This study examined pre-service teachers' responses to implementing technology into elementary mathematics lessons. Instructional Architect (IA) was the web-base technology used by the pre-service teachers. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) insights into technology, (b) struggles with technology, (c) access to the mathematics and (d) learning…

The present article reports on the results of a three-year German-wide program Biology in Context ("bik"). In this program teachers and researchers worked together in 10 learning communities with the goal of enhancing the quality of teaching and learning in biology classrooms as mandated by the recently passed National Educational…

Research on conceptual change indicates that not only children, but also teachers have incomplete understanding or misconceptions on science concepts. This mixed methods study was concerned with in-service teachers' understanding of four earth and space science concepts taught in elementary school: reason for seasons, phases of the moon, rock…

The authors describe the generative process for using video editing for teachers' professional development. The article provides a rationale, a theoretical framework, and a critical review of the authors' work over the past five years.

The use of reflection and analysis in preparation of elementary and secondary preservice teachers has become a standard practice aimed at helping them develop the capacity to engage in intentional and systematic investigation of their practice. Editing video may be a more powerful tool than writing reflections based on memory to help preservice…

Blog technology is a potential medium for encouraging reflective writing through self-expression and interactive exchange through social networking. This paper reports on a study using blogs as out-of-class assignments for the development of learners' language competence. The study involved seventeen university students at advanced level who kept…

The scientificalization of educational research methods was always the most predominant in the two tides of educational experiment in China in the twentieth century, the result of which was unexpectedly dissatisfactory, because researchers misunderstood the connotation of scientificalization in such a degree that resulted in the worship for…

Community profiling is a tool that aims to help practitioners collect and make use of varied data to understand the diversity of stakeholders and issues in communities where they are delivering natural resource management programs. This paper will discuss some of the problems experienced with community profiling and propose a shift in the way in…

Here is a conversation between two former colleagues about action research and academic writing. Richard Winter opens the discussion with a series of reflections on his work as an action researcher. These reflections include the key argument that action research is a noble cause because it is relevant to working life, has a practical impact and…

The author was recently asked to reflect on her "educational journey." As far as she can remember she has been hungry to learn. A friend once described her as having "hambres atrasadas," which he described as a kind of "hunger nipping at her heels." It goes back, of course, to her parents: Her father's and her early…

New teachers, who are attempting to transition from the role of learner to that of teacher, have to overcome so many aspects of common sense that creating knowledge through reflection seems overwhelming. One way to understand common sense and its hold over us is to view it in relation to another perspective. As such, this study used poetic…

This paper seeks to focus attention on the place and possible role of the arts in children's spiritual development and suggest some applications of selected theories in practice. It approaches the discussion by noting the importance of the aesthetic component of life and its presence within the religious framework, then its role in the inner, or…

This step-by-step guide is a companion to the popular "Listen to Me, Listen to You: A Practical Guide to Self-Awareness, Communication Skills and Conflict Management" (New Expanded Edition, Penguin Books, 2007). It is designed for use by anyone working in communication skills and personal development training. Resource material is grouped under…

Considered a naturally occurring process common to older adults, the life review becomes a more productive process through facilitation and development and application of effective prompts. The experiences of 6 older adults who participated in a facilitated life review process and the manner in which individualized prompts were developed are…

The current study explored text-based and animated narrative vignette (ANV) social simulations to specifically examine pre-service teachers' social cognitions and personal identities. The personal and social identity and narratives of a sample of eight randomly selected elementary pre-service teachers were examined in depth out of 44 pre-service…