John E. Henning

The Teacher Work Sample: A Tool for Scaffolding and Assessing Preservice Teachers’ Early Field Experiences

Abstract This article describes adapting teacher work sample methodology from the student teaching level to a 4‐week, 25‐hour field experience occurring relatively early in a teacher education program. The goals of the project were twofold: (a) to examine whether an adapted version of the teacher work sample would promote planning and reflection in preservice teachers, and (b) to explore the potential of an adapted teacher work sample as an assessment tool. Adaptations to the original, such as emphasizing formative over summative assessment, are briefly described. Survey and focus group data from a pilot combined with survey data from a semester of full implementation with 270 teacher candidates indicate the teacher work sample is useful for promoting reflection and an understanding of student assessment. The advantages of the teacher work sample are maximized when teacher candidates are engaged in whole class instruction.

Leading Discussions: Opening Up The Conversation

Leading a productive discussion, one that both engages students and enhances their understanding, may be the most complex and challenging task in teaching. This article explores three approaches to increasing the productivity of discussions. They include framing discussions in a way that allows students easier access to the topic, making the kind of discourse moves that propel discussions forward, and creating an atmosphere that is conducive to discussion. Examples are provided and discussed.

The teacher work sample: Implementing standards‐based performance assessment

Abstract Over the past four years, the University of Northern Iowa has gradually adopted teacher work sample methodology as a way of evaluating student teachers. In this article, the authors will draw on their experience with this implementation process to define and describe the teacher work sample as a standards‐based performance assessment tool that links student teaching performance to P‐12 student achievement; discuss strategies and procedures associated with implementing the teacher work sample; explore the ways teacher education faculty can utilize teacher work sample data to improve both program direction and classroom instruction; and suggest ways the teacher work sample could be used for facilitating and assessing the professional development of practicing teachers.

Integrating Technology during Student Teaching: An Examination of Teacher Work Samples.

Abstract This study examined the teacher work samples of 197 student teachers to determine their level of technology integration during student teaching. Findings indicated that most student teachers planned to use some kind of technology, although only 40% planned to include computers and less than 20% planned for the use of computers by students. The barriers to technology integration were most of en related to instruction (e.g., the technology did not serve the learning goals and the technology was not developmentally appropriate) rather than a lack of available resources and time. These findings may be explained in part by the unique character of the teacher work sample (TWS) data, which prompts student teachers to report on their technology use during a single unit of instruction.

Implementing case study methodology in critical care nursing: a discourse analysis.

The authors provide a description of the classroom interactions as one nursing education professor transformed his teaching from a lecture format to a case study approach. This description serves as a road map for nursing educators who are interested in making the transition to a case study approach by showing how, when, and to what degree they can maximize both student participation and content acquisition.

Teachers’ Perceptions of their Mentoring Role in Three Different Clinical Settings: Student Teaching, Early Field Experiences, and Entry Year Teaching

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in mentoring across three different clinical settings: student teaching, early field experiences, and entry year teachers. Eighteen teachers with mentoring experience in all three clinical settings were selected and interviewed. The teachers’ expectations for teacher development, mentoring relationships, and mentoring strategies differed across all three clinical settings. In addition, their confidence, their relationship with mentees, and their mentoring strategies were influenced by two features of the clinical setting: (a) the amount of time for mentoring interactions, and (b) the expectations for the mentee. To improve mentoring, the authors recommend (a) lengthening clinical experiences, (b) providing support for creating positive relationships, and (c) providing professional development specific to each of the three clinical settings.

Designing and Implementing a Mentoring Program to Support Clinically-Based Teacher Education

This article describes one teacher preparation programs approach to designing and implementing a mentoring program to support clinically-based teacher education. The design for the program is based on an interview study that compared the mentoring experiences of 18 teachers across three different contexts: student teaching, early field experiences, and entry year teaching. The findings were used to extend field experiences, to develop a clinical curriculum that clearly articulated university expectations, and to create a series of three mentoring workshops. In the description of the mentoring workshops, we show how we developed a curriculum for professional development of mentor teachers that includes a clear articulation of teacher candidate activities, co-teaching approaches, and mentoring strategies needed at different levels of teacher candidate development.

Making the Transition to Collegiate Dance Study

Moving from precollege dance training to a college or university dance major can be a confusing time of transition. Young dancers might possess highly disparate dance values and experiences acquired through participation in competitions, recitals, various dance forms, or standards that might seem to suggest discordant purposes for the study of dance. In addition, if the importance of student experiences and values appear minimized or unacknowledged by dance faculty, the transition could be particularly challenging. Therefore, the purpose of this article is threefold: (a) to reexamine current practices that might appear to devalue previous student experience, (b) to show how students’ previous experiences could be used to foster a new dance identity, and (c) to offer three recommendations to facilitate a smoother transition to the collegiate study of dance.

The Framing Discussion: Connecting Student Experience with Mathematical Knowledge

Abstract This article introduces the framing discussion, an informal discussion of a mathematical problem that takes place at the beginning of a lesson or unit. The purpose of the framing discussion is to assess student knowledge, motivate student interest, and to serve as a basis for guiding students to more formal mathematical knowledge. The article discusses the design criteria and the discourse moves necessary to execute an effective framing discussion.

Environmental education in southern Africa: a case study of a secondary school in the Okavango Delta of Botswana

Abstract This study explored the extent to which teachers integrate environmental education and local environmental knowledge into the curriculum of a secondary school in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. In doing so, the study explored the potential value of place-based education in redressing concerns brought to light in postcolonial critiques of education in southern Africa. The study found that teachers sought to integrate environmental education into the curriculum through lessons that included references to local place names and local flora and fauna, lessons addressing issues related to environmental resource management in the region, and the acknowledgment and celebration of traditional lifestyle activities in the schools. The study also found that efforts to integrate environmental education into the curriculum were limited by a lack of educational resources needed to support these endeavors as well as a lack of adequate teacher training promoting this educational goal. The results also illustrate the potential value of place-based education in redressing the legacy of southern Africa’s colonial past in schools in Botswana and southern Africa.