Education Commons^™

An Examination Of Positive Impacts On Students' Math Success, Lauren E. Bisher

Culminating Experience Projects

In today’s classrooms, some students struggle to achieve at high levels in math. Yet, recent research describing the neuroplasticity of the brain means that, with a mathematical mindset, all students can achieve in math at the highest levels in school. Unfortunately, some capable students disengage from the subject due to a fixed mindset or holding beliefs in math myths, such as only some people are born with a math brain or math is about speed. Achievement in math can open more opportunities in a student’s future. Entrance into college and various careers that require mathematical skills become possible when students …

Success In Secondary Mathematics Courses, Victoria Klaas

Culminating Experience Projects

According to research, many students struggle to successfully complete required secondary mathematics courses. Not only are these courses require for students to graduate, the courses prepare students to use mathematics in their everyday lives. The demand for careers in the mathematics field continues to grow. Students will continue to miss out on careers in this field if they do not successfully complete their secondary mathematics courses. This project outlines some of the factors affecting student mathematical success and provides an Algebra II unit plan. The unit plan provides guiding lesson plans and other needed materials for teachers to help improve …

Developing Alternative Grading Strategies, Brian M. Sackett

Culminating Experience Projects

Traditional grading strategies may not accurately reflect student knowledge. Educators are beginning to develop more accurate and efficient methods for grading students. These alternative methods include; standards based grading, content based grading, portfolio assessment, narrative feedback, and minimum grading. These grading strategies focus more heavily on content mastery, rather than non-academic variables such as student behavior. This project will provide a thorough training session to teachers to give them the confidence to implement the new alternative grading strategies. The goal of this project is to have a lasting impact on students’ academic success as well as their motivation and engagement. …

Becoming Trauma- Informed Parents And Educators, Stephanie M. Petersen

Culminating Experience Projects

Trauma exposure may have a negative impact on students within the K-12 setting. Whether through first and secondhand accounts, trauma may affect students in areas that can lead to academic, psychological, and social emotional developmental concerns. Lasting impacts of trauma can affect cognitive, affective, behavioral, psychological, relational and self-attribution domains, and can lead to psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, borderline personality disorder, depression, etc. (O’Neill et al., 2010, pg. 190). When the brain is affected by neuroanatomical and neurophysiological changes a child’s language is impaired, which affects their ability to comprehend ultimately leading to effects on a child’s ability to …

The Importance Of Critical Thinking Skills In Secondary Classrooms, Clinton T. Sterkenburg

Culminating Experience Projects

According to research, many students lack effective critical thinking skills. The ability to think critically is crucial for individuals to be successful and responsible. Many students have difficulties understanding this important skill and especially lack the ability to initiate and apply the process. Although a difficult task, educators have the responsibility to teach critical skills to students and to discern when certain instructional methods or activities are not helping students. Each student is different, and their needs must be considered, this correlates with how they learn and process information. Research has shown that traditional teaching methods that require students to …

The Effect Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices On Preschool-Aged Children With Disabilities, Jocelyn N. Fox

Culminating Experience Projects

Speech and language needs are not being met effectively in preschool-aged children. These skills are incredibly important, as speech and language skills affect all other areas of development (Greenwood et al., 2013). To help solve this problem, professionals who work with this population of students need to have effective practices in place to address the needs of these students. This project aims to provide preschool-aged children who have speech and language needs the access to communication they deserve. Through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, many speech and language needs can be addressed. This project will provide training on AAC …

Increasing Secondary Students’ Spanish Oral Language Proficiency, Courtney Kozak

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has demonstrated the importance of students becoming orally proficient after taking foreign language classes. This project explores what can be done to combat the issue of students failing to gain an oral proficiency. It addresses instructional design and teacher impact, as well as student contribution to the issue. Multiple studies were reviewed on the best research backed practices for proficiency growth. After reading through all the research, it was determined that a proficiency-based instructional style that followed ACTFL World Readiness standards is the ideal approach. Going hand in hand with a proficiency-based instructional style is a classroom design of …

Balancing Innovation And Integrity: Addressing Concerns Of Ai In Classroom Environments, Alexandria Patricia Thomas

