Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Investigation Of Grout - A Comparison Of Standard Grout Mix To Self-Consolidating Grout Mix, Rachel Garcia Chandler

Architectural Engineering

Masonry is a major structural material for low rise buildings, however the design of masonry buildings is rarely taught as a formal course at most universities. As part of the educational experience and to become familiar with the specifications and testing procedures for grouted masonry, a student run experiment on varying the water to cement ratio of masonry grout was conducted. The purpose is to report on the effects of changing the water-to-cement (W/C) ratios in a standard grout mix. The typical W/C ratio is approximately 0.80:1.00. In order to show the effects of increasing water in a grout mix, …

'Race, Racism, And American Law': A Seminar From The Indigenous, Black, And Immigrant Legal Perspectives, Eduardo R.C. Capulong, Andrew King-Ries, Monte Mills

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Flagrant racism has characterized the Trump era from the onset. Beginning with the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump has inflamed long-festering racial wounds and unleashed White supremacist reaction to the nation’s first Black President, in the process destabilizing our sense of the nation’s racial progress and upending core principles of legality, equality, and justice. As law professors, we sought to rise to these challenges and prepare the next generation of lawyers to succeed in a different and more polarized future. Our shared commitment resulted in a new course, “Race, Racism, and American Law,” in which we sought to explore the roots …

Introduction To Construction Tools And Equipment Course Concept, Jason Kenneth Wahlund

Construction Management

The current Cal Poly Construction Management curriculum covers nearly all areas of the construction industry with a wide range of materials along with how, where and why they are used. However, no class is specifically geared towards educating students to learn about the tools and equipment that are required to complete most of the jobs in these industries. By offering a technical elective course that allows students to not only visualize but recognize what tools and pieces of equipment are most effective and acceptable for various applications, we can enable students to further understand issues of constructability and safety on …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Studying Spanish And Construction In Tandem, Daniel Joseph Eide

Construction Management

Does Spanish bilingualism have measurable fiscal value in the U.S. construction industry? Studying and becoming proficient in Spanish is feasible, affordable, and can be accomplished at Cal Poly in conjunction with a Construction Management major. In a dynamic industry that values versatile employees, where communication is key to success, the capability of speaking Spanish is a substantial value-add in the workforce. Using qualitative and quantitative data analysis, it is concluded that individuals who possess English and Spanish-speaking abilities in the U.S. construction industry can expect a 3 percent wage premium when compared to English-only speakers. This study weighs the costs …

An Evaluation Of The New Teacher Mentoring And Induction Program At A Title One Elementary School, Tamara Baker-Drayton

Dissertations

Low performing Title I schools often experience a lower teacher retention rate when compared to schools with higher academic achievement. Vacancies are typically filled with new or inexperienced teachers who leave the school within a few years. To counter this problem, West Creek Elementary (pseudonym) introduced a comprehensive New Teacher Mentoring and Induction initiative. The program evaluation was a voluntary anonymous written survey with an optional in person interview conducted with the participants and administrators. Results indicated that the New Teacher Mentoring and Induction program was effective in enhancing teacher pedagogy, not effective in enhancing teacher retention, and that greater …

An Evaluation Of An I-Ready Math Program For 5th Graders In One School District, Tashanda Brown-Cannon

Dissertations

This study evaluated the impact of i-Ready Math instruction on 5^th grade students identified as performing below grade level in mathematics. The participants in this study, administrators and teachers from three Title I schools, answered survey and interview questions to provide their perception on the program’s effectiveness. Equally important, I analyzed student assessment data and online program usage data to ascertain the program’s impact on student achievement. The results of this study revealed a lack of fidelity of implementation of the i-Ready Math program. Based on these findings, I proposed an extension to the teacher contract and a revision …

Relational Literacy, W. Kurt Stavenhagen

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

In this paper, I propose literacy practices that further shift us from subject-object dichotomies and exclusive language practices to a focus on relationships and multimodality. Based in large part upon Indigenous Scholar Shawn Wilson’s concept of relationality, I define a relational literacy wherein we counter an undue abstraction of the environment by mapping interspecies relationships and placing them within kinship narratives.

