Sample records for teacher selection tools

  1. An Analysis of Teacher Selection Tools in Pennsylvania

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vitale, Tracy L.

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine teacher screening and selection tools currently being utilized by public school districts in Pennsylvania and to compare these tools to the research on qualities of effective teachers. The researcher developed four research questions that guided her study. The Pennsylvania Association of School Personnel…

  2. Screen Twice, Cut Once: Assessing the Predictive Validity of Teacher Selection Tools. Working Paper 120

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldhaber, Dan; Grout, Cyrus; Huntington-Klein, Nick

    2014-01-01

    Evidence suggests that teacher hiring in public schools is ad hoc and often fails to result in good selection among applicants. Some districts use structured selection instruments in the hiring process, but we know little about the efficacy of such tools. In this paper, we evaluate the ability of applicant selection tools used by the Spokane…

  3. Certify, Blink, Hire: An Examination of the Process and Tools of Teacher Screening and Selection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rutledge, Stacey A.; Harris, Douglas N.; Thompson, Cynthia T.; Ingle, W. Kyle

    2008-01-01

    While much has been written about the process of employee selection in other occupations, there has been little discussion on the process and tools of teacher selection and why it occurs as it does. To understand this question, we conduct an extensive literature review in which we compare teacher hiring with hiring in other occupations. We also…

  4. It's Selective, but Is It Effective? Exploring the Predictive Validity of Teacher Selection Tools. CEDR Brief. Policy Brief No. 2014-­9

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldhaber, Dan; Grout, Cyrus; Huntington-Klein, Nick

    2014-01-01

    Evidence suggests teacher hiring in public schools is ad-hoc and often does not result in good selection amongst applicants. Some districts use structured selection instruments in the hiring process, but we know little about the efficacy of such tools. In this paper we evaluate the ability of applicant selection tools used by the Spokane Public…

  5. Assessing Affordances of Selected Cloud Computing Tools for Language Teacher Education in Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ofemile, Abdulmalik Yusuf

    2015-01-01

    This paper reports part of a study that hoped to understand Teacher Educators' (TE) assessment of the affordances of selected cloud computing tools ranked among the top 100 for the year 2010. Research has shown that ICT and by extension cloud computing has positive impacts on daily life and this informed the Nigerian government's policy to…

  6. Elementary Teachers' Selection and Use of Visual Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Tammy D.; Gail Jones, M.

    2018-02-01

    As science grows in complexity, science teachers face an increasing challenge of helping students interpret models that represent complex science systems. Little is known about how teachers select and use models when planning lessons. This mixed methods study investigated the pedagogical approaches and visual models used by elementary in-service and preservice teachers in the development of a science lesson about a complex system (e.g., water cycle). Sixty-seven elementary in-service and 69 elementary preservice teachers completed a card sort task designed to document the types of visual models (e.g., images) that teachers choose when planning science instruction. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to analyze the card sort task. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a subsample of teachers to elicit the rationale for image selection. Results from this study showed that both experienced in-service teachers and novice preservice teachers tended to select similar models and use similar rationales for images to be used in lessons. Teachers tended to select models that were aesthetically pleasing and simple in design and illustrated specific elements of the water cycle. The results also showed that teachers were not likely to select images that represented the less obvious dimensions of the water cycle. Furthermore, teachers selected visual models more as a pedagogical tool to illustrate specific elements of the water cycle and less often as a tool to promote student learning related to complex systems.

  7. Teacher Leadership: Teacher Self-Assessment Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Institutes for Research, 2017

    2017-01-01

    As interest in teacher leadership has grown, many leading organizations have developed tools and guidance to support schools, districts, and teacher leaders themselves. In collaboration and consultation with the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance, REL Midwest and the Center on Great Teachers and…

  8. In-Service Science Teachers' and the Use of Multimedia as a Teaching Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ameyaw, Y.; Quansah, E.

    2013-01-01

    The study investigated the attitudes of in-service teachers' towards the use of multimedia as a tool for science teaching in Junior High Schools in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The population sample consisted of 100 Junior High School (JHS) science teachers made up of 60 urban teachers and 40 rural teachers from three selected districts…

  9. Supporting Literacy in Preschool: Using a Teacher-Observation Tool to Guide Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNerney, Shelly; Nielsen, Diane Corcoran; Clay, Phyllis

    2006-01-01

    Teachers involved with professional-development opportunities inevitably differ in their content knowledge, access to resources, and instructional practices. The purpose of this study was to investigate how a standardized assessment observation tool, selected to gather summative information for grant-evaluation purposes about preschool teachers'…

  10. School Turnaround Teachers: Selection Toolkit. Part of the School Turnaround Collection from Public Impact

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Public Impact, 2008

    2008-01-01

    This toolkit includes these separate sections: (1) Selection Preparation Guide; (2) Day-of-Interview Tools; (3) Candidate Rating Tools; and (4) Candidate Comparison and Decision Tools. Each of the sections is designed to be used at different stages of the selection process. The first section provides turnaround teacher competencies that are the…

  11. Equity Audit: A Teacher Leadership Tool for Nurturing Teacher Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

    2016-01-01

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

  12. 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…

  13. Teachers' Influence on Integration of Tools into Mathematics Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yesildere, Sibel

    2010-01-01

    This paper examines the process through which three pre-service teachers learn to use mathematical tools; it also looks at pre-service teachers' instrumentation of tools into mathematics teaching. Three pre-service teachers were studying at a primary mathematics teacher training program at Dokuz Eylul University in Turkey. During an eight-week…

  14. Process for selecting engineering tools : applied to selecting a SysML tool.

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

    De Spain, Mark J.; Post, Debra S.; Taylor, Jeffrey L.

    2011-02-01

    Process for Selecting Engineering Tools outlines the process and tools used to select a SysML (Systems Modeling Language) tool. The process is general in nature and users could use the process to select most engineering tools and software applications.

  15. Instructional Technologies and Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers' Selection of Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akcay, Ahmet Oguz

    2017-01-01

    There are many available technologies that can assist future teachers to deliver instruction. The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief review of literature identifying available technology tools in mathematics education and which technologies are selected by PSTs to design mathematics lesson activities. The most commonly used and available…

  16. Student rating as an effective tool for teacher evaluation.

    PubMed

    Aslam, Muhammad Nadeem

    2013-01-01

    To determine the effectiveness of students' rating as a teacher evaluation tool. Concurrent mixed method. King Edward Medical University, Lahore, from January to June 2010. Anonymous 5-point Likert scale survey questionnaire was conducted involving a single class consisting of 310 students and 12 students were selected for structured interview based on non-probability purposive sampling. Informed consent was procured. They were required to rate 6 teachers and were supposed to discuss teachers' performance in detail. Quantitative data collected through survey was analyzed using SPSS 15 and qualitative data was analyzed with the help of content analysis by identifying themes and patterns from thick descriptions. This student feedback would show the effectiveness in terms of its feasibility and as an indicator of teaching attributes. Descriptive statistics of quantitative data obtained from survey was used to calculate mean and standard deviation for all teachers' individually. This showed the average direction of the student ratings. Percentages of the responses calculated of teacher A were 85.96%, teacher B 65.53, teacher C 65.20%, teacher D 69.62%, teacher E 65.32% and teacher F 64.24% in terms of overall effectiveness of their teaching. Structured interviews generated qualitative data which validated the students' views about strengths and weaknesses of teachers, and helped to determine the effectiveness of their rating and feedback. This simple rating system clearly showed its importance and hence can be used in institutions as a regular evaluating method of teaching faculty.

  17. Teacher Leadership: District and School Leader Readiness Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Institutes for Research, 2017

    2017-01-01

    As interest in teacher leadership has grown, many leading organizations have developed tools and guidance to support schools, districts, and teacher leaders themselves. For instance, the National Network of State Teachers of the Year developed resources on teacher leader career pathways and advocacy approaches, as well as teacher leader standards.…

  18. Retrospective Video Analysis: A Reflective Tool for Teachers and Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mosley Wetzel, Melissa; Maloch, Beth; Hoffman, James V.

    2017-01-01

    Teachers may need tools to use video for reflection toward ongoing toward education and teacher leadership. Based on Goodman's (1996) notion of retrospective miscue analysis, a method of reading instruction that revalues the reader and his or her strategies, retrospective video analysis guides teachers in appreciating and understanding their own…

  19. The Correlation between a Teacher Selection Instrument and Teacher Quality in Tennessee

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McWhirter, Amy Balthrop

    2014-01-01

    It is not known to what extent the pre-employment teacher selection instrument scores used by a Tennessee school district correlate to teachers' post-employment quality after their first year of service. Two research questions guided the study on the Correlation Between a Teacher Selection Instrument and Teacher Quality in Tennessee: (1) To what…

  20. Social Networking Tools and Teacher Education Learning Communities: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poulin, Michael T.

    2014-01-01

    Social networking tools have become an integral part of a pre-service teacher's educational experience. As a result, the educational value of social networking tools in teacher preparation programs must be examined. The specific problem addressed in this study is that the role of social networking tools in teacher education learning communities…

  1. 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.

  2. Help Teachers Engage Students: Action Tools for Administrators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brinkman, Annette; Forlini, Gary; Williams, Ellen

    2009-01-01

    This unique, hands-on reference for school administrators offers guidelines for effective student engagement as well as reproducible action tools that will enable you to: (1) Identify and share "The Big Eight Student Engagement Strategies" with your teachers; (2) Promote teacher growth and provide support for new and/or struggling teachers; (3)…

  3. Developing Technology Teachers: Questioning the Industrial Tool Use Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hansen, John W.; Lovedahl, Gerald G.

    2004-01-01

    In this article, the author questions the role of technology teacher preparation programs that are based on an "industrial tool use" model to develop technology education teachers. It is the position of the authors that the manner by which technology education teachers are prepared may need revision and that technology teacher educators…

  4. Special Education Teacher Retention: An Examination of Selected Veteran Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hogan, Andrea E.

    2012-01-01

    Special Education Teacher Retention: An Examination of Selected Veteran Teachers is a qualitative study that examined what prompted veteran special education teachers to continue in the critical shortage fields even though they contend with challenging situations that have been a deterrent for others to remain in the classroom (e.g. Nelson, 2001).…

  5. Personalised Search Tool for Teachers--PoSTech!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seyedarabi, Faezeh; Peterson, Don; Keenoy, Kevin

    2005-01-01

    One of the ways in which teachers tend to "personalise" to the needs of their students is by complementing their teaching materials with online resources. However, the current online resources are designed in such a way that only allows teachers to customise their search and not personalise. Therefore, a Personalised Search Tool for…

  6. Tomorrow's Teachers--Selecting the Best: An Exploration of the Quality Rationale behind Academic and Experiential Selection Criteria for Initial Teacher Education Programmes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heinz, Manuela

    2013-01-01

    Using Ireland as an example, this paper explores the rationale behind various selection criteria currently used to select suitable candidates for initial teacher education courses. It investigates and discusses patterns of association between second-level student teachers' background characteristics on entry to their teacher education programme…

  7. The Use of Digital Tools by Independent Music Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Upitis, Rena; Abrami, Philip C.; Boese, Karen

    2016-01-01

    The present paper explores two aspects of independent music teachers' views and practices: (a) their views on the importance of self-regulation and (b) how they use tools available on mobile devices to enhance their students' learning. A survey involving 1,468 Canadian teachers revealed that most teachers are comfortable using digital technology.…

  8. Writing for Publication as a Tool in Teacher Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rathert, Stefan; Okan, Zühal

    2015-01-01

    Writing is widely accepted as a tool in the personal and professional development of teachers. Among other forms of teacher writing, writing for publication is rather unusual as it requires courage to share ideas and unfavourable working conditions prevent teachers from finding time and space to write for publication in the first place. In this…

  9. Pre-Service Teachers' Comments toward Official Teacher Selection System (Civil Servant Selection Examination, KPSS) in Turkey: A Qualitative Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ugulu, Ilker; Yorek, Nurettin

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this research is to investigate the opinions of the pre-service teachers toward teacher selection system and civil servant selection exam (KPSS). In this study, qualitative re-search methods and semi-structured interviews were used and researcher-made questionnaires containing open-ended questions were administered. The study group…

  10. The Textevaluator Tool: Helping Teachers and Test Developers Select Texts for Use in Instruction and Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheehan, Kathleen M.; Kostin, Irene; Napolitano, Diane; Flor, Michael

    2014-01-01

    This article describes TextEvaluator, a comprehensive text-analysis system designed to help teachers, textbook publishers, test developers, and literacy researchers select reading materials that are consistent with the text complexity goals outlined in the Common Core State Standards. Three particular aspects of the TextEvaluator measurement…

  11. Female Teachers' Perception of Reflective Teaching as a Teacher Development Tool in the Saudi Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shukri, Nadia

    2014-01-01

    Teacher development in the EFL context has been well-established in Western educational institutions. However, although there are some limited studies in the Middle East, it is still under-researched in Saudi Arabia. This study investigates the EFL teachers' perceptions of reflective teaching as a tool for teacher development and its challenges in…

  12. A Tool for Rethinking Teachers' Questioning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simpson, Amber; Mokalled, Stefani; Ellenburg, Lou Ann; Che, S. Megan

    2014-01-01

    In this article, the authors present a tool, the Cognitive Rigor Matrix (CRM; Hess et al. 2009), as a means to analyze and reflect on the type of questions posed by mathematics teachers. This tool is intended to promote and develop higher-order thinking and inquiry through the use of purposeful questions and mathematical tasks. The authors…

  13. Teacher Selection: Legal, Practical, and Theoretical Aspects. UCEA Monograph Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, I. Philip; Ryerson, Dean

    This monograph, structured for administrative use in analyzing and building systems for selecting teachers, outlines the legal, applied, and theoretical issues of teacher selection. This overview is presented in five sections. "Legal Aspects of Teacher Selection" examines individual rights and employer reactions in relation to federal and state…

  14. Formation of readiness for future physics teachers by using interactive learning tools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kulikova, N. U.; Danilchuk, E. V.; Zhidkova, A. V.

    2017-01-01

    In this article we give the reviewing of approaches to the preparedness of future physics teachers for the usage of interactive means of education as an important part of their professional activity. We discuss the key concepts such as interactivity, an interactive dialogue, and interactive means of education. The conception of interactive means of education as a tool of teachers' professional activity, which provides a way for the students to intensify their learning in class by using interactive tools and electronic educational resources, is validated. Furthermore, it is proved that interactive means of education allow the students to intensify their learning in the course of an interactive dialogue by means of organization different types of feedback in electronic educational resources (the program behavior depending on a user actions in the form of comments, prompts, elements of arrangement of objects, etc, the control and correction of students' actions by the program, providing with recommendations for further learning, carrying out constant access to reference information, etc), involving in different types of educational activity (modeling, investigation, etc), self-selection of time, speed, content of learning, complexity and priority of the usage of educational information on the screen, etc. By training students - future teachers of physics authors consider technological aspects, methodical features and examples of creation of these resources for physics lesson.

  15. Window Selection Tool | Efficient Windows Collaborative

    Science.gov Websites

    Foundry Foundry New Construction Windows Window Selection Tool Selection Process Design Guidance Installation Replacement Windows Window Selection Tool Assessing Options Selection Process Design Guidance Installation Understanding Windows Benefits Design Considerations Measuring Performance Performance Standards

  16. Who Should Become a Teacher? Current Student Selection-Retention Policies of Teacher Education Institutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brubaker, Harold A.

    This study (1) describes student selection and retention procedures currently used by North Central Association colleges and universities which are accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, and (2) determines student selection and retention procedures which administrators of teacher education programs at the…

  17. Screen Twice, Cut Once: Assessing the Predictive Validity of Teacher Selection Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldhaber, Dan; Grout, Cyrus; Huntington-Klein, Nick

    2015-01-01

    It is well documented that teachers can have profound effects on student outcomes. Empirical estimates find that a one standard deviation increase in teacher quality raises student test achievement by 10 to 25 percent of a standard deviation. More recent evidence shows that the effectiveness of teachers can affect long-term student outcomes, such…

  18. From Workstation to Teacher Support System: A Tool to Increase Productivity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, J. Wey

    1989-01-01

    Describes a teacher support system which is a computer-based workstation that provides support for teachers and administrators by integrating teacher utility programs, instructional management software, administrative packages, and office automation tools. Hardware is described and software components are explained, including database managers,…

  19. Exploring physics concepts among novice teachers through CMAP tools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suprapto, N.; Suliyanah; Prahani, B. K.; Jauhariyah, M. N. R.; Admoko, S.

    2018-03-01

    Concept maps are graphical tools for organising, elaborating and representing knowledge. Through Cmap tools software, it can be explored the understanding and the hierarchical structuring of physics concepts among novice teachers. The software helps physics teachers indicated a physics context, focus questions, parking lots, cross-links, branching, hierarchy, and propositions. By using an exploratory quantitative study, a total 13-concept maps with different physics topics created by novice physics teachers were analysed. The main differences of scoring between lecturer and peer-teachers’ scoring were also illustrated. The study offered some implications, especially for physics educators to determine the hierarchical structure of the physics concepts, to construct a physics focus question, and to see how a concept in one domain of knowledge represented on the map is related to a concept in another domain shown on the map.

  20. Teachers' Perspective on Using Technology as an Instructional Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidson, Leavery Y. Jefferson; Richardson, Martha; Jones, Don

    2014-01-01

    Federal mandates require technology use in the classroom, but not all English language arts (ELA) teachers have implemented technology as an integral part of teaching. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate why ELA teachers in 2 local high schools rarely or never use technology as an instructional tool. The study was…

  1. IT Tools in Initial Teacher Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herlo, Dorin

    2016-01-01

    In initial teacher training, the call to use IT tools, and to integrate them into the virtual learning space, is not conjectural but is an example of introducing new technologies in the complexity of educational sciences. For this reason we approached the use of new technologies in the courses and seminars of subjects from the curriculum of…

  2. Implementing Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom: Four Teachers' Accounts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kovalik, Cindy; Kuo, Chia-Ling; Cummins, Megan; Dipzinski, Erin; Joseph, Paula; Laskey, Stephanie

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, four teachers shared their experiences using the following free Web 2.0 tools with their students: Jing, Wix, Google Sites, and Blogger. The teachers found that students reacted positively to lessons in which these tools were used, and also noted improvements they could make when using them in the future.

  3. Videos as an Instructional Tool in Pre-Service Science Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sonmez, Duygu; Hakverdi-Can, Meral

    2012-01-01

    Problem Statement: Student teaching is an integral part of teacher education. While it provides preservice teachers with real classroom experience, though, it is limited in that it does not provide shared experience. Used as instructional tools, videos provide a shared common experience in a controlled environment to pre-service teachers in…

  4. Teachers' selection and enactment of mathematical problems from textbooks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Son, Ji-Won; Kim, Ok-Kyeong

    2015-12-01

    In order to investigate how teachers' use of textbooks creates different kinds of opportunities for student learning, this study focused on teachers' selection and enactment of problems and tasks from the textbooks and their influence on the cognitive demand placed on students. By drawing on data from three elementary teachers in the USA, two of which used a reform-oriented textbook— Math Trailblazers and one a commercially developed textbook—this study examined kinds of problems the teachers chose and ways in which they enacted those problems in relation to the cognitive demand of the problems. In particular, we attended to the kinds of questions the teachers asked in enacting the problems and ways in which those questions influenced the cognitive demand of the textbook problems. This study also identified critical issues involved in teacher decision-making on task selection and enactment, such as the match between teachers' goals and those of the textbooks, and teachers' perception of textbook problems. Based on the results of the study, we discuss implications for teacher education and professional development.

  5. Exploring the Relationship between Web 2.0 Tools Self-Efficacy and Teachers' Use of These Tools in Their Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alhassan, Riyadh

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teachers' self-efficacy in using of Web 2.0 tools and some demographic variables, and their use of those tools in their teaching. The study data was collected from a random sample of public school teachers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The results showed a strong positive relationship…

  6. Wearable Cameras as a Tool to Capture Preservice Teachers' Marked and Recorded Noticing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Estapa, Anne; Amador, Julie

    2016-01-01

    Teacher educators use a multitude of technological sources to enhance teachers' learning. More specifically, many teacher educators incorporate video as a tool for supporting preservice teachers to analyze noticing of pivotal classroom interactions; however, this video is often from a perspective distinct from the teachers' view. This study…

  7. Supporting Beginning Teacher Planning and Enactment of Investigation-based Science Discussions: The Design and Use of Tools within Practice-based Teacher Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kademian, Sylvie M.

    Current reform efforts prioritize science instruction that provides opportunities for students to engage in productive talk about scientific phenomena. Given the challenges teachers face enacting instruction that integrates science practices and science content, beginning teachers need support to develop the knowledge and teaching practices required to teach reform-oriented science lessons. Practice-based teacher education shows potential for supporting beginning teachers while they are learning to teach in this way. However, little is known about how beginning elementary teachers draw upon the types of support and tools associated with practice-based teacher education to learn to successfully enact this type of instruction. This dissertation addresses this gap by investigating how a practice-based science methods course using a suite of teacher educator-provided tools can support beginning teachers' planning and enactment of investigation-based science lessons. Using qualitative case study methodologies, this study drew on video-records, lesson plans, class assignments, and surveys from one cohort of 22 pre-service teachers (called interns in this study) enrolled in a year-long elementary education master of the arts and teaching certification program. Six focal interns were also interviewed at multiple time-points during the methods course. Similarities existed across the types of tools and teaching practices interns used most frequently to plan and enact investigation-based discussions. For the focal interns, use of four synergistic teaching practices throughout the lesson enactments (including consideration of students' initial ideas; use of open-ended questions to elicit, extend, and challenge ideas; connecting across students' ideas and the disciplinary core ideas; and use of a representation to organize and highlight students' ideas) appeared to lead to increased opportunities for students to share their ideas and engage in data analysis, argumentation and

  8. Investigating the Social Interactions of Beginning Teachers Using a Video Annotation Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Joshua; McFadden, Justin; Anwar, Tasneem; Roehrig, Gillian

    2015-01-01

    This study examines the use of a digital video annotation tool used by beginning in-service secondary science and mathematics teachers in the Teacher Induction Network (TIN). TIN is an online induction program in its ninth year of existence and has served over 180 teachers. The need to provide spaces for beginning teachers to reflect on their…

  9. Preferences of Turkish Language Teachers for the Assessment-Evaluation Tools and Methods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guney, Nail

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study is to determine the rate of teachers' use of assessment and evaluation tools given in 2005 curriculum of Turkish language teaching. To this end; we presented a list of assessment and evaluation tools on the basis of random sampling to 216 teachers of Turkish who work in Ordu, Samsun, Ankara, Trabzon and Istanbul provinces.…

  10. An Analysis of the Selection and Training of Guiding Teachers in an Urban Teacher Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lopez, Carmen Lizette

    2012-01-01

    In response to a growing trend towards alternative teacher education programs, this study aims to direct the focus on traditional teacher preparation programs. The purpose of this study is to analyze the processes of how classroom teachers are selected, trained, and supported as guiding teachers in one urban teacher education program. The…

  11. Examining Web 2.0 Tools Usage of Science Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balkan Kiyici, Fatime

    2012-01-01

    Using technology in a science teaching is so important. Only the person, who can use these tools in expert level, can use these tools in their teaching activities. In this research it is aimed firstly identifying science teacher candidates web 2.0 tools usage experience level and factors affecting experience level. In this research survey method…

  12. Discussing Virtual Tools that Simulate Probabilities: What Are the Middle School Teachers' Concerns?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savard, Annie; Freiman, Viktor; Theis, Laurent; Larose, Fançois

    2013-01-01

    Mathematics teachers, researchers and specialists in educational technology from Quebec, Canada developed virtual tools that make interactive simulations of games of chance. These tools were presented to a group of teachers from New Brunswick through workshops and they then got to test and validate them with their students. Semi-structured…

  13. Exploring the Relationship between the Ventures for Excellence Teacher StyleProfile Data and Teacher Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Barry

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine if a commercial teacher selection tool, the Ventures for Excellence Teacher StyleProfile, had a statistically significant relationship with teacher evaluation and performance feedback data gathered during a teacher's first year of teaching in the Midwest School District. A review of the literature…

  14. Teachers' Perspective on Using Technology as an Instructional Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidson, Leavery Y. Jefferson

    2012-01-01

    Federal mandates require technology use in the classroom, but not all English language arts (ELA) teachers have implemented technology as an integral part of teaching. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate why ELA teachers in 2 local high schools rarely or never use technology as an instructional tool. The study was…

  15. Personality, Resilience, Self-Regulation and Cognitive Ability Relevant to Teacher Selection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sautelle, Eleanor; Bowles, Terry; Hattie, John; Arifin, Daniel N.

    2015-01-01

    The current study uses social judgment theory to inform the design of processes to be used in selecting teachers for training programs. Developing a comprehensive selection process to identify individuals who are likely to succeed as teachers is a mechanism for improving teacher quality and raising the profile of the profession. The design of such…

  16. Teachers Connect "with" Technology: Online Tools Build New Pathways to Collaboration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phillips, Vicki L.; Olson, Lynn

    2013-01-01

    Teachers, curriculum experts, and other educators work together using online tools developed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create high-quality, useful lessons and research-based instructional tools incorporating the Common Core State Standards.

  17. Tools for Data Analysis in the Middle School Classroom: A Teacher Professional Development Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2006-12-01

    In order for students to learn how to engage with scientific data to answer questions about the real world, it is imperative that their teachers are 1) comfortable with the data and the tools used to analyze it, and 2) feel prepared to support their students in this complex endeavor. TERC's Tools for Data Analysis in the Middle School Classroom (DataTools) professional development program, funded by NSF's ITEST program, prepares middle school teachers to integrate Web-based scientific data and analysis tools into their existing curricula. This 13-month program supports teachers in using a set of freely or commonly available tools with a wide range of data. It also gives them an opportunity to practice teaching these skills to students before teaching in their own classrooms. The ultimate goal of the program is to increase the number of middle school students who work directly with scientific data, who use the tools of technology to import, manipulate, visualize and analyze the data, who come to understand the power of data-based arguments, and who will consider pursuing a career in technical and scientific fields. In this session, we will describe the elements of the DataTools program and the Earth Exploration Toolbook (EET, http://serc.carleton.edu/eet), a Web-based resource that supports Earth system education for teachers and students in grades 6 through 16. The EET provides essential support to DataTools teachers as they use it to learn to locate and download Web-based data and use data analysis tools. We will also share what we have learned during the first year of this three-year program.

  18. Organization Made Easy! Tools for Today's Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buck, Frank

    2010-01-01

    Meet the ever-growing organizational demands of today's changing world with the variety of tools, digital and otherwise, available to you as a teacher. In this book, organization guru Frank Buck shows you how to take expert advantage of the specific electronic and paper-based resources that will help you manage your time and stay on course as a…

  19. Systemic safety project selection tool.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-07-01

    "The Systemic Safety Project Selection Tool presents a process for incorporating systemic safety planning into traditional safety management processes. The Systemic Tool provides a step-by-step process for conducting systemic safety analysis; conside...

  20. A Model for Developing Meta-Cognitive Tools in Teacher Apprenticeships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bray, Paige; Schatz, Steven

    2013-01-01

    This research investigates a model for developing meta-cognitive tools to be used by pre-service teachers during apprenticeship (student teaching) experience to operationalise the epistemological model of Cook and Brown (2009). Meta-cognitive tools have proven to be effective for increasing performance and retention of undergraduate students.…

  1. Performance Assessment as a Diagnostic Tool for Science Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kruit, Patricia; Oostdam, Ron; van den Berg, Ed; Schuitema, Jaap

    2018-04-01

    Information on students' development of science skills is essential for teachers to evaluate and improve their own education, as well as to provide adequate support and feedback to the learning process of individual students. The present study explores and discusses the use of performance assessments as a diagnostic tool for formative assessment to inform teachers and guide instruction of science skills in primary education. Three performance assessments were administered to more than 400 students in grades 5 and 6 of primary education. Students performed small experiments using real materials while following the different steps of the empirical cycle. The mutual relationship between the three performance assessments is examined to provide evidence for the value of performance assessments as useful tools for formative evaluation. Differences in response patterns are discussed, and the diagnostic value of performance assessments is illustrated with examples of individual student performances. Findings show that the performance assessments were difficult for grades 5 and 6 students but that much individual variation exists regarding the different steps of the empirical cycle. Evaluation of scores as well as a more substantive analysis of students' responses provided insight into typical errors that students make. It is concluded that performance assessments can be used as a diagnostic tool for monitoring students' skill performance as well as to support teachers in evaluating and improving their science lessons.

  2. Screen Twice, Cut Once: Assessing the Predictive Validity of Applicant Selection Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldhaber, Dan; Grout, Cyrus; Huntington-Klein, Nick

    2017-01-01

    Despite their widespread use, there is little academic evidence on whether applicant selection instruments can improve teacher hiring. We examine the relationship between two screening instruments used by Spokane Public Schools to select classroom teachers and three teacher outcomes: value added, absences, and attrition. We observe all applicants…

  3. Teachers' Selection and Enactment of Mathematical Problems from Textbooks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Son, Ji-Won; Kim, Ok-Kyeong

    2015-01-01

    In order to investigate how teachers' use of textbooks creates different kinds of opportunities for student learning, this study focused on teachers' selection and enactment of problems and tasks from the textbooks and their influence on the cognitive demand placed on students. By drawing on data from three elementary teachers in the USA, two of…

  4. 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…

  5. Continuous Self-Selection Processes in Teacher Education: The Way for Survival.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zak, Itai

    1981-01-01

    Three selection phases were found in a study investigating the selection process of students into the teaching profession: (1) self selection by the potential teacher; (2) admission to the teacher-training program; and (3) election to undergo the course of instruction. Results suggest that personality traits are more important than cognitive…

  6. Teacher Burnout/Stress Management Research: Implications for Teacher Preparation/Personnel Selection/ Staff Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saunders, Ron; Watkins, J. Foster

    The relationship between occupational stress and general stress and possible relationship among selected teacher personal and situational variables and the two types of stress was investigated. Subjects of the study were teachers in Huntsville, Alabama, a city of 145,000 with an industrial and agricultural economy. There was a return of 41 percent…

  7. Practical Tools for Content Development: Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences and Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yurtseven Avci, Zeynep; Eren, Esra; Seckin Kapucu, Munise

    2016-01-01

    This study adopts phenomenology approach as the research design method to investigate pre-service teachers' experiences and perceptions on using practical tools for content development. The participants are twenty-four pre-service teachers who were taking Computer II course during 2013-2014 spring semester at a public university in Turkey. During…

  8. Educate at Penn State: Preparing Beginning Teachers with Powerful Digital Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murray, Orrin T.; Zembal-Saul, Carla

    2008-01-01

    University based teacher education programs are slowly beginning to catch up to other professional programs that use modern digital tools to prepare students to enter professional fields. This discussion looks at how one teacher education program reached the conclusion that students and faculty would use notebook computers. Frequently referred to…

  9. Preservice Teachers' Perceptions about Using Mobile Phones and Laptops in Education as Mobile Learning Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sad, Süleyman Nihat; Göktas, Özlem

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to investigate preservice teachers' perceptions about using m-phones and laptops in education as mobile learning tools. A total of 1087 preservice teachers participated in the study. The results indicated that preservice teachers perceived laptops potentially stronger than m-phones as m-learning tools. In…

  10. A Teacher's Guide to Selective Service Registration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Selective Service System, Washington, DC.

    This guide is designed to assist high school teachers in their preparation of lessons covering the Selective Service System. The guide is organized into seven chapters. Chapter 1 describes Selective Service as it exists today, explains the registration process and its role in the national defense system, details who must register, and emphasizes…

  11. Twitter: A Professional Development and Community of Practice Tool for Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosell-Aguilar, Fernando

    2018-01-01

    This article shows how a group of language teachers use Twitter as a tool for continuous professional development through the #MFLtwitterati hashtag. Based on data collected through a survey (n = 116) and interviews (n = 11), it describes how this collective of teachers use the hashtag and evaluates the impact of their Twitter network on their…

  12. Team Nutrition's Teacher Handbook: Tips, Tools, and Jewels for Busy Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shepherd, Sandra K.; Whitehead, Constance S.

