Today's academic librarian is frequently called upon to function as a subject specialist, with or without advanced degrees in other disciplines. One method of monitoring trends within a given field is to study its literature; another is to attend conferences in the discipline. Discipline-specific conference attendance by academic librarians…

Cross-generational learning teams that bring together novice teachers with veteran teachers would address problems at both ends of the teacher pipeline--and benefit student learning at the same time. In this cross-generational learning team, each member brings different skills to support a child's learning--some bring deep science content…

In many schools, the school librarian is solely responsible to ensure the implementation of the school's reading program, technology plan, and information skills training. It may be a worthy goal to be a superhero, but school librarians should understand that they don't have to do all this alone. A school Literacy Committee can be a tremendous…

This paper explores the ways in which the concept of identity has been conceptualised and studied within science education. The Personality and Social Structure Perspective is used to examine the attention paid by researchers to three levels of identity analysis: "personality", "interaction" and "social structure". Tracing the development of…

The Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) Yearbook, Volume 34, includes papers presented at the annual conference, which have gone through a double peer review process. It also includes the Presidential Address and the keynote addresses given at the conference. For ALER's 55th annual meeting, the Association of Literacy…

Today's educational environment requires teachers who understand teaching and learning, have strong content knowledge, and can make connections between life experiences and the curriculum. Teachers are expected to be continually learning to improve their practice. Professional learning is essential in this process. Research on professional…

Increasing student achievement is at the forefront of the school reform movement. Today's educators are called upon to raise academic standards to the highest level in history with common core standards that align with international benchmarks. One of the most rapidly-growing improvement efforts in today's schools is the development of…

The purpose of this case study was to generate new knowledge to learn about programs and practices that promote the acquisition of 21st century skills at a school. The study identified programs, pedagogical methods, and instructional practices of Charles Summon Elementary School that have contributed to the school's ability to prepare its…

Parents, K-8 teachers, and 4th-8th grade children participated as equals in math-focused learning communities through the Math and Parent Partners (MAPPS) program. Pre/post testing and qualitative interviews revealed that the learning communities served as a platform for improvement in mathematical knowledge for teaching of participating teachers.…

This article describes a learning community designed for university students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors at the University of Southern Maine. The Learning Community (LC) seminar is a credit-bearing class and part of a pipeline of supports and services for high school and college students with…

This research investigated the factors in the learning community that reportedly contributed to the help-seeking behavior of children, specifically the relationship between juvenile crime victimization and help-seeking behavior. Students were interviewed using a questionnaire, which assessed their victimization history, their experience with…

The Crimson Connections Learning Community was designed as a means of providing support to a select population of students as they became members of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) community. The program provided students who were exploring majors with a shared experience, strived to blend the academic and residential experience, and…

Over the last 2 decades, Irish schooling and society have gone through a period of significant structural and policy-driven change. To meet the emerging needs of the knowledge/learning society, schools and teachers are challenged to develop their capacities as "active learning communities". This places greater demands on teachers and…

In an effort to improve its mathematics education, the state of Georgia instituted a performance-based curriculum in the high schools during the 2008 school year. With the implementation of this new curriculum, teachers needed resources and the opportunity to collaborate regularly. The problem this project-based study addressed was how to refine a…

Collaboration among novice special education teachers and their general education colleagues can bolster the impact of induction programs for all novice teachers, including special education teachers. Strong, supportive collaborative structures also can influence novice special education teacher retention. A Professional Learning Community--the…