Education Commons^™

Ungifted: Teacher Candidates’ Understanding Of Giftedness Through Literature Circles, Sharryn Larsen Walker, Wendie Lappin Castillo

Literacy Practice and Research

The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyze the reflective comments made by teacher candidates (TCs) after they participated in weekly discussions about the tween novel Ungifted by Korman (2012). The TCs attended at a regional Pacific Northwest university, majoring or minoring in various educational fields. After reading and discussing the topic of giftedness as it related to their engagement with the novel, the TCs wrote a reflective essay about their new understandings of teaching the gifted. Using the constant-comparative method, the essays from three sections of the course over a three-year period were read and reread for identifiable …

The Effects Of Continuous Video Prompting On Teaching Daily Living Skills To Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Enas Altaf

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, there has been a trend of the growing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses. Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects behavior, learning, and communication. Many with ASD emit problem behaviors that create challenges for learning in many areas of life, including the acquisition of daily living skills (DLS).

There have been numerous interventions developed to teach individuals with ASD; some interventions are aimed at reducing problem behaviors while others teach different skills, including DLS. Over the past ten years, video-based instruction (VBI) has proven useful to teach individuals with ASD. There are …

Persistence Among Emerging Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury In Postsecondary Settings, Ardith A. Clayton-Wright

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study sought to investigate the demographic and socio-psychological factors associated with predicting persistence in postsecondary education among emerging adults with traumatic brain injury. The predicting variables in this study were: (a) gender (sex), (b) socioeconomic status (SES), (c) employment, (d) years of education; (e) age at onset of injury, (f) existence of familial capital/parental involvement, and (g) hours spent studying for a class.

Data were obtained from a secondary dataset collected by the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center longitudinal database. There were 2436 participants with TBI in the study. Ages ranged from 16 …

A Comparison Study Of The Executive Functioning Abilities And Reading Comprehension Skills Of Students In Response To Intervention, Catherine Schultheis Salum

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Response to intervention (RTI) is a data driven framework that classifies students into three tiers and provides interventions at different levels of intensity (Flanagan, Ortiz, Alfonso, & Dynada, 2006; Fuchs, Fuchs, & Stecker, 2010, Gilbert et al., 2012). The screening assessments and interventions used for RTI have become generalized (Garcia, Gonzalez-Castro, Fernandez, & Rodriguez-Perez, 2012). Many schools implementing RTI use one screening instrument and one intervention for all struggling readers (Ezpeleta, Granero, Penelo, de la Osa, & Domenech, 2015; Flanagan et al., 2006; Garcia et al., 2012; Gilbert et al., 2012).

Executive functioning (EF) is a neuropsychological ability that regulates …

The Effects Of Video Prompting On Teaching Daily Living Tasks To Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mashal Salman Aljehany

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience difficulties with learning age-appropriate daily living skills (DLS) at their homes, schools, and in the community. Such skills are significant for independent life, post-school education, employment, and overall quality of life. Video prompting (VP) is a teaching practice that has demonstrated positive outcomes in teaching a variety of DLS to individuals with ASD. The overarching purpose of this collected papers dissertation was to investigate the effects of VP interventions on improving DLS of individuals with ASD. This dissertation included two separate papers. The first paper was a meta-analysis that examined the overall effect …

Learning To Think...Thinking To Learn, James C. Dean Mr., Julie Pfeiffer, Nancy Famulari, Julia Connett, Briana Kaparis

ICOT 18 - International Conference on Thinking - Cultivating Mindsets for Global Citizens

How do you create a systemic school culture of THINKING? In this interactive presentation learn how 3 Miami-Dade schools are using a set of consistent visual tools to teach critical, creative THINKING and communication to all learners. This session will capitalize on connecting the visuals to the latest brain research and its implications on the developmental needs of PreK-Adult learners. Examples of practice will be highlighted by these schools.

Evaluating The Effects Of Utilizing A Mobile Device By Transitioning High School Students With Intellectual Disability To Locate Items From A Grocery List And Improve Their Independence, Vanessa Gil

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) struggle to learn daily living skills (DLS) required for independent living. One specific skill set that is challenging for individuals with ID is grocery shopping. The current study is one of two investigations that have been undertaken entirely in the community and without the use of booster session simulations in a classroom.

This study investigated the effects of using least-to-most prompting and mobile technology as a tool to assist 18 to 22-year-old adult students with ID to find six items from a grocery-shopping list. Dependent measures included the number of task steps completed correctly, selecting …

Special And General Education Teachers’ Assessment Of Their Participation In A Peer Assistance And Review (Par) Program, Alexandre Lopes

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional teacher evaluation systems have failed to (a) show variations in teacher effectiveness, (b) determine teachers’ professional development needs, and (c) align evaluation of teacher effectiveness with compensation, retention, and dismissal. Furthermore, traditional teacher evaluation systems have failed to establish teaching practices that positively affect student learning - an issue of critical importance for students with disabilities.

