School Administrators’ Use of iPads: Impact of Training and Attitudes Toward School Use

As Apple iPads are increasingly being adopted in schools for educational purposes, school administrators are seen as the key facilitators in the implementation of this new technology. This survey-based quantitative study investigated the impact of receiving iPad training on school administrators’ attitudes towards iPad use in their professional lives and in the classroom by teachers. The participants consisted of 51 elementary and secondary school administrators in one of the largest public charter school systems in a southwestern state. School administrators reported that iPads were effective tools for administrative tasks and personal organization. Results also suggest that school administrators in this study had positive views regarding the potential of iPads’ current and future use in the classroom by teachers. Furthermore, the training process had a positive effect on the school administrators’ development of iPad skills and knowledge.     

The Assessment of Student Teachers’ Academic and Professional Knowledge in School‐Based Teacher Education

The aim of this study was to scrutinize the assessment of teacher knowledge in a school‐based course at one Swedish pre‐service teacher education program. In a general education school‐based course, teacher educators visited the student teachers at their school placements and met them and their school mentors in student‐teaching conferences to assess their teacher knowledge. The findings primarily show that the assessment procedures are influenced by teacher educators’ organization of the school visits and conferences. Secondly, the organization of the school visits and conferences influences who the potential and actual assessors at the conferences can be and are. Thirdly, the assessed student teacher knowledge at the conferences is described as procedural knowledge in a knowledge‐in‐practice perspective, almost exclusively in the area of relational, emotional, and caring learning objectives and aspects of teaching activities. Fourthly, the findings show that propositional knowledge in a knowledge‐for‐practice perspective is hardly mentioned or assessed.     

Assessing Middle School Students’ Knowledge of Conduct and Consequences and Their Behaviors Regarding the Use of Social Networking Sites

Cyberbullying and threats of Internet predators, not to mention the enduring consequences of postings, may lead to dangerous, unspeakable consequences. Cyberbullying and threats of Internet predators through social networking sites and instant messaging programs are initiating numerous problems for parents, school administrators, and law enforcement on a national level (McKenna 2007 McKenna, P. 2007. The rise of cyberbullying. New Scientist, 195(2613): 26–27.  [Google Scholar], 60). A 34 item survey was developed to assess Knowledge of appropriate behavior on social networking sites (alpha = .84), Bullying Behavior (alpha = .72), and Internet Use (alpha = .78) of social networking sites for N = 588 grade 7–8 students from an urban and a suburban school. Implications for educators and parents regarding Cyberbullying and Internet Predators are discussed.     

Research on Genetic Algorithm Based Knowledge Auto－Acquisition for Fault Diagnosi

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Virtual K–12 Learning: New Learning Frontiers for State Education Agencies

This article explores the role of state education agencies in three states that have embarked on ambitious kindergarten through Grade 12 (K–12) virtual learning initiatives: Alabama, Florida, and Idaho. Subject to a rapidly changing environment influenced by factors beyond the jurisdiction of many state departments of education, the world of virtual K–12 education is relatively unregulated and fluid. Case studies describing the virtual learning initiatives of several states suggest that few, if any, state education agencies are currently equipped to regulate the rapidly growing number of independent for-profit and nonprofit organizations delivering online learning options.     

A Review of the Research: Common Core State Standards for Improving Rural Children’s School Readiness

Although a plethora of research focuses on economically at-risk preschool children in general across the United States, little can be found that investigates methods for improving rural children’s academic outcomes. This review of research is intended to provide a contextual understanding of the background and current conditions that exist for rural preschool children and their families in America, and to recommend strategies for improving adverse cognition and learning conditions, including a lack of early literacy skills, and low high school completion rates that frequently are found in this population, utilizing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as a framework. Attention will be given to demographics, academic performance and scientifically-based practices proven to impact both teaching and learning for rural preschool children, particularly those from minority households, incorporating the newly developed CCSS. A comparison will be made between rural white and African American children’s learning and cognition, highlighting significant disparities for African American students, despite the fact that they make up less than 10 % of all rural preschool children. For the scope of this study, rural communities will be defined as those with varying qualities situated outside of metropolitan areas. Results from this study reveal the conditions for rural preschool children, especially those from African American families with low-income levels. Findings indicate that providing training for teachers, administrators and families linked to rural schools; and infusing CCSS into the rural preschool curricula significantly improves school readiness, and decreases dropout rates.     

