Digital Commons Network^™

Decolonization Of The Writing Classroom: Creating Space For Decolonial Theory, Tools, Anti-Racist Pedagogy, And Methods To Improve The Emerging Bilingual Student Experience, Desiree L. Brown

Masters Theses

In this thesis, the author addresses the colonial roots of the secondary writing classroom and the origin of standard academic English which enables strict standardized testing and writing assessment requirements that in-turn incite linguistic violence towards emerging bilingual students. The author frames her study within the framework of April Baker-Bell and Asao B. Inoue through a reflective/reflexive study of her teaching in a ninth grade writing classroom in a primarily Hispanic school district in South Texas, which is assessed by the state of Texas through STAAR. This study seeks to identify instances of linguistic violence being perpetuated in the writing …

Music Literacy And Worship Theology For Volunteer Choir And Worship Teams, Timothy Ray Marsden

Masters Theses

When building a worship team and a worship-leading choir, worship pastors seek gifted volunteers within their congregations to add to the numbers of their groups. Assessing team members' music literacy and theology of worship often comes later in the process, if at all. This project aims to determine the essentials of music literacy for a volunteer choir or worship team member. It will create a curriculum for developing those skills further through weekly rehearsals. The project will also seek to define a theology of worship for the First United Methodist Church of Red Oak, Iowa, and a plan to study …

The Effects Of Growth Mindset Strategies On The Rhythmic Notation Comprehension And Personal Musical Self-Efficacy Perceptions Of High School Instrumentalists, Frederick Conrad Krieger

Masters Theses

Despite the depth of research in general education and music education teaching methods as well as an implied overlap in these concepts, there is little research directly linking methodology and strategies across these content areas. More specifically, the benefit and implementation of growth-mindset instruction is considered best practice in the general education classroom but is rarely discussed in the context of the performing ensemble. Consistency in educational methods between content areas is critical because it unifies each into a single education process and promotes lifelong learning that will extend into other areas and beyond the classroom. This study will explore …

A Course To Prepare Undergraduate Music Education Students For Teaching Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amanda Lynn Whitmer

Masters Theses

In the field of music education, Autism Spectrum Disorder has become an area of importance requiring more thought and intentionality from teachers than normal lesson planning expectations. Because music educator programs only offer courses that cover the whole spectrum of special needs and do not focus on autism specifically, music educators are finding themselves unprepared to create music lessons that can accommodate learners with such a unique spectrum of learning abilities. Many college curriculums offer special needs courses that focus on all aspects of special education that can be found in music education but very rarely for autism as a …

Elementary String Orchestra: A Hybrid Curriculum, Deborah Jeannette Hickey

Masters Theses

Remote and distance musical instruction can be traced back to the earliest transmissions of radio and television. In the last few decades, it has made considerable strides due to the development of the internet and growing supportive software and online platforms. However, when the COVID-19 virus swept the world, many school districts were forced to convert to full- remote instruction instantaneously. While some unique and beneficial strategies developed out of this, many aspects and strategies proved to be less than ideal and inferior to in-person instruction, particularly where it pertained to performance and ensemble-based instrumental instruction. This project strives to …

Curriculum Framework For Composing And Arranging For Contemporary A Cappella Choirs, Hillary Nicole Goodson-Spear

Masters Theses

As vocalists, it is important for us to understand techniques regarding current styles of vocal composing and arranging including voicing, beat boxing, and body percussion. The success of several mainstream television programs such as Glee and The Sing-Off, popular movies franchises like Pitch Perfect, and groups like Pentatonix and Straight No Chaser, demonstrate the rising popularity of contemporary a cappella music. It also reflects the need to be able to write unique arrangements of traditional or popular songs to keep up with recent trends. Current research suggests that there are very few resources available for music educators to teach this …

Use Of The Music Syllabus From The National Standards Curriculum Nsc, At The Lower Secondary Level, In Kingston And St. Andrew, Jamaica, Ornisea Williams Hird

Masters Theses

The Jamaican music education landscape has had a positive shift in the demand for music teachers who are educated to become classroom music teachers. Despite the growing need for trained music teachers to be placed in many high schools in Jamaica and the implementation of two curricula, there has been minimal study that assess how music teachers use the music syllabus from the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) in teaching and learning. The study joins a set of vibrant discussions on the development of music education in Jamaica and examines the use of the NSC at the lower secondary level (grades …