The literature indicates that Peer Assistance and Review (PAR), grounded in social network theory, is regarded by many as a viable option to compensate for the disadvantages of traditional teacher evaluation systems. PAR has the potential to provide (a) frequent and meaningful observations, …

The Effect Of Covert Audio Coaching On The Attending Behavior Of Elementary Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Classroom Setting, Christina Crocco

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the fastest growing disability category in U.S. schools. Current legislation mandates that students with disabilities be educated in the classroom setting to the greatest extent possible. The increase in prevalence combined with placement regulations presents a challenge for classroom teachers who support students with ASD, as many of these students struggle with the necessary classroom skills to function appropriately in that environment. Classroom skills have been referred to in the literature as skills that are required for learning to occur, including: (a) looking at the teacher, (b) keeping hands to self, (c) raising a hand …

Teachers As Facilitators Or Barriers Of Parent Involvement: Experiences Of African American Mothers Of Children In Special Education Programs, Princess Briggs

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parents in disenfranchised groups, namely African American parents of children with special needs, are less likely to be involved in their child’s education, although involvement is associated with positive educational outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate African American parents’ perceptions of special education programs, of teacher actions, and of school policies that influence parent involvement of African American parents of children with special needs.

A phenomenological study was conducted with 15 African American mothers of children with special needs. These parents participated in individual face-to-face interviews, which included a discussion of the child’s Individualized Education Plan. Audio …

Examining The Relationship Between Fidelity Of Implementation Of Accommodations For Students With Specific Learning Disabilities In Mathematics And Student Achievement In High School Algebra I Inclusion Classes, Belinda Baptiste

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) are educated in general education classrooms. As a result, these students are faced with more challenging instructional curricula. Although some students with SLD perform as well in mathematics as students without disabilities, most perform below state standards despite being provided instructional and testing accommodations. Policy makers have envisioned the implementation of instructional accommodations as a primary means of ensuring an appropriate education (Mcleskey, Hoppey, Williamson & Rentz, 2004; Scalon & Baker, 2012) for students with disabilities in general education classrooms (Mc Guire, Scott, & Shaw, 2006). The researcher implemented a non-experimental ex post facto …

Using Culturally Responsive Teaching With Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Students With Specific Learning Disabilities To Increase Performance In Algebra I, Lorena R. Munoz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the United States (U.S.) population continues to change and become racially/ethnically, culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse, so does the population in public schools (Institute of Education Sciences, 2010). Additionally, the number of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students has been overrepresented in the subgroup of students with learning disabilities (SLD) (Artiles & Ortiz, 2002; Kalynpur & Harry, 2012; Klingner & Harry, 2014). Therefore, there is a need to adapt the curriculum and pedagogy to teach the growing number of diverse students in public schools. The results of national assessments show that students of color have lagged behind their White …

Beyond Special And General Education As Identity Markers: The Development And Validation Of An Instrument To Measure Preservice Teachers’ Understanding Of The Effects Of Intersecting Sociocultural Identities, Mildred Boveda

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intersectionality can advance an understanding of the gap created by the lack of an integrated treatment of diversity in teacher preparation research. Intersectionality is a frame that explores the complexities of the interactions of markers of difference. It holds great potential as a concept for preservice teachers’ understanding of diversity because it can inform collaborative efforts with diverse stakeholders and facilitate preservice teachers’ understanding of diverse learners. The researcher uses the term “intersectional competence” to describe preservice teachers’ understanding of diversity and how students, families, and colleagues have multiple sociocultural markers that intersect in nuanced and unique ways. In this …

Role Of Students’ Participation On Learning Physics In Active Learning Classes, Binod Nainabasti

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students’ interactions can be an influential component of students’ success in an interactive learning environment. From a participation perspective, learning is viewed in terms of how students transform their participation. However, many of the seminal papers discussing the participationist framework are vague on specific details about what student participation really looks like on a fine-grained scale. As part of a large project to understand the role of student participation in learning, this study gathered data that quantified students’ participation in three broad areas of two student-centered introductory calculus-based physics classes structured around the Investigative Science Learning Environment (ISLE) philosophy. These …

Frustration And Task Avoidance In Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Lauren A. Vivar

South Florida Education Research Conference

Frustration and task avoidance is seen often in classrooms that have students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of explicitly taught strategies for properly coping with frustration.

