Learning and Teaching Blog
Supporting English Learners in the Mathematics Classroom
Johannah Nikula has 14 years of experience designing and studying professional development for mathematics teachers. Her work has a special focus on helping teachers meet the needs of students from a variety of backgrounds and with different levels of English proficiency. Currently, Nikula is co-leading the development of materials to help middle-grades mathematics teachers support the mathematical learning and academic language development of English learners. In this post, she reflects on this work and shares some lessons learned.
Some Thoughts on Software for Teachers, Part 2
John Parris researches and designs software and prototypes for science, social studies, and interdisciplinary curricula. Currently, he oversees the technical development of the Electronic Teacher Guide (eTG), a National Science Foundation-funded effort to create digital science textbooks. In Part 1 of this two-post series, Parris introduced the concept of usability and discussed interface usability. Here he explores two other key dimensions of usability—classroom and professional usability—and suggests a set of steps to tackling usability in all three dimensions to design more useful and effective products for teachers.
Some Thoughts on Software for Teachers, Part 1
John Parris researches and designs software and prototypes for science, social studies, and interdisciplinary curricula. Currently, he oversees the technical development of the Electronic Teacher Guide (eTG), a National Science Foundation-funded effort to create digital science textbooks. In this two-post series, Parris suggests that we might gain from broadening our conception of usability as we design software for teachers. Parris begins the series by discussing interface usability, one of three dimensions of usability—interface, classroom, and professional—that, if attended to in the design of educational software, can result in more useful and effective products for teachers.
Spreading the Word about Successful STEM Education
Catherine McCulloch (pictured at left) and Barbara Brauner Berns, with a strong team from EDC and external partners, work to address national concerns about the gap between research and practice in K–12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Currently, they are playing key roles in STEM Smart, a two-year National Science Foundation-funded initiative to bridge STEM education research and practice. In this post, McCulloch and Berns reflect on this partnership with the NSF and National Research Council (NRC) to share findings and implications from the NRC report Successful K–12 STEM Education.
Use of Tech Tools Enhances Learning and Teaching in Russia
Daniel Light's research focuses on school reform and technology integration in school systems across the U.S. and around the world. Currently, Light and colleague Elizabeth Pierson are examining the use of technology in schools in Argentina, Russia, and Korea to gain insight into the many innovative ways that technology can be adapted to enhance teaching and increase learning in a wide variety of contexts. In this post, originally published in the Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation's newsletter, Light and Pierson share findings from their case study of teachers' use of technology tools in Russia.
Learning to Learn from Data
Kim Kastens, a natural scientist for over 20 years, has extensive expertise deepening understanding of the Earth and environment through teaching, curriculum development, professional development, and research on learning. She is keenly interested in building the data literacy skills of students and the general public to enable them to make sense of "big data." In this post, originaly published on Earth and Mind: the blog, Kim explores what might be required to create a learning progression—from middle school to college and careers—for learning from Earth Science data.
From Page to Screen: Lessons Learned from Digital Curriculum Design
Irene Baker has more than 20 years of experience in instructional design for high school science students and teachers. In several recent projects, she has worked on making digital enhancements to student and teacher curriculum materials. In this post, she shares her lessons learned from multiple examples of redesigning Foundation Science from a print curriculum to a digital curriculum.
Pakistan Invests in Training Teachers to Support Early Literacy, Pt. 2
Jacqueline Bourassa promotes the translation of research into practice to help teachers refine instructional practice and administrators implement school reform. As the Facilitator of the Early Childhood Education Research Alliance (REL, Northeast & Islands), she brings together early childhood stakeholders to create a shared research agenda that will ultimately improve the lives of young children. In this second part of a two-post series, Jacqueline reflects on the process used to develop guides to prepare pre-service education faculty in Pakistan to teach the nation’s primary grade teachers in reading instruction.
Pakistan Invests in Training Teachers to Support Early Literacy
Julie Hirschler is an expert in language and literacy development and has spent many years conducting research and professional development. She has particular expertise in the challenges of second language learners in the United States and around the world. In this first part of a two-post series, Julie describes the rationale and goals of collaborative work with education leaders in Pakistan to prepare pre-service faculty to teach the nation’s primary grade teachers in reading instruction—the first such course in the country’s history.
Supporting Students in Algebra
Josephine Louie has more than 15 years of experience conducting research in education and social science. Currently, she is studying the effects of EDC’s Transition to Algebra curriculum on students’ competence in algebra and attitudes toward mathematics. In this post, she describes the curriculum and shares some preliminary findings from her research.
New Curriculum Readies Students for Civic Life, College, & Careers
Eliza Fabillar's work has a special focus on inquiry- and project-based teaching and learning to build students’ critical thinking skills, particularly in secondary social studies, humanities, and English language arts classes. In this post, she shares her insights on the state of civics education and describes an EDC-developed Law and Justice curriculum that prepares students for college, careers, and civic life.