    This teacher support manual helps elementary educators teach proper nutrition to students in pre-K through grade 5. It provides a summary of all the background and tools teachers will need to do what they want with the Team Nutrition/Scholastic curricula. There is brief background information on nutrition basics; step-by-step instructions for…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

    2013-01-01

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

  14. Parent oriented teacher selection causes language diversity.

    PubMed

    Cimentepe, Ibrahim; Bingol, Haluk O

    2017-09-21

    An evolutionary model for emergence of diversity in language is developed. We investigated the effects of two real life observations, namely, people prefer people that they communicate with well, and people interact with people that are physically close to each other. Clearly these groups are relatively small compared to the entire population. We restrict selection of the teachers from such small groups, called imitation sets, around parents. Then the child learns language from a teacher selected within the imitation set of her parent. As a result, there are subcommunities with their own languages developed. Within subcommunity comprehension is found to be high. The number of languages is related to the relative size of imitation set by a power law. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Unequal Opportunities: The Recruitment, Selection and Promotion Prospects for Black Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brar, Harbhajan Singh

    1991-01-01

    The 1988 Education Reform Act greatly impacted equal opportunities in recruitment and selection of black teachers in the United Kingdom. A case study examines recruitment and selection in London, noting that ad hoc practices (encouraged by the 1988 Act) perpetuates the poor position of black teachers. (SM)

  16. Evaluating the Use of a Strengths-Based Development Tool with Head Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, Liz; Woods, Kevin

    2017-01-01

    This exploratory study investigated an educational psychologist's use of a strengths-based development tool with head teachers, in the context of influencing and supporting leaders in school organisations. Nine head teachers completed the "Realise2 Introductory Profile" online strengths assessment and then received a structured debrief…

  17. A Teacher's Utilization of Information and Communication Technology as a Pedagogical Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Golas, Jennifer Lynn

    2013-01-01

    This research study investigated the factors that either contribute or inhibit a teacher from using information and communication technology as an educational tool in the classroom. Factors as teachers' perceived level of proficiency with technology, technology-related professional development, planning time, and the technology resources available…

  18. Wonder as a Tool to Engage Preservice Elementary Teachers in Science Learning and Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilbert, Andrew; Byers, Christie C.

    2017-01-01

    This exploratory project considers the use of "wonder" as a pedagogical tool with preservice elementary teachers (PSETs). An ongoing vexation facing science teacher educators is helping future elementary teachers overcome anxiety and negative associations with science due to their own school science experiences, while simultaneously…

  19. Novice Teacher Learning and Motivation across Contexts: Assessment Tools as Boundary Objects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nolen, Susan Bobbitt; Horn, Ilana S.; Ward, Christopher J.; Childers, Sarah A.

    2011-01-01

    We present a longitudinal study of novice teachers' appropriation, negotiation, and recontextualization of assessment tools and practices. During the four years of the study, we observed and interviewed beginning mathematics and social studies teachers, along with their colleagues, mentors, and supervisors, from their time in a graduate secondary…

  20. A Case Study Analysis of Middle School Principals' Teacher Selection Criteria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woodburn, Jane Lai

    2012-01-01

    The hiring of middle school teachers to positively impact student achievement--is this a process of teacher selection or teacher attraction for schools, respectively, with low teacher turnover and schools with high teacher turnover? Since research indicates that the most important variable influencing student achievement is having a highly…

  1. Diversity at Issue in Teacher Selection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sawchuk, Stephen

    2013-01-01

    Slowly but surely, a growing number of states are eyeing policies to select academically stronger individuals for their teaching programs as one avenue to improve the quality of new teachers. Underneath the attention such plans are attracting, though, run deep-seated fears about their potential consequences--particularly whether they will result…

  2. Elementary Teachers' Selection and Use of Visual Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Tammy D.; Jones, M. Gail

    2018-01-01

    As science grows in complexity, science teachers face an increasing challenge of helping students interpret models that represent complex science systems. Little is known about how teachers select and use models when planning lessons. This mixed methods study investigated the pedagogical approaches and visual models used by elementary in-service…

  3. Thriving as a New Teacher: Tools and Strategies for Your First Year

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eller, John F.; Eller, Sheila A.

    2016-01-01

    Discover strategies and tools for new teacher success. In this user-friendly guide, the authors draw from best practice and their extensive experience to identify the necessary skills and characteristics to thrive as a new educator. Explore the six critical areas related to teaching that most impact new teachers and their students, from…

  4. Comparisons of Selected Student and Teacher Variables in All-Girls and Coeducational Physical Education Environments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Derry, Julie A.; Phillips, D. Allen

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate selected student and teacher variables and compare the differences between these variables for female students and female teachers in coeducation and single-sex physical education classes. Eighteen female teachers and intact classes were selected; 9 teachers from coeducation and 9 teachers from…

  5. What Data Can Do: A Teacher's View of Digital Tools for Formative Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallagher, Kerry

    2016-01-01

    Digital tools are making it easier than ever for teachers to gather and analyze formative data. Paper exit slips can take a classroom teacher upward of an hour to sort and graph after just one day of classes. But now, that same teacher can pose a question out loud to the class and ask students to type answers on their mobile phones and hit send.…

  6. The Multimedia Case as a Tool for Professional Development: An Analysis of Online and Face-to-Face Interaction among Mathematics Pre-Service Teachers, In-Service Teachers, Mathematicians, and Mathematics Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGraw, Rebecca; Lynch, Kathleen; Koc, Yusuf; Budak, Ayfer; Brown, Catherine A.

    2007-01-01

    In this study, we consider the potential of multimedia cases as tools for teacher professional development. Specifically, we examined online and face-to-face discussions that occurred within groups composed of pre-service mathematics teachers, in-service mathematics teachers, mathematicians, and mathematics teacher educators. Discussions within…

  7. Beginning Science Teachers' Use of a Digital Video Annotation Tool to Promote Reflective Practices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McFadden, Justin; Ellis, Joshua; Anwar, Tasneem; Roehrig, Gillian

    2014-06-01

    The development of teachers as reflective practitioners is a central concept in national guidelines for teacher preparation and induction (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education 2008). The Teacher Induction Network (TIN) supports the development of reflective practice for beginning secondary science teachers through the creation of online "communities of practice" (Barab et al. in Inf Soc, 237-256, 2003), which have been shown to have positive impacts on teacher collaboration, communication, and reflection. Specifically, TIN integrated the use of asynchronous, video annotation as an affordance to directly facilitate teachers' reflection on their classroom practices (Tripp and Rich in Teach Teach Educ 28(5):728-739, 2013). This study examines the use of video annotation as a tool for developing reflective practices for beginning secondary science teachers. Teachers were enrolled in an online teacher induction course designed to promote reflective practice and inquiry-based instruction. A modified version of the Learning to Notice Framework (Sherin and van Es in J Teach Educ 60(1):20-37, 2009) was used to classify teachers' annotations on video of their teaching. Findings from the study include the tendency of teachers to focus on themselves in their annotations, as well as a preponderance of annotations focused on lower-level reflective practices of description and explanation. Suggestions for utilizing video annotation tools are discussed, as well as design features, which could be improved to further the development of richer annotations and deeper reflective practices.

  8. Defining Tools for Teacher Reflection: The Assessment of Learner-Centered Practices (ALCP).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCombs, Barbara L.

    This paper focuses on the development and validation of survey tools that help teachers engage in a guided reflection process. The guided reflection process assists teachers at all levels, kindergarten through college, to reflect on (1) their own beliefs and practices; (2) how these practices are perceived by their students; and (3) the impact of…

  9. Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers of Using Video Games as Teaching Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bensiger, Joy

    2012-01-01

    Teachers' beliefs and perceptions are very critical to the integration of video games in the classrooms. This study was conducted to investigate the perceptions of pre-service teachers in using video games as one of their teaching tools. Along with this initial purpose, the intent was to understand the anticipated barriers involved in…

  10. THE SELECTION OF A NATIONAL RANDOM SAMPLE OF TEACHERS FOR EXPERIMENTAL CURRICULUM EVALUATION.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    WELCH, WAYNE W.; AND OTHERS

    MEMBERS OF THE EVALUATION SECTION OF HARVARD PROJECT PHYSICS, DESCRIBING WHAT IS SAID TO BE THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO SELECT A NATIONAL RANDOM SAMPLE OF (HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICS) TEACHERS, LIST THE STEPS AS (1) PURCHASE OF A LIST OF PHYSICS TEACHERS FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION (MOST COMPLETE AVAILABLE), (2) SELECTION OF 136 NAMES BY A…

  11. Scaffolding the "Scaffolding" Metaphor: From Inspiration to a Practical Tool for Kindergarten Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eshach, Haim; Dor-Ziderman, Yair; Arbel, Yael

    2011-01-01

    The present research aims shifting "scaffolding" from an inspiring metaphor to a practical tool to be used by kindergarten teachers when conducting scientific activities. It identifies scaffolding strategies that three experienced kindergarten teachers, ones acknowledged as excelling in science teaching, implicitly used when conducting science…

  12. Great apes select tools on the basis of their rigidity.

    PubMed

    Manrique, Héctor Marín; Gross, Alexandra Nam-Mi; Call, Josep

    2010-10-01

    Wild chimpanzees select tools according to their rigidity. However, little is known about whether choices are solely based on familiarity with the materials or knowledge about tool properties. Furthermore, it is unclear whether tool manipulation is required prior to selection or whether observation alone can suffice. We investigated whether chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) (n = 9), bonobos (Pan paniscus) (n = 4), orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) (n = 6), and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) (n = 2) selected new tools on the basis of their rigidity. Subjects faced an out-of-reach reward and a choice of three tools differing in color, diameter, material, and rigidity. We used 10 different 3-tool sets (1 rigid, 2 flexible). Subjects were unfamiliar with the tools and needed to select and use the rigid tool to retrieve the reward. Experiment 1 showed that subjects chose the rigid tool from the first trial with a 90% success rate. Experiments 2a and 2b addressed the role of manipulation and observation in tool selection. Subjects performed equally well in conditions in which they could manipulate the tools themselves or saw the experimenter manipulate the tools but decreased their performance if they could only visually inspect the tools. Experiment 3 showed that subjects could select flexible tools (as opposed to rigid ones) to meet new task demands. We conclude that great apes spontaneously selected unfamiliar rigid or flexible tools even after gathering minimal observational information. 2010 APA, all rights reserved

  13. Selection and Rejection in Teacher Education: Qualities of Character Crucial in Selecting and Developing Teacher Education Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGraw, Amanda; Fish, Tim

    2018-01-01

    The focus of recent Australian political and media reports on the selection of candidates for initial teacher education programs has focused on the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) score as one of the key indicators of worth. This narrative study conducted in an Australian regional university focuses on the life stories of twelve…

  14. Selecting and Preparing Teachers and School Leaders to Improve Educational Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bastian, Kevin C.

    2013-01-01

    In the following three studies we explore ways to improve the quality of school-based personnel by identifying characteristics and training of effective teachers and principals. First, to enhance the selection and hiring of teachers into preparation programs and/or school districts, we examine whether teachers' non-cognitive characteristics…

  15. Assessing Teachers' Skills in Detecting and Identifying Effective Interactions in the Classroom: Theory and Measurement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jamil, Faiza M.; Sabol, Terri J.; Hamre, Bridget K.; Pianta, Robert C.

    2015-01-01

    Contemporary education reforms focus on assessing teachers' performance and developing selection mechanisms for hiring effective teachers. Tools that enable the prediction of teachers' classroom performance promote schools' ability to hire teachers more likely to be successful in the classroom. In addition, these assessment tools can be used for…

  16. Teachers' Use of Computational Tools to Construct and Explore Dynamic Mathematical Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Santos-Trigo, Manuel; Reyes-Rodriguez, Aaron

    2011-01-01

    To what extent does the use of computational tools offer teachers the possibility of constructing dynamic models to identify and explore diverse mathematical relations? What ways of reasoning or thinking about the problems emerge during the model construction process that involves the use of the tools? These research questions guided the…

  17. Selected Characteristics of Beginning Science and Mathematics Teachers in Georgia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Jack Caldwell

    One hundred fifty-seven first year science and mathematics teachers were randomly selected from the population of beginning teachers in Georgia for the school years 1965-66 and 1966-67. Instruments used for data collection were the "Classroom Observation Record (COR),""Pupil Observation Survey (POSR),""Bills Index of…

  18. Teacher Evaluation as a Tool for Professional Development: A Case of Saudi Arabia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hakim, Badia Muntazir

    2015-01-01

    This study reports on the use of teacher evaluation and appraisal process as a tool for professional development. A group of 30 teachers from seven different nationalities with diverse qualifications and teaching experiences participated in this case study at the English Language Institute (ELI) at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Saudi Arabia.…

  19. Technology Evaluation Tools and Teacher Performance in Public Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stonehouse, Pauline; Keengwe, Jared

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was, (a) to describe the introduction of mVAL software and Charlotte Danielson Rubrics (CDR) as teacher evaluation tools; (b) to compare the process and outcomes of the new initiative with traditional systems; and (c) to evaluate the software from the perspective of participants in the system. This study highlights the…

  20. Selecting, training and assessing new general practice community teachers in UK medical schools.

    PubMed

    Hydes, Ciaran; Ajjawi, Rola

    2015-09-01

    Standards for undergraduate medical education in the UK, published in Tomorrow's Doctors, include the criterion 'everyone involved in educating medical students will be appropriately selected, trained, supported and appraised'. To establish how new general practice (GP) community teachers of medical students are selected, initially trained and assessed by UK medical schools and establish the extent to which Tomorrow's Doctors standards are being met. A mixed-methods study with questionnaire data collected from 24 lead GPs at UK medical schools, 23 new GP teachers from two medical schools plus a semi-structured telephone interview with two GP leads. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and qualitative data were analysed informed by framework analysis. GP teachers' selection is non-standardised. One hundred per cent of GP leads provide initial training courses for new GP teachers; 50% are mandatory. The content and length of courses varies. All GP leads use student feedback to assess teaching, but other required methods (peer review and patient feedback) are not universally used. To meet General Medical Council standards, medical schools need to include equality and diversity in initial training and use more than one method to assess new GP teachers. Wider debate about the selection, training and assessment of new GP teachers is needed to agree minimum standards.

  1. Connections between Secondary Mathematics Teachers' Beliefs and Their Selection of Tasks for English Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Araujo, Zandra

    2017-01-01

    The tasks teachers select impact students' opportunities to learn mathematics and teachers' beliefs influence their choice of tasks. Through the qualitative analysis of surveys, interviews and classroom artefacts from three secondary mathematics teachers, this study examined teachers' selection of mathematics tasks for English language learners…

  2. Principal Selection Decisions Made by Teachers: The Influence of Principal Candidate Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winter, Paul A.; Jaeger, Mary Grace

    2004-01-01

    Public school teachers (N = 189) role-played as members of school councils making principal selection decisions by rating simulated candidates for principal vacancies. The independent variables were principal candidate job experience, candidate person characteristics, and teacher school level. The dependent variable was teacher rating of the job…

  3. Mediated Authentic Video: A Flexible Tool Supporting a Developmental Approach to Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stutchbury, Kris; Woodward, Clare

    2017-01-01

    YouTube now has more searches than Google, indicating that video is a motivating and, potentially, powerful learning tool. This paper investigates how we can embrace video to support improvements in teacher education. It will draw on innovative approaches to teacher education, developed by the Open University UK, in order to explore in more depth…

  4. Analyzing Online Teacher Networks: Cyber Networks Require Cyber Research Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schlager, Mark S.; Farooq, Umer; Fusco, Judith; Schank, Patricia; Dwyer, Nathan

    2009-01-01

    The authors argue that conceptual and methodological limitations in existing research approaches severely hamper theory building and empirical exploration of teacher learning and collaboration through cyber-enabled networks. They conclude that new frameworks, tools, and techniques are needed to understand and maximize the benefits of teacher…

  5. Developing a Tool to Measure the Impact of E-Learning on the Teachers of Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kumar, M. Rajesh; Kumar, R. Krishna

    2008-01-01

    The trend of using e-learning as a teaching tool is now rapidly expanding into education. Although e-learning environments are becoming popular there is minimal research on the impact of e-learning on the teachers. The purpose of this study is to develop a tool to measure the impact of e-learning on the teachers' of higher education in the Indian…

  6. Differences in Mathematics Teachers' Perceived Preparedness to Demonstrate Competence in Secondary School Mathematics Content by Teacher Characteristics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ng'eno, J. K.; Chesimet, M. C.

    2016-01-01

    A sample of 300 mathematics teachers drawn from a population of 1500 participated in this study. The participants were selected using systematic random sampling and stratified random sampling (stratified by qualification and gender). The data was collected using self-report questionnaires for mathematics teachers. One tool was used to collect…

  7. How Much Professional Development Is Enough? Meeting the Needs of Independent Music Teachers Learning to Use a Digital Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Upitis, Rena; Brook, Julia

    2017-01-01

    Even though there are demonstrated benefits of using online tools to support student musicians, there is a persistent challenge of providing sufficient and effective professional development for independent music teachers to use such tools successfully. This paper describes several methods for helping teachers use an online tool called iSCORE,…

  8. An Investigation on Teacher Retention and Teachers' Perceptions of Cultural Leadership in Selected North Carolina Year Round and Traditional Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Council, Ve-Lecia Selene

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher retention and teachers' perceptions of cultural leadership in select North Carolina elementary year round and traditional elementary schools. The participants in this study were North Carolina elementary teachers that participated in the 2008 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey…

  9. Discerning selective traditions in science education: a qualitative study of teachers' responses to what is important in science teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sund, Per

    2016-06-01

    Science teachers have differing views about what students should learn. Their teaching experience often leads them to develop habitual answers to students' questions, such as—why should I learn this? Some teachers argue that students need to learn more `canonical' science knowledge so that they can become scientists, while others tell students to apply scientific knowledge in order to make their everyday lives easier. If a group of teachers argue and act in similar ways in similar situations, they can be described as working in a similar collective habit. In this study these are called selective traditions in science teaching. In practical terms they work well in everyday, multifaceted, hectic teaching situations. However, the traditions can obstruct the inclusion of socio-scientific issues in national science education tests. Some research has been conducted on selective traditions in written curriculum material, although little is known about how they can be discerned in teachers' descriptions of their science teaching. This study draws on Dewey's discussion of the interplay between individual and collective habits to discern teaching traditions by regarding them as institutionalized teaching habits. A firmly developed analytical tool is applied to the extensive data consisting of twenty-nine Swedish science teachers' responses in semi-structured interviews. The methodology used in this study is inspired by earlier environmental and sustainability education research. The results are discussed in relation to earlier research on `scientific literacy' and how research can support teachers' changes of practice to encourage students to perform better in large-scale tests.

  10. Exploring Preservice Teacher Perspectives on Video Games as Learning Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ray, Beverly B.; Powell, Angiline; Jacobsen, Brenda

    2014-01-01

    Despite their popularity with learners, many K-12 teachers are reluctant to use video games as learning tools. Addressing issues surrounding this reluctance is important since the educational use of video games is supported by learning theory and an emerging research base. Specifically, this study adopts exploratory research as a means to examine…

  11. The Effect of Hidden Curriculum on the Criteria Parents Use to Select Schools and Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sahan, Hasan Hüseyin

    2014-01-01

    A framework of school and teacher qualities has been established by research. The need to identify families' school and teacher selection criteria, in particular, is the main motive behind the present study. It mainly aims to identify the criteria parents use when selecting schools and teachers, or the influence of hidden curriculum on school and…

  12. Novel Tool Selection in Left Brain-Damaged Patients With Apraxia of Tool Use: A Study of Three Cases.

    PubMed

    Osiurak, François; Granjon, Marine; Bonnevie, Isabelle; Brogniart, Joël; Mechtouff, Laura; Benoit, Amandine; Nighoghossian, Norbert; Lesourd, Mathieu

    2018-05-01

    Recent evidence indicates that some left brain-damaged (LBD) patients have difficulties to use familiar tools because of the inability to reason about physical object properties. A fundamental issue is to understand the residual capacity of those LBD patients in tool selection. Three LBD patients with tool use disorders, three right brain-damaged (RBD) patients, and six matched healthy controls performed a novel tool selection task, consisting in extracting a target out from a box by selecting the relevant tool among eight, four, or two tools. Three criteria were manipulated to make relevant and irrelevant tools (size, rigidity, shape). LBD patients selected a greater number of irrelevant tools and had more difficulties to solve the task compared to RBD patients and controls. All participants committed more errors for selecting relevant tools based on rigidity and shape than size. In some LBD patients, the difficulties persisted even in the 2-Choice condition. Our findings confirm that tool use disorders result from impaired technical reasoning, leading patients to meet difficulties in selecting tools based on their physical properties. We also go further by showing that these difficulties can decrease as the choice is reduced, at least for some properties, opening new avenues for rehabilitation programs. (JINS, 2018, 24, 524-529).

  13. Galileo Teacher Training Program - GTTP Days

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heenatigala, T.; Doran, R.

    2012-09-01

    Despite the vast availability of teaching resources on the internet, finding a quality and user-friendly materials is a challenge. Many teachers are not trained with proper computing skills to search for the right materials. With years of expertise training teachers globally, Galileo Teacher Training Program (GTTP) [1] recognize the need of having a go-to place for teachers to access resources. To fill this need GTTP developed - GTTP Days - a program creating resource guides for planetary, lunar and solar fields. Avoiding the imbalance in science resources between the developed and undeveloped world, GTTP Days is available both online and offline as a printable version. Each resource guide covers areas such as scientific knowledge, exploration, observation, photography, art & culture and web tools. The lesson plans of each guide include hands-on activities, web tools, software tools, and activities for people with disabilities [2]. Each activity indicate the concepts used, the skills required and age level which guides the teachers and educators to select the correct content suitable for local curriculum.

  14. Helping School Leaders Help New Teachers: A Tool for Transforming School-Based Induction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Birkeland, Sarah; Feiman-Nemser, Sharon

    2012-01-01

    Ample research demonstrates the power of comprehensive induction to develop and retain new teachers. Education scholars generally agree on what powerful systems of induction include, yet few tools exist for guiding schools in creating such systems. Drawing on theory and practice, we have created such a tool. This article introduces the "Continuum…

  15. The Nature of Selected English Teachers' Online Participation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodesiler, Luke

    2015-01-01

    This article documents an investigation into the nature of selected secondary English teachers' online participation across platforms (i.e., blogs, microblogs, social networking sites) as they explored issues related to teaching, learning, and literacy. Ethnographic content analysis of online artifacts generated over approximately 10 months…

  16. Pre-Service Teachers' Competencies and Perceptions of Necessity about Practical Tools for Content Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eren, Esra; Avci, Zeynep Yurtseven; Kapucu, Munise Seckin

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to investigate pre-service teachers' competencies and their perceptions of necessity about using practical tools for content development. The study was designed using pre- and post-test experimental design method. The study group consisted of 170 pre-service teachers at a public university in Turkey. The Practical Tools…

  17. The effects of environment and ownership on children's innovation of tools and tool material selection.

    PubMed

    Sheridan, Kimberly M; Konopasky, Abigail W; Kirkwood, Sophie; Defeyter, Margaret A

    2016-03-19

    Research indicates that in experimental settings, young children of 3-7 years old are unlikely to devise a simple tool to solve a problem. This series of exploratory studies done in museums in the US and UK explores how environment and ownership of materials may improve children's ability and inclination for (i) tool material selection and (ii) innovation. The first study takes place in a children's museum, an environment where children can use tools and materials freely. We replicated a tool innovation task in this environment and found that while 3-4 year olds showed the predicted low levels of innovation rates, 4-7 year olds showed higher rates of innovation than the younger children and than reported in prior studies. The second study explores the effect of whether the experimental materials are owned by the experimenter or the child on tool selection and innovation. Results showed that 5-6 year olds and 6-7 year olds were more likely to select tool material they owned compared to tool material owned by the experimenter, although ownership had no effect on tool innovation. We argue that learning environments supporting tool exploration and invention and conveying ownership over materials may encourage successful tool innovation at earlier ages. © 2016 The Author(s).

  18. Teachers' Opinion Survey on the Use of ICT Tools to Support Attendance-Based Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Castro Sanchez, Jose Juan; Aleman, Elena Chirino

    2011-01-01

    The present paper reports on the results obtained from a teachers' opinion survey on the use of ICT tools to support of attendance-based teaching. In order to carry out this study, it was necessary to design a questionnaire to collect data among all in-service teachers with access to the university virtual campus. The findings show that…

  19. Concept Map as an Assessment Tool in Secondary School Mathematics: An Analysis of Teachers' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mutodi, Paul; Chigonga, Benard

    2016-01-01

    This paper reports on teachers' views on concept mapping: its applicability; reliability; advantages and; difficulties. A close-ended questionnaire was administered to 50 purposefully selected secondary school mathematics teachers from Sekhukhune District, Limpopo, South Africa. The findings indicate that mathematics teachers generally perceive…

  20. How Do Selected Novice Middle School Teachers from Various Certification Pathways Perceive the Effectiveness of Their Teacher Preparation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hesson, Nicole

    2016-01-01

    This dissertation study compared the three most common pathways of traditional preparation for novice middle level teachers (elementary, middle level, and secondary) and attempted to answer the central question of which group felt best prepared for middle level teaching. Selected novice teachers from each of the three pathways were interviewed and…

  1. An Assessment of Teacher Trainees' Attitudes toward Selected Instructional Media.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koontz, Franklin R.

    This quantitative, descriptive research study measured the attitudes of preservice teachers toward the selection and use of instructional media in the classroom. Two groups were involved in the study: approximately 168 students enrolled in formal training in the selection and utilization of instructional media, and approximately 170 preservice…

  2. FOCUS: A State-Wide Initiative to Select and Retain Transition Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cobia, Debra C.; Stephens, Cynthia E.; Sherer, Gail

    2015-01-01

    Through Focus on Change in Understanding Staff and Staffing Systems in Georgia Public Schools (FOCUS), over 500 teachers of record were recruited, selected, and placed in Georgia's high-need schools. Teachers in the first three cohorts were retained at very high levels as well as achieving full certification. Project outcomes also included the…

  3. Select Novice Elementary Teachers' Perceived Knowledge and Implementation of High-Quality Reading Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bumstead, Stacey

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine select novice teachers' perceived knowledge of high-quality reading instruction, explore the extent that select novice teachers implemented high-quality reading instruction into their own classrooms, and to investigate any factors that explain the similarities and differences between…

  4. Hermeneutics, Accreting Receptions, Hypermedia: A Tool for Reference Versus a Tool for Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nissan, Ephraim; Rossler, Isaac; Weiss, Hillel

    1997-01-01

    Provides a select overview of hypertext and information retrieval tools that support traditional Jewish learning and discusses a project in instructional hypermedia that is applied to teaching, teacher training, and self-instruction in given Bible passages. Highlights include accretion of receptions, hermeneutics, literary appropriations, and…

  5. How Do Selected Novice Middle School Teachers from Various Certification Pathways Perceive the Effectiveness of Their Teacher Preparation?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hesson, Nicole

    2016-01-01

    This study compared the three most common pathways of traditional preparation for novice middle level teachers (elementary, middle level, and secondary) and attempted to answer the central question of which group felt best prepared for middle level teaching. Selected novice teachers from each of the three pathways were interviewed and asked to…

  6. Using Empathic Identification as a Literacy Tool for Building Culturally Responsive Pedagogy with Preservice Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gunn, AnnMarie Alberton; King, James R.

    2015-01-01

    This study explores how teaching cases that featured diversity and literacy issues and self-reflexive writing exercises called postcard narratives can be used as tools by teacher educators for developing a culturally responsive pedagogy with preservice teachers. This study used interviews with the professor, a journal kept by the professor, a…

  7. Blind Man's Bluff: Instructional Leadership, Teacher Selection and Rational Decision-Making.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mertz, Norma T.; McNeely, Sonja R.

    Little research has been done to discover the process of selection of teachers by principals. This paper reports the results of a small study in which 29 principals in 11 districts in Tennessee were interviewed to determine the process used to hire a teacher, with the results analyzed for instructional leadership and rational decision making. If…

  8. Tips for Teachers Selecting Toys to Facilitate Social Interaction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vail, Cynthia O.; Elmore, Shannon Renee

    2011-01-01

    Toy selection is an important role for early childhood teachers. This research-to-practice article describes what research tells us about how toys can affect the social interactions and communication of young children including those with developmental delays.

  9. Computer-Based Cognitive Tools in Teacher Training: The COG-TECH Projects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orhun, Emrah

    2003-01-01

    The COG-TECH (Cognitive Technologies for Problem Solving and Learning) Network conducted three international projects between 1994 and 2001 under the auspices of the European Commission. The main purpose of these projects was to train teacher educators in the Mediterranean countries to use computers as effective pedagogical tools. The summer…

  10. Contextualizing the Tools of a Classical and Christian Homeschooling Mother-Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherfinski, Melissa

    2014-01-01

    This article reports on the resurgence of classical and Christian education in the United States. This education has been especially popular with evangelical homeschooling mother-teachers. It seeks to cultivate the biblical virtues of truth, goodness, and beauty through contemplating scripture. The curriculum relies on the ancient Trivium tools of…

  11. Slowmation: A Twenty-First Century Educational Tool for Science and Mathematics Pre-Service Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paige, Kathryn; Bentley, Brendan; Dobson, Stephen

    2016-01-01

    Slowmation is a twenty-first century digital literacy educational tool. This teaching and learning tool has been incorporated as an assessment strategy in the curriculum area of science and mathematics with pre-service teachers (PSTs). This paper explores two themes: developing twenty-first century digital literacy skills and modelling best…

  12. Observed Characteristics and Teacher Quality: Impacts of Sample Selection on a Value Added Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winters, Marcus A.; Dixon, Bruce L.; Greene, Jay P.

    2012-01-01

    We measure the impact of observed teacher characteristics on student math and reading proficiency using a rich dataset from Florida. We expand upon prior work by accounting directly for nonrandom attrition of teachers from the classroom in a sample selection framework. We find evidence that sample selection is present in the estimation of the…

  13. Do chimpanzees use weight to select hammer tools?

    PubMed

    Schrauf, Cornelia; Call, Josep; Fuwa, Koki; Hirata, Satoshi

    2012-01-01

    The extent to which tool-using animals take into account relevant task parameters is poorly understood. Nut cracking is one of the most complex forms of tool use, the choice of an adequate hammer being a critical aspect in success. Several properties make a hammer suitable for nut cracking, with weight being a key factor in determining the impact of a strike; in general, the greater the weight the fewer strikes required. This study experimentally investigated whether chimpanzees are able to encode the relevance of weight as a property of hammers to crack open nuts. By presenting chimpanzees with three hammers that differed solely in weight, we assessed their ability to relate the weight of the different tools with their effectiveness and thus select the most effective one(s). Our results show that chimpanzees use weight alone in selecting tools to crack open nuts and that experience clearly affects the subjects' attentiveness to the tool properties that are relevant for the task at hand. Chimpanzees can encode the requirements that a nut-cracking tool should meet (in terms of weight) to be effective.

  14. Perspectives and Practices of Elementary Teachers Using an Internet-Based Formative Assessment Tool: The Case of "Assessing Mathematics Concepts"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Christie S.; Polly, Drew; Wang, Chuang; Lambert, Richard G.; Pugalee, David K.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the influence of professional development on elementary school teachers' perceptions of and use of an internet-based formative assessment tool focused on students' number sense skills. Data sources include teacher-participants' pre and post survey, open ended response on post survey, use of the assessment tool and their written…

  15. Teachers' Perceptions of Esri Story Maps as Effective Teaching Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strachan, Caitlin; Mitchell, Jerry

    2014-01-01

    The current study explores teachers' perceptions of Esri Story Maps as effective teaching tools. Story Maps are a relatively new web application created using Esri's cloud-based GIS platform, ArcGIS Online. They combine digitized, dynamic web maps with other story elements to help the creator effectively convey a message. The relative ease…

  16. Comprehension Tools for Teachers: Reading for Understanding from Prekindergarten through Fourth Grade

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connor, Carol McDonald; Phillips, Beth M.; Kaschak, Michael; Apel, Kenn; Kim, Young-Suk; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Crowe, Elizabeth C.; Thomas-Tate, Shurita; Johnson, Lakeisha Cooper; Lonigan, Christopher J.

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes the theoretical framework, as well as the development and testing of the intervention, "Comprehension Tools for Teachers" (CTT), which is composed of eight component interventions targeting malleable language and reading comprehension skills that emerging research indicates contribute to proficient reading for…

  17. Parameters of the Teacher Aide Role: A Study of Teacher Aides in Selected Gulf Coast School Districts. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeHart, Ruth

    A survey was conducted to provide information of use to school administrators as they plan for initial or continued use of paraprofessional personnel. A questionnaire was developed for use in interviews with 63 principals, supervising teachers and librarians, and teacher aides in 17 randomly selected Texas school districts in the GUSREDA (Gulf…

  18. Curriculum Decisions--The Challenges of Teacher Autonomy over Knowledge Selection for History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ormond, Barbara Mary

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores the challenges for teachers in positioning them as independent curriculum makers. History teachers in New Zealand have recently entered uncharted territory with the abandonment of prescribed topics for history and a new-found authority to determine the selection of historical knowledge taught to their senior secondary students.…

  19. Procedures and Tools Used by Teachers When Completing Functional Vision Assessments with Children with Visual Impairments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaiser, Justin T.; Herzberg, Tina S.

