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Political Speech, Doublespeak, And Critical-Thinking Skills In American Education, Doris Minin-White
Political Speech, Doublespeak, And Critical-Thinking Skills In American Education, Doris Minin-White
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The idea for this project was born during the 2016 US presidential election campaign, after noticing that my students did not seem to find anything questionable about statements of politicians, while at the same time it seemed apparent to me that not all the candidates spoke in a straightforward fashion. This disparity led to my research question: What patterns of doublespeak characterize selected discourse samples of the two most recent US presidents? In this project, I presented the analysis of the candidates’ styles of doublespeak based on the number of occurrences and a technique that I called “The Beguilement and …
Teaching And Understanding Phonemic Awareness And English Learners, Jennifer L. Wold
Teaching And Understanding Phonemic Awareness And English Learners, Jennifer L. Wold
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question for this paper and project was: Why is phonemic awareness important for English learners (ELs) and how can it be developed? The interest in this topic arose from observing English learners struggle with various English phonemes, especially the vowels, and the surprising difficulty of teaching students to acquire them. Research shows that phonemic awareness contributes to successful reading achievement and can affect intelligibility. English learners may struggle with phonemic awareness as phonemes that exist in English may not exist in their L1s. This paper and project focuses on native Spanish speakers and the distinction of the /i/ …
What Teachers Need To Know About Translanguaging, Thomas Snell
What Teachers Need To Know About Translanguaging, Thomas Snell
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This project addresses the question, what do non-ESL teachers need to know about translanguaging in order to support their emergent bilingual students? Translanguaging has emerged in the last two decades as both an epistemology of language and a pedagogical imperative with broad implications for language teaching and learning. This project traces the design and implementation of a professional development experience for teachers on translanguaging, whose goal is to effect a shift in teachers’ thinking about language so that they can understand their students more fully. It was designed specifically for non-ESL teachers, assumes no prior knowledge of translanguaging, and emphasizes …
Implementing Best Practice Literacy Instruction Into A Middle School Social Studies Classroom, Christopher Devine
Implementing Best Practice Literacy Instruction Into A Middle School Social Studies Classroom, Christopher Devine
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project was, how can best practice instruction support student engagement in a secondary (middle school) social studies class? It documents the topics of literacy, best practices, engagement and reading to learn strategies as compared to the current research on each of those topics. The study was done in conjunction with a website developed to support social studies teachers. Each of these areas support the guided learning that occurs in all classrooms, but specifically to the non-fiction texts that are primarily used by social studies teachers in a secondary setting. The result of the paper …
How Reading Comprehension Strategies Support English Learners In A Primary Integrated Environment, Amanda Roberg
How Reading Comprehension Strategies Support English Learners In A Primary Integrated Environment, Amanda Roberg
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
English Learners (ELs) are an important and growing population of students in schools nationwide, and how they are taught can have a major impact on their academic success (of course). The overall purpose for this study is to ensure that ELs in my own classroom are taught reading comprehension strategies from an effective curriculum that meets their specific needs. The curriculum used in the school in which this study was conducted was a combination of Daily 5 and the Treasures curriculum. The question posed for my research is: “What instructional strategies are appropriate for teaching reading comprehension to second language …
Maintaining A Culturally Responsive And Engaging Classroom For Students From Eastern And Western Cultures, Chloe E. Delwiche
Maintaining A Culturally Responsive And Engaging Classroom For Students From Eastern And Western Cultures, Chloe E. Delwiche
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question in this paper and project asks the question: How can I create a classroom environment that is engaging and interactive for students from both Eastern and Western cultures while maintaining a culturally responsive classroom that respects, accepts, and incorporates all cultures into content and instruction? This is a project that examines the differences in student engagement and interaction between students from Eastern and Western cultures. Social and cultural norms in Eastern and Western cultures are examined in this paper, as well as engagement in classrooms in Eastern and Western cultures and how this affects the classroom environment. …
Professional Development In Disciplinary Literacy Strategies For Middle School Content Area Teachers, Jodi Dubbeldee
Professional Development In Disciplinary Literacy Strategies For Middle School Content Area Teachers, Jodi Dubbeldee
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The purpose of this professional development plan is to provide disciplinary literacy instruction support for content area teachers at the middle level. The inspiration for the research was the author’s desire to discover and share how content area literacy is critical to student learning. In-depth research in physical, emotional, and social adolescent development, literacy strategies, disciplinary literacy strategies, and professional development practices drove the findings to create a professional development plan that is built-in and sustainable. Teachers can use the online professional development resource collaboratively in order to determine literacy goals, write lesson plans, and incorporate literacy strategy instruction into …
