The Effectiveness of Cross-Age Blogging

Introduction:“We didn’t have to do any work!” was the greatest response to the question asked of fourth and fifth-grade students on what they liked best about the month long cross-age buddy reading and blogging project. A major challenge of candidates and university faculty in teacher education is how to effectively develop children’s digital literacy skills

T-shirts For College Bound Students: A School-University Service-Learning Project

This paper explores how service-learning projects provide university students experiential learning opportunities to participate in innovative activities. While educating and fostering development through mentoring and teamwork, university students enhanced critical thinking and interpersonal skills, gained background knowledge of the elementary school, implemented the project, reflected on their experiences, and evaluated the project. The project encouraged elementary students to achieve their goals by instilling the expectation of furthering a higher education after secondary school. In addition to providing a service to the children, university students identified through their reflections the connection between their service and what they have acquired academically

A Systematic Approach for Training Candidates to Use the Teacher Work Sample

The purpose of this paper is to describe the benefits of scaffolding the work sample criteria through a teacher preparation program for elementary education candidates. This article illustrates the way that Fort Hays State University’s teacher education program has successfully implemented a work sample process. A process of scaffolding the criteria was woven throughout the elementary teacher education program to instruct candidates on how to develop, implement, and assess instructional units of study. As a way to describe the teacher work sample process, the authors have contextualized the model, provided components of a teacher work sample, and presented a program design for the Fort Hays State University process, which includes preliminary data of a longitudinal study

Twin Texts and Technology: Enhancing Algebra Instruction for Elementary Teachers

Introduction: Algebra is often thought of as a course taken in high school, not a part of mathematics instruction in the elementary grades. In reality, algebra is the study of mathematics concerning structure, relations, and quantity and justifying those relationships (Blanton, 2008)

The Effectiveness of Face-to-Face vs. Web Camera

A major challenge of university faculty and adjunct members in teacher education is the logistics of scheduling and observing remote field experience evaluations of candidates. According to National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS.T) (2003), observations require an investment of time, scheduling logistics, and trained professionals to observe and analyze evaluation data. The authors of NETS.T (2003) state, “Put another way, observation opportunities are precious and should be designed to make every moment count” (p. 112). Technology, particularly in the form of videoconferencing, is being used to develop and improve the level of communication when observing and evaluating candidates. This mode of delivery is helping to bridge the three themes of transforming identity, collegial relationships, and cultural responsiveness

Revisiting the M-GUDS-S: Teacher Candidates’ Awareness and Acceptance of Diversity

Introduction: As shared in our article published in the spring 2013 issue of The Advocate Journal, schools of education are concerned about the best way to provide teacher candidates with clinical-based (also referred to as “field” in the literature) experiences that meet accreditation outcomes. In the Report of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation and Partnerships for Improved Learning (NCATE, 2010), ten research-based principles created a framework for clinical-based practices

Teacher Candidates\u27 Awareness and Acceptance of Diversity

Introduction: Like many colleges of education and the departments within them, concerns exist on the best way to provide teacher candidates with clinical (also referred to as “field” in the literature) based experiences that meet accreditation outcomes. In the Report of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation and Partnerships for Improved Learning (NCATE, 2010), members of the panel stressed the importance of using a “clinically based model” for teacher preparation

Read4Respect Service-­Learning Project: Motivating and Engaging Students in Reading

This paper discusses an after­school service­learning project implemented over the course of the school year in a low SES elementary school. This project offered a sustained, coordinated effort to motivate and engage 57 struggling readers in a skills­based literacy tutoring program. A paired two-sample t­test was conducted to determine if there was a significant increase in scores from the reading attitude pre-survey to the post­survey for the fall 2014 and spring 2015 semesters. Increases in attitude scores were found for 13 of the 20 survey questions with three of the increases found to be significant