HIP to COLLEGE 2012-2015: Creating Strong Funding and Nonprofit Networks for Latino Student Success

For the past three-and-a-half years, through the HIP to College initiative, Hispanicsin Philanthropy has worked diligently to strengthen the academic success of Latino students and the long-term community advancement that results from their earning postsecondary degrees. With the support of generous partners, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the HIP to College initiative in North Carolina and Colorado worked to develop networks that support Latino students through high school and into college. Improving outcomes for Latino students is the priority of the HIP Education Focused Initiative. The success of this initiative has been remarkable. HIP is optimistic about the future of this work and its role in cultivating an educational landscape and partnerships in the United States that help Latino students thrive

Action research projects 2014-2015: Teachers’ reports - Royal Greenwich Teaching School Alliance (RGTSA)

This year my Colleague, Dr Ana Cabral, and I from the University of Greenwich have had the privilege of working with a group of talented teachers from schools within the Alliance who were all interested to study their own practice in order to enrich the learning of the children they teach. We worked with two core groups. One met at The John Roan School and the other at Thomas Tallis School. The John Roan group was coordinated by Paul Barber and the Tallis group by Andy Smythe. Andy’s group of teachers were interested in studying ways to enrich the teaching of science. The John Roan group were interested in enriching the teaching of literacy. Ana and I wanted to introduce the teachers to action research. The classic work by Carr and Kemmis (1986) describe action research as being about: • the improvement of practice; • the improvement of the understanding of practice; • the improvement of the situation in which the practice takes place. It was important to us that the teachers were systematic about the way they undertook their investigations. Teachers are busy people and the degree to which they applied the methodology varied. We discussed their aims – constructing research questions or identifying the problem they wished to solve. We worked on the best ways of collecting data to inform their actions and we talked about the ethical issues of being an ‘insider--‐researcher’ and how to address them. We met with the teachers at least three times during a term and on a number of occasions we went to schools or had telephone conversations when teachers were too busy to attend. The meetings with the teachers were fascinating. The combination of teachers from secondary and primary led to exciting and fruitful professional conversations. Everyone recognised how pedagogy associated with each phase challenged and enriched the other. In some cases, the teachers invited each other into their classes and team teaching took place as a result, bringing forth further rich professional discussions. Research has informed us that the most effective forms of continuing professional development (CPD) (BERA/RSA 2014) involve: • the use of specialist advisors and external experts • collaborative enquiry and structured peer support • the opportunity to explore why things do and don’t ‘work’ • the exploration and challenging of teachers own beliefs and assumptions (p.25 – 27). ‘All the research indicates that enquiry--‐orientated learning is not a quick--‐fix, but needs to be sustained over time to ensure that learning (for both teachers and pupils) actually takes place’. (BERA/RCA 2014: 26) The RGTSA wants to make this form of teacher-led inquiry part of the practice in their schools. We hope to continue with these powerful projects in the coming years. In this document we provide the reports from the teachers that describe their work. They document the processes with which the teachers were engaged. In most cases teachers collected information from their own surveys or interviews and/or from reading literature in the area. They then describe the action they felt to be appropriate and conclude with a brief evaluation of the success of their projects. They all demonstrate the teachers’ hard work and determination. We would like to extend our thanks to all the teachers and the children involved and especially to Paul Barber and Andy Smythe who helped facilitate the projects. (Andrew Lambirth

International handbook of teacher education

This chapter sets out to provide an overview of various aspects of Malta’s social, cultural and economic characteristics, focusing in particular on the role played by education in forging the island’s fortunes and identity, and specifically on the initial preparation of teachers in the light of reforms to educational provision aimed towards the country’s aspiration that ‘all children may succeed’ (Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment, 2005).peer-reviewe

The Needle is Moving in CA K-8 Science: Integration with ELA, Integration of the Sciences, and Returning Science as a K-8 Core Subject

This first EII evaluation publication discusses one of the major shifts above, namely the shift to integrated instruction. The integration of science and ELA is the focus of one section, and the integration of the science disciplines (i.e., earth/space, life, and physical) inherent in the MS Integrated Model is the focus of the second. Also discussed at length in this publication is a fundamental shift that is not listed above, but is equally, if not more, important: the need to teach science in the first place. In order for any of the targeted shifts to take place, teachers must devote time to teaching science on a regular basis

The Development and Implementation of a Multimedia Program that Uses Analogies in Senior High School Chemistry to Enhance Student Learning of Chemical Equilibrium

In this thesis, you will find a review the development process of a multimedia presentation designed to assist the teaching of chemical equilibrium using analogies. The objective of this thesis is to report on the process of designing animated analogies and the subsequent employment of these analogies in a teaching program for grades 11 and 12 students. This thesis describes a case study in the effective use of technology in the classroom based on established research in the field of analogical thinking. The work begins with a review of relevant literature from the fields of constructivism, collaborative learning and multimedia in education. The design phase of the research sought to discover if analogies for chemical equilibrium could be successfully transferred to a multimedia presentation on a computer. The subsequent testing of the software endeavoured to discover the most appropriate teaching strategies and if the use of such a program could enhance the learning process for students. The work resulted in a completed CDROM with full teaching program included which you will find attached to this thesis. The results indicate that the experience was a positive one and that there is some evidence to show increased ability in the students in their attempts to understand a conceptually difficult area of chemistry theory

