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Exploring Etymology Assignment Description
David Wolff
The English language is a borrowed language, a blend of words from many languages from around the world. We see this in the various ways sounds are represented by letters and letter combinations. In transparent or shallow orthographies, there is high predictability and consistent letter-sound correspondence whereas in opaque or deep orthographies, there are many ways to spell the same sound as well as there are many sounds for the same spellings (Burkins & Yates, 2021; Moats, 2020). This assignment description is a guided inquiry for preservice teachers to explore the concept of etymology by watching and reflecting on six TED Ed Talks.
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Fish in a Tree Book Study Assignment Description
David Wolff
Individuals lead storied lives, and everyone has a story to tell. Our stories can be shared orally and documented in print. Often, learners are exposed to stories through novels and other trade books. Teacher educators may benefit from using the stories in novels and trade books as case studies in preservice teacher preparation course. This assignment description outlines how to use the novel, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, as a case study to contextualize and understand the lived story of an individual living and learning with dyslexia. Through the novel, preservice teachers experience the dilemmas faced and celebrations experienced as faced by the protagonist, Ally. Case studies are an effective teaching strategy for students in teacher education. Willems and Gonzalez-DeHass (2017) assert that case studies are a “vehicle to prepare preservice teacher for future classroom decision making” (p. ix). Further, Gorski and Pothini (2018) stated “case method’s effectiveness in deepening critical thinking abilities, problem-solving skills, and other competencies in professionals from a variety of fields” and allow us to “muddle through the gray areas [practical solutions to complex problems] by considering all that makes them gray” (p. 6).
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Home of the Brave Book Study Assignment Description
David Wolff
Individuals lead storied lives, and everyone has a story to tell. Our stories can be shared orally and documented in print. Often, learners are exposed to stories through novels and other trade books. Teacher educators may benefit from using the stories in novels and trade books as case studies in preservice teacher preparation course. This assignment description outlines how to use the novel, Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate, as a case study to contextualize and understand the lived story of an individual learning a second language and living in a new country. Through the novel, preservice teachers experience the dilemmas faced and celebrations experienced as faced by the protagonist, Kek. Case studies are an effective teaching strategy for students in teacher education. Willems and Gonzalez-DeHass (2017) assert that case studies are a “vehicle to prepare preservice teacher for future classroom decision making” (p. ix). Further, Gorski and Pothini (2018) stated “case method’s effectiveness in deepening critical thinking abilities, problem-solving skills, and other competencies in professionals from a variety of fields” and allow us to “muddle through the gray areas [practical solutions to complex problems] by considering all that makes them gray” (p. 6).
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Language Learning Simulation using Duolingo Assignment Description
David Wolff
It is likely that preservice teachers will work with students learning English as their second (third, fourth, etc.) language. For preservice teachers to better understand the language learning process, Duolingo was used to simulate the learning experience. The assignment description outlines how preservice teachers can reflection pre-simulation and post-simulation about what they learned about language learning.
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Unlocking Understanding about Giftedness
David Wolff
The goal of undergraduate teacher preparation programs is to prepare future teachers to work with all learners. Gifted and talented learners are likely found in every classroom regardless of where they reside, however, according to Rinn et al. (2022), Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Nebraska do not require undergraduate teacher candidates to take university coursework on gifted education. The goal of this presentation is to provide a general overview of gifted education specific to Kansas. This presentation aims to address myths and misconceptions about gifted education and gifted learners, characteristics of gifted learners, a basic overview of a general identification process, and strategies to unlock preservice teachers’ understanding about gifted learners and gifted education.
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Virtual Learning Walks Assignment Description
David Wolff
Learning Walks are structured walkthroughs with the purpose of professional development and growth. Learning Walks include multiple people so that immediate reflections may occur through collaboration. In higher education, model classrooms are not readily available for preservice teachers to practice and apply coursework knowledge. Virtual Learning Walks are a creative approach to resolve this challenge. This assignment asks preservice teachers to watch a recorded lesson with the mindset that they are visiting a colleague’s classroom to observe them for professional growth. Students take notes during the observation then analyze the observation for their own growth.
