English grammar games in primary education

The purpose of this study was to analyse pupils��� English grammar acquisition from competitive and cooperative approaches. After searching a wide range of authors��� contribution to English language learning, grammar acquisition, classroom environment and language games. A hundred and twenty pupils from three schools; two from Ripoll and one from Campdev��nol were enrolled in a specific grammar games intervention. This was imparted in three different phases: first of all, I interviewed the three teachers from the three schools, then I put into practice my competitive and cooperative games which I designed especially for this study (all the sessions were carried, assessed and registered by myself); finally, all pupils answered a questionnaire related to their experiences in my grammar games intervention. Analysis of teaching interventions showed that, in terms of English language acquisition, pupils used different strategies to show up understanding and achieve the objective of the game such as: recalling their background knowledge, expressing sentences influenced by their internal language and their mother tongue. Data collected revealed that most difficulties were founded in team work, even more in competitive games. The results also showed that team work is something which has to be developed step by step in order to achieve language learning and all pupils��� active participation successfully.

Issue review : salary growth of Iowa teachers and school administrators.

In recent years in both Iowa and nationally, there has been a strong focus on increasing salary levels for teachers. Iowa initiated the Student Achievement and Teacher Quality Program in fiscal year 2002 to improve the quality of K-12 teachers in Iowa schools. The program's funding to improve teacher salaries continues and is now part of the school-aid formula. During the same time period, there has been a growing focus on recruiting and improving the quality of school district superintendents and other school administrators. This issue review looks at the growth of salaries over the past ten years for Iowa's full-time teachers, superintendents and other administrators.

How Millennials are changing the way of learning: the state of the art of ICT integration in education

Millennials generation is changing the way of learning, prompting educational institutions to attempt to better adapt to young needs by incorporating technologies into education. Based on this premise, we have reviewed the prominent reports of the integration of ICT into education with the aim of evidencing how education is changing, and will change, to meet the needs ofMillennials with ICT support. We conclude that most of the investments have simply resulted in an increase of computers and access to the Internet, with teachers reproducing traditional approaches to education and e-learning being seen as complementary to face-to-face education. While it would seem that the use of ICT is not revolutionizing learning, it is facilitating the personalization, collaboration and ubiquity of learning.

Technology-enhanced education for Millennials: how the Information Society is changing the way of learning

The Information Society has provided the context for the development of a new generation, known as the Millennials, who are characterized by their intensive use of technologies in everyday life. These features are changing the way of learning, prompting educational institutions to attempt to better adapt to youngneeds by incorporating technologies into education. Based on this premise, wehave reviewed the prominent reports of the integration of ICT into education atdifferent levels with the aim of evidencing how education is changing, and willchange, to meet the needs of Millennials with ICT support. The results show thatmost of the investments have simply resulted in an increase of computers andaccess to the Internet, with teachers reproducing traditional approaches to education and e-learning being seen as complementary to face-to-face education.While it would seem that the use of ICT is not revolutionizing learning, it isfacilitating the personalization, collaboration and ubiquity of learning.

Repensar el asesoramiento en educaci��n. ��Qu�� pr��cticas para los nuevos retos? = Rethink the advice in education. What practices for the new challenges?

Esta publicaci��n aborda, de manera monogr��fica, el tema del asesoramiento en educaci��n. Han transcurrido pr��cticamente treinta a��os desde que a finales de los 70 y principios de los 80 surgieran en nuestro pa��s los Servicios de Orientaci��n Educativa y Vocacional (SOEV), que junto a los Institutos de Orientaci��n Educativa y Profesional (IOEP) y los Equipos Multiprofesionales (EM) dan origen ���en los 90��� a los actuales Equipos de Orientaci��n Educativa y Psicopedag��gica (EOEP). Han pasado veinticinco a��os desde el nacimiento en Espa��a ���a mediados de los 80��� de los Centros de Profesores (CEP). Inspirados en los ���Teachers Centers��� brit��nicos, los CEP vienen a cubrir las necesidades de formaci��n permanente del profesorado como respuesta a la inoperancia de los Institutos de Ciencias de la Educaci��n (ICE) del momento. Han sido, pues, treinta a��os de lo que ha venido a llamarse asesoramiento institucional, esto es, asesoramiento organizado y estructurado, ofertado desde sistemas de apoyo a la escuela, dando cabida en u actuaci��n a multitud de iniciativas y pr��cticas de apoyo entre las que se encuentran las de asesoramiento, entremezcl��ndose y confundi��ndose a veces como pr��cticas de orientaci��n, a veces como formaci��n, o simplemente como actividades de asistencia y colaboraci��n entre profesionales para la resoluci��n de necesidades y problemas en el seno de nuestras escuelas. Y tal ha sido su diversidad y tipolog��a, su riqueza y amplitud, que se han invertido no pocos esfuerzos, debates y r��os de tinta para comprender y definir, clasificar y etiquetar un ingente y variopinto conjunto de pr��cticas que convenimos en llamar, de asesoramiento