Transforming School Hallways Through Critical Inquiry: Multimodal Literacies For Civic Engagement, Tiffany A. Dejaynes, Christopher Curmi-Hall

Publications and Research

The authors examined the research and activism of 10th graders (ages 15–16) involved in a youth participatory action research project in a course in qualitative research at their small public school in New York City, New York. The authors, a classroom researcher and a high school teacher, looked closely at how the youth researchers used photography, collage, and videography to transform their school hallways into a space for critical conversations about race and gender. The authors examined how the hallways became a civic space shaped by collective youth resistance, multimodal counterstories, and negotiated civic engagement.

Connecting, Christy I. Wenger, Monica Mische, Kristina Fennelly, Laurence Musgrove, Lindsey Allgood

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Finding Meaning in our Work and Writing, Christy I. Wenger

Response from Beyond, Monica Mische

Reflecting on Arguing and Listening in Digital Spaces, Kristina Fennelly

Sunday Morning Before Midterms, Laurence Musgrove

Honoring Impulse, Attending to Gesture, Lindsey All-good

Evaluating Creative Choice In K-12 Computer Science Curriculum, Kirsten L. Mork

Master's Theses

Computer Science is an increasingly important topic in K-12 education. Ever since the "computing crisis" of the early 2000s, where enrollment in CS dropped by over half in a five year span, increasing research has gone into improving and broadening enrollment in CS courses. Research shows the importance of introducing CS at a young age and the need for more exposure for younger children and young adults alike in order to work towards equity in the field. While there are many reasons for disinterest in CS courses, studies found one reason young adults do not want to study CS is …

Advocating For Cycles Of Inquiry As Alabama's Professional Development Model For Teachers, Brian Metcalf

Dissertations

The single most important variable in student achievement is the quality of the teacher in front of them (Darling-Hammond 2014). As Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) professional development mission statement has included adult learning principles, states must begin to align to this expectation. If schools are going to see the quality that Darling-Hammond references, states must think aobut adopting a professional development framework that gives districts guidelines but allows for autonomy. Cycles of Inquiry is a researched based framework that aligns to the principles of adult learning but isn’t so rigid that school district and schools couldn’t augment it to …

Co-Teaching As A Vehicle To Inclusion In A Diverse Suburban Middle School: A Case Study, Luis Correa

Dissertations

Many school districts across the United States have adopted, or are considering adopting, full inclusion to meet academic and social-emotional needs of increasingly diverse student populations. Co-teaching has become a popular approach for districts committed to inclusion. This study is about a Midwestern school district which more than 10 years ago committed itself to inclusion and co-teaching. The primary research question was: How do we make co-teaching more effective in the Fairview School District? A survey was sent to 120 co-teachers from three middle schools about their experiences with co-teaching in the areas of sharing responsibilities, co-teaching relationships, planning time, …

Framework For Collaborative Teaching: Strengths And Challenges For A Different Service Paradigm In Haiti, Patricia Mason, Judith C. James-Burga

Journal of Global Education and Research

Nursing education in Haiti is in transition. This article describes the teaching/learning experiences of participants in a nursing educational project in Haiti. The project was guided by an integrative framework of the educational collaborative model, constructivism and situated learning theory. Reflections on the experiences lead to the realization of these four lessons: (a) the service provided must supplement, not negate the values and strengths of the host community; (b) it is important to provide sustainable service; (c) methods used by international educators must be respectful and relevant; and (d) international educators must be willing to engage in the identification and …

Ciob Global Student Challenge - Integration Into Professional Financial Training, George M. King

