Two university professors and 11 urban school faculty collaborated on a professional development (PD) effort focused on critical literacy to explore literacy practices aimed to reshape definitions of literacy that involved questioning power relationships concerning the environment and social justice. We examined the journey of a veteran teacher,…

The purpose of this research was to determine if reading specialist candidates improve the reading proficiency of their students through the use of digital, technology-based teaching techniques and materials. The candidates were certified teachers who provided individualized and small-group instruction to K-6 children while the candidates were…

This study expanded the definition of reading practices to include both print- and Internet-based reading, and examined the relationship of reading profiles to Taiwanese college students' performance on various practices. The results showed that more time was spent on Internet-than print-based extracurricular reading, and that the three…

A seamless practice in most classrooms today is one of reading assessment as the tool that informs instruction. When data is used effectively, teachers can provide essential early intervention instruction to prevent reading difficulties from occurring. In most cases, data retrieved from various classroom assessments provide authentic student…

The purpose of this research was to study the impact of an adolescent literacy education course on content area education students' attitudes toward implementing adolescent literacy strategies within their content lessons. Longitudinal data were gathered over five years and then analyzed. The researcher documented changes in the attitudes of…

"Listen with your heart. But, remember listening with your heart sometimes means you cannot sleep at night because you are worried about your students" (Education majors' e-mail reflection following 7th week of service-learning tutoring). "I honestly feel like I'm making a difference in these students' lives. The most…

From 2005-2009, the state determined that the Williams School had made no progress in raising its poor performance on the state English language arts test. In the fall of 2009, the state awarded literacy partnership grants to provide professional development to low-performing schools, and the Williams School partnered with our institution of…

This article describes the development of a family literacy project that involves university preservice teachers creating literacy backpacks. The family literacy project was developed with two objectives: (1) to encourage parent/child participation in literacy activities; and (2) to give preservice teachers the opportunity to develop literacy…

In this collaborative self-study, two teacher educators examined transcripts of preservice teachers' inquiry groups focused on assessment and tutoring of struggling readers as part of a reading methods course. The analysis identified instances of scaffolding by the course instructor that influenced preservice teachers' development. Types…

The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy of two written journal techniques used to encourage teacher candidates' inquiry-based reflection regarding course textbook content. Ninety-six participants were randomly assigned to one of the two experimental conditions, journaling with Questions, Quotes and Reflections (Double Q R) or…

Previous research regarding technology integration in education has indicated that when technology is integrated into the classroom with fidelity it can enhance educational experiences. Research has also indicated, however that despite the growing presence of technology in classrooms, it is not being effectively utilized. The present study…

A recent survey examining student learning in the college classroom found disruptive student behavior to be a major learning inhibitor. Compounding this is the realization that most college faculty are ill prepared to handle this problem. This article discusses the results of the survey as well as identifies the various types of disruptive…

To be successful in nursing courses, students must be able to read and comprehend a large volume of information. This requires different types of reading and study skills from other courses to which they have been exposed. The formal teaching of these skills in a nursing course takes second place to the teaching of required nursing skills. Because…

College students, enrolled in basic skills courses, sometimes lack motivation to fully participate in class activities and related homework assignments. Factors that can account for poor motivation include perceived irrelevance of courses to their everyday lives, unrealistic perceptions of their learning skills, low self-confidence, personal…

This paper explores students' perceptions through survey about the definition, use and constructivist nature of multimedia use in literature classes at the collegial level. The culture of schools and students has changed. The possibility exists that students' brains are biologically different as a result of frequent and prolonged interaction with…