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The purpose of this study is to explain how performances are used within a flipped classroom environment in a university educational psychology class. This instructional approach also incorporates the concept of "integrated assessment" where assessment and instruction are intimately connected. Examples of student-led instruction using performances are provided. Results of a teacher-developed assessment administered during the past several years to elicit student evaluations of these instructional practices have provided evidence that using this instructional approach is effective for most but not all students.

The purpose of this study was to explore how perceptions of remembered instances of teacher caring in K-College impacted the motivation of a college student. Implications for teacher preparation programs and educational research were then drawn from these perceptions. The first part of the title "A Family Affair" stems from the fact that the authors are members of the same family--Father, Mother, and Son. Both the father and mother had prior knowledge of some (not all) of the instances of caring and non-caring described by their son and thus shared a privileged insider position that offered unique insights while cooperative peer checking was used both during and after the interview to help promote the trustworthiness of findings. It was found that the degree of caring shown by teachers had a profound influence on the participant's willingness to put forth effort especially in those courses that were not his favorite subjects which suggests that a strong connection exists between caring and student motivation. An important implication of this study is that teachers and those responsible for teacher preparation programs would benefit by being aware of the impact of caring on students' engagement and attitude toward learning. If the ultimate purpose of educational research is to contribute to effective teaching, then the "soft variable" of caring should be considered an important component of researcher preparation. It is hoped that readers will find this study to be transferable to the degree that it resonates with their own experience as teachers, students, and parents, and which we refer to as "experiential validity".

This study aimed to identify which aspects of online instruction are most and least effective for promoting learning in a cohort-based doctoral program. Four doctoral program alumni and a professor who participated in the inaugural online doctoral program at a medium-sized mid-Atlantic university conducted the study. The researchers used data from a self-reflective focus group to construct a questionnaire for collecting data from members of online cohorts. Respondents identified video lectures, instructor accessibility, independent projects, and case studies as the most effective instructional practices while wiki's, blogs, tests, personal rapport, and Q&A forums were deemed least beneficial. Based on these findings, suggestions are offered to improve online instruction and learning.

This article explores my journey from quantitative to qualitative researcher, including the effects this journey has had on my identity as well as on those whom I previously referred to as "subjects". "Identity" is examined from both an historical as well as from a self-dialogical, autobiographical perspective. Eleven "twists" that mark turning points and detours describe this journey, and this paper employs "voices" that offer contextual background and contradictory advice on the road towards methodological identity. These twists describe experiences as both teacher and student and readers are invited to join in this retrospective reflection in order to experience insights and new appreciations. The article concludes with a brief integration of the literature and contextual reflection as well as several questions that invite readers to consider issues related to methodological identity and implications for teaching and learning that arose as a consequence of this journey.

The authors focus on the critical role of assessment within a flipped classroom environment where instruction is based on constructivist learning theory and where desired student outcomes are at the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. While assessment is typically thought of in terms of providing summative measures of performance or achievement, it can also serve as a powerful tool for guiding both teaching and learning if it is artfully incorporated into the teaching/learning process; the authors refer to this as "integrated assessment." This integrated assessment/constructivist learning approach is described within the context of a flipped classroom environment and is consistent with student-centered teaching, less reliance on direct instruction, and the attainment of higher-level or deep learning.

This study sought to construct rich accounts of the remembrances of Catholic grade school and high school graduates in the USA related to their school experiences and the continuing impacts of these experiences on their lives. Ten former students (comprised of five males and five females) who graduated from Catholic schools in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and early 2000s were purposely selected using criterion sampling in order to gain an understanding of their perceptions and experiences as well as to compare and contrast these perceptions and experiences across decades and generations. Although not strictly based on a phenomenological approach, this study did try to elicit the lived experiences of these graduates in order to identify compelling concepts and themes.

LICHTMAN's 4th edition of "Qualitative Research in Education: A User's Guide" is a timely and clearly-written text that both new and experienced researchers will find useful. Although the title and many of the examples in the text relate to education, this book has applicability across different areas of qualitative inquiry. What is especially appealing is that the book is broken into three distinct phases: 1. Traditions, theory, and practice; 2. Planning your research; 3. Collecting, organizing, and communicating. These sections build on each other and this results in readers being able to actually plan and conduct their own qualitative inquiries. Readers will also find that the examples used throughout the text as well as the appendices complement the clear writing and explicit instruction. For all of these reasons, this text deserves serious consideration for any curriculum where qualitative inquiry is an essential component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents five key elements of school improvement: effective leadership, teachers at the center of improvement, shared outcomes, action research as staff development, and continuous assessment. These five elements recognize the central role of teachers in lasting school improvement. They can help unlock the full potential of educators so they can create the kinds of schools people want. (SM)

Describes a teaching method based on the need to identify important learning outcomes and integrate them throughout all stages of the teaching-learning cycle. Stages include pretesting, classroom instruction, outcomes, and long-term impacts. A fundamental principle is that students know what outcomes are expected and that teachers and students work together to achieve them. (Author/MSE)

Describes the movement to make new assessments powerful levers for school improvement, restructuring, and accountability. Suggests the dangers posed by accountability-inspired external assessments. The primary condition for effective assessment is that teachers, principals, and the community be at the center of the assessment enterprise. Profiles the Urban District Assessment Consortium's efforts to redefine accountability. (20 references) (MLH)

Bridges: Documents of the Christian-Jewish Dialogue. Volume I, The Road to Reconciliation (1945-1985). Volume 2, Building a New Relationship (1986-2013). Edited by Franklin Sherman. New York: Paulist, 201 I and [...]

Curriculum standards can help educators achieve important student outcomes. However, only through collaboration, empowerment, and leadership will meaningful school improvement occur. This paper examines the importance of (1) collaborative action research to help teachers assess and improve their own practice and (2) leadership support to encourage teachers in their efforts to become empowered in improving classroom curriculum and teaching. (SM)

Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf partnered with Carnegie Science Center and Duquesne University and received a grant to provide interactive multimedia in their classrooms. Teachers were trained in integrating technological tools for visual literacy into the curriculum. The creation of Interactive Technology Lab and the success of shared teacher-student responsibility proved crucial. (LAM)

The purpose of this study is to explain how performances are used within a flipped classroom environment in a university educational psychology class. This instructional approach also incorporates the concept of "integrated assessment" where assessment and instruction are intimately connected. Examples of student-led instruction using performances are provided. Results of a teacher-developed assessment administered during the past several years to elicit student evaluations of these instructional practices have provided evidence that using this instructional approach is effective for most but not all students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BEYOND THE WALLS: ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL AND EDITH STEIN ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EMPATHY FOR JEWISH-CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE. By Joseph Redfield Palmisano, S.J. New York: Oxford University, 2012. Pp. x + [...]