Digital Commons Network^™

Place-Based Environmental Education Towards Collective Environmental Literacy, Nicole Stubbs

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As environmental issues and environmental injustices persist, it is even more important for environmental educators to foster in individuals and groups the skills, knowledge, and natural appreciation needed to timely address these issues. Place-focused environmental education that seeks to address an individual’s sense of place can deepen an individual's connection with their local environment and community. A developed sense of place within a group can also pave the way for collective environmental literacy, the literacy held by a community and defined by the characteristics of collective action, collaboration, shared knowledge, and diverse perspectives. This capstone seeks to answer the question: …

Social And Emotional Learning Resource To Reinforce Skills For 1st Grade Families And Caregivers, Jemmy Vasquez Sermeno

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Social and Emotional Learning continues to grow and take part at all times in schools. This capstone project extends social and emotional learning (SEL) to time outside of school. The project discusses the relationship between schools and families/caregivers with the common goal of extending learning outside of school. This project creates a website as a resource to aid families/caregivers in reinforcing social and emotional skills outside of school. The following question is proposed: How can we make Social and Emotional Learning more accessible for 1st grade families and caregivers in order to reinforce social and emotional skills outside of school? …

Effectiveness Of Integrating Technology For Improving The Post-Secondary Skills Of Students With A Graphic Novel Based Curriculum, Dana Rosbacka

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this study was: how can high school teachers design a unit plan, centered around a graphic novel that effectively integrates the teaching of technology skills which students can apply in their post-secondary experiences? Topics explored in the literature review include what student burnout is, in addition to student attention spans. Alongside those, it looks into the best practices of utilizing technology, teaching technology as a skill, and teaching graphic novels. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on the Understanding by Design (Ubd) framework from Wiggins and McTighe (2011) and uses backward design to craft …

The Effective Use Of Technology In Faith Formation Programs, Lindsey Bernardy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Technology has been underutilized in nontraditional academic settings like faith formation programs, but there is a place for it if implemented appropriately. While traditions of the Catholic Church uphold certain aesthetic standards and ways of participating in Mass, nothing says the ways in which children are taught about the Mass have to remain stagnant. This research revolves around the evolution of formal faith formation in church settings and how technology can play a role in its growth to engage youth in churches. The findings indicate a need for further change in faith formation in order to fully connect with the …

How Adult Efl Teachers Can Effectively Utilize Duolingo In Their Curriculum, Rebecca Nelson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The proliferation of cell phones and application technology has changed the way individuals access learning. It’s also opened up a space for profit-driven companies to be included in educational options. This project focuses on Mobile-Assisted Language Learning applications, in particular Duolingo, and how they can best be used by Language teachers, especially English teachers of adults in non-immersive environments, to use Duolingo as a supplement to their teaching. The literature shows that these applications can be helpful, but need traditional support to be most effective. The question the literature brings to mind is how teachers can best use these apps. …

Improving Science Literacy Using Photographic Documentation Of Laboratory Activities, Mary Radus

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Digital photography is a valuable educational tool which has been shown to improve language acquisition and vocabulary usage. Photography can also be used to enhance hands-on laboratory activities in high school science classes. This study examined the impact of photographic documentation of lab activities on students’ literacy in science. In this convergent, mixed methods investigation, 9th grade biology students took photographs during a lab activity, which they used to create collaborative photo projects based on the activity. Changes in literacy were measured by assessing the students’ usage of scientific vocabulary terms before and after the photo project, and assessing the …

Technology And Student Centered Learning: Using Digital Tools To Instruct Student Centered Learning While Meeting The Needs Of All Students, Haley Geinnotta

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Every year, technology is further developing and the way that technology is being used in our classroom’s changes. As we have seen through the Coronavirus pandemic, technology has become a vital part of education. Technology can be used in many ways through many different digital applications and this capstone project leads to answer the question, How can secondary teachers best utilize technology to enhance student centered learning and meet the needs of all students? As technology continues to develop, research is being conducted to determine its effectiveness as an educational tool, the impacts of technology on student learning and engagement, …

Using Video Games To Teach Social Studies, Model Careers, And Develop Environmental Identities Within Our Classrooms, Luke Stahlmann