Strong PI/Evaluator Partnerships: A "User's Guide"
Dr. Leslie Goodyear brings more than 16 years of experience evaluating educational programs at the local, regional, national, and international levels. A former Board member of the American Evaluation Association, she served as a Program Officer at the National Science Foundation for two years. In this post, she describes a new, free online guide designed to help PIs smoothly navigate the program evaluation process.
Flu: The Science Behind the Headlines
Dr. Jackie Miller is a Principal Investigator of innovative science curriculum development projects funded by the National Science Foundation. Designed to "take the sigh" out of science, this post is part of a small series Miller is writing about amazing science—in the headlines, in our homes, and all around us.
Preparing Tomorrow’s Workforce Today
Joyce Malyn-Smith is a national expert on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career and workforce development. She has a deep knowledge of how learners develop skills to prepare for productive and rewarding work life, as well as a special interest in the innovation economy. In this blog post, written in recognition of Computer Science Education Week (December 9–15, 2012), she reflects on findings from her work and poses an important question.
More Power to You
Judith Zorfass is a national expert in literacy, technology integration, middle grades reform, e-learning, and professional development. For 25 years, she has built the capacity of educators to improve student learning and academic achievement. In this post, she describes her current work developing and field-testing PowerUp What Works, a website that helps leadership teams and teachers improve teaching and learning for students with disabilities and their classmates.
A Common Core for All: English Language Learners and the CCSS
Cerelle Morrow has more than 16 years of experience in classroom teaching, designing and implementing professional development, and developing curricula in the field of adolescent literacy and English language learners. In this post, she shares her insights on states’ progress and challenges in implementing the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards.
Helping Preschool Teachers Cultivate Young Scientists
Cynthia Hoisington, a Senior Curriculum/Instructional Design Associate, has extensive experience developing innovative instructional resources and instructing and mentoring early childhood teachers in language, literacy, and science education. In this post, she reflects on some interesting aspects of her work in the IES-funded Cultivating Young Scientists project.
Who Supports Staff Developers? Building the Expertise of Experts
Dr. Babette Moeller is the Principal Investigator of a wide range of R&D work focused on ensuring that elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students with disabilities are included in and benefit from educational reform efforts. In this post, she shares some preliminary findings from her current study on strategies to address staff developers’ needs and challenges.
Bringing History Alive with Online Primary Sources
Liz Farmer works with teachers and school leaders across the United States to build capacity for high-quality, research-based online learning programs. In this post, she discusses her work as the lead online course developer for a five-year Teaching American History project.
When Bad Things Happen to Good Bacteria
Dr. Jackie Miller leads innovative science curriculum development projects funded by the National Science Foundation. Designed to "take the sigh" out of science, this post is part of a small series she is writing about amazing science—in the headlines, in our homes, and all around us.
Possible Worlds: Exploring How Digital Games Can Support Conceptual Learning
Dr. Katie McMillan Culp, Co-PI of the IES-funded National Research and Development Center on Instructional Technology at EDC, is leading a team that is developing digital games that support students' science learning and studying how these games can be leveraged to deepen students' understanding of complex scientific concepts. In this post, Culp shares highlights of an IES PI meeting and discusses key aspects of the team's game development process and research.
Building Bridges to STEM Careers for Women
Lois Joy is the PI of a three-year National Science Foundation study that is examining how community colleges support women's entrance into engineering and computer science engineering technology education and careers. In this post, she shares some preliminary findings from the study and reflects on the implications of the findings.
New Strategies to Support Adult Learners and Educators
Alex Quinn is the Project Director of TV411.org, a unique website that helps adults gain the basic reading, writing, math, science, and finance skills they need to achieve their educational, career, and personal goals and supports adult educators. In this post, Quinn discusses the adult literacy challenges our country faces and shares TV411’s approach to meeting these challenges.
The Promise of Practitioner-Researcher Collaborative Research
Dr. Julie Kochanek is the Director of Research for the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands led by EDC. The REL-NEI conducts much of its work collaboratively with eight research alliances focused on key education reform issues. In this post, Kochanek shares current thinking regarding the goals and potential strengths of such alliances.
Keeping Pace as Mobile Learning Accelerates
Heidi Larson, Co-Director of the Regional Virtual Education Initiative for the New England Comprehensive Center, studies the impact of technology in professional development, student learning, and assessment. In this post, she discusses the evolving role of mobile devices in our lives and in education.
New Insights into Youth Motivation in STEM Learning
Sarita Pillai specializes in engaging underrepresented youth in scientific education and future careers by placing them at the center of design and development. In this post, Pillai shares highlights from a session she presented at the 2012 International Society for Technology in Education conference on a theoretical research framework for guiding future research on youth motivation in STEM.
Executive Functions in Education Research and Development: Why It Matters to Me
Dr. Jess Gropen is the Co-PI of three research projects funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. His work on executive functions in science, mathematics, and the language arts builds on exciting findings from contemporary research in cognitive science. In this post, Gropen reflects on the importance of executive functions in learning and their central role in his research.