Physical Education: The Finnish Way Vs. The American Way, Rob Andrew Jeppson
Physical Education: The Finnish Way Vs. The American Way, Rob Andrew Jeppson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The overall purpose of this paper was comparing the United States and Finland’s physical education curriculum in their public school system. The paper was based on survey results asking about the importance of physical education, the amount of physical activity students are getting, the overall health of people in the United States, and the current curriculum of physical education. Everyone agrees that physical education plays a huge role in shaping our young people’s minds and bodies. They agree that children should be more active whether it is during the school day or at home. We are spending more time in …
Teaching The Language Of A Lab Report: A Guide For Science Teachers, Lori A. Ward
Teaching The Language Of A Lab Report: A Guide For Science Teachers, Lori A. Ward
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Academic language in the register of science is often challenging for students to compose, and their science teachers may struggle to support their language development. This project explores the question, what are the language structures science teachers must teach for secondary students to be able to write successful science lab reports? In this paper I report the strong link between language and knowledge in science. Students must develop strong language skills in science not only to communicate scientific ideas but also to gain understanding of scientific concepts. Supporting the development of language in the register of science is a challenging …
How Can Students Benefit From Chinese Immersion Schools, Li Zheng
How Can Students Benefit From Chinese Immersion Schools, Li Zheng
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question in this article is to find out in what ways students can benefit from Chinese immersion schools. It documents in depth of three areas: Chinese language skills, students’ academic success, and classroom learning environments. The author integrates research data and interviews about Chinese immersion schools students and teachers. Findings suggest that Chinese immersion schools encourage students’ Chinese language skills, improve students’ academic success, and provide effective classroom learning environments.
The Benefits Of Experiential Learning In An Outdoor Expedition Setting, Luke Kimmes
The Benefits Of Experiential Learning In An Outdoor Expedition Setting, Luke Kimmes
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Experiential learning has been around for hundreds of years. This is one of many pedological methods that teachers use today. Technological advancements in the classroom, and in modern day society, is creating withdraw from these experiential hands on learning tactics in an outdoor setting. To understand the extreme importance and benefits of college level students to have interest and incorporate an experiential learning experience in their lives, presented below in the literature review there is content backing this approach. Through the literature review findings, my personal experience on expeditions, and in the field teachings, the Rediscovering North America experiential learning …
Instructional Strategies To Promote Engagement For Students Of Poverty In A Mathematics Classroom, Jessica Lind
Instructional Strategies To Promote Engagement For Students Of Poverty In A Mathematics Classroom, Jessica Lind
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project was, what instructional strategies can I employ with my high school students of poverty to better engage them in learning mathematics? It documents one teacher’s creation of a presentation designed for high school mathematics teachers who are looking for strategies to engage their students in the classroom. The presentation discusses the barriers of learning for students of poverty and gives several suggestions for teachers to help students overcome these barriers. The presentation also discusses six teaching strategies and gives a sample lesson plan of each strategy in a high school classroom setting. The …
Building School-Family Partnerships Through Partnerships For Academic Success Meetings, Emily Gartner
Building School-Family Partnerships Through Partnerships For Academic Success Meetings, Emily Gartner
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project was, how can families, students, and school staff come together to engage in authentic partnership through Partnerships for Academic Success (PAS) meetings? The project details the author’s work implementing Partnerships for Academic Success (PAS) meetings schoolwide. During these meetings, families receive data about their individual students, as well as anonymous data for the entire class or grade. After an exploration of this data, families learn an activity that can be done at home to practice the skill that was assessed, and work with their students to set a goal that is revisited at …
Using Art To Enhance Environmental Education, Andrew Hilger
Using Art To Enhance Environmental Education, Andrew Hilger
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The author created a project that teaches students about environmental issues around water use in Minnesota. This project answers the question, “How can art be used to enhance environmental education?”. The author uses principles of art and art education to teach students about the state of water in Minnesota, the many challenges it faces, and several potential solutions for addressing pollution and overuse. Students complete art-based projects and assignments to address issues surrounding natural science, sustainability, and water use while adhering to state science standards.
