21St Century Pedagogical Practices in K-12 Education

By Dr. Colin A. Ferreira

This book seeks to address the important stages of a teacher’s roles in planning, executing, monitoring, evaluating, reflecting, and enhancing pedagogy and making necessary instructional adjustments driven by both qualitative and quantitative data in the teaching cycle. It is hoped that future, beginning, and experienced mathematics educators specifically and educators in general can improve their efficacy and competencies relative to students’ conceptual understanding, retention of important facts, active engagement, and changing their mind-sets about their academic abilities. This book provides a wide range of best practices in the K–12 education that are widely used in classrooms across the United States and other countries. These research-based or best practices in pedagogy are briefly explained with the intent to introduce educators to some strategies they can use to improve the delivery of their lessons.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781532078323

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Copyright © 2019 Dr. Colin A. Ferreira.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-7831-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-7832-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019909707

iUniverse rev. date: 07/16/2019

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

About the Author

1 Introduction and Rationale for This Book

2 Performance Ratings, Standardized Assessment Pressures, Curriculum Compromised, and Male Students

Teaching to the Test: Curriculum and Instruction Compromised

Doctoral Study Findings and Recommendations: Implications for Education Leaders and Policymakers

Closing the Gender Academic Achievement Gaps: Empowering Our Boys and Girls

3 Special Student Populations

Special Education and 504 Student Populations

Talented and Academically Gifted (TAG) Student Populations

English Language Learners (ELLs) Student Populations

General Education Student Populations

At-Risk Student Populations

4 Lesson Preparation Tips

Key Elements of a Lesson Plan

5 Classroom Management Framework

Importance of a Well-Managed Classroom

Three Broad Categories for Developing an Effective Classroom Management System

Behavioral Expectations

Classroom Climate and Culture (Core Values)

Systems and Procedures (Clear, Consistent, and Clinical)

Strategies for Managing Behavioral Issues in The Classroom and Schoolwide

6 21st Century Best Practices in K-12 Education

Recommended List of Pedagogical Strategies

A Brief Explanation of Some Effective Pedagogical Strategies: A Mathematics Focus

Technology in the Classroom (Software and Apps)

Technology Integration in Special Education

Assistive Technology

Paradigm Shift from Fixed Mindset to Growth Mindset

Conceptual Understanding and Number Sense: Hands-on Learning and Simulation

Active Engagement: Improving Understanding by Maximizing Instructional and Learning Time

Making Connections: Activating Prior Knowledge and Experiences

Culturally Responsive Instruction and Curriculum

Differentiated Instructions (Inclusive Classrooms): Catering to All Learners and Learning Styles - ELLs, Gifted, SPED/504, and General Education Students

Meeting the Needs of the Learners

Addressing Special Needs and Cultural Differences in Specific School and Classroom Activities

Strategies for Gifted and Talented Students

Flipped Classrooms and Taking Ownership for Their Learning

Teachers – The Most Influential Instructional Tools

7 The Teacher as a Professional

A Peek into the Teaching Profession

Professional Conduct and Deportment

The Reflective Teacher and Professional Developments

Teachers’ Performance Tests, Teaching Licenses and Certifications

Considerations for Guyana, The Bahamas, and The Caribbean

References

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• First and foremost, I want to publicly give thanks to Almighty God for blessing me with the gifts of knowledge, experiences, and skills that were extensively used to produce this book.

• This book could not have been completed without the love, encouragement, and support of my sons (Kole, Keitaro, and Kemuel), sisters (Elizabeth, Patricia, and Dianne), brothers (Morris, Hugh, and Winston), and other loved ones including Nadia De Costa and Kyla Dutchin.

• A special thank you to those that provided photographs: Devika Taitt, Scion Taitt, Dianne Ferreira-James, Lorna Roberts, and Arianna Daniels.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Dr. COLIN A. FERREIRA is a Guyanese practitioner-scholar, author, and an international K-12 Mathematics Specialist. He is a 24-year plus veteran mathematics educator who has taught mathematics in middle schools, high schools, and two-and-four-year colleges in three countries (Guyana, The Bahamas, and United States of America). He has served as Associate Director of Education for a non-profit organization located in Florida, USA and Mathematics Department Chair at middle and high schools in The Bahamas and the US. Furthermore, he has served as an Assistant Professor of mathematics and management courses at a four-year college in The Bahamas and CXC Information Technology Coordinator and Mathematics Teacher at a secondary school in Georgetown, Guyana. Dr. Ferreira has consistently received outstanding summative evaluation ratings and his state common core assessment scores (90% and higher pass rates) have ranked among the top performing mathematics educators both at the state and district levels in North Carolina and Texas respectively. Dr. Ferreira holds teaching license credentials for North Carolina, Texas, and Guyana. His educational background includes bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Secondary School Mathematics (Grades 7-12), Computer Science, and Business Administration. Dr. Ferreira has completed numerous professional development and college courses in Special Education, Mathematics, Reading and Writing in the Content Area, and K-12 Pedagogical Best Practices. He holds memberships in the World Association of Academic Doctors (WAAD), Golden Key International Honour Society in Business, Management and Administration (The world’s largest collegiate honour society for the