Co-Teaching: Idea to Implementation

From a university perspective, it can be challenging finding field experience placements with quality mentor teachers. The field experiences we provide help shape (positively or negatively) the development of pre-service teacher candidates (PTCs). Our university is fortunate to have, as one of our field experience sites, a K-5 university Charter school in which faculty work closely with K-5 teachers. Together, faculty and teachers are able to provided meaningful experiences. As one of our field experiences, we require all EC-6 PTCs to experience a semester in the university Charter school. A benefit of this university and Charter school relationship is that the university is able to control the mentor teachers in which we work with and the experiences we provide our PTCs

A Positive View of the Trajectory of the Human Rights Movement

In 1988, during the waning days of apartheid in South Africa, I was a young American lawyer working for South African Lawyers for Human Rights in Pretoria. On one occasion, I accompanied some of my African colleagues to a conference, the purpose of which was to begin visualizing post-apartheid South Africa. While the apartheid regime was still in power, it was clearly in hasty retreat, and it was equally clear that its days were numbered. The African majority would soon be taking over the reigns of power, and they were excited to begin visualizing what freedom and human rights might and should look like in post-apartheid South Africa

Do Drones Have a Silver Lining?

Michael Abramowitz and Lawrence Woocher’s article, “How Genocide Became a National Security Threat,” flags an important milestone in American foreign policy, namely that mass atrocities might now be appropriately viewed as the national security threats that they are. The problem with translating this policy development into action is the next and not insignificant challenge. Aerial drones may be key to overcoming it

Investigating Personal Fitness Trainers\u27 Qualifications

A threefold approach was utilized to analyze the problem of defining personal fitness trainers’ qualifications. First, the problem was explored nationally, internationally and locally. Within the local context, the history of the exercise science program, stakeholders and culture at the University of Central Florida and in the central Florida marketplace was examined. Next, a systematic literature review examined possible causes within the knowledge context, learning/motivational context and organizational/cultural context. Then, an original research study investigated the qualifications for Central Florida, Personal Fitness Trainers (PFTs) by examining the relationship(s) and/or differences between variables such as education, certification, years of experience and income as well as attitudes, opinions and beliefs (AOBs) regarding those variables. An online questionnaire was emailed to 196 PFTs in the central Florida area and utilized to assess qualifications as they relate to income. The 48 PFT participants were compared based on education (ED), certification (CE), and experience (EX) and their effect on income. There were no statistically significant differences in 2012 income based on (ED) level, F(4,26) = 2.283, p=.086. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) were the preferred (CE) companies (ranked 1st or 2nd, 65% and 45% of the time respectively). From the 48 PFTs that answered the survey, 54% of PFTs agreed (A) or strongly agreed (SA) that a degree should be required in order to practice, 73% (A) or (SA) that (CE) is helpful in gaining employment, and 66% (A) or (SA) that a national board exam or license should be required to practice. The least number of (ED) courses was taken in biomechanics and business marketing. In conclusion, PFT level of education and certification iii type does not significantly affect income given the current system. PFTs agree that more stringent guidelines are needed to limit entrance into the profession to those who are more qualified. The author presents a new model for undergraduate curriculum and instruction requiring hands on coursework, certification and internship or service learning project

Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Mathematics through Drawings--RESEARCH

Research indicates that mathematics anxiety is particularly high in pre-service teachers (Bekdemir, 2010; Gresham, 2007; Hembree, 1990). These future teachers will soon be entering classrooms of their own, responsible for teaching mathematics to young children, who need strong teachers. A 2013 report from The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), found that 42% fourth-graders performed at or above the proficient level in math (NCES, 2013. The purpose of this study was to examine elementary pre-service teacher candidates (PSTCs) perceptions of mathematics, through drawings. Drawings were analyzed before and after a semester-long field experience in a constructivist mathematics environment. The participants included 56 PSTCs with a field placement in K-5 settings. The researcher used open-coding to evaluate the pre- and post-field experience drawings. Three overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) emotions related to mathematics, (2) the mathematics environment, and (3) experiences within the mathematics environment. Over the course of the field experience semester, the number of negative and isolated perceptions of mathematics decreased. The results of the study hold implications for teacher preparation programs in planning field experience placements for their teacher candidates. Purposeful field placements can allow PSTCs to evaluate and inform their own understanding of mathematics, and learn pedagogical strategies to benefit their future students

Perpetrators in Their Midst

The two articles, “Another Human-Rights Irony at the U.N.” by Anne Applebaum and “UN Elects Rights Violators to Human Rights Council” by Edith Lederer, both set forth the problems encountered by the UN Human Rights Council and its predecessor, the Human Rights Commission. Namely, that member states with notorious human rights records will exploit the Council to their political advantage. As Applebaum points out in her article, “authoritarian regimes have long battled to join the council...the better to prevent any outsiders from investigating their own governments.

Facilitating Collaboration Through a Co-Teaching Field Experience

This article describes an action research project in which two teacher educators implemented a co-teaching field experience with pre-service teacher candidates acting as co-teachers to facilitate collaboration among peers. The goal of the action research was to better meet the needs of pre-service teacher candidates and continually develop their ability to grow as reflective and collaborative future teaching educators. To increase collaboration, co-teaching models were implemented in an early field experience. Teaching activities and assignments provided opportunities for collaboration as co-teachers and as members of a teaching community. Data collection and observations indicate peer-to-peer co-teaching helped create a collaborative atmosphere for PTCs, while also revealing areas that need additional refinement in the field experience course