Making a nest. Art and ecology as formative and trasformative practices in adult education.

The radical experience of isolation and vulnerability during the pandemic has aroused a reflection on the forms of living environments and social ties, on the need to rethink the relational and pedagogical styles on which they are based (Pignalberi 2022). The accentuation of disparities in access to education and culture has shown how, in truth, the training system has been in a stagnant situation of difficulty for decades. The pandemic crisis has been considered by some pedagogists (Fullan 2020) not so much as a destructive event of a functioning model but as the possibility of participating in the transformation of learning. In 2021-2022 the Department of Human Sciences of the University of Verona promoted a training course "Practices and cultures of difference in educational and care work" which was attended by 35 professionals in social-health and educational services. The training course focused on the fact that the established practices of social work often fail, exposing professionals to the unexpected, to the crisis, to the need to create. This impact was even more evident during the pandemic which made the social ties of many Italian cities increasingly fragile. It was therefore necessary to propose training contexts that could meet the experiences of vulnerability, the need to nourish trust in community ties and hope. The course aimed to address the theme of differences by deepening theories and practices of feminist philosophy (Zamboni 2009, bell hooks 1994) and transformative pedagogy (Formenti 2017, Mortari 2003) which have elaborated a florid reflection on the themes of care and relationship: an embodied knowledge that puts to work the senses, the resonances, the materiality of relationships to rethink the encounter with the Other in daily life. The path proposed to move away from 'expertism' (Illich 2008) to rethink the care of oneself, of places and of others, as a common good, thanks to: • a formative ecology vision that questions the link between learning and the environment, between daily work and community life; (Iori 2019, Corntassel, J., & Hardbarger, T. 2019, Pignalberi 2022) • art-based methodologies as levers for processes of continuous transformative training and as a means for an ecological and ecosophic transition under the banner of social justice (Formenti Lusaschi, Del Negro 2019, Sossai 2017, Segal-Engelchin D., Huss E., Massry N. 2020). The third module of the above-mentioned training course was titled "Know how: community art practices" and was held at the Mare Memoria Viva Ecomuseum in Palermo (Sicily, Italy). It was a pedagogical choice that aimed to open up the narrow imaginaries of social work to a community horizon. The artistic workshop of intensive two weeks was also granted access to 35 professionals and all those who, by attending the Ecomuseum as operators or beneficiaries, would have voluntarily contributed to the creation of a new space for cultural fruition, participating in building an Ecodom structure in Superadobe in the shape of nest

Science Teachers\u27 Understanding of Formative Assessment and its Practice with Three-dimensional Teaching and Learning

Formative assessment is increasingly being recognized as a necessary process to improve instruction and enhance learning (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Herman, 2013; Kingston & Nash, 2011). However, the concept of formative assessment is elusive; its definition muddled in policy, practice, and research due to variable goals and perspectives (Bennett, 2011; Black & Wiliam, 1998; Dunn & Mulvenon, 2009). Paired with the dominance of high-stake summative assessment (Furtak & Ruiz-Primo, 2008), formative assessment compared to summative assessment is less appealing to teachers. Compounding to this problem is teachers\u27 lack of formative assessment knowledge and skills especially in the new era of integrating components for three-dimensional teaching and learning advocated by the Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012) and the Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) (NGSS Lead State, 2013). The objective of this qualitative case study was to explore secondary science teachers\u27 understanding of formative assessment and three-dimensional teaching and learning. Three teachers were purposefully selected to participate in the study. A situated lens as the conceptual framework guided the exploration of the research problem and the description of the relationships between specific variables identified in the study. Social constructionism informed the analysis and meaning made from the study, guided the adjustments and decisions taken, and directed the ongoing research to develop a detailed picture of secondary science teachers\u27 understanding and practice of formative assessment and three-dimensional teaching and learning. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, observations, and documents (lesson plans and assessment tasks). Data analysis occurred iteratively with data collection. Analysis of interview data indicated that teachers understood the concept of formative assessment, and they believed that 3D teaching was a complicated process that required integration of the three dimensions. Analysis of observation and document data indicated that teachers were acclimating to the practice of 3D. They made small changes to their instruction and explored ways to assess students\u27 understanding of 3D learning formatively. They constructed their lessons and assessment task with guidance from the performance expectations of the standard and were mindful of the necessity to integrate the three dimensions. Although cognizant of this synergy, they encountered challenges in the process. Insight from this study has the potential to assist teachers and other stake holders embracing 3D teaching and formative assessment of 3D learning

Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice

Ensuring Equity and Excellence for English Learners: An Annotated Bibliography for Research, Policy, and Practice is comprised of over 350 annotations from both recent and seminal literature (released between 1984–2021) that have significant implications for research, policy, and practice for English learner (EL) linguistic, social, and academic achievement. This annotated bibliography serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers, educators, and advocates who are working for equity and excellence for ELs. The authors provide a comprehensive selection of works focused on theory, research, and practice. The annotations are a result of purposeful searches of 23 topics in empirical and theoretical articles from peer-reviewed journals, books, book chapters, and reports from leading scholars in the field. Among the topics addressed relevant to EL education are broad areas such as: bilingual teacher preparation, teaching and professional development, university and district partnerships, digital learning for ELs, social emotional development, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and English Language Development (ELD) for elementary and secondary level students. The Integrated ELD (content instruction) topic is subcategorized according to specific disciplines including: English language arts, history, mathematics, science, visual & performing arts, and STEM. In order to provide additional information for readers, each annotation includes: (1) the source description (e.g., book, journal article, report), (2) type of source (e.g., empirical, guidance, theoretical), and (3) keywords.https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/ceel_annotatedbibliographies/1001/thumbnail.jp

