Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of The Practice Of Aligning Speech-Language Therapy Goals To The Common Core State Standards For English Language Arts, Gerard Francis Shine

Theses and Dissertations

Implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is now a curriculum priority for school districts across the United States. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are exploring ways to incorporate the CCSS into their assessment and therapy practices. Literature centered on the development of language goals aligned with the CCSS for English language arts (ELA) was limited. The purpose of this study was to identify if SLPs working in public elementary and middle school settings had adopted the practice of aligning their language-intervention goals to the CCSS for ELA for students on their caseloads. Perceived feasibility of language goal alignment to the …

The Politics Of Official English: Exploring The Intentions And The Outcomes Behind English-Only Policies In The United States, David Gonzalez Nieto

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Although the Constitution did not declare English the official language of the United States, its complete linguistic dominance in such a linguistically diverse nation is unparalleled. Despite its supremacy, the last three decades have witnessed a renewed nationalistic movement that claims the role of English is threatened and that its establishment as the official language of the United States is crucial to protect the language and the unity of the nation.

So far, attempts to institutionalize English at the federal level have failed, but 28 states have adopted English as their official language and/or legislation that limits the use of …

Relationship Of Specialty Diets To The Severity Of Symptoms Associated With Autism, Rachele Lee

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Using Literature Circles To Increase Reading Comprehension And Student Motivation, Michelle Jacobs

Theses and Dissertations

Many educators arrange students in guided reading groups based on their reading lexile. Usually the books selected for guided reading are from a basal reading series and are used to teach different reading components and strategies. However, the books don’t always reflect student cultures, making it difficult for students to hold discussions and make connections. Oftentimes, students are unmotivated to read the assigned books and rarely engage in discussions. Based on research conducted by Daniels (2006), when kids are engaged in well-structured book clubs their comprehension and their attitude towards reading both improve. With ongoing changes in education, educators must …

Do The Words People Write Capture Their Process Of Change, Orrin-Porter Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the use of commonly used word categories, less commonly used word categories, and change in word use over time in an expressive writing task. A sample of 250 undergraduate students from an archival study who were still experiencing unresolved feelings wrote about a targeted distressing experience for 15 minutes on each of three consecutive days. Narratives were analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count Program (LIWC). Results showed that six word categories predicted change in outcome, namely first-person singular pronouns, words related to causation, inhibition, certainty, past-tense verbs, and word count. Words related to cognitive …

Archival Enactment, Retelling 'The Big Book': Alison Knowles, Something Else Press And Fluxus, Meghan A. Dellacrosse

Theses and Dissertations

"Archival Enactment, Retelling 'The Big Book': Alison Knowles, Something Else Press and Fluxus," positions Knowles’ Big Book (1966) as a case study of historical methodology and interdisciplinary artistic practice in the post-war period. This comprehensive analysis of Big Book, a work of art no longer extant, contextualizes its publisher, Something Else Press through Dick Higgins’ concept of “intermedia,” and important lesser-known junctures relevant to Fluxus and the group’s leader George Maciunas are illuminated. Knowles' early and lesser-known silkscreen paintings are also examined.

Performing Conquest And Resistance In The Streets Of Eighteenth Century Potosí: Identity And Artifice In The Cityscapes Of Gaspar Miguel De Berrío And Melchor Pérez De Holguín, Agnieszka A. Ficek

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the ways in which Potosí's two most influential colonial artists represented the urban dynamics of race, class and labor in their depictions of the Andean 'City of Silver' during the eighteenth century, when silver production, profits and population were dramatically declining.

The Importance Of Maintaining A Heritage Language While Acquiring The Host Language, Anna L. Vallance

Honors College Theses

Few issues are as relevant to modern education as the topic of bilingual students. As the school-age population in the United States becomes increasingly diverse, teachers and other educational professionals need to know how they can best serve their English learners (students who speak a first language other than English). A common question that many educators grapple with is what role a student’s heritage language (native language) ought to play in the classroom. Specifically, how important is it that students maintain their heritage language? By critically reviewing the existing literature relating to the subject, this article strives to answer that …

Translating Transformative Human Rights Education Through Visual Languages & Informal Spaces, Jazzmin Chizu Gota

