Ten Years of Teacher Workshops in an Environmental Problem-Solving Model: Teacher Implementation and Perceptions

Abstract

In this study, the authors focus on quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the training model for Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues and Actions (IEEIA). The authors examined (a) the relationship between IEEIA implementation rates and type of training; (b) workshop participants' perceptions of support for their use of IEEIA and the relationship between those perceptions and implementation; and (c) workshop participants' perceptions about the impact of the instructional approach on themselves, students, administrators, colleagues, parents, and the community. A direct-mailed questionnaire was used to collect data from 132 teachers who had participated in IEEIA training between 1990 and 1999. Interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 8 workshop participants. More than half of the teachers used the approach. Participants of extended or multiple trainings tended to use IEEIA more than their counterparts. Support after the workshop was important to implementation; IEEIA teachers perceived that it had positive impacts on themselves, students, and others.     

Families of Disabled Children in the Israeli Kibbutz: A Community Which Provides for All Needs

One hundred and two families of disabled children in the Israeli kibbutz were studied. Parental responses during the interview revealed that the availability of material and financial resources, which the kibbutz provides, the sharing in the day to day care of the child, and the overall acceptance by the community are important in reducing stress. Yet, parents still experience a number of major hardships and stressors including encounters with the kibbutz “system”, a sense of loneliness, and concerns about their children's social integration and their futures. Similar hardships are reported in the literature for parents of disabled children in other cultures and societies. Implications for educators and family service providers regarding the need for community training, the training of peer case managers and for emotional and practical support are discussed.     

Parent question use during shared reading time: How does training affect question type and frequency?

This study was designed to examine whether participation in a shared reading workshop alters the frequency with which parents ask their children questions during book reading sessions, particularly questions designed to strengthen component reading skills that they may not have known about before training. Participants in the reading workshop series (N = 57) were taught strategies for asking questions about story content and word structure to build children's language and literacy skills. Findings suggest that parents may be somewhat familiar with traditional dialogic reading strategies focused on story content and utilize them without instruction, whereas parents may be less knowledgeable about sound or print‐focused skills and do not employ strategies focused on word structure until instructed to do so. It is also notable that parents do not use all story content prompts equally. This information can be used by school psychologists to refine the messages educators share with parents about how to best support their children's reading development.     

农医定向培养生专业思想稳定性的调研

目的：实现农村社区医生定向培养,使他们毕业后真正服务农村社区。方法：采用问卷调查与深度访谈相结合的方式,对150名大三实习学生进行专业思想稳定性及影响因素调查。结果：38.6%的学生表示,在填报高考志愿时是因为父母喜欢自己无所谓而选择农村社区医生作为未来方向。当五年服务期满后,仍愿意从事农村社区医生工作的占56.6%,其最主要的影响因素是地域和工作性质;而不愿意留在农村继续工作主要影响因素是农村环境艰苦和社会认同感不高。影响其继续任职的客观因素以＂事业编制等优惠政策＂和＂晋升、培训机会＂为主,而主观因素则是来自于家长的引导。结论：从家长、社会宣传、老师引导、隐性课程的开展等方面着手,进一步提高专业思想稳定性。     

Arts practice as method,urban spaces and intra-active faiths

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the research design for an arts-based interfaith research project that is intended to build relationships between children from different faiths and to increase research participants’ understandings of faiths other than their own. The project is funded as an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship called Early Start Arts to Counter Radicalization and has a mixed method approach that brings arts-based workshop groups for children together with focus groups for parents. Early findings demonstrate the utility of art for developing a sense of belonging and self-worth in children and clearly show ways in which art facilitates comment on complex social issues even from primary school age. The nature of such socially engaged arts-based research means it must be developed or, at the least, refined, through engagement with community and social context. As such, consideration of the urban environment that shapes the lives of the young research participants and their families forms part of the discussion undertaken.     

Inside and outside the integrated bilingual Palestinian-Jewish schools in Israel: Teachers’ perceptions of personal, professional and political positioning

The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers of the integrated bilingual Palestinian-Jewish schools in Israel construct their school culture in relation to various outside pressures in their attempt to achieve educational change. Field notes from an in-service training workshop were analyzed according to three levels of the teaching context: the personal, professional and political. It was found that the teachers perceive themselves as primarily pedagogical experts with a shared vision based on multiculturalism and coexistence. According to the findings, recommendations are made for improving the positioning of the teachers in relation to pupils, parents and policy-makers.     

