<p> This study was designed to involve a variety of research methods, resulting in a mixed methods, case study approach to investigate best teaching practices in an elementary blended learning environment. The research-based evaluation work of Charlotte Danielson was incorporated as the theoretical framework for this research. Differing methods of tablet use were observed in 10 classrooms while data was collected on student engagement. Blended learning is among best teaching practices, though surprisingly, educators in this study were not familiar with blended learning models and techniques. The term "blended learning" in the context of this K-5 study meant utilizing different technology devices as a means to enhance teaching. Many educators are utilizing tablets in their classrooms on a daily basis without adequate professional development. The influx of tablets in America's schools has not been well planned nor have professional development opportunities provided teachers with the necessary training to fully implement and integrate best practice in their classrooms. Findings from this study help fill the gap in elementary level and rural area schools. Results from this research indicate that blended learning tools enrich the elementary school classroom. Tablet usage in this study demonstrated seamless bridging for all levels of academic achievement. Students were observed utilizing metacognitive skills when collaborating with their peers and demonstrating their learning through projects on their tablets. Three themes emerged from the interview data. First, blended learning and the integration of technology as a best practice supports current literature. The second theme involved professional development, including teachers' desire for both building- and district-level support as well as the frequency of professional development, and teacher technology support. And third, the school is the vehicle for teacher collaboration, differentiation for students, and engagement of students.</p>

<p> The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Position Statement of Developmentally Appropriate Practices (2009) serves as a pedagogical framework for best practice among early childhood educators. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is guided by what is known about how children develop and learn. Teachers draw upon these principles to make decisions about planning experiences which promote learning and optimize children's growth. The DAP statement is accepted in the early childhood field as the standard by which quality early learning experiences are defined and is used as a guidepost for planning (Copple &amp; Bredekamp, 2009).</p><p> Copple and Bredekamp (2009) state that "intentional teachers are purposeful and thoughtful about the actions they take, and they direct their teaching towards the goals the program is trying to help children reach" (p. 10).</p><p> This qualitative descriptive study explored preschool teachers' perceptions of DAP and their use of DAP in planning learning experiences. Semi-structured interviews and document analyses were utilized to examine potential gaps between preschool teachers' perceptions and more fully understand daily planning decisions related to DAP. Utilizing Rubin and Rubin's responsive interviewing model (2012), (<i>N</i>=7) degreed preschool teachers employed at NAEYC accredited group care facilities were interviewed. Findings revealed inconsistencies among teachers' descriptions of key learning experiences for preschool children, implementation of learning experiences, and planning practices, thus, indicating a disconnect between theory and DAP.</p><p> The findings of this study may benefit pre-service and in-service teacher training programs as well as administrators of childcare centers. It is useful in identifying ways in which preschool teachers' understandings of developmentally appropriate practice can be further supported and developmentally inappropriate perceptions can be challenged.</p>

<p> The purpose of this project was to locate a potential funding source and write a grant to enable children with physical disabilities to become more included in their education and with their peers. An extensive literature review was performed to investigate the best way to meet these needs through the usage of assistive technology (AT) devices and how such technology can be implemented into an educational curriculum. </p><p> The Inclusion Through Assistive Technology (ITAT) program has the following goals: (1) train children and teachers on the usage of AT devises, (2) reduce children's emotional difficulties, and (3) increased the involvement of children and parents in the educational process. </p><p> The Children's Charity Fund was selected as the program's potential funder, due to its focus on the educational needs of the target population. The actual submission of the proposal was not a requirement of the thesis project. </p>

