Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Adapting Higher Education: Revamping Curricula For The Inclusion Of Theatre Students With Disabilities, Kevin Kemler

Theses and Dissertations

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives in higher education have been largely driven by administrators who have little to no contact with the students for whom they are working for. This top-down approach negatively impacts marginalized students and disproportionately affects the quality of experience for students with Disabilities, an often-overlooked demographic. For Disabled students enrolled in performance programs, barriers to access and inclusion don’t just exist at the institutional level, they also exist in the traditional classroom or studio as well. Through a dismantling of ableist structures inherent within higher education (i.e., American grading practices, the Western and Theatrical Canons), I …

Speech-Language Pathologist's Perspectives On The Efficacy Of Bilingual Education Programs In South Texas Public Schools For English As A Second Language Learners, Alexandra Rosas

Theses and Dissertations

Current research in regard to the assessment and treatment of ESLs is limited. Other problems found within the school setting, is that fact that SLPs have very limited resources and large caseloads. Hence, the fact that previous studies have found that SLPS working the school setting do not feel competent in serving ESL students.

The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of bilingual programs and explore the factors that impact English as a second language learners (ESLs), in public schools across the Rio Grande Valley. School based speech-language pathologists were surveyed for information concerning their perceptions and …

A Natural Pairing: Social Justice And Theatre Education, Danielle Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Social justice curricula are often solely geared toward middle and high school students. I intend to prove that a social justice curriculum can be creatively paired with a theatre curriculum. I also intend to prove that social justice can be taught as young as pre-kindergarten. I will design a social justice curriculum for various grade levels, beginning with pre-kindergarten. Through research and age-appropriate strategies, I will develop curriculum goals and learning experiences for all grade levels. The curriculum is not an end point for teachers, but rather a starting point for theatre teachers who want to integrate social justice into …

Tya Adaptations For The Theatre Educator, Laura Ashley Butler

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last century, adaptations in the field of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) have been the subject of some debate. While adaptations are currently the most produced type of play by children’s theatre companies and professional theatre organizations, original TYA scripts are the ones that receive the majority of the praise and acclaim, In addition, theatre educators throughout the United States struggle to produce quality plays with the limited funds they have been allotted. This paper serves multiple purposes. It aims to give theatre educators the tools they need to overcome the stigmatized opinions of adapted works. Additionally, it …

In Pursuit Of Women Scientists: Using Science Plays To Promote Women Entering Stem Disciplines, Danielle Hartman

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education currently seeks to increase female enrollment in STEM. Women face many challenges attempting to breach this male dominated arena with misconceptions, gender stereotypes, and few female role models. With the recent trend in higher education to encourage more women to enter the STEM disciplines and K-12 schools cutting funding for arts programs, theatre may be losing its value in the education system. The value of interdisciplinary studies is beginning to be forgotten during the grade school years as school boards battle budget cuts, but we can remind society of it through science plays. Theatre artists use other disciplines …

The Effects Of Creative Dramatics On Vocabulary Achievement Of Fourth Grade Students In A Language Arts Classroom: An Empirical Study, Annrené Joseph

Theses and Dissertations

Seattle Pacific University

Abstract

The Effects of Creative Dramatics on Vocabulary Achievement of Fourth Grade Students in a Language Arts Classroom: An Empirical Study

by

AnnRené Joseph

Chairperson of the Dissertation Committee: Dr. Arthur K. Ellis,

School of Education

That the arts enhance academic achievement has been a claim of educators for the past century. An empirical and replicable study to investigate this claim was needed.

This experimental study examined whether and to what extent the use of creative dramatics interventions increased the vocabulary achievement of fourth grade students in a language arts classroom. The 20-day study was conducted across …

Video Games: Their Effect On Society And How We Must Modernize Our Pedagogy For Students Of The Digital Age, Christopher J. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to explore how video games have become an extremely beneficial tool in regards to education, art, medicine, psychology, economics, and beyond. Chapter 1 focuses on how ubiquitous video games have become in America, and what makes video games such a uniquely enjoyable experience to warrant such popularity. Chapter 2 explores how video games have become instrumental in various fields. Chapter 3 discusses the role that video games now play in the world of education; specifically how we, as educators, must adapt a modern pedagogy best suited to students who have grown up with video games, which have …

Positioning, Spectatorship, And Teen Films: Giving Students The Power For Effective Media Education, Bradley David Moss

Theses and Dissertations

What is the most effective curricular and pedagogical approach to use in increasing media literacy among students? This is the challenge that I and most media educators must address today. This thesis charts my exploration of that question and demonstrates the results of a unit of instruction created to enhance the critical media literacy of students by focusing on positioning theory, spectatorship, and considering teen representation in mass media films. In creating curriculum, I needed to define the end goal of the instruction. My research led me to critical media literacy and its focus on moving beyond media textual analysis …

The Media Production Experience: A Phenomenological Study Of Student Media Production In A Secondary Education Environment, Brian N. Saxton

Theses and Dissertations

Many media education researchers have pointed out the benefits of incorporating a production element into a media literacy program. In fact, the simple use of the word “literacy" alludes to both critical analysis of (“reading") media and creative expression through (“writing") media. However, many of those same researchers have found that there are serious difficulties with student media production from a practical standpoint. The lack of equipment, the lack of class time, poor educator training, and the possibility that students may produce school-inappropriate or offensive texts create doubts about whether or not the effort is worth the reward. This qualitative, …