Teacher's guide book for primary and secondary school

There is an urgent need for collective action to mitigate the consequences of climate change and adapt to unavoidable changes. The complexity of climate change issues can pose educational challenges. Nonetheless, education has a key role to play in ensuring that younger generations have the required knowledge and skills to understand issues surrounding climate change, to avoid despair, to take action, and to be prepared to live in a changing world. The Office for Climate Education (OCE) was founded in 2018 to promote strong international cooperation between scientific organisations, educational institutions and NGOs. The overall aim of the OCE is to ensure that the younger generations of today and tomorrow are educated about climate change. Teachers have a key role to play in their climate education and it is essential that they receive sufficient support to enable them to implement effective lessons on climate change. The OCE has developed a range of educational resources and professional development modules to support them in teaching about climate change with active pedagogy

Teaching climate change in the context of the climate system. A mixed method study on the development of systems thinking skills in German 7th grade students regarding the climate

Research has shown a fragmented understanding of climate change among students that hardly accounts for the dynamic interrelations in the climate system and may pose a barrier in understanding adaptation and mitigation strategies (Shepardson et al., 2017, 2011, Calmbach 2016). While much is known the impact of short-term interventions on the general system understanding of students, what is lacking to date is 1) a specific intervention on climate system understanding and 2) insights into the process of developing system understanding in students. Helpful insights in this context come from Conceptual Development theories for they allow the development of systemic thinking to be viewed in terms of conceptual expansion or conceptual change. Starting from these desiderates, a teaching-learning sequence was developed based on the SYSDENE model of system competence (Frischknecht et al. 2008). In the sequence young learners systematically link experiences from formal science education with the experiences at three non-formal learning environments. A mixed-methods approach was used to explore the impact of this 3-month sequence on 19 7th grade students. A written pre-/post-test suggested a significant improvement in Climate System Reconstruction for the group (pre-test Median = 6.75 vs. post-test Median = 12.5, Wilcoxon Test: p = .003, r = .82). However, a qualitative analysis of classroom conversations, interviews and concept maps indicated that cognitive development toward a higher level of system thinking was neither continuous nor did every student reach it. Moreover, the SYSDENE model’s Competence Area “Describe System Model” proves critical. Being able to describe the main climate system factors is not sufficient, one also needs to be able to distinct weather from climate and grasp several scientific concepts related to the climate (e.g. greenhouse effect, water cycle, evaporation, reflection) in order to understand climate as a system. (DIPF/Orig.)Der Beitrag ist Teil einer größeren Studie zur Entwicklung von Systemdenken in Bezug auf das Klima bei Gesamtschüler:innen der Jahrgangsstufe 7. Wie die Forschung zeigt, weisen Schüler:innen ein fragmentiertes Verständnis des Klimawandels auf, das dynamische Zusammenhänge im Klimasystem kaum berücksichtigt und insofern ein Hindernis für das Verständnis von Anpassungs- und Minderungsstrategien darstellt (Shepardson et al., 2017, 2011, Calmbach 2016). Davon ausgehend wurde eine auf dem SYSDENE-Modell der Systemkompetenz basierende Lehr-Lern-Sequenz zum Klimasystem entwickelt (Frischknecht et al. 2008). In der Sequenz verknüpfen junge Lernende systematisch Erfahrungen aus dem formalen naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht mit den Erfahrungen in drei non-formalen Lernumgebungen. Mit einem Mixed-Method-Ansatz wurden die Auswirkungen dieser dreimonatigen Sequenz auf 19 Schülerinnen und Schüler der siebten Klasse untersucht. Ein schriftlicher Prä-/Posttest deutete auf eine signifikante Verbesserung in der Rekonstruktion von Klima als komplexes System hin (Median Prä = 6,75, Median Post = 12,5, Wilcoxon-Test: p = .003, r = .82). Eine qualitative Analyse der Klassengespräche, Interviews und Concept Maps zeigte jedoch, dass die kognitive Entwicklung hin zu einer höheren Ebene des Systemischen Denkens weder kontinuierlich verlief, noch von allen Schülern realisiert werden konnte. Darüber hinaus erweist sich der grundlegende Kompetenzbereich "Modell Beschreiben" des SYSDENE-Modells als kritisch. Es genügt hierbei nicht, die wichtigsten Faktoren des Klimasystems beschreiben zu können, Lernende müssen auch in der Lage sein, Wetter und Klima voneinander zu unterscheiden und verschiedene wissenschaftliche Konzepte im Zusammenhang mit dem Klima (z. B. Treibhauseffekt, Wasserkreislauf, Verdunstung, Reflexion) zu verstehen und anzuwenden. (Autorin

Estudio de validación de la prueba de inglés de ECAES en Colombia.

En el año 2005, el Ministerio de Educación Nacional (MEN) de Colombia desarrolló un programa a nivel nacional para mejorar y fortalecer la enseñanza y aprendizaje del inglés. Como una de sus primeras iniciativas de este proyecto, el MEN diseñó dos exámenes de inglés alineados con el Marco Común de Referencia Europeo. Este manuscrito presenta los hallazgos de un estudio que evaluó la validez de uno de esos exámenes, el Examen de Inglés de ECAES. Los datos para este estudio se recogieron a partir de unas sesiones de evaluación de contenido con los profesores y unos protocolos de pensar en voz alta con los estudiantes. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que los resultados de este examen no son válidos para medir la suficiencia general en inglés de los estudiante

The Inq13 POOC::A Participatory Experiment in Open, Collaborative Teaching and Learning.

This article offers a broad analysis of a POOC (“Participatory Open Online Course”) offered through the Graduate Center, CUNY in 2013. The large collaborative team of instructors, librarians, educational technologists, videographers, students, and project leaders reflects on the goals, aims, successes, and challenges of the experimental learning project. The graduate course, which sought to explore issues of participatory research, inequality and engaged uses of digital technology with and through the New York City neighborhood of East Harlem, set forth a unique model of connected learning that stands in contrast to the popular MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) model