Category: Education

1.5 minute speech full of energy about successfully getting through 4 years of high school, 
navigating construction, changes in administration, and being able to go off into the world 
and successfully navigating what all life has to offer whether you are off to college, a branch of the military, or a career. Need a catchy theme to motivate and encourage high school graduates to be all they can be. 

Submit a an essay, of at least 600 words, detailing how you have demonstrated an exceptional dedication to or aptitude for teaching.

Background
As the Education Specialist on a school site, you will serve as a classroom teacher, someone who collaborates with general education teachers and other instructional support personnel, and/or as someone who administrators, parents, and other teachers will consult with about educational matters relating to all students. In cases where your school’s student population includes students with TBI, students with chronic illnesses, and/or students transitioning back to school from extended hospitalizations or in-home schooling, you should be prepared to advise teachers and parents about students’ specific needs and the unique needs of parents and families so that a healthy and productive home-school partnership can be established. This assignment meets CLOs 4 and 13. Instructions
To successfully complete this assignment, you will plan a 90-minute professional development session for the teachers at your school. Your session will identify the needs of the peers and family members of students who have a TBI (traumatic brain injury), students who are chronically ill, are hospitalized and/or in transition from hospitalization, and/or who have degenerative conditions (e.g., Rhett Syndrome).
ask teachers to apply their understanding of the needs of the peers and family members of students who have a traumatic brain injury, students who are chronically ill, are hospitalized and/or in transition from hospitalization, and/or who have degenerative conditions to their own work with parents and families.
identify essential elements of supportive partnerships with parents, families, and other teachers.
ask your participants to apply their knowledge of the essential elements of supportive partnerships to develop a plan for building partnerships with the parents, families, and teachers they work with to provide instructional, behavioral, social, communication, sensory, and pragmatically appropriate support to students with extensive support needs. The plan for your 90-minute professional development session should have these components.
Title
A 150-word abstract about what your session is about and why this information is important for teachers to know three to four objectives for your session (What do you want the participants to learn or take away from your session)? This can be a bulleted list. Details that create a mental picture showing the progression of the session for the teachers who will be giving up 90 minutes of their workday to learn from you. Will participants be listening to your lecture for 90 minutes? Will participants be working in small break-out groups? Will you include activities and videos for the participants? Explain how teachers after leaving the session will be able to use this new information. Include material you will use (PowerPoint slides, videos, handouts, etc.) and material your participants use (readings, hands-on activities, prompts for table talks, etc.)

You will write a well-developed and thought-out and complete essay that discusses your personal philosophy of education and theorists that have influenced your philosophy. Your essay must: Include personal information, career and educational goals.
Be in APA format in writing the essay and cite any references that are used. APA2021.docx
APA Resource Grammarly:
https://www.grammarly.com/citations/Links to an external site. Be two typed pages.
Select one theorist and their philosophy.
Write about them and how this would influence your teaching practice.

Leadership Ability Determines a Person’s Level of Effectiveness
The Story: Dick and Maurice McDonald create a chain of restaurants but hit their leadership lid lacking the leadership needed to expand their business. Ray Kroc, who had a higher leadership lid was able to expand the business.
The Lesson: Kroc had what the McDonald’s brothers did not – a leadership lid that allowed him to lead others to run successful businesses.
My Law of the Lid Reflection—Review Page 1 of Maxwell Study Guide
1-Law of the Lid: Leadership ability is the LID that determines a person’s level of effectiveness as well as the organization’s effectiveness.
PROMPT: What would you have to change in your daily schedule to focus on improving your leadership skills as much as you focus on improving your other skills?
Rubric for Reflection on Maxwell 21 Laws of Leadership

This essay is based on the 1st assignment. Word files is attached.
Word limit: 3,000 words excluding appendices
In this assignment, you are asked to
• choose an appropriate research design for your research;
• understand the importance quantitative variables;
• establish your research setting;
• determine your population and sample;
• delineate the differences between the two research paradigms;
• outline your research tools;
• understand the steps in carrying out a pilot study of your research;
• analyze and interpret your research data;
• discuss your research outcomes;
• delineate the implications of your research.
Use the following questions and steps to structure this part of your proposal:
1. How do you plan to carry out your research?
2. How will you analyze your data?
3. What are the expected outcomes of your research and its implications for EFL?
Steps
• Ground your methodology in an accepted research paradigm (e.g., qualitative and/or
quantitative) and in an established tradition (e.g., ethnography, action research,
grounded theory, practitioner research etc.).
• Align it against the relevant literature of that methodology. It may also be helpful to
identify relevant literatures from other disciplines (e.g., philosophy, sociology,
2
anthropology) that suggest critical approaches to analogous questions. Where relevant,
provide a critical assessment of theoretical questions implicit in the work.
• Devise a preliminary schedule for the various stages of the dissertation project,
including time for research, writing, and revision of the manuscript. Where possible,
indicate prospective chapters and the projected times for their completion. This
schedule should reflect your best guesses regarding teaching and research support. You
should expect that your chapter outline and the amount of time you need to devote to
each section might change over the course of the research.
• Include a list of primary and secondary sources you have used to date in designing your
dissertation. In preliminary fashion, identify and describe key archival repositories and
other anticipated source materials, both published and unpublished.