Culminating Experience Projects

Research into the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has highlighted critical issues such as bias, privacy, and plagiarism. Despite these challenges, many educational practices have not evolved to address them effectively. This project develops a comprehensive approach to preparing educators for ethical AI use, offering a series of lesson plans and resources (Appendices A-M) designed to enhance teachers' understanding and management of AI in the classroom. By providing practical tools and guidelines, the project supports educators in balancing technical skills with ethical considerations. It employs Paulo Freire’s Critical Pedagogy and the TPACK framework to address AI’s impact on …

Improving Reading Comprehension Of English Language Learners, Maximilian J. Young

Culminating Experience Projects

Reading comprehension ability of English Language Learners (ELLs) has been a growing concern for teachers and administration. The number of ELLs entering the classroom is growing. While current curriculum has tried to address this issue, teachers must combat this problem with a newer perspective on assessing and instruction. This project explains the importance of assessing for instruction rather than simple diagnosis along with why instruction should include explicit reading strategies. To adequately support ELL reading comprehension abilities, schools must provide support services to better prepare teachers in their classroom. In response to this problem, I provide a professional development course …

The Integration Of Mathematical Concepts In Physics Curriculum, Paige Poindexter

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has shown that students are struggling to grasp mathematical concepts and skills, which carries over to other subjects, such as science. As the need for an improved STEM education approach continues to grow, the use of integration to guide curriculum development has proven to be effective. This project dives into the available research surrounding the overlap of subjects taught in a secondary setting, focusing on the techniques proven to improve student academic success. This project addresses the need to draw clear connections between mathematics and physics courses, with the goal of improving student scores in both areas. The result …

Effective Vocabulary Instructions In Kindergarten Through Third Grade, Allison Ericksen

Culminating Experience Projects

This project proposal explains the lack of research and emphasis put on vocabulary instruction in kindergarten through third grade. There is a vocabulary gap between students who come from low SES and high SES that puts students at a disadvantage when it comes to reading, since 60% of comprehension is tied to vocabulary (Stahl and Nagy, 2005). However, the gap is often not addressed until later grades when it starts to be more necessary to comprehend what they read in order to learn. Teaching vocabulary in the younger grades will help prevent the gap from growing too large for those …

A Workship Cirriculum For Student Loan Debt, Cion Swoope

Culminating Experience Projects

For many college students, taking out student loans is a necessary step towards higher education, yet it often leads to accumulated debt that can seem insurmountable. This project intends to investigate the implications of student loan debt, such as homeownership, household debt, and other life goals, and educate borrowers on the potential repercussions. Using Becker's (1993) Human Capital theory, I will examine the investment logic behind student loan borrowing, framing debt as a calculated risk for future gain. This project also uses Crenshaw's (1989) Intersectionality theory to extend beyond the scope of the average borrower and highlight the demographic groups …

Strategies And Resources For Integrating Technology Into The Secondary Education World Language Classroom, Angelina M. Bauer

Culminating Experience Projects

This document is a research-based project that includes a reference manual of strategies for technology integration in the World Language curriculum, as well as an example lesson plan that implements many of the strategies. Many of the strategies and examples can be adapted to fit multiple subject areas. The theoretical framework upon which the project is constructed is a combination of TPACK and several of Stephen Krashen's Theories of Second Language Acquisition.

Beyond The Bell: Rebuilding Care, Civic Learning And Creativity Within Youth Spaces, Michelle R. Haapala

Culminating Experience Projects

The purpose of this research is to investigate high school age students’ opportunities within formal classroom settings to engage in care, civic learning, and creativity within a suburban, publicly-funded charter school. This study used thematic analysis and coding methods to organize and find patterns in the qualitative data from surveys distributed to education professionals at Canton Preparatory High School in Canton, Michigan. The goal is to establish a foundation of the perception of care, civic learning, and creativity within school environments and classroom settings. Overall, education professionals rated these categories positively, but with a closer investigation, a disconnect is found. …

The Effect Of Reading Habits On Academic Success, Taylor Hicks

Culminating Experience Projects

The goal of most students is to achieve academic success. In order to be successful, students must form healthy reading habits because there is a positive correlation between academic success and reading habits. The more students read, the greater their chances of performing well academically. By participating in frequent reading, students will, not only perform well in school, they will also expand their vocabulary, improve their writing skills, and sharpen their critical thinking skills. We are in the midst of a literacy crisis, though. Students are choosing other avenues for entertainment instead of reading. This could potentially have detrimental consequences. …