Master's Projects and Capstones

This project examines methods, theories, and practices of translating human rights education through multiple vernaculars. Developed as a workshop in sociocultural syntax deconstruction and an educational human rights education website focused on the domestic population of the US, the project focuses on localizing human rights concepts to the public vernacular of the country. Human rights education (HRE) and media and information literacy (MIL) are expanded and redefined as social literacy, or the ability to navigate and decode the present, complex realities that both HRE and MIL were developed to address. Reframing media and visual arts as an archive of past …

Canadian Teacher Candidates’ Narratives Of Their Cross-Cultural Experiences In China, Minghua Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a narrative study, exploring the perspectives of Canadian teacher candidates’ cross-cultural learning experiences in China as a result of their involvement in the Reciprocal Learning Program between the University of Windsor in Canada and Southwest University in China. The study builds on my two years of participation as a graduate assistant in the Reciprocal Learning Program, which is part of the SSHRC Partnership Grant Project between Canada and China. This study focuses on five participants’ personal and professional understanding of cross-cultural knowledge. Based on Connelly and Clandinin’s (1988) narrative inquiry, this study finds some changes from the participants’ …

A Selected Survey Of Sacred And Secular Music From The English Reformation, With Emphasis On Pedagogical Applications For The High School Choral Classroom, Caroline Morse

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this project was to examine the historical and applied performance aspects of music from the English Reformation, and to explore and explain the pedagogical methods of teaching this music to developing musicians in high school. I was responsible for organizing, programming, rehearsing, and conducting a recital featuring several works of sacred English, sacred Latin, and madrigal/secular songs. In addition, I was responsible for researching and presenting a lecture recital on the Tudor Dynasty, and the effect the monarchy had on the publication of music during 1517-1648.

I developed a lecture recital based upon age appropriate choral pieces …

Health Care Service Disparity: Factors Associated With The Distribution Of Primary Care Physicians, Robert L. Morgan

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Primary care physicians operate on the front lines of health care. Although primary care physicians play a critical role in improving health outcomes, workforce trends in the United States show a growing shortage of primary care physicians as demand for primary care rises. In conveying the importance of primary care physicians, the worsening physician shortage, the inequitable distribution of providers, and the lackluster institutional response thus far, this paper calls into question the effectiveness of current indicators used to identify underserved areas and provide appropriate government assistance. Through the use of data from the 2010 census and American Medical Association …

The Social And Economic Consequences Of Gendered Toys In America, Cydne Pope

Economics Theses

Toys in the American marketplace are heavily gender stereotyped, creating a variety of social and economic consequences. Beginning at an early age, children foster different cognitive abilities based on play with toys deemed appropriate for their gender. While boys’ toys promote skills in math and science fields, girls’ toys promote verbal and linguistic skills. This difference in cognitive ability has shown to influence a child throughout his or her lifetime, beginning with the education gap in schools and continuing on to influence a child’s choice in college major as well as his or her future occupational choice. Additionally, gender specific …

Depression Screening And Early Intervention On The Post-Stroke Patient, Marco Oliver Dugan Lopez

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Statistics in the United States (US) have shown an increase in the prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) or risk for developing CVD. Approximately 78 million American adults, 20 years and older, have hypertension, 31.9 million have elevated serum cholesterol levels, and 68.2 million use tobacco products. Within California, San Francisco (SF) was ranked 8th among counties with adult residents that have CVD. It is estimated that approximately 1.02% of these individuals will have a stroke each year and 16.25% will die from stroke. Of those that survive, it is estimated that at least half will develop neurologic deficits, and at …

Digital Lessons For Enhancing Communicative Skills: A Handbook For Turkish Efl Teachers, Hale H. Demirel

Master's Projects and Capstones

It is necessary for English teachers who are interested in exposing their students to the authentic and communicative use of English to have access to model instructional materials. This project sought to develop a handbook and an accompanying website for teachers of English working with intermediate ESL/EFL students at university level. The handbook includes two theme-based lessons that emphasize the development of communicative competence with the help of engaging free digital tools. The content of the handbook can be improvised or modified and adapted to meet the needs of unique teaching-learning situations in case of need.

Supplementing Esl Classroom Activities With Social Media For Young Adult Learners, Clair M. Yeo

Master's Projects and Capstones

The classroom material currently utilized in English as a second language (ESL) classrooms is often disconnected from the real world. Publishers of ESL instructional materials often attempt to bridge this gap by including topics on popular news, films, songs, and famous persons at the time of printing. However, these are often outdated as quickly as they can be printed. As such, many ESL teachers face the challenge of keeping ESL classroom material relevant to the real world while seeking to maintain students’ interests in what they are learning.

