Preservice Teachers' Use of a Translation App with Dual Language Learners

BACKGROUND: Many practicing teachers face challenges with effective technology integration (Keengwe & Onchwari, 2009). Teachers who do integrate technology into their educational practices understand that it is not an end-all solution, but rather a support to their current pedagogical and content practices. However, a simple question remains among current early childhood educators, how can technology be effectively used and integrated into classroom environments in order to facilitate children’s learning and development? Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore how pre-service teachers (PSTs) integrated technology (a translation app) into their lessons and how students (or dual language learners) responded to the use of this technology. The study was guided by the following research questions:    1. How do pre-service teachers integrate Speak & Translate with dual language learners?   2. Based on PST's observations, how do dual language learners respond to the use of Speak & Translate?  METHODS: This qualitative, phenomenological research study was conducted in a teacher preparation program in the Midwest. Thirty-one female PSTs participated in the study. During their field placement experience, each PST taught 3 small group lessons with preschool children using the Speak & Translate (S&T) app. After each lesson was taught, PSTs completed a lesson reflection that was uploaded into Dedoose. Analysis included level 1 (priori coding) and level 2 (thematic coding) in order to analyze the reflections and explore PST’s use of S&T with DLLs and how DLLs responded to this experience. RESULTS: Across all lessons, S&T was utilized a total of 46 times and was primarily used to translate key vocabulary of the lesson or content of the book. PSTs also used the app to model an activity, model material use, and provide instructions and directions. The most exciting finding was the changes PST’s noticed in DLL’s body language, engagement, and motivation when they used the app in their lessons. CONCLUSION: PSTs were asked to focus on the integration of technology (S&T), which produced a lesson that met all aspects of the TPACK framework. Based on PST’s reflections, they not only experienced a shift in their own thinking and pedagogical approaches, but they also noticed a shift in DLLs’ engagement and motivation during their technology supported lessons. Findings from this study hold promising and important educational implications for pedagogical practices not only for PSTs, but also for current educators who work with DLLs.N

Direct Instruction with Playful Skill Extensions: Action Research in Emergent Literacy Development

Direct instruction teaching methods have been found to promote the acquisition of literacy in developing readers. Equally important, learning strategies that allow children to construct knowledge through active participation increase their motivation for reading and writing. This action research was designed to explore the effectiveness of direct instruction with playful extensions in developing emergent literacy in a kindergarten classroom. The intent of the project was to connect developmentally appropriate practices with direct instruction teaching. The systematic approach of Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) was followed using only the teacher directed lessons; playful extensions of the PALS lessons were integrated throughout to maintain the children\u27s interest and to provide motivation for learning. Results indicated that the students who initially were the lowest performers in letter-sound correspondence and writing performance made the greatest gains in identifying letters-sounds and in applying letter-sound knowledge to making spelling approximations in writing. Kindergarten students with the highest academic abilities made the greatest gains in sight word recognition

Promoviendo la justicia social a través del aprendizaje-servicio en la formación de maestros de Educación Infantil

