Explores aspects of implementing an elementary professional development school (PDS) with a faculty of 80 teachers over a 1-year period. Findings of this ethnographic case study report the visions of teachers in this PDS, the processes that impacted the sharing of teachers' visions, and the PDS efforts that encouraged teachers to explicate and…

Describes how teachers can set up high-quality classroom libraries that motivate students to read. Suggestions include assessing student needs; acquiring reading materials (through book clubs and donations from students and families); and being actively innovative so the library remains fresh and dynamic (e.g., by adding shelves, offering a wide…

Spreadsheets can help teachers manage a variety of routine tasks with ease. From creating class lists to taking surveys and graphing results, spreadsheet programs have limitless classroom potential. This article offers six ways to put spreadsheets to work, including class lists, all-about-me surveys, name tags, calendars, skill-building games, and…

Studied the preconditions and obstacles to building network contacts for two teams of five Finnish elementary school teachers each. Results show that breaking traditional patterns of teacher work, especially the tradition of single- handed lesson planning and implementation, results from team work in building a shared object. Results show the…

From ratings of children's learning activities by 209 elementary teachers in Singapore, four factors emerged: conventional activities, motivational activities, student-directed activities that foster independence and collaboration, and teacher-directed group activities. Beginning teachers preferred motivational activities. The current environment…

The experience of a fifth-grade teacher shows how her identity as a lesbian makes a positive difference in the classroom, making her class a safe place in which students can question culture and take a stand. (SK)

Examines factors that influence personal science teaching efficacy and science teaching outcome expectancy in elementary teachers. Data collection methods included questionnaires and interviews. Results indicate that preservice and inservice experiences, such as success in high-quality science courses and workshops, access to resources and time,…

Discusses the need for technological literacy and offers a proposed teacher preparation model specifically designed to help elementary education teachers integrate technological literacy across the curriculum. (JOW)

Investigated the distribution of teacher qualifications and professional growth opportunities across elementary schools of varying poverty levels. Teacher survey data indicated that there were no significant differences in teacher qualifications across low-, middle-, and high-poverty schools. Significant differences emerged in professional growth…

Interviews with 17 technology teacher education programs found that 5 require elementary technology concepts courses; all use a hands-on approach; 7 provide inservice training for elementary teachers. They identified difficulties in promoting awareness of elementary school technology education and working with colleagues in other fields. (Contains…

Examined the effects of classroom-based performance assessment-driven instruction (PA) with 16 teachers randomly assigned to PA and no-Pa conditions. Results show PA-driven instruction can increase teachers' understanding of what PA is and how it might be used to improve mathematics instructional decisions. (SLD)

Examined the organization for differentiation in the teaching of core subjects at Key Stages 1 and 2 in primary schools in Northern Ireland. Response to teacher (n=400) and subject coordinator (n=150) surveys showed the ways teachers made provisions for a range of student ability and the teaching strategies used to provide differentiated learning…

Examines the beliefs of preservice elementary teachers toward science and science teaching. Analysis of the interview responses yielded both interesting and, at times, predictable patterns. Descriptors used by study participants were overwhelmingly negative, suggesting that negative feelings overshadow achievement in science as an influence on…

This book excerpt reports on opinions of African-American teens about the qualities of outstanding teachers, their best and worst elementary teachers, and teacher expectations of them. Most believed that teachers liked and cared about them and expected success. Upper-elementary teachers were often rated worst. Outstanding teachers explained well,…

A study of 228 effective and 71 ineffective primary literacy teachers and observation of teaching (n=28, 10) identified primary characteristics of effectiveness: contexualized use of a range of literacy skills and knowledge and making explicit the purposes and process of literacy through modeling and demonstration. (SK)