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: This study analyzed survey responses from 314 teachers of students with visual impairments regarding the tools and procedures used in completing functional vision assessments (FVAs). Methods: Teachers of students with visual impairments in the United States and Canada completed an online survey during spring 2016. Results: The…

  20. Censorship and the Teacher of English: A Questionnaire Survey of a Selected Sample of Secondary School Teachers of English.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahrens, Nyla Herber

    A study designed to provide a systematic description of the incidence of censorship and the censorship incidents reported by a selected group of teachers during a specified time period is presented. Objectives are: (1) to provide some measure of the frequency of censorship incidents experienced by a sample population of teachers of English, and…

  1. Portfolio of Evidence: An Assessment Tool in Promoting Geometry Achievement among Teacher Education College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weldeana, Hailu Nigus; Sbhatu, Desta Berhe

    2017-01-01

    Background: This article reports contributions of an assessment tool called Portfolio of Evidence (PE) in learning college geometry. Material and methods: Two classes of second-year students from one Ethiopian teacher education college, assigned into Treatment and Comparison classes, were participated. The assessment tools used in the Treatment…

  2. The Influence of Theoretical Tools on Teachers' Orientation to Notice and Classroom Practice: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mellone, Maria

    2011-01-01

    Assumptions about the construction and the transmission of knowledge and about the nature of mathematics always underlie any teaching practice, even if often unconsciously. I examine the conjecture that theoretical tools suitably chosen can help the teacher to make such assumptions explicit and to support the teacher's reflection on his/her…

  3. Teaching Self-Efficacy of a Selected Group of Secondary Health Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hutchins, Matt; Melancon, Jim; Nunning, Jennifer R.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to test the Health Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale (HTSES) with a group of secondary health education teachers. In addition, comfort levels with various subject areas and years of teaching experience data were also gathered. All secondary health teachers in a selected Midwestern state were recruited via email to…

  4. Multi-Media and Technology Tools: Curriculum and Activities for Idaho Business Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yopp, Marty; Kitchel, K. Allen; Allen, Tacey

    This guide contains information, curriculum, and activities that provide business teachers with a tool for using the World Wide Web, multimedia, and technology to enhance their programs. The opening sections contain the following: computer use policy, multimedia fact sheet, tips on using Netscape Navigator, directory of educational resources on…

  5. Entheogens and Existential Intelligence: The Use of Plant Teachers as Cognitive Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tupper, Kenneth W.

    2002-01-01

    In light of recent specific liberalizations in drug laws in some countries, I have investigated the potential of entheogens (i.e., psychoactive plants used as spiritual sacraments) as tools to facilitate existential intelligence. "Plant teachers" from the Americas such as ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, and peyote, and the Indo-Aryan…

  6. Teachers' Emotional Responses to New Pedagogical Tools in High Challenge Settings: Illustrations from the Northern Territory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harper, Helen

    2012-01-01

    This paper explores the role of teachers' emotions in adopting new pedagogical tools in urban and remote schools in the Northern Territory. The discussion is illustrated through case study material of Northern Territory teachers who had taken up using a web-based early childhood literacy resource called ABRACADABRA. A sociocultural perspective is…

  7. Factors influencing exemplary science teachers' levels of computer use

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hakverdi, Meral

    This study examines exemplary science teachers' use of technology in science instruction, factors influencing their level of computer use, their level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction, their use of computer-related applications/tools during their instruction, and their students' use of computer applications/tools in or for their science class. After a relevant review of the literature certain variables were selected for analysis. These variables included personal self-efficacy in teaching with computers, outcome expectancy, pupil-control ideology, level of computer use, age, gender, teaching experience, personal computer use, professional computer use and science teachers' level of knowledge/skills in using specific computer applications for science instruction. The sample for this study includes middle and high school science teachers who received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching Award (sponsored by the White House and the National Science Foundation) between the years 1997 and 2003 from all 50 states and U.S. territories. Award-winning science teachers were contacted about the survey via e-mail or letter with an enclosed return envelope. Of the 334 award-winning science teachers, usable responses were received from 92 science teachers, which made a response rate of 27.5%. Analysis of the survey responses indicated that exemplary science teachers have a variety of knowledge/skills in using computer related applications/tools. The most commonly used computer applications/tools are information retrieval via the Internet, presentation tools, online communication, digital cameras, and data collection probes. Results of the study revealed that students' use of technology in their science classroom is highly correlated with the frequency of their science teachers' use of computer applications/tools. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that personal self-efficacy related to

  8. 34 CFR 611.12 - What additional selection criteria are used for an application proposing teacher recruitment...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... EDUCATION TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS PROGRAM State Grants Program § 611.12 What additional selection... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What additional selection criteria are used for an application proposing teacher recruitment activities? 611.12 Section 611.12 Education Regulations of the...

  9. Environment: The Human Impact. Selections from "The Science Teacher."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amidei, Rosemary E., Comp.

    Selections from "The Science Teacher" magazine, appearing generally between January 1970 and May 1972, are offered in this compilation. Articles are divided into four sections: (1) A Point of View--personal perspectives on the nature and scope of the environmental problem, (2) Aspects of the Problem--relevant background material, (3) Environmental…

  10. Academic Optimism and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour amongst Secondary School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Makvandi, Abdollah; Naderi, Farah; Makvandi, Behnam; Pasha, Reza; Ehteshamzadeh, Parvin

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate the simple and multiple relationships between academic optimism and organizational-citizenship behavior amongst high school teachers in Ramhormoz, Iran. The sample consisted of 250 (125 female and 125 male) teachers, selected by stratified random sampling in 2016- 2017. The measurement tools included…

  11. [A case with apraxia of tool use: selective inability to form a hand posture for a tool].

    PubMed

    Hayakawa, Yuko; Fujii, Toshikatsu; Yamadori, Atsushi; Meguro, Kenichi; Suzuki, Kyoko

    2015-03-01

    Impaired tool use is recognized as a symptom of ideational apraxia. While many studies have focused on difficulties in producing gestures as a whole, using tools involves several steps; these include forming hand postures appropriate for the use of certain tool, selecting objects or body parts to act on, and producing gestures. In previously reported cases, both producing and recognizing hand postures were impaired. Here we report the first case showing a selective impairment of forming hand postures appropriate for tools with preserved recognition of the required hand postures. A 24-year-old, right-handed man was admitted to hospital because of sensory impairment of the right side of the body, mild aphasia, and impaired tool use due to left parietal subcortical hemorrhage. His ability to make symbolic gestures, copy finger postures, and orient his hand to pass a slit was well preserved. Semantic knowledge for tools and hand postures was also intact. He could flawlessly select the correct hand postures in recognition tasks. He only demonstrated difficulties in forming a hand posture appropriate for a tool. Once he properly grasped a tool by trial and error, he could use it without hesitation. These observations suggest that each step of tool use should be thoroughly examined in patients with ideational apraxia.

  12. Rating a Teacher Observation Tool: Five Ways to Ensure Classroom Observations are Focused and Rigorous

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New Teacher Project, 2011

    2011-01-01

    This "Rating a Teacher Observation Tool" identifies five simple questions and provides an easy-to-use scorecard to help policymakers decide whether an observation framework is likely to produce fair and accurate results. The five questions are: (1) Do the criteria and tools cover the classroom performance areas most connected to student outcomes?…

  13. Energy Conservation: A Workshop for Selected Eastern U.S. Industrial Arts Teacher Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wenig, Robert E., Ed.

    This set of 25 instructional modules was produced by a group of industrial arts teacher educators, local teachers, and supervisors from eastern United States. Topic areas of these modules include: societal implications of the energy situation; awareness of energy terms, supply, and use; assessment of conventional and selected renewable alternative…

  14. TEACHER PREPARATION--SELECTED READINGS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Modern Language Association of America, New York, NY.

    DESIGNED PRIMARILY FOR PERSONS INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHING OR IMPROVING PROGRAMS OF TEACHER EDUCATION IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES, THIS COLLECTION CONTAINS ARTICLES, RESEARCH REPORTS, SURVEYS, AND GUIDELINES PUBLISHED FROM 1956 TO 1966. INCLUDED ARE--(1) "GUIDELINES FOR TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN MFLS," (2) "THE EDUCATION OF THE MFL…

  15. An Investigation of the Factors That Influence Preservice Teachers' Intentions and Integration of Web 2.0 Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadaf, Ayesha; Newby, Timothy J.; Ertmer, Peggy A.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to investigate factors that predict preservice teachers' intentions and actual uses of Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms. A two-phase, mixed method, sequential explanatory design was used. The first phase explored factors, based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior, that predict preservice teachers' intentions…

  16. Teachers' Views on Digital Educational Tools in English Language Learning: Benefits and Challenges in the Turkish Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Çelik, Servet; Aytin, Kübra

    2014-01-01

    Despite the clear benefits provided by digital educational tools, Turkish teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) are often seen as failing to take advantage of computing technologies in the classroom. Deficiencies in terms of teachers' digital literacies are often faulted for this omission. The majority of studies concerning Turkish EFL…

  17. Robust Implementation of MDC: Teacher Perceptions of Tool Use and Outcomes. Brief Three

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lawrence, Nancy; Sanders, Felicia

    2012-01-01

    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high-quality instructional and formative assessment tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Lessons from the first generation of standards-based reforms suggest that intense…

  18. Robust Implementation of LDC: Teacher Perceptions of Tool Use and Outcomes. Brief Two

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reumann-Moore, Rebecca; Sanders, Felicia

    2012-01-01

    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has invested in the development and dissemination of high-quality instructional and formative assessment tools to support teachers' incorporation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) into their classroom instruction. Lessons from the first generation of standards-based reforms suggest that intense…

  19. Selection through Interviewing: Entrance Procedures in Teacher Recruitment. Coombe Lodge Research Report. Information Bank Number 1837.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theodossin, Ernest

    This study looks briefly at work done in the field of teacher selection. It then examines the interviewing arrangements at Balls Park College (Australia) in 1970-71, when candidates were being selected for the teacher training course which began in October 1971. An attempt is made to discern relationships existing among: (1) the data available to…

  20. Design of Teacher Assistance Tools in an Exploratory Learning Environment for Algebraic Generalization

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gutierrez-Santos, S.; Geraniou, E.; Pearce-Lazard, D.; Poulovassilis, A.

    2012-01-01

    The MiGen project is designing and developing an intelligent exploratory environment to support 11-14-year-old students in their learning of algebraic generalization. Deployed within the classroom, the system also provides tools to assist teachers in monitoring students' activities and progress. This paper describes the design of these Teacher…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

    2012-01-01

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

  2. Tools for the Classroom? an Examination of Existing Sociometric Methods for Teacher Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McMullen, Jake A.; Veermans, Koen; Laine, Kaarina

    2014-01-01

    Despite the recent technical and theoretical advances in the investigation of children's social relations, the inherent complexity of these methods may prevent their easy integration into the classroom. A simple and effective tool can be valuable for teachers who wish to investigate students' social realities in the classroom. Therefore, the…

  3. Video as a Professional Development Tool to Support Novice Teachers as They Learn to Teach English Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Estapa, Anne; Pinnow, Rachel J.; Chval, Kathryn B.

    2016-01-01

    This two-year study investigated how an innovative video tool enhanced novice-teacher noticing abilities and instructional practice in relation to teaching mathematics to English language learners in third grade classrooms. Specifically, teachers viewed videos of their mathematics lessons that were filmed by Latino English language learners who…

  4. You're Hired! A Study Investigating Selection Practices for High School Teachers and the High School Principals' Role in Decision-Making

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mulieri, Vincent K.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher selection practices in public high schools on Long Island, New York. More specifically, this study sought to identify criteria used to guide teacher selection, how the criteria are developed and used within the process, and the role of the principal in teacher selection. This research was…

  5. 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…

  6. Selection tool for foodborne norovirus outbreaks.

    PubMed

    Verhoef, Linda P B; Kroneman, Annelies; van Duynhoven, Yvonne; Boshuizen, Hendriek; van Pelt, Wilfrid; Koopmans, Marion

    2009-01-01

    Detection of pathogens in the food chain is limited mainly to bacteria, and the globalization of the food industry enables international viral foodborne outbreaks to occur. Outbreaks from 2002 through 2006 recorded in a European norovirus surveillance database were investigated for virologic and epidemiologic indicators of food relatedness. The resulting validated multivariate logistic regression model comparing foodborne (n = 224) and person-to-person (n = 654) outbreaks was used to create a practical web-based tool that can be limited to epidemiologic parameters for nongenotyping countries. Non-genogroup-II.4 outbreaks, higher numbers of cases, and outbreaks in restaurants or households characterized (sensitivity = 0.80, specificity = 0.86) foodborne outbreaks and reduced the percentage of outbreaks requiring source-tracing to 31%. The selection tool enabled prospectively focused follow-up. Use of this tool is likely to improve data quality and strain typing in current surveillance systems, which is necessary for identification of potential international foodborne outbreaks.

  7. Studying Teacher Selection of Resources in an Ultra-Large Scale Interactive System: Does Metadata Guide the Way?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abramovich, Samuel; Schunn, Christian

    2012-01-01

    Ultra-large-scale interactive systems on the Internet have begun to change how teachers prepare for instruction, particularly in regards to resource selection. Consequently, it is important to look at how teachers are currently selecting resources beyond content or keyword search. We conducted a two-part observational study of an existing popular…

  8. Easy Ergonomics: A Guide to Selecting Non-Powered Hand Tools

    MedlinePlus

    ... identifying the presence or absence of basic ergonomic design features (Dababneh et al.*). The right tool will ... Cal/OSHA). Both agencies recognize the importance of design and selection of hand tools in strategies to ...

  9. Access, Use and Perceptions of Teachers and Students towards Mobile Phones as a Tool for Teaching and Learning in Tanzania

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kafyulilo, Ayoub

    2014-01-01

    This study explored the access, use and perceptions of teachers and students towards mobile phones as a tool for facilitating teaching and learning beyond the classroom walls. A total of 29 pre-service teachers and four college instructors from Dar es salaam University College of Education (DUCE) as well as 12 in-service teachers and 40 students…

  10. The Right "Fit": Exploring Science Teacher Candidates' Approaches to Natural Selection Within a Clinical Simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dotger, Benjamin; Dotger, Sharon; Masingila, Joanna; Rozelle, Jeffrey; Bearkland, Mary; Binnert, Ashley

    2018-06-01

    Teachers and students struggle with the complexities surrounding the evolution of species and the process of natural selection. This article examines how science teacher candidates (STCs) engage in a clinical simulation that foregrounds two common challenges associated with natural selection—students' understanding of "survival of the fittest" and the variation of species over time. We outline the medical education pedagogy of clinical simulations and its recent diffusion to teacher education. Then, we outline the study that situates each STC in a one-to-one interaction with a standardized student who is struggling to accurately interpret natural selection concepts. In simulation with the standardized student, each STC is challenged to recognize content misconceptions and respond with appropriate instructional strategies and accurate explanations. Findings and implications center on the STCs' instructional practices in the simulation and the use of clinical learning environments to foster science teacher learning.

  11. The Right "Fit": Exploring Science Teacher Candidates' Approaches to Natural Selection Within a Clinical Simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dotger, Benjamin; Dotger, Sharon; Masingila, Joanna; Rozelle, Jeffrey; Bearkland, Mary; Binnert, Ashley

    2017-04-01

    Teachers and students struggle with the complexities surrounding the evolution of species and the process of natural selection. This article examines how science teacher candidates (STCs) engage in a clinical simulation that foregrounds two common challenges associated with natural selection—students' understanding of "survival of the fittest" and the variation of species over time. We outline the medical education pedagogy of clinical simulations and its recent diffusion to teacher education. Then, we outline the study that situates each STC in a one-to-one interaction with a standardized student who is struggling to accurately interpret natural selection concepts. In simulation with the standardized student, each STC is challenged to recognize content misconceptions and respond with appropriate instructional strategies and accurate explanations. Findings and implications center on the STCs' instructional practices in the simulation and the use of clinical learning environments to foster science teacher learning.

  12. The Value of Reliable Data: Interactive Data Tools from the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality. Policy-to-Practice Brief. Number 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, 2008

    2008-01-01

    The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (TQ Center) designed the Interactive Data Tools to provide users with access to state and national data that can be helpful in assessing the qualifications of teachers in the states and the extent to which a state's teacher policy climate generally supports teacher quality. The Interactive Data…

  13. The Role of School District Science Coordinators in the District-Wide Appropriation of an Online Resource Discovery and Sharing Tool for Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Victor R.; Leary, Heather M.; Sellers, Linda; Recker, Mimi

    2014-06-01

    When introducing and implementing a new technology for science teachers within a school district, we must consider not only the end users but also the roles and influence district personnel have on the eventual appropriation of that technology. School districts are, by their nature, complex systems with multiple individuals at different levels in the organization who are involved in supporting and providing instruction. Varying levels of support for new technologies between district coordinators and teachers can sometimes lead to counterintuitive outcomes. In this article, we examine the role of the district science coordinator in five school districts that participated in the implementation of an online resource discovery and sharing tool for Earth science teachers. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted and coded interviews with district coordinators and teachers to examine the varied responsibilities associated with the district coordinator and to infer the relationships that were developed and perceived by teachers. We then examine and discuss two cases that illustrate how those relationships could have influenced how the tool was adopted and used to differing degrees in the two districts. Specifically, the district that had high support for online resource use from its coordinator appeared to have the lowest level of tool use, and the district with much less visible support from its coordinator had the highest level of tool use. We explain this difference in terms of how the coordinator's promotion of teacher autonomy took distinctly different forms at those two districts.

  14. Reflective Journaling: A Tool for Teacher Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dreyer, Lorna M.

    2015-01-01

    This qualitative study explores the introduction of postgraduate education students to reflective journaling as a tool for professional development. Students were purposefully selected to keep a weekly journal in which they reflected in and on the activities (methodologies, techniques, strategies) they engaged in while executing a workplace…

  15. Teacher Perceptions and Experiences Using the Apple iPad as an Instructional Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perez, Carlos Raul, Jr.

    2017-01-01

    The number of iPads in classrooms throughout the country is growing at a staggering rate. Educators and school districts are implementing iPad initiatives to enhance instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine high school teachers' experiences and perceptions after using the Apple iPad as an instructional tool in the classroom. An…

  16. Selective Teacher Attention in Lower-Income Countries: A Phenomenon Linked to Dropout and Illiteracy?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abadzi, Helen; Llambiri, Stavri

    2011-01-01

    In lower-income countries students face an important challenge that has not been well documented: selective teacher attention. In classes with many low-income students, teachers may concentrate on those few who can perform and neglect those who require more help. The latter may fail to learn, attend school less often, and eventually drop out.…

  17. A Review of Language Teacher Selection Examination and Recruitment in Turkey and Poland

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kiliçkaya, Ferit; Krajka, Jaroslaw

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents a review of language teacher selection examination and recruitment in Turkey and Poland, together with the national assessments conducted to assess candidates entering the teaching profession such as Praxis I and II and the Teaching Knowledge Test. It further discusses KPSS (Selection Examination for Professional Posts in…

  18. WWC Review of the Report "Incentives, Selection, and Teacher Performance: Evidence from IMPACT." What Works Clearinghouse Single Study Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2014

    2014-01-01

    The 2013 study, "Incentives, Selection, and Teacher Performance: Evidence from IMPACT" examined the effects of "IMPACT," a teacher evaluation system used in the District of Columbia Public Schools, on teacher retention and performance. "IMPACT" assigns each teacher a single performance score based on classroom…

  19. Investigating Qualities of Teachers' Feedback Conversations for Fostering Reasoning and Feeling of Self-Worth in Learners: A Tool Called Feedback Mapping

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quynn, Jennifer Ann

    2013-01-01

    Teacher feedback has been identified throughout the educational literature as a powerful classroom intervention. However few tools exist that allow teachers to understand their own feedback practice. This study details a method for evaluating the feedback experiences of students. The feedback conversations of middle school science teachers were…

  20. Perceived Benefits and Attitudes of Student Teachers to Web-Quest as a Motivating, Creative and Inquiry-Based Learning Tool in Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aina, Samuel Ayobami; Sofowora, Alaba Olaniyi

    2013-01-01

    This study discussed how the Department of Teacher Education, University of Ibadan utilized Web-Quest as a motivating and creative tool to teach a compulsory and large pre-service teachers' Course (TEE 304) The study also investigated the attitude and perception of pre-service teachers to the use of Web-Quest. The results showed that the sample…

  1. Modeling surgical tool selection patterns as a "traveling salesman problem" for optimizing a modular surgical tool system.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Carl A; Miller, David J; Oleynikov, Dmitry

    2008-01-01

    As modular systems come into the forefront of robotic telesurgery, streamlining the process of selecting surgical tools becomes an important consideration. This paper presents a method for optimal queuing of tools in modular surgical tool systems, based on patterns in tool-use sequences, in order to minimize time spent changing tools. The solution approach is to model the set of tools as a graph, with tool-change frequency expressed as edge weights in the graph, and to solve the Traveling Salesman Problem for the graph. In a set of simulations, this method has shown superior performance at optimizing tool arrangements for streamlining surgical procedures.

  2. Generative Text Sets: Tools for Negotiating Critically Inclusive Early Childhood Teacher Education Pedagogical Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Souto-Manning, Mariana

    2017-01-01

    Through a case study, this article sheds light onto generative text sets as tools for developing and enacting critically inclusive early childhood teacher education pedagogies. In doing so, it positions teaching and learning processes as sociocultural, historical, and political acts as it inquires into the use of generative text sets in one early…

  3. Peer Observation: A Professional Learning Tool for English Language Teachers in an EFL Institute

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahmed, Ejaz; Nordin, Zaimuariffudin Shukri; Shah, Sayyed Rashid; Channa, Mansoor Ahmed

    2018-01-01

    The key aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of English as foreign language (EFL) teachers about peer observation as a tool for professional development that is implemented in an English Language Institute of a Saudi Arabian university. This paper reviews literature on peer observation to develop a conceptual and theoretical…

  4. Making Sense of Conceptual Tools in Student-Generated Cases: Student Teachers' Problem-Solving Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jahreie, Cecilie Flo

    2010-01-01

    This article examines the way student teachers make sense of conceptual tools when writing cases. In order to understand the problem-solving process, an analysis of the interactions is conducted. The findings show that transforming practical experiences into theoretical reflection is not a straightforward matter. To be able to elaborate on the…

  5. Validation of the Early Childhood Ecology Scale-Revised: A Reflective Tool for Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flores, Belinda Bustos; Casebeer, Cindy M.; Riojas-Cortez, Mari

    2011-01-01

    Given increasing numbers of young culturally and/or linguistically diverse (CLD) children across the United States, it is crucial to prepare early childhood teachers to create high-quality environments that facilitate the development of all children. The Early Childhood Ecology Scale-Revised (ECES-R) has been developed as a reflective tool to help…

  6. Using Virtual Environments as Professional Development Tools for Pre-Service Teachers Seeking ESOL Endorsement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blankenship, Rebecca J.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential use of Second Life (Linden Labs, 2004) and Skype (Skype Limited, 2009) as simulated virtual professional development tools for pre-service teachers seeking endorsement in teaching English as a Second Official Language (ESOL). Second Life is an avatar-based Internet program that allows…

  7. Computer Applications in Instruction: A Teacher's Guide to Selection and Use.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edwards, Judith B.; And Others

    Intended for upper elementary and secondary teachers in all subject areas, this guide provides practical advice on determining the appropriate application of computer technology and on the selection of specific, subject-related computer-based instruction units. Under the heading of hardware and software, topics discussed include communicating with…

  8. Development of a Brief Pre-Implementation Screening Tool to Identify Teachers Who Are at Risk for Not Implementing Intervention Curriculum and High-Implementing Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Bo; Stanton, Bonita; Lunn, Sonja; Patel, Pooja; Koci, Veronica; Deveaux, Lynette

    2017-01-01

    Few questionnaires have been developed to screen for potentially poor implementers of school-based interventions. This study combines teacher characteristics, perceptions, and teaching/training experiences to develop a short screening tool that can identify potential "low-performing" or "high-performing" teachers…

  9. [The portfolio in health sciences teacher education: a tool for learning and assessment].

    PubMed

    Roni, Carolina; Eder, María L; Schwartzman, Gisela

    2013-01-01

    The Portfolio is an assessment tool of learning that recently appears in academic forums, and since 2008 is part of the University Teacher Education Program (Teaching Training) at University Institute of Hospital Italiano. Was included to allow teachers reflect on their own practices and accompany them in their educational work everyday. This paper shares the evaluative experience focused on the educational value of the writing process of the Portfolio, as long as is a reflection and a learning tool, by the relationship that promotes between theory and practice. Writing promotes psychological processes that enable students gain new meanings of the knowledge and take over them. At the same time, it can attend the construction of practical rationality that governs the ways of intervening in the classroom, because they write and reflect from their own teaching work. They have been introduced changes in the proposed during the course of its implementation to preserve its purposes: to accompany the draft review, jointly define index, etc. Students point that it is high impact training and conclude that writing is re-think about what they have learned, and therefore keep learning.

  10. Selection of Instructional Methods and Techniques: The Basic Consideration of Teachers at Secondary School Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahmad, Saira Ijaz; Malik, Samina; Irum, Jamila; Zahid, Rabia

    2011-01-01

    The main objective of the study was to identify the instructional methods and techniques used by the secondary school teachers to transfer the instructions to the students and to explore the basic considerations of the teachers about the selection of these instructional methods and techniques. Participants of the study included were 442 teachers…

  11. Permanent Teacher Preparation for Substitute Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hardman, Steve; Tippetts, Zachary

    2001-01-01

    Presents information about what should be communicated to substitute teachers and why it is important, focusing on the substitute teacher's role, classroom management tools, curriculum management, and preparing students for the substitute teacher by creating bridges that will help minimize the sense of separation students feel when they have a…

  12. The Nature of Selection and Judging for the Teacher of the Year Award.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKenna, Bonnie; And Others

    This paper reports on the investigation of the operation of the Teacher of the Year Award program in 28 states. It focuses on the method of selection for recipients of this award, and explores the nature of the judging process used in selecting candidates at both the state and national levels. Specific objectives are: (1) to determine the criteria…

  13. Science Teachers' Use of a Concept Map Marking Guide as a Formative Assessment Tool for the Concept of Energy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Won, Mihye; Krabbe, Heiko; Ley, Siv Ling; Treagust, David F.; Fischer, Hans E.

    2017-01-01

    In this study, we investigated the value of a concept map marking guide as an alternative formative assessment tool for science teachers to adopt for the topic of energy. Eight high school science teachers marked students' concept maps using an itemized holistic marking guide. Their marking was compared with the researchers' marking and the scores…

  14. Selective traditions in group discussions: teachers' views about good science and the possible obstacles when encountering a new topic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lundqvist, Eva; Sund, Per

    2016-11-01

    There is an ongoing discussion about what content that should be taught in science education and there are different views among teachers about what represent good science content. However, teachers are not isolated individuals making their own interpretations, but are part of institutionalised systems building on patterns in the selection of teaching goals and content. Earlier research shows that teachers teach in alignment with different selective traditions, which can be understood as well-developed teaching habits. Individual teachers seem to develop their personal habits on the basis of the contextual situations created by earlier generations of teachers. In order to find out which content teachers find representative for science education, we asked nine teachers to take part in group interviews to talk about what they value as "good" science content. The participants were grouped according to their selective traditions expressed in earlier studies. The method was used to dynamically explore, challenge and highlight teachers' views. The starting point for the group discussions is national tests in science. In Sweden, national tests in biology, physics and chemistry were introduced in secondary school science (year 9) in 2009. One overarching aim of these tests is to support the implementation of the science curricula and to include for example knowledge about socio-scientific issues (SSI). The content of the tests can consequently be seen as important for teachers to consider. The findings show that `resistance' to including SSI is not just an issue for individual teachers. As individuals teachers can create many kinds of obstacles, but still be interested in integrating SSI in their science teaching. However, in group discussions the teachers tend to collectively adopt the scientific rational discourse. This discourse is what joins them and creates their common identity as science teachers. In turn, they seek to free scientific knowledge from social knowledge

  15. How Education Affects Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge: Unpacking Selected Aspects of Teacher Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koponen, Mika; Asikainen, Mervi A.; Viholainen, Antti; Hirvonen, Pekka E.

    2017-01-01

    It is no surprise that all mathematics teacher education programs attempt to increase future teachers' knowledge, since teachers' knowledge has an effect not only on their teaching but also on their students' achievements. However, measuring the relationship between teachers' knowledge and their education is overly demanding. In this study we…

  16. Exploring Teachers' Read-Aloud Book Selections: What Drives the Decision

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ross, Rachael L.

    2017-01-01

    Reading aloud is a common classroom practice that has many cognitive and affective benefits for students. Early childhood teachers conduct read-aloud events in classrooms across the country on a daily basis. A read-aloud event could not occur without the intentional selection of a book. This exploratory, sequential mixed method study explored the…

  17. The Walkthrough Observation: The Elementary Principals' and Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of the Walkthrough Observation Tool Affect on Professional Growth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walsh, Rick A.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of the elementary principals' and elementary teachers' experiences utilizing the Western Pennsylvania Principal's Academy Walkthrough Observation Tool as a meaningful tool for professional growth for during the years 2011 to 2013. The researcher utilized Charlotte Danielson's…

  18. Teachers Teaching Teachers (T3)[TM]. Volume 5, Number 3

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crow, Tracy, Ed.

    2009-01-01

    "Teachers Teaching Teachers" ("T3") focuses on coaches' roles in the professional development of teachers. Each issue also explores the challenges and rewards that teacher leaders encounter. This issue includes: (1) Building Bridges: Data Help Instructional Coach Make Vital Connections with Teachers (Theresa Long); (2) NSDC Tool: Instructional…

  19. The Effectiveness of Using Teacher-Teacher Wikis in Collaborative Lesson Planning and Its Impact on Teacher's Classroom Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Shareef, Samar Yahya; Al-Qarni, Reem Ali

    2016-01-01

    The paper highlights the main aspects and characteristic features of teacher-teacher Wikis, which are considered to be the most effective teaching and learning tools. The research studies the effectiveness of using Wikis by teachers during collaborative lesson planning. It also traces the impact of teacher-teacher Wikis on the teachers'…

  20. Inservice teachers' implementation of the Science Writing Heuristic as a tool for professional growth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Omar, Sozan H.

    According to the National Science Standards, science educators have been calling for the inclusion of inquiry-based approaches in science classrooms as a reform for science instruction. Teachers' reluctance to implement inquiry-based approaches may be attributed to the different interpretations of the underpinning theory. Any efforts to help teachers implement effective teaching approaches, therefore, should not target merely additive skills; rather, such efforts should foster fundamental changes of beliefs, knowledge, and habits of practice that teachers deeply hold. This study is a part of a bigger project known as the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) Partnership Professional Development Project, conducted at Iowa State University in association with the Iowa Department of Education to help improve science teaching. The aim of the project is to help in service science teachers understand and apply a student-oriented instructional approach, using the SWH. The framework of the SWH emphasizes the role of classroom dialogical discussion in students' learning. The role of the teacher when implementing constructivist approaches represented in a student-oriented instruction, differs markedly from traditional approaches, and hence there is a need to study the changes in teaching practice when using this specific tool. The methodological framework of this study combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Interpretative case studies for 18 science teachers are presented. A triangulation strategy was used to provide support for the qualitative findings using three different data collection approaches: observation, questionnaire, and interviews. Quantitative data in the form of student performance on higher order conceptual questions and total test scores were collected. Teachers varied in their implementation of the SWH. Three criteria were constructed to define teachers' levels of implementation: epistemological belief, pedagogical practice, and teacher content knowledge

  1. Metaphor as a Methodological Tool: Identifying Teachers' Social Justice Dispositions across Diverse Secondary School Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mills, Carmen; Molla, Tebeje; Gale, Trevor; Cross, Russell; Parker, Stephen; Smith, Catherine

    2017-01-01

    This article investigates the social justice dispositions of teachers and principals in secondary schools as inferred from their metaphoric expressions. Drawing on a Bourdieuian account of disposition, our focus is the use of metaphor as a methodological tool to identify and reveal these otherwise latent forces within our data. Our analysis shows…

  2. Teachers' Perceptions and Attitudes toward the Implementation of Web 2.0 Tools in Secondary Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quadri, Lekan Kamil

    2014-01-01

    Researchers have concluded that Web 2.0 technologies offered many educational benefits. However, many secondary teachers in a large northwestern school district were not using Web 2.0 tools in spite of its possibilities for teaching and learning. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research was to explore the relationships between the…

  3. Using Multiple Lenses to Examine the Development of Beginning Biology Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Natural Selection Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sickel, Aaron J.; Friedrichsen, Patricia

    2018-02-01

    Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has become a useful construct to examine science teacher learning. Yet, researchers conceptualize PCK development in different ways. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to use three analytic lenses to understand the development of three beginning biology teachers' PCK for teaching natural selection simulations. We observed three early-career biology teachers as they taught natural selection in their respective school contexts over two consecutive years. Data consisted of six interviews with each participant. Using the PCK model developed by Magnusson et al. (1999), we examined topic-specific PCK development utilizing three different lenses: (1) expansion of knowledge within an individual knowledge base, (2) integration of knowledge across knowledge bases, and (3) knowledge that explicitly addressed core concepts of natural selection. We found commonalities across the participants, yet each lens was also useful to understand the influence of different factors (e.g., orientation, subject matter preparation, and the idiosyncratic nature of teacher knowledge) on PCK development. This multi-angle approach provides implications for considering the quality of beginning science teachers' knowledge and future research on PCK development. We conclude with an argument that explicitly communicating lenses used to understand PCK development will help the research community compare analytic approaches and better understand the nature of science teacher learning.

