The purpose of this research is to describe the development of a STEM-based learning environment for early childhood teacher candidates that is valid, practical, and has potential effects. The research sample consisted of 25 pre-service early childhood teachers and 19 students Kindergarten. The research method used was design research with the…

The aim of this study was to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention program focusing on developing Grade 5 and 6 students' functional thinking. The innovative aspect lies in addressing simultaneously various aspects of function--input--output, covariation, correspondence, and object--in terms of manipulating tasks that involve functional…

For the past three years, Digital Promise has embarked on an expansive and human-centered endeavor to empower school districts to cultivate context-relevant solutions to the teacher of color workforce disparities. Through Digital Promise's Inclusive Innovation approach, teachers of color from various school districts were engaged to develop and…

The Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) was awarded an Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Early Phase grant from the U.S. Department of Education in 2017 to develop, implement, and test a promising program to improve student achievement and educational progress for high-need students: Reenergizing Leadership to Achieve…

Since 2005 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has supported Playworks, an innovative program that provides supervised, inclusive recess programs at schools across the country. Jill Vialet, who founded Play4Kids, the precursor to Playworks, saw the need, particularly in urban elementary schools, for a new kind of recess that included…

Two universities and their prospective partnership schools collected data to help ascertain the perceived readiness of school-university Professional Development School (PDS) partnerships. The measurement tool, ''The Professional Development School Exploration and Assessment'' (PDSEA) includes a five-step process that makes use of survey and focus…

We describe the development and initial evaluation of the efficacy of "We Have Skills!" (WHS), a video-based social skills instructional program for early elementary school students. The components of WHS were designed to be scientifically sound, maximally useful to elementary school teachers, and effective in increasing students' social…

This paper presents the findings of a study conducted in China to identify the potential benefits of incorporating robotics as an educational tool for 100 primary and 320 secondary school teachers of general technology. The Professional Learning Program was conducted from 2010-2013 in China. The major focus of the program was on the development…

In this article, the authors discuss podcasting and provide ways on how to create podcasts. A podcast is an audio or video file that is posted on the web that can easily be cataloged and automatically downloaded to a computer or mobile device capable of playing back audio or video files. Podcasting is a powerful tool for educators to get students…

Teachers have a central role in developing new learning models in schools. This paper describes a study that explored teachers' confidence and competence in using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as they participated in an ICT development project conducted by an Australian education system in 12 primary schools. The project aimed…

This study investigated the impact of a Professional Development School (PDS) on student learning by comparing student achievement in a PDS and a control school. Student achievement data were collected from an elementary PDS and a matched control school over a 6-year period. The results indicate that the PDS moved more students up to mastery level…

While researchers continue to debate teacher qualifications, explore how to get more qualified teachers into urban schools serving low-income students, or try to determine whether teachers who are successful with middle-class students would also be successful with pupils in low-income urban schools, one practicable idea can easily be overlooked.…