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Eric.ed.gov – Attitudes of Students and Teachers towards the Use of Interactive Whiteboards in Elementary and Secondary School Classrooms

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Recently much have been invested in the interactive whiteboard educational technology in Turkey. The government is still wishful to spread it to schools of all levels. This study tries to understand teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward interactive whiteboard technology along with differences in attitudes resulting from some demographic factors. Two parallel surveys consisting of 25 items were applied to 255 students and 23 teachers from three private schools. Students from sixth to twelfth grades and teachers from 15 different branches participated in this research study. The results indicate that interactive whiteboards are highly rated by both teachers and students. Students mostly prefer the usage of interactive whiteboards in math courses, and their attitudes differ across their genders and school levels. As students get elder, their positive attitudes… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Performance and Preparation: Alignment between Student Achievement, Teacher Ratings, and Parent Perceptions in Urban Middle-Grades Mathematics Classrooms

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The middle grades are a critical transition period in students’ mathematics trajectories, as students move from arithmetic to the more complex and abstract concepts of algebra. Teachers’ and parents’ judgments of students’ math abilities in these years are important to instructional planning and decision making for teachers, and can advise parents and students on future course placement. This study specifically examined teacher and parent judgments of students’ performance and preparedness for the next grade level in 5th and 6th grades mathematics. Results demonstrate that teacher and parent perceptions of students’ abilities are not calibrated to national norms, but to local contexts. Our findings are similar to other work suggesting that high poverty school contexts may provide teachers and parents a false comparative context for judging how well… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Relationship between Growth Scores and the Overall Observation Ratings for Teachers in a Public School System in Tennessee

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the TVAAS growth score given by the Tennessee Department of Education and the overall Tennessee Educator Assessment Model (TEAM) observation rating for teachers in grades 3 through 8. The participating county public school system for this study is located in Northeast Tennessee. Participants were teachers in the school system teaching Math, English/Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies in grades 3 through 8 in 10 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, and 2 K-8 schools. Specifically, this research examined the relationship between the TEAM observation scores and overall TVAAS growth score given to the teacher from the Tennessee Department of Education based upon yearly-standardized test scores. Research reinforced mixed views about the validity and purpose of teacher evaluation… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Using Technology and Mentorship to Improve Teacher Pedagogy and Educational Opportunities in Rural Nicaragua

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This study used ethnographic methods to understand factors influencing the implementation of an educational intervention combining short math content videos with teacher trainings and mentorship in high-poverty primary schools in Nicaragua with implications for rural school reform. Educators in rural schools in Latin American face serious obstacles to improve classroom instruction and pedagogy, including lack of resources and overcrowding. Research suggests an over-reliance on input-output models in which inputs (e.g. teacher salaries, textbooks, technology, computer labs, numbers of classrooms, etc.) are expected to produce particular outputs (student retention, lowering drop-out rates, increasing graduation rates, etc.); however, studies show that regardless of the resources, much depends on effective use of resources for successful teaching and learning (O’Sullivan, 2006; L. S. Shulman, 1987). While input/output models provide insights into… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Enriching K-12 Science and Mathematics Education Using LEGOs

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This paper presents a series of illustrative LEGO Mindstorms-based science and math activities, developed under an NSF GK-12 Fellows project, for elementary, middle, and high school grades. The activities, developed by engineering and science graduate Fellows in partnership with K-12 teachers, are grade appropriate, address pertinent learning objectives, and adhere to the science and math learning standards of New York City and State. To measure the effectiveness of the use of LEGO Mindstorms-based lab activities in science and math lessons, pre- and post-lesson assessment surveys, consisting of content and evaluation questions, were administered to all participating students. In this paper, we provide: our motivation to investigate the effectiveness of LEGO Mindstorms-based lessons; descriptions of six LEGO Mindstorms-based science and math activities and their associated assessment; statistical analysis;… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – The Alignment of the easyCBM Grades 6-8 Math Measures to the Common Core Standards. Technical Report #1230

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Within a response to intervention system of teaching and learning, important instructional decision-making (e.g., implementation of targeted intervention) is regularly tied to the results of formative assessments administered to students throughout the academic year. The validity of these instructional decisions depends to an extent on the alignment between formative measures and the content standards on which classroom instruction is based. Specifically, formative assessments must be aligned to adopted content standards in order for teachers to make valid instructional decisions around individual student learning needs. In this technical report, we report on the alignment between easyCBM® grades 6-8 seasonal mathematics benchmark items and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Results suggest reasonable alignment to the standards overall, with areas of relatively stronger and weaker alignment across grade level… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Setting the Stage with Geometry: Lessons & Worksheets to Build Skills in Measuring Perimeter, Area, Surface Area, and Volume. Poster/Teaching Guide. Expect the Unexpected with Math[R]

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: “Setting the Stage with Geometry” is a new math program aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards that is designed to help students in grades 6-8 build and reinforce basic geometry skills for measuring 2D and 3D shapes. Developed by The Actuarial Foundation, this program seeks to provide skill-building math activities to help students become successful in the classroom and in real-world situations outside of school. Link til kilde

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Eric.ed.gov – easyCBM CCSS Math Item Scaling and Test Form Revision (2012-2013): Grades 6-8. Technical Report #1313

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: The purpose of this technical report is to document the piloting and scaling of new easyCBM mathematics test items aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and to describe the process used to revise and supplement the 2012 research version easyCBM CCSS math tests in Grades 6-8. For all operational 2012 research version test forms (10 progress monitoring and 3 benchmark) five items were selected for removal based on statistics indicating less than optimal functioning. Items from the current pilot were used to replace the five selected items. Additionally, five items previously written to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Focal Point Standards, but rated as aligned with the CCSS, were added to each form. Finally, an additional fifteen items were included in benchmark tests… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Financial Incentives to Promote Teacher Recruitment and Retention: An Analysis of the Florida Critical Teacher Shortage Program

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: Staffing problems are pervasive in certain subject areas, such as secondary math and science and special education, where the combination of training requirements and relatively high alternative wages makes it difficult to attract and retain high-quality teachers. This project evaluated the impacts of the Florida Critical Teacher Shortage Program (FCTSP) and Teacher Recruitment and Retention Fund (TRRF) on the supply of new teachers and the retention of teachers in high-need areas such as special education, math, and science. The research: (1) addressed specific research questions pertaining to three programs (loan forgiveness, tuition reimbursement, and recruitment/retention bonuses); (2) investigated the causal effects of the programs; and (3) addressed questions related to the general characteristics of the program and participating teachers. The authors’ initial descriptive analysis indicated that FCTSP… Continue Reading

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Eric.ed.gov – Repetita Iuvant? Lessons from Repeated RCTs on the Effectiveness of a Teacher Professional Development Program

eric.ed.gov har udgivet: This work summarizes the results of two randomized control trails (RCTs) aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a professional development program for lower secondary school math teachers. The program, called M@t.abel, was financed by the Ministry of Education in Southern Italy with EU funds. It lasts a full school year and it is based on formal and on-line tutoring, providing alternative methods for teaching traditional math contents. The program and its evaluation were both held at scale, a situation far from artificial settings and allowing for the observation of real constraints faced in delivering such a service. This situation, along with the replication of the RCT on two consecutive cohorts of teachers, provides several opportunities and challenges both from the policy and research practice points of view.… Continue Reading