Digital Commons Network^™

Children Of Milagros: Bringing Aid To A Community Center In Need, Matthew Ashley

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Children of Milagros, Inc. (COM) was organized for the charitable purposes of providing tuition for educational and developmental services to underprivileged children in the Dominican Republic. Currently COM offers aid to a sole beneficiary, Espacio Infantil Madison (EIM). EIM is a community center in Gurabo, Dominican Republic that provides a safe, educational environment for young children of low-income families. To establish a rationale for funding the space, this project explores the needs of the community as well as the present and future benefits of early childhood education and socialization for individuals. The remainder of this project discusses the founding of …

Learning In The Light Of Freedom: The Mississippi Freedom Schools Of 1964, Emma E. Appleton

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This paper investigates the “freedom schools” of the Mississippi Freedom Summer Project of 1964. It argues through a combination of a powerfully designed curriculum, the implementation of student-centered pedagogy, and a focus on relationship building and personal efficacy, freedom school students were given the skills and confidence needed to become young leaders in their communities and bring change to Mississippi. Through this paper, I hope to encourage current educators apply freedom school principles and practices in their own classrooms to inspire our students in the same way.

See And Be Seen: Young Adult Refugee Literature In The High School Curriculum, Patrice Splan

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are more than 25 million refugees in the world today, over half of whom are under the age of 18. As these young people adapt to new schools and communities, it is essential that all students have opportunities to see themselves represented in literature and to develop understandings of the experiences of others. This project provides an analysis of young adult refugee literature with a unit plan for application of texts in a ninth-grade Virginia English classroom, stressing the importance of education as a tool for awareness, reflection, and empathy.

Deaf Education: The Past, Present, And Future, Diana Burke

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Back in the 1800's, sign language was banned from schools because of the prevailing view that sign language inhibited children who are deaf from interacting with the hearing society. Today, due to the growth of technology, children who are deaf can communicate using sign language and spoken language. These children can attend mainstream schools or schools for the Deaf. This paper will focus on the history of schools for the Deaf and my observations as a student observer at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (VSDB). VSDB is a residential school providing students who are deaf and blind …

The Efficacy Of The Teach-Back Method Of Education On Readmission Rates In Heart Failure Patients Within 30 Days Of Discharge, Catherine Lynch

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Background: The teach-back method is a method of education that is being used with heart failure patients in order to improve their quality of education and lower readmission rates. This literature review is aimed at synthesizing studies conducted to determine the efficacy of the teach-back method with this specific patient population.

Methods: Electronic searches of CINAHL and PubMed were performed through James Madison University libraries. Articles selected for inclusion were evaluated for study design, relevance, and sample size.

Results: Three studies met eligibility criteria, these studies showed statistically significant evidence that the teach-back method did reduce readmission rates in heart …

Preventing Obesity And Cardiovascular Disease In At-Risk Youth, Allison Patricia Woolf, Nicole Ashley Bauernfeind, Rachel Katharine Civale, Elizabeth Rose Spellman

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The literature review that was conducted focuses on exploring the most effective way to prevent development of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) as a late effect of childhood obesity or risk thereof. Our research focused on the 8-10 year old at-risk and obese pediatric populations and whether the use of interactive educational interventions in the community setting can be of use to reduce CVD development and improve overall health status. Our findings determined that interactive educational interventions early in childhood can improve health outcomes for these populations and prevent subsequent development of CVD. We minimized the inclusion of all research whose evidence …

Enhancing The Learning Experience- Use Of Video Game Technology For Teaching Japanese Language, Craig A. Decampli

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The Japanese language is challenging to learn, especially for native speakers of Indo- European languages. The three components of written Japanese -- Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji – include 2,136 Kanji characters, and 46 each for Katakana and Hiragana. Teaching Japanese – generally through repetition – can lead to student boredom and affect success. Research shows that video games can at least provide a more enjoyable learning experience. Despite this fact, there are a lack of video games for teaching Japanese characters. Using the Unity game engine and the C# programming language, a video game for enhancing the learning of students …

An Affordable Vr Environment, Matthew R. Petty

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Virtual Reality is a powerful technology with the ability to affect our senses in powerful ways. Traditionally used for entertainment, we argue that it can be used for educational purposes as well. In order to get virtual reality into the classroom, we must address its cost and portability, as well as improve the interaction that users experience with the virtual environment. Our solution, a Unity program installed on an iPhone and a Mac, attempts to solve these issues. A technical demo was created that functions and can be interfaced with. While this solution is a proof of concept, its consequences …

How Scholarship Programs Facilitate First-Generation College Students’ Involvement, Maria C. Restrepo Chavez

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

As a first-generation college student, I am interested in the on-campus involvement and experiences of other first-generation college students. First-generation college students are those whose parents did not receive a university degree and tend to come from low-income families. This project explores programs designed to support and enrich the experiences of such students. The Centennial Scholars Program at James Madison University and the Presidential Scholarship Initiative at Virginia Tech aim to increase the socio-economic diversity on each campus. These programs provide students with full funding for four years, mentorship, professional development and social benefits, among others. In turn, students become …