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Moving Through: Supporting Preservice Teachers’ Transition through College to the Profession using Homerooms
David Wolff, Mark Diacopoulos, Alexis Durman, Alexis Monks, Madison Adamson, and Kim Ballew
Preservice Teachers at Pitt State undergo a significant transition from student to professional. Faculty in the College of Education created a weekly Homeroom to support this shift, covering topics like goal setting, power dynamics, generational differences, self-care, identity charts, and time management. Preservice Teachers’ experiences will be shared.
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Diminishing the Researcher Imposter Syndrome among Teacher Education Faculty
David Wolff, Donna Zerr, and Carissa Gober
We will share our journey of moving beyond our one-hit wonder of the dissertation and the imposter syndrome of being academic researchers. We developed a professional learning community to collaborate, support, lament, and celebrate scholarship. Attendees will learn our intentional processes and resources to progress in your writing journey.
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Creating a Gifted-Friendly Classroom
David Wolff
The goal of undergraduate teacher preparation programs is to equip future teachers to work with all learners. Gifted and talented learners are likely found in every classroom regardless of where they reside. According to Rinn et al. (2022), Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Nebraska do not require undergraduate teacher candidates to take university coursework on gifted education. The goal of this presentation is to provide a general overview of gifted education specific to Kansas. This presentation aims to address myths and misconceptions about gifted education and gifted learners, characteristics of gifted learners, a basic overview of a general identification process, and strategies to create a gifted-friendly classroom.
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Exploring Professional Dispositions with Preservice Teachers Assignment Description
David Wolff
The dispositions needed to be an educator is vast. Some dispositions come naturally to teacher candidates and others are nurtured by teacher education programs. According to the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (2008), professional dispositions expected of teacher candidates include “the ideal of fairness and the belief that all students can learn (p. 22). This assignment provides teacher candidates an opportunity to explore, analyze, and discuss various professional dispositions needed by educators using six examples of children’s literature, all of which by the author, Patricia Polacco.
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Journey “Box” Assignment Description
David Wolff
The Journey “Box” allows preservice teachers to explore and share their own historical narrative as they different aspects of their own family’s journey to America. The Journey “Box” first asks preservice teachers to explore themes by reading children’s literature and then positions preservice teachers as interviewers as they seek out different facets of their family’s historical narrative from members of their family. Preservice teachers then use their experience with a Journey “Box” to design an inquiry that could be used in their field experience. The Journey “Box” integrates social studies standards and best practices with ELA standards.
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Student with Twice-Exceptionalities IEP Meeting Assignment Description
David Wolff
General education teachers should remember that all students are general education students, first. We need to be prepared to work with students of all abilities in our classrooms. As general education teachers, we have an active role on a child’s IEP team and an active role during the IEP meeting. This assignment asked preservice teachers to develop a script of what they would say at an IEP meeting of one character from four different novels that would be considered a child with twice-exceptionalities.
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The Journey Box: Promoting Language Development while Exploring One’s Identity
David Wolff
A Journey Box allows students to explore and share their family’s historical narrative using primary sources like interviews and artifacts. Students explore different facets of their own family’s history and journey to America while engaging in a larger shared experience among classmates to understand different perspectives. The Journey Box develops oral and written language skills while supporting individual’s exploration of their culture and identity.
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Magnetic Hallway Huddles: Attract and Retain High-quality professionals
David Wolff, Carissa Gober, and Donna Zerr
This presentation was conducted for a national conference about mentoring. The authors discussed Tinto’s Model of Institutional Departure and Schlossberg’s Model for Analyzing Human Adaptation to Transition as theoretical frameworks to explain the transition and retention of university professors. The focus on the study was the three authors who transitioned to the same university during the 2022-2023 academic year. Authors discussed their experiences of the transition and found themes related to the mentoring process that that acclimated them to the institution and influenced their retention.
A collection of Open Educational Resources created by professors at Pittsburg State University.
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