Strategies For Teaching English Language Learners With A Specific Learning Disability, Olga M. Torguet

South Florida Education Research Conference

This poster is related to students with disabilities who are English Language Learners (ELLs). It explores the effectiveness of implementing differentiated instructional strategies through multiple modalities in small groups.

Oral Reading Fluency And Comprehension, Shekeyla D. Roberts

South Florida Education Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Using Ipads To Motivate Reluctant Readers During Literacy Instruction In Elementary School, Keri A. Mccarthy

South Florida Education Research Conference

In today’s classrooms, iPads are used as innovative devices that provide opportunities to help motivate and engage reluctant readers. The purpose of this action research is to explore the benefits of using iPads for literacy learning support and the effect they have on student engagement, motivation, and comprehension reading skills.

Self-Monitoring Behaviors In Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Ana Mas

South Florida Education Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Increasing Communication With Intellectually Disabled Students, Angela M. Donnino

South Florida Education Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Generalization: From Classroom To The Community, Matasha Defrand

South Florida Education Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Mathematics Instruction For Young Children, Drenee M. Bryant

South Florida Education Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Task Performance For Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Lena Alonso

South Florida Education Research Conference

High school students with autism in a transitional/postsecondary program for students with intellectual disabilities struggle to perform/recall functional skills. Challenges in performing daily living skills may result in limited levels of independence. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of task analysis among secondary students with intellectual disabilities.

Using The Hpst Framework To Improve Reading Comprehension With Students With Intellectual Disabilities In A University Setting, Jose M. Pombo, Amanda Giust

South Florida Education Research Conference

The HPST Framework, a guide developed for document analysis (Pombo,2015), was implemented in a post secondary transition program at Florida International University. The purpose of this study was to explore the necessary adaptions for the implementation with students with ID at the university level as well as their reading comprehension outcomes.

Peers As An Academic Resource: An Investigation Of An Afterschool Program To Socialize At-Risk Students With Disabilities Into Greater Academic Engagement, Cynthia Pellegrini-Lafont

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the most evident signs that a child is on the path to dropping out of [BT1] school is disengagement from school (Kortering & Christenson, 2009). Given the amount of time that young people spend with their peers and the influence that peers have (Monahan, Steinberg, & Caufman, 2009), there is a need to better understand the role that peers play in the decision to drop out of school (Farmer, Estell, Leug, Trott, Biship, & Caims, 2003). Using Ericson’s stages of psychosocial development (1956), social identity theory, and self-categorization theory as a framework, an afterschool program in the form …

A Descriptive Case Study Examining The Perceptions Of Haitian American Parents And The Perceptions Of Their Children’S Teachers On The Parents’ Involvement In A Structured Parent Intervention Program, Kristina M. Taylor

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parental involvement is legally mandated requirement in schools across the United States, and prevalent in special education legislation. However, methods for increasing and promoting parent involvement of minority subgroups in low socioeconomic areas are scarce. The purpose of this study was to develop, implement, and describe Haitian parents’ perceptions of their involvement in a structured parent intervention program and to describe the perceptions of their children’s teachers concerning the parents’ involvement in the program.

In this study, the researcher used a descriptive qualitative case study methodology. All participants in the 5-month program implementation were interviewed at three points throughout the …

High School Content-Area Teachers’ Responses To An Exploratory, Investigative, And Experimental Professional Development Program For Content Area Literacy, Laura E. Ferreira Vesga

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent literacy rates for students who struggle, particularly those with disabilities are alarming, especially in light of increased educational standards. As higher standards place a greater emphasis on reading and writing, addressing students’ literacy needs in the content areas has become a topic of interest in reading education. Although there is much debate about how to address this need, it is clear that content area teachers need support addressing literacy in their subject areas.

An exploratory case study design was used to examine the responses of high school content area teachers to an EIE (exploratory, investigative, and experimental) professional development …

Effects Of The Use Of The Educreations Application In The Reading Comprehension Of An Adolescent With Autism And Speech Delay, Alba C. Zamora

South Florida Education Research Conference

This paper is the final proposal that accompanies the poster presentation of the action research "Effects of the Use of the Educreations Application in the Reading Comprehension of an Adolescent with Autism and Speech Delay" in the 2015 South Florida Research Education Conference.

Reciprocal Teaching, Jannet A. Machado

South Florida Education Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Repeated Readings To Promote Fluency For Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Christina Armada

South Florida Education Research Conference

Reading fluency is a skill that’s difficult for many students to acquire. However, research suggests that consistently implementing the Repeated Reading intervention can help students increase fluency and comprehension. The effect of this strategy when used to promote reading fluency in secondary students with severe intellectual disabilities has yet to be investigated. My research will examine the effect of the Repeated Reading intervention on the fluency level of students with intellectual disabilities in a public high school.