Need to prepare 4 reflective commentaries (1000 words each) to demonstrate my progress in teaching practices.
The commentaries will be supported by evidence of practice.
The commentaries will reflect on aspects of the student’s pedagogical journey, such as: the beginning of the journey – early reflections on being a teacher; pedagogical approaches in practice; planning and assessment for diverse learners, professional development and how this has evolved over time.
Include a link to (or insert) Action Plan (as an appendix)
Include a log of hours in the portfolio (as an appendix)

Discussion Assignment Instructions
You must then post two replies of 200-300 words by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of the assigned Module: Week, with the exception of Module 8: Week 8, which is due on Friday. For each thread and reply, any sources used must be cited and referenced in current APA format. 
In your replies, address the person you are replying to, so it will be clear who you are responding to. Note that replies such as “I like what you said,” “That’s a good point,” and “I disagree with your comment” do not count as complete replies. Instead, add substantial supporting thoughts or ideas to elucidate why you agreed with the thread or provide alternative ideas and thoughts to demonstrate why you disagreed.
As one of the goals of Discussions is to encourage student community learning, not every thread will have a response from the instructor. Rather, the instructor will respond to a few threads in a way that adds to the conversation, asks pertinent questions, or summarizes some of the key points made by students.
See the Discussion Grading Rubric for guidance on how your participation will be evaluated.
Response 1:
Amy Cyr 
TuesdayMay 14 at 9:03am
I intend to research the topic of vocabulary instruction delivered to middle school students with special education needs, concentrating on students with learning disabilities. Proverbs 22:6 demonstrates this topic as it states, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001). The verse states that each child needs guidance along his or her path. This highlights the role of an adult to provide support to learners as they acquire new knowledge, which ultimately results in students encountering success. 
My topic relates to my foundational beliefs around the issue of vocabulary instruction for middle school students as it pertains to students with special education needs. I believe that middle school students with special education needs will benefit significantly from differentiated instructional strategies. This belief is based on my understanding that differentiated instruction offers instruction that is individualized to meet each student’s current level of understanding. Puzio et al. (2020) claim that differentiated instruction is tremendously important for meeting individual students’ learning needs as it seeks to close individual learning gaps. Through the use of differentiated instruction, targeted support can be delivered to address the pre-requisite skills required for comprehension of vocabulary (Puzio et al., 2020).
I believe that by using a multimodal approach, vocabulary acquisition might be greatly improved for students with special education needs. This is possible due to the diverse nature of a multimodal approach, which includes multiple instructional methods. Through an approach that incorporates visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and digital resources,  various learning styles can be addressed within one lesson, which, in turn, means that a student has multiple ways to understand vocabulary concepts (Townsend et al., 2018).  Additionally, Townsend et al. (2018) state that multimodal instruction has a high likelihood of being engaging and appropriate for helping students build their vocabulary.  Through the use of multiple means of instructional modalities, students are able to grasp a deeper understanding of vocabulary concepts as teachers engage them as active participants in their learning (Townsend et al., 2018).
Explicit vocabulary instruction also increases understanding of vocabulary concepts.  I am confident that explicit instruction, including clear explanation, modeling, and guided practice, is necessary for students with special educational needs, especially those with learning disabilities. When it comes to helping a student who has difficulty with vocabulary, Torgesen et al. (2021) claim that explicit instruction is essential. A structured approach with direct support and reinforcement is highly efficient in assisting a student in understanding new vocabulary words (Torgesen et al., 2021).
Students with special education needs, particularly those with a learning disability, need to activate and construct background knowledge. I believe that vocabulary instruction requires connections to be fostered through background knowledge.   McKeown (2019) claims that good vocabulary instruction helps students acquire word knowledge, including how words function in various contexts. Students understand vocabulary better and utilize it in such a way that they connect a new word with something they have experienced or seen in the real world. This is a vital part of vocabulary instruction, and it is essential that educators aid students in making these connections.
In summary,  research indicates that explicit instruction, multimodal instruction, differentiated instruction, and background knowledge have proven beneficial in assisting students with special education needs at the middle school level to improve their vocabulary comprehension. Therefore, educators can make meaningful contributions to broader students’ vocabulary understanding through the integration of these methods.