Elementary and Middle School Students’ Conceptions of Knowledge,Information, and Truth

Although the study of epistemic beliefs has received growing interest in the past decades, this research tends to focus on high school and undergraduate students, and does not address beliefs about information and truth, concepts that have been regarded as critical for learners in 21st-century educational contexts. In this study, the authors examined 87 elementary and middle school students’ beliefs about the definitions of and relations among knowledge, information, and truth through the use of a graphical and justification task, and addressed the consistency of beliefs across contexts and domains. Results indicated that students tended to regard knowledge, information, and truth as interrelated, and the majority of students described their beliefs as consistent across contexts and domains.     

A Framework for Analysis of Teachers’ Geometric Content Knowledge and Geometric Knowledge for Teaching

Current reform-driven mathematics documents stress the need for teachers to provide learning environments in which students will be challenged to engage with mathematics concepts and extend their understandings in meaningful ways (e.g., National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2000, Curriculum and evaluation standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: The Council). The type of rich learning contexts that are envisaged by such reforms are predicated on a number of factors, not the least of which is the quality of teachers’ experience and knowledge in the domain of mathematics. Although the study of teacher knowledge has received considerable attention, there is less information about the teachers’ content knowledge that impacts on classroom practice. Ball (2000, Journal of Teacher Education, 51(3), 241–247) suggested that teachers’ need to ‘deconstruct’ their content knowledge into more visible forms that would help children make connections with their previous understandings and experiences. The documenting of teachers’ content knowledge for teaching has received little attention in debates about teacher knowledge. In particular, there is limited information about how we might go about systematically characterising the key dimensions of quality of teachers’ mathematics knowledge for teaching and connections among these dimensions. In this paper we describe a framework for describing and analysing the quality of teachers’ content knowledge for teaching in one area within the domain of geometry. An example of use of this framework is then developed for the case of two teachers’ knowledge of the concept ‘square’.     

Investigating Overseas Students’ Use of Communication Strategy And the Value for English Acquisition

The use of communication strategies helps these students achieve successful communication.The present study is conducted to investigate Chinese overseas students’ use of communication strategy and the value for English acquisition.It found what strategies students usually use and find effective and how students use these strategies in order to overcome obstacles in communication.In addition,it investigated students’ consciousness of using strategies and to some extent the questionnaires helped some of the students start thinking about using strategies consciously.     

The Effects of Prior Knowledge and Audience on High School Students’ Writing

Abstract

To investigate the likelihood that explicit instruction in text summarization is being provided in classrooms, an "ideal lesson" method was used. Twelve experienced K-12 teachers were asked to devise summarization lessons appropriate to their learners and course content, to deliver the lessons, and to audiotape them. Lessons were transcribed, and instances of mentioning of summarization rules were coded. Only two teachers in the sample group discussed more than one of the five summarization rules assessed. The other teachers provided instruction that emphasized words and facts, despite their having been prompted to "assist students in improving text summaries." Staff development possibilities are discussed.     

Pupils’ Liking for Physical Education as a School Subject

Stensaasen, S. 1975. Pupils’ Liking for Physical Education as a School Subject. Scand. J. educ. Res. 19, 111‐129. The intention of the present study was to assess adolescent pupils’ liking for physical education as a school subject and what aspects of this subject they particularly liked and disliked. The empirical data stem from 1321 pupils at the 7th, 8th and 9th grades levels at youth schools situated in eight densely populated areas in south‐east Norway. Data on the pupils’ liking for physical education and other school subjects were gathered by means of a five‐graded Likert scale and on aspects which the pupils liked or disliked by means of open‐ended questions. Physical education was found to be one ‘of the best liked subjects in school. No sex or grade differences could be detected. The results showed a very high degree of consistency over time from fall to spring.     

Manipulative Use and Elementary School Students’ Mathematics Learning

Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) 1998/1999, we examine the relationship between elementary students’ (K–5) manipulative use and mathematics learning. Using a cross-sectional correlational analysis, we found no relationship between manipulative use and student mathematics achievement. However, using a longitudinal analysis, we documented a positive relationship between manipulative use and student mathematics learning during their elementary school years (K–5). From a teaching and learning perspective, these findings provide important evidence of the influence of long-term manipulative use on students’ overall learning. From policy and methodological perspectives, these findings provide evidence for the importance of modeling student learning (as opposed to achievement) when studying the effectiveness of instructional strategies.