Despite evidence that experience within practical coaching contexts serves as the principal knowledge source for coaches, academic (and professional) coach education programmes continue to be heavily taught along didactic lines. Such courses are often considered as fine in theory but divorced from the gritty realities of practice. The aim of this…

Dispute about professional doctoral programs in education has increased, with much hinging on the design of educational doctorate (EdD) programs. In this study, the first cohort of graduates responded to a new, innovative EdD program designed to develop them as leaders, scholars, and practitioners. Twenty graduates completed an exit survey, and a…

Purpose: The focus of this research is to understand the role of the district superintendent, the building principal, and the school leadership team of classroom teachers as catalysts for innovation in instruction and classroom assessment. School characteristics and structures designed to specifically support professional learning communities are…

How do second-language learners become successful readers and writers? This article examines the importance of social networks to English language learners' reading and writing development. It describes different family, peer, and virtual social networks that ELLs can utilize to engage in online and offline reading and writing (especially related…

The aim of this research was to investigate the value and purpose of Master Classes, from the perspective of Conservatoire students. Thirty-seven UK Conservatoire students responded to a questionnaire, providing information about their prior experiences of Master Classes, the factors that they considered to be important in a successful Master…

Leadership development, diversity, and collaboration are hallmarks of collaborative learning. The creation of learning communities requires everyone involved--students, faculty, and administration--to change how they think about teaching and learning. Everyone must value and work in an interdisciplinary manner and communicate effectively for these…

Few would argue that teaching in community--sharing ideas, constructively critiquing, talking out decisions--expands our knowledge, our experience, and our sense of support. There are some important differences, however, between talking with our teaching colleagues and talking to other stakeholders. Fredricksen urges us to hold these discussions…

A model for the holistic preparation of dance teachers is presented. The model includes four tenets: focus on the whole person, integrated curriculum, explicit identity development, and apprenticeships in relevant communities of practice. (Contains 1 figure.)

Developing online learning communities is a promising pedagogical approach in online learning contexts for adult tertiary learners, but it is no easy task. Understanding how learning communities are formed and evaluating their efficacy in supporting learning involves a complex set of issues that have a bearing on the design and facilitation of…

The ideas and examples in this book help teachers successfully collaborate to raise student achievement through the use of formative assessments. Here, Todd Stanley and Betsy Moore, educators with over 40 years of combined experience, offer proven formative assessment strategies to teachers in a professional learning community. Contents include:…

Now that federal and state initiatives require school districts to provide job-embedded professional development, the next step is making it happen. This book helps districts define, develop, and implement a systematic inquiry-based process with a laser-like focus on both adult and student learning. This book's inquiry model challenges educators…

Educators have employed numerous strategies to address the problem of inappropriate student classroom behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between the role of the teacher or expected function and the behavior of African American male students in the educational environment. The research questions were…

A recent study conducted by the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) has found that teachers who participate in high quality professional learning communities (PLC) are provided with on-going professional development that elicit focus on learning, a collaborative culture, collective inquiry, action orientation, commitment to continuous…

Fluency in information technology (IT Fluency) is a component of life-long learning necessary for a Liberal Arts student's post-graduate success in the global and digital economy. While challenging, promoting IT fluency at Liberal Arts colleges can be achieved through the integration of digital storytelling pedagogy in existing humanities…

The purpose of this study was to examine the decision-making processes of superintendents. Using a democratic lens and ethic of care, this researcher used a multiple case study design to examine two superintendents' perceptions of their processes. Analysis of interview data from the two cases showed that superintendents use a deliberative…