<p> Computer algebra systems (CAS) have been available for over 20 years and yet minimal CAS-rich opportunities present themselves formally to high school students. CAS tools have become readily accessible through free or inexpensive versions. Educators are emboldened to integrate essential mathematical tools in the reasoning and sense making of mathematical knowledge for students. It is the teacher that is at the heart of technology instruction, creating authentic environments for all learners. </p><p> This study investigated two secondary teachers pedagogy in classes that exploited CAS in the development of mathematical knowledge. A qualitative within-site case study design was used to explore each teacher&rsquo;s instructional practices. Teachers that exemplified qualities of CAS-infused instruction were purposively selected. Rich descriptive lesson vignettes as captured from classroom observations, written reflections, and interviews revealed participants&rsquo; pedagogy. The pedagogical map framework guided the identification of participant pedagogical affordances of the utilization of CAS. Eight opportunities were observed as exploited by the participants that included subject level adjustments; classroom interpersonal dynamics with students; and mathematical tasks. Data revealed several emergent themes in operation as the teacher participants oriented their mathematics instruction: viewing CAS as a mathematical consultant, verifying answers, applying multiple representations, regulating access, providing guidance, and outsourcing procedures. The components interlock with one another to form a cohesive depiction of pedagogical decisions in the presence of CAS-rich classroom instruction. The schema of CAS-oriented instruction serves as a methodology for educators to create opportunities that enrich the development of mathematical content knowledge. </p><p>

<p>Abstract Power is an unavoidable issue when discussing relationships between teachers and their students because teachers have both the sanctioned authority over students in school, as well as having the natural authority conveyed by being an adult. How can writing with students improve teacher-student relationships and soften the power differential? This dissertation explored the language of real and perceived power by analyzing the written conversations between a teacher (myself) and five of my sixth-grade students in dialogue journals. Although previous research indicates that writing in dialogue journals increases student empowerment, no research has focused on how these opportunities to shift power differentials might impact student learning and the teacher-student relationships. Drawing on Vygotsky?s sociocultural theory of language and learning and Rosenblatt?s transactional theory of reading and writing, this study examined language within the journals that indicated student empowerment, student disempowerment, and teacher-student relationship-building. Using a directed qualitative critical content analysis, five dialogue journals were analyzed to identify text that showed reinforcement of conventional language, reversal of conventional language, or the language of role equality. Findings suggest that when authentic relationships are built, and traditional roles are suspended, students are empowered in various ways, and language of equality can be attained. This research is important to the field of literacy studies because writing with students in dialogue journals is a classroom practice that can empower students and improve relationships between teachers and students. There is a mutual advantage in students and teachers developing an authentic, positive, growth-oriented working relationship. Keywords: dialogue journals, student empowerment, teacher-student relationships, conventional language, equality, written conversation, communication partners

<p> Issues of instruction and assessment at community colleges are influenced by the high percentage of classes taught by adjunct faculty. In 2014 for the Virginia Community College System, part-time instructors comprised 70.3% of instructional faculty. This dissertation describes the instruction and assessment technique choices of adjunct instructors in humanities and social sciences at five Virginia community colleges, identified through survey, interview, and observation data, and what influences instructors in this study make choices about what techniques to use. Profiles of observed instructors provide examples of specific instructor experiences. Four themes are identified: 1) personal dedication of instructors; 2) instructors&rsquo; practice of teaching how they learned; 3) constant revision of courses taught; and, 4) limited availability of collegial interaction or professional development opportunities. With the increasing importance that adjuncts play in providing undergraduate education, understanding how these instructors teach and assess student learning informs college practices in decisions about using adjuncts, appropriate professional development, and processes for hiring and evaluation.</p><p>

<p> This quantitative research study investigates South Dakota middle school (grades 5-8) mathematics teachers&rsquo; perceptions of teaching competencies including general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) and mathematical pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK). The study also considered how teacher characteristics relate to teacher competencies. The study examined middle school teacher perceptions because of the importance of the mathematics concepts being taught. Teacher participants completed a voluntary 50 question electronic survey within a three-week time period. Data analysis findings include descriptive and inferential statistics on GPK, MPCK, professional development, and teacher characteristics. Respondents perceived maintaining a safe and respectful classroom to be the most important item for GPK. Respondents perceived having an adequate knowledge of mathematics to be the most important item for MPCK. Overall, GPK was perceived as more important than MPCK regardless of teacher characteristics studied. Respondents perceived professional development in the area of mathematics and mathematics education to be most important to middle school mathematics teachers. However, respondents reported that professional development was rarely provided to teachers with the exception of self-directed learning. The aim of this study was to provide current and future middle school mathematics teachers and their evaluators with a summary of how the importance of pedagogical knowledge can inform mathematics teacher practice, evaluation, and professional development.</p><p>

