This paper reports findings from a qualitative investigation that documented the exhibition of children's work in public spaces within early learning centers and elementary schools. An iterative, photo-documentation methodology was used to document the student work on display using photographs taken in 20 public elementary schools and four early…

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has stated that many teacher education programs demonstrate a lack of rigor because a large percentage of their course grades come from assignments that are criterion-deficient, lacking specific criteria through which instructors can determine students' mastery of the material. This article applied…

In response to the dearth of research on K to 6 teacher preparation for teaching writing, we investigated writing methods course instructors' course assignments. Participants' courses met the following criteria: (a) Courses taken by undergraduate elementary teacher candidates; (b) Writing methods courses; (c) Use of exemplary writing instructional…

In this article, Harper B. Keenan investigates the treatment of violence in elementary history education through a case study of a fourth-grade unit on the colonial history of California featuring "the mission project," a long-standing tradition in California's elementary schools that has students construct a miniature model of a Spanish…

An elementary-level content area reading course was redesigned using a project-based learning (PBL) model to improve undergraduate pre-service teacher course content instruction. The research question was, "What are college/ university students' perceptions of a project-oriented undergraduate course?" Six university pre-service teachers,…

By implementing strategies described here, educators can be prepared to create an adoption-friendly environment for students and their families.

"Accelerated Math®," published by Renaissance Learning, is a software tool that provides practice problems for students in grades K-12 and provides teachers with reports to monitor student progress. "Accelerated Math®" creates individualized student assignments, scores the assignments, and generates reports on student progress.…

This collaborative self-study examines the influence of engagement in the core practices movement on the course designs, instruction, and perspectives of three novice teacher educators at a large mid-Atlantic research university. Through core practices work, we integrated repeated cycles of analysis, practice, and reflection into our courses,…

This three-article dissertation specifically examines one challenging element of teaching history to young children: the representation of historical violence and adversity, using fourth grade curriculum and instruction surrounding the topic of Spanish colonization of California as a case study. This era, known as the Spanish mission period in…

The use of critical literacy with children's books that focus on social issues and disrupt the status quo can be a powerful way to create spaces for conversations with students about social justice and empowerment. Teacher candidates in a semester long children's literature course were asked to respond to a range of children's texts that dealt…

Biography is a popular approach to history education in the younger grades, especially when teaching units of study during Women's History Month, which is March. A biography-centered approach, however, can be problematic when such lessons are not tied to any context, promoting the misconception that individuals create social change in isolation.…

This collaborative self-study examines the critical friendship of two doctoral students charged with teaching a methods course in elementary social studies. The authors formed a critical friendship in Fall 2010, initiated by participation in a teacher educator community of practice that encouraged collaboration. With limited experience in…

In this study, within the scope of Science and Technology Laboratory Applications-II Course, elementary student teachers were made to design a model parachute that can stay in the air for a time by using technological design cycle and to race these parachutes. In this regard, we introduced an activity what we call "MODEL PARACHUTE RACE"…

"Accelerated Math"[TM], published by Renaissance Learning, is a software tool used to customize assignments and monitor progress in mathematics for students in grades 1-12. "Accelerated Math"[TM] creates individualized assignments that align with state standards and national guidelines, scores student work, and generates…

In many schools of India, students of even elementary level are encouraged to use computer and the Internet for carrying out assignments independently during the summer break. This reflects the schools' efforts to use the potential of Information and communication technology (ICT) for supporting constructive learning. Technology can also address…