Michael P. Downton

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Associate Professor
Curriculum and Instruction
The School of Education
PhD, Education, Learning and Developmental Sciences , Indiana University BA, Psychology, Purdue University
Michael Downton is an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at St. John’s University. He received a B.A. in Psychology from Purdue University and a Ph.D. in Learning and Developmental Sciences from Indiana University. While there, he studied the impact of technology and constructionist learning environments have on arts learning in elementary aged children. He is currently investigating authentic teaching activities for pre-service teachers in higher education settings through a teaching assistant program.

Teaching Interests

Human learning and development
The arts in inclusive settings
Psychological foundations of learning

Research Interests

Intuitions; teacher education; integration of the Learning Sciences into teacher practice; authentic teaching practices in higher education settings.

Courses Taught

EDU
1000H
FOUNDATIONS OF EDU- HONORS
EDU
101H
INTRO TO EDUCATION (HONORS)
EDU
101
INTRODUCTION TO EDUCATION
EDU
1001
HUMAN LEARNING & DEVEL-CHILD
EDU
1002
LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT - ADOL
EDU
1003
ORG STRAT & CLSRM ENVIR 1-6
EDU
1008
SP ED FOUNDATION & ACCOM NEEDS
EDU
1016
THE ARTS IN INCLUSIVE SETTINGS
EDU
1030
INDEPENDENT STUDY
EDU
1042
LIT DEV CONTENT AREA READ ASMT
EDU
2000T
INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING
EDU
7000
PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS EDU
EDU
7106T
SOC/EMO/CUL/COG MS GN/INCL SET
EDU
7295T
TEACHING & LEARNING ADOLESCENT
EDU
7891
INDEPENDENT STUDY - CURR & INS
EDU
8000
COMMUNITY IMMERSION RESEARCH I

Select Publications

Journal Articles

Downton, M. P. (2018). Why Ask Why? Questions to Elicit Resoned Intuitive Responses in an Elementary Music Program. Columbus OH: Contributions to Music Education. vol. 43, pp. 175-195.

Downton, M. P. (2016). The aesthetics, creativity and craftsmanship of fourth-graders’ compositions. In: no. Hull: Journal of Music, Technology, and Education. vol. 8,

Downton, M. P. (2015). “That’s What Everyone Else Is Saying…”: Collaborative Reflection-in-Action during Creative Activities.

Portowitz, A., Peppler, K. A., and Downton, M. P. (2014). In Harmony: A technology-based music education model to enhance musical understanding and general learning skills. International Journal of Music Education. vol. 32, pp. 242–260.

Downton, M. P., Peppler, K. A., Portowitz, A., Bamberger, J., and Lindsay, E. (2012). Composing pieces for peace: Using Impromptu to build cross-cultural awareness. Visions of Research in Music Education. vol. 20, pp. 1–37.

Books

Abrams, S. S., Downton, M. P., and Chen, X. (2018). Managing Education Technology: School Partnerships and Technology Integration. New York, NY: Routledge. pp. 156.

Books Chapters

Downton, M. P. (2017). Preparation for future teaching: The design of authentic activities in a teacher education classroom. In: "Handbook of Research on Analyzing Practices for Teacher Preparation and Licensure." . Hershey, PA: IGI Global. pp. 293-305.

Keywords:
  • Learning
  • Intuitions
  • Reflection
  • Teacher Education