<p>The emergence of social media technologies (SMT) as important features of life in the twenty-first century has aroused the curiosity of teachers and scholars in higher education and given rise to numerous experiments using SMT as tools of instruction in college and university classrooms. A body of research has emerged from those experiments which suggests that SMT may be useful in promoting student learning and improving academic outcomes. However, as of yet the evidence from that research is scant and inconclusive. The study described here was designed to contribute to that body of research by investigating whether or not requiring students to use a microblog&mdash;Twitter in this case&mdash;in a community college history course would help students display higher levels of attainment of content-based course learning outcomes on traditional types of assessments. Student activity on Twitter and performance on traditional types of assessments were quantitatively tracked and evaluated according to a number of specialized rubrics, the results of which were integrated into a series of hierarchical regression analyses. Qualitative data was also collected in the form of open-ended questionnaires in order to provide insight into how students perceived of and used Twitter as an instructional tool. Data obtained through both methodologies were integrated into the final analysis. The results of this study suggest that microblogs can be an effective platform for teaching and learning when the instructor is experienced in the use of the medium, deliberate in how it is used, and highly engaged during use. </p>

<p> This mixed-methods study analyzed the effectiveness of the practices and attitudes of selected African American teachers who use culturally relevant and responsive Afrocentric pedagogies as the instructional foundation for improved academic outcomes with their African American students. The theory of Afrocentricity was used as the philosophical framework to study their pedagogy. Afrocentricity is a mode of thought and practice in which in African people are placed at the center of their own history and culture; engages them as subjects rather than objects; and approaches them with respect for their interests, values, and perspectives (Asante 1980, 2003). Concepts employed from this theoretical framework provided a lens for the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data collected and analyzed. The setting for this study was a private Afrocentric prekindergarten through 8th-grade school. The participants in this study were 3 African American teachers. Data collected and analyzed supported using culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy to produce improved academic outcomes for students of color (Boykin, 1984, 1994; Hale-Benson, 1986; King, 1991; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Shujaa, 1995; Villegas, 1991).</p><p> Findings suggested that in selected academic settings improved academic performance occurred for African American students when teachers used culture relevant and responsive pedagogy. The following themes were embedded in the pedagogy: self-determination, academic empowerment, cultural empowerment, and family/community empowerment. The findings implied a need for teachers and teacher-training institutions to re-examine, recommit, and re-institute culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy that respects and addresses the culture, education, and social improvement for positive academic outcomes for all children.</p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> Afrocentricity, Afrocentric Pedagogy, achievement gap, culturally responsive pedagogy.</p>

<p> This mixed methods, multisite case study examined the relational ecology of two urban middle schools that had adopted school-wide restorative practices (SWRPs) and the changes that occurred as a result of the reform initiative. The study was conducted in two Title I middle schools in the Oakland Unified School District in California. A positive relational ecology existed in these two urban middle schools which was built on the interacting and interrelated themes of relational trust, being heard, a relational-based, student-centered culture, and a commitment to the principles of social justice. The positive relational ecology created a strong foundation upon which change could occur at the organizational, individual, and pedagogical levels. Various structures within the schools, including circles, instructional leadership teams, student councils, and peer mediation, created space for teachers and students to be heard and empowered, which subsequently facilitated change and growth for many administrators, teachers, and students. High turnover, lack of initial and ongoing training, and the development of quasi- or non-restorative processes jeopardized program fidelity. Findings revealed that in these restorative schools, relational ecology and change were inseparable, and that they moved and influenced each other. A positive relational ecology created an environment that enabled leaders and staff to feel safe as they embarked on the journey of change. Changes in the ways that members of the school communities related to each other on a daily basis provided additional motivation to continue the change effort, and these changes then in turn strengthened the relational ecologies. Findings of this study are significant and have implications for schools and school districts, policy makers, and teacher and leader education. Future research should include longitudinal, mixed methods studies that assess the school culture before and after implementing SWRPs, as well as experimental or quasi-experimental designs that compare restorative and non-restorative schools. Such studies may provide more empirical evidence that links healthy relational ecologies to student achievement, less teacher turnover, decreased conflict, and healthier communities, thereby strengthening the case for rejecting punitive and discriminatory zero tolerance school discipline policies and adopting restorative justice in education instead.</p>