The head start teaching center: An evaluation of an experiential,collaborative training model for head start teachers and parent volunteers

Forty-eight Head Start teachers and 48 parent volunteers from 24 classrooms were randomly assigned to either the Collaborative Training (CT) or Workshop Training (WT) approach. CT teachers and parents were involved conjointly in experiential training which included receiving guided practice and feedback from exemplary peers. WT consisted of a series of workshops conducted by outside trainers for separate groups of parents and teachers. Training methods were compared with respect to (a) teacher and parent reports of their level of involvement in training and satisfaction with the training experience, (b) teacher and parent reports of parent classroom activity, and (c) observation of adult-child classroom interactions. CT teachers and parents reported significantly greater levels of active involvement in and satisfaction with the training, as well as significantly greater levels of parent classroom activity than WT participants. With respect to adult-child classroom interactions, CT teachers demonstrated significantly more positive initiations and praise than WT teachers. Parent reports of their perceived role in the classroom as well as parent levels of initiation with children did not differ between training groups. Implications of these findings for further research were discussed.     

浅论名教师工作室对教师培训模式的创新

名教师工作室是一种促进教师专业成长的共同体,是对教师培训模式的一种创新,显现了其特有的教师教育功能。其对教师培训模式的创新和对教师专业成长的价值主要体现在：构建专业共同体,成就优秀教师群体;优化培训组织,实现研训一体;发挥辐射效应,共享优质资源;形成培训网络,促进梯队成长。     

Design of an evidence-based diversity workshop to support participation of older people in their community care

Diversity is what makes a person unique, with the intersection of diversity characteristics potentially a strength or a barrier to accessing healthcare, and thereby affecting health and well-being outcomes. Many older people with diverse needs are not accessing appropriate services to meet their needs, leading to suboptimal health and well-being. Community aged care workers are at the frontline, working with diverse older people with complex needs; yet there is a dearth of training available in this sphere. This paper outlines the development and pilot evaluation of a diversity training workshop for managers and frontline community aged care workers. The aim of the workshop was to empower the workforce to support increased participation of older people with diverse needs in their own care, to ultimately lead to their improved health and well-being.

Workshop development was underpinned by sound education principles, a competency framework and research evidence. First iteration of the workshop underwent pilot testing with three groups, two in metropolitan Melbourne (n = 31) and one in regional Victoria (n = 10), Australia. Feedback was gathered via an independent observer (field notes), pre- and post-workshop surveys, and phone interviews with participants 3-month post-workshop. Pilot data and feedback informed changes to workshop content (type of knowledge, application of knowledge and skills), workshop structure and androgogical (adult learning) approach.

An evidence-informed diversity training workshop was developed through an iterative process, with the aim of enhancing knowledge, skills and attitudes of community aged care workers. This approach has developed a workshop that aims to better meet the needs of an aged care workforce, so that they may better support older people with diverse needs to increase engagement and participation in their care, optimizing their health and well-being.     

Dismay and Disappointment: Parental Involvement of Latino Immigrant Parents

Parental involvement in schools has become more popular over the past decade due to Goals 2000 and research suggesting that student academic success increases when parents are included in the education of their children. Although researchers have examined the issue of parents and schools, limited research on parental involvement has been conducted within immigrant communities. Latino immigrant parents within a predominantly Latino community in California were interviewed. Although the community has strong Latino roots, these immigrant parents believed the schools do not listen or care to listen to their needs as parents. The parents in this study desired to be a part of their children's education, but forces within their children's school prevented them from doing so. The parents wished that teachers would be available to speak about grades, be able to find interpreters during open house and at other times throughout the school day, and communicate with the parents when their child is in need of assistance. Due to the apparent walls that had been established within the school's structure, the parents in this study felt abandoned and helpless while trying to gain information regarding their children's education. Parents in this study were so passionate about their stories that they pleaded with the researcher to let their story be heard in the researchers' teacher education courses so future teachers would know how immigrant parents felt.     

Functional anatomy of the cardiovascular system: Professional development for PreK‐3 teachers using a “Train and equip” method results in learning opportunities for students

Preadolescent students are interested in learning the structure and function of the human body. However, their teachers are not trained in this content. The purpose of this project was to expand a successful outreach effort in the health sciences for grade 7–12 teachers to include PreK‐3 teachers. A “Healthy Hearts” workshop was offered to train the teachers in relevant content and also to give them a resource kit of supplies and equipment to facilitate the transference of the training into educational opportunities for their students. The workshop included many role‐playing activities and use of all items in the resource kit. A total of 25 workshops were conducted in 14 different community locations with 716 PreK‐3 teachers attending from 169 communities representing 59 (79%) of the state's 75 counties. African American (AA) teacher participation was 35%, twice the state AA population rate and 3.5× the AA public school teacher rate. Pre to Posttest scores increased an average of 15%. The results of the evaluation measures regarding the workshop and the transference of the training and use of resource kit items into learning opportunities for students were excellent. Universities have the capability, perhaps the responsibility, to provide the much‐needed professional development training to PreK‐12 teachers. Anatomists in medical and nonmedical school settings are well positioned to participate in this process and help close the gap between the interest young children have in learning about the human body and the lack of teacher training in this content. Anat Sci Ed 1:119–125, 2008. © 2008 American Association of Anatomists.     

