Foundations and Assessment of Education/Edition 1/Foundations Table of Contents/Chapter 9/Chapter FAQ/Peer Review Two

If someone's user name appears below, this peer review has already been "claimed" or completed. Please select another peer review slot or article. This article has been reviewed by: Alucy001 (talk) 00:08, 10 June 2009 (UTC) To evaluate this peer review, click on the Discussion tab above. PEER REVIEW TEMPLATE Use this template for your peer reviews. DIRECTIONS: You are required to complete TWO (2) peer reviews. Please take your time and provide effective, helpful feedback. Plan to spend 1.5 to 2 hours per review! Each peer review is worth 50 points and will be "graded" by the article's author. (Click on Discussion to see the rubric the author will use to grade your peer review.) You may only review articles written in the current semester (no articles with BOLD titles) As instructed above, be sure to sign your peer review with four tilde ~~~~. You will not receive credit for reviews that are not signed To complete this assignment, we suggest having two tabs/windows open in your browser (e.g. Internet Explorer): one with this peer review template and one with the article you are reviewing Starting the DAY AFTER the peer reviews are due, you may complete ADDITIONAL peer reviews for EXTRA CREDIT (25 points each). You MAY NOT complete any Extra Credit Reviews until that time. --- Part 1 - Article Components Learning Target(s) Answer the following questions regarding the learning targets: Is/are the stated learning targets actual learning targets i.e. they state what the reader should know or be able to do after reading the article? Yes Is/are the learning target(s) specific? Yes Is/are they appropriate and reasonable? (Are they too easy or too difficult for ECI 301 students?) They are reasonable. Is/are they observable? (You wouldn't have to look inside the readers head to know if they met this target.) Yes, they are observable. Does the article provide adequate information for readers to achieve these targets? Yes Please make a comment about the learning target(s). If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve them. Comment: I think that the learning target is effective because it describes what the student will be able to do by the end of the Chapter. It may only be one learning target, but I think that it is enough because it covers the entire section adequately. Grammar and Mechanics Review Please either paste the entire body of the article here or any sections that you feel need to be revised. To do this: go back to the module page for the article select "edit this page" highlight all the text, hit control "c" (or "copy" from the edit menu) navigate back to your peer review page click edit this page and paste the text into this window (use control "v" or paste from the edit menu) You may want to have Wikibooks open in two windows/tabs to make this process easier. Type your comments in ALL CAPITALS or in another color so the author can easily find them. Effective SChools Chapter FAQ's Susan Stone Learning Targets The student(s) will be able to discuss and analyze the characteristics associated with an effective school as demonstrated through the performances of students, teachers, and administrators. == Introducation == (MISSPELLING: INTRODUCTION) As we enter the world of education in the twenty first century schools(I THINK IT SHOULD READ "AS WE ENTER THE WORLD OF EDUCATION IN THE TWENTY FIRST CENTURY, SCHOOLS ARE FACED WITH MANY CHALLENGES.) today are faced with many challenges. These challenges are all encompassing. They include effective teaching, safe and orderly environment, classroom management, planning and instruction, and the overall professionalism and attitude of people in a school building. Today's schools are a reflection of the community that they serve. With the laboring economy that effects us all (MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE A COMMA HERE?) the work that has to be accomplished to create an effective school is more difficult then ever in the history of education. "The finest gift we can give our children is our heartfelt belief that they can succeed." -Lawrence W. Lezotte Chapter FAQ's Q: What are effective schools? A: "Effective Schools are schools that can, in measured student achievement terms, demonstrate the joint presence of quality and equity. Effective Schools demonstrate high overall levels of achievement and no gaps in the distribution of that achievement across major subsets of the student population" (Lawrence, Lezotte, & McKee,(2002). (I DONT THINK THAT THIS IS CORRECT APA FORMAT FOR A QUOTATION. THERE SHOULD BE A PAGE # OR PARAGRAPH #) For more information please refer to the following links: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_9/Content_Articles/9.3.1 http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_9/Content_Articles/9.3.2 Q: What is a Mentor? A: A mentor is someone a student can look up to and role model after.