Teachers Weekly - April 2011 Archives

Gym gone but not forgotten? Parents want more physical activity at school for kids (4/19/2011)

Childhood obesity affects 1 of every 6 kids in the United States, in part due to a lack of physical activity. Schools can play a key part in offering elementary-age kids lots of chances to be active -- on the playground during recess and when they're in gym. ...> Full Article

Teaching with technology: Researcher examines status quo, benefits of online learning in Canada (4/17/2011)

Michael Barbour, Ph.D., assistant professor of instructional technology at Wayne State University's College of Education and a resident of Windsor, Ontario, has spent the past three years conducting an ongoing study to evaluate ways in which Canadian students, like those in northern Ontario, are benefiting from the use of technology as a tool to provide distance learning. ...> Full Article

Creative, online learning tool helps students tackle real-world problems (4/16/2011)

A new computer interface developed at ISU called ThinkSpace is helping students use what they've learned in the horticulture classroom and apply it to problems they'll face when they are on the job site. The project, is led by a group of ISU faculty including Ann Marie VanDerZanden, professor of horticulture and associate director of ISU's Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. ...> Full Article

Giving teachers bonuses for student achievement undermines student learning (4/15/2011)

Recent efforts to improve teacher performance by linking pay to student achievement have failed because such programs often rely on metrics that were never intended to help determine teacher pay. These systems make it easy for policymakers to obtain consistent measures of student and teacher performance, but the same testing regimes also make it easy for educators to game incentive systems by coaching students for exams rather than teaching them to master subject matter. ...> Full Article

System aims to improve teachers and teacher training programs (4/14/2011)

A system that aims to compare, assess and improve teacher candidates and teacher training programs will be the subject of three papers presented by the University of California -- Riverside's director of teacher education at a national education conference during the next week. ...> Full Article

Convenience leads to corpulence (4/13/2011)

Two of the biggest influences on children -- parents and schools -- may unintentionally contribute to childhood obesity. That's the observation of Susan Terwilliger, clinical as­sociate professor in the Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University, who studies the problem. ...> Full Article

Non-traditional learning environments need clearer definitions, MU researchers say (4/12/2011)

What is the difference between e-learning, online learning and distance learning? University of Missouri researchers have found that even educators can't agree on what different forms of learning environments entail and, without some common definitions, it is difficult to study the best methods and provide students with accurate previews of courses. ...> Full Article

Research questions the educational possibilities of some TV and computer games (4/11/2011)

There is a considerable amount of interest among researchers, educationalists and from the games industry in the educational possibilities offered by video and computer games. Some of the arguments about this educational potential are about so called open-ended games, games where the players set their own goals or plans and chooses which way the game goes. Now a thesis from the University of Gothenburg reveals that as a mean to challenge pupils' ideas and values, then these open-ended games are not appropriate. ...> Full Article

Science 101: Different teaching fosters better comprehension (4/10/2011)

Introductory science courses -- in biology, chemistry, math and physics -- can be challenging for first-year college, CEGEP and university students. Science 101 courses can make or break a student's decision to venture into a scientific field or even pursue higher education. ...> Full Article

Researcher says instructors can reduce cheating by being clear (4/9/2011)

A new University of Missouri study says that the reasons students give for cheating are rational, and that stricter punishments won't solve the problem. Instead, teachers should communicate clear standards and provide consistent enforcement to reduce instances of cheating. ...> Full Article

Student confidence correlated with academic performance (4/8/2011)

The psychological construct of "confidence" was the foundation of new research that examined university students' confidence levels, then correlated these levels to academic performance. Students were asked to record their confidence levels related to course content at the beginning of a horticultural science class, then again at the end of the course. Researchers found that assessment results compared with the students' academic performance showed that change in confidence was an indication of student learning. ...> Full Article

Researchers say children need horticultural interventions (4/7/2011)

A new study recommends horticultural interventions in schools, especially in urban areas. Researchers compared urban and rural students' attitudes toward nature and examined perception differences between boys and girls. The results showed significant differences in the ways boys and girls experience plants and nature. While the girls said they appreciated the beauty of flowers and plants, more than 30 percent of boys in the study said they could live without vegetation. ...> Full Article

Writing assignments boost critical thinking skills for landscape design students (4/6/2011)

Higher-order thinking skills and the ability to integrate technical knowledge with practical applications are vital for employees, especially in today's challenging job market. Can reflective writing help undergraduate students develop these important skills? A new study from Iowa State University offers evidence that the teaching method can be an effective technique to enhance students' critical thinking skills in technical courses. ...> Full Article

Think twice about Dr. Seuss (4/5/2011)

A University of California, Riverside assistant professor of education will receive a national award next month for his article that raises questions about a new teaching model quickly being adopted by school districts. ...> Full Article

Poor behavior doesn't always lead to poor academics (4/4/2011)

Despite popular belief, a new study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (published by SAGE) finds that students who have poor behavior in the classroom do not always have poor grades. ...> Full Article