<p> Nationwide, teacher attrition is a steady and costly phenomenon. Teachers have left the field of education or have left urban schools for better teaching assignments. Although many studies delineated some factors for teacher attrition, namely urban teacher attrition, little has been done to reverse the cycle of teachers leaving prior to realizing their full potential as an educator. A gap in knowledge exists because researchers have not addressed if administrators of teacher preparation programs have included sufficient experiences and supports in the program to prepare teachers for the urban classroom. The implications for urban teacher attrition are far reaching. Urban attrition can force urban students to have an unsteady influx of beginning teachers with limited experience and skills who leave the schools after a few years. To assist with closing the achievement gap and making sure urban students are ready for the competitive job market, urban students need teachers with increased experience and skills. Teachers enter the teaching profession academically prepared but unprepared for the challenges and demands of the urban classroom. The findings from this phenomenological study produced five themes and one subtheme that teachers believe are important preparation experiences to for urban teacher preparation and reducing attrition. The themes were (a) comprehensive preparation, (b) subtheme support, (c) classroom management, (d) field experience, (e) necessary skills, and (f) multicultural preparation. The recommendations invite future studies that can include input from educational leaders, policy makers, and stakeholders to take a proactive role in reducing urban teacher attrition. </p>

<p> Little is known about how engaging in the learning-oriented leadership model (Drago-Severson, 2004b, 2009, 2012a) can support educators to address the adaptive challenges they encounter in their day-to-day work teaching English learners. My qualitative study examined how 11 educators whose school leaders implement the learning-oriented leadership model described and understood the adaptive challenges they encountered teaching English learners; how they described and understood their experiences engaging in the pillar practices (i.e., teaming, assuming leadership roles, collegial inquiry, mentoring) of the learning-oriented leadership model; and in what ways, if any, these educators described and understood those experiences within the pillar practices as supportive to their efforts to meet their adaptive challenges. </p><p> I conducted three one-hour interviews with each of 11 participants (teachers and specialists) from a public elementary school (n=7) and a public charter elementary school (n=4). I selected sites based on the school leader's experience with and implementation of Drago-Severson's learning-oriented leadership model and the number of educators who taught English learners. Data analysis included: 1) writing analytic memos, 2) transcribing interviews verbatim, 3) coding, 4) crafting profiles, 5) categorization, 6) within-case and cross-case analysis, and 7) creating matrices. </p><p> I found that participants understood cultural proficiency, partnering with families, and English learner programming as adaptive challenges they encountered teaching English learners. Furthermore, all participants understood adaptive challenges involving English learners as opportunities for growth and development. The overwhelming majority of participants experienced the pillar practices as a holding environment for their growth and understood that building-level and district-level leaders played a pivotal role in creating an infrastructure for the pillar practices to support their growth. Key features of the holding environment participants described included: provision of information and access to expertise; time and space for reflective discussion and/or collaborative problem solving; and opportunities to pose questions, consider others' perspectives, and offer alternative perspectives. </p><p> Recommendations for principals, superintendents, and policymakers include: employing the pillar practices of the learning-oriented leadership model to support educators in their work with diverse learners, specifically English learners and providing financial and human resources to support educators and principals to gain expertise relating to English learners.</p>

<p> This study explored undergraduate teacher candidates' multicultural identity development. Forty-three participants were in two sections of the course Introduction to Education. The research questions investigated the ways in which candidates examine their cultural awareness, knowledge of diverse learners, and effective practices for 21st century classrooms. Participants in Group 1 experienced face-to-face instruction on issues of diversity. Group 2 engaged in a blended format with an educational online social networking site that extended class discussions on issues of diversity. </p><p> Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to collect and analyze data. The findings revealed that instruction on multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills in a one semester course had an effect on participants. Both groups demonstrated increased cultural self-awareness, appreciation of cultural differences, and knowledge of diverse cultures. There is evidence to suggest that the use of an online social network made a significant difference in the changes in Group 2 participants who evidenced greater changes in attitudes and beliefs in both the quantitative and qualitative data and analyses. </p><p> Understanding how candidates learn about and develop cultural competence extends research literature on educator preparation for diverse classrooms. The implications for teacher educators suggest a focus on the identity transformation process of teacher candidates and reexamination of the ways candidates are prepared for the multicultural realities of schools and society.</p>

The purpose of the study was to construct a test, referred to as the Teacher Perception Test, for determining the ability of students to observe with understanding in a classroom situation prior to student teaching. In developing the measurement device, three steps were included: (1) filming the scenes in the test and the design of the accompanying directions; (2) comparing the student teacher responses to the Teacher Perception Test with (a) overall grade point average, (b) previous experiences in teacher-learner activities, (c) a self-concept scale, (d) a classroom teacher's observation rating, and (e) final grades received at the completion of the teaching semester; and (3) comparing two different methods of scoring the students' responses to the Teacher Perception Test--the score of total number of items listed by students as perceived in the filmed scenes and a score derived from the' students' assignment of instructional purpose to each item listed.

