In this article, we describe how our general and special education faculty collaborated to infuse the Universal Design for Learning framework into our special education preparation program, a dual-licensure special education and elementary education (K-6) undergraduate degree program. We describe the curriculum reform processes and outcomes of the…

Opportunities to utilize 3D printing in the K-12 classroom are growing every day. This paper describes the process of implementing a 3D printing service in the Education Library of The University of Florida, Gainesville, a large, doctoral-degree granting, research university. Included are examples of lesson plans featuring 3D printing, creation of…

This article reports the research findings of teacher educator inquiry using qualitative methods examining how incorporating the topic of culture into the field seminar component of a newly developed urban school-university partnership influenced preservice teachers' abilities to become critically conscious. After analyzing preservice teacher…

An important feature of professional development school (PDS) work is encouraging collaborative reflective dialogue that guides a partnership toward actualizing the possibilities for and mission of a PDS. This article provides a case "illustration" of a fictitious, exemplary PDS and a "protocol" that in combination can be used…

Today, new and redesigned mentoring roles are being explored in teacher education programs. According to literature, having peers mentor less experienced colleagues can benefit both groups. In this study, 11 senior physical education majors served as mentors to 15 juniors. Mentoring sessions occurred during regularly scheduled classes for all.…

Educators struggle with "value-added" teacher evaluation models based on high-stakes student assessments. Despite validity and reliability threats, these models evaluate university-based teacher preparation programs (TPPs), and play a role in state and professional accreditation. This study reports a more rational value-added evaluation…

This policy brief outlines the Common Core implementation plans for 15 states, including the professional development and resources/tools--such as instructional materials, toolkits, frameworks, crosswalks, and curriculum guides--that each state is providing. The authors suggest that supplemental resources like McREL's Common Core…

Math experts developed Formative Assessment Lessons that teachers can incorporate throughout the year's curriculum. Both tools target the "instructional core." A study by Research for Action (RFA) examining the first year of piloting the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) and Math Design Collaborative (MDC) tools (2010-11) found…

The best science teachers are not only experts in teaching and knowledgeable about science content, but they are also great at teaching science. They have specialized teaching knowledge, including knowledge of effective pedagogical practices in science, student difficulties with understanding content, and curricular purposes. As a result,…

Written for teachers, coordinators, and supervisors, this manual describes the structural content of Project SELEP (Survival Skills in English Learning Experience Program). It indicates areas of concern in planning, establishing, and evaluating classes emphasizing survival skills for daily living appropriate for the foreign born adult in an…

This manual is designed for tutors who are helping to teach workplace literacy to job seekers or newly employed adults, especially former migrant farm workers in Florida. The manual is organized in five sections. The first section contains background material, including an overview of the program, and information about adult learners, migrant farm…

The purpose of this study is to discover Florida International University student teachers' perceptions and experiences about inclusive education during their student teaching internship. A total of 271 student teachers (all those enrolled in Spring 06 and Fall 06 student teaching) participated. A mixed methods design was utilized to analyze the…

With support from National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Goddard Space Flight Center, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) has developed educational materials that incorporate information and data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), a joint satellite mission between the United States and Japan.…

Describes Telecommunications Opportunities for Gifted Learners (TOGL), a state-funded project in Florida that links gifted programs in rural districts. The use of electronic mail and computer conferences is described; teacher education and training needs are discussed; and an example of a lesson plan that integrates online activities is given.…