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ALL DAY KINDERGARTEN:
All Day Kindergarten or Full Day Kindergarten is defined as a kindergarten program operating in a school setting for the entire session of the school day (or at least 5 hours per day) and for all five days per week. It is expected to be much shorter than the extended day of the childcare center.
UT Contact: Ms. Amy Allen at amy.allen@utoledo.edu or 419.530.4046
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BULLIES:
Bullies are individuals who direct considerable aggression toward others. Typically, bullies victimize those whom they deem different from, or weaker than, themselves.
UT Contact: Dr. Lisa Pescara Kovach at lisa.pescara@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2048
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CHARACTER EDUCATION:
Character Education is the direct promotion of core ethical values (e.g., Honesty, fairness, responsibility, etc.) in the school environment. It requires an intentional, proactive, and comprehensive approach that promotes these values in all phases of school and community life.
UT Contact: Dr. Gerard Zam at gzam@utnet.utoledo.edu or 419.530.2204
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS / CHARTER SCHOOLS:
These are publicly funded schools that are operated independently from local public school districts (e.g., they constitute their own district, have their own school board, and develop their own curriculum, schedule, and mission). As public schools, they are subject to many of the same requirements as regular public schools (e.g., they cannot charge tuition, they cannot include religious instruction, and they must have certified teachers).
UT Contact: Dr. Lynne Hamer at lynne.hamer@utoledo.edu or 419.530.7749
CURRICULUM AUDIT:
Sometimes referred to as a Curriculum Management Audit, this activity includes an examination of the policies and practices for curriculum development, delivery, and effectiveness. This process includes an examination of the goals, and mission of a school district helping to provide an understanding of the gap between the intended outcomes and the actual performance of the learners.
UT Contact: Dr. Robin Rayfield at rrayfie@utnet.utoledo.edu or 419.530.5075
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EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY (also see Instructional Design Process):
This field studies a variety of areas: the design of instructional materials, the use of media and technology in the classroom, and the impact that technology, media, and instructional theories have on instruction.
UT Contact: Ms. Joanne Beriswill at joanne.beriswill@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2106
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FIELD EXPERIENCE:
Field experiences provide our teacher education candidates with different experiences in a wide variety of educational settings. Candidates initially observe and later fully participate in educational processes for children in these settings. Students are often supervised during their field experiences by experts who help them make connections between their field experiences and their specific academic teacher preparation program.
UT Contact: Ms. Jeanine Jechura at jeanine.jechura@utoledo.edu or 419.530.8558
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HIGH-STAKES TESTING:
Examinations in which passage or failure significantly impacts the development of the test taker are considered "high-stakes. High-stakes exams include proficiency tests (including the Ohio Proficiency Test) and most other exams envisioned under the "No Child Left Behind" protocol. These exams require passage for student promotion. Increasingly these tests are also high-stakes for teachers and school districts, as funding may be reduced through vouchers and academic probation may be imposed upon districts that fail to achieve minimal objectives. Other high-stakes examinations include those required for licensure.
UT Contact: Dr. Gregory Stone at gregory.stone@utoledo.edu or 419.530.7224
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INCLUSION:
Inclusion involves educating students with disabilities in general education settings. The general education setting is considered the primary placement for students who are included, the general education teacher maintains primary responsibility, and special services are considered ancillary. Students receive part of their instruction from special education teachers within the general education setting or in a special education classroom. The goal is that all students are considered an integral part of the larger learning community of the school.
UT Contact: Dr. Yvonne Goddard at yvonne.goddard@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2221
INFORMATION PROCESSING SKILLS:
Information processing skills provide a way for technology users to process, store, and retrieve information. These skills enhance computer literacy and familiarity with information systems. The ability to locate, analyze, organize, and evaluate information are essential skills that the life long learner can apply towards "self-directed" learning. Learning these skills provides knowledge for continual growth, success, and preparedness for a technologically changing work place and global community.
UT Contact: Maria Vasquez at maria.vasquez.utoledo.edu or 419-530-2063
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN PROCESS (also see Educational Technology):
The systematic process used to create instructional materials. The main phases of this process are: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
UT Contact: Ms. Joanne Beriswill at joanne.beriswill@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2106
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LICENSE:
A document issued by the State Board of Education to an individual who is deemed to be qualified to teach or practice in Ohio schools.
UT Contact: Tim Lewandowski at tlewand4@utnet.utoledo.edu or 419.530.5066
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NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION:
National Board Certification is an award given to teachers by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). The process or becoming Nationally Board Certified involves participating in an extensive series of performance-based assessments including teaching portfolios, student work samples, videotapes, analyses of classroom teaching and student learning, and completion of a series of written exercises that probe the depth of subject-matter knowledge, as well as understanding of how to teach. The evidence presented by teachers is measured against the rigorous standards set forth by the NBPTS and, if successful, the teacher is awarded certification for 10 years. Visit www.nbpts.org for further information about the NBPTS.
