Dennie L. Smith

Why Elementary Teachers Might Be Inadequately Prepared to Teach Reading

Several national reports have suggested the usefulness of systematic, explicit, synthetic phonics instruction based on English word structure along with wide reading of quality literature for supporting development in early reading instruction. Other studies have indicated, however, that many in-service teachers are not knowledgeable in the basic concepts of the English language. They may be well versed in children’s literature but not know how to address the basic building blocks of language and reading. The authors hypothesized that one of the reasons for this situation is that many instructors responsible for training future elementary teachers are not familiar with the concepts of the linguistic features of English language. This hypothesis was tested by administering a survey of language concepts to 78 instructors. The results showed that even though teacher educators were familiar with syllabic knowledge, they performed poorly on concepts relating to morphemes and phonemes. In a second study, 40 instructors were interviewed about best practices in teaching components and subskills of reading. Eighty percent of instructors defined phonological awareness as letter-sound correspondence. They also did not mention synthetic phonics as a desirable method to use for beginning reading instruction, particularly for students at risk for reading difficulties. In conclusion, providing professional development experiences related to language concepts to instructors could provide them the necessary knowledge of language concepts related to early literacy instruction, which they could then integrate into their preservice reading courses.

Perceptions of business ethics: Students vs. business people

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of business students and of business practitioners regarding ethics in business. A survey consisting of a series of brief ethical situations was completed by 537 senior business majors and 158 experienced business people. They responded to the situations, first, as they believed the typical business person would respond and, second, as they believed the ethical response would be.The results indicate that both students and business people perceived a significant gap between the ethical response to the given situations and the typical business persons response. Students were significantly more accepting than business people of questionable ethical responses, and they also had a more negative view of the ethics of business people than did the experienced business people.The male students were more accepting of questionable ethical responses and saw less difference between typical and ethical responses than did the female students. However, male and female business people appeared to think alike with regard to both typical and ethical responses.Some suggested implications included the idea that businesses need to increase their efforts to promote ethical conduct and to make ethics a well-known priority in all actions and policies.

Do Textbooks Used in University Reading Education Courses Conform to the Instructional Recommendations of the National Reading Panel

Two reasons may be responsible for the poor grasp of the linguistic concepts related to literacy acquisition by preservice and in-service teachers: a lack of attention given to such concepts by teacher educators (college faculty members) and a lack of relevant information provided in the textbooks used in college courses. In an earlier study, the authors found that many teacher educators involved in the training of preservice and in-service teachers were not well acquainted with these concepts. In this study, the authors examined the extent to which textbooks used in reading education courses contain the information about the five components of literacy instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension) recommended by the National Reading Panel. Such scrutiny shows that many textbooks do not adequately cover these five components and the related instructional procedures for teaching them. In addition to the paucity of information about teaching the five components, some textbooks present inaccurate information.

Selecting Successful Teachers: The Predictive Validity of the Urban Teacher Selection Interview.

Abstract The Urban Teacher Selection Interview (UTSI) was designed by Martin Haberman to differentiate between students who will become successful teachers and those who will not be successful. The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive validity of the UTSI for three different groups of teacher candidates (traditional, alternative licensure, and PDS placement). Results of multiple regression analyses, in which the rated performances of 68 teacher candidates in six teaching domains were regressed on UTSI items and demographic variables, identified only a limited number of significant predictors (e.g., total UTSI score and the communication domain) while showing generally weak correlations. Recognizing that higher predictability outcomes might emerge in different contexts, the results nevertheless suggest possible limitations in using the UTSI as a sole basis for prediction and therefore caution in over‐emphasizing interview results in teacher selection.

Exploring the development of leadership giftedness

This study investigated the impact of a program model for developing talents of leadership gifted adolescents. Results indicated students demonstrated changes in openness (willingness to respond to others), persuasiveness (ability to influence others), and ascendancy (activity level in a group, making individual decisions, and self assurance in relationships with others). A follow‐up of participants three months later indicated that students applied program knowledge and skills in a variety of areas but primarily in academic and extracurricular settings. An important accomplishment was the demonstration of continuing effects of a program designed to enhance talents of students who were judged to be leadership gifted and not just academically‐talented.

A framework for evidence based visual style development for serious games

In this paper, we describe a framework for connecting computer graphics techniques and visual style in video game design with targeted learning outcomes for students. The relationship is organized on a table depicting Blooms taxonomy of the cognitive domain and categories of computer graphics imagery from simplified to realistic. This framework is presented as a useful way to economize design development efforts and incorporate visual development in addition to player immersion as an indicator of expected effectiveness for serious games.

Cooperative Learning Strategies for Teaching Adult Business English.

Abstract This study tested the hypothesis that the achievement of adult students who participate in cooperative learning groups in business English will be superior to the achievement of students who learn solely through teacher-directed methods. The study was conducted with 58 students enrolled in a 1-year business education training program at a technical institute. Two experimental classes worked on the exercises in four- or five-member groups, and the control group worked as a whole class with the instructor calling on students at random. Analysis of pretest and posttest scores showed no significant differences. However, a stronger spirit of participation, cooperation, and helpfulness was observed among group members in the experimental classes.

An Exploration of the Characteristics of Effective Undergraduate Peer-Mentoring Relationships

In this article, we explored the effectiveness of peer mentoring of undergraduate education students enrolled in core curriculum, writing-intensive courses. The context for our study was the use of peer mentors in undergraduate education writing-intensive courses. Peer mentors who had previously taken the courses were selected and trained as undergraduate peer mentors to work to facilitate students’ learning and achievement with required writing assignments. Survey rankings of important characteristics of mentors identified in previous research were examined to determine the commonality of perceptions of mentors and students of the importance of these characteristics in the mentoring relationship. The findings should be useful in the selection of mentors and implementation of other peer mentoring programs.

Enhancing comprehension through the use of visual elaboration strategies

Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to further define the effects of visual elaborations on the cognitive processes of adult learners. Emphasis was placed on the differences in the ways that two types of verbal elaboration strategies affect readers who were categorized as high in reading comprehension as compared with those categorized as low in reading comprehension. Subjects were 73 undergraduate students enrolled in an upper‐level professional education course.The study was designed to compare the effects of two types of visual elaboration strategies on immediate and delayed recall. One visual elaboration strategy used internally generated imagery; the other strategy used externally generated visual imagery. Findings suggest that the incorporation of visual elaboration strategies can produce a greater depth of processing and lead to better recall of information presented in expository text for adult learners.