Using Dr. Howard Gardner's Theory Of Multiple Intelligences To Connect 4th-8th Grade Students To Nature, Brent Anderson
Using Dr. Howard Gardner's Theory Of Multiple Intelligences To Connect 4th-8th Grade Students To Nature, Brent Anderson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research has demonstrated that early and frequent exposure to nature and the outdoors has a range of physical, mental, emotional, social, and educational benefits. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on using Dr. Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences to connect 4th -8 th grade students to nature, in order to harness the benefits of nature exposure and increase student’s environmental-literacy. Multiple intelligences have been implemented in a number of formal classroom settings for decades, but research on how they have been used in the environmental and outdoor education fields is limited. The project involved creating a diverse curriculum …
Lesson-Plan Delivery Before Lesson-Plan Design: Defining, Sequencing, And Teaching The Essential Skills Of An English Language Teacher Development Program At Induction, Joel Hanson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research questions addressed in this project were: 1) What are the essential set of teaching skills/practices at the induction portion of teacher training that are applicable to my EFL teaching context? 2) In light of the specific teacher preparation and development needs of the staff in a 12-school network in Morocco, how should these skills be sequenced and taught during the induction portion of an English language teacher development program? Answering these questions involved an investigation—and integration—of four teacher development frameworks proceeding from the macro- to micro-level of teacher training, unpacking what Feiman-Nemser calls the central tasks of learning …
Recognizing, Empathizing, And Strategizing Tools For Teachers And Schools To Increase Academic Success For Homeless Highly Mobile (Hhm) Students, Alyssa R. Paulson
Recognizing, Empathizing, And Strategizing Tools For Teachers And Schools To Increase Academic Success For Homeless Highly Mobile (Hhm) Students, Alyssa R. Paulson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The homeless highly mobile (HHM) student population can easily be overlooked and begin to fall through the cracks within the school system. As a result, the achievement gap for this vulnerable population has grown at a disproportionate rate. Because of this, the author’s research question was: How can schools streamline academic success for homeless highly mobile (HHM) students? An examination of existing studies and literature demonstrates that the issue of the HHM student population having an achievement gap can be seen in schools across the country. However, research does show that there are strategies and resources for schools to implement, …
How Can Water Quality Awareness Be Increased In A Small But Rapidly Increasing City Of New Braunfels, Texas?, Zackary Eugene Martine
How Can Water Quality Awareness Be Increased In A Small But Rapidly Increasing City Of New Braunfels, Texas?, Zackary Eugene Martine
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The purpose of this curriculum development Capstone was to create a series of lessons to focus on how to further educate children that live in a pristine water quality environment. The curriculum focused exercises and examples provide increased awareness and education focusing on improving water quality examples on how to keep water quality from degrading during the explosive population growth of the surrounding region. The overall goal is to show how increased growth can lead to potential water quality decreases over time. There are several hands-on lessons that show examples of the ecology of the region and how all things …
Integrating The Nature Of Science Into The International Baccalaureate Chemistry Curriculum: Lesson Plans And Resources For Educators, Greta Wanless Stacy
Integrating The Nature Of Science Into The International Baccalaureate Chemistry Curriculum: Lesson Plans And Resources For Educators, Greta Wanless Stacy
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This paper outlines the need for, and the creation of, ten lesson plans designed to teach the nature of science in an integrated fashion in the IB chemistry curriculum. The nature of science is necessary not just to prepare students to answer experimental questions on the IB exam, but also to answer new questions about chemistry and science throughout their lives. Simply using an inquiry approach is insufficient to teach the nature of science; it must be explicitly taught with varying degrees of contextualization to maximize student learning. Like all content areas, the nature of science should be taught in …
Effective Early Literacy Interventions, Strategies, And Supplemental Programs For Primary Students, Anna Anderson
Effective Early Literacy Interventions, Strategies, And Supplemental Programs For Primary Students, Anna Anderson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
In education today, more and more children are being identified to have reading difficulties in classroom. This is one of the main reasons that wanted to obtain my Master of Arts in Literacy Education, and ultimately lead to the development of my research focus question: What interventions, strategies, or supplemental programs are available to address and aid, primary students who struggle in reading? While seeking the answer to this research question, I learned a lot about the development of literacy itself. I discovered how literacy has changed throughout time, and the major theorists who contributed to these changes. I also …
How Can Inquiry-Based Learning Be Successfully Implemented In The Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Aaron Kadera
How Can Inquiry-Based Learning Be Successfully Implemented In The Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Aaron Kadera
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project was, how can inquiry-based learning by successfully integrated in the secondary mathematics classroom? It documents one teacher’s creation of a set of inquiry-based curriculum modules intended for use in AP Calculus AB and Precalculus courses. The curriculum created by the author aims to guide students to construct new knowledge through a process of settling doubt within a community of learners; a process known as an inquiry cycle. He analyzes both the intended use and flexibility the curriculum modules, discusses how to measure their effectiveness, and how to adopt different strategies in the case …
