Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards

2000-05-03
Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards

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  • Author: National Research Council
  • Publisher: National Academies Press
  • ISBN: 0309064767
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 223

Humans, especially children, are naturally curious. Yet, people often balk at the thought of learning scienceâ€"the "eyes glazed over" syndrome. Teachers may find teaching science a major challenge in an era when science ranges from the hardly imaginable quark to the distant, blazing quasar. Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards is the book that educators have been waiting forâ€"a practical guide to teaching inquiry and teaching through inquiry, as recommended by the National Science Education Standards. This will be an important resource for educators who must help school boards, parents, and teachers understand "why we can't teach the way we used to." "Inquiry" refers to the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and in which students grasp science knowledge and the methods by which that knowledge is produced. This book explains and illustrates how inquiry helps students learn science content, master how to do science, and understand the nature of science. This book explores the dimensions of teaching and learning science as inquiry for K-12 students across a range of science topics. Detailed examples help clarify when teachers should use the inquiry-based approach and how much structure, guidance, and coaching they should provide. The book dispels myths that may have discouraged educators from the inquiry-based approach and illuminates the subtle interplay between concepts, processes, and science as it is experienced in the classroom. Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards shows how to bring the standards to life, with features such as classroom vignettes exploring different kinds of inquiries for elementary, middle, and high school and Frequently Asked Questions for teachers, responding to common concerns such as obtaining teaching supplies. Turning to assessment, the committee discusses why assessment is important, looks at existing schemes and formats, and addresses how to involve students in assessing their own learning achievements. In addition, this book discusses administrative assistance, communication with parents, appropriate teacher evaluation, and other avenues to promoting and supporting this new teaching paradigm.

Learning Stories and Teacher Inquiry Groups: Re-Imagining Teaching and Assessment in Early Childhood Education

2021-07-13
Learning Stories and Teacher Inquiry Groups: Re-Imagining Teaching and Assessment in Early Childhood Education

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  • Author: Isauro Escamilla
  • Publisher:
  • ISBN: 9781938113918
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 152

Learning Stories and Teaching Inquiry Groups is a practical text focused on how ECE practitioners can establish teacher inquiry and reflection groups and integrate the use of learning stories to strengthen their assessment, teaching practices, and knowledge of child development. Drawing on relevant research and the authors' direct work with teachers, the book focuses on describing ways the authors have adapted the framework of the learning stories approach from New Zealand to specific US educational contexts via examples from several urban and rural ECE contexts. The book provides practical examples of novice through veteran early childhood teachers engaging and collaborating in onsite and cross-site inquiry and reflection with a focus on learning stories. This text will be useful for infant, toddler, and preschool teachers taking courses at the AA, BA, and MA levels, as well as teachers engaged in onsite professional development. This text will help early childhood educators learn to write learning stories as an observational and assessment approach to document young children's learning experiences and to deepen teachers' understanding of the role of narrative in linking child development knowledge with effective environmental design, high-quality curricular approaches, and socially and culturally inclusive relationship practices. The text will support early childhood educators' professional development through easily understood instructions and case study samples of inquiry work with learning stories through community of practice. Educators will learn how linking learning stories with regular, systematic forms of teacher inquiry, documentation, and reflection promotes a new image of children as holistic learners.

On Teacher Inquiry

2009
On Teacher Inquiry

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  • Author: Dixie Goswami
  • Publisher: Teachers College Press
  • ISBN: 0807777366
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 116

On Teacher Inquiry could be read as an answer to the question, “Teacher research: What’s in it for the students?” This book offers a framework, examples, and practical guidelines for teacher researchers on how to design and conduct individual and collaborative inquiries that build new knowledge and theories about teaching and learning. “What a jewel of a book!” —Ann Lieberman, Senior Scholar at Stanford University “On Teacher Inquiry is for those who cherish what the editors call ‘the habit of inquiry’ because they understand that teaching is always about learning, both theirs’ and their students’.” —Sonia Nieto, Professor Emerita, University of Massachusetts, Amherst “Bringing to life what it means to create a web of meaning for students and collaborative learning communities for teachers, the book portrays how teacher research fosters both reflective teaching and affirmative experiences for diverse students.” —Ann Lewin-Benham, author of Powerful Children “Teacher researchers have long endeavored to bring the heartbeats and breathing of living classrooms to the educational community. This volume continues in that great tradition.” —Bob Fecho, University of Georgia “Both as a resource for those new to teacher inquiry and for the more experienced, the book makes a very important contribution to this exceptional series.” —Susan L. Lytle, Founding Director, Philadelphia Writing Project, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania

Learning Stories

2012-03-19
Learning Stories

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  • Author: Margaret Carr
  • Publisher: SAGE
  • ISBN: 1446289176
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 170