(MAYBE IT COULD BE WORDED "..CAN LOOK UP TO AS A ROLE MODEL) I (A) mentor is someone who is a trusted counselor or teacher and/or an influential senior and supporter (M SHOULD BE CAPITALIZED IN MENTORING)(mentoring, 2009). For more information please refer to the following links: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_9/Content_Articles/9.1.1 http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_9/Content_Articles/9.1.2 Q: What are Effective Teachers? A: "An effective teacher has three characteristics defines as having positive expectations for student success, is an extremely good classroom manager, and knows how to design lessons for student mastery" (Wong, H., & Wong, R., 1998). These three characteristics associated with an effective teacher are considered extremely important and must be put into place before an effective classroom can be achieved (Wong & Wong, 1999). (CHECK APA FORMAT FOR QUOTATION) Q: What is a Safe and Orderly Environment? A: The Student Wellbeing Branch (2006) states that safe schools are effective schools. Safe schools include a (MAYBE IT COULD READ: SAFE SCHOOLS HAVE AN ESTABLISHED DEFINITION OF BULLYING??) definition of bullying, an anti-bullying policy, and strategies for schools and parents on prevention and management. Q: What is Classroom Management? A: Effective schools have teachers who are effective with their classroom management skills. Classroom management is the ability of a teacher to organize everyday tasks, lessons, and assignment in such a way that students are actively engaged throughout the class period. (CHECK APA FORMAT FOR IN-TEXT CITATIONS. USE ONLY LAST NAME, NOT INITIALS) Wong, H., & Wong, R., states that "classroom management refers to all of the things that a teacher does to organize students, space, time, and materials so that instruction in content and student learning can take place"(1999). (CHECK APA FORMAT FOR QUOTE, PAGE NUMBER, ETC?) Q: How to have effective planning? (THIS IS NOT A QUESTION, NEEDS TO BE RE-WORDED) A: In effective schools everyone include (SHOULD BE INCLUDING) all professonal and classified staff members have to develop a plan. Those who do not plan find the school will have many behavior problems, off-tasked (OFF TASK) students, and general caious(SP=CHAOS)(Breaux, 2003). Q: Is attitude everything? A: Attitude is everything!! In effective schools(COMMA?) all building level personel(SP?) must have the attitude that all students will learn and be successfully(SUCCESSFUL). "Studnets should be treated with dignity while teachers carry themselves as a professional at all times and be the most enthusiastic person in the classroom" (Breauz, 2003). (APA FORMAT FOR IN-TEXT QUOTE?) For more information please refer to the following links: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_9/Content_Articles/9.5.1 http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_9/Content_Articles/9.5.2 Q: How the community is affected? A: Good school and community relations are an essential need (MAYBE IT SHOULD READ "...COMMUNITY RELATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL TO ESTABLISH..") to establish an effective school environement. Teachers and students must feel the support of their community. "Why is parent involvement so highly valued? (SHOULD THIS BE A NEW QUESTION HEADING?) Research shows that a correlate of increased levels of parent involvement is an increase in student achievement (REWORD?) (Epstein, 1995; Flaxman & Inger, 1992; Hickman, Greenwood, & Miller, 1995), as well as improved student attendance and reduced dropout rates (Berger, 1991; Greenwood & Hickman, 1991). (CHECK APA FORMAT, I THINK YOU SITE THE AUTHORS AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE?) These are desirable outcomes from an "educentric" perspective, however they fall short of fully addressing the National Educational Goal to "increase parental involvement and participation in promoting the social, emotional, and academic growth of children" (APA QUOTE FORMAT?) (Dunlap & Alva(COMMA) 1999). For more information please refer to the following links: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_9/Content_Articles/9.4.1 http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Foundations_and_Assessment_of_Education/Edition_1/Foundations_Table_of_Contents/Chapter_9/Content_Articles/9.4.2 Multiple Choice Questions 1. Which of the following are not one of the three effective characteristics of effective teachers in effective schools? (TAKE OUT ONE THE OF THE "EFFECTIVE") A)Time Management B)Student Success C)Classroom Management D)Design Lessons 2. This is the ability of a teacher to organize everyday