basic research design and survey methodology, the researcher reviewed both quantitative and qualitative data. The majority of science teachers in this survey at the elementary school level are female and hearing. More than half have deaf education masters degrees. Few have science degrees. The majority of teachers had less than 10 years teaching experience with deaf students. Sixty percent were highly qualified in science; only forty percent were certified in science. They were equally employed at either a state residential school or a public day school. Two-way chi-square analyses were carried out. Hearing teachers preferred to observe other teachers teaching science compared to deaf teachers chi2 (1, N = 67) = 5.39, p < .05, deaf teachers were more familiar than hearing teachers with the ASL/English Bilingual Star School program (chi2 (1, N = 67) = 8.49, p < .01). Deaf teachers participated more in the Star Schools training compared to hearing teachers (chi2 (1, N = 67) = 14.15, p < .001). Deaf teachers compared to hearing teachers were more likely to use the bilingual strategy, translanguaging than hearing teachers (chi2 (1, N = 67) = 4.54, p < .05). Hearing teachers used the computer more often in the classroom than deaf teachers (chi 2 (1, N = 67) = 4.65, p < .01). Hearing teachers had their students use the computer more regularly than deaf teachers (chi2 (1, N = 67) = 11.49, p < .01). Teachers who worked in residential schools compared to working in public schools attended more state department of education science workshops chi2 (1, N = 67) = 6.83, p < .01, attended

  17. Combined Industry, Space and Earth Science Data Compression Workshop

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kiely, Aaron B. (Editor); Renner, Robert L. (Editor)

    1996-01-01

    The sixth annual Space and Earth Science Data Compression Workshop and the third annual Data Compression Industry Workshop were held as a single combined workshop. The workshop was held April 4, 1996 in Snowbird, Utah in conjunction with the 1996 IEEE Data Compression Conference, which was held at the same location March 31 - April 3, 1996. The Space and Earth Science Data Compression sessions seek to explore opportunities for data compression to enhance the collection, analysis, and retrieval of space and earth science data. Of particular interest is data compression research that is integrated into, or has the potential to be integrated into, a particular space or earth science data information system. Preference is given to data compression research that takes into account the scien- tist's data requirements, and the constraints imposed by the data collection, transmission, distribution and archival systems.

  18. General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation Outreach Programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winter, Patricia S.

    1997-11-01

    Scientific literacy for all students is a national goal. The General Atomics (GA) Foundation Outreach Program is committed to playing a major role in enhancing pre-college education in science, engineering and new technologies. GA has received wide recognition for its Sciences Education Program, a volunteer effort of GA employees and San Diego science teachers. GA teacher/scientist teams have developed inquiry-based education modules and associated workshops based on areas of core competency at GA: Fusion -- Energy of the Stars; Explorations in Materials Science; Portrait of an Atom; DNA Technology. [http://www.sci-ed-ga.org]. Workshops [teachers receive printed materials and laboratory kits for ``hands-on" modules] have been presented for 700+ teachers from 200+ area schools. Additional workshops include: University of Denver for Denver Public Schools; National Educators Workshop; Standard Experiments in Engineering Materials; Update '96 in Los Alamos; Newspapers in Education Workshop (LA Times); American Chemical Society Regional/National meetings, and California Science Teachers Association Conference. Other outreach includes High School Science Day, school partnerships, teacher and student mentoring and the San Diego Science Alliance [http://www.sdsa.org].

  19. Continuous Symmetry and Chemistry Teachers: Learning Advanced Chemistry Content through Novel Visualization Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tuvi-Arad, Inbal; Blonder, Ron

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we describe the learning process of a group of experienced chemistry teachers in a specially designed workshop on molecular symmetry and continuous symmetry. The workshop was based on interactive visualization tools that allow molecules and their symmetry elements to be rotated in three dimensions. The topic of continuous symmetry is…

  20. Linking a Pharmaceutical Chemistry Workshop to Pharmacy Practice

    PubMed Central

    Morral, Jordi; Culshaw, Margaret; Morral, Kim; Conway, Barbara; Adams, Sylvia; Adams, Andrew

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes the design and implementation of a workshop to enhance pharmacy students’ appreciation of the importance of chemistry for pharmacy practice. The workshop was designed to form part of the practical work of two modules taught in the second year of the MPharm degree. In this mandatory workshop, second year pharmacy students were required to spot in the dispensary drugs based on their chemical properties like chirality, their origin and chemical structure. The lecturers involved in the workshop showed examples of the application of chemistry in the day to day work of the dispensary (e.g. calculating the dose for a patient in millimoles or how small modifications from a natural product can change its ability to cross the blood-brain-barrier). Feedback from participating students was collected via two survey instruments to examine the impact of the intervention. The survey results showed a clear shift towards a more positive perception by students of the chemistry taught in the MPharm curriculum. PMID:26839806