Construction Management

As anyone in the construction industry knows, a construction business is one of the most risky to start compared to any other industry. This does not mean that it should be avoided by potential entrepreneurs, just viewed with a more cautious eye than other industries. Those considering entering the industry should have experience and confidence in their ability to perform prior to the establishment of a company. One way to gain this experience is through years of work in the respective sector. Another, more experimental method, is through the use of competitive virtual training. The latter requires less training time …

Next Generation Of Evidence Collecting: The Need For Digital Forensics In Criminal Justice Education, Scott H. Belshaw

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Digital forensics poses significant challenges to law enforcement as the information found in a computer system is often present at most crime scenes in the form of computer data and cell phones. Digital evidence contained on common devices, such as cell phones and laptops, includes information that can be pertinent to the investigation of crimes. Law enforcement is increasingly identifying the need to be able to process their evidence internally warranting the exploration of the need for digital forensics training as part of a broader study of criminal justice for future law enforcement practitioners. This paper uses telephone surveys of …

Cybersecurity Education: The Need For A Top-Driven, Multidisciplinary, School-Wide Approach, Lucy Tsado

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The human resource skills gap in cybersecurity has created an opportunity for educational institutions interested in cybersecurity education. The current number of schools designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and National Security Agency (NSA) as Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) to train cybersecurity experts are not sufficient to meet the shortfall in the industry. The DHS has clearly mapped out knowledge areas for cybersecurity education for both technical and non-technical disciplines; it is therefore possible for institutions not yet designated CAEs to generate cybersecurity experts, with the long-term goal of attaining the CAE designation. The purpose of this …

The Potential Of Socio-Biologically Relevant Mobile Applications To Attract Girls To Stem, Vanaja Nethi, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Stimulating girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) when they are in school, and sustaining that interest, is critical in motivating girls to choose STEM-related disciplines in higher education and enter STEM careers. Research indicates that girls show an interest in STEM until about 11-12 years of age, but this starts to wane by the time they are 15-16 years. Thus, there is a clear need to focus on sustaining the interest of girls in STEM at middle or high school levels. Research has shown that one of the main drivers that impact girls’ interest in STEM is …

"It's More Than Just Religion:" Teaching History In A Catholic School, Colleen Fitzpatrick

Journal of Catholic Education

This study explores how one teacher, Rebecca, makes sense of teaching history in a Catholic school. This Catholic school had a clear religious mission and did not have required curriculum or high-stakes tests. Yet, findings indicate that Rebecca did not attend to the religious mission in her teaching and, in absence of curricula or high-stakes tests, she relied heavily on the textbook. Findings demonstrate the need for a greater understanding of what curricular content is being taught and learned in Catholic elementary and secondary schools and how it aligns with the mission and purpose of Catholic schools.

Kids These Days: Increasing Youth Engagement In Community Heritage And Social Justice Through The Implementation Of A Youth Participatory Empowerment Model, Melanie Canaday-Talley, Lindsay Clemens, Amanda J. Dworak Rowland, Mary Gillis, Curlinda Mitchell Blacksheep, Jancarlos Jose Romero

Dissertations

The purpose of this co-authored, qualitative, action research study was to examine how to empower youth to become active participants in their communities. Citizen engagement in community and public life is vital to a healthy democracy and young people have a unique place in community citizenry, but are often dismissed or excluded from decision-making. The research team developed a model, the Youth Participatory Empowerment Model (YPEM), to guide youth through a process of identifying and engaging a community heritage or social justice need in their community. The team assembled a guidebook of activities to engage groups in difficult self, group, …

Asian American Teachers In Predominantly White Education Systems, Candis Lee Eckert

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

In the current teacher retention crisis across the nation, Asian American teachers face an additional set of challenges around racism and stereotypes. This study explored how four Asian American elementary teachers viewed racism based on their upbringing as well as their experiences with racism in the teaching profession. The findings focused on six themes that exemplified how their perspectives shaped their abilities to not only identify racism in their workplaces but also how it impacted their retention. The six themes that were identified are: Asian American culture and work ethic; perceptions around racism connected to childhood neighborhoods; Anglicization of names; …