The main objective of the paper is to develop a Reflective Teaching Model for Reading Comprehension (RTMRC) in English Language Teaching (ELT). In recent decades, the concept of 'reflection' has become widely used in relation to an effective teaching process in various contexts, such as reflective teaching, reflective practices, reflective…

The use of therapy dogs as an animal-assisted education (AAE) intervention in the early childhood special education classroom (ECSE) is a growing phenomenon. Research reflects the potential of using canines to support the academic and functional performance of young students with disabilities. Using therapy dogs in a classroom setting to support…

The goal of teacher professional development should not only be to improve knowledge of the subject matter, but also to provide opportunities for teachers to reflect on their own teaching practices and consider how they can better support learners in their classrooms. For professional development to be effective and purposeful, it must support…

The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards calls upon social studies teachers to enhance the rigor of civics, economics, geography, history and the other social studies disciplines while building the critical thinking, problem solving, and participatory skills of students to help them become actively…

This contribution takes stock on the emergence of competence-based education in European Union (EU) countries. The article explains how economic constraints but also educational motives led educational policies and systems in the EU to shift to competence-based education. The related instructional frame and concepts are presented, as are the major…

From 1998 to 2008, the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) offered its employees a variety of options for formation, a type of reflective practice. The district encompasses 10 locations, seven of them independently accredited colleges. Formation is based primarily on Parker Palmer's model for Circles of Trust as described in "A…

This essay, drawn from theory, research, and the author's practitioner research as a teacher educator, proposes a framework to inform teacher educators' conceptualization and implementation of socially just teaching. The framework suggests that building on dispositions of fairness and the belief that all children can learn, a socially just teacher…

A video club is a group of teachers who meet on a regular basis to view and discuss video segments from their classrooms. In a video club, the group establishes the goals, then tapes and selects the video segments for viewing. A video club is a fairly simple way to use technology for teacher learning. Video captures classroom interactions that…

At one Illinois elementary school, student portfolios have been a powerful vehicle for understanding what students know and understand about standards. Before developing a portfolio, educators should listen to children as they evaluate others' accomplishments and encourage conversations and reflections that affirm students' sense of competence.…

Examines implementation of the California Formative Assessment and Support System for Teachers (CFASST) within local California Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) programs using data from six case studies and highlighting how local BTSA program directors thought about and acted to implement CFASST. The study illustrated the essential…

The Penn Department of Chemistry established a strong relationship with regional school districts to develop a unique program for current secondary science teachers, resulting in the June 2000 implementation of the Master of Chemistry Education (MCE) Program. The program has equipped teachers with the tools to conduct this inquiry, thus yielding…

This paper describes a collaborative action research approach used to explore peer observation of teaching (POT) within the online environment. Although POT has become familiar in face-to-face teaching contexts, little is understood of its potential role in online settings. We conducted "virtual" focus groups to explore the experience…

Examines some popular models of peer observation and their potential drawbacks and discusses the implementation of a more active and reflective model, where the focus is less on the observed and more on the active self-development of the observer. Relevance to staff development is also considered. (LRW)

Widespread dissatisfaction caused a Nevada district to reexamine and revamp its teacher-evaluation process. The new system, which assumes teacher participation in goal setting helps teachers become self-reflective practitioners capable of adjusting their practices, has four domains: planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and…

This paper introduces a Chinese teacher induction program. In China it is believed that formal teacher education constitutes only half of teacher preparation; the other half has to be accomplished on the job with the active support and involvement of the teaching community. The voice of teachers is introduced to the field of educational research…