Empowering All Learners: The Role Of Cultural Responsiveness In Elementary Literacy Education, Meghan Claire Arbury

Culminating Experience Projects

Instructional strategies used by teachers impact student literacy performance. Students’ literacy skills can improve when teachers incorporate culturally responsive teaching practices that are also high-quality in nature. There is a particular need for these methods to be adopted in elementary classrooms in order to make learning accessible and equitable for diverse learners. Literacy skills are highly social and students’ backgrounds experiences are pivotal connections around which knowledge and understanding are constructed. In the Northwest Michigan region, as well as nationwide, performance disparities among cultural groups are reflected in literacy achievement data (“Grades 3-8,” n.d.), solidifying the need for change to …

Building Stronger Student-Teacher Relationships With Students Of Color, Diana Berlanga

Culminating Experience Projects

This project examines the racial disparity that exists among students of color and positive teacher-student relationships. Research shows that teacher bias influences teachers' perception of students of color. Teacher social identities play a role in how teachers build student-teacher relationships, which affects some students of color experience in school. For instance, students of color are less likely to experience academic recommendations and more likely to receive harsh discipline. However, research shows that teachers can improve their teacher bias by self-discovering their teacher’s social identity in the classroom. In addition, teachers could improve their interactions with students of color by exploring …

An Examination Of The Effects Of Testing On Student Learning In Elementary School, Dana Spielberger

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has revealed important information about the effects of testing on student motivation, mental well-being, and academic performance. These effects are mostly negative, yet most schools throughout the country have not adopted alternative education models to reflect this information. This project explores the recent history of educational testing as holistic theories of education and associated alternative pedagogies that can be used to address the problems created by testing. An effective assessment model must be recurring and longitudinal in nature, collaborative between students, parents, teachers, and outside stakeholders, and be able to account for the differing needs, environments, backgrounds, and interests …

Evidence-Based Writing Pedagogy, Patrick Misner

Culminating Experience Projects

Standardized tests continue to consistently show students performing below grade level on writing tasks. This project explores the history of the issue as well as research behind evidenced based writing pedagogy shown to improve students' writing abilities. It focuses on three key strategies: integrating reading and writing instruction, providing effective feedback, and using a process writing framework. The culminating project incorporates these three techniques in a writing unit, which can be used with high school English students. Also provided are pre- and post-assessments with grading rubrics taken from previous National Assessment of Educational Progress tests that teachers can use to …

A Study Of Behavior Issues In The Early Childhood Classroom After The Pandemic, Mari Elena Sremba

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has shown that children entering the classroom environment after the COVID-19 pandemic are struggling with behavioral issues. Due to a lack of social-emotional skills and heightened anxiety and depression, schools are seeing children act out more violently and emotionally than ever before. With a strict focus on the findings of the importance of school readiness and play-based learning skills, this project is aimed to minimize these outbursts of negative behavior by teaching parents on how to get involved in the home and teach these necessary skills for school success. Parental involvement has shown high correlations with success for children …

Mental Health Education In Higher Education, Chelsea J. Farley

Culminating Experience Projects

This project dives into the current mental health status of college students and what institutions are doing to address students steady and continuous decline of mental health. Mental Health 101: A Comprehensive Guide for Faculty incorporates suggestions from literature and theory to provide resources to faculty members when educating students. Mental Health 101 was created with the social-ecological model in mind (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) by connecting the individual student to their environment, or in this case, the college classroom. The guide consists of information about mental health such as risk factors and warning signs, coping strategies, activities, and assignments faculty members …

An Examination Of Early Childhood Scholars’ Social Emotional Competencies, Monica J. Graveling

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has disclosed valuable evidence about early childhood social emotional learning. This project investigates the recent history of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in America and the impact it is having on young learners in order to improve instructional techniques and foster SEL growth within early childhood children. SEL capabilities influence the overall well-being of young scholars in the present and the future. There is an abundance of early childhood students who lack the SEL skills needed to succeed in education and society. Positive, classroom relationships are beneficial in developing social emotional abilities. Additionally, interactive read aloud experiences and discussions are …

Grading To Better Communicate Student Learning, Derek M. Carlisle

Culminating Experience Projects

While the inadequacies of traditional grading have been well documented, it is still the most prominent grading system in schools today, including Kent City Community Schools. This project analyzes research on traditional and non-traditional grading systems to determine how to best assess and communicate student learning. Research confirms that, while traditional grading does have some benefits, the negative effects far outweigh the positive. And while there are a few other grading systems of merit, standards-based grading is the most commonly implemented and best meets the project goals of accurately assessing and communicating student learning and growth. The teacher in-service designed …