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Decades of research point towards great, but unfortunately untapped, potential video games provide classrooms for meaningful learning and enrichment. Despite a lot of academic thought being poured into the subject of video games’ educational value, we do not see them being used commonly within classrooms or even cohesively studied as different games are focused on and successes are measured in non uniform ways. The content created for this project focuses on taking much of the academic foundation or merit of learning through video games and advocates them to a general audience alongside modern games that exemplify learning principles covered. The …

Inquiry-Based Astronomy Curriculum For The Online Setting That Is Culturally Sustaining And Equity-Centered, Sophie Morris

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The guiding question for my capstone project was: how can inquiry-based astronomy curriculum that is culturally sustaining and differentiated be effectively adapted to the online setting with student equity as a prime consideration? The curriculum designed for this project focuses on integrating CAST’s Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework into online lessons. Lessons also increase engagement by incorporating inquiry and culturally sustaining content. The curriculum is intended to be used in the online setting as a high school astronomy elective, but lessons could also be used in regular classrooms or environmental learning centers. A key takeaway of the project is …

Differentiation And Online Learning, Emily Nelson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question investigated in this project was, how can digital teachers utilize differentiation strategies to best meet the needs of their learners in an online environment? It describes the process of creating a standards based literacy unit which utilizes online resources. This project builds on the work of Tomlinson’s approach to differentiation in a traditional in person classroom setting and the community of inquiry (COI) model of online learning. The unit is differentiated according to student academic level, method of content delivery (synchronous or asynchronous), and student sharing. The document shares how the project was created to meet the …

Adult Educator Views On Impact And Learner Fit In Integrated Digital English Acceleration (I-Dea) Classrooms, Peter Gray

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The Integrated Digital English Acceleration (I-DEA) teaching method uses a Flipped Classroom (FC) design to fast-track the English Language Acquisition (ELA) and digital literacy skills development of adults enrolled at Community and Technical Colleges (CTCs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in the United States. I-DEA projects and programs are in various stages of implementation throughout the U.S., but few accounts of the method’s impact on teaching and learning and fit for adult English language learners (ELLs) have been published. I-DEA is a “flipped” (blended) instructional delivery method for Adult Basic Education (ABE). Evaluation of its impact and fit contributes to the …

How Can Primary Teachers Use Digital Resources To Enhance Reading Instruction?, Gabrielle Harteneck

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This Capstone project answers the question: how can primary teachers use digital resources to enhance reading instruction? Research has demonstrated that students need exposure to both print and digital literacies. This paper reviews effective reading instruction and highlights the importance of integrating digital technologies in primary classrooms, focusing on kindergarten, first, and second grades. The project involved identifying quality digital resources that support literacy development in elementary grade levels. A website was developed to combine the findings based on research with digital resources that support targeted learning objectives. Specific digital resources are analyzed using both the Common Core State Standards …

Bridging The Gap Between Language Learning, Technology & Community: The Importance And Viability Of A Language Learning Mobile Application That Will Connect Users To Each Other Based On Location To The English As A Second Language Community, Parinaz Kassemi

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this study was: what is the importance and viability of a language-learning mobile application that will connect users to each other based on location to the English as a Second Language Community. The topics explored in the review of the literature include what a mobile application is, the current language learning applications that are available, the openness to technology in education, and the future of mobile apps. Six different adults who spoke more than one language took a short survey in which I collected some feedback on the perceived usefulness of having a language learning …

Increasing Student Creativity And Connection To Nature Through Equitable Nature-Based Experiences During Middle School Distance Learning, Benjamin Olofson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This paper seeks to answer the question: How can middle school teachers increase student creativity and connection to nature through equitable nature-based experiences during distance learning? This paper reviews the history of nature based learning (NBL) and exploratory learning, and examines the positive outcomes of these practices. These benefits include increased engagement and interest in normally uninterested students (Dettweiler et al., 2015; Truong et al., 2016), improved grades (Camassao & Jagannathan, 2018), and reduced disruptive episodes and dropouts among “at risk” students (Ruiz-Gallardo et al., 2013 as cited in Kuo et al., 2019). Although many research studies have shown positive …

Earning And Learning: Undergraduate Student Employment And The Importance Of Relevant Work, Benjamin Green

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Current trends in undergraduate education show that more students than ever are working part-time jobs during college, and their academics are likely suffering as a result, as a greater number of hours worked correlates with a decrease in grade point average. This is especially problematic as it creates a socioeconomic inequity in academic standing, with students with less financial security or support from parents having to sacrifice their performance and their time in order to supplement their income or even to afford tuition. Relevant, meaningful job placement mitigates some of this effect if students can identify connections between their part-time …