As early childhood teacher education programs have begun to place greater emphasis on standards and accountability, there has been less focus on working with the community, and especially working on important social justice issues (Kroll, 2013). In this paper we argue that integrating service-learning and teacher education is a strategy for increasing awareness of social justice issues for young children, age three to grade three. Through the use of questionnaires and interviews to collect our data, we found that implementing a cascading service-learning model in teacher education programs has a positive transformative effect on Pre-Service Teachers. Additionally, we examined the effects of social justice service-learning projects on young children. The results from the data indicated that implementing a social justice service-learning project with these participants had a great impact or transformation on them.Como en los programas de formación del profesorado para la primera infancia han empezado a poner mayor énfasis en los estándares y la rendición de cuentas, se está haciendo menos hincapié en el trabajo con la comunidad, y especialmente en trabajos centrados en temas relevantes de justicia social (Kroll, 2013). En este artículo se argumenta que la integración del aprendizaje-servicio y la formación del profesorado es una estrategia para aumentar la conciencia sobre temas de justicia social con los niños pequeños, desde los tres años hasta tercer grado. A través del uso de cuestionarios y entrevistas para la recolección de datos, se encontró que la implementación de un modelo de aprendizaje-servicio en cascada en los programas de formación del profesorado tiene un efecto transformador positivo en profesores en formación. Además, se examinaron los efectos de los proyectos de aprendizaje-servicio de justicia social con niños pequeños. Los resultados de los datos indican que la implementación de un proyecto de aprendizaje-servicio de justicia social con estos participantes tiene un gran impacto o transformación en ellos.Os programas de formação do professorado para a primeira infância começaram a pôr maior ênfase nos padrões e a prestação de contas, dando-se menos ênfase ao trabalho com a comunidade, e especialmente em trabalhos centrados em temas relevantes de justiça social (Kroll, 2013). Neste artigo se argumenta que a integração do aprendizagem-serviço e a formação do professorado é uma estratégia para aumentar a consciência sobre temas de justiça social com as crianças pequenas, desde os três anos até o terceiro grau. Através do uso de questionário e entrevistas para a coleta de dados, encontrou-se que a implementação de um modelo de aprendizagem-serviço em cascata nos programas de formação de professores tem um efeito transformador positivo em professores em formação. Ademais, examinaramse os efeitos dos projetos de aprendizagem-serviço de justiça social com crianças pequenas. Os resultados dos dados indicam que a implantação de um projeto de aprendizagem-serviço de justiça social com estes participantes causa neles um grande impacto ou transformação

Praxeological learning: Service-learning in teacher education

With the most recent educational reform through the implementation of the Common Core Standards, Praxeological Learning: Service- Learning in Teacher Education can provide a fresh look at educational transformation through the lens of service-learning in teacher preparation. As Butin (2003) referenced over a decade ago, “service-learning rejects the banking model of education, where the transferences of information from knowledgeable teachers to passive students is conducted in 45-min increments. It subverts the notion of classroom as graveyard - rows and rows of silent bodies - for an active pedagogy committed to connecting theory and practice, schools and community, the cognitive and the ethical,” The pedagogy of service-learning has significant implications for teacher education. Its transformative aspects have far reaching potential to address teacher candidate dispositions and provide deeper understanding of social justice. Knowledge of the pedagogy and how to implement it in candidates’ future classrooms and in the community could modify education to a more powerful experience of democracy in action and enhance the civic mission of schools. The current and ongoing research found within this textbook is meant to continue supporting the notion of educational reform. (Imprint: Nova

A Journey of Service-Learning: Three Different Professional Lenses [Praxeological Learning: Social Justice and Social Capital]

This autobiographical case study chronicles how I, a former elementary music specialist, was propelled by the methodology of service-learning into a journey of rewarding experiences--from practitioner to researcher to professor. Previous research includes: (a) Through my practitioner\u27s lens, I reveal my initial project birthed with third grade music students to help meet the needs of ten young special education students with profound intellectual and physical disabilities (Arrington, 2008). Outcomes included increased socialization with the students with disabilities, and increased responsibility with third graders. (b) With my researcher\u27s lens, my account demonstrates my interest in \u27so what?\u27 as I conducted action research to measure self-efficacy for selfregulated learning in third graders in an intergenerational service-learning project (Arrington, 2015), and (c) Via my professor\u27s lens, I reveal how a service-learning option with pre-service teachers increased their self-efficacy for teaching young children. (Arrington, 2014, Arrington & Cohen, 2015). Effects of participating in servicelearning experiences on self-efficacy (Bandura, 1994). This is an autobiographical case study highlighting results of several service-learning experiences. IRB approval was obtained, participant/parental forms were collected and saved in locked files, and pseudonyms were used in publication. Positive results from implementing servicelearning experiences in elementary classrooms lead one to conclude that introducing service-learning in teacher education courses will provide a foundation for implementing this methodology in the candidates\u27 future classrooms. As I impart these stories through three different lenses ‘Practitioner, Researcher, and Professor’ I share challenges faced, and include directions to assist others embarking on similar journeys, including e-service learning in online courses