<p>My study suggests by adding cultural relevant material to a curriculum does not alter the way a teacher teaches, it changes the "why." By selecting material that connects students in regards to their social, cultural or historical experience a teacher adds to the creditability of the lesson. The selection of a culturally relevant subject changes the detached "Why I am drawing this" to a subject that has a deeper meaning. The study of culturally relevant material provides students with cultural "depth" that becomes a part of their visual experience. Cultural depth is a necessary component in developing critical thinking skills and becomes a foundation for a student's creative expression. </p><p> A necessary goal of art education is visual literacy. Visually literacy requires no tactile skill, it is the critical thinking component of art. The tactile skill component of art used to express ideas in a creative way varies from those with talent (the ability to draw well) to those with very little or none. Visually literacy transcends talent. Little talent is need to develop the ability to put in context and frame visual and written information allowing one to discern the fiction from the non-fiction. </p><p> African-American art and artist were selected for my case study but the subjects studied do not need to be limited to demographics or ethnicity. There are many social and political issues within and outside the students' community that would have relevance. The key to improving visual literacy is connecting subject relevance to the students, in order to develop critical thinking skills and to have students think about what they see. The goal is always is to improve students' learning and achievement. </p>

<p> Learning to provide emergency care alone and with others in the clinical environment imposes unexplored stresses on novice caregivers. It is unclear whether this stress inhibits or promotes performance and learning. Many academic health professions programs incorporate simulation as a method for teaching patient care emergencies. This study employed a modified switching replications design to explore the relationships and differences between psychological, physiological, and performance measures in health professions students who participated in acutely stressful health care simulation scenarios. Twenty-seven volunteer participants recruited from nursing, medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy were assigned to teams in either a simulation treatment or a control group. Teams participated in two simulations scenarios where a fallen patient required assistance. Subjects in the simulation treatment groups received a standardized training module called the First Five Minutes^&reg; between simulation experiences. Mean heart rate, maximal mean heart rate, salivary alpha amylase levels, and salivary cortisol levels were compared at intervals before, during, and after each simulation scenario. Psychological stress was evaluated using the Stressor Appraisal Scale (SAS). Team performance during scenarios was scored by independent evaluators using an skills checklist adapted from a standardized commercially available training module, The First Five Minutes&trade;. Performance scores improved in both groups during the second simulation. Mean performance scores of the simulation intervention teams (<i>M</i> = 14.1, <i> SD</i> = 1.43) were significantly higher (<i>t</i> = 4.54, <i> p</i> &lt; .01) than the performance scores of the control teams (<i> M</i> = 10.6, <i>SD</i> = .96). Psychological and physiological measures did not significantly predict performance. Psychological and physiological indicators were reactive to the simulations across time, but did not differ significantly between the control and simulation intervention groups. This investigation explored the multi-dimensional nature of stress (psychological and physiological) that health professions students experience while learning. Simulation intervention did significantly improve group performance, but did not mitigate individual participant stress. Future research should include study with teams of working professionals to determine whether performance and stress measures differ with experience and expertise.</p>

<p> Recent trends toward on-line learning and open education suggest that the role of technology will only become more prominent in higher education. As a result, faculty members will increasingly be expected to infuse more technology in face-to-face courses, while teaching in multiple course delivery modalities. Senior administrators and technology leaders are faced with the dilemma of advancing technology enhanced teaching and learning practices for a faculty that isn't necessarily convinced change is necessary. The resulting tension between the administration and faculty will either limit actual change or prevent it completely. The following research examines those factors influencing the growth in technology-based teaching and learning at three very different institutions that have a focus on research and teaching. The study also examines those strategies or actions shown to be helpful in advancing new and innovative teaching practices. The research sites include Duke University, the University of Central Florida and the University of California, Berkeley. The findings suggest that there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution to advancing technology enhanced teaching and learning, and an institution's ability to successfully lead change requires a shared understanding of why change is necessary. Change efforts require more than just a few faculty members that are willing to explore new teaching practices, as well as sufficient resources to advance experimental teaching initiatives. Incentives aimed at advancing the innovative use of technology to support teaching and learning goals also play an important role in leading change. The research suggests that the factors influencing technology enhanced teaching and learning differ among institutions and are unique to the institution's mission, history, culture, and student population. Senior leaders all too often come into an institution and attempt to lead change based on their experience at a former place of employment. The findings suggest that leaders need to become familiar with the unique characteristics of an institution before making decisions about how best to advance technology enhanced teaching and learning, while partnering with the faculty in leading change.</p>