Introduction to the ECEE Online Journal

By Dr. Mark Warner

In his article “Taking Learning Seriously”, Lee Shulman (1999) proposes several inextricable ideas about the gravity of teaching and learning. He begins by stating that when we take something quite seriously we “profess” it. Professors take on a special set of roles and obligations that drive a profession of their understandings in the interests of nurturing the knowledge, understanding, and development of others. Shulman makes certain we are not confused about what constitutes learning by summarizing that learning is “an interplay of two challenging processes—getting knowledge that is inside to move out, and getting knowledge that is outside to move in. Given this well-founded understanding about what constitutes learning, we can now entertain Shulman’s idea about what it means to take teaching seriously. In order to take teaching seriously, we must commit ourselves professionally to a scholarship of teaching. According to Shulman, scholarship possesses at least three attributes: (1) it becomes public; (2) it becomes an object of critical review and evaluation by members of one’s community; and (3) members of one’s community begin to use, build upon, and develop those acts of mind and creation.

As we attempt to build upon this strong foundation for the scholarship of teaching, it is clear that our interest in providing an on-line journal opportunity for all scholars in our extended community of learners is in no way capricious, haphazard, or unguided. It is in fact intentional, deliberate, somewhat systematic, and openly invitational; designed to attend to Shulman’s above mentioned criteria for scholarship. In this online journal you will find peer-reviewed research articles on best practices in Elementary and Early Childhood Education written by professors, graduate students, and some undergraduate students. These articles will often demonstrate collaborative efforts that reflect the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to impact student learning and increase academic achievement. Additionally, the reader will find articles that promote the use of innovative, constructivist pedagogy such as problem-based learning, discovery learning, and the effects of using technology to increase the prospect for learner success as we attempt to differentiate learning in the classroom. Another format used in this online journal provides opportunities for browsers to view conference presentations, classroom lesson plans, and other activities and brain-based learning experiences that enhance student learning. Our online journal will also include both a discussion board and chat room for authors and viewers to share insights, challenges, and results of extended implementation of practices presented in the journal. Our greatest hope is to augment the already existing conversations found in the research and to extend our community of learner population at Kennesaw State University to include the rest of Georgia, the United States, and the world.