  4. Children's Books about Special Needs Used as a Mediating Tool, The Perceptions of Inclusion Classroom Teachers in Mainstream Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lea, Baratz

    2015-01-01

    The current study addresses the disparity between the awareness of teachers in special education frameworks regarding the important role of books as a mediating tool and their reticence to use this tool. Twenty three interviews were conducted in two stages: before and after using the book "Shelley the Hyperactive Turtle" in the…

  5. Race, Gender, and Teacher Testing: How Informative a Tool Is Teacher Licensure Testing?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldhaber, Dan; Hansen, Michael

    2010-01-01

    Virtually all states require teachers to undergo licensure testing before participation in the public school labor market. This article analyzes the information these tests provide about teacher effectiveness. The authors find that licensure tests have different predicative validity for student achievement by teacher race. They also find that…

  6. A TPACK Diagnostic Tool for Teacher Education Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graziano, Kevin J.; Herring, Mary C.; Carpenter, Jeffrey P.; Smaldino, Sharon; Finsness, Elizabeth S.

    2017-01-01

    Teacher education faculty must incorporate and model effective use of Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) in the classroom and across the curriculum. Teacher education leaders have a responsibility to set direction, develop people, and redesign their teacher preparation programs into TPACK ready environments. As such, a…

  7. Developing a Web-Based Mechanism for Assessing Teacher Science Content Knowledge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byers, Al; Koba, Susan; Sherman, Greg; Scheppke, Joan; Bolus, Roger

    2011-04-01

    The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) recently launched a comprehensive electronic professional development (e-PD) online portal, the NSTA Learning Center. This support site for educators currently includes over 6,000 e-PD resources and opportunities available on-demand, as well as various tools designed to help educators maximize the effectiveness of using NSTA resources. One tool, the PD Indexer, helps teachers identify their own areas of content strengths and weaknesses by selecting content-specific assessments. Individual NSTA resources are recommended based on assessment outcomes. This paper presents a detailed description of the procedures employed by NSTA to develop valid and reliable PD Indexer content-specific multiple-choice assessment items.

  8. Teacher Quality Toolkit. 2nd Edition

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lauer, Patricia A.; Dean, Ceri B.; Martin-Glenn, Mya L.; Asensio, Margaret L.

    2005-01-01

    The Teacher Quality Toolkit addresses the continuum of teacher learning by providing tools that can be used to improve both preservice, and inservice teacher education. Each chapter provides self assessment tools that can guide progress toward improved teacher quality and describes resources for designing exemplary programs and practices. Chapters…

  9. Game Methodology for Design Methods and Tools Selection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahmad, Rafiq; Lahonde, Nathalie; Omhover, Jean-françois

    2014-01-01

    Design process optimisation and intelligence are the key words of today's scientific community. A proliferation of methods has made design a convoluted area. Designers are usually afraid of selecting one method/tool over another and even expert designers may not necessarily know which method is the best to use in which circumstances. This…

  10. 34 CFR 611.22 - What additional selection criteria are used for a pre-application that proposes teacher...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... EDUCATION TEACHER QUALITY ENHANCEMENT GRANTS PROGRAM Partnership Grants Program § 611.22 What additional... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What additional selection criteria are used for a pre-application that proposes teacher recruitment activities? 611.22 Section 611.22 Education Regulations of the...

  11. Level of Creative Behavior among Teachers of Public Schools within the Green Line from Their Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naser, Rina Abdallah

    2016-01-01

    The current study seeks to identify the level of creative behavior among teachers of public schools within the Green Line, based on gender, academic qualification, years of experience and level of school. The sample consisted of (502) teachers, selected randomly, from public schools within the Green Line in Israel. The tool utilized is a…

  12. Selection into medical school: from tools to domains.

    PubMed

    Wilkinson, Tom M; Wilkinson, Tim J

    2016-10-03

    Most research into the validity of admissions tools focuses on the isolated correlations of individual tools with later outcomes. Instead, looking at how domains of attributes, rather than tools, predict later success is likely to be more generalizable. We aim to produce a blueprint for an admissions scheme that is broadly relevant across institutions. We broke down all measures used for admissions at one medical school into the smallest possible component scores. We grouped these into domains on the basis of a multicollinearity analysis, and conducted a regression analysis to determine the independent validity of each domain to predict outcomes of interest. We identified four broad domains: logical reasoning and problem solving, understanding people, communication skills, and biomedical science. Each was independently and significantly associated with performance in final medical school examinations. We identified two potential errors in the design of admissions schema that can undermine their validity: focusing on tools rather than outcomes, and including a wide range of measures without objectively evaluating the independent contribution of each. Both could be avoided by following a process of programmatic assessment for selection.

  13. Teachers Teaching Teachers (T3)[TM]. Volume 4, Number 8

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    von Frank, Valerie, Ed.

    2009-01-01

    "Teachers Teaching Teachers" ("T3") focuses on coaches' roles in the professional development of teachers. Each issue also explores the challenges and rewards that teacher leaders encounter. This issue includes: (1) Tackling Behavior from All Sides (Valerie von Frank); (2) Tools: Effective Behavior Support Self-Assessment Survey; (3) Lessons from…

  14. Teachers Teaching Teachers (T3)[TM]. Volume 4, Number 6

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    von Frank, Valerie, Ed.

    2009-01-01

    "Teachers Teaching Teachers" ("T3") focuses on coaches' roles in the professional development of teachers. Each issue also explores the challenges and rewards that teacher leaders encounter. This issue includes: (1) Values and Clarity Build Classroom Language (Valerie von Frank); (2) Tools: Identifying and Clarifying Beliefs about Learning; (3)…

  15. Chinese Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Effects of Teacher Self-Disclosure

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Shaoan; Shi, Qingmin; Luo, Xiao; Ma, Xueyu

    2008-01-01

    Background: As an instructional tool, teacher self-disclosure is used widely by teachers. While researchers abroad have conducted a number of studies, scarce literature on teacher self-disclosure has been found. Aims: This study aims to explore the Chinese pre-service teachers' perceived effects of teacher self-disclosure on student learning,…

  16. How to Select CD-ROM Storybooks for Young Children: The Teacher's Role

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shamir, Adina; Korat, Ofra

    2006-01-01

    This article addresses some key criteria for educators as they choose CD-ROM storybooks for young children's literacy development. The article includes: (1) A review of the pertinent literature on the quality and appropriateness of CD-ROM storybooks for literacy development; (2) An evaluation questionnaire to guide teachers in selecting CD-ROM…

  17. Developing an audiovisual notebook as a self-learning tool in histology: perceptions of teachers and students.

    PubMed

    Campos-Sánchez, Antonio; López-Núñez, Juan-Antonio; Scionti, Giuseppe; Garzón, Ingrid; González-Andrades, Miguel; Alaminos, Miguel; Sola, Tomás

    2014-01-01

    Videos can be used as didactic tools for self-learning under several circumstances, including those cases in which students are responsible for the development of this resource as an audiovisual notebook. We compared students' and teachers' perceptions regarding the main features that an audiovisual notebook should include. Four questionnaires with items about information, images, text and music, and filmmaking were used to investigate students' (n = 115) and teachers' perceptions (n = 28) regarding the development of a video focused on a histological technique. The results show that both students and teachers significantly prioritize informative components, images and filmmaking more than text and music. The scores were significantly higher for teachers than for students for all four components analyzed. The highest scores were given to items related to practical and medically oriented elements, and the lowest values were given to theoretical and complementary elements. For most items, there were no differences between genders. A strong positive correlation was found between the scores given to each item by teachers and students. These results show that both students' and teachers' perceptions tend to coincide for most items, and suggest that audiovisual notebooks developed by students would emphasize the same items as those perceived by teachers to be the most relevant. Further, these findings suggest that the use of video as an audiovisual learning notebook would not only preserve the curricular objectives but would also offer the advantages of self-learning processes. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

  18. Evaluation of RPE-Select: A Web-Based Respiratory Protective Equipment Selector Tool.

    PubMed

    Vaughan, Nick; Rajan-Sithamparanadarajah, Bob; Atkinson, Robert

    2016-08-01

    This article describes the evaluation of an open-access web-based respiratory protective equipment selector tool (RPE-Select, accessible at http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/rpe-selector). This tool is based on the principles of the COSHH-Essentials (C-E) control banding (CB) tool, which was developed for the exposure risk management of hazardous chemicals in the workplace by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and general practice H&S professionals. RPE-Select can be used for identifying adequate and suitable RPE for dusts, fibres, mist (solvent, water, and oil based), sprays, volatile solids, fumes, gases, vapours, and actual or potential oxygen deficiency. It can be applied for substances and products with safety data sheets as well as for a large number of commonly encountered process-generated substances (PGS), such as poultry house dusts or welding fume. Potential international usability has been built-in by using the Hazard Statements developed for the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) and providing recommended RPE in picture form as well as with a written specification. Illustration helps to compensate for the variabilities in assigned protection factors across the world. RPE-Select uses easily understandable descriptions/explanations and an interactive stepwise flow for providing input/answers at each step. The output of the selection process is a report summarising the user input data and a selection of RPE, including types of filters where applicable, from which the user can select the appropriate one for each wearer. In addition, each report includes 'Dos' and 'Don'ts' for the recommended RPE. RPE-Select outcomes, based on up to 20 hypothetical use scenarios, were evaluated in comparison with other available RPE selection processes and tools, and by 32 independent users with a broad range of familiarities with industrial use scenarios in general and respiratory protection in particular. For scenarios involving substances having safety data sheets

  19. Evaluation of RPE-Select: A Web-Based Respiratory Protective Equipment Selector Tool

    PubMed Central

    Vaughan, Nick; Rajan-Sithamparanadarajah, Bob; Atkinson, Robert

    2016-01-01

    This article describes the evaluation of an open-access web-based respiratory protective equipment selector tool (RPE-Select, accessible at http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/rpe-selector). This tool is based on the principles of the COSHH-Essentials (C-E) control banding (CB) tool, which was developed for the exposure risk management of hazardous chemicals in the workplace by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and general practice H&S professionals. RPE-Select can be used for identifying adequate and suitable RPE for dusts, fibres, mist (solvent, water, and oil based), sprays, volatile solids, fumes, gases, vapours, and actual or potential oxygen deficiency. It can be applied for substances and products with safety data sheets as well as for a large number of commonly encountered process-generated substances (PGS), such as poultry house dusts or welding fume. Potential international usability has been built-in by using the Hazard Statements developed for the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) and providing recommended RPE in picture form as well as with a written specification. Illustration helps to compensate for the variabilities in assigned protection factors across the world. RPE-Select uses easily understandable descriptions/explanations and an interactive stepwise flow for providing input/answers at each step. The output of the selection process is a report summarising the user input data and a selection of RPE, including types of filters where applicable, from which the user can select the appropriate one for each wearer. In addition, each report includes ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ for the recommended RPE. RPE-Select outcomes, based on up to 20 hypothetical use scenarios, were evaluated in comparison with other available RPE selection processes and tools, and by 32 independent users with a broad range of familiarities with industrial use scenarios in general and respiratory protection in particular. For scenarios involving substances having safety

  20. Artificial Intelligence Based Selection of Optimal Cutting Tool and Process Parameters for Effective Turning and Milling Operations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saranya, Kunaparaju; John Rozario Jegaraj, J.; Ramesh Kumar, Katta; Venkateshwara Rao, Ghanta

    2016-06-01

    With the increased trend in automation of modern manufacturing industry, the human intervention in routine, repetitive and data specific activities of manufacturing is greatly reduced. In this paper, an attempt has been made to reduce the human intervention in selection of optimal cutting tool and process parameters for metal cutting applications, using Artificial Intelligence techniques. Generally, the selection of appropriate cutting tool and parameters in metal cutting is carried out by experienced technician/cutting tool expert based on his knowledge base or extensive search from huge cutting tool database. The present proposed approach replaces the existing practice of physical search for tools from the databooks/tool catalogues with intelligent knowledge-based selection system. This system employs artificial intelligence based techniques such as artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic and genetic algorithm for decision making and optimization. This intelligence based optimal tool selection strategy is developed using Mathworks Matlab Version 7.11.0 and implemented. The cutting tool database was obtained from the tool catalogues of different tool manufacturers. This paper discusses in detail, the methodology and strategies employed for selection of appropriate cutting tool and optimization of process parameters based on multi-objective optimization criteria considering material removal rate, tool life and tool cost.

  1. Development and Evaluation of a Case-Based Digital Learning Tool about Children's Mathematical Thinking for Elementary School Teachers (L-TEST)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olkun, Sinan; Altun, Arif; Deryakulu, Deniz

    2009-01-01

    It is important for teachers of mathematics to know how pupils react to certain mathematical situations and what these reactions imply, in order to design more effective instructional environments based on their learning needs. This study reports the development processes of a digital learning tool (Learning Tool for Elementary School Teachers…

  2. Developing an Audiovisual Notebook as a Self-Learning Tool in Histology: Perceptions of Teachers and Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campos-Sánchez, Antonio; López-Núñez, Juan-Antonio; Scionti, Giuseppe; Garzón, Ingrid; González-Andrades, Miguel; Alaminos, Miguel; Sola, Tomás

    2014-01-01

    Videos can be used as didactic tools for self-learning under several circumstances, including those cases in which students are responsible for the development of this resource as an audiovisual notebook. We compared students' and teachers' perceptions regarding the main features that an audiovisual notebook should include. Four…

  3. An Examination of How a Teacher's Use of Digital Tools Empowers and Constrains Language Arts Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hutchison, Amy C.; Woodward, Lindsay

    2014-01-01

    The Common Core State Standards produce a need to understand how digital tools can support literacy instruction. The purpose of this case study was to explore how a language arts teacher's integration of computers and iPads empowered and constrained her and the resulting classroom instruction. Constraining factors included (a) inadequate…

  4. Teachers Teaching Teachers (T3)[TM]. Volume 4, Number 7

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    von Frank, Valerie, Ed.

    2009-01-01

    "Teachers Teaching Teachers" ("T3") focuses on coaches' roles in the professional development of teachers. Each issue also explores the challenges and rewards that teacher leaders encounter. This issue includes: (1) Learning Cycle Spins Individuals into a Team (Valerie von Frank); (2) NSDC Tool: The Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle; (3)…

  5. WebQuests: A Tool for All Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rader, Laura

    2009-01-01

    Classroom teachers are assuming more and more responsibility for meeting the needs of students from a larger number of diverse backgrounds and with increasingly diverse special needs. Many practicing teachers identify students with special needs as their greatest concern and challenge, but often one of their greatest rewards. One way of…

  6. JCoDA: a tool for detecting evolutionary selection.

    PubMed

    Steinway, Steven N; Dannenfelser, Ruth; Laucius, Christopher D; Hayes, James E; Nayak, Sudhir

    2010-05-27

    The incorporation of annotated sequence information from multiple related species in commonly used databases (Ensembl, Flybase, Saccharomyces Genome Database, Wormbase, etc.) has increased dramatically over the last few years. This influx of information has provided a considerable amount of raw material for evaluation of evolutionary relationships. To aid in the process, we have developed JCoDA (Java Codon Delimited Alignment) as a simple-to-use visualization tool for the detection of site specific and regional positive/negative evolutionary selection amongst homologous coding sequences. JCoDA accepts user-inputted unaligned or pre-aligned coding sequences, performs a codon-delimited alignment using ClustalW, and determines the dN/dS calculations using PAML (Phylogenetic Analysis Using Maximum Likelihood, yn00 and codeml) in order to identify regions and sites under evolutionary selection. The JCoDA package includes a graphical interface for Phylip (Phylogeny Inference Package) to generate phylogenetic trees, manages formatting of all required file types, and streamlines passage of information between underlying programs. The raw data are output to user configurable graphs with sliding window options for straightforward visualization of pairwise or gene family comparisons. Additionally, codon-delimited alignments are output in a variety of common formats and all dN/dS calculations can be output in comma-separated value (CSV) format for downstream analysis. To illustrate the types of analyses that are facilitated by JCoDA, we have taken advantage of the well studied sex determination pathway in nematodes as well as the extensive sequence information available to identify genes under positive selection, examples of regional positive selection, and differences in selection based on the role of genes in the sex determination pathway. JCoDA is a configurable, open source, user-friendly visualization tool for performing evolutionary analysis on homologous coding

  7. JCoDA: a tool for detecting evolutionary selection

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background The incorporation of annotated sequence information from multiple related species in commonly used databases (Ensembl, Flybase, Saccharomyces Genome Database, Wormbase, etc.) has increased dramatically over the last few years. This influx of information has provided a considerable amount of raw material for evaluation of evolutionary relationships. To aid in the process, we have developed JCoDA (Java Codon Delimited Alignment) as a simple-to-use visualization tool for the detection of site specific and regional positive/negative evolutionary selection amongst homologous coding sequences. Results JCoDA accepts user-inputted unaligned or pre-aligned coding sequences, performs a codon-delimited alignment using ClustalW, and determines the dN/dS calculations using PAML (Phylogenetic Analysis Using Maximum Likelihood, yn00 and codeml) in order to identify regions and sites under evolutionary selection. The JCoDA package includes a graphical interface for Phylip (Phylogeny Inference Package) to generate phylogenetic trees, manages formatting of all required file types, and streamlines passage of information between underlying programs. The raw data are output to user configurable graphs with sliding window options for straightforward visualization of pairwise or gene family comparisons. Additionally, codon-delimited alignments are output in a variety of common formats and all dN/dS calculations can be output in comma-separated value (CSV) format for downstream analysis. To illustrate the types of analyses that are facilitated by JCoDA, we have taken advantage of the well studied sex determination pathway in nematodes as well as the extensive sequence information available to identify genes under positive selection, examples of regional positive selection, and differences in selection based on the role of genes in the sex determination pathway. Conclusions JCoDA is a configurable, open source, user-friendly visualization tool for performing evolutionary

  8. Comparing the Efficacy of an Engineered-Based System (College Livetext) with an Off-the-Shelf General Tool (Hyperstudio) for Developing Electronic Portfolios in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson-Leslie, Natalie A.

    2009-01-01

    In teacher education, electronic portfolios provide an authentic form of assessment documenting students' personal and professional growth. Using the engineered-based system, College LiveText, and an off-the-shelf general tool, HyperStudio, pre-service teachers constructed e-portfolios as part of their teacher preparation requirements. This case…

  9. Teachers' Perspective towards Their Involvement in Selection and Organization of Learning Experiences and Implementation of Secondary School Curriculum in Kenya

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kobiah, Lydia Kanake

    2016-01-01

    Teacher empowerment has been the subject of considerable educational research in recent years, but the capacity of teachers in curriculum development especially in selection and organization of learning experiences has received limited empirical attention. The purpose of this study was to establish teachers' perspective towards their involvement…

  10. 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

  11. The Perceptions of Selected California Teachers and Administrators toward California Standards Test Preparation in Selected Title I Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Araiza, Ricardo

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this replication study was to determine the degree to which teachers and administrators in selected low-achieving Title I elementary schools: 1. Report that they teach the following test-taking skills to prepare their students to take the CST: establishing an appropriate student attitude toward testing, familiarity with the…

  12. Secondary Preservice Teachers' Perspectives on Teacher Self-Disclosure as Citizenship Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Shaoan

    2010-01-01

    This article explores secondary preservice teachers' attitudes toward the use of teacher self-disclosure as a tool for citizenship education. Based on the notion that teacher self-disclosure may function as citizenship curriculum, this study addressed critical issues of teachers' sharing their knowledge about religions (including their own) and…

  13. Ambitious Pedagogy by Novice Teachers: Who Benefits from Tool-Supported Collaborative Inquiry into Practice and Why?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Windschitl, Mark; Thompson, Jessica; Braaten, Melissa

    2011-01-01

    Background/Context: The collegial analysis of student work artifacts has been effective in advancing the practice of experienced teachers; however, the use of such strategies as a centerpiece for induction has not been explored, nor has the development of tool systems to support such activity with novices. Purpose/Objective: We tested the…

  14. Teacher Quality Toolkit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lauer, Patricia A.; Dean, Ceri B.

    2004-01-01

    This Teacher Quality Toolkit aims to support the continuum of teacher learning by providing tools that institutions of higher education, districts, and schools can use to improve both preservice and inservice teacher education. The toolkit incorporates McREL?s accumulated knowledge and experience related to teacher quality and standards-based…

  15. A Comparative Study of Teacher Education Institutions and Machine Tool Manufacturers to Determine Course Content for a Machine Tool Maintenance Course in the Woodworking Area.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Polette, Douglas Lee

    To determine what type of maintenance training the prospective industrial arts teacher should receive in the woodworking area and how this information should be taught, a research instrument was constructed using information obtained from a review of relevant literature. Specific data on machine tool maintenance was gathered by the use of two…

  16. The generation of criteria for selecting analytical tools for landscape management

    Treesearch

    Marilyn Duffey-Armstrong

    1979-01-01

    This paper presents an approach to generating criteria for selecting the analytical tools used to assess visual resources for various landscape management tasks. The approach begins by first establishing the overall parameters for the visual assessment task, and follows by defining the primary requirements of the various sets of analytical tools to be used. Finally,...

  17. An Investigation of Language Teachers' Explorations of the Use of Corpus Tools in the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Class

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bunting, John David

    2013-01-01

    Despite claims that the use of corpus tools can have a major impact in language classrooms (e.g., Conrad, 2000, 2004; Davies, 2004; O'Keefe, McCarthy, & Carter, 2007; Sinclair, 2004b; Tsui, 2004), many language teachers express apparent apathy or even resistance towards adding corpus tools to their repertoire (Cortes, 2013b). This study…

  18. A Project Selection Tool for the State of Rhode Island

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA worked with the state of Rhode Island to develop a project selection tool to help funding agencies review a proposed project across six categories that contribute to its sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

  19. Gathering Requirements for Teacher Tools: Strategies for Empowering Teachers through Co-Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

    2016-01-01

    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…

  20. Training graduate students to be teachers.

    PubMed

    de-Macedo, D V; de-Paula, E; Torres, B B

    1999-12-01

    Pedagogic education of graduate students, when and where it exists, is restricted to theoretical courses or to the participation of the students as teachers' assistants. This model is essentially reproductive and offers few opportunities for any significant curriculum innovation. To open an opportunity for novelty we have introduced a new approach in "Biochemistry Teaching", a course included in the Biochemistry Graduate Program of the Biochemistry Department (Universidade Estadual de Campinas and Universidade de São Paulo). The content of the course consists of a) choosing the theme, b) selecting and organizing the topics, c) preparing written material, d) establishing the methodological strategies, e) planning the evaluation tools and, finally, f) as teachers, conducting the course as an optional summer course for undergraduate students. During the first semester the graduate students establish general and specific educational objectives, select and organize contents, decide on the instructional strategies and plan evaluation tools. The contents are explored using a wide range of strategies, which include computer-aided instruction, laboratory classes, small group teaching, a few lectures and round table discussions. The graduate students also organize printed class notes to be used by the undergraduate students. Finally, as a group, they teach the summer course. In the three versions already developed, the themes chosen were Biochemistry of Exercise (UNICAMP), Biochemistry of Nutrition (UNICAMP) and Molecular Biology of Plants (USP). In all cases the number of registrations greatly exceeded the number of places and a selection had to be made. The evaluation of the experience by both graduate and undergraduate students was very positive. Graduate students considered this experience to be unique and recommended it to their schoolmates; the undergraduate students benefited from a more flexible curriculum (more options) and gave very high scores to both the courses

  1. DisTeam: A decision support tool for surgical team selection

    PubMed Central

    Ebadi, Ashkan; Tighe, Patrick J.; Zhang, Lei; Rashidi, Parisa

    2018-01-01

    Objective Surgical service providers play a crucial role in the healthcare system. Amongst all the influencing factors, surgical team selection might affect the patients’ outcome significantly. The performance of a surgical team not only can depend on the individual members, but it can also depend on the synergy among team members, and could possibly influence patient outcome such as surgical complications. In this paper, we propose a tool for facilitating decision making in surgical team selection based on considering history of the surgical team, as well as the specific characteristics of each patient. Methods DisTeam (a decision support tool for surgical team selection) is a metaheuristic framework for objective evaluation of surgical teams and finding the optimal team for a given patient, in terms of number of complications. It identifies a ranked list of surgical teams personalized for each patient, based on prior performance of the surgical teams. DisTeam takes into account the surgical complications associated with teams and their members, their teamwork history, as well as patient’s specific characteristics such as age, body mass index (BMI) and Charlson comorbidity index score. Results We tested DisTeam using intra-operative data from 6065 unique orthopedic surgery cases. Our results suggest high effectiveness of the proposed system in a health-care setting. The proposed framework converges quickly to the optimal solution and provides two sets of answers: a) The best surgical team over all the generations, and b) The best population which consists of different teams that can be used as an alternative solution. This increases the flexibility of the system as a complementary decision support tool. Conclusion DisTeam is a decision support tool for assisting in surgical team selection. It can facilitate the job of scheduling personnel in the hospital which involves an overwhelming number of factors pertaining to patients, individual team members, and team

  2. DisTeam: A decision support tool for surgical team selection.

    PubMed

    Ebadi, Ashkan; Tighe, Patrick J; Zhang, Lei; Rashidi, Parisa

    2017-02-01

    Surgical service providers play a crucial role in the healthcare system. Amongst all the influencing factors, surgical team selection might affect the patients' outcome significantly. The performance of a surgical team not only can depend on the individual members, but it can also depend on the synergy among team members, and could possibly influence patient outcome such as surgical complications. In this paper, we propose a tool for facilitating decision making in surgical team selection based on considering history of the surgical team, as well as the specific characteristics of each patient. DisTeam (a decision support tool for surgical team selection) is a metaheuristic framework for objective evaluation of surgical teams and finding the optimal team for a given patient, in terms of number of complications. It identifies a ranked list of surgical teams personalized for each patient, based on prior performance of the surgical teams. DisTeam takes into account the surgical complications associated with teams and their members, their teamwork history, as well as patient's specific characteristics such as age, body mass index (BMI) and Charlson comorbidity index score. We tested DisTeam using intra-operative data from 6065 unique orthopedic surgery cases. Our results suggest high effectiveness of the proposed system in a health-care setting. The proposed framework converges quickly to the optimal solution and provides two sets of answers: a) The best surgical team over all the generations, and b) The best population which consists of different teams that can be used as an alternative solution. This increases the flexibility of the system as a complementary decision support tool. DisTeam is a decision support tool for assisting in surgical team selection. It can facilitate the job of scheduling personnel in the hospital which involves an overwhelming number of factors pertaining to patients, individual team members, and team dynamics and can be used to compose

  3. How Select Groups of Preservice Science Teachers with Inquiry Orientations View Teaching and Learning Science through Inquiry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ward, Peggy

    Although hailed as a powerful form of instruction, in most teaching and learning contexts, inquiry-based instruction is fraught with ambiguous and conflicting definitions and descriptions. Yet little has been written about the experiences preservice science teacher have regarding their learning to teach science through inquiry. This project sought to understand how select preservice secondary science teachers enrolled in three UTeach programs in Arkansas conceptualize inquiry instruction and how they rationalize its value in a teaching and learning context. The three teacher education programs investigated in this study are adoption sites aligned with the UTeach Program in Austin, TX that distinguishes itself in part by its inquiry emphasis. Using a mixed method investigation design, this study utilized two sources of data to explore the preservice science teachers' thinking. In the first phase, a modified version of the Pedagogy of Science teaching Tests (POSTT) was used to identify select program participants who indicated preferences for inquiry instruction over other instructional strategies. Secondly, the study used an open-ended questionnaire to explore the selected subjects' beliefs and conceptions of teaching and learning science in an inquiry context. The study also focused on identifying particular junctures in the prospective science teachers' education preparation that might impact their understanding about inquiry. Using a constant comparative approach, this study explored 19 preservice science teachers' conceptions about inquiry. The results indicate that across all levels of instruction, the prospective teachers tended to have strong student-centered teaching orientations. Except subjects in for the earliest courses, subjects' definitions and descriptions of inquiry tended toward a few of the science practices. More advanced subjects, however, expressed more in-depth descriptions. Excluding the subjects who have completed the program, multiple

  4. COUNCIL FOR REGULATORY ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING (CREM) PILOT WATER QUALITY MODEL SELECTION TOOL

    EPA Science Inventory

    EPA's Council for Regulatory Environmental Modeling (CREM) is currently supporting the development of a pilot model selection tool that is intended to help the states and the regions implement the total maximum daily load (TMDL) program. This tool will be implemented within the ...

  5. Digital Storytelling: A Tool for Identifying and Developing Cultural Competence with Preservice Teachers in an Introduction to Middle Level Education Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruppert, Nancy; Adcock, Lee T.; Crave, Jared

    2017-01-01

    Using five themes associated with a diversity intensive undergraduate course, preservice teachers in an upper level introduction to middle grade course described their knowledge of cultural competence using digital storytelling as the tool. Findings suggest digital storytelling provides a tool to explore and describe how cultural competence is…

  6. Working Collectively to Design Online Teacher Education Curriculum: How Do Teacher Educators Manage to Do It?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milewski, Amanda; Gürsel, Umut; Herbst, Patricio

    2017-01-01

    This paper is part of a three-year inquiry that supports and investigates the work of groups of mathematics teacher educators using technological tools to design and implement multimedia practice-based teacher education curriculum materials. This paper describes the kinds of activities, interactions, and tools used by mathematics teacher educators…

  7. Researcher Test Manual for the Learner-Centered Battery (Grades 6-12 Version). A Set of Self-Assessment and Reflection Tools for Middle and High School Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCombs, Barbara L.; Lauer, Patricia A.; Peralez, Audrey

    The Learner-Centered Battery (LCB) is a set of short self-assessment tools for teachers and their students that can help teachers identify profiles of effective beliefs, practices, and discrepancies between teacher and student perspectives. Personalized feedback is available for interpreting individual profiles relative to profiles of the most…

  8. A Grounded Theory of Behavior Management Strategy Selection, Implementation, and Perceived Effectiveness Reported by First-Year Elementary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smart, Julie B.; Igo, L. Brent

    2010-01-01

    In this grounded theory study, 19 teachers were interviewed and then, in constant comparative fashion, the interview data were analyzed. The theoretical model that emerged from the data describes novice teachers' tendencies to select and implement differing strategies related to the severity of student behavior. When confronting mild student…

  9. Teacher Communication Preferred over Peer Interaction: Student Satisfaction with Different Tools in a Virtual Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Small, Felicity; Dowell, David; Simmons, Peter

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Teachers have access to a growing range of online tools to support course delivery, but which ones are valued by students? Expectations and satisfaction are important constructs in the delivery of a service product, and how these constructs operate in a service environment, such as education where the student can also take on the role of…

  10. Transition Matrices: A Tool to Assess Student Learning and Improve Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Gary A.; Walter, Paul; Skees, Spencer; Schwartz, Samantha

    2017-01-01

    This paper introduces a new spreadsheet tool for adoption by high school or college-level physics teachers who use common assessments in a pre-instruction/post-instruction mode to diagnose student learning and teaching effectiveness. The spreadsheet creates a simple matrix that identifies the percentage of students who select each possible…

  11. Guide to Reading for Social Studies Teachers. Bulletin 46.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McLendon, Jonathon C., Ed.

    This major reference tool aims to identify for social studies teachers the best available reading materials selected from the overwhelming outpouring of writings of the 1960's and early 1970's. Organized by sections and topics of the sort that social studies educators are likely to explore, the book's thirty one chapter focus on (1) The Social…

  12. Earth Science Resource Teachers: A Mentor Program for NASA's Explorer Schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ireton, F.; Owens, A.; Steffen, P. L.

    2004-12-01

    Each year, the NASA Explorer Schools (NES) program establishes a three-year partnership between NASA and 50 school teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities across the country. While partnered with NASA, NES teams acquire and use new teaching resources and technology tools for grades 4 - 9 using NASA's unique content, experts and other resources. Schools in the program are eligible to receive funding (pending budget approval) over the three-year period to purchase technology tools that support science and mathematics instruction. Explorer School teams attend a one-week summer institute at one of NASA's field centers each summer. The weeklong institutes are designed to introduce the teachers and administrators to the wealth of NASA information and resources available and to provide them with content background on NASA's exploration programs. During the 2004 summer institutes at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) entered into a pilot program with NES to test the feasibility of master teachers serving as mentors for the NES teams. Five master teachers were selected as Earth Science Resource Teachers (ESRT) from an application pool and attended the NES workshop at GSFC. During the workshop they participated in the program along side the NES teams which provided the opportunity for them to meet the teams and develop a rapport. Over the next year the ESRT will be in communication with the NES teams to offer suggestions on classroom management, content issues, classroom resources, and will be able to assist them in meeting the goals of NES. This paper will discuss the planning, selection, participation, outcomes, costs, and suggestions for future ESRT mentorship programs.

