Since the rise of state assessments whose primary function is to yield scores that can be used to compare schools and groups of students, most states have developed their state assessment programs under the assumption that either: (a) state tests are not intended to meaningfully shape instruction, or (b), if they are, the information provided in…

In this article, the author examines how the New York State Social Studies Resource Toolkit supports argument discourse in social studies and then explores a primary teacher's curricular and instructional decisions regarding the development of children's argumentation skills. The study provides insights into how teachers can involve some of our…

This article discusses classroom conditions that support the co-creation of dialogic space--where our different ideas and perspectives are in conversation with others such that we might take in what other people are saying and be open to it affecting our thinking. Drawing on ethnographic case study data, we provide context to illustrate ways this…

A significant movement is underway across the nation to design K-12 assessment systems that better equip stakeholders to provide an equitable and excellent education to each child. While some of these innovations emerged before the pandemic, the massive disruption to instruction fueled a new urgency to rethink the potential of assessments to drive…

Many powerful teaching techniques have not yet fully transitioned from face-to-face use to the new remote instructional paradigm forced on teacher educators and teacher candidates during the pandemic. Experiences by candidates and by instructors in this new environment need to be compiled and shared as we head forward into structures and…

This paper describes the course outline for a three credit hour nonlaboratory course in Environmental Health Chemistry which was taught from 1981 until 2008 at the State University of New York College at Oneonta. The purpose of this paper is to share the lecture outline in the hopes that it might be useful to others who are preparing to teach…

Digital storytelling (DST) dovetails well with facilitative teaching and is frequently lauded as an avenue to positive outcomes within and outside of educational institutions. Ascribed results include empowering marginalized voices, building community and fostering engagement, deepening cultural identity and understanding, engendering empathy, and…

As the country continues to transition into a new normal because of the the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that schools and educators adopt a "whole child" approach to education, incorporating teaching methods that account for the ways that children grow and learn in their relationships, identity, emotional understanding, and overall…

This article shares a strategy for supporting faculty engagement and wellbeing. During the online faculty development sessions at Columbia University's School of Social Work (CSSW), online faculty and staff have the opportunity to give short presentations about a teaching and learning technique they have tried. Over the past five years, this…

This article focuses on teaching and mentoring course-based undergraduate research in a vocationally focused higher education setting. At the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), students are immersed in hands-on experiential classes. Their education begins with basic culinary techniques, and they gradually progress toward more specialized cooking…

For more than three decades, educational professionals and researchers have warned about the impending teacher shortage in America's public school system. As we are currently in the midst of the shortage, school districts are facing the reality of fewer qualified teachers and filling the teaching gaps. This is especially evident in high-poverty…

This article describes the experiences of Molloy College teachers in the field and alumni who joined teachers in their respective Long Island districts to transform education and provide service and leadership during COVID-19 school closures. The COVID-19 experience taught the alumni and all educators a few things about online teaching that…

Questions of how to support students in conversation across and about different perspectives regularly appear in discussions about civic engagement. Students with clear political positions and a desire to engage with political institutions, however, are themselves a rarified group on many campuses. The gulf between students who seek to engage…

The Mathematics Department at Cornell University has recently secured a grant from the University to implement systemic change in how we teach courses that reach students at critical transition points in their mathematical development. In this article, we report on the changes made to our large multi-section first-semester calculus course in order…

The authors of this article have participated in intensive professional development in the Peruvian Amazon and brought this firsthand experience of the rainforest back to their classrooms. However, the activities presented in this article are designed to be accessible and inspirational to "all students," regardless of whether they or…