Elizabeth K. Wilson

From Preservice to Inservice Teaching: A Study of Technology Integration.

Abstract This study examines how social studies preservice teachers use pedagogical and technological applications and skills employed during their teacher education program, specifically the methods block. Data were collected from the methods course experience through student teaching and then through case study research with first-year teachers. Results indicate that technology skills and processes learned were transferred through time; however, expectations for teaching with technology and perceived challenges of doing so were complex. Participants in the study were more likely to emulate what “they were taught” than to apply individual creative technology integration plans. Common barriers to using technology in the classroom identified in the literature (Berson, 1996; Whitworth & Berson, 2003; Butler & Sellborn, 2002) were present; however, the researchers believe there is a need to enhance teacher education programs and teacher induction programs to include diverse technology integration experiences, and specifically, creative ideas to address barriers of using technology in the classroom and increasing the ability to think outside the box.

The Effects of an Alternative Model of Student Teaching Supervision on Clinical Master Teachers

Abstract Traditionally, student teaching programs have used a triad supervision model that involves the student teacher, the school-based cooperating teacher, and the university-based supervisor. However, the professional literature recognizes deficiencies in this model. This article describes an alternative model to supervision that teams Clinical Master Teachers who combine the traditional roles of the cooperating teacher and the college supervisor. Specifically, this article will examine four secondary teachers as they participated in their first year of the program and the changes these teachers made in their supervision.

Retooling the Social Studies Classroom for the Current Generation

Digital technologies have changed the way students read and communicate. Subsequently, teachers must use technology to engage their students in learning. This article illustrates the value of using Web 2.0 tools (blogs, wikis, and digital media–sharing) in the social studies classroom. Additionally, a social studies teacher shares insights into how to incorporate types of Web 2.0 tools into the curriculum.

A title I teacher's beliefs, decision‐making, and instruction at the third and seventh grade levels

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare previous research findings (Mitchell, Konopak, & Readence, 1991) that examined the consistency between a Title I teachers beliefs about reading and her instructional practices at the third and seventh grade levels. The researchers selected a pull‐out class to observe during five separate instructional sessions. All data were qualitatively analyzed by a research team that searched for meaningful patterns and trends. There was some variation between the Title I teachers belief about reading and her instructional practices at the third and seventh grade levels, a result of the complex nature of the two schools. Results support (a) the need for teacher improvement programs to focus on the identification of constraints/opportunities that influence instructional decision‐making, ways to sort through dilemmas, and weigh alternatives, (b) the need to coordinate Title I instruction with regular classroom instruction, and (c) the importance of the study of teacher...

Teachers' Reflections on Their Practice of Social Studies

n the early twentieth century, John I Dewey (1909/1993) nurtured the seedling notion of the reflective practitioner. In recent years, researchers (Adler 1994; Schon 1987; Zeichner and Liston 1987) have had a renewed interest in reflectivity prototypes and have promoted reflective practice as a means of nurturing teacher development. Reflective practice is a conceptual orientation. It is a way to think about dissonance and to examine observations, problems, conflicting philosophies, belief systems, and ideologies. As an active means of thoughtful consideration, reflection is a persistent search for explanations and alternatives in an attempt to resolve perplexity within an experience (Dewey 1933; Elby 1993).