The Significance Of Quality Creative Writing In Children’S Literature: A Practical Application Of Children’S Literature In An Educational Context, Nicole M. Wittkopp

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

With it clear that children’s literature is a useful and necessary part of a modern elementary school student’s education, it follows that modern elementary educators need to have a deep understanding of children’s literature. Only by comprehensively studying quality children’s literature can an elementary school teacher effectively use such literature in teaching her students. The following contextual essay thus aims to first define quality children’s literature. Then, it attempts to uncover merits found in recognized children’s literature. Finally, it works to describe the specific tasks of a creative writer of children’s literature. Once these dimensions have been thoroughly studied, I …

Theatre Education For Homeschooled Children, Jonathan A. Martin

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In recent years, the push for theatre education from arts education advocates has been increasingly prevalent, especially in the face of substantial budget cuts from many public schools’ arts programs. While there is still a long way to go before theatre education will be integral to school curricula, there are clear steps being taken to promote theatre education in the United States.

Similar to the recent push for theatre education is a rise in homeschooling in America. Homeschooling has been on the rise domestically for several years now, continuing to grow between 2% and 8% annually. It is now estimated …

Fairy Tales And Adaptations: A Unit Of Study For High School Seniors, Angelica P. Babauta

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project is a unit of study designed for high school seniors in an advanced English class. The topic is fairy tales and adaptations, and through these twelve complete lesson plans, students will be led to examine the way fairy tales and society influence one another based on how a classic fairy tale is adapted over time. Students will study Jeanne Leprince de Beaumont's "Beauty and the Beast," the Brothers Grimm's "Brier Rose," and Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" as the original fairy tales. The adaptations paired with these texts are Alex Flinn's Beastly, James Finn Gardner's "Sleeping …

Learning From The Reggio Emilia Philosophy: How It Can Work In Public Elementary, Allison Shira Kaye

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

In depth exploration of the Reggio Emilia philosophy of elementary education. This paper includes practical application ideas for teachers working in the US in public elementary schools who wish to incorporate different aspects of the philosophy into their classrooms.

Family And Child Development Education For Harrisonburg Adolescents, Mollie M. Moran, Jennifer E. Corser, Julia M. Glauber

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The pregnancy rate among 15- to 17-year-old women in Harrisonburg is double Virginia's state rate (Townsend, 2008). While meeting administers and guidance counselors of Harrisonburg High School we learned that Harrisonburg High School views this issue as one that cannot be addressed by teaching abstinence in their public school. They have found that because of cultural beliefs, abstinence is not an effective tool for preventing teenage pregnancy. Instead, HHS teaches their students about safe sexual practices and how to have a healthy pregnancy in the event they were to become pregnant. The high school offers a class called “Child and …

The Model Of Masculinity: Youth, Gender, And Education In Fascist Italy, 1922-1939, Jennifer L. Nehrt

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Youth and masculinity are keys to understanding Italian Fascist culture. The Fascost regime used educational institutions to enforce binary gender roles to encourage boys grow into heroic soldiers and girls to become dutiful wives. However, by the mid-1930s, their was a frustrated awareness among the youth that the regime had not fulfilled its promise to deliver Italy to glory. Young citizens were denied a voice in the government and they became disillusioned with Fascism.

The Leadership Hub, Michelle E. Healey

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The Leadership Hub Senior Honors Creative Thesis comprises a website and creative design book. It organizes and designs leadership within the JMU community within four key areas.

Nutritional Ergogenic Aid Use In Male College Students, Megan Elizabeth Solloway

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The perceived need of nutritional ergogenic aids among college students produces concern regarding the safety and efficacy of such aids. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the rationale and use of nutritional ergogenic aids in male college students ages 18-25. Students participated in an anonymous survey assessing nutritional ergogenic supplementation and rationale behind use. There was no significant difference in supplement use between competitive and non-competitive athletes (p=0.708). However, a significant difference in nutritional ergogenic aid use between heavy and light exercisers was noted, with heavy exercisers more likely to use supplements than light exercisers (p=0.041). The primary …

Pre-Service Music Teachers' Perspectives Of Experiences In An Informal Music Learning Group, Veronica Jane Sharpe

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Pre-service music teachers’ undergraduate preparation is often geared towards formal music making (i.e., large conductor-led ensembles). However, recent research suggests that many school-aged students are making music in informal settings (e.g. garage bands) outside of school. Despite a recent influx of research in informal music learning, there is little information on pre-service music teacher’s opinions towards and preparedness in incorporating informal music making into the classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine how pre-service music teachers’ informal music learning experiences shaped their perspectives on the importance of informal music learning and its role in the classroom. For this …