References
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. https://esv.literalword.com/
McKeown, M. G. (2019). Effective vocabulary instruction fosters knowing words, using words,
and understanding how words work. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools,
50(4), 466-476.
Puzio, K., Colby, G. T., & Algeo-Nichols, D. (2020). Differentiated Literacy Instruction:
Boondoggle or Best Practice? Review of Educational Research., 90(4), 459–498.
https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654320933536
Torgesen, J. K., Wagner, R. K., & Rashotte, C. A. (2021). Prevention and remediation of severe
Reading disabilities: Keeping the end in mind. In Components of Effective Reading 
Intervention (pp. 217-234). Routledge.
Townsend, D., Brock, C., & Morrison, J. D. (2018). Engaging in vocabulary learning in science:
the promise of multimodal instruction. International Journal of Science Education, 40(3),
328–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2017.1420267
Response 2:
Topic: Technology
Technology can help students become active participants in the learning process.
Technology can help students develop a better understanding of the material.
Technology can help better serve the diverse learning needs of our students.
Technology can turn traditionally dull subjects into interactive and fun activities.
Technology offers a variety of tools that engage students and encourage active participation in the learning process. Among these tools, interactive learning platforms like Schoology stand out. Schoology provides interactive modules, quizzes, and multimedia content tailored to different learning styles, allowing students to engage with material in diverse ways. According to a study by Biswas (2013), teachers can leverage the Schoology website to manage everyday classroom practices with the aim of enhancing student learning. The study highlights how Schoology’s embedded options not only enhance interactive learning but also connect school stakeholders on a unified platform. Additionally, the platform improves teaching efficiency and helps shape students’ learning and thinking to meet the diverse needs of the community.
Technology is essentail in enhancing students’ comprehension of material, particularly through immediate feedback and assessment. With technology, students receive prompt feedback on assignments, quizzes, and assessments, pinpointing misconceptions and areas for improvement in real time. This timely guidance steers their learning journey and solidifies understanding. Elmahdi and Fawzi (2018) underscore how affordable technologies and software empower teachers to seamlessly integrate formative assessment into instruction, enriching both learning and assessment processes.
Technology plays a huge role in meeting the diverse learning needs of students through personalized learning and accessibility features. From simple solutions like hand grips enabling students with fine motor difficulties to hold pencils, to advanced portable communication devices aiding those with speech and language impairments (Chmiliar & Cheung, 2007), assistive technology spans a wide spectrum. Adaptive learning platforms leverage technology to customize educational content according to each student’s pace, learning style, and individual needs, ensuring tailored instruction and resources. Furthermore, technology incorporates accessibility features such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text, closed captioning, and screen readers, fostering inclusivity by supporting students with varying abilities and overcoming language barriers
Technology offers several strategies to transform traditionally dull subjects into interactive and enjoyable activities, such as gamification. Integrating game elements such as points, badges, leaderboards, and challenges into educational content can make learning more engaging and enjoyable. Educational games and quizzes can turn dull subjects into interactive experiences where students compete, collaborate, and progress through levels while mastering the material. Gamification is also used with virtual simulations to increase learning exposures that help students to gain competency and confidence (Duggal et al., 2021).
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – Colossians 3:17 (NIV) This verse emphasizes the importance of engaging in all activities, including learning, with dedication and gratitude. By incorporating technology to enhance education, educators and students can approach their studies with enthusiasm and thankfulness for the opportunities provided through technological advancements.
References 
Bible. (2016). Colossians 3:17. New International Version.
Biswas, S. (2013). Schoology-supported classroom management: A curriculum review. Northwest journal of teacher education, 11(2), 12.
Chmiliar, L., & Cheung, B. (2007). Assistive Technology Training for Teachers–Innovation and Accessibility Online. Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 35, 18-28.
Duggal, K., Gupta, L. R., & Singh, P. (2021). Gamification and machine learning inspired approach for classroom engagement and learning. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2021, 1-18.
Elmahdi, I., Al-Hattami, A., & Fawzi, H. (2018). Using Technology for Formative Assessment to Improve Students’ Learning. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET, 17(2), 182-188.

