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Use of Online Hybrid Supplemental Teaching in Field-Based Teacher Education Programs

by Hank Bohanon, Wenjin Guo & Christopher Dickman
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University faculty members who implement field-based teacher education programs experience challenges providing instruction for clinical, site-embedded university-based students. These issues can include a lack of common times to meet with students, limited access to meeting space to provide direct instruction, and changes in the school schedule. A number of these barriers may be addressed by adding elements of online instruction to traditional in-person classes, making the course, in effect, a hybrid one. In this study, the researchers analyzed the perspectives of university-based, special education focused instructors and clinical partners on the barriers, needs, benefits, and content related to implementing hybrid instruction in field-based settings. The hybrid content would supplement special education teacher education candidates’ learning as they developed their skills for supporting students with special needs. Five university faculty members and two field-based PK-12 partners involved in special education teacher preparation participated in in-depth, open-ended phone interviews. Data analysis included identifying themes using a constant comparative qualitative approach. The participants recommended several supports they considered necessary for using technology to teach their students successfully. Rather than a temporary pandemic measure, the authors suggest that hybrid instruction offers a promising approach to support preservice teachers in the field going forward.

Literacy Clinics During COVID-19: Pivoting and Imagining the Future

by Barbara Laster, Rebecca Rogers, Tiffany Gallagher, D. Beth Scott, Sheri Vasinda, Pelusa Orellana, Joan Rhodes, Theresa Deeney, Rachael Waller, Mary Hoch, Leslie Cavendish, Tammy Milby, Melinda Butler, Tracy Johnson, Shadrack Msengi, Cheryl Dozier, Shelly Huggins & Debra Gurvitz
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Literacy clinics have a long history of providing supplemental assessment and instruction to students with literacy needs, but they were tested during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many pivoted from a face-to face format to three-way remote learning. This study provides a window into how literacy clinics at this moment of transformation in education embraced, and in some cases were challenged by, technology. A survey was administered in spring 2021 to a sample of 58 literacy clinic directors from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Bolivia, The Netherlands, and Australia. Data analysis included quantitative descriptive and inferential statistics reporting on the use of technological platforms and resources, clinic settings, and the format of clinics, before, during, and anticipated after pandemic. Results suggest that clinicians retained some traditional instruction methods while moving some components to digital spaces. Qualitative analysis included (a) coding, (b) creating categories, and (c) developing profiles of respondents based on their prepandemic and postpandemic instructional delivery format. Survey responses conveying the challenges and opportunities of online instruction are discussed in accordance with technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. This research captured the precipice of institutional change as literacy clinics responded to the pandemic and then recalibrated their intentions for the future.

Using Mixed Reality Simulations to Prepare Justice-Oriented Teachers

by Dawn M. Woods, Linda Doornbos & Cynthia Carver
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This qualitative study investigated how mixed-reality simulations supported the development of justice-oriented core teaching practices within a large elementary education program. Told from the point-of-view of two methods instructors, using candidates’ written and oral reflections, the authors examined the use of Mursion® mixed reality simulation software as a tool for rehearsing to teach content through a justice-oriented lens. Three themes emerged from the words of the teacher candidates in the focus group, as well as in their written reflections after completing each of the simulation cycles during their coursework: (a) simulations provided a safety net for students (and their teachers) in PK-12 schools; (b) simulations made the learning of these core practices focused on skill development (versus classroom management) and thus less messy; and (c) simulations provided a safe space to apply justice-oriented lenses while engaging students in content. Simulations augmented the candidates’ field experience, while providing a window on their development as teachers committed to becoming change agents enacting just and equitable learning. Implications and the limitations of using simulations to support teacher candidate learning are discussed, particularly when the goal is teaching for equity.

Integrating Flip in the Science Classroom: A Case Study of an Elementary Preservice Teacher’s Learning Through a Coaching Partnership

by Nancy Sharfun & Karl G. Jung
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The switch to remote teaching and learning consequentially pushing educators in rapid adaptation of technology platforms has made it essential to build knowledge and understanding of how elementary teachers learn to use various technology tools to enhance student learning. For effective science instruction and sustaining student engagement, preservice science teachers need to know the proper utilization of technology tools, and coaching partnerships can assist them in achieving that goal. Utilizing a single case study design, this study focused on understanding a preservice elementary science teacher’s implementation of Flip (formerly Flipgrid) in a third-grade classroom, specifically, exploring how this preservice elementary science teacher, with the help of her instructional coach, learned to implement Flip to reinforce her students’ engagement through 5E learning experiences. Findings shed light on her transition while incorporating Flip into her classroom, where it started as a challenging task but gradually evolved into a more successful implementation. This paper demonstrates the detailed trajectory of how the preservice science teacher learned to implement the tool. With guidance, practice, and resources, Flip manifested as a supportive tool for engaging students with their science content.