Engaging Hmong Learners With Oral Storytelling And Flipgrid, Tang Xiong

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Since the start of the covid-19 pandemic, Minnesota had to make the decision to temporarily close schools. Many school districts resorted to online distance learning in order to protect the community from covid-19 spread. There are so many teachers that have not been prepared to teach from an online model. Moreover, teachers were losing engagement from students. Hmong students face a unique challenge where engagement is highly absent due to the switch of an online learning setting. This capstone explored a curriculum design that supports the cultural tradition of oral storytelling using Flipgrid to enhance engagement in the online classroom …

Creating A Flipped Elementary El Classroom That Is Effective And Engaging For Students, Laura Brueggeman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The Covid-19 pandemic closure of schools has had and will continue to have an impact on education. In order to keep students equally engaged in a virtual learning environment as an in-person learning environment, different blended learning teaching strategies can be explored and implemented. This capstone helps to answer the research question, How does an EL (English Learner) teacher create a flipped elementary EL classroom that is effective and engaging for students?. Research supports that flipped classrooms are supportive of an engaging community of learners where teachers create flipped classroom lessons that are student centered and collaborative.

Factors That Contribute To Success In The Remote English Classroom, Emily Stein

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

in their classes? 2) Which factors do remote teachers believe contribute to success in their classes? In an increasingly technological world, remote classes are becoming more common. With this change in the modality of class also comes a change in teacher characteristics, teaching strategies, and more. Topics explored in the literature review include these changes to teaching due to the remote modality, the successes and challenges of remote teaching and learning, as well as descriptions of remote models in the elementary school language learning context. The study looks more closely at a particular remote English program located in a small, …

Using Ipads In A Readers' And Writers' Workshop, Megan Engfer

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many classrooms around the country and world are using technology to enhance student learning. An increase in technology use in the classroom allows students more educational opportunities when meaningful tasks are created by teachers and curriculum writers. When meaningful tasks are created teachers may have an increase in student engagement. This capstone uses a variety of resources to help answer the research question: What do teachers need to know about using iPads for engagement in a readers’ and writers’ workshop? Research concludes that teachers need additional resources and time to fully understand how to effectively use iPads in the classroom …

Increasing 4th Grade Student Engagement Through Technology And Other Strategies, Brennan Dickinsen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Finding ways to engage students in the classroom can be a challenge over the course of the school year. Over the years the focus and attention of students has seemed to shorten. This has led to teachers having a harder time to find ways to engage students in a lesson for a longer period of time. I have been an educator in fourth and fifth grade classrooms for six years and I have noticed this trend as well. This has motivated me to research and look deeper into this issue. My question is how can technology and other strategies increase …

Using Technology To Provide Students With Authentic Learning Opportunities In The Elementary Classroom, Valeria Tschida

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The concept of authentic learning has been in the world of education since the ’80s. The inclusion of technology in the ‘90s made it possible to expand the notions of authenticity and relate the work in the classroom to the world outside of it. The use of technology as a tool to provide students with authentic learning opportunities in the elementary classroom is the purpose of this capstone project. The theories of relevant and authentic learning by Daggett have laid the groundwork for the project and guide the creation of the project. The literature suggests that students that are engaged …

How Can Second-Grade Students Learn Algorithmic Thinking And Pattern Recognition Through Collaborative Learning?, Christine Walth

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

In today’s technology-filled world, employers seek applicants with strong computational thinking (CT) skills and computer science (CS) backgrounds. The demand for CT education reaches all the way to the elementary level. Wing (2006) states “computational thinking is a fundamental skill for everyone, not just for computer scientists” (p. 33). Though researchers are continuing to define all aspects of CT, the major elements include: algorithmic thinking, pattern recognition, decomposition, and abstraction. The digital age has also caused an increase in screen time, time children spend in front of a device, which has prompted studies on the negative physical and psychological effects …

Using A Fun And Frugal Approach For Teaching 21st Century Digital Literacy Skills To Teachers, Rochelle Lockridge