Write a 3-page minimum, error free paper in APA style about your observation and interview. Must be typed.
Observe the activities and characteristics of the classroom.
Describe your observations in detail by using the guide below (write in paragraph form – not question/answer).
Include interview with teacher if necessary to complete the assignment (write in paragraph form – not question/answer). If a topic is not observed, you will have to talk to the teacher to glean information.
Include any additional comments that you want to make about your visit.
Describe how this assignment will affect you as a teacher in the future. What did you learn?
Submit the completed log and contact information from the teacher you observed with your report.
Report should be clear, detailed, error-free, at least 3 pages, written in paragraph form following the APA style guidelines.
The following assignment must be submitted as a Word document. Google docs cannot be opened. The professor cannot grade what cannot be opened. Failure to submit this assignment as a Word document may result in a zero for your grade.
The student will examine the issues facing schools in today’s diverse society, including socioeconomic distinctions, gender, race, ethnicity, language differences special education and the changing standards for future educators. The student must discuss each of the aforementioned topics and refer to primary or secondary resources for reference. The student uses primary and secondary resources which include data.
Information to include in your paper:
Introduction
Use National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/ to give general information 
School
Teacher’s name and characteristics
Grade level/subject
Type of class (inclusion, resource, regular education, etc.)
Student make-up of the class (ethnicity, gender, ethnicity, ELL, students with disabilities, and any other apparent attributes that are important to note)
Structure of the Learning Environment:
Physical environment
where was the class?
Describe the condition of the facilities.
What is posted on the walls?
How are displays arranged?
Are people shown in the displays?
List the different cultures (race, ethnicity, gender, ability/disability etc) that are included in the displays.
Purpose of the setting
why were the students there?
Who established the setting?
What did it intend to fill?
Culture
What can you see or hear that will tell you about the students’ culture? (race/ethnicity, gender, social class, ability/disability, religion etc).
Is your culture different from those in the setting?
With whom does the teacher make more eye contact (consider race/ethnicity, gender, social class, ability/disability, religion etc)?
Other Things to Consider: directness, politeness, humor, anger, approval, degree of formality, competitiveness, cooperativeness
Were any holidays celebrated?
How does this teacher’s classroom organization and teaching strategies meet different student needs? Is the classroom teacher-centered or student-centered? Why?
Who talks more, boys or girls? Minority or majority students? Rich or poor kids?
What are the characteristics of students who are usually silent?
Describe the kinds of clothes the students wear. What do clothes of students tell you about their cultural groups? Describe the different kinds of clothes that the different cliques wear. Do students ever challenge the teacher’s authority? What cultural group does it?
Social Class
Are you able to determine social class of the students you observe? How? Do you see any differences?
Language
Is Standard English used all the time?
Do you observe code-switching / register-switching?
Do students have a different language? How does this make you feel?
What are some social perceptions of the students’ language?
What modifications do you make to communicate effectively with students? (consider listening, speaking, reading, writing)
Are there ESL students in the setting? Are any bilingual programs offered in the school?
What is the students’ communication style?
Was body language used?
What is the supervisor’s communication style?
Gender
When observing boys and girls, what gender differences are you able to observe?
Think of the way children act, their choices of activities as well as friends, and their responses to various stimuli. Does the teacher treat boys and girls differently? In what way?
Ability/Disability
Is there ability grouping in the schools and in individual classrooms? If so, describe the differences in the way the groups are taught.
Are there any students with special needs? Are these students treated differently? If so, in what way? Is there a special room in the school for special education students?
Stereotypes and discrimination
What are the common prejudices and stereotypes applied to the students with whom you worked? Was there any evidence that they were aware of these?
Which stereotypes and prejudices might have been on your mind when you entered the setting?
Is there any evidence of segregation in the classroom or in the school on the basis of sex, race, religion, ability, or socioeconomic background? If so, who does the segregating–the teacher, the students, the administration?
Conclusion
Briefly answer the question: what have you learned from your field observations?
Please use the following naming protocol for your file:
LastnameFirstinitialObservation.docx
My Submissions
Part 1
Title Start Date Due Date Post Date Marks Available
Classroom Observation Report-Due Tues 5/21 9AM – Part 1 5 Mar 2024 – 18:42 21 May 2024 – 09:00 21 May 2024 – 09:00 100
Summary:
Write a 3-page minimum, error free paper in APA style about your observation and interview. Must be typed.
Observe the activities and characteristics of the classroom.
Describe your observations in detail by using the guide below (write in paragraph form – not question/answer).