  13. Secondary Mathematics Pre-Service Teachers' Processes of Selection and Integration of Technology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uzan, Erol

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated secondary mathematics pre-service teachers' (PSTs) knowledge of resources in terms of digital technologies, and explored the processes of both selection and integration of technology into their lesson plans. This study employed a case study design. Participants were six secondary mathematics PSTs who enrolled in a methods…

  14. Can Behaviorism Save Teacher Education? Teacher Education Forum; Volume 3, Number 12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Groff, Patrick

    Competency Based Teacher Education (CBTE) proposes changes in the traditional teacher education system, which include establishing behavioral objectives for student teachers and modifying basic teaching tools that all students must learn to master. CBTE also proposes that teachers colleges be conducted without failure. Critics of CBTE question the…

  15. Appreciating Hubble at Hyper-speed: A Web-tool for Students and Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Will, Lisa M.; Mechtley, M.; Cohen, S.; Windhorst, R. A.; Malhotra, S.; Rhoads, J.; Pirzkal, N.; Summers, F.

    2006-12-01

    Even post-instruction, many high school students and non-science college majors lack a firm understanding of the basic concepts of physics and astronomy necessary to appreciate our expanding universe. To mitigate this trend, we are developing a state-of-the-art Web-tool called "Appreciating Hubble at Hyper-speed" (AHaH ) that uses the HST Cycle 14 Treasury Project "PEARS" (Probing Evolution And Reionization through Spectra) data. AHaH will span the fully 3-dimensional PEARS database of the GOODS/HUDF galaxy distribution from redshifts z = 0.05 to z = 6.5, spanning nearly 90% of the history of the Universe. The web-tool AHaH will allow students to interactively zoom in/out of this PEARS data base, rotate, and accelerate/decelerate towards a specified target, and travel forward or backwards in time. Hence, students can make a complete interactive journey in look-back time. AHaH will help students learn and visually understand basic concepts of physics and astronomy, and at the same time allow them to explore how galaxies change when traveling back in time, how their light is redshifted, and how they are formed and clustered in the expanding Universe. This poster will describe the features of the web-tool and the services that will be offered to help teachers implement this tool in their classrooms.

  16. I See, I Think I Wonder: An Evaluation of Journaling as a Critical Reflective Practice Tool for Aiding Teachers in Challenging or Confronting Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lowe, Geoffrey M.; Prout, Peter; Murcia, Karen

    2013-01-01

    In October 2011, five selected Western Australian teachers took part in a teacher mentoring project in Tanzania. The teachers spent a month embedded in local primary and secondary schools, working collaboratively with their Tanzanian counterparts. As a strategy for making sense of their experiences, each teacher was asked to maintain a reflective…

  17. Monetary Reward and Teachers' Performance in Selected Public Secondary Schools in Kano State

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bello, Garba Bala; Jakada, Muhammad Bello

    2017-01-01

    This is a conceptual study that intends to examine the relationship between monetary reward and teachers' performance in some selected Kano State public secondary schools. Secondary schools are the bridge between primary education and higher institutions in Nigeria. The need for students to acquire more knowledge and skills beyond primary level in…

  18. Developing a Tool to Evaluate Differences in Beliefs about Science Teaching and Learning among Freshman Science Student Teachers from Different Science Teaching Domains: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Markic, Silvija; Eilks, Ingo; Valanides, Nicos

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents a pilot case study on developing a qualitative tool to evaluate science student teachers' beliefs concerning science teaching and learning. The study is based on student teachers' drawings of themselves in a typical classroom situation and four open questions. Data was collected from 104 freshman science student teachers, and…

  19. Examining the Relationship between Selected Grade 3-12 Teachers' Perceived Assessment Literacy and Their Classroom Assessment Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudson, Mark E.

    2017-01-01

    The study examined the self-reported understandings of selected 3rd to 12th grade teachers had of assessment and the assessment practices they reported implementing in their classrooms along with evidence extracted from written lesson plans. The literature on classroom assessment supports the idea that teachers who create meaningful assessments,…

  20. Policy Changes in Brunei Teacher Education: Implications for the Selection of Trainee Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mundia, Lawrence

    2012-01-01

    To improve quality, teacher education programs in Brunei were recently eliminated at the undergraduate level and changed to master of teaching degree courses. Prospective teachers are required to obtain content-rich initial degrees prior to applying for teacher training. This study argues that the high entry qualification to teaching may, in…

  1. NSDL K-12 Science Literacy Maps: A Visual Tool for Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Payo, Robert

    2008-01-01

    Given the massive amount of science and mathematics content available online, libraries working with science teachers can become lost when attempting to select material that is both compelling for the learner and effective in addressing learning goals. Tools that help educators identify the most appropriate resources can be a great time saver.…

  2. A fractured rock geophysical toolbox method selection tool

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Day-Lewis, F. D.; Johnson, C.D.; Slater, L.D.; Robinson, J.L.; Williams, J.H.; Boyden, C.L.; Werkema, D.D.; Lane, J.W.

    2016-01-01

    Geophysical technologies have the potential to improve site characterization and monitoring in fractured rock, but the appropriate and effective application of geophysics at a particular site strongly depends on project goals (e.g., identifying discrete fractures) and site characteristics (e.g., lithology). No method works at every site or for every goal. New approaches are needed to identify a set of geophysical methods appropriate to specific project goals and site conditions while considering budget constraints. To this end, we present the Excel-based Fractured-Rock Geophysical Toolbox Method Selection Tool (FRGT-MST). We envision the FRGT-MST (1) equipping remediation professionals with a tool to understand what is likely to be realistic and cost-effective when contracting geophysical services, and (2) reducing applications of geophysics with unrealistic objectives or where methods are likely to fail.

  3. Who Says We Are Not Attracting the Best and Brightest? Teacher Selection and the Aspirations of Australian School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gore, Jennifer; Barron, Rosie Joy; Holmes, Kathryn; Smith, Maxwell

    2016-01-01

    Internationally, the quality of teachers is a growing focus of educational reform, with new policies attempting to ensure that only the "best and brightest" are selected for the teaching profession. This article tests the assumption underpinning these developments that prospective teachers lack the desired academic and personal…

  4. How Teacher Selection Practices in a High-Resource, Low-Need Suburban School District Compare with Best Practice Research: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pease, Adam Steven

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop best practice standards for hiring public school teachers. This standard was developed from the available literature on recruiting, screening, selecting, and hiring high-quality teachers. The targeted and actual hiring processes of a case study district were compared to this teacher hiring standard.…

  5. Novice Teachers' Perceptions of Support, Teacher Preparation Quality, and Student Teaching Experience Related to Teacher Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knobloch, Neil A.; Whittington, M. Susie

    2002-01-01

    This multiple regression study analyzed the percent of variance in teacher efficacy of 106 student teachers and novice teachers in agricultural education in Ohio explained by selected variables related to perceived support (utilizing a mentor, supportive principal behaviors, collective efficacy), teacher preparation quality, and student teaching…

  6. Selection and Implementation of Skill Acquisition Programs by Special Education Teachers and Staff for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

    PubMed

    Kodak, Tiffany; Cariveau, Tom; LeBlanc, Brittany A; Mahon, Jacob J; Carroll, Regina A

    2018-01-01

    The present investigation examined special education teachers' selection and use of teaching strategies for receptive identification training with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their classrooms. Teachers first responded to a survey in which they provided examples of receptive identification tasks taught in their classrooms, rated the efficacy of teaching strategies, described how they determined whether skills were mastered, listed any assessments they conducted to identify relevant prerequisite skills prior to receptive identification training, described how they selected teaching strategies for use in their classrooms, and listed their years of experience as a teacher and working with children with ASD. Subsequent observations of implementation of teaching strategies during trial-based instruction occurred in a proportion of teachers' classrooms. The results of the observations showed that participants did not consistently implement components of trial-based instruction as described in the literature, and there were differences in implementation depending on the types of skills targeted during instruction.

  7. Incentives, Selection, and Teacher Performance: Evidence from IMPACT

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dee, Thomas S.; Wyckoff, James

    2015-01-01

    Teachers in the United States are compensated largely on the basis of fixed schedules that reward experience and credentials. However, there is a growing interest in whether performance-based incentives based on rigorous teacher evaluations can improve teacher retention and performance. The evidence available to date has been mixed at best. This…

  8. Mobile Phone as Pedagogical Tools: Are Teachers Ready?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ismail, Issham; Azizan, Siti Norbaya; Azman, Nizuwan

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the teachers' perceptions on the implementation of mobile learning via mobile phone at schools. The sample for this study comprised thirty eight teachers who were teaching Information Technology (IT) subjects from various primary schools in Penang, Malaysia. A quantitative survey was administered to the respondents whereby…

  9. To Let Students Self-Select or Not: That Is the Question for Teachers of Culturally Diverse Groups

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rienties, Bart; Alcott, Peter; Jindal-Snape, Divya

    2014-01-01

    When students can self-select their group members, a common assumption is that students prefer to select friends from similar cultural backgrounds. However, when teachers randomize students in groups from different cultural backgrounds, students are "forced" to work together. The prime goal of this study is to understand the impact of…

  10. Coaching as a Leadership Development Tool for Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blackman, Anna

    2010-01-01

    Without support for the development of leadership talents and the chance to climb the career ladder, many teachers will leave the teaching sector in search of other career opportunities that will provide an outlet for their interests and talents. Coaching is potentially a way to help teachers fulfill, support and encourage their leadership…

  11. Free and Open Source Tools (FOSTs): An Empirical Investigation of Pre-Service Teachers' Competencies, Attitudes, and Pedagogical Intentions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Asing-Cashman, Joyce G.; Gurung, Binod; Limbu, Yam B.; Rutledge, David

    2014-01-01

    This study examines the digital native pre-service teachers' (DNPSTs) perceptions of their competency, attitude, and pedagogical intention to use free and open source tools (FOSTs) in their future teaching. Participants were 294 PSTs who responded to pre-course surveys at the beginning of an educational technology course. Using the structural…

  12. Perseveration in Tool Use: A Window for Understanding the Dynamics of the Action-Selection Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smitsman, Ad W.; Cox, Ralf F. A.

    2008-01-01

    Two experiments investigated how 3-year-old children select a tool to perform a manual task, with a focus on their perseverative parameter choices for the various relationships involved in handling a tool: the actor-to-tool relation and the tool-to-target relation (topology). The first study concerned the parameter value for the tool-to-target…

  13. Applicant Reactions to a Situational Judgment Test Used for Selection into Initial Teacher Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klassen, Robert M.; Durksen, Tracy L.; Rowett, Emma; Patterson, Fiona

    2014-01-01

    We considered applicants' perceptions of the use of a pilot situational judgment test (SJT) designed for selection into primary and secondary teacher training programs in the UK. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 304 applicants (73% female) to two postgraduate (PGCE) training programs in the 2013-2014 application cycle.…

  14. The Power of Teacher Selection to Improve Education. Evidence Speaks Reports, Vol 1, #12

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacob, Brian A.

    2016-01-01

    This report describes the findings from a new study of the teacher selection process in Washington, DC public schools. In 2009, the district created a centralized application process to streamline hiring by screening out less desirable candidates. Following the collection of standard information, applicants are asked to complete up to three…

  15. Comprehension Tools for Teachers: Reading for Understanding from Prekindergarten through Fourth Grade

    PubMed Central

    Connor, Carol McDonald; Phillips, Beth M.; Kaschak, Michael; Apel, Kenn; Kim, Young-Suk; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Crowe, Elizabeth C.; Thomas-Tate, Shurita; Johnson, Lakeisha Cooper; Lonigan, Christopher J.

    2015-01-01

    This paper describes the theoretical framework, as well as the development and testing of the intervention, Comprehension Tools for Teachers (CTT), which is composed of eight component interventions targeting malleable language and reading comprehension skills that emerging research indicates contribute to proficient reading for understanding for prekindergarteners through fourth graders. Component interventions target processes considered largely automatic as well as more reflective processes, with interacting and reciprocal effects. Specifically, we present component interventions targeting cognitive, linguistic, and text-specific processes, including morphological awareness, syntax, mental-state verbs, comprehension monitoring, narrative and expository text structure, enacted comprehension, academic knowledge, and reading to learn from informational text. Our aim was to develop a tool set composed of intensive meaningful individualized small group interventions. We improved feasibility in regular classrooms through the use of design-based iterative research methods including careful lesson planning, targeted scripting, pre- and postintervention proximal assessments, and technology. In addition to the overall framework, we discuss seven of the component interventions and general results of design and efficacy studies. PMID:26500420

  16. A critical review of seven selected neighborhood sustainability assessment tools

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

    Sharifi, Ayyoob, E-mail: sharifi.ayyoob@a.mbox.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Murayama, Akito, E-mail: murayama@corot.nuac.nagoya-u.ac.jp

    2013-01-15

    Neighborhood sustainability assessment tools have become widespread since the turn of 21st century and many communities, mainly in the developed world, are utilizing these tools to measure their success in approaching sustainable development goals. In this study, seven tools from Australia, Europe, Japan, and the United States are selected and analyzed with the aim of providing insights into the current situations; highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures; and making recommendations for future improvements. Using a content analysis, the issues of sustainability coverage, pre-requisites, local adaptability, scoring and weighting, participation, reporting, and applicability are discussed in this paper. The resultsmore » of this study indicate that most of the tools are not doing well regarding the coverage of social, economic, and institutional aspects of sustainability; there are ambiguities and shortcomings in the weighting, scoring, and rating; in most cases, there is no mechanism for local adaptability and participation; and, only those tools which are embedded within the broader planning framework are doing well with regard to applicability. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Seven widely used assessment tools were analyzed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer There is a lack of balanced assessment of sustainability dimensions. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Tools are not doing well regarding the applicability. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Refinements are needed to make the tools more effective. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Assessment tools must be integrated into the planning process.« less

  17. Origins of Teachers' Selection of Aversive Interventions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Steven W.; Weis, Glenna

    This study was designed to replicate and improve upon Kaplan's 1992 study of the possible link between teachers' past experiences and use of aversive disciplinary strategies. The current study examines the possible effect of past home and school experience on both preservice and practicing teachers' choices of intervention. The first study…

  18. Collection Development in Public Health: A Guide to Selection Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wallis, Lisa C.

    2004-01-01

    Public health librarians face many challenges in collection development because the field is multidisciplinary, the collection's users have varied needs, and many of the essential resources are grey literature materials. Further, little has been published about public health selection tools. However, librarians responsible for these areas have a…

  19. A new spatial multi-criteria decision support tool for site selection for implementation of managed aquifer recharge.

    PubMed

    Rahman, M Azizur; Rusteberg, Bernd; Gogu, R C; Lobo Ferreira, J P; Sauter, Martin

    2012-05-30

    This study reports the development of a new spatial multi-criteria decision analysis (SMCDA) software tool for selecting suitable sites for Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) systems. The new SMCDA software tool functions based on the combination of existing multi-criteria evaluation methods with modern decision analysis techniques. More specifically, non-compensatory screening, criteria standardization and weighting, and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) have been combined with Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) and Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA). This SMCDA tool may be implemented with a wide range of decision maker's preferences. The tool's user-friendly interface helps guide the decision maker through the sequential steps for site selection, those steps namely being constraint mapping, criteria hierarchy, criteria standardization and weighting, and criteria overlay. The tool offers some predetermined default criteria and standard methods to increase the trade-off between ease-of-use and efficiency. Integrated into ArcGIS, the tool has the advantage of using GIS tools for spatial analysis, and herein data may be processed and displayed. The tool is non-site specific, adaptive, and comprehensive, and may be applied to any type of site-selection problem. For demonstrating the robustness of the new tool, a case study was planned and executed at Algarve Region, Portugal. The efficiency of the SMCDA tool in the decision making process for selecting suitable sites for MAR was also demonstrated. Specific aspects of the tool such as built-in default criteria, explicit decision steps, and flexibility in choosing different options were key features, which benefited the study. The new SMCDA tool can be augmented by groundwater flow and transport modeling so as to achieve a more comprehensive approach to the selection process for the best locations of the MAR infiltration basins, as well as the locations of recovery wells and areas of groundwater protection. The new spatial

  20. New Tools in an Old Trade: Teachers Talk About Use of the Internet in the Teaching of French as a Second or Foreign Language.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Elizabeth

    2002-01-01

    Presents findings of a study of teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning French as a second or foreign language using the Internet. An international, online discussion list and an open-ended questionnaire provided an opportunity for teachers to talk about their experiences with the new tools of the Internet. Challenges related to the teaching…

  1. How do children learn to follow gaze, share joint attention, imitate their teachers, and use tools during social interactions?

    PubMed

    Grossberg, Stephen; Vladusich, Tony

    2010-01-01

    How does an infant learn through visual experience to imitate actions of adult teachers, despite the fact that the infant and adult view one another and the world from different perspectives? To accomplish this, an infant needs to learn how to share joint attention with adult teachers and to follow their gaze towards valued goal objects. The infant also needs to be capable of view-invariant object learning and recognition whereby it can carry out goal-directed behaviors, such as the use of tools, using different object views than the ones that its teachers use. Such capabilities are often attributed to "mirror neurons". This attribution does not, however, explain the brain processes whereby these competences arise. This article describes the CRIB (Circular Reactions for Imitative Behavior) neural model of how the brain achieves these goals through inter-personal circular reactions. Inter-personal circular reactions generalize the intra-personal circular reactions of Piaget, which clarify how infants learn from their own babbled arm movements and reactive eye movements how to carry out volitional reaches, with or without tools, towards valued goal objects. The article proposes how intra-personal circular reactions create a foundation for inter-personal circular reactions when infants and other learners interact with external teachers in space. Both types of circular reactions involve learned coordinate transformations between body-centered arm movement commands and retinotopic visual feedback, and coordination of processes within and between the What and Where cortical processing streams. Specific breakdowns of model processes generate formal symptoms similar to clinical symptoms of autism. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The Teacher's Voice: Vocal Training in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bele, Irene Velsvik

    2008-01-01

    The voice is a basic tool in human communication and an important factor in a positive self-understanding and identity, both for the teacher's sense of profession and for the pupils' ability to express themselves orally; two perspectives of great importance in the Norwegian National Curriculum. Voice disorders are common among teachers world-wide…

  3. Job Burnout among Iranian Elementary School Teachers of Students with Autism: a Comparative Study

    PubMed Central

    Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Ahmadi, Fatemeh; Arsalani, Akram

    2013-01-01

    Objective Teachers often experience burnout and challenges during their active career. Different studies have shown that those directly involved with teaching children with special needs are more subject to burnout. Due to advance screening tools, more children with autism are now diagnosed and involved in special education. The aim of the present study was to investigate the professional burnout in teachers of children with autism compared to teachers of other children with special needs. Methods Casual Comparative study design was used for this research. Three self-reported measures (Maslach Burnout Inventory, Job Descriptive Index, and General Health Questionnaire) were distributed; clustered sampling selection was conducted to select participants. Ninety three female teachers (32 teachers of children with autism, 30 teachers in schools for deaf and 31 for teachers of children with mental retardation) from 12 schools located in 4 districts of Tehran were selected. Pearson's and Spearman's correlation statistical tests, analysis of variances and regression were used to analyze the results. Results Results of the current study revealed a significant difference in criterion validity between the three groups of teachers The three groups were different in terms of general health (p=0.010), emotional exhaustion (p=0.005) and depersonalization (p<0.001); however considering other variables no significant differences were observed. Comparison between groups showed that the average scores of teachers of children with autism were significantly higher than teachers of deaf and hard of hearing and mentally retarded children in general health, fatigue, and depersonalization variables. No significant differences were observed in average scores of teachers for mentally retarded and deaf children. Conclusions Female teachers’ of children with autism are experiencing significantly higher levels of burnout and general mental health problems compared to teachers of children with

  4. Perceptions of the Selection Criteria of Omani English Language Teachers: Implications for Policy Reconsideration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Issa, Ali; Al-Bulushi, Ali; Al-Zadjali, Rima

    2017-01-01

    Proficiency in the English language has been described as central for determining Non-Native English Speaking Teachers (N-NESTs) selection for joining the profession. The Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman decided to set the score of Band 6 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for accepting the English Language…

  5. Influence of Leadership Styles on Teachers' Job Satisfaction: A Case of Selected Primary Schools in Songea and Morogoro Districts, Tanzania

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Machumu, Haruni J.; Kaitila, Mafwimbo M.

    2014-01-01

    This study reports on the kind of school leadership style that best suits for promoting teachers' job satisfaction in primary schools in Tanzania. The study employed cross sectional research design with samples of 200 teachers from 20 selected primary schools in Songea and Morogoro districts. Interviews, documentary analysis and questionnaires…

  6. S'Cool Tools: 5 Great Tools to Perk Up Your Classroom and Engage Your Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yoder, Maureen Brown

    2009-01-01

    For a kindergarten teacher trying to find a new way to help his/her students learn about shapes and patterns or a high school science teacher hoping to bring ecology alive, there is a tool that could be just right for them. This article presents five learning tools that have the potential to transform lessons: (1) Lego Education's WeDo Robotics…

  7. 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…

  8. The Individual Basic Facts Assessment Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tait-McCutcheon, Sandi; Drake, Michael

    2015-01-01

    There is an identified and growing need for a levelled diagnostic basic facts assessment tool that provides teachers with formative information about students' mastery of a broad range of basic fact sets. The Individual Basic Facts Assessment tool has been iteratively and cumulatively developed, trialled, and refined with input from teachers and…

  9. Teachers' Perception Regarding Facial Expressions as an Effective Teaching Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Butt, Muhammad Naeem; Iqbal, Mohammad

    2011-01-01

    The major objective of the study was to explore teachers' perceptions about the importance of facial expression in the teaching-learning process. All the teachers of government secondary schools constituted the population of the study. A sample of 40 teachers, both male and female, in rural and urban areas of district Peshawar, were selected…

  10. The Teacher Aide...An Answer to the Teacher Shortage.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Axford, Roger W.

    The Maine State Department of Education and the Continuing Education Division of Maine State University provided a series of summer institutes in 1968 at selected university locations throughout the state for presently employed or prospective teacher aides. Courses were offered to 116 teacher aides in education and the teacher aide, classroom…

  11. Justifying the Design and Selection of Literacy and Thinking Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitehead, David

    2008-01-01

    Criteria for the design and selection of literacy and thinking tools that allow educators to justify what they do are described within a wider framework of learning theory and research into best practice. Based on a meta-analysis of best practice, results from a three year project designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a secondary school…

  12. What Did the Teachers Think? Teachers' Responses to the Use of Value-Added Modeling as a Tool for Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Linda

    2011-01-01

    The policy discourse on improving student achievement has shifted from student outcomes to focusing on evaluating teacher effectiveness using standardized test scores. A major urban newspaper released a public database that ranked teachers' effectiveness using Value-Added Modeling. Teachers, whom are generally marginalized, were given the…

  13. Hot Spots on the Web for Teacher Librarians: A Selection of Recommended Web Sites for TLs To Visit.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1996

    Six papers review and recommend sites on the Web as resources for teacher librarians include: "Just Do It: A Guide to Getting Out There and Doing It Yourself" (Catherine Ryan); "A Selection of Recommended Web Sites for TLs To Visit" (Karen Bonanno); "A Selection of Recommended Web Sites for TLs To Visit" (Sandra…

  14. Selective Intercultural Sensitivity to Different Sources of Cultural Identity: Study of Intercultural Sensitivity of Students at Teacher Education Programs of Georgia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tabatadze, Shalva; Gorgadze, Natia

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the intercultural sensitivity of students in teacher educational programs at higher education institutes (HEIs) in Georgia. Design/methodology/approach: This research explored the intercultural sensitivity among 355 randomly selected students in teacher education programs at higher education…

  15. Computers in the Classroom: Experiences Teaching with Flexible Tools. Teachers Writing to Teachers Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, Charles, Ed.; Vaughan, Larry, Ed.

    First-hand accounts of what teachers have done with students and computers in their classrooms, how students have responded, and what and how teachers have learned from these experiences are discussed in the 19 articles in this book. The articles are presented under these headings: (1) teaching writing with word processors; (2) learning to inquire…

  16. Pre-Service Teachers' Perceived Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge at Selected Colleges of Education in Lagos State, Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adeoye, Blessing F.; Ojo, Babatunde Y.

    2014-01-01

    We currently live in a digital age, and we are raising, and teaching "netizens"; as a result, we must use the relevant educational tools to teach them. It is necessary for pre-service teachers to consider how these electronic technologies differ and what characteristics make them important as vehicles for teaching. To examine the…

  17. Relating Student Recall to Expert and Novice Teachers' Instructional Communication: An Investigation Using Receiver Selectivity Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webster, Collin A.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Research indicates expert and novice teachers communicate differently during instruction. However, these differences have yet to be investigated in relation to student learning. Receiver selectivity theory offers an interpretive framework for understanding how expert-novice communication differences might function to discriminate…

  18. Student Teacher Evaluations of Cooperating Teachers as Indices of Effective Mentoring

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sayeski, Kristin L.; Paulsen, Kim J.

    2012-01-01

    Every year teacher preparation programs invest considerable time and energy in selecting and supporting cooperating teachers who serve as mentors for their student teachers. Given the weight and importance educators place on the student teaching experience and the powerful role it can play in shaping future teachers, it makes sense for teacher…

  19. Creation of a personality garden--a tool for reflection and teacher development; an autoethnographical research paper.

    PubMed

    O'Keeffe, Tracey

    2015-01-01

    This paper focuses on the Creation of a Personality Garden as a development tool. The original concept of the Garden was born from an autoethnographical study on the effects of self-concept on the teaching and learning experience. To explore the effects of self-concept on the teaching and learning experience. An autoethnographical study. The study was undertaken in London, UK. The researcher was also the sole participant in line with the autoethnographical approach. Data was collected through the means of a reflective diary, personal memory data, interview and other creative genres. A thematic analysis approach was then used to code and group core concepts. Three key areas were identified: emotional connection, growth, and resilience, with a fourth as an over-arching driver for the study; the audience and act of teaching. These elements appeared to underpin a teaching philosophy which recognises the benefits of self-awareness in teachers and an ability and willingness to connect with learners and respond to individual needs. The Garden was one element of self-reflective data which was later re-designed to embrace the personal transformation of the researcher throughout the study. Educationalists must have a willingness to explore self-perception as it can facilitate a sense of transparency and connection between the teacher and the learner. The Garden works as a dynamic tool and a sustainable model for confronting the on-going challenges of embracing risk-taking and emotionally connecting with learners within the educational context. It allows exploration of the nuances of personality and how the uniqueness of self interacts with the role of the teacher; a sometimes uncomfortable, yet safe, place to sit and experience a virtual reality check questioning assumptions and the theories that the individual espouses to use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Teacher to Teacher: Supporting English Language Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McElroy, Edward J.

    2005-01-01

    The student population is changing, and teachers need new tools to help their English language learner (ELL) students. ELL students are learning to read, write, and speak English at the same time as they study history, science, math, and all the other subjects taught in our schools. This article describes one tool, the Colorin Colorado website,…

  1. Impact of Selected Professional Aspects on Teacher Burnout.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kudva, Pramila

    This study investigated the relationship between several components of teacher burnout and various professional factors. Professional factors included professional qualifications, teaching level, professional growth, professional commitment, and role efficacy. Components of teacher burnout included development of negative attitudes toward students…

  2. The Perception of Teachers toward the Use of Mobile Technology as a Tool to Engage Students in Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goad, Kathryn Dawn

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to gauge the perception of teachers on the use of mobile technology, specifically cell phones, as an instructional tool to engage students in learning. Cell phones are the most ubiquitous piece of technology in the world. Their multiple functions can put the most up-to-date information at the fingertips of the user.…

  3. Communicative Tools and Modes in Thematic Preschool Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahlskog-Björkman, Eva; Björklund, Camilla

    2016-01-01

    This study focuses on teachers' ways of mediating meaning through communicative tools and modes in preschool thematic work. A socio-cultural perspective is used for analysis on how tools and modes are provided for children to make use of for communicative purposes. The research questions are: (1) what communicative tools do teachers use in their…

  4. Is It Better to Be Good or Lucky? Decentralized Teacher Selection in 10 Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeArmond, Michael; Gross, Betheny; Goldhaber, Dan

    2010-01-01

    In this article, the authors explore how school-based hiring reforms play out among schools serving different students in different locations within a single district. In particular, they consider how the intersection of school-based capacity and local school context affect teacher selection practice and outcomes. The analysis is based on a…

  5. Science Teaching Orientations and Technology-Enhanced Tools for Student Learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, Todd; Longhurst, Max; Duffy, Aaron M.; Wolf, Paul G.; Shelton, Brett E.

    2013-10-01

    This qualitative study examines teacher orientations and technology-enhanced tools for student learning within a science literacy framework. Data for this study came from a group of 10 eighth grade science teachers. Each of these teachers was a participant in a professional development (PD) project focused on reformed and technology-enhanced science instruction shaped by national standards documents. The research is focused on identifying teacher orientations and use of technology-enhanced tools prior to or unaffected by PD. The primary data sources for this study are drawn from learning journals and classroom observations. Qualitative methods were used to analyze learning journals, while descriptive statistics were used from classroom observations to further explore and triangulate the emergent qualitative findings. Two teacher orientation teacher profiles were developed to reveal the emergent teacher orientation dimensions and technology-enhanced tool categories found: "more traditional teacher orientation profile" and "toward a reformed-based teacher orientation profile." Both profiles were founded on "knowledge of" beliefs about the goals and purposes for science education, while neither profile revealed sophisticated beliefs about the nature of science. The "traditional" profile revealed more teacher-centered beliefs about science teaching and learning, and the "towards reformed-based" profile revealed student-centered beliefs. Finally, only technology-enhanced tools supportive of collaborative construction of science knowledge were found connected to the "towards reformed-based" profile. This research is concluded with a proposed "reformed-based teacher orientation profile" as a future target for science teaching and learning with technology-enhanced tools in a science literacy framework.

  6. A Case Study of the Historically Successful Roles of African American Teachers in Contemporary, Selected, Urban Charter Schools in New York

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benson, Shanelle R.

    2010-01-01

    Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine, to what degree, African American teachers in five selected, urban charter schools in New York performed the historical roles of counselor, advocate, disciplinarian, surrogate parent, and role model in, to determine how African American Teachers perceived the importance of performing the…

  7. The ECE Pre-Service Teachers' Perception on Factors Affecting the Integration of Educational Computer Games in Two Conditions: Selecting versus Redesigning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sancar Tokmak, Hatice; Ozgelen, Sinan

    2013-01-01

    This case study aimed to examine early childhood education (ECE) pre-service teachers' perception on the factors affecting integration of educational computer games to their instruction in two areas: selecting and redesigning. Twenty-six ECE pre-service teachers participated in the study. The data was collected through open-ended questionnaires,…

  8. Peer-Group Mentoring as a Tool for Teacher Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geeraerts, Kendra; Tynjälä, Päivi; Heikkinen, Hannu L. T.; Markkanen, Ilona; Pennanen, Matti; Gijbels, David

    2015-01-01

    Peer-group mentoring (PGM) is a new model designed to support the professional development of teachers in Finland. This study examines the experiences of mentees participating in PGM and potential differences in the experiences of teachers in general education and vocational education. It also addresses the mentees' perceptions of the results of…

  9. Beginning secondary science teachers' instructional use of educational technology during the induction year

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNall, Rebecca Lee

    This study explored how 10 beginning secondary science teachers who had completed the newly revised technology-integrated science teacher education program at the University of Virginia used educational technology in their science instruction during the induction year. Nine of the beginning teachers taught in Virginia or Maryland high schools, while one taught overseas in an international school. Participants taught biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, or general science. A revised version of the Technology Usage and Needs of Science Teachers survey (Pedersen & Yerrick, 2000) was administered to all 10 participants in early fall 2002 and late spring 2003 to assess their confidence using educational technology tools in teaching science. Follow-up interviews were conducted with all participants subsequent to survey administration to explore their views toward educational technology as an instructional tool, their use of educational technology in science instruction, and factors influencing their use. In addition, four participants were purposefully selected to characterize participants' instructional use of educational technology and to increase the likelihood of observing its use. Selection criteria of this subgroup included factors summarized from the research literature: (a) high confidence using educational technology, (b) strong intent to use educational technology instructionally, (c) access to technology tools, and (d) collegial or technology support. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and interview and classroom observation data were analyzed using analytic induction methods developed by Erickson (1986). Analysis of survey responses indicated that participants were confident using educational technology tools in science instruction and were most confident using word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, and telecommunications applications. Classroom observations and interview responses indicated that participants used

  10. Teacher Reporting Attitudes Scale (TRAS): confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses with a Malaysian sample.

    PubMed

    Choo, Wan Yuen; Walsh, Kerryann; Chinna, Karuthan; Tey, Nai Peng

    2013-01-01

    The Teacher Reporting Attitude Scale (TRAS) is a newly developed tool to assess teachers' attitudes toward reporting child abuse and neglect. This article reports on an investigation of the factor structure and psychometric properties of the short form Malay version of the TRAS. A self-report cross-sectional survey was conducted with 667 teachers in 14 randomly selected schools in Selangor state, Malaysia. Analyses were conducted in a 3-stage process using both confirmatory (stages 1 and 3) and exploratory factor analyses (stage 2) to test, modify, and confirm the underlying factor structure of the TRAS in a non-Western teacher sample. Confirmatory factor analysis did not support a 3-factor model previously reported in the original TRAS study. Exploratory factor analysis revealed an 8-item, 4-factor structure. Further confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated appropriateness of the 4-factor structure. Reliability estimates for the four factors-commitment, value, concern, and confidence-were moderate. The modified short form TRAS (Malay version) has potential to be used as a simple tool for relatively quick assessment of teachers' attitudes toward reporting child abuse and neglect. Cross-cultural differences in attitudes toward reporting may exist and the transferability of newly developed instruments to other populations should be evaluated.

