Digital Fluency Initiative and Faculty Development

A faculty-led peer mentoring program integrating education technologies and complementary pedagogies to facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes

From Cosmetic to Metabolized Change: Promoting Paradigm Shifts in a Dominant Culture University

The authors provide three case examples modeling the implementation of the Diversity agenda in a school of education within a private Christian university. The second article in a series, the case studies demonstrate contextual application of confronting privilege as it manifests itself in a seemingly homogeneous environment. As the authors document programmatic, personal, and pedagogical methods informed by principles of social justice and equity, the intent is to move beyond cosmetic compliance with accreditation obligations towards a metabolized second order change within students and faculty

Well-Prepared Middle School Teachers: Common Ground or Subtle Divide Between Practitioners and University Faculty in the State of Oregon, United States

This qualitative study followed a survey study that investigated university faculty, classroom teachers, and principals\u27 perceptions of well-prepared middle school teachers in the state of Oregon in the United States. A qualitative approach allowed the researchers to explore and interpret the participants\u27 views (Denzin & Lincoln, 1998). In spite of many similarities, a number of differences in emphasis or priority were found among the groups, including views on assessment, curriculum development, and the importance of family and community connections for beginning classroom teachers. This study provides a foundation for deeper analysis and discussion among university faculty and practitioners concerning the what of middle school teacher preparation programs

Imagine a Place Where Teaching and Learning Are Inspirational: A Decade of Collected Wisdom From the Field

The purpose of this article is to share wisdom collected from the field and offer a view of meaningful learning, explore the tensions that exist in educators’ work, and invite conversation about the future of educational practice. The anecdotes and data come from a series of research studies conducted from 2001 to 2011 by a cadre of middle grades researchers— university faculty from public and private universities across Oregon. Over the past decade, we studied the perspectives of middle grades principals, middle grades teachers, university faculty, and district personnel directors representing distinct communities (urban, suburban, rural), disparate demographics (e.g., low SES to high SES), and varying school size (i.e., small to large middle schools). We guided each study with research questions such as: How are national policies affecting how teachers view the nature of their work? How does national policy affect the way middle school teachers balance the academic-cognitive needs of young adolescents with their social-emotional needs (Dalton et al., 2004)? How have high-stakes accountability measures based on yearly academic testing influenced teachers’ curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices (Greene et al., 2008)? What are the perceptions of middle grades university faculty, classroom teachers, and principals regarding well-prepared middle grades teachers (Samek et al., 2010)? We used a variety of data collection methods including surveys, interviews, and focus groups to build an understanding of school and university perspectives