Exploring Science Teachers’ Distance Education Experiences: A Private School Case

by Seda Kaynak & Ümran Betül Cebesoy
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The COVID-19 outbreak had massive impacts in many areas, including education, all over the world. This pandemic forced education systems to make an emergency shift to remote teaching. The Turkish education system was affected by the pandemic, and all schools were forced to shut down in March 2020. Approximately 18 million students in Türkiye continued their education through distance teaching. Distance education, as a response to this compulsory transition, was carried out through the Education Informatics Network (EBA) and Turkish Radio and Television Corporation Educational Information Network (TRT EBA TV) channels. However, it was not known whether teachers were ready for this compulsory transition and online teaching process. This study aimed to investigate science teachers’ perceptions of the compulsory distance education process and the difficulties they encountered during online teaching. Four science teachers working in a private school during the pandemic voluntarily participated in the study. A semistructured interview was used for data collection. Standard qualitative analysis methods were used. The results revealed the participant teachers were not fully ready for this compulsory transition. They frequently encountered internet access problems, parent/teacher communication issues, problems with the delivery platform, and outdated hardware technologies. Teachers proposed effective professional development programs for developing their capabilities to use online education platforms more effectively.

Transforming Assessment in Online STEM Learning: Preparing Teachers to Integrate Computational Thinking in Elementary Classrooms

by Terrie Galanti & Courtney Baker
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With the increasing emphasis on infusing computational thinking (CT) in PK-12 education, developing teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge is essential for CT integration. In a graduate online CT course for elementary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teaching, the Authentic Integrated Online Assessment model (Galanti et al., 2021b) informed the design of a digital interactive notebook (DINb) as a performance-based assessment of teachers’ CT content and pedagogical content knowledge. Qualitative content analysis of course artifacts revealed the power of the DINb to prompt feedback, revision, and self-reflection. The iterative nature of the DINb deepened CT understandings, normalized incomplete thinking as productive, and enhanced online teacher-instructor communication about CT concepts. Findings indicate that this iterative approach to online assessment developed elementary STEM teachers’ CT skills and dispositions. They demonstrated their understanding of CT as a problem-solving approach that they could learn and integrate in their own classrooms.

Becoming Ambitious From Afar: Understanding Teacher Beliefs About Implementing Ambitious Science Teaching Practices Through a Remotely Delivered Professional Development Workshop

by John Williams, Daniel Mourlam & Steven Chesnut
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Science education professional development (PD) experiences are important for developing effective teaching practices aligned to reform-based principles using innovative approaches, such as the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) framework. The ability of schools and other organizations to provide high quality science education PD was challenged recently by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, some providers reimagined their PD experiences using online and remotely delivered mediums. In this study, the authors examined a remotely delivered, 3-day PD science teaching workshop to determine any changes to in-service teachers’ beliefs regarding their ability to implement AST practices. Using a pre/post survey design, the research questions guiding this study were as follows: (a) To what extent and in what direction did teachers’ beliefs about their ability to implement AST practices change before and after a remotely delivered PD experience? and (b) To what extent do teachers’ beliefs in their ability to implement AST practices differ as a function of teaching experience, education level, or certification area? Analysis of in-service teachers’ responses indicated a statistically significant increase in their confidence to implement AST practices over the course of the workshop, with no significant differences across compared groups. These results suggest that remotely delivered PD experiences may be a viable option for improving AST-based teaching practices.

Metadata Standards for Educational Objects

by Glen Bull, Steven Greenstein, Joshua Ellis, Sumreen Asim, Ryan Novitski, Elizabeth Whitewolf & Sherry Lake
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An Educational CAD Model Library (CAD Library) is being developed by collaborating educational associations affiliated with the National Technology Leadership Summit coalition. The CAD Library’s Curators’ Council has developed descriptive metadata fields that will be associated with each educational object published in the library. These fields are designed to facilitate search and discovery of objects by teachers who are increasingly well positioned to use these objects in their instruction due to the increasing presence of school-based makerspaces and the 3D printers, digital die cutters, and other fabrication tools. The publication of these metadata standards makes them available to the members of the educational associations participating in the development of the CAD Library and to other relevant stakeholders for feedback to inform ongoing revisions.

Establishing an Educational CAD Model Ecosystem

by Glen Bull, Debra Shapiro, Jonathan David Cohen, Andrea Borowczak, Enrique Galindo, Sherry Lassiter & David Slykhuis
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During the past decade, many K-12 schools have established makerspaces with 3D printers, digital die cutters, and other fabrication tools. An open-source ecosystem is being developed to facilitate effective use of educational makerspaces. This work is being undertaken under the auspices of the National Technology Leadership Summit coalition, which includes national teacher educator associations in science education (ASTE), educational technology (SITE), engineering education (ITEEA), and mathematics education (AMTE), and the Fab Foundation – a network of more than 2,500 Fabrication Laboratories (Fab Labs). This effort is supported by a National Science Foundation Pathways to Open-Source Ecosystems Phase I planning grant (NSF No. 2229627).