Limiting Play-Based Learning In Early Childhood Classrooms: The Impact On Student Engagement, Ashley M. Lesniak

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has revealed the developmental benefits and school readiness skills students gain from play-based child centered learning, yet most early childhood classrooms beyond preschool are seeing less and less play-based learning and more direct instruction of academic skills due to increased accountability put in place by reforms such as No Child Left Behind. The purpose of this project is to inform and remind teachers and administration of the benefits of play-based learning but also to create some curriculum that will integrate more play-based learning into classrooms. Currently, many classrooms do not implement play -based learning due to time, academics, and …

Lack Of Engagement Of Play-Based Learning In Early Childhood Education, Jessica A. Beuilby

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has shown that children in early childhood education classrooms, including those at Ottawa Area Center, are having less time to engage with meaningful play-based learning opportunities. This project explores the factors hindering the implementation of play-based learning as well as thought on how to improve the implementation of play-based learning. To effectively address the factors hindering the implementation of play-based learning, administration and teachers must have the adequate knowledge on play-based learning. Two professional development sessions will be used to address the most common factors that hinder implementation. Additionally, it combines elements of evaluation that will be helpful in …

Resources For Inclusivity In High School U.S. History Classrooms, Lauren A. Read

Culminating Experience Projects

Throughout the country at this time, Social Studies curriculum has come under scrutiny, especially in areas that try to promote a diverse/inclusive or multicultural curriculum. These efforts have been met with a large amount of resistance from community members and stakeholders in many school districts. The research however has shown that by having a diverse and inclusive historical curriculum, students from all demographics benefit and have increased levels of empathy towards marginalized groups of students. Within this type of curriculum students are able to analyze and understand a multicultural history, especially when diverse or missing narratives are included that can …

Integrating Movement Back Into Schools By Creating A Culture Of Movement, Stephanie Sandera

Culminating Experience Projects

As rigor continues to rise, so does the amount of time we are asking students to sit sedentary in their seats. It has become a common practice for educators to reduce or remove from their schedules activities that get their students up and moving in exchange for more academic minutes. Currently there is a dilemma in schools in finding the balance between instructional time and physical activity; even though it is becoming more well known that physical activity increases student attention and learning. To rectify this gap in practice schools need to create a culture of movement that is integrated …

Mentoring To Minimize Burnout In Early Elementary Teachers, Bethany L. Kohn-Mcfadden

Culminating Experience Projects

Research shows that teacher burnout is impacting the educational field in adverse ways, with both teachers and students feeling the negative effects. Teachers are leaving or considering leaving the teaching field at alarming rates, with very few teachers to replace them. With a dwindling teacher population, the need to minimize the symptoms and effects of teacher burnout is imperative. This project combines the positive and researched based practice of new teacher mentoring with knowledge regarding burnout and personal intervention strategies that can help limit the effects of burnout. The mentoring program is designed to be implemented into current and relevant …

A Socially Innovative Curriculum For An Afterschool Program, Shelinda T. Knight Davenport

Culminating Experience Projects

ABSTRACT

Since the colonial days in what is now known as America, there has been the social problem of racism. Racism has always been and remains a cancer in America’s culture. From racism, a deep hatred has spawned for other races. To the extremes, it has led to violence and murder, and most Americans believe it is more prevalently outspoken today than it has been in the last 20 years (Schaefer & Edwards, 2022). This thesis project consists of a Disrupting Racism curriculum for approximately 3rd grade, which is situated in the literature on racism and education. Grounded in culturally …

Exploring Using Game-Based Learning And Gamification In A Secondary Classroom To Increase Engagement, Mandee Lynn Thiell

Culminating Experience Projects

Research has connected the importance of student engagement and student experience within the classroom but continue to use teacher directed traditional teaching methods. This project explores the use of gamification and game-based learning and how it promotes student engagement. The use of games and game-elements provide a relevant approach that focuses on student autonomy and experience, and ultimately use fun engaging ways to motivate students to learn. This project provides an entry level learning in-service opportunity for secondary educators to discover and create their own lessons that implement gamification and game-based learning in their classrooms in hopes to increase student …