Teachers' challenges regarding cultural diversity

This paper presents some findings of the fieldwork of my doctoral thesis ���Human Rights Educationas a Tool for Social Cohesion��� of the Doctoral Program ���Education and Society���The main research question that arises is: Can Human Rights Education be the departurepoint to work from, with and for the cultural diversity that characterizes our societies?Human Rights Education has been introduced in our social politics and among them ineducational policies which have a relevant role on the consecution of a cohesive society. Education,as a social right that has to be guarantee, facilitates the social change and the promotionof values and attitudes that favor cohesion.The work of several organizations like United Nations, The Council of Europe or Amnestyinternational have develop a wide variety of materials regarding human rights education atschools, guides and manuals for teachers, courses, development of competences and compendiumof activities.

Teachers' challenges regarding cultural diversity

This paper presents some findings of the fieldwork of my doctoral thesis ���Human Rights Educationas a Tool for Social Cohesion��� of the Doctoral Program ���Education and Society���The main research question that arises is: Can Human Rights Education be the departurepoint to work from, with and for the cultural diversity that characterizes our societies?Human Rights Education has been introduced in our social politics and among them ineducational policies which have a relevant role on the consecution of a cohesive society. Education,as a social right that has to be guarantee, facilitates the social change and the promotionof values and attitudes that favor cohesion.The work of several organizations like United Nations, The Council of Europe or Amnestyinternational have develop a wide variety of materials regarding human rights education atschools, guides and manuals for teachers, courses, development of competences and compendiumof activities.

A Compilation of the Bioscience Professional Development Opportunities Offered to K-12 Teachers in Iowa, September 14, 2005

Professional development opportunities are offered piecemeal to K-12 teachers in Iowa through Area Education Agencies (AEAs), Regents��� institutions, community colleges, private colleges, private corporations, and out-of-state institutions (often online). Compiling a comprehensive list of in-service and pre-service opportunities for primary and secondary public school educators is not feasible for a variety of reasons. However, this report briefly summarizes most of the bioscience-related options for professional development available for K-12 educators this summer and over the past year.

A methodological approach to identify teacher's ICT competencies in online learning environments in Higher Education

Aquest article pret��n descriure el proc��s metodol��gic d'identificaci�� i mesurament de les compet��ncies TIC dels professors i com a formadors en les TIC en un entorn d'aprenentatge en l��nia en l'Educaci�� Superior portat a terme en el marc del Projecte Europeu Elene-TLC.La revisi�� de la recerca en les compet��ncies en l��nia del professor demostra que, en primer lloc, el m��tode m��s utilitzat per a identificar aquestes compet��ncies ��s el focus group. En segon lloc, la t��cnica Delphi ��s la t��cnica m��s utilitzada per reunir el consens d'experts sobre quines s��n les compet��ncies principals per al professor en l��nia entre els que s'indiquen.La proposta metodol��gica descrita en aquest document consisteix en la creaci�� de 7 grups de discussi�� en l��nia, l'objectiu dels quals era identificar les compet��ncies formatives dels professors en l��nia i les dels professos en l��nia. La llista de compet��ncies obtingudes posteriorment es va oferir als experts europeus que participaven en l'aplicaci�� de la t��cnica Delphi. A aquests experts se'ls va demanar que ordenessin les compet��ncies d'acord amb el seu grau d'import��ncia.Els resultats mostren que els grups de discussi�� en l��nia i el m��tode Delphi s��n les metodologies apropiades per a identificar les compet��ncies TIC dels professors universitaris en els entorns d'aprenentatge en l��nia.