tasks, lessons, and assignment in such a way that students are actively engaged throughout the class period. A) Mentoring B) Classrooom Management C) Effective Teaching D) Effective Planning 3. What is the result if effective school methods are not in place? (COULD READ: WHAT IS THE RESULT OF EFFECTIVE SCHOOL METHODS NOT BEING IN PLACE??) A) All students will fail B) There would be a lack of order, classroom management, and safety C) Parents would be highly involved in all school events D) No child left behind sanctions would be implemented 4. In what ways do (DOES) the state of Virginia measure effective schools? A) High Graduation rates B) High attendance rates C) Through norm and criterion-referenced test results D) All of the above Answers: 1. A 2. B 3. B 4. D References 1Breauz, A. (2003). 101 "ANSWERS" for New Teachers and Their Mentors. New York: Eye On Education. 2Lezotte, L., & McKee, K. (2002). Assembly Required: A Continuous School Improvement System. Michigan: Effective School Products. 3Wong, H.& Wong, R. (1998). The First Days of School. California: Wong Publications. 4Department of Education and Training. (2006). Safe Schools are Effective Schools: A Resource for Developing Safe and Supportive Schools Environments. Victoria: S.R. Frankland pty Ltd. 5Dunlap, C. & Alva, A. (1999). Redefining School and Community Relations: Teacher's Perceptions of Parents as Participants and Stakeholders. Retrieved June 7, 2009, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3960/is_199910/ai_n8860320/ 6Dictionary Online. (2009). Retrieved June 7, 2009, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mentor. CHECK APA FORMAT FOR ALL, EX: Breauz, A. (2003). 101 answers for new teachers and their mentors. (Not all words should be captilized, etc.) Sources For each source listed in the "References" section of the article, name the type of source (scholarly or popular) and the perspective it provides (research, expert opinion from educator, popular news source, parent organization, personal contact, etc.) . 1. popular news, but I am unsure. I do not see a journal, volume #, etc. (however, this may be a apa format issue) . 2. most likely scholarly, but I am still unsure because I do not see a journal #, etc. that you normally find in peer-review articles. . 3. scholarly, not sure . 4. scholarly, research . 5. scholarly, but needs better reference . 6. scholarly, definition . List the range of publication years for all sources, e.g. 1998-2006: 1998-2009 Answer the following questions about the sources used in the article: Did the author CITE at least 5 sources? Yes and use at least 2 scholarly sources? Yes, but it is hard to tell because I believe there are some APA format issues (no journal name, volume #, page #s, etc.) Are the citations in APA format? No, they need to be re-checked Here are two examples of citations in APA format, one for a paraphrase and one for a quotation: Constructing a title is both a science and an art, but on one fact all of the experts agree: the title must contain a colon (Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, & Starr, 2007). Unfortunately impoverished children are often attending “low-performing schools staffed by ill-equipped teachers” (Murnane, 2007, p. 34). Are all the sources listed in APA format in a Reference list labeled "References"? No, they need to be re-checked Here is an example of a reference written in APA format: Bailey, J., & Barnum, P. (2001). The colon and its rise to prominence in the American circus. Journal of American Punctuation, 34(5), 2-3. Taken together do the 5 sources represent a good balance of potential references for this topic? Yes, if the APA format is fixed. Does the author consider potential bias in the sources? Unsure Are most of the sources current (less than 5 years old)? 4 out of 6 are current Please make a comment about the sources. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve. Comment: The author needs to re-check APA format for the journal articles to find journal name, volume number and page number. Also in-text citations and quotations should be checked. Multiple Choice Questions What does each question assess: knowledge or reasoning (application of knowledge)? Question 1 KNOWLEDGE Question 2 KNOWLEDGE Question 3 APPLICATION Question 4 I AM NOT SURE HOW THE STUDENT WOULD FIND THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION. IT SEEMS TO BE A KNOWLEDGE QUESTION BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT INT HE TEXT? Answer the following questions about the multiple-choice questions. Are there 4 multiple-choice questions? YES Do they each have four answer choices (A-D)? YES Is there a single correct (not opinion-based) answer for each question? YES Do the questions assess the learning target? YES, EXCEPT FOR 4 Are the questions appropriate and reasonable (not too easy and not too difficult)? RE-CHECK #4 Are the foils (the response options that are NOT the answer) reasonable i.e. they are not very obviously incorrect answers? YES Are the response options listed in alphabetical order? YES Are correct answers provided and listed BELOW all the questions? YES Please make a comment about the multiple-choice questions. If you answered "No" to any of the questions above, please explain how the author can improve the question/s. Comment: QUESTION #4 SHOULD BE RECHECKED. