1. Davis, A. M. (2019). Literacy Coaching in Urban Schools: Teacher’s Perception of Practice and Effectiveness (Doctoral dissertation, Grand Canyon University).

 

Abstract: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to determine and describe how teachers in urban, Title I schools, perceive the effectiveness of support they receive from literacy coaches. Adult learning theory and reflective practice model comprised the theoretical framework in this study. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 teachers, who received literacy coaching and were willing to participate in this study. An interview protocol was utilized to answer the overarching research question: How do teachers in urban, Title I schools describe their perceptions, regarding the support they receive from literacy coaches? Data were collected through one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with each participant. Archived coaching logs were also reviewed to provide a context for the information provided by participants. Thematic analysis as described by Boyatzis determined patterns and themes that emerged from the narrative data. These themes included (a) modeling matters to teachers; (b) literacy coaching causes shifts in teaching in urban settings; (c) literacy coaches need expertise and practical experience; (d) instability in urban schools makes coaching ineffective; and (e) students in urban Title I schools have unique needs that are not addressed within literacy coaching. Findings from this study supported both the reflective practice model and adult learning theory. The results demonstrated that literacy coaching in urban, Title I schools, creates positive shifts in teaching, yet is ineffective due to organizational instability. School leaders may consider restructuring the schedule of literacy coaches to ensure a consistent implementation of coaching cycles. Coaches may consider incorporating more modeling into the support provided to teachers. 

 

   2. Domenach, F., Araki, N., & Agnello, M. F. (2020). Disrupting discipline based learning: integrating English and programming education.           Critical Inquiry in Language Studies, 1-15.

 

Abstract: This discussion examines the ever-increasing impact of top-down nation-wide educational reforms on teachers in Japan, exemplified in the 2020 reform. Its unique contribution is a suggestion of an interdisciplinary framework: programming education and English as a foreign language education in elementary schools. Many elementary school teachers are not specialists in computer programming or English education as discipline specialties, yet they face the obligation to teach both subject areas under the authority of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. Their lack of training in these curricular areas creates a high level of anxiety as they initially perceived daunting new challenges in their work performances. Concerning programming education, many teachers are not even digital natives, working in schools where “IT rooms [are] covered with dust”. The research highlighted here resulted from the authors’ engagement in professional development workshops for teachers, Integrated Programming English Education, demonstrating how much these two disciplines share commonalities and how teachers can effectively use them in their daily teaching. The study results reveal how interdisciplinary frameworks can disrupt deficit norms in teaching single-disciplinary subjects overly used in Japanese education, and simultaneously increase teacher agency through the connectivity of programming and English language education.

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   3. Kweldju, S. (2020, February). Comparing Signage in Geographic Space: Raising Students Readiness for the Disruptive Age. In                           International Conference on Social Studies and Environmental Issues (ICOSSEI 2019) (pp. 331-344). Atlantis Press.

 

Abstract: Do our high school and university graduates have sufficient awareness and aspiration of how to stand out in the global map of competitive job market, for promoting economic growth and social justice in the age of disruptive innovation? This paper proposes a comparative signage task to raise students’ awareness to the rapidly evolving world, especially to motivate students’ aspiration in the digital- technology-driven world. In the task Google Maps can be used to explore the highways of Silicon Valley, and the highways which connect two major cities in Indonesia. The task provides students with a wider life context by connecting classroom learning to real world experiences, and develops their global perspective. Through the comparison students analyse and interpret how different or similar the business activities in an Indonesian region with Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley is used as a benchmark, as it represents a region where the general workforce has mastered the five technologies that play a critical role in disruptive-age innovation: artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, networks, advanced manufacturing and collaborative connected platforms. An example of how to use the strategy is provided.

 

   4. Omdal, S. N., & Graefe, A. K. (2017). Investing in creativity in students: The long and short (term) of it. In J. A. Plucker (Ed.), Creativity           and innovation: Theory, research, and practice (p. 205–221). Prufrock Press.

 

Abstract: The development of school environments that promote creative teaching and the nurturing of creative thinking and expression can be considered to be a "long-term investment" in the lives of students. This investment pays great dividends for the student by enhancing creative thinking abilities and creating cognitive connections and understanding, and for society by preparing citizens who will be better equipped to develop solutions for problems not yet imagined in this new century. This type of instruction is in contrast to the "short-term" investment that often takes place in school systems, where the focus and pragmatic necessity is to prepare students to take high-stakes tests and do well on them. With schools under the threat of reorganization or being taken over by the state department of education, with teachers operating under the weight of having the performance of their students determine part of their professional evaluation, and with the general public voicing distrust of public schools while demanding accountability, it is of little surprise that creative teaching and learning are low priorities in many states, districts, and schools. This chapter explores barriers, addresses options, and helps teachers find opportunities to incorporate creativity in their classes for the development of creative thinking and expression in their students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)

 

   5. Sciuto, Dana-Marie (2017) Mystery Ink: A Teacher Self-Study of a Tattoo Art Education Project. Masters thesis, Concordia University.

 

Abstract: This project examines the role of the educator involved in a student-centred, art-based project aimed to increase learning and engagement for at-risk youth in a rural high school. Specifically, a tattoo parlour business in an alternative classroom for at-risk youth was designed, implemented, and studied. In conducting the project, the researcher sought to establish how theory can drive a practical, hands-on project that can be integrated into an alternative classroom setting. This self-study project is inspired by the researcher’s personal educational history and a desire to approach learning from a different angle than that imposed by standardized curriculum and evaluation. It begins with the premise that at-risk youth, who are not served by the mainstream learning path, require a curriculum that targets their interests and motivates them to stay in school. An important corollary to art education, engagement, and at-risk youth is the importance of play in the learning process. The results are examined using Lassonde (2009) and Samaras (2011) self-study methodology and the final outcome of the project includes a teaching portfolio that provides clear instructions for other art educators or alternative educators who wish to incorporate the project into their schools.