Include interview with teacher if necessary to complete the assignment (write in paragraph form – not question/answer). If a topic is not observed, you will have to talk to the teacher to glean information.
Include any additional comments that you want to make about your visit.
Describe how this assignment will affect you as a teacher in the future. What did you learn?
Submit the completed log and contact information from the teacher you observed with your report.
Report should be clear, detailed, error-free, at least 3 pages, written in paragraph form following the APA style guidelines.
The following assignment must be submitted as a Word document. Google docs cannot be opened. The professor cannot grade what cannot be opened. Failure to submit this assignment as a Word document may result in a zero for your grade.
The student will examine the issues facing schools in today’s diverse society, including socioeconomic distinctions, gender, race, ethnicity, language differences special education and the changing standards for future educators. The student must discuss each of the aforementioned topics and refer to primary or secondary resources for reference. The student uses primary and secondary resources which include data.
Information to include in your paper:
Introduction
Use National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/ to give general information about the school and the classroom you observed.
School
Teacher’s name and characteristics
Grade level/subject
Type of class (inclusion, resource, regular education, etc.)
Student make-up of the class (ethnicity, gender, ethnicity, ELL, students with disabilities, and any other apparent attributes that are important to note)
Structure of the Learning Environment:
Physical environment
where was the class?
Describe the condition of the facilities.
What is posted on the walls?
How are displays arranged?
Are people shown in the displays?
List the different cultures (race, ethnicity, gender, ability/disability etc) that are included in the displays.
Purpose of the setting
why were the students there?
Who established the setting?
What did it intend to fill?
Culture
What can you see or hear that will tell you about the students’ culture? (race/ethnicity, gender, social class, ability/disability, religion etc).
Is your culture different from those in the setting?
With whom does the teacher make more eye contact (consider race/ethnicity, gender, social class, ability/disability, religion etc)?
Other Things to Consider: directness, politeness, humor, anger, approval, degree of formality, competitiveness, cooperativeness
Were any holidays celebrated?
How does this teacher’s classroom organization and teaching strategies meet different student needs? Is the classroom teacher-centered or student-centered? Why?
Who talks more, boys or girls? Minority or majority students? Rich or poor kids?
What are the characteristics of students who are usually silent?
Describe the kinds of clothes the students wear. What do clothes of students tell you about their cultural groups? Describe the different kinds of clothes that the different cliques wear. Do students ever challenge the teacher’s authority? What cultural group does it?
Social Class
Are you able to determine social class of the students you observe? How? Do you see any differences?
Language
Is Standard English used all the time?
Do you observe code-switching / register-switching?
Do students have a different language? How does this make you feel?
What are some social perceptions of the students’ language?
What modifications do you make to communicate effectively with students? (consider listening, speaking, reading, writing)
Are there ESL students in the setting? Are any bilingual programs offered in the school?
What is the students’ communication style?
Was body language used?
What is the supervisor’s communication style?
Gender
When observing boys and girls, what gender differences are you able to observe?
Think of the way children act, their choices of activities as well as friends, and their responses to various stimuli. Does the teacher treat boys and girls differently? In what way?
Ability/Disability
Is there ability grouping in the schools and in individual classrooms? If so, describe the differences in the way the groups are taught.
Are there any students with special needs? Are these students treated differently? If so, in what way? Is there a special room in the school for special education students?
Stereotypes and discrimination
What are the common prejudices and stereotypes applied to the students with whom you worked? Was there any evidence that they were aware of these?
Which stereotypes and prejudices might have been on your mind when you entered the setting?
Is there any evidence of segregation in the classroom or in the school on the basis of sex, race, religion, ability, or socioeconomic background? If so, who does the segregating–the teacher, the students, the administration?
Conclusion
Briefly answer the question: what have you learned from your field observations?
Please use the following naming protocol for your file:
LastnameFirstinitialObservation.docx

Franke  provided here to show examples of a peer-reviewed article detailing a research study that is related to education and specifically, student learning. 
Franke et al. (2009 ): Teacher Questioning – Sample Research Article  Download Franke et al. (2009 ): Teacher Questioning – Sample Research Article
Use the article above to complete this review template in detail.
Research Article Review Template Download Research Article Review Template
This exercise is intended to help you analyze a study while determining the important pieces of information that would be common to research studies in general.  Note: Next week you will be using this template, in a different format, to analyze a peer reviewed journal article of your choosing.