Action Research : the first steps to start up a pilot experiment in heritage education

Peer-reviewed

Non-native English-speaking English language teachers: history and research

Although the majority of English language teachers worldwide are non-native English speakers, no research was conducted on these teachers until recently. After the pioneering work of Robert Phillipson in 1992 and Peter Medgyes in 1994, nearly a decade had to elapse for more research to emerge on the issues relating to non-native English teachers. The publication in 1999 of George Braine's book Nonnative educators in English language teaching appears to have encouraged a number of graduate students and scholars to research this issue, with topics ranging from teachers' perceptions of their own identity to students' views and aspects of teacher education. This article compiles, classifies, and examines research conducted in the last two decades on this topic, placing a special emphasis on World Englishes concerns, methods of investigation, and areas in need of further attention.

Using a blog to create and support a Community of Inquiry in Secondary Education

Understanding how blogs can support collaborative learning is a vital concern for researchers and teachers. This paper explores how blogs may be used to support Secondary Education students��� collaborative interaction and how such an interaction process can promote the creation of a Community of Inquiry to enhance critical thinking and meaningful learning. We designed, implemented and evaluated a science case-based project in which fifteen secondary students participated. Students worked in the science blogging project during 4 months. We asked students to be collaboratively engaged in purposeful critical discourse and reflection in their blogs in order to solve collectively science challenges and construct meaning about topics related to Astronomy and Space Sciences. Through student comments posted in the blog, our findings showed that the blog environment afforded the construction of a Community of Inquiry and therefore the creation of an effective online collaborative learning community. In student blog comments, the three presences for collaborative learning took place: cognitive, social, and teaching presence. Moreover, our research found a positive correlation among the three presences ���cognitive, social and teaching��� of the Community of Inquiry model with the level of learning obtained by the students. We discuss a series of issues that instructors should consider when blogs are incorporated into teaching and learning. We claim that embedded scaffolds to help students to argue and reason their comments in the blog are required to foster blog-supported collaborative learning.

Teaching how to learn with a wiki in Primary Education: what classroom interaction can tell us

Understanding how wikis are used to support collaborative learning is an important concern for researchers and teachers. Adopting a discourse analytic approach, this paper attempts to understand the teaching processes when a wiki is embedded in a science project in primary education to foster collaborative learning. Through studying interaction between the teacher and students, our findings identify ways in which the teacher prompts collaborative learning but also shed light on the difficulties for the teacher in supporting student collective collaboration. It is argued that technological wiki features supporting collaborative learning can only be realized if teacher talk and pedagogy are aligned with the characteristics of wiki collaborative work: the freedom of students to organize and participate by themselves, creating dialogic space and promoting student participation. We argue that a dialogic approach for examining interaction can be used to help to design a more effective pedagogic approach in the use of wikis in education, to shift into Web 2.0 learning paradigm and to equip learners with the competences they need to participate in knowledge co-construction.

Citizenship education in Switzerland before, during and after the First World War

Citizenship education was intensively discussed during the 1910s. Patriotic ideals and the love of the fatherland were described with diligence in teachers' journals. After the outbreak of the World War I, Swiss teachers reacted immediately to the new circumstances and published lessons in their weekly teacher journals for every day of school for different grade levels. These lessons comprised current events and civic education as well as didactical instructions for the teacher. In pupils' essays, citizens are often depicted as religious members of society who are industrious and hardworking, whereas in the journals, religious aspects are related to peace but not to citizenship education. As a multilingual and neutral country, Switzerland struggled with major domestic problems due to the cultural conflict between the French- and the German-speaking regions, especially during wartime. However, teachers promoted unity from the beginning. Therefore, changes and continuities during this decade concerning citizenship education are of crucial research interest. The practical sections of teachers' journals, including lessons and didactical instructions, and pupils' essays provide insight into what happened in the classrooms. Which forms of national identity and citizenship were taught in classrooms before, during and shortly after WW1 in public schools in Switzerland? How did pupils describe the current issues of war and citizenship?

