elle E. Dani

Technology and Reform-Based Science Education

Current reforms in science education call for the integration of digital technologies into science teaching, advocating that students learn science content and processes through technology. In this article, we provide practical examples, situated within the literature, of how digital technologies can be used to support the development and implementation of high quality technology-enhanced science lessons. Classroom applications featuring, among others, probeware and electronic voting systems are discussed.

Learning to Teach Science: Elementary Teacher Candidates Facilitate Informal STEM Events

ABSTRACT Facilitating successful informal STEM learning experiences is essential for building knowledge and comfort with STEM content for children and teachers alike. Informal learning experiences are by nature hands-on and interdisciplinary and provide play-based, real-world, authentic learning experiences. This article describes what elementary teacher candidates learn about teaching science from facilitating a STEM event within school settings and outside regular school hours. The article also presents implications for elementary-teacher education.

Teachers’ perceptions of their most significant change: source, impact, and process

Abstract The purpose of the study was to examine the differences among significant changes in the practice of individual teachers. Seventeen US teachers were interviewed about the most successful change in their teaching career. The differences in teacher change were based primarily on the source and impact of the change. The sources of change were divided into two categories: other-initiated or self-initiated. The level of impact was determined in three ways: by whether teachers described a new practice, a new direction, or a change in their beliefs. By organizing according to both the source and impact of the change, four types of change were identified: Response to School Initiatives, Professional Development Initiatives, Student-Centered Changes, and Self-Designed Changes. Self-Designed changes were further distinguished based on the time required for the change process. Implications for developing new strategies to foster teacher development are discussed.

The Discourse and Reflections of Teacher Candidates During an Early Field Experience

The purpose of this study was to determine the capacity of teacher candidates to facilitate and reflect on classroom discourse in the context of an early field experience. The classroom discourse and reflections of 10 teacher candidates were examined through interviews, audio and video recordings, and written reflections. The findings indicated that teacher candidates employed the most complex discourse and the highest level of reflection when they worked with individual or small groups of students and understood the instructional goals for the lesson. The implications for supporting teacher-candidate learning during early field experiences are discussed.