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE ANSWER IN WITHIN THE TEXT, BUT I ALSO DON'T THINK THAT IT IS AN APPLICATION QUESTION. Part 2 - Ratings LIST and EXPLAIN your rating for each of the four criteria. Importance: I rated this article 4 for importance because...I felt that it was a very important article, but perhaps it needed some more substance from the articles. Interest: I rated this article 4 on interest because...I felt that there were a lot of quotations and could have been more new ideas or paraphrasing. However, it was very neat and attractive and spaced out very nicely. Credibility: I rated this article 3 for credibility because...As mentioned early, the APA format needs work and contains errors Writing skill: I rated this article 4 on writing because... The multiple choice question #4 needs work and the paper needs to be proofread again to get rid of spelling/gramatical errors. HIGHLIGHT SPECIFIC POINTS IN THE RUBRIC that apply to the article. To do this: Highlight sections with the cursor and use the BOLD icon above OR type ''' (3 apostrophes) before and after the text you want to make bold Wiki Article Rubric criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How important was the information presented on this topic to you as a teacher education student? Covers key ideas crucial for future teachers to know Based on researched information. Highly relevant to current educational practice (*this description may be less applicable for some topics such as history of education) Provides an excellent overview of the topic including relevant research, educational practice, laws and litigation. Includes in-depth discussion of at least a few selected key issues. Includes ideas relevant to future teachers Mostly based on researched information. Applicable to today’s schools Provides a good general overview with relevant information and discussion of a few key ideas A couple useful points; some irrelevant information About half of the information is the author’s opinion. Some out-dated information; may not reflect current practice Good information is included but the paper yields a partial /incomplete understanding of the topic or key issues One useful point A few facts but mostly the author’s opinion. Most of the information is irrelevant in today’s schools. Focused on unimportant subtopics OR overly general with few specifics. Important information is missing. Information is not relevant to future teachers. Information is entirely the author’s opinion. The information is obsolete. Only irrelevant details or common knowledge. Lacks any substantive information. criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How interesting was the article to read? Sidebar includes new information that was motivating to read/view Visuals (headings, colors, fonts, pictures, etc.) enhance the article by making it easier or more inviting to read Multiple perspectives are considered and discussed Mostly new information/ideas Insightful interpretation & analysis are evident throughout the article; a clearly stated conclusion synthesizes all of the material presented. Points are clearly made and elaborated on with compelling examples. Sidebar includes new information that enhances understanding of the topic Visuals add to the article At least two perspectives were presented About half of the information/ideas are new Interpretation and analysis is provided for 3-4 points in the article; a reasonable conclusion based on this information is stated Some good points are made and explained. Sidebar includes new information related to the topic. Visuals are included but have minimal effect One interesting or new perspective is presented A couple (2-3) new ideas or pieces of information Interpretation/ analysis is included for a few (1-2) individual sections, but there is not a conclusion that synthesizes the information presented. Points are made but may not always be adequately supported or explained. Sidebar repeats what is already in the article Visuals are somewhat distracting or not included Only the “typical” view or one biased perspective is presented. One new idea or bit of information Information presented with minimal analysis or interpretation; no conclusion or the conclusion is not based on the information presented At least one