Margaret Carr′s seminal work on Learning Stories was first published by SAGE in 2001, and this widely acclaimed approach to assessment has since gained a huge international following. In this new full-colour book, the authors outline the philosophy behind Learning Stories and refer to the latest findings from the research projects they have led with teachers on learning dispositions and learning power, to argue that Learning Stories can construct learner identities in early childhood settings and schools. By making the connection between sociocultural approaches to pedagogy and assessment, and narrative inquiry, this book contextualizes Learning Stories as a philosophical approach to education, learning and pedagogy. Chapters explore how Learning Stories: - help make connections with families - support the inclusion of children and family voices - tell us stories about babies - allow children to dictate their own stories - can be used to revisit children′s learning journeys - can contribute to teaching and learning wisdom This ground-breaking book expands on the concept of Learning Stories and includes examples from practice in both New Zealand and the UK. It outlines the philosophy behind this pedagogical tool for documenting how learning identities are constructed and shows, through research evidence, why the early years is such a critical time in the formation of learning dispositions. Margaret Carr is a Professor of Education at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Wendy Lee is Director of the Educational Leadership Project, New Zealand.

Teacher Inquiries in Literacy Teaching-Learning

2001
Teacher Inquiries in Literacy Teaching-Learning

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  • Author: Christine C. Pappas
  • Publisher: Routledge
  • ISBN: 1135688893
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 267

This book consists of the reports of 13 urban elementary teacher researchers' year-long inquiries around literacy topics--conducted as part of a collaborative school-university action research project. The focus is on how they attempted to transform their teaching practices to meet the needs of students from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, and how their inquiry efforts resulted in developing more collaborative styles of teaching. These teachers explore how collaborative classroom interactions occur when teachers move away from teaching-as-transmission approaches to ones in which they share power and authority with their students--viewing them not as 'at risk' but instead as 'at promise.' Because the everyday interactions between teachers and students are realized by social talk in the classroom, classroom discourse was analyzed to study and document the teacher researchers' efforts to make changes in the locus of power in literacy teaching and learning. Their chapters are filled with classroom discourse examples to illustrate their points. The volume includes teacher inquiries conducted in elementary classrooms from kindergarten through eighth grade. Three took place in bilingual classrooms, one in a special education class. These inquires cover a range of literacy topics, including reading-aloud, language richness, writing, literature discussion groups, drama, and 'pretend' reading. The background and theoretical underpinnings of the project are discussed in an introduction written by the editors; in the conclusion they pull together the major themes in the teacher researchers' chapters and discuss the political implications of their efforts to change literacy teaching and learning in their urban classrooms.

Becoming a Teacher Researcher in Literacy Teaching and Learning

2011-01-25
Becoming a Teacher Researcher in Literacy Teaching and Learning

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  • Author: Christine C. Pappas
  • Publisher: Routledge
  • ISBN: 1136861130
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 289

Designed to facilitate teachers’ efforts to meet the actual challenges and dilemmas they face in their classrooms, Becoming a Teacher Researcher in Literacy Teaching and Learning: provides background information and key concepts in teacher research covers the "how-to" strategies of the teacher research process from the initial proposal to writing up the report as publishable or presentable work illustrates a range of literacy topics and grade levels features twelve reports by teacher researchers who have gone through the process, and their candid remarks about how activities helped (or not) helps teachers understand how knowledge is constructed socially in their classrooms so that they can create instructional communities that promote all students’ learning. Addressing the importance of teacher research for better instruction, reform, and political action, this text emphasizes strategies teachers can use to support and strengthen their voices as they dialogue with others in the educational community, so that their ideas and perspectives may have an impact on educational practice both locally in their schools and districts and more broadly.

Inquiry Paths to Literacy Learning

2019-11-15
Inquiry Paths to Literacy Learning

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  • Author: Elizabeth A. Kahn
  • Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
  • ISBN: 1475850360
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 194

Inquiry Paths to Literacy Learning, a collection of chapters from secondary teachers and university researchers, offers English language arts teachers several models and considerations for how to design and implement inquiry-based teaching and learning. As the contributors demonstrate, an inquiry approach can significantly boost student achievement, understanding, and transfer of learning. The chapters in this collection present classroom-tested approaches, activities, and assignments that teachers can use right away, but that also serve as models for designing learning experiences that most engage and benefit learners. Focusing on issues that adolescents find consequential, the sample learning activities promote the development of complex literacy skills, engage students in evidence-based reasoning, and foster an environment of cooperation, collaboration, and respect for different points of view. Together, the contributions in this book envision the English language arts classroom as a supportive environment for authentic inquiry and for the genuine democratic processes involved in grappling together with tough perennial and contemporary issues.

Professional Learning in Action

2016-07-01
Professional Learning in Action

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  • Author: Victoria J. Risko
  • Publisher: Teachers College Press
  • ISBN: 0807775010
  • Category : Education
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 156