A Facilitator's guide to career transition workshops for educators

Conclusions The teaching profession is in a state of flux which will continue until changes in salaries, security, and class size are adjusted and overall attractiveness of the profession increases. The CPPC is committed to offering the Career Alternatives for Educators workshop and encourages other career centers to do so. Assisting educators in choosing to remain in teaching, or to enter another field, may help to reduce teacher burnout, enhance teacher job satisfaction, and increase their effectiveness in the classroom. In addition, the workshop provides educators with a better understanding of their University system, increases their awareness and attention to the career development process, and provides better understanding of career opportunities. Career Centers' involvement in this is particularly logical given the role which educators play in their daily interaction with potential university students as teachers or parents. For a variety of reasons, an Alternative for Educators workshop is an important outreach effort for Career Centers, and is a rewarding role for them to play.     

Powerful students,powerful words: writing and learning in a poetry workshop

A poetry workshop can present opportunities to integrate students' knowledge and perspectives in classroom contexts, encouraging the use of language for expression, communication, learning and even empowerment. This paper describes how adolescent students respond to a poetry workshop in an English classroom centred on teaching writing that is based on their knowledge from their various life experiences and understanding of events beyond the classroom. Informed by New Literacy Studies and third space theories, ethnographic methods of participant observation were used to document an eighth‐grade urban public school classroom where a community member implemented a weekly programme using music lyrics and poetry for an entire school year. Findings illustrate how the poetry workshop encouraged students to contribute to the classroom learning context and engage critically with ideas that were relevant to their lives. Collaborating with a community member and tapping in to the powerful ways of using language to communicate led to important learning opportunities for students in this classroom. Poetic devices such as rhyme, rhythm, metaphor and wordplay enhanced and supported students' own language practices; students used these sophisticated writing strategies as they worked to convey their ideas, experiences and opinions.     

Friends of Special Education: A Parent Training Model

This article describes a 5-year project in which, over 200 parents of handicapped children were trained, as 'Friends of Special Education.' The project represented a partnership .among central office and local school district administrators and a technical assistance team. Major objectives of the project were to increase effective interaction of parents with school personnel, to help parents understand the teaming process, and to increase parent involvement in their children's school program. The training model was designed to have a multiplier effect with parents who completed training prepared to be active in their respective local school and to serve as resources to. other parents. The project's impact is described along with recommendations for parent training.     

Effectiveness of Parent–Child Number Board Game Playing in Promoting Chinese Kindergarteners’ Numeracy Skills and Mathematics Interest

Research Findings: In Study 1, we observed 32 Chinese kindergarteners playing a number board game with their caregivers in dyads. Number board game playing provided important opportunities for kindergarteners and their caregivers to talk about an array of number concepts, but their numeracy-related exchanges rarely went beyond counting. In Study 2, 88 Chinese kindergarteners and their parents were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups, namely, the game with parent training group, the game without parent training group, the exercise book group, and the control group. After a 4-week intervention, kindergarteners in the 3 treatment groups who began as relatively unskilled in numeracy showed comparable improvement in 3 numeracy tasks, and the effect sizes were often larger in the game with parent training group than in the game without parent training group. Moreover, kindergarteners in the 2 game groups tended to show relatively heightened mathematics interest. Practice or Policy: Findings of these 2 studies suggest that number board game playing has the potential benefit of promoting kindergarteners’ numeracy competence and mathematics interest. Training of parents might even optimize kindergarten children’s gains from parent–child number board game playing.     

Stopping abuse before it occurs: Different solutions for different population groups

This paper reports on a conference at which participants reviewed indepth the literature on child abuse prevention and child development, as it pertains to different cultural and ethnic population groups, and identifies alternative prevention strategies for these different groups. The efficacy of the following interventions are analyzed: perinatal support programs, education for parents, treatment for abused children, early and periodic childhood screening and treatment programs: social skills training for children and young adults; mutual aid programs and neighborhood support groups; family support services such as crisis care; public information about child abuse and community development activities such as employment assistance. The paper concludes that although treatment services for different groups may be quite similar, prevention strategies must take account of the individual and unique values, norms and socialization patterns of different groups.     

A comparison of workshop training versus intensive,experiential training for improving behavior support skills in early educators

Effective behavior support is an important component of high-quality and nurturing early childhood classroom settings. At present, there are few studies that investigate the best way to train and support teachers in these strategies. The present study compared two different training approaches: (1) a workshop that included a one-day classroom-based training that introduced effective preventative and behavior support strategies followed by school year behavioral consultation support; or (2) an intensive condition that included the one-day workshop plus four days of experiential learning and practice in a preschool classroom followed by school year behavioral consultation support. Eighty-eight teachers/aides were randomly assigned to one of the two training conditions, and training occurred in August before the commencement of the school year. Results indicated that on observations of effective behavioral management and instructional learning formats, teachers in the intensive condition were improved proximally, with effects waning over time. For measures of teacher use of praise, the intensive group maintained the improved rate throughout the school year relative to the workshop group. Rates of commands and observations of classroom productivity were not different between groups. Teachers were satisfied with both approaches to training.