  11. In Search of Practitioner-Based Social Capital: A Social Network Analysis Tool for Understanding and Facilitating Teacher Collaboration in a US-Based STEM Professional Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker-Doyle, Kira J.; Yoon, Susan A.

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the first in a series of studies on the informal advice networks of a community of teachers in an in-service professional development program. The aim of the research was to use Social Network Analysis as a methodological tool to reveal the social networks developed by the teachers, and to examine whether these networks…

  12. Preparing Teachers for Urban Schools: An Annotated Bibliography for Teacher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clothier, Grant; And Others

    This annotated bibliography developed by Cooperative Urban Teacher Education (CUTE) staff members presents a selective reading list for undergraduate teacher education candidates preparing to work in inner-city schools. An interdisciplinary team composed of a psychiatrist, a sociologist, and teacher educators categorized the 187 entries under the…

  13. Thinking about Practical Work in Chemistry: Teachers' Considerations of Selected Practices for the Macroscopic Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewthwaite, Brian

    2014-01-01

    This study explores teachers' thinking about practical work, especially in regards to the types of practical work they privilege in their teaching of chemistry to support students in their learning. It seeks to investigate the view that practical work, especially the type of practical work selected, is "unthinkingly" and…

  14. An ArcGIS decision support tool for artificial reefs site selection (ArcGIS ARSS)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stylianou, Stavros; Zodiatis, George

    2017-04-01

    Although the use and benefits of artificial reefs, both socio-economic and environmental, have been recognized with research and national development programmes worldwide their development is rarely subjected to a rigorous site selection process and the majority of the projects use the traditional (non-GIS) approach, based on trial and error mode. Recent studies have shown that the use of Geographic Information Systems, unlike to traditional methods, for the identification of suitable areas for artificial reefs siting seems to offer a number of distinct advantages minimizing possible errors, time and cost. A decision support tool (DSS) has been developed based on the existing knowledge, the multi-criteria decision analysis techniques and the GIS approach used in previous studies in order to help the stakeholders to identify the optimal locations for artificial reefs deployment on the basis of the physical, biological, oceanographic and socio-economic features of the sites. The tool provides to the users the ability to produce a final report with the results and suitability maps. The ArcGIS ARSS support tool runs within the existing ArcMap 10.2.x environment and for the development the VB .NET high level programming language has been used along with ArcObjects 10.2.x. Two local-scale case studies were conducted in order to test the application of the tool focusing on artificial reef siting. The results obtained from the case studies have shown that the tool can be successfully integrated within the site selection process in order to select objectively the optimal site for artificial reefs deployment.

  15. A meta-analysis of pedagogical tools used in introductory programming courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trees, Frances P.

    Programming is recognized as being challenging for teachers to teach and difficult for students to learn. For decades, computer science educators have looked at innovative approaches by creating pedagogical software tools that attempt to facilitate both the teaching of and the learning of programming. This dissertation investigates the motivations for the integration of pedagogical tools in introductory programming courses and the characteristics that are perceived to contribute to the effectiveness of these tools. The study employs three research stages that examine the tool characteristics and their use. The first stage surveys teachers who use pedagogical tools in an introductory programming course. The second interviews teachers to explore the survey results in more detail and to add greater depth into the choice and use of pedagogical tools in the introductory programming class. The third interviews tool developers to provide an explanatory insight of the tool and the motivation for its creation. The results indicate that the pedagogical tools perceived to be effective share common characteristics: They provide an environment that is manageable, flexible and visual; they provide for active engagement in learning activities and support programming in small pieces; they allow for an easy transition to subsequent courses and more robust environments; they provide technical support and resource materials. The results of this study also indicate that recommendations from other computer science educators have a strong impact on a teacher's initial tool choice for an introductory programming course. This study informs present and future tool developers of the characteristics that the teachers perceive to contribute to the effectiveness of a pedagogical tool and how to present their tools to encourage a more efficient and more effective widespread adoption of the tool into the teacher's curriculum. The teachers involved in this study are actively involved in the

  16. Continuous Quality Improvement Tools for Effective Teaching.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cornesky, Robert A.

    This manual presents 15 Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) tools and techniques necessary for effective teaching. By using the tools and techniques of CQI, teachers will be able to help themselves and their students to focus on the classroom processes. This will permit the teacher and students to plan, organize, implement, and make decisions…

  17. Why Choose This One? Factors in Scientists' Selection of Bioinformatics Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartlett, Joan C.; Ishimura, Yusuke; Kloda, Lorie A.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: The objective was to identify and understand the factors involved in scientists' selection of preferred bioinformatics tools, such as databases of gene or protein sequence information (e.g., GenBank) or programs that manipulate and analyse biological data (e.g., BLAST). Methods: Eight scientists maintained research diaries for a two-week…

  18. The CTE Teacher Selection and Hiring Decision: Practices and Perceptions from Select Pennsylvania CTE Directors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haas, Beth Ann

    2012-01-01

    Unlike the academic teacher who has years of teacher training at a university, a teaching practicum, and experiences that lead to the acquisition of a teaching credential, a career and technical education (CTE) teacher typically is hired and placed in the classroom with no pre-service experience or training. Career and technical administrators are…

  19. Becoming a Culturally Responsive Early Childhood Educator: A Tool to Support Reflection by Teachers Embarking on the Anti-Bias Journey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Dora W.; Nimmo, John; Fraser, Heather

    2009-01-01

    As children begin to construct an understanding of human differences and similarities during their earliest years, early childhood teachers are challenged to be culturally responsive to the diversity of the children and families. Based on our review of the literature and other existing tools, this article discusses a framework for thinking about…

  20. Teacher Agency and Education Policy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coffman, Ann Nutter

    2015-01-01

    New teachers are often left to their own devices to navigate the policy world without necessarily having the strategies and tools to advocate for themselves or more experienced teachers to help guide them. More senior teachers may report a feeling of helplessness as curriculum and policy changes occur around them without necessarily considering…

  1. From Good to Great: Discussion Starter Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center on Great Teachers and Leaders, 2014

    2014-01-01

    In the report "From Good to Great: Exemplary Teachers Share Perspectives on Increasing Teacher Effectiveness across the Career Continuum," (See full report in ERIC at ED555657) National and State Teachers of the Year shared their views on what helped them become great teachers. This accompanying "Discussion Starter Tool" builds…

  2. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Stormwater Decision Support Tools for Infrastructure Selection and the Barriers to Implementation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spahr, K.; Hogue, T. S.

    2016-12-01

    Selecting the most appropriate green, gray, and / or hybrid system for stormwater treatment and conveyance can prove challenging to decision markers across all scales, from site managers to large municipalities. To help streamline the selection process, a multi-disciplinary team of academics and professionals is developing an industry standard for selecting and evaluating the most appropriate stormwater management technology for different regions. To make the tool more robust and comprehensive, life-cycle cost assessment and optimization modules will be included to evaluate non-monetized and ecosystem benefits of selected technologies. Initial work includes surveying advisory board members based in cities that use existing decision support tools in their infrastructure planning process. These surveys will qualify the decisions currently being made and identify challenges within the current planning process across a range of hydroclimatic regions and city size. Analysis of social and other non-technical barriers to adoption of the existing tools is also being performed, with identification of regional differences and institutional challenges. Surveys will also gage the regional appropriateness of certain stormwater technologies based off experiences in implementing stormwater treatment and conveyance plans. In additional to compiling qualitative data on existing decision support tools, a technical review of components of the decision support tool used will be performed. Gaps in each tool's analysis, like the lack of certain critical functionalities, will be identified and ease of use will be evaluated. Conclusions drawn from both the qualitative and quantitative analyses will be used to inform the development of the new decision support tool and its eventual dissemination.

  3. Teacher Professional Development by Selected Teacher and School Characteristics: 2011-12. Stats in Brief. NCES 2017-200

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rotermund, Susan; DeRoche, John; Ottem, Randolph

    2017-01-01

    This Statistics in Brief provides a snapshot of the state of teacher professional development activities among U.S. public school teachers using data collected through the 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) Public School Teacher Questionnaire. This report relies on data provided by public school teachers about their professional…

  4. School Culture, Teacher Voices, and Meaningful Feedback: A Collective Case Study of Teacher Evaluation at Three Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hills, Kaitlyn E.

    2017-01-01

    Teacher evaluation is an important but often neglected component of the education system. It exists, but it has often been seen and used as a supervisory tool rather than an opportunity for supported teacher development. As such, both teachers and administrators have dismissed teacher evaluation as a meaningless process when it has the potential…

  5. Revamping Teacher Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zatynski, Mandy

    2012-01-01

    In the past two years, as concerns over teacher quality have swelled, teacher evaluation has emerged as a crucial tool for principals and other administrators to improve instructor performance. More states are seeking federal waivers to the stringent benchmarks of No Child Left Behind; others are vying for Race to the Top funds. Both require…

  6. 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

  7. Finding Exemplary Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Donovan, Eamonn

    2010-01-01

    Teacher quality is the most crucial component in promoting student learning. For all the controversy about No Child Left Behind, one underlying emphasis of the federal law that is irrefutable is the importance placed on teacher quality. Therefore, a school organization committed to excellence must recruit and select outstanding teachers. The Obama…

  8. PepMapper: a collaborative web tool for mapping epitopes from affinity-selected peptides.

    PubMed

    Chen, Wenhan; Guo, William W; Huang, Yanxin; Ma, Zhiqiang

    2012-01-01

    Epitope mapping from affinity-selected peptides has become popular in epitope prediction, and correspondingly many Web-based tools have been developed in recent years. However, the performance of these tools varies in different circumstances. To address this problem, we employed an ensemble approach to incorporate two popular Web tools, MimoPro and Pep-3D-Search, together for taking advantages offered by both methods so as to give users more options for their specific purposes of epitope-peptide mapping. The combined operation of Union finds as many associated peptides as possible from both methods, which increases sensitivity in finding potential epitopic regions on a given antigen surface. The combined operation of Intersection achieves to some extent the mutual verification by the two methods and hence increases the likelihood of locating the genuine epitopic region on a given antigen in relation to the interacting peptides. The Consistency between Intersection and Union is an indirect sufficient condition to assess the likelihood of successful peptide-epitope mapping. On average from 27 tests, the combined operations of PepMapper outperformed either MimoPro or Pep-3D-Search alone. Therefore, PepMapper is another multipurpose mapping tool for epitope prediction from affinity-selected peptides. The Web server can be freely accessed at: http://informatics.nenu.edu.cn/PepMapper/

  9. Automation of Tooling Backup and Cutter Selection for Engineering Production

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Terekhov, M. V.; Averchenkov, V. I.; Reutov, A. A.; Handozhko, A. V.

    2017-01-01

    This paper reports the analysis of a tool support procedure for mechanical engineering and basic trends in the automation of this field are revealed. The system of technical-organizational measures directed at the formation, management and development of the tool stock and a high degree of technological readiness of manufacturing are described. The problems of an automated optimum cutter selection are considered. A mathematical support for a choice of cutters with through-away tips is described. A simulator for the description of combined cutters is presented. Basic criteria defining cutter choice are established. The problem of a multi-criterion fuzzy estimation of alternatives at different significance of choice criteria is solved. The criterion significance ranking at the parameter choice of cutter plates and tool supports is carried out. A set of estimations of cutter plate forms and other cutter parameters taking into account a relative significance of criteria is defined. The application of a decisive rule in the choice of an alternative required is described, which consists in the definition of the intersection of sets of alternative estimations.

  10. Extending the Teacher Educator Role: Developing Tools for Working with School Mentors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Douglas, Alaster Scott

    2017-01-01

    This article considers the ways in which a group of university-based teacher educators work with school-based mentors (cooperating teachers). Owing to a number of changes in teacher education policy in England, feelings of marginalisation from the teacher educators are presented before exploring how they undertake their work with school mentors.…

  11. Climate-Smart Seedlot Selection Tool: Reforestation and Restoration for the 21st Century

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stevenson-Molnar, N.; Howe, G.; St Clair, B.; Bachelet, D. M.; Ward, B. C.

    2017-12-01

    Local populations of trees are generally adapted to their local climates. Historically, this has meant that local seed zones based on geography and elevation have been used to guide restoration and reforestation. In the face of climate change, seeds from local sources will likely be subjected to climates significantly different from those to which they are currently adapted. The Seedlot Selection Tool (SST) offers a new approach for matching seed sources with planting sites based on future climate scenarios. The SST is a mapping program designed for forest managers and researchers. Users can use the tool to to find seedlots for a given planting site, or to find potential planting sites for a given seedlot. Users select a location (seedlot or planting site), climate scenarios (a climate to which seeds are adapted, and a current or future climate scenario), climate variables, and transfer limits (the maximum climatic distance that is considered a suitable match). Transfer limits are provided by the user, or derived from the range of values within a geographically defined seed zone. The tool calculates scores across the landscape based on an area's similarity, in a multivariate climate space, to the input. Users can explore results on an interactive map, and export PDF and PowerPoint reports, including a map of the results along with the inputs used. Planned future improvements include support for non-forest use cases and ability to download results as GeoTIFF data. The Seedlot Selection Tool and its source code are available online at https://seedlotselectiontool.org. It is co-developed by the United States Forest Service, Oregon State University, and the Conservation Biology Institute.

  12. Teachers' Perceived Efficacy among English as a Foreign Language Teachers in Middle Schools in Venezuela

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chacon, C.T.

    2005-01-01

    Teachers' sense of efficacy has been shown to influence teachers' actions and student outcomes. This study explored self-efficacy beliefs among English as a Foreign Language teachers in selected schools in Venezuela. Data were collected through a survey administered to 100 teachers. The Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale (Tschannen-Moran &…

  13. A Study of Teacher Opinions Concerning Selected Free Filmstrips Provided by the American Iron and Steel Institute to Schools Throughout the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DuVall, Charles R.; And Others

    This study analyzed teacher assessment of several factors related to selected filmstrips provided to teachers by the American Iron and Steel Institute. Main concerns of the study related to applicability of the filmstrip to instructional programs, assessment of accuracy of information contained, effectiveness of content, effectiveness of…

  14. How Teachers Use and Manage Their Blogs? A Cluster Analysis of Teachers' Blogs in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Eric Zhi-Feng; Hou, Huei-Tse

    2013-01-01

    The development of Web 2.0 has ushered in a new set of web-based tools, including blogs. This study focused on how teachers use and manage their blogs. A sample of 165 teachers' blogs in Taiwan was analyzed by factor analysis, cluster analysis and qualitative content analysis. First, the teachers' blogs were analyzed according to six criteria…

  15. Teachers and Technology Use in Secondary Science Classrooms: Investigating the Experiences of Middle School Science Teachers Implementing the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schulz, Rachel Corinne

    This study investigated the intended teacher use of a technology-enhanced learning tool, Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE), and the first experiences of teachers new to using it and untrained in its use. The purpose of the study was to learn more about the factors embedded into the design of the technology that enabled it or hindered it from being used as intended. The qualitative research design applied grounded theory methods. Using theoretical sampling and a constant comparative analysis, a document review of WISE website led to a model of intended teacher use. The experiences of four middle school science teachers as they enacted WISE for the first time were investigated through ethnographic field observations, surveys and interviews using thematic analysis to construct narratives of each teachers use. These narratives were compared to the model of intended teacher use of WISE. This study found two levels of intended teacher uses for WISE. A basic intended use involved having student running the project to completion while the teacher provides feedback and assesses student learning. A more optimal description of intended use involved the supplementing the core curriculum with WISE as well as enhancing the core scope and sequence of instruction and aligning assessment with the goals of instruction through WISE. Moreover, WISE projects were optimally intended to be facilitated through student-centered teaching practices and inquiry-based instruction in a collaborative learning environment. It is also optimally intended for these projects to be shared with other colleagues for feedback and iterative development towards improving the Knowledge Integration of students. Of the four teachers who participated in this study, only one demonstrated the use of WISE as intended in the most basic way. This teacher also demonstrated the use of WISE in a number of optimal ways. Teacher confusion with certain tools available within WISE suggests that there may be a

  16. Special Education Teachers' Lived Experiences in the Implementation of the iPad as an Instructional Tool for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Epps, Takisha Salander

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of 11 special education teachers, who implemented iPads as an instructional tool for elementary students with intellectual disabilities. This study was conducted in a North Carolina school district. The theories, which guided this study were Vygotsky's…

  17. Collecting Poetry for the Academic Library: An Evaluation of Poetry Prizes as Selection Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Golomb, Liorah

    2011-01-01

    This paper examines the usefulness of poetry book prizes as a selection tool by evaluating their fairness, meaningfulness, and reliability as an indication of quality. The results of two surveys, one collecting data on poetry book prizes and the other asking librarians about their collecting practices, suggest that selecting on the basis of prizes…

  18. The Effects of Age, Years of Experience, and Type of Experience in the Teacher Selection Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vail, David Scott

    2010-01-01

    Paper screening in the pre-selection process of hiring teachers has been the focus in an ongoing series of similar studies starting with Allison in 1981. There have been many independent variables, including, but not limited to, age, gender, ethnic background, years of experience, type of experience, and grade point average, introduced into the…

  19. The Case for Using Student Voice in Teacher Selection and Recruitment: Reflections from a School Leader

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kent, Peter

    2012-01-01

    In this piece Peter Kent, headteacher of Lawrence Sheriff School in Rugby in the UK, reflects upon the role of the student voice in selecting and recruiting new teaching staff. Contextualised by some recent unsympathetic reporting in the UK media, Peter explains why for their school community, using the student voice to inform teacher recruitment…

  20. The Effects of Age, Years of Experience, and Type of Experience in the Teacher Selection Process

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Place, A. William; Vail, David S.

    2013-01-01

    Paper screening in the pre-selection process of hiring teachers has been an established line of research starting with Young and Allison (1982). Administrators were asked to rate hypothetical candidates based on the information provided by the researcher. The dependent variable in several of these studies (e.g. Young & Fox, 2002; Young & Schmidt,…

  1. High School Online: Pedagogy, Preferences, and Practices of Three Online Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kerr, Shantia

    2011-01-01

    This multiple case study explores how three online, high school teachers used technological tools to create meaningful learning activities for their students. Findings reveal that teachers use a wide variety of tools and approaches to online learning. Tools are categorized as content, communication, and management tools. Approaches include…

  2. English and Language Arts Teachers' Perspectives on Schooling: Initial Exposure to a Teacher Education Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Sean; Zhang, Yuan; Northrop, Laura; VanDerHeide, Jen; Dunn, Mandie; Caughlan, Samantha

    2018-01-01

    This article reports results from a study of teacher beliefs among a panel of English and language arts teachers at three universities as the pre-service teachers entered methodological coursework and internships. Using a new assessment tool, the Developmental Instruction Assessment Battery (DIAB), along with a discrete choice task and one-on-one…

  3. Perceived Importance of District Developed Teacher Evaluation Standards and Criteria as Measured by Teacher Values Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Jan Ellen Pfeiffer

    2011-01-01

    In 2009, a PK-12 public school district board of education approved a teacher evaluation tool developed by a volunteer team of teachers and administrators. The Learning Based Teacher Evaluation (LBTE) was constructed with six broad standards and fifteen specific criteria. The standards and criteria were assumed important to professional practice,…

  4. Relative Contributions of Selected Teachers' Variables and Students' Attitudes toward Academic Achievement in Biology among Senior Secondary School Students in Ondo State, Nigeria

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gbore, L. O.; Daramola, C. A.

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the relative contributions of selected teachers' variables and students' attitude towards academic achievement in biology among senior secondary schools in Ondo State, Nigeria. It involved descriptive survey research and ex-post facto research designs. The sample, 360 respondents which consists of 180 biology teachers and…

  5. Teacher Invitations and Effectiveness.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lambeth, Charlotte Reed

    The relationships that exist between perceived teacher behaviors and the achievement of selected secondary students in Virginia, and the relationships that exist between perceived teacher behaviors and curriculum type were determined. Additionally, the relationship between sets of teacher behaviors and achievement were investigated. Five…

  6. Head Teachers and Teachers as Pioneers in Facilitating Dyslexic Children in Primary Mainstream Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaka, Fahima Salman

    2015-01-01

    This study explores the perceptions of school heads and teachers in facilitating young dyslexic children in primary mainstream schools of Pakistan. Through purposive sampling, the researcher selected eight participants: Four primary school heads and four primary teachers from elite schools of Karachi. The research instrument selected for this…

  7. Evaluating Gaze-Based Interface Tools to Facilitate Point-and-Select Tasks with Small Targets

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skovsgaard, Henrik; Mateo, Julio C.; Hansen, John Paulin

    2011-01-01

    Gaze interaction affords hands-free control of computers. Pointing to and selecting small targets using gaze alone is difficult because of the limited accuracy of gaze pointing. This is the first experimental comparison of gaze-based interface tools for small-target (e.g. less than 12 x 12 pixels) point-and-select tasks. We conducted two…

  8. Language Teacher Education in a Fast-Changing World. Anthology Series 29. Selected Papers from a Seminar on Language Teacher Education in a Fast-Changing World (April 1992).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadtono, Eugenius, Ed.

    Selected papers from a 1992 seminar on innovations in language teacher education include: "Collaboration in Assessment: Empowering the Individual Course Member" (Leslie Dickinson); "An Approach to the Evaluation of ELT Preparation Programs" (Stephen J. Gaies); "Human Resources Development in the Management of English Language Programs: An…

  9. How to Help Teachers Develop Inquiry Teaching: Perspectives from Experienced Science Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tseng, Chung-Hsien; Tuan, Hsiao-Lin; Chin, Chi-Chin

    2013-01-01

    This study has two purposes: the first is to explore experienced science teachers' perspectives on inquiry teaching, and the second is to categorize these perspectives into patterns. Fifteen junior high school science teachers experienced at inquiry teaching were selected, and a semi-structured interview was conducted to collect the teachers'…

  10. Access to Teacher Evaluations Divides Advocates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sawchuk, Stephen

    2012-01-01

    As the movement to overhaul teacher evaluation marches onward, an emerging question is splitting the swath of advocates who support the new tools used to gauge teacher performance: Who should get access to the resulting information? Supporters of typing teacher evaluations to student performance differ over whether individuals' results should be…

  11. The Relationship between Happiness, Subjective Well-Being, Creativity and Job Performance of Primary School Teachers in Ramhormoz City

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jalali, Zohreh; Heidari, Alireza

    2016-01-01

    The research aimed to investigate the relationship between happiness, subjective well-being, creativity and job performance of primary school teachers in Ramhormoz City. Hence, a sample of 330 individuals was selected through random stratified sampling. The research tools included Oxford Happiness Inventory, Subjective Well-being Scale by Keyes…

  12. Teacher Perceptions of Electronic Portfolios as a Technology Integration Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blackwell, John P., III.

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative case study explored the problem that teachers' attitudes and perceptions about technology often serve as barriers to successful technology integration in elementary school classrooms. Trends have showed that technology teachers directly responsible for teaching students technology skills are being laid off due to budget cuts…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Highfield, Kate; Papic, Marina

    2015-01-01

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

  14. Teaching the teachers.

    PubMed

    Zavalkoff, Anne

    2002-10-01

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

  15. Teacher Quality, Professionalism and Professional Development: Findings from a European Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hilton, Gillian; Flores, Maria Assunção; Niklasson, Laila

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents and discusses findings from a European project concerning strengthening the teacher's voice in defining professional quality. In the project tools were developed and evaluated to help teachers reflect on their professional quality. Twelve countries participated and twelve tools were tested with help of student teachers,…

  16. Fostering Wakefulness: Narrative as a Curricular Tool in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blair, Deborah V.

    2009-01-01

    In a music education graduate class addressing teaching and learning strategies for learners with special needs, teachers were invited to consider the experience of the children in their music classrooms. Using narrative to enter into the learner's experience of school, teachers confronted their own perspectives and reconsidered those of their…

  17. Handbook for Qualities of Effective Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stronge, James H.; Tucker, Pamela D.; Hindman, Jennifer L.

    2004-01-01

    This book makes it much easier to implement a staff development, teacher education, or self-help program to improve the six research-based teacher qualities that are most apt to raise student achievement. Use the dozens of assessments, observation guides, planning tools, and other resources to: (1) Strengthen teachers' verbal abilities, content…

  18. Technology as Mediation Tool for Improving Teaching Profession in Higher Education Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Altinay-Gazi, Zehra; Altinay-Aksal, Fahriye

    2017-01-01

    Technology became a mediation tool for forming information and developing skills is teacher education programs of higher education institutions because technological tools can be used for self-reflection of prospective teachers' teaching performances. Practical implementation of teacher education programmes is a part of quality indicator in higher…

  19. Changes in Attitudes Toward Environmental Education and Selected Teaching Behaviors of Teachers Participating in Environmental Education Workshops.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Myer, Teresa A.

    This study examined four teacher in-service environmental education programs to: (1) suggest a workable evaluative model for such programs; (2) assess their content with respect to stated activities and objectives; and (3) determine whether or not the experiences correlated with changes in selected teaching behaviors. The research design included…

  20. Google Tools in the Classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albee, E. M.; Koons, P. O.; Schauffler, M.; Zhu, Y.; Segee, B. E.

    2009-12-01

    The Maine Learning Technology Initiative provides every seventh and eighth grade student in the state with MacBook laptop computers. Limitless education possibilities exist with the inclusion of Google Tools and laptops as learning tools in our modern classrooms. Google Applications allow students to create documents, spreadsheets, charts, graphs, forms, and presentations and easily allows the sharing of information with their fellow classmates and teachers. These applications invite the use of inquiry and critical thinking skills, collaboration among peers, and subject integration to teach students crucial concepts. The benefits for teachers extend into the realm of using Google sites to easily create a teacher website and blog to upload classroom information and create a communication connection for parents and students as well as collaborations between the teachers and University researchers and educators. Google Applications further enhances the possibilities for learning, sharing a wealth of information, and enhancing communication inside and outside of the classroom.

  1. Helping Teachers Embrace Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cardillo, Darlene S.

    2005-01-01

    This article details how the author, the director of educational technology for the schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, New York, adapted the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS.S) and created assessment tools for her teachers. It describes the system that was devised to hold teachers accountable for…

  2. Developing a Cadre of Cooperating Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Romano, Anthony W.; And Others

    A University of Oklahoma program for the development of cooperating teachers is designed to screen, prepare, and select classroom teachers, who receive a university adjunct instructor appointment as cooperating teachers, to serve student teachers in the elementary school program. The initial screening to identify classroom teachers who are…

  3. Teacher Questioning Strategies in Mathematical Classroom Discourse: A Case Study of Two Grade Eight Teachers in Tennessee, USA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCarthy, Peter; Sithole, Alec; McCarthy, Paul; Cho, Jea-pil; Gyan, Emmanuel

    2016-01-01

    Teacher questioning in mathematics is an important diagnostic tool for teaching as well as measuring the academic progression and comprehension of the learner. While teacher questioning enhances student learning and self-assessment of the teacher's lesson delivery effectiveness, if not presented properly can have negative impacts on the student…

  4. Evaluating COCA--What Do Teachers Think?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Major, Nigel

    COCA, which consists of both authoring tools and a runtime shell, is a system intended to provide teachers with genuine access to intelligent tutoring system (ITS) technology and to give them control over domain material and teaching strategies. To evaluate the effectiveness of COCA, 10 subjects (five university teachers and five school teachers)…

  5. General Music Teachers' Backgrounds and Multicultural Repertoire Selection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Soojin

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how teachers' backgrounds could contribute to their decisions to include music from diverse cultures. Analysis of interviews with three general music teachers indicated that their music training and experiences, ethnic backgrounds, and years of teaching experience may have influenced their…

  6. E-Mentoring: Enhancing Special Education Teacher Induction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Sean J.; Israel, Maya

    2010-01-01

    Teaching in 21st-century schools cannot easily be separated from technology-based solutions. Instead, technology is increasingly becoming an essential tool for any teacher's toolbox, especially the new teacher who is often considered a digital native. In teacher education and professional development, technology-based learning, or…

  7. Beyond "What Works": Understanding Teacher Identity as a Practical and Political Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mockler, Nicole

    2011-01-01

    Drawing on previous research that focused upon the formation and mediation of teacher professional identity, this paper develops a model for conceptualising teacher professional identity. Increasingly, technical-rational understandings of teachers' work and "role" are privileged in policy and public discourse over more nuanced and holistic…

  8. A Review of Evidence Presented in Support of Three Key Claims in the Validity Argument for the "TextEvaluator"® Text Analysis Tool. Research Report. ETS RR-16-12

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheehan, Kathleen M.

    2016-01-01

    The "TextEvaluator"® text analysis tool is a fully automated text complexity evaluation tool designed to help teachers and other educators select texts that are consistent with the text complexity guidelines specified in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This paper provides an overview of the TextEvaluator measurement approach and…

  9. The SUPERCOMET 2 Project: Teacher Seminar and Teacher Guide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Engstrom, V.; Ireson, G.; Latal, H.; Mathelitsch, L.; Michelini, M.; Peeters, W.; Rath, G.

    2008-05-01

    The Leonardo da Vinci pilot projects SUPERCOMET (2001-2004) and SUPERCOMET 2 (2004-2007) developed and tested teacher training materials for active, minds-on learning of electromagnetism and superconductivity at the level of upper secondary school. New multimedia materials for the pupils supported the teacher materials, including a teacher seminar in 4 half-day modules detailing the scientific contents, teaching methods, using ICT in physics teaching and learning, online collaboration and further resources for exploring the selected topics. The aim of these projects were to improve the quality of physics teaching on a European level, involving a combined total of 45 partners in 16 countries, and conducting trials at 67 schools with approx. 230 teachers, 280 trainee teachers and 2200 pupils. New follow-up projects develop hands-on materials for carrying out the activities described in the teacher guide and seminars and additional teacher materials involving modelling, simulations and data logging.

  10. Exploring Positioning as an Analytical Tool for Understanding Becoming Mathematics Teachers' Identities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skog, Kicki; Andersson, Annica

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this article is to explore how a sociopolitical analysis can contribute to a deeper understanding of critical aspects for becoming primary mathematics teachers' identities during teacher education. The question we ask is the following: How may power relations in university settings affect becoming mathematics teachers' subject…

  11. Rapid e-Learning Tools Selection Process for Cognitive and Psychomotor Learning Objectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ku, David Tawei; Huang, Yung-Hsin

    2012-01-01

    This study developed a decision making process for the selection of rapid e-learning tools that could match different learning domains. With the development of the Internet, the speed of information updates has become faster than ever. E-learning has rapidly become the mainstream for corporate training and academic instruction. In order to reduce…

  12. A Guide to Selected Curriculum Materials on Interdependence, Conflict, and Change: Teacher Comments on Classroom Use and Implementation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York Friends Group, Inc., New York. Center for War/Peace Studies.

    The purpose of this compilation of teacher-developed descriptive evaluations of curriculum materials is to provide practical guidance to available materials dealing with the selected themes of interdependence, conflict, and change. Each of six conceptual units presented on change, conflict, identity, interdependence, power and authority, and…

  13. Identifying fecal sources in a selected catchment reach using multiple source-tracking tools

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vogel, J.R.; Stoeckel, D.M.; Lamendella, R.; Zelt, R.B.; Santo, Domingo J.W.; Walker, S.R.; Oerther, D.B.

    2007-01-01

    Given known limitations of current microbial source-tracking (MST) tools, emphasis on small, simple study areas may enhance interpretations of fecal contamination sources in streams. In this study, three MST tools - Escherichia coli repetitive element polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR), coliphage typing, and Bacteroidales 16S rDNA host-associated markers - were evaluated in a selected reach of Plum Creek in sooth-central Nebraska. Water-quality samples were collected from six sites. One reach was selected for MST evaluation based on observed patterns of E. coli contamination. Despite high E. coli concentrations, coliphages were detected only once among water samples, precluding their use as a MST tool in this setting. Rep-PCR classification of E. coli isolates from both water and sediment samples supported the hypothesis that cattle and wildlife were dominant sources of fecal contamination, with minor contributions by horses and humans. Conversely, neither ruminant nor human sources were detected by Bacteroidales markers in most water samples. In bed sediment, ruminant- and human-associated Bacteroidales markers were detected throughout the interval from 0 to 0.3 m, with detections independent of E. coli concentrations in the sediment. Although results by E. coli-based and Bacteroidales-based MST methods led to similar interpretations, detection of Bacteroidales markers in sediment more commonly than in water indicates that different tools to track fecal contamination (in this case, tools based on Bacteroidales DNA and E. coli isolates) may have varying relevance to the more specific goal of tracking the sources of E. coli in watersheds. This is the first report of simultaneous, toolbox approach application of a library-based and marker-based MST analyses to lowing surface water. ?? ASA, CSSA, SSSA.