Songwriting: A Collaborative Approach To Music Education, Deondra Morrison

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the benefits of the use of collaborative learning projects in music education, with the intent to inform the practice of music educators. This study will reveal that many educators in the field of music view collaborative learning as a catalyst to change student culture and music classrooms around the world. The following research questions guided this study: (1) How do collaborative learning methods benefit music education curriculum? (2) What type of plans, support, and materials do music educators need to successfully guide their students in small group student-centered music and instruction? (3) …

Funding A Middle School Technology-Based Music Class: An Investigation On Trends In Funding And A Proposed Curriculum, Shebbie L. Williams Iii

Masters Theses

This paper investigates trends of district funding in relation to music programs. The appendix contains a proposed technology-based music curriculum. The study is a convergent mixed-methods design that reviewed current literature on funding sources for music programs; literature about technology-based music courses was reviewed as well. The results revealed the many factors that play a part in a school board deciding to keep or terminate a music program. Findings also include a correlation in funding and music class quality, less funding usually meant lower quality. This paper can be a tool for educators that wish to make a change in …

Don't Kill Mockingbird: An Educator's Guide To Teaching To Kill A Mockingbird In The 21st Century, Rachel Mayes Allen

Masters Theses

While To Kill a Mockingbird is easy to misinterpret and difficult to read at times, today’s students are capable of appreciating the novel just as much as previous generations; we as teachers simply have to give them that chance. By grounding our students in the novel’s historical context, navigating controversies gracefully and rationally, and creating meaningful learning experiences around the novel, we can help our students see To Kill a Mockingbird for what it is.

Popular Commercial Music Across The Spectrum: From Electronic To Symphonic - A Freshman Survey Of Music Composition, David A. Pennise

Masters Theses

There is a need in music composition for educators and administrators to implement concrete pedagogy to improve music composition as a profession that is recognized for its value and integrity. In this study, I addressed this need with a plan that focuses on curricular strategies to guide students in becoming successful artists and equip them to thrive in the increasingly popular commercial music industry. Students will maximize their academic development by applying compositional techniques from the common practice period and improve their chances of succeeding in modern music society by interacting with a harmonic grammar appropriate for commercial pop music.

Performer Wellness And Applied Stage Practices Curriculum: Preparing The Undergraduate Vocal Performance Major For An Opera Career, Gabriel J. Kirby

Masters Theses

Within higher education, the goal is to prepare students to enter the workforce with the knowledge and abilities to meet or exceed the chosen occupation’s requirements and expectations. To achieve these requisites, schools create curricula comprising key information for several fields and concentrations while abiding by the regulations enforced by both their school boards and accreditation organizations. Students can apply for a job knowing that their degree holds value. Many institutions continually revise degrees to curricula to inspire the next generation in the workforce. The purpose of this curriculum project is to advocate for expanded curriculum considerations that include acting …

Deliberate Sequencing In The Music Classroom: A Curriculum To Guide Undergraduate Music Education Majors In Music Instruction, Allison Shew Phillips

Masters Theses

The content and structure of courses designed to train potential teachers are critical to such individuals' success. Instructors of these courses should assess which skills are required of pre-service teacher candidates. Researchers have conducted studies over the years to decide what skills are needed for successful teaching. Learning cannot occur without an instructional sequence. Undergraduate music education majors are often not instructed on sequencing methods or have a chance to practice instructional sequencing before their student teaching placement. Research studies have shown that teachers who sequence their instructional delivery and following the complete teaching cycle are considered more effective in …

Global Englishes: Variations Of A Single Language In All English Classrooms, Amanda Leigh Faulkenberry

Masters Theses

This study was conducted in order to develop a procedure for creating a globally recognized curriculum for teaching students and teachers about global variations of English. The study first sought to discover attitudes towards global variations of English of speakers in each of Kachru’s three-circles model of World Englishes. Once there was an understanding of the negative attitudes that exist towards variations that fall within all three circles, the next goal was to determine what was being done to change this negative attitude. This meant analyzing curriculum and studies to determine how students and teachers are being educated on the …