Evaluation of Teacher Education Programs by Students and Graduates

The purpose of this research was to do a repeated cross-sectional research on class teachers who study in the 4th year and also graduated at the Faculty of Education, University of Turku between the years of 2000 through 2004. Specifically, seven research questions were addressed to target the main purpose of the study: How do class teacher education masters��� degree senior students and graduates rate ���importance; effectiveness; and quality��� of training they have received at the Faculty of Education? Are there significant differences between overall ratings of importance; effectiveness and quality of training by year of graduation, sex, and age (for graduates) and sex and age (for senior students)? Is there significant relationship between respondents��� overall ratings of importance; effectiveness and their overall ratings of the quality of training and preparation they have received? Are there significant differences between graduates and senior students about importance, effectiveness, and quality of teacher education programs? And what do teachers��� [Graduates] believe about how increasing work experience has changed their opinions of their preservice training? Moreover the following concepts related to the instructional activities were studied: critical thinking skills, communication skills, attention to ethics, curriculum and instruction (planning), role of teacher and teaching knowledge, assessment skills, attention to continuous professional development, subject matters knowledge, knowledge of learning environment, and using educational technology. Researcher also tried to find influence of some moderator variables e.g. year of graduation, sex, and age on the dependent and independent variables. This study consisted of two questionnaires (a structured likert-scale and an open ended questionnaire). The population in study 1 was all senior students and 2000-2004 class teacher education masters��� degree from the departments of Teacher Education Faculty of Education at University of Turku. Of the 1020 students and graduates the researcher was able to find current addresses of 675 of the subjects and of the 675 graduates contacted, 439 or 66.2 percent responded to the survey. The population in study 2 was all class teachers who graduated from Turku University and now work in the few basic schools (59 Schools) in South- West Finland. 257 teachers answered to the open ended web-based questions. SPSS was used to produce standard deviations; Analysis of Variance; Pearson Product Moment Correlation (r); T-test; ANOVA, Bonferroni post-hoc test; and Polynomial Contrast tests meant to analyze linear trend. An alpha level of .05 was used to determine statistical significance. The results of the study showed that: A majority of the respondents (graduates and students) rated the overall importance, effectiveness and quality of the teacher education programs as important, effective and good. Generally speaking there were only a few significant differences between the cohorts and groups related to the background variables (gender, age). The different cohorts were rating the quality of the programs very similarly but some differences between the cohorts were found in the importance and effectiveness ratings. Graduates of 2001 and 2002 rated the importance of the program significantly higher than 2000 graduates. The effectiveness of the programs was rated significantly higher by 2001 and 2003 graduates than other groups. In spite of these individual differences between cohorts there were no linear trends among the year cohorts in any measure. In respondents��� ratings of the effectiveness of teacher education programs there was significant difference between males and females; females rated it higher than males. There were no significant differences between males��� and females��� ratings of the importance and quality of programs. In the ratings there was only one difference between age groups. Older graduates (35 years or older) rated the importance of the teacher training significantly higher that 25-35 years old graduates. In graduates��� ratings there were positive but relatively low correlations between all variables related to importance, effectiveness and quality of Teacher Education Programs. Generally speaking students��� ratings about importance, effectiveness and quality of teacher education program were very positive. There was only one significant difference related to the background variables. Females rated higher the effectiveness of the program. The comparison of students��� and graduates��� perception about importance, effectiveness, and quality of teacher education programs showed that there were no significant differences between graduates and students in the overall ratings. However there were differences in some individual variables. Students rated higher in importance of ���Continuous Professional Development���, effectiveness of ���Critical Thinking Skills��� and ���Using Educational Technology��� and quality of ���Advice received from the advisor���. Graduates rated higher in importance of ���Knowledge of Learning Environment��� and effectiveness of ���Continuous Professional Development���. According to the qualitative data of study 2 some graduates expressed that their perceptions have not changed about the importance, effectiveness, and quality of training that they received during their study time. They pointed out that teacher education programs have provided them the basic theoretical/formal knowledge and some training of practical routines. However, a majority of the teachers seems to have somewhat critical opinions about the teacher education. These teachers were not satisfied with teacher education programs because they argued that the programs failed to meet their practical demands in different everyday situations of the classroom e.g. in coping with students��� learning difficulties, multiprofessional communication with parents and other professional groups (psychologists and social workers), and classroom management problems. Participants also emphasized more practice oriented knowledge of subject matter, evaluation methods and teachers��� rights and responsibilities. Therefore, they (54.1% of participants) suggested that teacher education departments should provide more practice-based courses and programs as well as closer collaboration between regular schools and teacher education departments in order to fill gap between theory and practice.