  14. Reflective Dialog Journals: A Tool for Developing Professional Competence in Novice Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gut, Dianne M.; Wan, Guofang; Beam, Pamela C.; Burgess, Lawrence

    2016-01-01

    This study focuses on the use of a mentoring protocol, the reflective dialogue journal, to develop professional competencies for pre-service teachers within a school-university partnership. To examine the effectiveness of the reflective dialogue journal protocol and the processes employed by mentor teachers to assist pre-service teachers with…

  15. Teachers' Opinions about the Use of Body Language

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benzer, Ahmet

    2012-01-01

    Effective communication occurs with non-verbal and verbal tools. In this study the body language as non-verbal communication tool is taken to be examined, and teachers' opinions about the use and importance of body language in education are surveyed. Eight open-ended questions are asked to 100 teachers. As a result, it is shown that teachers…

  16. Classroom Live: a software-assisted gamification tool

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Freitas, Adrian A.; de Freitas, Michelle M.

    2013-06-01

    Teachers have come to rely on a variety of approaches in order to elicit and sustain student interest in the classroom. One particular approach, known as gamification, seeks to improve student engagement by transforming the traditional classroom experience into a competitive multiplayer game. Initial attempts at classroom gamification relied on the teacher manually tracking student progress. At the US Air Force Academy, we wanted to experiment with a software gamification tool. Our client/server suite, dubbed Classroom Live, streamlines the gamification process for the teacher by simplifying common tasks. Simultaneously, the tool provides students with an esthetically pleasing user interface that offers in game rewards in exchange for their participation. Classroom Live is still in development, but our initial experience using the tool has been extremely positive and confirms our belief that students respond positively to gamification, even at the undergraduate level.

  17. Shaping the future medical workforce: take care with selection tools.

    PubMed

    Poole, Phillippa; Shulruf, Boaz

    2013-12-01

    Medical school selection is a first step in developing a general practice workforce. To determine the relationship between medical school selection scores and intention to pursue a career in general practice. A longitudinal cohort study of students selected in 2006 and 2007 for The University of Auckland medical programme, who completed an exit survey on career intentions. Students are ranked for selection into year 2 of a six-year programme by combining grade point average from prior university achievement (60%), interview (25%) and Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) scores (15%). The main outcome measure was level of interest in general practice at exit. Logistic regression assessed whether any demographic variables or admission scores predicted a 'strong' interest in general practice. None of interview scores, grade point average, age, gender, or entry pathway predicted a 'strong' interest in general practice. Only UMAT scores differentiated between those with a 'strong' interest versus those with 'some' or 'no' interest, but in an inverse fashion. The best predictor of a 'strong' interest in general practice was a low UMAT score of between 45 and 55 on all three UMAT sections (OR 3.37, p=0.020). Yet, the academic scores at entry of students with these UMAT scores were not lower than those of their classmates. Setting inappropriately high cut-points for medical school selection may exclude applicants with a propensity for general practice. These findings support the use of a wider lens through which to view medical school selection tools.

  18. Development and validation of a Clinical Assessment Tool for Nursing Education (CAT-NE).

    PubMed

    Skúladóttir, Hafdís; Svavarsdóttir, Margrét Hrönn

    2016-09-01

    The aim of this study was to develop a valid assessment tool to guide clinical education and evaluate students' performance in clinical nursing education. The development of the Clinical Assessment Tool for Nursing Education (CAT-NE) was based on the theory of nursing as professional caring and the Bologna learning outcomes. Benson and Clark's four steps of instrument development and validation guided the development and assessment of the tool. A mixed-methods approach with individual structured cognitive interviewing and quantitative assessments was used to validate the tool. Supervisory teachers, a pedagogical consultant, clinical expert teachers, clinical teachers, and nursing students at the University of Akureyri in Iceland participated in the process. This assessment tool is valid to assess the clinical performance of nursing students; it consists of rubrics that list the criteria for the students' expected performance. According to the students and their clinical teachers, the assessment tool clarified learning objectives, enhanced the focus of the assessment process, and made evaluation more objective. Training clinical teachers on how to assess students' performances in clinical studies and use the tool enhanced the quality of clinical assessment in nursing education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Professional Development and Use of Digital Technologies by Science Teachers: a Review of Theoretical Frameworks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandes, Geraldo W. Rocha; Rodrigues, António M.; Ferreira, Carlos Alberto

    2018-03-01

    This article aims to characterise the research on science teachers' professional development programs that support the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and the main trends concerning the theoretical frameworks (theoretical foundation, literature review or background) that underpin these studies. Through a systematic review of the literature, 76 articles were found and divided into two axes on training science teachers and the use of digital technologies with their categories. The first axis (characterisation of articles) presents the category key features that characterise the articles selected (major subjects, training and actions for the professional development and major ICT tools and digital resources). The second axis (trends of theoretical frameworks) has three categories organised in theoretical frameworks that emphasise the following: (a) the digital technologies, (b) prospects of curricular renewal and (c) cognitive processes. It also characterised a group of articles with theoretical frameworks that contain multiple elements without deepening them or that even lack a theoretical framework that supports the studies. In this review, we found that many professional development programs for teachers still use inadequate strategies for bringing about change in teacher practices. New professional development proposals are emerging with the objective of minimising such difficulties and this analysis could be a helpful tool to restructure those proposals.

  20. Teachers and Science Curriculum Materials: Where We Are and Where We Need to Go

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davis, Elizabeth A.; Janssen, Fred J. J. M.; Van Driel, Jan H.

    2016-01-01

    Curriculum materials serve as a key conceptual tool for science teachers, and better understanding how science teachers use these tools could help to improve both curriculum design and theory related to teacher learning and decision-making. The authors review the literature on teachers and science curriculum materials. The review is organised…

  1. Redesigning Schools to Reach Every Student with Excellent Teachers: Teacher & Staff Selection, Development, & Evaluation Toolkit

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Public Impact, 2012

    2012-01-01

    This toolkit is a companion to the school models provided on OpportunityCulture.org. The school models use job redesign and technology to extend the reach of excellent teachers to more students, for more pay, within budget. Most of these school models create new roles and collaborative teams, enabling all teachers and staff to develop and…

  2. What Is the Teacher Doing? What Are the Students Doing? An Application of the Draw-a-Science-Teacher-Test

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Minogue, James

    2010-01-01

    This study documents the use of the Draw-a-Science-Teacher-Test as diagnostic tool for both preservice teacher beliefs about science teaching and science methods course effectiveness. Direct comparison of pre-course to post-course images from 50 preservice elementary teachers was undertaken using McNemar's test. Results indicated statistically…

  3. The Student-Teacher Relationship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schlechty, Phillip C.; Atwood, Helen E.

    1977-01-01

    Possible bases for student influence over teachers are examined. Since teachers cannot avoid being influenced by students, it is important for them to consciously select the kinds of influence efforts to which they will respond. (MJB)

  4. Teacher Evaluation and the 'Hand of History.'

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wood, Carolyn J.; Pohland, Paul A.

    1983-01-01

    Analysis of teacher evaluation instruments from 65 New Mexico school districts, concurring with nationwide studies, suggests that teacher evaluation is meant more as a tool for administrative decisions than for improving teaching. (JW)

  5. A Multicultural Fairy Tale for Teacher Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Scott

    2014-01-01

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

  6. Using Teacher-Made Measurement Devices.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mehrens, William A.; Lehmann, Irvin J.

    1987-01-01

    Classroom measurement devices, when tailored to fit a teacher's particular instructional objectives, are essential for optimal teaching and learning. Teachers use test data to assess students' progress but often fail to analyze tests for validity. This article shows how locally and correctly developed assessment tools may serve a variety of…

  7. Preservice Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions of Using a Web 2.0 Technology as a Supportive Teaching-Learning Tool in a College Euclidean Geometry Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hossain, Md. Mokter

    2012-01-01

    This mixed methods study examined preservice secondary mathematics teachers' perceptions of a blogging activity used as a supportive teaching-learning tool in a college Euclidean Geometry course. The effect of a 12-week blogging activity that was a standard component of a college Euclidean Geometry course offered for preservice secondary…

  8. 22 CFR 62.24 - Teachers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... of American and foreign teachers in public and private schools and the enhancement of mutual... related professional experience. (d) Visitor selection. Sponsors shall adequately screen teachers prior to...

  9. Pre-selection and assessment of green organic solvents by clustering chemometric tools.

    PubMed

    Tobiszewski, Marek; Nedyalkova, Miroslava; Madurga, Sergio; Pena-Pereira, Francisco; Namieśnik, Jacek; Simeonov, Vasil

    2018-01-01

    The study presents the result of the application of chemometric tools for selection of physicochemical parameters of solvents for predicting missing variables - bioconcentration factors, water-octanol and octanol-air partitioning constants. EPI Suite software was successfully applied to predict missing values for solvents commonly considered as "green". Values for logBCF, logK OW and logK OA were modelled for 43 rather nonpolar solvents and 69 polar ones. Application of multivariate statistics was also proved to be useful in the assessment of the obtained modelling results. The presented approach can be one of the first steps and support tools in the assessment of chemicals in terms of their greenness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. An Exploration of EFL Teachers' Attributions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ghonsooly, Behzad; Ghanizadeh, Afsaneh; Ghazanfari, Mohammad; Ghabanchi, Zargham

    2015-01-01

    The present study investigated English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' attributions of success and failure. It also set out to investigate whether these attributions vary by teachers' age, teaching experience, gender and educational level. To do so, 200 EFL teachers were selected according to convenience sampling among EFL teachers teaching…

  11. Machine Learning-Based App for Self-Evaluation of Teacher-Specific Instructional Style and Tools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duzhin, Fedor; Gustafsson, Anders

    2018-01-01

    Course instructors need to assess the efficacy of their teaching methods, but experiments in education are seldom politically, administratively, or ethically feasible. Quasi-experimental tools, on the other hand, are often problematic, as they are typically too complicated to be of widespread use to educators and may suffer from selection bias…

  12. Designing Tools for Reflection on Problem-Based Instruction and Problem-Based Instructional Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keefer, Matthew W.; Hui, Diane; RuffusDoerr, Amy Marie

    2009-01-01

    The objective of this research project into teacher education was to document the collaborative development and refection on teachers' tools in a problem-based learning (PBL) program. These results were then used to design materials and formats for the transmission of this teaching knowledge to less-experienced PBL teachers. The tools were…

  13. An Examination of Secondary School Teachers' Technology Integration Recommended by ISTE's National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers and School Principal Support for Teacher Technology Efforts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Esposito, Maria

    2013-01-01

    The National Educational Technology Standards for teachers (NETS-T) was adopted by New York State, and was critical to the development of students entering a global society. This study examines teachers' use of digital tools to promote student learning and reflection, promote digital citizenship, communicate and collaborate with parents and…

  14. #TwitterforTeachers: The Implications of Twitter as a Self-Directed Professional Development Tool for K-12 Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Visser, Ryan D.; Evering, Lea Calvert; Barrett, David E.

    2014-01-01

    This mixed-methods study explores how K-12 teachers use Twitter. An online survey was disseminated via Twitter to gauge their usage of, access to, and perceptions of Twitter. The results indicated that teachers highly value Twitter as a means of self-directed professional development. Respondents who reported using Twitter multiple times a day…

  15. Validating an Observation Protocol to Measure Special Education Teacher Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Evelyn S.; Semmelroth, Carrie L.

    2015-01-01

    This study used Kane's (2013) Interpretation/Use Argument (IUA) to measure validity on the Recognizing Effective Special Education Teachers (RESET) observation tool. The RESET observation tool is designed to evaluate special education teacher effectiveness using evidence-based instructional practices as the basis for evaluation. In alignment with…

  16. The Building as the Teacher

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Craig

    2009-01-01

    Teachers educate. Architects design. Students learn. Each serves a specific, unique purpose. But what happens when the three collaborate to achieve a greater good? In the state of Washington, a school building that is, in itself, a learning tool for students, teachers and the community happened. A school building that inspires students and…

  17. Development of a fusion approach selection tool

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pohl, C.; Zeng, Y.

    2015-06-01

    During the last decades number and quality of available remote sensing satellite sensors for Earth observation has grown significantly. The amount of available multi-sensor images along with their increased spatial and spectral resolution provides new challenges to Earth scientists. With a Fusion Approach Selection Tool (FAST) the remote sensing community would obtain access to an optimized and improved image processing technology. Remote sensing image fusion is a mean to produce images containing information that is not inherent in the single image alone. In the meantime the user has access to sophisticated commercialized image fusion techniques plus the option to tune the parameters of each individual technique to match the anticipated application. This leaves the operator with an uncountable number of options to combine remote sensing images, not talking about the selection of the appropriate images, resolution and bands. Image fusion can be a machine and time-consuming endeavour. In addition it requires knowledge about remote sensing, image fusion, digital image processing and the application. FAST shall provide the user with a quick overview of processing flows to choose from to reach the target. FAST will ask for available images, application parameters and desired information to process this input to come out with a workflow to quickly obtain the best results. It will optimize data and image fusion techniques. It provides an overview on the possible results from which the user can choose the best. FAST will enable even inexperienced users to use advanced processing methods to maximize the benefit of multi-sensor image exploitation.

  18. Between School Factors and Teacher Factors: What Inhibits Malaysian Science Teachers from Using ICT?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahmad, Tunku Badariah Tunku

    2014-01-01

    Despite the Malaysian government's efforts to increase the use of ICT in school, teachers' uptake of the technology remains slow and dismal. In this study, teachers' perceptions of the barriers that inhibited their use of ICT in the science classroom were explored. One hundred and fifty-one (N = 151) science teachers from selected secondary…

  19. How Can Blogging Help Teachers Realize the Goals of Reform-based Science Instruction? A Study of Nine Classroom Blogs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luehmann, April Lynn; Frink, Jeremiah

    2009-06-01

    Science teachers struggle with meeting curricular goals outlined by professional organizations within the constraints of traditional school. Engaging science learners as a community who collaboratively and creatively co-construct scientific understanding through inquiry requires teachers to adopt new tools as well as a different mindset about the kind of classroom culture they need to nurture. Classroom blogs (i.e., blogs that are managed by a teacher for his/her students to post their work and exchange ideas) have been purported in the literature as offering unique opportunities to achieve this goal, although with little empirical support thus far. To fill this gap, nine classroom blogs were selected through an extensive search, and systematically analyzed to determine how the teachers' instructional designs and classrooms' enactment were able to capitalize on the specific affordances blogging may offer to support reform-based learning goals. The shift in teacher mindset needed to realize blogging affordances occurred as teachers engaged with students in the process of `living' the classroom blog.

  20. Selection and application of familiar and novel tools in patients with left and right hemispheric stroke: Psychometrics and normative data.

    PubMed

    Buchmann, Ilka; Randerath, Jennifer

    2017-09-01

    Frequently left brain damage (LBD) leads to limb apraxia, a disorder that can affect tool-use. Despite its impact on daily life, classical tests examining the pantomime of tool-use and imitation of gestures are seldom applied in clinical practice. The study's aim was to present a diagnostic approach which appears more strongly related to actions in daily life in order to sensitize applicants and patients about the relevance of the disorder before patients are discharged. Two tests were introduced that evaluate actual tool selection and tool-object-application: the Novel Tools (NTT) and the Familiar Tools (FTT) Test (parts of the DILA-S: Diagnostic Instrument for Limb Apraxia - Short Version). Normative data in healthy subjects (N = 82) was collected. Then the tests were applied in stroke patients with unilateral left brain damage (LBD: N = 33), a control right brain damage group (RBD: N = 20) as well as healthy age and gender matched controls (CL: N = 28, and CR, N = 18). The tests showed appropriate interrater-reliability and internal consistency as well as concurrent and divergent validity. To examine criterion validity based on the well-known left lateralization of limb apraxia, group comparisons were run. As expected, the LBD group demonstrated a high prevalence of tool-use apraxia (NTT: 36.4%, FTT: 48.5%) ranging from mild to severe impairment and scored worse than their control group (CL). A few RBD patients did demonstrate impairments in tool-use (NTT: 15%, FTT: 15%). On a group level they did not differ from their healthy controls (CR). Further, it was demonstrated that the selection and application of familiar and novel tools can be impaired selectively. Our study results suggest that real tool-use tests evaluating tool selection and tool application should be considered for standard diagnosis of limb apraxia in left as well as right brain damaged patients. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  1. Understanding Web Activity Patterns among Teachers, Students and Teacher Candidates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kimmons, Royce; Clark, B.; Lim, M.

    2017-01-01

    This study sought to understand generational and role differences in web usage of teachers, teacher candidates and K-12 students in a state in the USA (n = 2261). The researchers employed unique methods, which included using a custom-built persistent web browser to track user behaviours free of self-report, self-selection and perception bias.…

  2. My Beloved Blackboard: Teacher Empowerment for Students' Success.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caplan-Carbin, Elizabeth

    This paper describes a university German teacher's experience using the file transfer capabilities of the Blackboard Internet tool. The introduction highlights some of the features and advantages of Blackboard. The first section discusses teacher empowerment, noting that the Internet empowers the teacher by providing the wealth of the worlds…

  3. Indexing Creativity Fostering Teacher Behaviour: Replication and Modification

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dikici, Ayhan; Soh, Kaycheng

    2015-01-01

    Many measurement tools on creativity are available in the literature. One of these scales is Creativity Fostering Teacher Behaviour Index (CFTIndex) developed for Singaporean teacher originally. It was then translated into Turkish and trialled on teachers in Nigde province with acceptable reliability and factorial validity. The main purpose of…

  4. Teachers as Public Speakers: Training Teachers to Lecture.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, Pamela J.

    Focusing on public speaking as a major instructional tool for teachers, this paper contains suggestions for more effective lecturing. In the introduction, classroom communication is analyzed according to four moves: structuring, soliciting, responding, and reacting. The paper then discusses four problems in studying learning from meaningful verbal…

  5. Teacher-Parent Communication and Parents' Ability to Select Reading Material: A Study of a Baggy Book Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lorenz, Kelley M.

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the effects of a home-reading program on parent-teacher communication and on the ability of parents to select reading material for their children. In this qualitative case study, parents of 4th grade students participated in a reading homework program with their children. Using constructivist theories, the study's…

  6. Vocational Agriculture Teachers' Opinions Relative to Selected Animal Science Competencies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Larry G.; Groves, Ramsey

    1986-01-01

    The attitudes of 107 vocational agriculture teachers toward animal science competencies were compared to those of respondents to the National Agriculture Occupations Competency Study. The areas of disagreement indicate a need for increased cooperation between agricultural education and animal science departments in teacher preparation. (SK)

  7. Exploring Malaysian Trainee Teachers' Adoption of the Internet as Information Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teck-Chai, Lau; Kim-Hong, Yeoh; Ching-Ching, Choong

    2010-01-01

    This study reports the usage of three commercial Internet search engines in information seeking among trainee teachers at a teacher training institute in Malaysia. It attempts to investigate the information seeking behavior of the trainees via three Internet search engines (Google, Yahoo and MSN) as gateways to information for research in academic…

  8. The Use of EPOSTL to Determine the Self-Efficacy of Prospective EFL Teachers: Raising Awareness in English Language Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bergil, Ayfer Su; Sariçoban, Arif

    2017-01-01

    The current practices in the field of foreign language teacher education have a heavy inclination to make use of traditional means especially throughout the assessment process of student teachers at foreign language departments. Observing the world in terms of teacher education makes it urgent to include more reflective and objective tools in…

  9. A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

    PubMed

    Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

    2017-01-01

    A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions.

  10. A Study of Teacher Stereotypes: How Do Tuition-Free Teacher Candidates and General Undergraduates Think about Middle School and University Teachers in China?

    PubMed Central

    Zuo, Youxia; Zhao, Yufang; Peng, Chunhua; Chen, Youguo

    2017-01-01

    A tuition-free teacher candidate is an undergraduate who receives tuition-free teacher education and must work as a teacher in a middle school after their graduation. Tuition-free candidates are of the focus of many researchers; however, no study reports how tuition-free teacher candidates think about teachers. The present study explored stereotypes about middle school and university teachers held by teacher candidates. Specifically, we looked for the differences between the stereotypes held by the teacher candidates and general undergraduates. This study attempted to provide a potential tool to predict the actual willingness of teacher candidates to work as middle school teachers. University and middle school teachers were evaluated using descriptive phrases or words on a five-point Likert scale by 116 tuition-free teacher candidates and 155 general undergraduates. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a three-factor stereotype model including occupational cognition, occupational personality, and occupational emotion. Compared with general undergraduates, teacher candidates held more positive occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers; they held more negative occupational emotions toward university teachers. Further, the undergraduates' willingness to be middle school teachers positively correlated with positive occupational emotions and negatively correlated with negative occupational personality and emotions toward middle school teachers. This supported previous studies that individuals' professional willingness were influenced by their stereotypes about professions. PMID:28469587

  11. Gathering Teacher's Perceptions of Evaluator Feedback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cherasaro, Trudy L.; Brodersen, Marc

    2016-01-01

    In response to initiatives to increase educator effectiveness states throughout the nation are placing greater emphasis on teacher evaluation tools that differentiate teacher effectiveness and include timely and constructive feedback. One of the three principles of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility waivers requires that…

  12. A Study of the Relationship between Cognitive Emotion Regulation, Optimism, and Perceived Stress among Selected Teachers in Lutheran Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gliebe, Sudi Kate

    2012-01-01

    Problem: The problem of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived stress, as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and a specific set of predictor variables among selected teachers in Lutheran schools in the United States. These variables were cognitive emotion regulation strategies (positive reappraisal and…

  13. Collective Negotiations and Teacher Satisfaction in Selected Indiana Secondary Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davies, Paul R.; Kline, Charles E.

    This paper reports a study that sought to determine whether differences in bargaining procedures are related to differences in teacher satisfaction or morale. Of the forty schools in the random sample, 27 were operating under traditional collective negotiation procedures -- teachers relatively unorganized; eight were operating under procedural…

  14. Middle School Teachers' Theories of Puberty.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LeTendre, Gerald

    This study explored middle school teachers' perspectives on and expectations of adolescence and puberty, using observations and interviews of 15 teachers in two Japanese middle schools and two United States (U.S.) middle schools, as well as a survey of teachers in selected schools in both nations. Teachers in the U.S. described puberty as being…

  15. 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.

  16. Diaries as a Reflective Tool in Pre-Service Language Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kömür, Sevki; Çepik, Hazal

    2015-01-01

    This study presents and analyzes the positive and negative reflections of ten pre-service English teachers who kept diaries on their own learning and teaching processes and daily lives. The participants were students in an English Language Teacher Education Program who took an on-campus methodology course and voluntarily agreed to keep diaries.…

  17. Urban Teachers' Perceptions of Critical Variables in Measuring Teacher Effectiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flores, JuanPablo

    2013-01-01

    This quantitative and qualitative study sought to examine the factors that teachers in a poor socio-economic, high-minority, urban, inner-city school district determined were important when gauging their effectiveness in the classroom. The study focused on the selection of specific factors by approximately seventy-five teachers from seven of eight…

  18. Preparing Future Teacher-Leaders: Experiences from the University of Connecticut's Five-Year Teacher Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwab, Richard L.; DeFranco, Thomas C.; McGivney-Burelle, Jean

    2004-01-01

    The article discusses the Integrated Bachelor's/Master's (IB/M) Teacher Preparation, a five-year teacher preparation program that integrates coursework, school-based clinic experiences, and university and K-12 faculty in the preparation of pre-service teachers. A major component of the IB/M program is the relationship with selected public school…

  19. Tools & Resources | Efficient Windows Collaborative

    Science.gov Websites

    Selection Tool Mobile App Window Selection Tool Mobile App Use the Window Selection Tool Mobile App for new Window Selection Tool Mobile App. LBNL's RESFEN RESFEN RESFEN is used for calculating the heating and

  20. College Climate and Teacher-Trainee's Academic Work in Selected Colleges of Education in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adjei, Augustine; Dontoh, Samuel; Baafi-Frimpong, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    The study aimed at investigating the extent to which College climate (Leadership roles/practices and Class size) impact on academic work of Teacher-trainees. A survey research design was used for the study because it involved a study of relatively large population who were purposively and randomly selected. A sample size of 322 out of the…

  1. Use of Web-Based Portfolios as Tools for Reflection in Preservice Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oner, Diler; Adadan, Emine

    2011-01-01

    This mixed-methods study examined the use of web-based portfolios for developing preservice teachers' reflective skills. Building on the work of previous research, the authors proposed a set of reflection-based tasks to enrich preservice teachers' internship experiences. Their purpose was to identify (a) whether preservice teachers demonstrated…

  2. At the Heart of Education: Portfolios as a Learning Tool.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gordon, Rick; Julius, Thomas

    This chapter consists of a conversation between a third-grade teacher and a teacher educator about the advantages of the portfolio method of assessment. The advantages of portfolios are that they are a powerful learning tool as well as an assessment tool, they can make the separate subjects in a curriculum come together in an integrated way, and…

  3. Effect of Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge of School Teachers regarding First Aid Management in Selected Schools of Bangalore.

    PubMed

    De, Piyali

    2014-01-01

    Safe childhood is the foundation of a good future. Children face different kinds of accidents at school premises while playing. Prevention of these accidents and their management is essential. A study was therefore conducted among school teachers at Anekal Taluk, Bangalore to make them aware about different accidents of children at school premises and their first aid management. The sample consisted of 30 primary and higher primary school teachers selected by convenience sampling technique. The analysis showed that improvement of knowledge occurred after administering structured teaching programme (STP) on first aid management. Nursing professionals can benefit from the study result at the area of community, administration, research and education.

  4. Technology, Teacher Training, and Postmodern Literacies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blair, Kristine L.

    With many English teachers now opting to teach writing and literature courses in electronic environments, some of the teachers' most significant experiences in these environments have stemmed from their attempts to make technology available as a literacy tool for culturally diverse student populations. Computer-mediated communication can broaden…

  5. Minority Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kearney-Gissendaner, Janet E.

    2010-01-01

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

  6. Using Multimedia Tools to Support Teacher Candidates' Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kennedy, Michael J.; Ely, Emily; Thomas, Cathy Newman; Pullen, Paige C.; Newton, Jennifer R.; Ashworth, Kristen; Cole, Mira T.; Lovelace, Shelly P.

    2012-01-01

    Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs), created using Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, are a form of instructional technology that can deliver critical course content and be used by teacher educators to conserve limited face-to-face instructional time. In this study, the authors investigate whether the sequence of instruction for CAP…

  7. Cases for Teacher Development: Preparing for the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldblatt, Patricia F., Ed.; Smith, Deirdre, Ed.

    2005-01-01

    With the recent and increasing attention to accountability and standards, teacher preparation programs are more than ever in need of tools that vicariously acquaint future teachers with the difficult situations they will face. This book is the perfect catalyst for this sort of teacher development. The cases encourage students to immerse themselves…

  8. Using Type To Prepare or Develop Teachers for Poor Urban Areas.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ryan, Patricia M.

    This paper reviews current literature about three tools used by teacher education programs and school districts to assess teacher candidate quality. It presents a matrix which aligns the underlying dimensions of teacher knowledge, dispositions, and skills for the STAR Teacher Interview, the Teacher Perceiver Interview, and the Praxis III Teacher…

  9. Multicenter Validation of a Customizable Scoring Tool for Selection of Trainees for a Residency or Fellowship Program. The EAST-IST Study.

    PubMed

    Bosslet, Gabriel T; Carlos, W Graham; Tybor, David J; McCallister, Jennifer; Huebert, Candace; Henderson, Ashley; Miles, Matthew C; Twigg, Homer; Sears, Catherine R; Brown, Cynthia; Farber, Mark O; Lahm, Tim; Buckley, John D

    2017-04-01

    Few data have been published regarding scoring tools for selection of postgraduate medical trainee candidates that have wide applicability. The authors present a novel scoring tool developed to assist postgraduate programs in generating an institution-specific rank list derived from selected elements of the U.S. Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) application. The authors developed and validated an ERAS and interview day scoring tool at five pulmonary and critical care fellowship programs: the ERAS Application Scoring Tool-Interview Scoring Tool. This scoring tool was then tested for intrarater correlation versus subjective rankings of ERAS applications. The process for development of the tool was performed at four other institutions, and it was performed alongside and compared with the "traditional" ranking methods at the five programs and compared with the submitted National Residency Match Program rank list. The ERAS Application Scoring Tool correlated highly with subjective faculty rankings at the primary institution (average Spearman's r = 0.77). The ERAS Application Scoring Tool-Interview Scoring Tool method correlated well with traditional ranking methodology at all five institutions (Spearman's r = 0.54, 0.65, 0.72, 0.77, and 0.84). This study validates a process for selecting and weighting components of the ERAS application and interview day to create a customizable, institution-specific tool for ranking candidates to postgraduate medical education programs. This scoring system can be used in future studies to compare the outcomes of fellowship training.

  10. Preservice elementary teachers learning to use curriculum materials to plan and teach science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gunckel, Kristin Lee

    New elementary teachers rely heavily on curriculum materials, but available science curriculum materials do not often support teachers in meeting specified learning goals, engaging students in the inquiry and application practices of science, or leveraging students' intellectual and cultural resources for learning. One approach to supporting new elementary teachers in using available science curriculum materials is to provide frameworks to scaffold preservice teachers' developing lesson planning and teaching practices. The Inquiry-Application Instructional Model (I-AIM) and the Critical Analysis and Planning (CA&P) tool were designed to scaffold preservice teachers' developing practice to use curriculum materials effectively to plan and teach science. The I-AIM identifies functions for each activity in an instructional sequence. The CA&P provides guides preservice teachers in modifying curriculum materials to better fit I-AIM and leverage students' resources for learning. This study followed three elementary preservice teachers in an intern-level science method course as they learned to use the I-AIM and CA&P to plan and teach a science unit in their field placement classrooms. Using a sociocultural perspective, this study focused on the ways that the interns used the tools and the mediators that influenced how they used the tools. A color-coding analysis procedure was developed to identify the teaching patterns in the interns' planned instructional approaches and enacted activity sequences and compare those to the patterns implied by the I-AIM and CA&P tools. Interviews with the interns were also conducted and analyzed, along with the assignments they completed for their science methods course, to gain insight into the meanings the interns made of the tools and their experiences planning and teaching science. The results show that all three interns had some successes using the I-AIM and CA&P to analyze their curriculum materials and to plan and teach science

  11. Supplementary health insurance as a tool for risk-selection in mandatory basic health insurance markets.

    PubMed

    Paolucci, Francesco; Schut, Erik; Beck, Konstantin; Gress, Stefan; Van de Voorde, Carine; Zmora, Irit

    2007-04-01

    As the share of supplementary health insurance (SI) in health care finance is likely to grow, SI may become an increasingly attractive tool for risk-selection in basic health insurance (BI). In this paper, we develop a conceptual framework to assess the probability that insurers will use SI for favourable risk-selection in BI. We apply our framework to five countries in which risk-selection via SI is feasible: Belgium, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. For each country, we review the available evidence of SI being used as selection device. We find that the probability that SI is and will be used for risk-selection substantially varies across countries. Finally, we discuss several strategies for policy makers to reduce the chance that SI will be used for risk-selection in BI markets.

  12. Authentic Teachers: Student Criteria Perceiving Authenticity of Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Bruyckere, Pedro; Kirschner, Paul A.

    2016-01-01

    Authenticity is seen by many as a key for good learning and education. There is talk of authentic instruction, authentic learning, authentic problems, authentic assessment, authentic tools and authentic teachers. The problem is that while authenticity is an often-used adjective describing almost all aspects of teaching and learning, the concept…

  13. Beyond Ratings: Re-Envisioning State Teacher Evaluation Systems as Tools for Professional Growth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connally, Kaylan; Tooley, Melissa

    2016-01-01

    To date, most of the public narrative and pushback on new teacher evaluation systems has centered around their use for high-stakes personnel decisions such as pay, promotion, and dismissal, but these systems were always intended to promote and support improvements for all teachers--not just the superstars or laggards. Why is teacher development…

  14. Beginning Science Teachers' Use of a Digital Video Annotation Tool to Promote Reflective Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McFadden, Justin; Ellis, Joshua; Anwar, Tasneem; Roehrig, Gillian

    2014-01-01

    The development of teachers as reflective practitioners is a central concept in national guidelines for teacher preparation and induction (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education 2008). The Teacher Induction Network (TIN) supports the development of reflective practice for beginning secondary science teachers through the creation…

  15. Comparing Two CBM Maze Selection Tools: Considering Scoring and Interpretive Metrics for Universal Screening

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ford, Jeremy W.; Missall, Kristen N.; Hosp, John L.; Kuhle, Jennifer L.

    2016-01-01

    Advances in maze selection curriculum-based measurement have led to several published tools with technical information for interpretation (e.g., norms, benchmarks, cut-scores, classification accuracy) that have increased their usefulness for universal screening. A range of scoring practices have emerged for evaluating student performance on maze…

  16. The Division of PA Teacher Certification and Its Impact on Teacher Hiring

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaughn, Ann Marie G.