A Musically Embedded Curriculum For Rural Elementary Schools, Rachael Marie Dubay

Masters Theses

Rural school districts across the nation have been at a crossroads for decades. The amount of funding and resources provided to these small towns is often meager and falls short to provide the schools and students with the proper education, teacher training, curriculum, building maintenance, and other necessary educational materials. School officials and board members in these areas across the nation each year have had to make the hard decisions of what to prioritize and what will have to fall by the wayside. Unfortunately, cuts in budgetary and educational reform have regularly faced music education programs and it has become …

Music Education Transformation: How Orff, Kodaly, And Suzuki Promote Academic Success, Michelle M. Angeli

Masters Theses

We all need Music in our lives. Music education is valued less in the education system, but present data from these literature sources of articles, books, and research, tells us another story. For decades school systems have struggled with whether or not to include Music in the education system. There are many values for Music, including individual growth and development. In this research study, I intend to showcase the central benefits of Music to help show there is a need for these programs and to help promote music programs based on their own merits and not just because of academic …

Art For All: An Inclusive Curriculum For A Secondary Art Room, Michelle Ann Fuller

Masters Theses

Art classrooms in a secondary public school tend to be a place where students feel inspired to be creative, improve social skills and self-esteem. But what about those who have a learning disability? If the art educator establishes a positive and safe learning environment, all students, including those requiring adaptations can create meaningful work. Do art teachers feel prepared to guide students who require extra attention? How can pre-service teachers enter the profession feeling more qualified instructing these students? This thesis explores the support of inclusion in the high school art room by defining what an ideal collaboration might look …

Incorporating Fine Arts Into Online Education, Tosha Tessen Mcdonald

Masters Theses

Art Education has seen many changes. One of the most recent changes in art education has been the step into online learning. The question I sought to answer was whether or not art education could be delivered in the same rigorous manner online as it can be in a traditional school setting. During the 2019 - 2020 school year, I started a position teaching for the Rural Virtual Academy, in which all instruction was delivered online. During my own practice, I researched methods to instruct students virtually. My results indicate that it is quite possible to deliver a rigorous curriculum …

Effect Of Implementing A Guaranteed And Viable Ela Curriculum, Christian Manley

Masters Theses

A guaranteed and viable curriculum (GVC) outlines what standards are taught and when; ultimately providing all students with the opportunity to learn identified content over the course of a school year. This paper reviews the impact of implementing a guaranteed and viable English Language Arts curriculum and specific adult practices on ELA proficiency in Battle Creek Public Schools.

This project largely seeks to identify how Battle Creek Public Schools is implementing their English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum in 3rd through 5th grade classes, the adult practice data that contributed to the implementation, and to what degree it is having an …

The Influence Of Environment: A Holistic Approach To Middle And Secondary Art Room Design, Leslie Y. Roberts

Masters Theses

This thesis takes an in-depth look at the elements within the classroom and how they affect students physiological and psychological needs and the impact those elements have on students’ academic success. I offer suggestions based on the research for changes that can be made to your current environment to increase students’ academic success. Additionally, through years of experience and additional research on classroom environments within this thesis I have created a floor plan for an ideal middle and high school art wing. This thesis also covers several different approaches to teaching, and I have used this information plus my experience …

Creating Alabama Music Heritage And Theory: Equipping Students With State Pride Through Effective Curriculum, Julianne Rae Mattox

Masters Theses

Across general music curricula, there is always a concern for student interest. For elementary age students, music is viewed as magical and fun. It seems that as students age, if they are not in band, music begins to lose some of its magic. With any class, student interest and involvement is key for the academic success of the curriculum. If students have to take a class that they do not want to take, they automatically lose interest. It is important for teachers to present their curriculum to students in a way that grabs their attention and allows them to enjoy …

When Fingers Meet Strings, Kara Joy Gibson

Masters Theses

There is a great need for a current and comprehensive curriculum for young harp students. Most of the available instruction books and volumes are over half a century old, and while they have held up in some ways to the test of time, in many others they have fallen short. When Fingers Meet Strings is a fully comprehensive harp method book, meaning it can be used as a stand-alone curriculum for harp pedagogy.