UT Contact: Ms. Amy Allen at amy.allen@utoledo.edu or 419.530.4046
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ACCREDITATION OF TEACHER EDUCATION (NCATE):
A non-profit, non-governmental organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accrediting body for professional education units in colleges and universities that prepare teachers and other professional personnel for work in elementary and secondary schools. NCATE is committed to the accreditation of units that prepare caring, competent, and qualified educators who demonstrate that they have a positive impact on student learning and the council supports continuous improvement through a peer- review process.
UT Contact: Dr. Linda Murphy at lmurphy3@utnet.utoledo.edu or 419.530.2399
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OHIO BOARD OF REGENTS (OBR):
The Ohio Board of Regents is an 11-member coordinating board created by the General Assembly in 1963. The Board provides higher education policy advice to the Governor and General Assembly. They develop strategy involving Ohio's public and independent colleges and universities. They advocate for and manage state funds for public colleges and coordinate and implement state higher education policies. The regents work with the State Board of Education (through its Joint Council) to develop a seamless primary, secondary and higher education system to prepare citizens for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
UT Contact: Dr. Virginia Keil at virginia.keil@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2491
OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (ODE):
The ODE is an education agency of the State of Ohio. The Department works in partnership with school districts to assure high achievement for all learners, promote a safe and orderly learning environment, and support efficient, effective, and continuously improving systems of learning. The ODE uses a business center approach in its organizational structure. The centers include: Curriculum and Assessment; the Teaching Profession; Students, Families, and Communities; School Reform and Options; Finance and Accountability.
UT Contact: Dr. Virginia Keil at virginia.keil@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2491
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PATHWISE:
Pathwise is an assessment tool for the evaluation of the classroom performance of student teachers and first-year teachers. Pathwise is built upon a framework of 19 essential teaching skills that have been identified by professional educators. This assessment system identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the student teacher or teacher. When weaknesses are identified, trained Pathwise professionals can provide coaching and assistance that fosters the growth and professional development of the student teacher or beginning teacher.
UT Contact: Dr. Virginia Keil at virginia.keil@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2491
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT:
Performance assessment describes a series of important tools by which society evaluates the abilities of the individual. Performance assessment evaluations may assess cognition (knowledge, comprehension, application, etc.) hands-on (psychomotor) skills or affect (interest) in the desired subject. Performance assessment includes all aspects necessary to succeed in whatever the "next step" (outcome) might be after the examination.
UT Contact: Dr. Gregory Stone at gregory.stone@utoledo.edu or 419.530.7224
PHONEMIC AWARENESS:
Phonemic awareness is the understanding that spoken words are made up of sequences of discrete speech sounds and the ability to hear, identify and manipulate these sounds in different ways. Children do not need to know the letters of the alphabet to acquire an understanding of how sounds come together to make words. They develop phonemic awareness gradually in early childhood, by participating in reading and writing activities prior to entering school. This knowledge becomes more advanced when children engage in literacy instruction involving reading aloud, writing and letter-sound associations.
UT Contact: Dr. Eileen Carr at ecarr@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2957
PHONICS:
Phonics is the study of the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and symbols (graphemes) for the purpose of learning to read and write. The value of letter-sound instruction is that it provides students with a means of deciphering written words that are visually unfamiliar. Research supports the importance of direct, explicit, systematic phonics instruction for children learning to read as part of a beginning reading program.
UT Contact: Dr. Eileen Carr at ecarr@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2957
PORTFOLIO:
Student papers or materials collected or created and organized in a compelling manner to demonstrate proficiency in or progress toward a purpose. Examples include professional development portfolios, assessment portfolios, and employment portfolios.
UT Contact: Dr. Bill Weber at william.weber@utoledo.edu or 419-530.5373
PRAXIS I:
An examination of reading, writing and mathematic knowledge prescribed by The University of Toledo prior to entry into Professional Education.
UT Contact: Tim Lewandowski at tlewand4@utnet.utoledo.edu or 419.530.5066
PRAXIS II:
An examination of content knowledge prescribed by the State of Ohio prior to being recommended for a license to teach or practice in Ohio schools.
UT Contact: Tim Lewandowski at tlewand4@utnet.utoledo.edu or 419.530.5066
PRAXIS III:
In 1996, the Ohio State Board of Education adopted The Teacher Education and Licensure Standards (Administrative Code 3301-24) which require performance-based assessment of beginning teachers and an entry year mentoring program. The Praxis III: Classroom Performance Assessment for Beginning Teachers (ETS, 1992) is centered around direct observation by a trained assessor of a lesson or instructional episode taught by a beginning teacher. The system uses three assessment methods:
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direct observation of classroom teaching
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review and analysis of written documentation (profiles of both the class and students and of the lesson to be taught) prepared by the teacher; and
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semi-structured interviews both before and after the observed lesson
Praxis III is the "high stakes" assessment used to determine state licensure decisions.