    2017-01-01

    In 2008, the Pennsylvania Department of Education enacted Chapter 49-2 which divided the certified grade spans of Elementary Teachers. This dissertation addresses the question of how the change of PA Teacher Certifications, known as Chapter 49-2, has affected the selecting, interviewing, and hiring process for administrators. A problem was…

  17. Teaching Portfolios and the Beginning Teacher.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zubizarreta, John

    1994-01-01

    Teaching portfolios are becoming the most effective tool to improve new and seasoned teachers' instruction via a supportive, convincing evaluation method. In taking a concentrated three days to write a creditable portfolio, a new teacher feels more competent to think about teaching. The portfolio's process of written reflection invokes the power…

  18. Animating Preservice Teachers' Noticing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Araujo, Zandra; Amador, Julie; Estapa, Anne; Weston, Tracy; Aming-Attai, Rachael; Kosko, Karl W.

    2015-01-01

    The incorporation of animation in mathematics teacher education courses is one method for transforming practices and promoting practice-based education. Animation can be used as an approximation of practice that engages preservice teachers (PSTs) in creating classroom scenes in which they select characters, regulate movement, and construct…

  19. E-Portfolios in Teacher Development: The Better Option?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xerri, Daniel; Campbell, Caroline

    2016-01-01

    Following the introduction of print portfolios for teacher development in the ELT sector in Malta, this article discusses the findings of a small-scale study that highlighted teachers' views in relation to the possible future implementation of e-portfolios. It shows that while aware of the benefits of this tool, teachers have concerns about their…

  20. Developing Student Teachers' Critical Thinking and Professional Values: A Case Study of a Teacher Educator in Singapore

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Low, Ee Ling; Hui, Chenri; Cai, Li

    2017-01-01

    This paper explores how thinking and values in student teachers are cultivated in the Singapore context, via a case study of a teacher educator selected based on having won excellence in teaching commendation awards. The study adopts a qualitative case study methodology (i.e., interviews with the teacher educator and her student teachers) and uses…

  1. 34 CFR 230.3 - What criteria does the Secretary use to select eligible participants in the Troops-to-Teacher...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What criteria does the Secretary use to select eligible participants in the Troops-to-Teacher program? 230.3 Section 230.3 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INNOVATION FOR...

  2. 34 CFR 230.3 - What criteria does the Secretary use to select eligible participants in the Troops-to-Teacher...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What criteria does the Secretary use to select eligible participants in the Troops-to-Teacher program? 230.3 Section 230.3 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INNOVATION FOR...

  3. 34 CFR 230.3 - What criteria does the Secretary use to select eligible participants in the Troops-to-Teacher...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What criteria does the Secretary use to select eligible participants in the Troops-to-Teacher program? 230.3 Section 230.3 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INNOVATION FOR...

  4. 34 CFR 230.3 - What criteria does the Secretary use to select eligible participants in the Troops-to-Teacher...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What criteria does the Secretary use to select eligible participants in the Troops-to-Teacher program? 230.3 Section 230.3 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INNOVATION FOR...

  5. 34 CFR 230.3 - What criteria does the Secretary use to select eligible participants in the Troops-to-Teacher...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What criteria does the Secretary use to select eligible participants in the Troops-to-Teacher program? 230.3 Section 230.3 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION INNOVATION FOR...

  6. Challenges in the Decentralization of Recruitment and Selection of Teachers in Kenyan Secondary Schools: A Case of Gucha District

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moraa, Samba Serah; Chepkoech, Koske Luciana; Simiyu, Mulongo Leonard

    2017-01-01

    Decentralization of teacher recruitment and selection in Kenya was as a result of World Bank/IMF policies, which support projects that guarantee direct net economic returns by productivity and indirect returns on externalities. The approach has been used as a way of improving service delivery. This strategy that has been successful elsewhere may…

  7. Teachers and artificial intelligence. The Logo connection.

    PubMed

    Merbler, J B

    1990-12-01

    This article describes a three-phase program for training special education teachers to teach Logo and artificial intelligence. Logo is derived from the LISP computer language and is relatively simple to learn and use, and it is argued that these factors make it an ideal tool for classroom experimentation in basic artificial intelligence concepts. The program trains teachers to develop simple demonstrations of artificial intelligence using Logo. The material that the teachers learn to teach is suitable as an advanced level topic for intermediate- through secondary-level students enrolled in computer competency or similar courses. The material emphasizes problem-solving and thinking skills using a nonverbal expressive medium (Logo), thus it is deemed especially appropriate for hearing-impaired children. It is also sufficiently challenging for academically talented children, whether hearing or deaf. Although the notion of teachers as programmers is controversial, Logo is relatively easy to learn, has direct implications for education, and has been found to be an excellent tool for empowerment-for both teachers and children.

  8. Approaching Authentic Assessment: Using Virtual School Teachers' Expertise to Develop an Understanding of Full Time K-8 Virtual School Teacher Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seamster, Christina Lambert

    2016-01-01

    According to Molnar (2014), full time virtual school education lacks a measurement tool that accurately measures effective virtual teacher practice. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the current study sought to understand the common practices among full time K-8 virtual school teachers, the extent to which teachers believed such…

  9. Combining Marriage and Career: The Professional Adjustment of Marital Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rizvi, Afroz Haider

    2016-01-01

    In the paper, the researcher attempted to assess Professional Adjustment status and level of teachers according to their marital status on a sample of 792 teachers. Teachers have been classified into two categories viz. married and unmarried. To evaluate the status of professional adjustment of teachers, a tool viz. "Manual on Teachers…

  10. The Relationship between Teachers Commitment and Female Students Academic Achievements in Some Selected Secondary School in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bibiso, Abyot; Olango, Menna; Bibiso, Mesfin

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between teacher's commitment and female students academic achievement in selected secondary school of Wolaita zone, Southern Ethiopia. The research method employed was survey study and the sampling techniques were purposive, simple random and stratified random sampling. Questionnaire…

  11. The Microcomputer--A Problem Solving Tool.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoelscher, Karen J.

    Designed to assist teachers in using the microcomputer as a tool to teach problem solving strategies, this document is divided into two sections: the first introduces the concept of problem solving as a thinking process, and suggests means by which a teacher can become an effective guide for the learning of problem solving skills; the second…

  12. Codeswitching as a Tool in Teaching Italian in Malta

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gauci, Hertian; Camilleri Grima, Antoinette

    2013-01-01

    This article addresses the issue of teacher codeswitching in the teaching of Italian in Malta. The analysis of teacher codeswitching shows that the learners' first language (L1), Maltese, is used as a pedagogical tool to enhance language learning. Teachers frequently resort to Maltese to provide more learner-friendly explanations of grammatical…

  13. Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results from the 2012-13 Teacher Follow-Up Survey. First Look. NCES 2014-077

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldring, Rebecca; Taie, Soheyla; Riddles, Minsun

    2014-01-01

    This report presents selected findings from the Current Teacher and Former Teacher Data Files of the 2012-13 Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS). TFS is a nationally representative sample survey of public and private school K-12 teachers who participated in the previous year's Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). First fielded in school year 1988-89,…

  14. 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…

  15. Teaching the Teachers: Peer Observations in Elementary Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schenk, Matthew D.

    2016-01-01

    The United States is facing an unprecedented teacher shortage. With many studies estimating that 17-33% of teachers leave the profession within their first five years of starting a career, something needs to change to keep new teachers in the classroom. This study evaluates the effectiveness of peer observation as a learning tool to supplement the…

  16. Conceptualizing and Describing Teachers' Learning of Pedagogical Concepts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    González, María José; Gómez, Pedro

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a model to explore how teachers learn pedagogical concepts in teacher education programs that expect them to become competent in lesson planning. In this context, we view pedagogical concepts as conceptual and methodological tools that help teachers to design a lesson plan on a topic, implement this lesson plan and assess…

  17. Effects of Pre-Service Teacher Learning and Student Teaching on Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    AlAjmi, Maadi M.; Al-Dhafiri, Mohammed D.; Al-Shammari, Zaid N.

    2016-01-01

    The purposes of this research were to investigate and examine the effects of pre-service teacher learning and student teaching on teacher education.Three hundred and ten out of 349 intentionally selected participants responded to a two-dimensional survey. The gender, nationality, marital status, age, and academic year had no significant effects,…

  18. Mathematics Teachers' Representations of Authority

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, David; Herbel-Eisenmann, Beth

    2014-01-01

    Issues of authority abound in education and schooling but have not been interrogated sufficiently. We describe a tool that we have developed to initiate dialogue with teachers about authority in their classrooms--using a diagram to represent authority in their classrooms. Our analysis of the diagrams mathematics teachers created and discussed in…

  19. Restricted interests and teacher presentation of items.

    PubMed

    Stocco, Corey S; Thompson, Rachel H; Rodriguez, Nicole M

    2011-01-01

    Restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB) is more pervasive, prevalent, frequent, and severe in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) than in their typical peers. One subtype of RRB is restricted interests in items or activities, which is evident in the manner in which individuals engage with items (e.g., repetitious wheel spinning), the types of items or activities they select (e.g., preoccupation with a phone book), or the range of items or activities they select (i.e., narrow range of items). We sought to describe the relation between restricted interests and teacher presentation of items. Overall, we observed 5 teachers interacting with 2 pairs of students diagnosed with an ASD. Each pair included 1 student with restricted interests. During these observations, teachers were free to present any items from an array of 4 stimuli selected by experimenters. We recorded student responses to teacher presentation of items and analyzed the data to determine the relation between teacher presentation of items and the consequences for presentation provided by the students. Teacher presentation of items corresponded with differential responses provided by students with ASD, and those with restricted preferences experienced a narrower array of items.

  20. Exploring positioning as an analytical tool for understanding becoming mathematics teachers' identities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Skog, Kicki; Andersson, Annica

    2015-03-01

    The aim of this article is to explore how a sociopolitical analysis can contribute to a deeper understanding of critical aspects for becoming primary mathematics teachers' identities during teacher education. The question we ask is the following: How may power relations in university settings affect becoming mathematics teachers' subject positioning? We elaborate on the elusive and interrelated concepts of identity, positioning and power, seen as dynamic and changeable. As these concepts represent three interconnected parts of research analysis in an on-going larger project data from different sources will be used in this illustration. In this paper, we clarify the theoretical stance, ground the concepts historically and strive to connect them to research analysis. In this way, we show that power relations and subject positioning in social settings are critical aspects and need to be taken seriously into account if we aim at understanding becoming teachers' identities.

  1. The perceptions and practices of selected high school teachers in special admission schools regarding writing across the curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, Rebecca Hayward

    The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) measured the writing achievement of 55,000 American school children. The students performed at the basic or lower level. In 1988, "The Writing Report Card of the NAEP," and in 1996, the Pennsylvania Mathematics and Reading Assessment along with the Stanford 9 Exam concluded that students, of all racial/ethnic backgrounds, are unable to write well except in response to the simplest tasks. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and practices of math, science, and social studies high school teachers in special admission schools regarding writing across the curriculum (WAC). Specifically, this study attempted to answer: (1) Do math, science, and social studies teachers differ in their perceptions and practices regarding student writing in their classrooms? (2) Are teacher characteristics related to the perceptions and practices of math, science, and social studies teachers regarding the need for student writing in their classrooms? The questions led to the following null hypotheses: (1) There is no significant difference among math, science, and social studies teachers regarding their perceptions and practices for student writing in their classrooms. (2) There is no significant relationship between the highest degree earned, the length of teaching experience, and the level of grades taught by math, science, and social studies teachers and their perceptions and practices regarding the need for student writing in their classrooms. A review of the literature since 1992 using ERIC and Dissertation Abstracts revealed that there were no studies concerned with the focus of this particular study. A cross sectional survey of School District of Philadelphia math, science, and social studies high school teachers in special admission schools was conducted. A questionnaire was developed to obtain the data. A panel of experts was selected to establish validity of the instrument. Thirty-two usable

  2. Male Teachers of Color Take a Lesson from Each Other

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bristol, Travis J.

    2015-01-01

    The author tells of the experience of co-founding a group of male teachers of color within the Boston Teacher Residency program. The group's theory of action was that professional development focused on addressing the unique challenges of male teachers of color would help these teachers develop tools and strategies to navigate their school…

  3. Prospective Teachers' Cognitive Constructs Concerning Ideal Teacher Qualifications: A Phenomenological Analysis Based on Repertory Grid Technique

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kozikoglu, Ishak

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study is to identify cognitive constructs of prospective teachers about ideal teacher qualifications. This study was designed as phenomenological pattern which is one of the qualitative research designs. The study was conducted with 36 prospective teachers selected from Yüzüncü Yil University, Faculty of Education. The study group…

  4. Enhancing the Practicum Experience for Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers through Collaborative CoRe Design with Mentor Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hume, Anne; Berry, Amanda

    2013-01-01

    This paper reports findings from an ongoing study exploring how the Content Representation (CoRe) design can be used as a tool to help chemistry student teachers begin acquiring the professional knowledge required to become expert chemistry teachers. Phase 2 of the study, reported in this paper, investigated how collaboration with school-based…

  5. Measuring Teachers' Knowledge about Early Language and Literacy: Practical Implications and Considerations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hindman, Annemarie H.; Wasik, Barbara A.

    2011-01-01

    This study examined 1 tool for evaluating Head Start teachers' knowledge about early language and literacy. Results indicated that teachers varied in their knowledge. Teachers with more knowledge had more education, as did teachers who received language and literacy professional development. Teachers with greater knowledge also demonstrated higher…

  6. What Works Clearinghouse Quick Review: "Incentives, Selection, and Teacher Performance: Evidence from IMPACT"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2013

    2013-01-01

    This study examined the effect of IMPACT on teacher retention and performance. IMPACT is a high-stakes teacher evaluation system used in the District of Columbia public schools that gives teachers scores reflecting their performance in the classroom and the achievement of their students. Based on these scores, teachers were assigned to one of four…

  7. Development and Validation of a Quantitative Framework and Management Expectation Tool for the Selection of Bioremediation Approaches at Chlorinated Ethene Sites

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-12-01

    FINAL REPORT Development and Validation of a Quantitative Framework and Management Expectation Tool for the Selection of Bioremediation ...TITLE AND SUBTITLE Development and Validation of a Quantitative Framework and Management Expectation Tool for the Selection of Bioremediation ...project ER-201129 was to develop and validate a framework used to make bioremediation decisions based on site-specific physical and biogeochemical

  8. Selected Representations of Teachers and Teaching in Twentieth-Century Anglo-Irish Fiction and Memoir: Some Literary-Critical and Pedagogical Explorations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanratty, Brian

    2018-01-01

    This paper has two complementary objectives. After providing some theoretical perspectives on fiction generally, and on the teaching of fiction more specifically, it firstly evaluates, from a literary-critical perspective, a reasonably representative selection of the portrayal of teachers and teaching in some twentieth-century Anglo-Irish fiction…

  9. Teacher Empowerment as an Important Component of Job Satisfaction: A Comparative Study of Teachers' Perspectives in Al-Farwaniya District, Kuwait

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al-Yaseen, Wafaa Salem; Al-Musaileem, Mohammad Yousef

    2015-01-01

    The present comparative study investigates the perceptions of male and female teachers regarding the relationship between empowerment and job satisfaction. The study aims to look at factors that empower teachers and lead to job satisfaction from teachers' perspectives. For that purpose, teachers were selected from three educational levels…

  10. Teacher in Inner Space.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klemm, E. Barbara

    1988-01-01

    Reviews the Teacher-in-Inner-Space (TIS) program of the Hawaii Science Teachers Association (HaSTA). Discusses the selection of winners and runners-up. Describes the dive made on June 9, 1986 in cooperation with the Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory (HURL). Lists the three goals of the TIS project. (CW)

  11. Podcasts as Tools in Introductory Environmental Studies

    PubMed Central

    Vatovec, Christine; Balser, Teri

    2009-01-01

    Technological tools have increasingly become a part of the college classroom, often appealing to teachers because of their potential to increase student engagement with course materials. Podcasts in particular have gained popularity as tools to better inform students by providing access to lectures outside of the classroom. In this paper, we argue that educators should expand course materials to include prepublished podcasts to engage students with both course topics and a broader skill set for evaluating readily available media. We present a pre- and postassignment survey evaluation assessing student preferences for using podcasts and the ability of a podcast assignment to support learning objectives in an introductory environmental studies course. Overall, students reported that the podcasts were useful tools for learning, easy to use, and increased their understanding of course topics. However, students also provided insightful comments on visual versus aural learning styles, leading us to recommend assigning video podcasts or providing text-based transcripts along with audio podcasts. A qualitative analysis of survey data provides evidence that the podcast assignment supported the course learning objective for students to demonstrate critical evaluation of media messages. Finally, we provide recommendations for selecting published podcasts and designing podcast assignments. PMID:23653686

  12. Decision support tool for used oil regeneration technologies assessment and selection.

    PubMed

    Khelifi, Olfa; Dalla Giovanna, Fabio; Vranes, Sanja; Lodolo, Andrea; Miertus, Stanislav

    2006-09-01

    Regeneration is the most efficient way of managing used oil. It saves money by preventing costly cleanups and liabilities that are associated with mismanagement of used oil, it helps to protect the environment and it produces a technically renewable resource by enabling an indefinite recycling potential. There are a variety of processes and licensors currently offering ways to deal with used oils. Selecting a regeneration technology for used oil involves "cross-matching" key criteria. Therefore, the first prototype of spent oil regeneration (SPORE), a decision support tool, has been developed to help decision-makers to assess the available technologies and select the preferred used oil regeneration options. The analysis is based on technical, economical and environmental criteria. These criteria are ranked to determine their relative importance for a particular used oil regeneration project. The multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is the core of the SPORE using the PROMETHEE II algorithm.

  13. Hire Better Teachers Now: Using the Science of Selection to Find the Best Teachers for Your School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rose, Dale S.; English, Andrew; Finney, Treena Gillespie

    2014-01-01

    While it is clear that better teachers get better results with students, school leaders often put themselves at a disadvantage by not hiring the best teachers available. In this groundbreaking book, three human resource experts show how even small adjustments can help school districts' leaders, principals, and other human resource professionals…

  14. Teachers' Pedagogical Design Capacity for Scientific Argumentation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knigh-Bardsley Amanda; McNeill, Katherine L.

    2016-01-01

    Despite being identified as an essential scientific practice, argumentation is rarely integrated into instruction. This could be influenced by teachers' pedagogical design capacity (PDC), which considers teaching as a design activity influenced by both instructional resources (such as tools and professional development (PD)) and teacher resources…

  15. Using Reflection as a Tool for Training Generalist Teachers to Teach Music

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dogani, Konstantina

    2008-01-01

    This article investigates the way future teachers can be encouraged to frame their pedagogy for music teaching through reflection. During student teachers' first experience of teaching music to children in preschool settings, data were gathered through questionnaires, real time and video observations of teaching, discussions and reflective…

  16. The Tools of Teacher Education: Preservice Teachers' Use of Technology To Create Instructional Materials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Sherron Killingsworth; Hsu, Ying-Shao

    2000-01-01

    Examines the effectiveness/efficiency of preservice teachers' use of technology to create instructional materials developed in an undergraduate reading/language arts course. Results showed no significant difference between measures of overall quality of the technology assistance as compared to handmade prompts. Eighty-five percent of the teachers…

  17. Grammar Review: Your Tool for Success. Teacher Materials.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pittsburgh Univ., Johnstown, PA. Education Div.

    Teacher materials are provided for a computer-assisted English grammar curriculum for adult basic education students (1-8 grade level). They accompany a software program (diskette) that the student is able to use by himself/herself with the Apple IIc or Apple IIe computer with single or double drive and a monitor or a television with an R.F.…

  18. General Construction Trades. Volume 1. Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    East Texas State Univ., Commerce. Occupational Curriculum Lab.

    Ten units on the world of construction and twelve units on carpentry are presented in this teacher's guide. The construction units include the following: safety; human relations in the shop; grooming and hygiene; hand tools; measurement; portable power tools, stationary power tools; fastening devices; and job application and interview. The…

  19. Kentucky Teacher Preparation and Certification Handbook. 1981 Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kentucky State Dept. of Education, Frankfort.

    This handbook sets forth the regulations of the Kentucky State Board of Education that relate to teacher education and certification. The following topics are covered: (1) selected statutory provisions relating to teacher education and certification; (2) teacher certification procedures; (3) ranking of teacher qualifications; (4) procedures for…

  20. "Careful, Now You Are Both the Learner and the Teacher!": Student Teachers' Evaluation of Inquiry-Based Peer Lecturing as a Tool in Teacher Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seroussi, Dominique-Esther; Yaffe, Yossi; Sharon, Rakefet

    2017-01-01

    Linking between pedagogical content knowledge and high-level subject-matter knowledge in science teacher training remains a challenge. This paper analyses the reaction of beginning student teachers to an activity designed for this purpose, "peer lecturing." This activity was a part of the requirements of an introductory zoology course,…

  1. Assembling a Case Study Tool Kit: 10 Tools for Teaching with Cases

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prud'homme-Généreux, Annie

    2017-01-01

    This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. The author shares the strategies and tools that teachers can use to manage a case study classroom effectively.

  2. Social Network Analysis: A Simple but Powerful Tool for Identifying Teacher Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, P. Sean; Trygstad, Peggy J.; Hayes, Meredith L.

    2018-01-01

    Instructional teacher leadership is central to a vision of distributed leadership. However, identifying instructional teacher leaders can be a daunting task, particularly for administrators who find themselves either newly appointed or faced with high staff turnover. This article describes the use of social network analysis (SNA), a simple but…

  3. Leveraging Digital Tools to Build Educative Curricula for Teachers: Two Promising Approaches

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bates, Meg S.

    2017-01-01

    Well-designed curriculum materials include educative components that help teachers effectively plan, implement, and adapt activities for diverse learners. Digital materials offer several affordances over print materials in the format, fit, and flexibility of the educative information provided to teachers, as well as the ability of the materials to…

  4. School Management Related Knowledge Levels of Primary School Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ugurlu, Celal Teyyar

    2013-01-01

    The knowledge levels of the teachers affect the qualifications of operations and transactions in schools. School management related knowledge of the teachers is an essential tool to reach the targets of the school. The objective of this study was to determine the school management related knowledge levels of the teachers. Qualitative and…

  5. Interactive Teaching as a Recruitment and Training Tool for K-12 Science Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rosenberg, J. L.

    2004-12-01

    The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Preparation (STEMTP) program at the University of Colorado has been designed to recruit and train prospective K-12 science teachers while improving student learning through interactive teaching. The program has four key goals: (1) recruit undergraduate students into K-12 science education, (2) provide these prospective teachers with hands-on experience in an interactive teaching pedagogy, (3) create an intergrated program designed to support (educationally, socially, and financially) and engage these prospective science teachers up until they obtain liscensure and/or their masters degree in education, and (4) improve student learning in large introductory science classes. Currently there are 31 students involved in the program and a total of 72 students have been involved in the year and a half it has been in existence. I will discuss the design of the STEMTP program, the success in recruiting K-12 science teachers, and the affect on student learning in a large lecture class of implementing interactive learning pedagogies by involving these prospective K-12 science teachers. J. L. Rosenberg would like to acknowledge the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship for support for this work. The course transformation project is also supported by grants from the National Science Foundation.

  6. The Role of Nice and Nasty Theory of Mind in Teacher-Selected Peer Models for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Laghi, Fiorenzo; Lonigro, Antonia; Levanto, Simona; Ferraro, Maurizio; Baumgartner, Emma; Baiocco, Roberto

    2016-01-01

    The study aimed at verifying if nice and nasty theory of mind behaviors, in association with teachers' peer buddy nomination, could be used to correctly select peer models for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Mentalizing abilities and emotional and behavioral characteristics of 601 adolescents were assessed. Results suggest that teachers…

  7. Education Funding: A Brief to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services from the British Columbia Teachers' Federation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    British Columbia Teachers' Federation, 2012

    2012-01-01

    Students in British Columbia are being shortchanged in comparison to students elsewhere in Canada. The teachers of BC are urgently appealing to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services to recommend to government sufficient increases in education funding to reverse this situation and provide more educational services to BC…

  8. Clinical Decision Support Tools for Selecting Interventions for Patients with Disabling Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Scoping Review.

    PubMed

    Gross, Douglas P; Armijo-Olivo, Susan; Shaw, William S; Williams-Whitt, Kelly; Shaw, Nicola T; Hartvigsen, Jan; Qin, Ziling; Ha, Christine; Woodhouse, Linda J; Steenstra, Ivan A

    2016-09-01

    Purpose We aimed to identify and inventory clinical decision support (CDS) tools for helping front-line staff select interventions for patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders. Methods We used Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework which progresses through five stages: (1) identifying the research question; (2) identifying relevant studies; (3) selecting studies for analysis; (4) charting the data; and (5) collating, summarizing and reporting results. We considered computer-based, and other available tools, such as algorithms, care pathways, rules and models. Since this research crosses multiple disciplines, we searched health care, computing science and business databases. Results Our search resulted in 4605 manuscripts. Titles and abstracts were screened for relevance. The reliability of the screening process was high with an average percentage of agreement of 92.3 %. Of the located articles, 123 were considered relevant. Within this literature, there were 43 CDS tools located. These were classified into 3 main areas: computer-based tools/questionnaires (n = 8, 19 %), treatment algorithms/models (n = 14, 33 %), and clinical prediction rules/classification systems (n = 21, 49 %). Each of these areas and the associated evidence are described. The state of evidentiary support for CDS tools is still preliminary and lacks external validation, head-to-head comparisons, or evidence of generalizability across different populations and settings. Conclusions CDS tools, especially those employing rapidly advancing computer technologies, are under development and of potential interest to health care providers, case management organizations and funders of care. Based on the results of this scoping review, we conclude that these tools, models and systems should be subjected to further validation before they can be recommended for large-scale implementation for managing patients with MSK disorders.

  9. A study of changes in middle school teachers' understanding of selected ideas in science as a function of an in-service program focusing on student preconceptions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shymansky, James A.; Woodworth, George; Norman, Obed; Dunkhase, John; Matthews, Charles; Liu, Chin-Tang

    This article examines the impact of a specially designed in-service model on teacher understanding of selected science concepts. The underlying idea of the model is to get teachers to restructure their own understanding of a selected science topic by having them study the structure and evolution of their students' ideas on the same topic. Concepts on topics from the life, earth, and physical sciences served as the content focus and middle school Grades 4-9 served as the context for this study. The in-service experience constituting the main treatment in the study occurred in three distinct phases. In the initial phase, participating teachers interviewed several of their own students to find out what kinds of preconceptions students had about a particular topic. The teachers used concept mapping strategies learned in the in-service to facilitate the interviews. Next the teachers teamed with other teachers with similar topic interests and a science expert to evaluate and explore the scientific merit of the student conceptual frameworks and to develop instructional units, including a summative assessment during a summer workshop. Finally, the student ideas were further evaluated and explored as the teachers taught the topics in their classrooms during the fall term. Concept maps were used to study changes in teacher understanding across the phases of the in-service in a repeated-measures design. Analysis of the maps showed significant growth in the number of valid propositions expressed by teachers between the initial and final mappings in all topic groups. But in half of the groups, this long-term growth was interrupted by a noticeable decline in the number of valid propositions expressed. In addition, analysis of individual teacher maps showed distinctive patterns of initial invalid conceptions being replaced by new invalid conceptions in later mappings. The combination of net growth of valid propositions and the patterns of evolving invalid conceptions is discussed

  10. The Permanence of Racism in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seriki, Vanessa Dodo; Brown, Cory T.; Fasching-Varner, Kenneth J.

    2015-01-01

    This chapter chronicles the experiences of three friends who journey from being students in teacher education to junior faculty in the field. Using critical race theory as an analytical tool, the three friends highlight the ways in which racism exists and is manifested in three different teacher education programs.

  11. Continuous Improvement: Making Evaluation a Tool for Increasing Teacher--and Student--Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Educator, 2010

    2010-01-01

    With policymakers across the country proposing questionable ways to evaluate teachers, it's time to listen to those who know what supports and systems are needed to enhance instruction: teachers. This article explores the work of professional educators--not just their accomplishments, but also their challenges--so that the lessons they have…

  12. Science Teaching Orientations and Technology-Enhanced Tools for Student Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, Todd; Longhurst, Max; Duffy, Aaron M.; Wolf, Paul G.; Shelton, Brett E.

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative study examines teacher orientations and technology-enhanced tools for student learning within a science literacy framework. Data for this study came from a group of 10 eighth grade science teachers. Each of these teachers was a participant in a professional development (PD) project focused on reformed and technology-enhanced…

  13. Using Appropriate Tools Strategically for Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherman, Milan; Cayton, Charity

    2015-01-01

    Students' ability to use appropriate tools strategically is an important skill of mathematically proficient students (SMP 5, CCSSI 2010, p. 7). A parallel practice for teachers is using appropriate tools strategically for mathematics instruction. An important element of this practice is that the use of technology depends on the goals of…

  14. Striving for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction: Cognitive Tools in a World History Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Girard, Brian; Harris, Lauren McArthur

    2012-01-01

    The authors present a case study of a world history teacher's mediation of her students' world historical thinking and writing through unit-level cognitive tools. They analyze both scaffolding and disciplinary tools that the teacher constructed for her students in order to improve their world historical thinking, and the degree to which the…

  15. The Student Teacher Portfolio as Autobiography: Developing a Professional Identity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Antonek, Janis L.; And Others

    1997-01-01

    Argues that student teacher portfolios are a viable, effective, appropriate tool for documenting teacher growth and development and for promoting reflective practice. Traces the unique paths of two pre-service foreign language teachers who constructed a professional identity from the historical and cultural conditions of their classroom…

  16. Grounding formative assessment in high-school chemistry classrooms: Connections between professional development and teacher practice

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cisterna Alburquerque, Dante Igor

    This study describes and analyzes the experiences of two high-school chemistry teachers who participated in a team-based professional development program to learn about and enact formative assessment in their classrooms. The overall purpose of this study is to explain how participation in this professional development influenced both teachers' classroom enactment of formative assessment practices. This study focuses on 1) teachers' participation in the professional development program, 2) teachers' enactment of formative assessment, and 3) factors that enabled or hindered enactment of formative assessment. Drawing on cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and using evidence from teacher lessons, teacher interviews, professional development meetings as data sources, this single embedded case study analyzes how these two teachers who participated in the same learning team and have similar characteristics (i.e., teaching in the same school, teaching the same courses and population of students, and using the same materials) differentially used the professional development learning about formative assessment as mediating tools to improve their classroom instruction. The learning team experience contributed to both teachers' development of a better understanding of formative assessment---especially in recognizing that their current grading and assessment practices were not appropriate to promote student learning---and the co-creation of artifacts to gather evidence of students' ideas. Although both teachers demonstrated understanding about how formative assessment may serve to promote student learning and had a set of tools available to utilize for formative assessment use, they did not enact these tools in the same way. One teacher appropriated formative assessment as mediating tool to verify if the students were following her explanations, and to check if the students were able to provide the correct response. The other teacher used the mediating tool to promote

  17. Improving Teacher Quality 2007 Grant Awards. Commission Report 07-23

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California Postsecondary Education Commission, 2007

    2007-01-01

    The Improving Teacher Quality Program recently concluded its 2007 competition to select grantees who will provide high-quality teacher professional development over the next several years. Teachers in grades K-2 were the focus of this year's Request for Proposals (RFP). As required in the last two rounds of competition, the selected projects must…

  18. Selection and application of microbial source tracking tools for water-quality investigations

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stoeckel, Donald M.

    2005-01-01

    Microbial source tracking (MST) is a complex process that includes many decision-making steps. Once a contamination problem has been defined, the potential user of MST tools must thoroughly consider study objectives before deciding upon a source identifier, a detection method, and an analytical approach to apply to the problem. Regardless of which MST protocol is chosen, underlying assumptions can affect the results and interpretation. It is crucial to incorporate tests of those assumptions in the study quality-control plan to help validate results and facilitate interpretation. Detailed descriptions of MST objectives, protocols, and assumptions are provided in this report to assist in selection and application of MST tools for water-quality investigations. Several case studies illustrate real-world applications of MST protocols over a range of settings, spatial scales, and types of contamination. Technical details of many available source identifiers and detection methods are included as appendixes. By use of this information, researchers should be able to formulate realistic expectations for the information that MST tools can provide and, where possible, successfully execute investigations to characterize sources of fecal contamination to resource waters.

  19. Teachers' Awareness of the Learner-Teacher Interaction: Preliminary Communication of a Study Investigating the Teaching Brain

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodriguez, Vanessa; Solis, S. Lynneth

    2013-01-01

    A new phase of research on teaching is under way that seeks to understand the teaching brain. In this vein, this study investigated the cognitive processes employed by master teachers. Using an interview protocol influenced by microgenetic techniques, 23 master teachers used the Self-in-Relation-to-Teaching (SiR2T) tool to answer "What are…

  20. Teacher Resources Catalogue.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Special Educational Services Branch.

    This annotated bibliography contains approximately 90 selected print and media resources to help Alberta (Canada) teachers implement special education programs. Items were selected to ensure that content fits the curriculum, the content is current, the conceptual level is appropriate, there is Canadian content, and controversial issues are treated…