The Selfie Phenomenon: Exploring The Evolution Of The Self-Portrait In The Photography Classroom, Sarah J. Bentley

Masters Theses

This is a qualitative research project exploring the role of the selfie as a form of cultural expression in the twenty-first century and uncovering the meaningful connections students may discover between selfies and traditional self-portraits, whether modern or historic. Reflections through books, articles, and blogs will be explored. Topics such as the effects of social media on student identity and interactions, purposes of the selfie in youth culture, and current topics and trends of selfie-taking will be examined. A photography curriculum overview is included to facilitate this theme.

The Role Of Arts Education In Closing The Achievement Gap In High Poverty Schools, Deanne Basse

Masters Theses

This paper will review research that identifies different types of poverty and how brain development may be affected as a result of living in poverty. Although research reflects support and understanding by the American people that arts education is important to the well roundedness of youth and, in fact, correlates with higher standardized test scores, arts programs continue to be cut especially in areas of poverty. There is an achievement gap in educational success when it comes to students that live in poverty and that of students in higher socioeconomic situations. Students of poverty are working with increased internal and …

Teaching Preschool Music: A Praxial And Biblical Approach, Ashley Finke

Masters Theses

The research conducted in this study strove to identify the effects of a praxial music approach with the integration of biblical principles on teacher training and preschool students’ learning. Currently, universities do not offer music education students instruction in preschool music pedagogy that incorporates a praxial music approach with biblical principles. Several sources were consulted to discover the need for a college level curriculum geared towards teaching a praxially and biblically-based music curriculum in preschool. As a method to discover how beneficial it is to incorporate praxial music teaching with a biblical foundation, this study establishes a framework and curriculum …

Teaching The Soft Skills Through The Arts: A Supplementary Art Curriculum, Brittany Boverhof

Masters Theses

Soft skills are the ability to work with, for, and among other people, yet we can no longer expect students to develop these skills organically. This research builds on the knowledge that if we want the students we are educating to be successful in employing their own soft skills, then they must be taught. This paper defines soft skills, shows their importance, and introduces practices that are proven to build soft skill ability. I have constructed twelve lesson plans that teach the soft skills through experientialism, working in groups, art, critique, classroom management, and problem solving. This supplementary curriculum provides …

Teaching Marching Band In Urban Schools, Freamon Mcnair Iii

Masters Theses

The marching bands at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have entertained millions nationwide with precision, choreography, and musicianship. With the combination of precision-style marching and the African-American music culture, these bands have changed the perception of the football halftime performance. The music graduates of these marching band programs often follow the philosophy taught at their respective alma maters and impart it to their students. While most mainstream high school bands implement corps-style marching, urban high schools incorporate the style of the historically black schools. Bethune Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida, and Tennessee …

Middle Level Multicultural/Social Justice Art Education Curriculum, Meghan E. G. Andrews

Masters Theses

The way in which children are taught matters a great deal and influences not only their worldview, but also how they view themselves with that world. Through my experiences as an art teacher, I have witnessed a growing need for teaching students in a way that focuses on multicultural and social justices issues in order to help students gain a more well-rounded world view. The art classroom has to power to serve as a safe and effective place to explore these issues. Determining why there is a growing need for a multicultural and social justice oriented art curriculum was important …

Creative Concentrations: A Secondary Design Curriculum, Linnea Roberta Gustafson

Masters Theses

Design education, as distinct from art education, has been overlooked as an area of student learning, creative expression, and career potential. This thesis explores the benefits of design education for students at the secondary level, when identities are being formed and areas of future study and work are considered. Guided by the newly published National Core Arts Standards, this paper provides a model design curriculum that introduces secondary students to a design-oriented view of the world, explores design principles through real-world applications, and calls attention to professional career options.

All lessons in the curriculum encourage creative approaches to solving design …

Choice--‐Based Art: Students Who Create, Not Replicate, Hillary K. Moczerad

Masters Theses

The problem that I researched in today’s art education world is how to teach our art students to be problem solving, confident, independent thinkers. It seems that in a classroom that is supposed to be full of innovation and creativity, it is currently falling flat. Through research, I discovered a teaching methodology called Choice-­‐Based Art that claims to eliminate these problems in the art room through student-­‐directed learning and choice while still delivering art curriculum. In order to test these theories, I aligned my classroom with the demands of the methodology and planned a field test with two groups of …