clear point is made and supported. No side bar included. Visuals are offensive and completely detract from the content No perspective is acknowledged. Nothing new. No analysis or interpretation included No clear points are made or points appear pasted from other sources without any explanation. criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How credible do you think the information is? Required sources are properly cited and included in a reference list in APA format. Information from diverse sources representing multiple perspectives is included. Several reputable and current sources are cited. The author acknowledges potential bias in sources where appropriate. Author clearly identifies his own ideas, biases and opinions Required sources are included; a couple of formatting errors Information from a variety of sources is included. Most sources are reasonably reputable; bias is acknowledged in others. It is clear when the author is presenting his own opinion; he doesn’t try to pass if off as fact. Required sources are included; APA format is not used or has many errors. A variety of sources is listed but the information primarily reflects a single viewpoint. Sources are reasonable. The author occasionally (1-2 times) states his own opinion as fact. Only 4 sources are cited/listed in the references or only 1 scholarly source was used Sources lack diversity OR information from divergent sources is only superficially mentioned. Some sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such. Author routinely (3-4 times) states her opinion as fact, ignores own biases. Missing two or more sources OR sources used but not cited or listed. All sources and information reflect a single viewpoint. Most sources are untrustworthy or biased and not acknowledged as such. The entire article is biased and opinion-based without acknowledgment of this perspective. criteria 5 4 3 2 1 How well do you think this article was written? Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, assess key points, and are written according to guidelines (see R4) Specific, appropriate and observable learning targets are stated; the content is clearly organized to help the reader achieve these goals Captures and maintains attention throughout All or almost all of the cited information is introduced, elaborated on and explained Writing is organized, easy to read, and contains few to no mechanical errors. Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) align with the learning targets, and assess key points. Specific and reasonable learning targets are stated; the content aligns with these goals Captures attention initially and periodically throughout Most of the cited information is discussed or explained. The article flowed pretty well and there were just a few mechanical errors. Multiple-choice questions (2 application & 2 knowledge) assess key points Reasonable learning targets are stated; the content relates to these goals Parts of the article capture attention About half of the cited information is discussed A few areas were hard to follow, confusing or oddly organized. There were a few distracting errors. 4 multiple-choice questions are included. Learning targets generally related to the content are stated At least one part of the article is interesting Information is “pasted” together with minimal explanation. Organization was difficult to follow, sentences were awkward and/or there were several distracting errors. Questions are missing or not multiple-choice. Learning target is missing or unrelated to content or is/are not actual learning targets Nothing in the article grabs the reader’s attention Article is entirely “pasted” together from other sources. Poor organization, sentence structure and/or grammatical errors made it very difficult to understand the content. Part 3 - "2+2" List TWO compliments and TWO suggestions about the article content Hints: Focus on the work, not the person Describe "There is...", "I see.." rather than judge "You didn't..." Compliments I liked the introduction to the article, I thought that it grabbed the readers attention. .It is very neat and attractive and well-organized. Suggestions I think that you just need to go back and proofread for erros. .Recheck the APA format, there were several APA erros. APA is tricky sometimes, and I find myself having to check and re-check everytime I use it! Overall, I think the article just needs a some proofreading and a some editing. Good flow, good organization, and a very attractive paper! You can make compliments and suggestions that relate to specific areas of the paper or to the paper in general. I suggest a mixture of both. Focus on what's most important. Of course, you can also include more than two suggestions and more than two compliments. The goal is to help the author improve his/her article.