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

With the high-value placed on digital learning and the consequential need for accompanying 21st-century digital literacy skills, effective teacher professional development is crucial. Surveys report that K-12 teachers are largely dissatisfied with their current training options. They prefer collaborative learning experiences that are energizing, supportive, and hands-on; focusing less on presentations and lectures and more on opportunities to apply learning through demonstrations, modeling, and practice. An underfunded public education system combined with a perceived “tech bloat”, the juggling of too many digital tools, exacerbate training and support issues. The 10-week professional development curriculum designed for this project facilitates the development …

Digital Strategies And Tools To Increase Information Literacy In Ninth Grade Students, Melissa Simmons

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research consistently supports that students are not being explicitly taught the digital skills that they need in order to be successful after high school. This curriculum is designed to address this gap in digital knowledge of high school students in order to answer the research question: What digital strategies and tools does the research recommend be added to an existing argument unit to increase students’ information literacy? Based on the work of technology implementation in the classroom by Howell (2016), Darling-Hammond, Zielezinski, and Goldman (2014), and Huang (2014), this four-week curriculum is created to give students the knowledge and tools …

Utilizing Technology With Nature-Based Learning In The Elementary School Classroom, Caroline Labate

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this capstone is How can nature-based learning and technology be combined to enrich learning experiences in elementary school classrooms? Through extensive research in literature review, this project has set out to find that nature-based learning and technology combined does help to enrich learning experiences in elementary school classrooms. It examines the pros and cons of technology and nature-based learning as separate entities, and then finally examines how nature-based learning and technology combined can help enrich the learning experiences in elementary school classrooms. The project described in this paper is an informative and user-friendly website for …

U.S. History Curriculum Project Using Blended Learning To Improve Formative Feedback, Timothy Kennealy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Kennealy, T. U.S. History Curriculum Project Using Blended Learning to Improve Formative Feedback. (2019)

This capstone project leverages a 1:1 device classroom setting to create opportunities for effective teacher-to-student formative feedback. Classroom feedback is complex and proven effective but the practice of giving excellent feedback is rare, even for the most dedicated K-12 teachers. The implementation of effective feedback is rare but there is significant and specific research that identifies important characteristics and formats for offering effective formative feedback. A 1:1 classroom using blended learning offers opportunities to implement excellent feedback practices by allowing teachers more time for conversation with …

Ipad Initiatives In The Elementary Classroom Enhancing Literacy Instruction, Vanessa Forsman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project answers the question: How can the use of iPads in the elementary classroom enhance literacy instruction? The paper reviews how to best implement technology, motivation for using it and how technology has evolved. Research has demonstrated that a balance of technology and traditional print has the greatest benefits for students. These resources show how and why technology can be used to guide, differentiate and enhance student learning. The framework of the website was created for teachers to explore all areas of literacy with ideas, lessons and information on how to include technology. The website will be most beneficial …

Improving Language Skills Through Digital Storytelling For Primary Students, Stefanie Topinka

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The guiding question addressed in this project is how can we improve language skills through digital storytelling for primary students? The main idea of this capstone is to address the changes that are occurring in classrooms today and how students can gain confidence in the reading and writing process. Throughout this project capstone, there are multiple examples of how young children can benefit from extending literacy elements through the process of digital storytelling using technology tools. The research for this capstone is based on early childhood psychology and aspects of how incorporating digital storytelling into the classroom can benefit children …

Smartphones In The Classroom, Isaac Flynn Buggs

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that districts, schools, and teachers routinely ban students’ smartphones from the learning environment. Students see their smartphone as their most important possession. This project incorporates students’ preferred device within the academic environment. Bringing smartphones into the classroom, in a controlled way, can engage students and teach them to use their phones responsibly. The project involves modifying Pearson’s iLit ELL curriculum with Mentimeter presentations and G Suite for Education homework assignments. The Mentimeter presentations allow students to engage in the content and to launch class discussions using their smartphones. Homework is also assigned using G Suite for Education …

The Norms And Procedures Needed For Successful One-To-One Device Implementation In An Upper Elementary, Katie Coulson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project focuses on answering the question, what are the impacts on digital citizenship when creating the norms and procedures for integrating one-to-one iPads into an upper elementary classroom? It documents one educator’s experience and research that led them to gathering and adapting six mini lessons that teach digital footprints, healthy media choices, digital citizenship, credible sources, private vs personal information, and setting up expectations for home and school. This project resulted in four major findings. First, collaborating within your school and district is essential for providing the support needed for 1:1 implementation. Second, having a strong classroom and …