UT Contact: Dr. Virginia Keil at virginia.keil@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2491
PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING:
Principles of learning are well-established ideas about how we humans learn. These principles form a basis for designing effective methods of education and for understanding why particular individuals succeed or struggle at learning. The many principles of learning can be grouped into the following four general categories: behavioral, cognitive, sociocultural, and constructivist.
UT Contact: Dr. Kevin Pugh at kevin.pugh@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2565
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RENAISSANCE GROUP:
The Renaissance Group is a consortium of universities that stress university-wide responsibility for teacher education. The member universities are committed to providing high quality programs in teacher education. Core membership from each institution includes the president and provost of the institution in addition to the dean of the college of education.
UT Contact: Dr. Thomas Switzer at thomas.switzer@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2026
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SCHOOL FUNDING:
The term is generally used to refer to the process by which public funds from taxation by federal, state, and local governments are distributed to local school districts to be used to provide a free public education to the children whose parents are residents of the respective school districts. State constitutional and legislative provisions permit local school districts to obtain funds by passage of taxation issues, the majority of which relate to taxes on property. Slightly more than half of the revenues for schools in the United States are obtained from the states (50.7 percent). Local revenues contribute a substantial portion (42.4 percent), with the federal government share amounting to much less (6.9 percent). In recent years local school districts have obtained additional revenues from private sources through the creation of school/ business partnerships, foundations and other collaborative ventures with the community, business, and industry.
UT Contact: Dr. Sandra McKinley at sandra.mckinley@utoledo.edu or 419.530.4375
SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAMS:
Programs that aim to prevent rather than respond to school violence. Anti-bullying/violence prevention programs are optimal when elementary-aged children are involved. Successful prevention may eliminate the need for future intervention which is often less successful.
UT Contact: Dr. Lisa Pescara Kovach at lisa.pescara@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2048
STANDARDS:
Society creates standards in order to assess the success or failure of individuals to achieve what it defines as minimal competency. The manner in which such standards are set can be deliberate or arbitrary. In the mid-20th century, educators and testing bodies realized that standards should be based upon a set of knowledge and skills - a criterion. Criterion-referenced standards were developed to measure a test-taker's ability against some related yardstick. The manner in which standards are set, however, does not always live up to its promise. Most current standard setting models, for instance, fail to demonstrate validity, yet are commonly employed anyway. Fairness, equity and the establishment of "what is enough" are all important aspects of the standard setting movement.
UT Contact: Dr. Gregory Stone at gregory.stone@utoledo.edu or 419.530.7224
STUDENT TEACHING:
Student Teaching is a culminating full-semester clinical experience for candidates in teacher education programs. During a seminar course that is taken in conjunction with student teaching, teacher education candidates are supported in becoming reflective practitioners. Student teachers are placed in accredited, diverse settings with master teachers and are supervised by individuals who are experts in their field of study.
UT Contact: Ms. Jeanine Jechura at jeanine.jechura@utoledo.edu or 419-530.5885
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TARGETED VIOLENCE:
An incident in which an attacker selects a particular target prior to an attack. For example, school shootings such as those at Columbine and Santana High Schools are deemed targeted violence. In both instances, the shooter(s) had a list of potential victims. Individuals who commit acts of targeted violence in school are typically those who have been bullied. Other factors contribute to school shootings as well.
UT Contact: Dr. Lisa Pescara Kovach at lisa.pescara@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2048
TEACHER EDUCATION ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (TEAC):
TEAC is a non-profit, non-governmental organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. TEAC is committed to the accreditation of programs that prepare competent, caring, and qualified professional educators who can provide evidence of student learning. TEAC supports continuous improvement and quality control through an audit/verification process.
UT Contact: Dr. Linda Murphy at lmurphy3@utnet.utoledo.edu or 419.530.2399
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WHOLE LANGUAGE:
A philosophy or set of beliefs rather than an approach or technique. At its core is a focus on meaning and on children learning language through using it. Teaching emphasizes the whole to parts rather than parts to the whole, so in whole language classrooms students engage in "real" reading and writing rather than exercises in reading and writing. Assessment is based on children as they talk, read, and write versus standardized tests. Whole language does not preclude systematic teaching of skills to students who need them, but because this teaching is contextualized in real reading and writing, it may be less visible to parents and some educators.
UT Contact: Dr. Alexa Sandmann at alexa.sandmann@utoledo.edu or 419.530.2614 | 