Perceptions Of Induction: A Phenomenological Case Study

The first months of teaching can significantly diminish a probationary teacher’s perception of their ability when the nuances of the job and students become overwhelming. On average, a school will lose three out of every 20 teachers annually. The problem this study researches is how faculty and staff provide support for probationary teachers. Too often, induction models remain underdeveloped, understudied, and rarely are formative assessments associated with faculty interactions. In this study, the dynamic interplay between the individual, the environment, and behavior establish a deeper understanding of the teacher network as a social system with expected returns. The tenets of Lin’s social capital theory (2001) and Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy (1997) reveal more about the network and embedded resources. Using a case study design, I conducted interviews with new teachers, continuing teachers, and mentors. Findings from interviews supported a gap in the literature pertaining to the intention design of an induction program specific to social learning opportunities to gain capital among the faculty network, thus increasing the new teacher’s autonomy to problem-solve and operate independently. The results from this study may influence other schools to integrate similar induction programs designed to permit new members opportunities to exchange knowledge with returning members to build social capital before they must find resources independently

The student-produced electronic portfolio in craft education

The authors studied primary school students’ experiences of using an electronic portfolio in their craft education over four years. A stimulated recall interview was applied to collect user experiences and qualitative content analysis to analyse the collected data. The results indicate that the electronic portfolio was experienced as a multipurpose tool to support learning. It makes the learning process visible and in that way helps focus on and improves the quality of learning. © ISLS.Peer reviewe

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Literacy Instruction, and Teacher Decision Making: A Formative Experiment Investigating Shifts in Teachers\u27 Beliefs and Practices

Educational policies and systemic inequalities have created “very different educational realities” for African American students and their white counterparts (Darling-Hammond, 2005) resulting in low literacy rates, low test scores, and high dropout rates. Culturally relevant pedagogy has been shown to increase the academic achievement of culturally diverse students (Gay, 2000; Howard, 2003; Ladson-Billings, 1994). However, many in-service teachers struggle to effectively implement a culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) (Esposito & Swain, 2009; May, 2011; Rozansky, 2010), and limited research has been conducted on professional development aimed at supporting teachers’ knowledge and practices around CRP (Knight & Wiseman, 2005; Milner, 2009). Guided by sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1934/1986; Wertsch 1991), critical theory (Freire, 1970), critical race theory (Delgado & Stefanic, 2012; Taylor, 2009) and critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970; Giroux, 2003), this study examined teachers’ changing beliefs and practices as they engaged in professional development on issues related to culturally relevant pedagogy and literacy development. Questions guiding this study were: (1) What shifts do teachers make in their conceptual and pedagogical understandings around CRP when engaged in professional development activities? (2) What factors enhance or inhibit teachers’ ability to implement CRP during literacy instruction? (3) How do teachers navigate contextual constraints to implement their beliefs in relation to CRP? The methodology for this study is formative experiment, as its goal is to bridge the gap between theory and practice, (Bradley & Reinking, 2011). A continuous, teacher-centered professional development focused on CRP served as the intervention for this formative experiment. Data sources include audio-recorded interviews and teacher debrief session, video-recorded professional development sessions, and field notes from classroom observations. Findings of this study indicate that theoretical learning, critical self-reflection, collaboration, and longevity are integral to support shifts in teachers beliefs and practices around culturally relevant pedagogy. Findings also show that the shifting process is dynamic and complex and occurs differently for individuals. Implications of this study suggest that professional learning should be differentiated for teachers as it considers teachers beliefs, experiences, and work context during the learning process. Teachers can form communities of practice to support each other’s learning goals and implementation of CRP

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Literacy Instruction, and Teacher Decision Making: A Formative Experiment Investigating Shifts in Teachers\u27 Beliefs and Practices

Educational policies and systemic inequalities have created “very different educational realities” for African American students and their white counterparts (Darling-Hammond, 2005) resulting in low literacy rates, low test scores, and high dropout rates. Culturally relevant pedagogy has been shown to increase the academic achievement of culturally diverse students (Gay, 2000; Howard, 2003; Ladson-Billings, 1994). However, many in-service teachers struggle to effectively implement a culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) (Esposito & Swain, 2009; May, 2011; Rozansky, 2010), and limited research has been conducted on professional development aimed at supporting teachers’ knowledge and practices around CRP (Knight & Wiseman, 2005; Milner, 2009). Guided by sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1934/1986; Wertsch 1991), critical theory (Freire, 1970), critical race theory (Delgado & Stefanic, 2012; Taylor, 2009) and critical pedagogy (Freire, 1970; Giroux, 2003), this study examined teachers’ changing beliefs and practices as they engaged in professional development on issues related to culturally relevant pedagogy and literacy development. Questions guiding this study were: (1) What shifts do teachers make in their conceptual and pedagogical understandings around CRP when engaged in professional development activities? (2) What factors enhance or inhibit teachers’ ability to implement CRP during literacy instruction? (3) How do teachers navigate contextual constraints to implement their beliefs in relation to CRP? The methodology for this study is formative experiment, as its goal is to bridge the gap between theory and practice, (Bradley & Reinking, 2011). A continuous, teacher-centered professional development focused on CRP served as the intervention for this formative experiment. Data sources include audio-recorded interviews and teacher debrief session, video-recorded professional development sessions, and field notes from classroom observations. Findings of this study indicate that theoretical learning, critical self-reflection, collaboration, and longevity are integral to support shifts in teachers beliefs and practices around culturally relevant pedagogy. Findings also show that the shifting process is dynamic and complex and occurs differently for individuals. Implications of this study suggest that professional learning should be differentiated for teachers as it considers teachers beliefs, experiences, and work context during the learning process. Teachers can form communities of practice to support each other’s learning goals and implementation of CRP