Panel Discussion: Meeting the Challenges of Rural Education

Schools in rural areas and small towns face difficult challenges in serving the needs of children and public education. This panel presentation discusses how best to serve the special needs of rural youth and schools. The panel shares successful programs, strategies, and tools for meeting the challenges of rural education

Fear not early childhood teachers! You are already using algebraic strategies in your classroom

The article focuses on using algebraic strategies in classroom. Topic include Van de Walle, Lovin, Karp, and Bay-Williams (2014) have fined the vision of algebraic thinking for early childhood classrooms, which involves recognizing patterns and relationships and analyzing relationships, thinking about the use of symbols to generalize certain kinds of math operations.YesUniversity of Central Oklahoma. College of Education. Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Roller Derby Dolls

In the sprawling outer suburbs of Brisbane, a revolution is brewing. A sassy group of women from all walks of life has a dream: to resurrect the lost sport of full-contact roller derby in Australia. Led by their president Evil Doll, and despite none having experience in business, the roller girls have set up a roller derby league, one of 220 now dotted around the globe. Roller Derby Dolls is a story of female empowerment and of women with a dream—the dream of inspiring women in Australia to strap on the skates and give the sport a go

Praxeological Learning: Service-Learning in Teacher Education

With recent educational reform through the implication of the Common Core Standards, “Praxeological Learning: Service-Learning in Teacher Education” provides a renewed examination of educational transformation through the lens of teacher preparation. Given administrative and curricular constraints that many teachers and schools are facing, this panel presentation seeks to grapple with how teacher education programs are advancing our understanding and knowledge of service-learning with preservice teachers. This session will include five papers that call attention to the transformative potential of service-learning engagements among teachers, students, and community partners across urban and rural contexts. By focusing on community partnerships with K-12 classrooms and pre-service teacher education programs, the papers, collectively, present research evidence that attempts to address the question, “how does service-learning and teacher education become rooted in academia, in communities and community members” in order to first illustrate the way such a concept becomes embedded with the multiple ideologies, values, and beliefs. Therefore, the panelists explore how such engagements might inspire emerging, hybrid definitions of praxeological education rooted in the diverse perspectives and languages of teachers, students, and community partners, as well as the texts of which they make use (i.e., the word and the world-texts and communities). In light of these five different components of service-learning, the panelists also consider the shift within these local contexts from thought to action - from word and theory to praxis. They take up theories of learning that situate people in context with one another and recognize the value of the social interactions afforded through engaged pedagogies. In Of What Use Is It? Multiple Conceptualizations of Service Learning Within Education, Dan Butin (2003) wrote, “[is service-learning] a voyeuristic exploitation of the cultural other that masquerades as academically sanctioned servant leadership?” (p. 1675). As we continue to reject these notions of service-learning practitioners only serving the community, the panel presenters will discuss theoretical, methodological, and practical ways that “social actors” (i.e., educators, community members, youth, and researchers) have engaged in service-learning initiatives in an effort to think differently about literacy, learning, and participation. In doing so, the panelists are attentive to pushing the conceptual boundaries of service-learning, re-imagining educational spaces, and examining the role of dialogue and agency in ethical educational research. Followed by the panelist presentations, a scholar in service-learning will reflect upon the main themes of the session in order to further help educators, teachers, and students work at co-constructing transformative research agendas that promote epistemological shifts toward a praxeological-learning pedagogy

National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) Conference and Meeting: Reflections on Research and Practice in Early Childhood Teacher Education

Designed for those who work in the field of early childhood teacher education. Serves as the spring conference for NAECTE. Explore the theme of Reflections on Research and Practice in Early Childhood Teacher Education through a keynote presentation, paper, and poster presentations, with time provided for dialogue amont participants