Risko and Vogt provide a unique and progressive approach for engaging the professional learning of teachers of literacy, reading specialists, literacy coaches and instructional leaders, content specialists, and administrators. Their deliberate use of Professional Learning signals the importance of educators engaging in authentic and inquiry-based decision-making. They describe and provide examples of needs assessments and progress monitoring activities that are embedded within differentiated professional learning activities, such as book clubs, lesson study, family literacy groups, and peer and literacy coaching. Actions and decisions are directed by questions generated by teachers, coaches, and administrators as they engage in collaborative and self-directed efforts to advance their knowledge and resolve dilemmas that impact instruction and students’ learning. Book Features: Provides authentic examples for implementing professional learning (PL) that addresses and resolves authentic dilemmas educators and students face.Synthesizes current research on effective professional learning with a literacy emphasis.Describes evidence-based and differentiated professional learning opportunities that engage instructional changes that are situated within meaningful and school-based applications.Advances knowledge about applications of professional learning that is collaborative, substantive, situated, dynamic, intense, and personal. Makes explicit connections to Common Core and similar State standards-based instruction.Includes reflection and self-study questions at the end of each chapter. “Professional Learning in Action will help close the ‘knowing/doing’ gap.... [The authors] have developed a systematic way to ensure that teachers are members of collaborating learning groups that harness the power of collective teacher efficacy.” —From the Foreword by Douglas Fisher, professor of educational leadership, San Diego State University “A must-read for educators involved in supporting high-quality literacy teaching. Current research about the importance of job-embedded, authentic professional learning serves as the foundation for the many practical ideas in this book.” —Rita M. Bean, professor emerita, University of Pittsburgh “This book will make a compelling contribution as a guiding resource for teachers and for those who support teachers' professional learning. It is focused on the needs of adult learners, respectful of teachers’ knowledge, and responsive to dynamic changes in educational standards.” —Maryann Mraz, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Inquiries in Literacy Learning and Instruction

1993
Inquiries in Literacy Learning and Instruction

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  • Author: College Reading Association
  • Publisher: College Reading Assn
  • ISBN: 9781883604004
  • Category : Adult learning
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 205

This 1993 yearbook presents 20 papers and summaries of the dissertation award winner "Content Literacy in High School Social Studies: A Focus on One Teacher's Beliefs and Decisions about Classroom Discussions" (E. G. Sturtevant) and the thesis award winner "Effects of Direct Instruction of Story Grammar on Story Writing and Reading Comprehension of Elementary School Learning Disabled Students" (R. E. Leaman). Papers in the Inquiries in College and Adult Literacy Instruction section are: "Fads or Substantive Changes in the Field of Adult Literacy" (J. S. Richardson); "School Experiences of Adults Participating in Volunteer Literacy Programs" (M. D. Siedow and B. J. Fox); "Effects of a Precollege Reading Course on the Academic Self-Esteem of Urban College Students" (J. Lewis);"Evaluating Reader-Response Journals: A Coding System" (C. Clery and A. Smith); and "Predicting Nelson-Denny Scores from the SAT" (C. Gillespie). Papers in the Inquiries in Literacy Instruction in Clinics and Classrooms section are: "University Reading Clinics: Changing Focus for Changing Needs" (D. D. Allen and others); "Expanding the Use of Picture Storybooks with Older Readers" (D. G. McAllister); "Impact of Purpose-Setting Questions on Children's Book Discussions" (M. W. Matthews and E. W. Paille); "'...So Write It Out': Seizing the Power of Personal Journal Writing in Affirming African-American Student Identities" (N. B. Cothern and B. G. Lyman); "Affective Concerns and Reading" (J. Shapiro); "Are Content Area Reading Practices Keeping Pace with Research?" (M. K. Gillis and others);"Relationships among Field Dependence-Independence, Reading Instruction, and Reading Achievement" (J. W. McCutcheon and W. E. Smith); and "Action Research: Classroom Teachers' Perceptions of Its Impact on the Teaching of Reading" (M. A. Gray-Schlegel and J. Brady Matanzo). Papers in the Inquiries in Teacher Education section are: "The Process and Promise of Portfolio Assessment in Teacher Education Programs: Impact on Students' Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices" (M. P. Ford); "Activities for Restructuring Reading Education Courses for Preservice Teachers" (D. Reinking and others); "Utilizing Literature as a Vehicle for Teaching about Multicultural Education in a Reading Methods Course" (L. C. Smith and others); "Reflective Practice Confronts the Complexities of Teaching Reading" (B. J. Walker and C. Ramseth); "Value-Added Benefits for Reforming a Remedial Reading Methodology Course with Videodisc and Hypercard Technology" (V. J. Risko and others); "First Steps in Teaching Reading: A Descriptive Study" (A. M. Frager); and "The Impact of Coursework in Tests and Measurements on Assessment Literacy" (J. L. Johns and P. VanLeirsburg). (RS)

Teaching Global Literature in Elementary Classrooms

2016-07-15
Teaching Global Literature in Elementary Classrooms

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  • Author: Kelly K. Wissman
  • Publisher: Routledge
  • ISBN: 1317279255
  • Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
  • Languages : en
  • Pages : 188

Demonstrating the power of teaching global literature from a critical literacy perspective, this book explores the ways that K-6 educators can infuse diverse texts into their classrooms and find support for their endeavours in teacher inquiry communities. Through carefully analyzed, ethnographically informed portraits of classroom life alternating with teachers’ own accounts of their teaching and learning experiences, it demonstrates how students are moved to question, debate, and take action in response to global texts. This multi-vocal work both emerges from and responds to tensions and debates related to the purpose and practice of literature education in a time of Common Core State Standards.