Educator Perceptions Of A Teacher Evaluation Systems, Erin N. House
Educator Perceptions Of A Teacher Evaluation Systems, Erin N. House
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question considered in this project is, what are teacher perceptions of the Educator Effectiveness system of evaluation? To answer this, the author drew on work by Ravitch and Danielson to design a research study to be completed at her school in fall 2017. For the project, she developed the tools for her mixed-methods study, including a quantitative survey and qualitative focus group questions, as well as a PowerPoint presentation to share with the teaching staff at a professional development session at the beginning of the school year in advance of the proposed study. This presentation addresses the purpose, …
Developing A Garden-Based Curriculum For Middle School Content Enrichment, Dane Warming
Developing A Garden-Based Curriculum For Middle School Content Enrichment, Dane Warming
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Garden-based education has been around for more than a century. It is one of the many outdoor learning strategies used by modern teachers. Gardens provide an engaging, safe, and interesting place to learn. However, teachers face a number of challenges when teaching in an outdoor setting. In order to decide if those efforts are justified a study of the research relating to outdoor education was conducted. The literature review revealed that outdoor learning offers benefits to student learning, physical and mental health, and overall development. This literature review informed the creation of a cross-content curriculum project. The lessons that make …
Giving English Language Learners A Paddle: Idiom Usage In Two Undergraduate Texts, Michael John Heine
Giving English Language Learners A Paddle: Idiom Usage In Two Undergraduate Texts, Michael John Heine
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The purpose of this project was to answer the research question of: What types of idioms are common in two undergraduate texts and how often do they occur? Idiom definition and type were first explored based on several different factors. A text analysis was used in order to identify the frequency and typology of idiom occurrence within two undergraduate texts. The identified idioms’ were looked at for non-compositionality, and they were then categorized based on their level of transparency. The findings reinforced the idea that idiom instruction should be informed by corpus-based lists created from authentic language. The findings also …
Making The Transition: Moving From A Pull-Out Model For El Instruction To A Co-Teaching Models, Alyssa Kae Anderson
Making The Transition: Moving From A Pull-Out Model For El Instruction To A Co-Teaching Models, Alyssa Kae Anderson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Many schools are transitioning from the pull-out model for English Learner (EL) instruction to the co-teaching model, and many factors are likely to impact the smoothness of this transition. As a result, the author’s research questions were: Is the coteaching model for EL instruction truly more effective than the pull-out model? If so, how can elementary schools effectively transition from the pull-out model to the co-teaching model? An examination of the existing literature demonstrates that very little research has been conducted comparing the effectiveness of the pull-out and co-teaching models. However, research does provide a number of components that must …
Implicit Bias And The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Phenomenon And Their Affects On Literacy Performance In Elementary Students, Anna K. Quirk
Implicit Bias And The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Phenomenon And Their Affects On Literacy Performance In Elementary Students, Anna K. Quirk
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The author’s inquiry was: How do implicit bias and the self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon affect literacy performance in elementary students. Implicit or unconscious bias is known for causing issues with judges and police officers, but new awareness has been brought to the realm of education and how these biases can widen the achievement gap in literacy and other academic areas. The self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon or Pygmalion Effect, can hinder growth in academics when an educator fails to identify student strengths, only focusing on deficits. This project brings awareness to how implicit bias and the self-fulfilling prophecy through the use of a …
Increasing English As A Second Language Teacher Retention, Sarah Tupy
Increasing English As A Second Language Teacher Retention, Sarah Tupy
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
With the increasing number of English Learners entering schools across the nation, there is an increased need for high-quality English as a Second Language teachers. (Watlington, Shockley, Guglielmino, and Felsher, 2010) School districts spend time and money to hire and recruit high-quality teachers. Many teachers in various districts face an overwhelming workload. Due to the overwhelming workload, many teachers leave the profession. Districts are faced with increased costs to recruit and hire quality teachers. (Brill and McCartney, 2008; Cha and Cohen Vogel, 2011; Sharplin, O’Neill and Chapman, 2011) Students’ education is compromised when the turnover rate is high. (Kraft, Marinell, …
Creating A Social Studies Curriculum For Second Grade, Julie A. Cronin
Creating A Social Studies Curriculum For Second Grade, Julie A. Cronin
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question discussed in this project was: how can an unbiased social studies curriculum for second grade be developed that is aligned with the MN State Social Studies Standards? It chronicles one educator’s creation of a social studies curriculum unit plan based on citizen and government as its area of focus. It is aligned with the MN State Standards for Social Studies for Second Grade. The author cites the details of the unit and uses research that is pertinent to the creation and development of the unit. This unit includes a scope and sequence, and includes a variety of …