The purpose of the project is to make use of social networking …

Preoperative Education: A Patient-Centered Care Approach, Gia L. Wendt

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

This project addresses the need for delivering high quality preoperative education to the Arabic speaking patient population served by Sharp Healthcare’s orthopedic service line. A goal set during the institution’s 2015 The Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care survey is to discharge major joint patients to home in two days or less. Data abstracted from Sharp Healthcare’s orthopedic registry revealed that only 30% of Arabic speaking patients are meeting this goal. The current process for educating Arabic speaking patients preoperatively during a one to one educational session with a third party interpreter takes three hours, costs $402.00 per patient, and education …

Building Awareness Of The Mental Health Issues Of Asian American College Women, Julie S. Baek

Master's Projects and Capstones

The purpose of this project is to build awareness of the mental health issues of Asian American college women. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (2009) reports among all women between the ages of 15 to 24, Asian Americans have the second highest suicide rates across all racial or ethnic groups whereas only 27 percent of them seek a professional help. Very little is known about what makes this population of students take their own lives at higher rates than their ethnic counterparts because of a model minority myth and lack of studies and attention. The project aims to develop …

Mother Tongue Interference In English Language Pronunciation Of The Chinese Immigrant In The United States, Chaowei Hu

Master's Projects and Capstones

English is one of the most widely used languages in the world. As an unofficial lingua franca, it serves a key role in cross-cultural communication. Chinese immigrants in the US will certainly encounter many difficulties in acquiring L2 proficiency. Some of these challenges are tied to 1) Chinese immigrants’ history in the US and the variety of Chinese dialects; 2) distinctions between Chinese and English phonological systems; 3) diversity among Chinese Americans; 3) mother tongue influence on English language learning; and 4) foreign language anxiety.

Enhancing Esl Instruction Through Reflective Teaching: A Resource Guide For Administrators Of Intensive English Programs, Wesley Weston

Master's Projects and Capstones

Reflective teaching practices are meaningful and practical ways for administrators to support and encourage ongoing professional development among ESL teachers. Today, the global demand for English instruction has greatly surpassed the supply of qualified and experienced teachers. Many ESL teachers, therefore, can benefit significantly from continuous professional development, especially at Intensive English Programs preparing international students for higher education in the US.

Administrators can help further teacher development through the implementation of microteaching, peer observations, and surveys. These methods effectively foster professional growth by stimulating reflective inquiry, which promotes personal learning, behavior modification, and better performance. Furthermore, these practices help …

A Literacy-Level Curriculum For Adult Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners With Limited Formal Education, Kirsten L. Keihl

Master's Projects and Capstones

Many Spanish-speaking adult immigrants in the United States face an immediate need to learn English, but also suffer from a lack of formal education as many did not complete middle school or high school. These learners need a curriculum that is tailored specifically to their needs. This project provides a communicative curriculum for teaching English and Spanish literacy, English speaking and listening skills, and basic classroom skills utilizing native language instruction when helpful using learning strategies and authentic materials that are appropriate for adults. It also addresses sociocultural and sociopolitical concerns of this population and utilizes culturally relevant materials.

Fighting Spirit: A History Of St. Henry's Catholic Church New Orleans 1871-1929, Alvah J. Green Iii

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In 2009, the Archdiocese of New Orleans went through a reorganization that resulted in the closure of numerous parishes under its direction. This thesis will look at how one of the parishes closed during this reorganization, St. Henry’s, had already faced, and survived, numerous attempts at closure. A study of these previous attempts reveals that internal church politics were often on display and the driving force behind the decisions. Using documents from the Archdiocesan Archives of New Orleans, this thesis looks at the history and leadership of St. Henry’s parish, and examines how the survival of a church often has …

Fear Of Inclement Weather, Clare L. Harmon

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Crusade Against The “Cowboy”?: Austrian Anti-Americanism During The Presidency Of George W. Bush, 2001-2009, Brandon J. Keene

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This essay examines anti-Americanism in Austria throughout George W. Bush’s presidency, and Austrians’ response to Bush’s neoconservative team of advisers and his military actions in Iraq following the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington. For the first time in a century, a disposition of general hostility towards the United States came from both the Austrian Left and Right during the Bush years. Austrians’ latent notions of negativity towards the United States grew inflamed over Bush’s alienation of Western Europe and his determination to go to war against the Saddam regime in Iraq. Austrian anti-Americanism began to subside …