<p> The purpose of this mixed-methods action research study was to examine the use of collaborative common academic team time at ABC Middle School. A review of the literature indicated that effective middle school academic team meetings allow for interdisciplinary team teachers to collaborate on curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Additionally the literature indicated that the frequency and productivity of these meetings have a correlation to student achievement. In seeking to understand how academic team time is spent, the following three research questions were analyzed: (1) To what extent do middle school academic teams focus team meetings on curriculum development and integration across content areas? (2) To what extent do middle school academic teams focus team meetings on the sharing of instructional ideas and strategies that will improve student learning? (3) To what extent do middle school academic teams focus team meetings on assessments that will enable students to show that they have learned? The findings and recommendations from this study will assist district administration, building administration, faculty, parents, and students in the planning process for school activities, curriculum, instruction, assessment, programs, scheduling, and professional development.</p>

<p> The prevalence of mobile technology, particularly the mobile phone, is changing the manner in which individuals communicate, access information, conduct business, teach, learn, and cultivate relationships. These technologies have charged stakeholders in both the business and the educational arena with the challenge of embracing mobile phone use and leveraging it as a learning tool. Researchers and educators are exploring the concept of integrating mobile phones into classroom instruction to enhance academic experiences for students, engage them in the learning process, and find new ways of extending learning beyond the school walls. Although this topic of research is in the infancy stage, emerging evidence supports the utilization of mobile phone technology, indicates it can successfully be leveraged in the academic setting and is rapidly becoming the technology of choice. This study contributes to the developing research in the field of integrating mobile phones into the classroom setting as high school teachers and students express their perceptions regarding how mobile phones are currently being utilized in the classroom to support instruction and whether future practices should support integration. </p><p> Data gathered from this study indicate the teacher and student participants support mobile phone access and utilization both in and out of the classroom and value the devices as an instructional resource. Further, in this study participants offer solutions to the perceived challenges that may occur as mobile devices are implemented in the school setting in order to ensure meaningful and successful mobile phone usage. Collectively, teacher and student participants encourage a shift in current educational pedagogy which will support 21st century learning through the use of mobile phones in the educational arena.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study is to determine the perceived technology capabilities of different levels of undergraduate students of Kent State University in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services teacher education programs; to determine if the perceived technology capabilities of students beginning the teacher education program differ from those nearing completion of the program; and, if the perceived technology capabilities of students change from the start to the end of the Educational Technology course. Examining student perceptions may provide insight on whether preservice teachers think they can prepare students for the 21^st century once they become inservice teachers. To determine whether preservice teachers perceive that they are being prepared to teach 21^st century skills by integrating technology into teaching and learning, three groups of students were surveyed: incoming students, junior-level students at the beginning and end of the Educational Technology course, and students nearing graduation. The TPACK survey for preservice teachers (Schmidt, Baran, Thompson, Mishra, Koehler &amp; Shin, 2009) was used to examine preservice teachers' perceptions of their technology capabilities as related to teaching.</p><p> Teachers comprise an integral factor in the effective incorporation of technology into classroom activities, yet many current teachers remain unable or unwilling to employ technology fully or effectively. The findings from this study led to several conclusions, including that the students perceived themselves to have better technological abilities after completing the Educational Technology course and as seniors near the end of the teacher education program, and the results of this study should challenge teacher education faculty to consider how their beliefs, attitudes, and use of technology in teaching and learning are transmitted to their students.</p>