by Linda Darling-Hammond, New York, NY, Teacher’s College Press, 2010, 394 pp., £20.91 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-8077-4962-3 In The flat world and education: how America’s commitment to equity will d...

The flat world and education: how America’s commitment to equity will determine our future

Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World, by Tony Wagner. 2012. New York NY: Scribner. 270 Pages. Hardcover. $27.00Education expert Tony Wagner reveals how innovation can be nurtured among young people by parents, educators, and employers, and he explains why it is imperative for the U.S. economy to do so.It is not news to hear business leaders say that the U.S. economy needs more people creating innovations in the areas of science, technology and engineering, the so-called STEM field, in order to boost wealth and create jobs by developing new products and technologies that other countries want and need but cannot produce.In his previous book, The Global Achievement Gap, Wagner describes seven skills students will need for careers and college in the twenty-first century: problem-solving, collaboration, agility/adaptability, initiative/ agility, written and oral skills, assessment/analysis, and curiosity/ imagination. In this book Wagner argues that the U.S. educational system is not educating young people to become innovators. Because innovation is not taught, nor tested, in our school system, the U.S. will lag in an increasingly competitive global market if this does not change.What is innovation? Innovation is the ability to think creatively to address a problem, and to take risks and learn from mistakes, or it is "creative problem solving" to some. Wagner interviewed hundreds of young innovators and educators to determine if innovation could be taught and found that all innovators have sense of purpose and passion. In addition to the seven skills listed above, innovators possess qualities such as perseverance and ability to take calculated risks and tolerate failure.In interviews and focus groups with parents of young innovators Wagner noticed several recurring themes in their parenting. All encouraged their child to play creatively at an early age and to try out things and bounce back if a failure resulted. This was to him the child learn to overcome setbacks. Further, the parents encouraged their child to read and be exposed to new ideas, and to play with toys that encouraged imagination and invention. While all were actively involved with their children, they did not act as helicopter parents controlling every aspect of their child's life and protecting them from making mistakes and learning from them.Wagner interviewed outstanding educators who made intentional changes in their teaching style and classroom experiences to inspire innovation in their students, both in secondary and post-secondary environments. Students do not need more education but a different kind of education which converts classroom experiences into collaborative problem-solving events and tailors learning to the individual's learning experience. …

Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World

In this study, researchers designed and implemented a 1-year professional development (PD) program that focused on supporting teachers in evaluating and selecting digital learning contents. Participants in this investigation included 109 teachers who consented to the study amongst a total of 171 teachers from five school districts across central Ohio. In addition to their participation in the PD program, they completed surveys, interviews, and self-reflections in this mixed-method study. The results revealed that teachers’ perceived TPACK increased over time throughout the PD program, suggesting that training teachers to evaluate digital contents can be an effective PD model to improve teachers’ capacity in learning technology integration. The PD program was especially effective for teachers with less prior experience in technology integration or related training. Mathematics teachers, in comparison to teachers from other disciplines, began with low TPACK; however, these initial differences gradually diminished over the course of the PD program. In terms of their motivation in digital content evaluation, teachers’ expectancy for success increased significantly while their task values remained medium high. The qualitative analyses provided additional insights and revealed design suggestions for success in future PDs.

Teacher professional development through digital content evaluation

Technology training in the classroom is critical in preparing students for upper level classes as well as professional careers, especially in fields such as technology. One of the key enablers to this process is computer self-efficacy (CSE), which has an extensive stream of empirical research. Despite this, one of the missing pieces is how CSE actually changes during training, and how such change is related to antecedents and performance outcomes. Measuring change requires repeated data gathering and the use of latent growth modeling, a relatively new statistical technique. This study examines CSE (specifically general CSE or GCSE) growth over time during training, and how this growth is influenced by anxiety and gender and influences performance, using a semester-long lab course covering three applications. The use of GCSE growth more accurately models how students actually learn in a technology classroom. It provides novel clarity in the interaction of gender, anxiety, GCSE, specific CSEs, and performance during training. The study finds that the relationship between anxiety and self-efficacy decreases over time during training, becoming non-significant; it clarifies the significant role gender plays in influencing GCSE at the start of and during training. It finds GCSE influences application performance only through specific CSEs.

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A Longitudinal Examination of the Effects of Computer Self-Efficacy Growth on Performance during Technology Training.

Wounded Warriors and Their Transition to the Community College Classroom by Virgil N. Adkins MA, Webster University, St. Louis, MO, 2003 BS, Park University, Parkville, MO, 1999 AA, Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey, CA, 1998 Project Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University February 2019 Abstract Many postsecondary institutions face challenges when veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) enroll in college and become student-veterans. Staff and faculty may need to better understand how to accommodate these student-veterans as they transition from military to student life. The purpose of this study was to explore theMany postsecondary institutions face challenges when veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) enroll in college and become student-veterans. Staff and faculty may need to better understand how to accommodate these student-veterans as they transition from military to student life. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of 3 groups at a Texas community college regarding classroom accommodations for student-veterans with PTSD or TBI: (a) student-veterans with PTSD or TBI, (b) the faculty, and (c) the disability counselors. Schlossberg’s theory assessing an individual’s assets and abilities in transition was the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions asked about the perspectives of student-veterans with PTSD or TBI, the faculty, and the disability services staff. A case study design was used, and inclusion criteria included 5 enrolled student-veterans with a PTSD or TBI diagnosis, 5 faculty members who have taught student-veterans, and 3 Disability Resource Center (DRC) staff at the community college. Semi-structured interview questions aligned with the research questions and data were analyzed for credibility, reliability, interpretation, and themes related to classroom accommodations. Findings from the study revealed student participants felt more could be done to accommodate student-veterans. Faculty participants expressed concerns regarding a lack of training related to accommodations. DRC participants reported reluctance from some student-veterans to use accommodations. Findings contribute to positive social change by identifying gaps in practices and by aiding staff and faculty with professional development to better provide accommodations for student-veterans with PTSD or TBI. Wounded Warriors and Their Transition to the Community College Classroom by Virgil N. Adkins MA, Webster University, St. Louis, MO, 2003 BS, Park University, Parkville, MO, 1999 AA, Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey, CA, 1998 Project Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education

https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=7575&context=dissertations

Wounded Warriors and Their Transition to the Community College Classroom

Identifying means of assisting teachers in integrating technology during their instruction is becoming more important as the rate new technologies enter the classroom accelerates. The primary means of helping in-service teachers employ new technologies in their classrooms is frequently professional development. Unfortunately, professional development offered to many teachers is ineffective. It has been posited that professional development can be made more effective by emphasizing one specific technology for an extended period of time, including opportunities for teachers to learn from each other in localized contexts, and organizing the learning in ways calculated to help teachers build technology self-efficacy (DeSantis, 2012).

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Joshua D. DeSantis

Papers

Exploring the Effects of Professional Development for the Interactive Whiteboard on Teachers' Technology Self-Efficacy.