“Beauty Joined To Energy”: Gravity And Graceful Movement In Richard Wilbur’S Poetry, Elizabeth Lynch

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Throughout his work, Wilbur maintains a thematic and aesthetic fascination with kinetic energy, especially insofar as this graceful movement often seems to defy the world’s gravity. Wilbur’s energetic verse and imagery invites readers to delve into the philosophical and spiritual meditations of his poems, as well as to notice the physical world anew. The kinetic aspects of Wilbur’s subject matter, wordplay, wit, and figurative language elucidate the frequent tempering of gravity with levity within his work. Many critics have studied Wilbur’s philosophy, Christianity, metaphors, wordplay, and approach to language as found in his poetry, but this essay attempts to use …

Modeling Reading Constructs With Struggling Readers At Different Ages, Cortney M. Fritz

Psychology Dissertations

This study examined the degree to which core reading-related latent constructs, such as reading comprehension, language comprehension, word decoding, non-word decoding, phonological awareness, and speed, are equivalent and reflective of the same underlying constructs across different age groups of poor readers. Within this framework, we also worked to better understand whether poor readers at different ages are similar or different in their pattern of relationships among core reading-related constructs. The sample was poor readers at different ages, including 430 elementary students, 584 middle school students and 236 adults. Using confirmatory factor analysis, four models of reading were tested for each …

Maternal Predictors Of School Readiness Among At-Risk Head Start Preschool Children, Rachel Chase

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Preschool has been identified as a critical period during which children who are at-risk for school difficulties are most responsive to intervention (National Institute of Mental Health, 2002; National Research Council & Institute of Medicine, 2001). Because of this, school readiness has recently become a prioritized area of interest for the educational system, the health care industry, and the federal government. However, many efforts to comprehensively prepare a child to begin school have not been successful because factors beyond the educational system (e.g., parenting/parent attributes, environmental stressors, and other demographic characteristics) have not been closely considered nor adequately researched. Therefore, …

Assessing Learning Strategy Use In English- And Spanish-Speaking Older Adults During Verbal Learning Tests, Cynthia Funes

Psychology Dissertations

This study investigated learning and memory performance similarities and differences between healthy, Spanish-speaking older adults of Hispanic/Latino descent and English-speaking Caucasian older adults. It explored the possibility that the novelty of verbal memory tasks, along with cultural and educational differences, may lead to performance differences in Spanish-speaking older adults' effective use of organizational strategies, such as semantic clustering. It hypothesized that an alternative strategy instruction, which provided explicit detail on how to use the effective semantic clustering strategy, would reduce differences observed between the Hispanic and Caucasian groups. Forty-eight healthy, Spanish-speaking older adults and 55 healthy, English-speaking older adults were …

Hidden Voices: The Missing Narratives Of Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Participants From 2000 To 2004 And Student Transfer Participants From 2013 To 2014, Miranda Temecka Ming

Dissertations

This study explored the perspectives of students participating in the Voluntary Inter-district Choice program from 2000-2004 and the experiences of participants in the Student Transfer Program attending the same suburban district due to the lack of accreditation in their neighboring schools during 2013-2014. The study uncovered the voices of participants in the VICC and student transfer program and to provided their voices in hope that it may be used as an instrument of change. This subjective, phenomenological qualitative study explored the lived experiences of high school students transferring to suburban districts and provides an in-depth analysis of their social, emotional, …

A Deeper Semiotic Richness: Empowering English Language Students Through Digital Storytelling, Karah Parks

Master's Projects and Capstones

The current philosophies underpinning TESOL higher education curricula and classroom practices still reinforce the essentialized narrative of the native speaker and teach English as an objective, disinterested, linguistic system of static signs (Blommaert, 2010; Kramsch, 2009; Larsen-Freeman, 2015; Pennycook, 1997). This has significantly limited the development students’ identities, and agency within English language speaking communities. To address this issue, this project contains a supplemental, online digital storytelling curriculum for intermediate to advanced adult learners at the university level in U.S. colleges as a means of scaffolding intentional identity development through multimodal, symbolic competence in the English language. Entitled Creative ESOL: …