Education Commons^™

A Tree Study Curriculum For Second Grade, Deborah Blankman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A TREE STUDY: For Second Grade, was designed to give students the opportunity to experience and explore first-hand the life cycle of a particular tree in Central Park. Trees are a natural topic for young students to study. They are part of the basic life cycle here on earth. Children are familiar with them having seen or been around them since birth. In my case, because of my school's close proximity to Central Park, the students had the luxury of being able to basically go out in their own backyard any time they wanted a first hand view of what …

The Classroom And Beyond: The Teacher's Role In Collaboration For Children With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Sarah Altman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

While many interventions have been used to help children with emotional and behavioral problems, outcomes for children with emotional and behavioral disturbances continue to be poor. Identifying teachers as essential collateral participants in evidence-based, systems approaches to addressing the needs of children with emotional and behavioral problems, this manual is offered as a guide for members of the education community. Teacher cooperation with empirically supported interventions, interagency collaboration, and programs that accept families as equal partners, have all been clearly supported by research and this collaborative role is discussed in light of relevant literature. Exploring the issues related to emotional …

Learning Through Meaningful Work: The Post Office Job At City & Country School, Scott Moran

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent study is a description of the Post Office job at City & Country School. The school runs a jobs program for children ages eight to thirteen years old (third - eight grades). The eight year old group runs the school Post Office. Chapter 1 presents an introduction to City & Country School. Chapter 2 discusses the Post Office job and its development through the course of a school year. Chapter 3 discusses the developmental orientation of the jobs program. Finally, chapter 4 raises other topics for discussion, including the possible sociopolitical implications and subject integration issues involved in …

A Neighborhood Curriculum For Kindergarten And First Grades, Kathy L. Rubin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper is a curriculum study of a school neighborhood designed for children ages 5 through 7. The goal of this study is to provide an opportunity for students, who at this age are beginning to expand outward from the roots of their homes and families, to understand their next immediate neighborhood (their school). They will have a chance to meet people who work in the neighborhood, learn about how we get around and from where things come. And then, from that vantage point the students can begin to broaden their perspective and view of their world.

This study is …

Naptime And Separation Anxiety : The Use Of A Teacher-Made Book To Help Children Cope In An Infant-Toddler Classroom, Diana Musa

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper presents several theoretical explanations of the emotional reality of young children. Its focus is the influential first relationship between the young child and his caregiver and how his emotional development is shaped within the confines of this relationship. It then examines what meanings the first relationship holds for the child's emotional reality during the toddler stage, defined as roughly 18 months to 3 years of age.

The paper turns then to a discussion of the particular emotional reality of a toddler in the childcare setting. What follows is an argument about the importance of acknowledging and labeling young …

How Many Blocks To The Empire State Building? : An Original Story, Enakshi Bose

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Presents a children's story for eight and nine year old children that poses several mathematical questions, including the central one of how many blocks it is from the 215th Street subway station in Inwood to the Empire State Building. Photographs and maps enhance the mathematical concepts involved. Discusses the developmental appropriateness of the book's content and how the material meets various standards in mathematics.

Multilevel Text Sets In A Middle School Classroom, Merryl Gladstone

Graduate Student Independent Studies

As students reach middle school, they are expected to read on grade level and to have mastered the complex process of reading. In fact, many students are still mastering the skills necessary for fluent reading of grade level material. The struggling readers need to read instructional level material and receive instruction in decoding, fluency and comprehension. Indeed many middle school students would benefit from reading instruction, as the reading demands in middle school are very different than those faced in elementary school. Middle school reading draws much of its material from expository texts, while elementary school programs typically use narrative …

Querida Prima, Dear Prima : A Story For Children Seven To Ten Years Old, Stephanie Hermann

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This project is an original bilingual story of two cousins who live in two different countries. The United States and Costa Rica. They bridge their separation by writing letters and emails throughout the story. Through this correspondence they learn about each other and the have more in common in their seemingly distinct worlds than they realize. The text of the book is written in English. The correspondence between the two characters is in English with Spanish translations.

This thesis includes a rationale which explains the need for this book in a world that recognizes the importance of bilingualism and on …

Water In Our Neighborhood A Study Of The Neighborhood With A Focus On Water An Integrated Curriculum For Six And Seven Year Old Children, Simone Graniela

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This unit was developed and created for children as an interdisciplinary study for a New York City public school setting in the Bronx. Through trips, children learn about the goods and services provided as well as the various ways water is used within the neighborhood The curriculum allows for many opportunities for parents to be partners in their children's education which is emphasized throughout the lesson plans provided.

The Experiencing Of Democracy And Progressive Education: A Constructivist Approach To Mathematics, A Workshop For Teachers, Preminda Langer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Chronicles the history of schooling in India, discusses the development of the constructivist classroom, and shares a series of math workshops for teachers for nursery and kindergarten classrooms in India.

Reflections On A Third Grade Social Studies Curriculum, Laura E. Gerrity

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This curriculum study is a narrative account of a teacher and the social studies curriculum she uses with her third grade class. The curriculum is divided into two main parts. One is a study of the students' culture and family history which involves interviews with the children's parents, an examination of maps and literature from those cultures, and a description of the way the students experience the study through their writings, drawings, and conversation.

The second part of the study is an investigation of the students' neighborhood and community. Through interviews with community members, neighborhood walks, and their own observations, …

Basic Needs: A First Grade Curriculum Study, John Heffernan

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The following first grade curriculum study is an investigation of food, shelter and services in the neighborhood surrounding the school. The activities incorporate hands-on research, discussion, and expressive materials to offer opportunities for children to discover the interdependence and relationships that exist in their immediate environment. The three units of food, shelter and community services have specific goals, and they are:

Food -Investigate how markets, stores and restaurants provide food for the neighborhood, where the food comes from and how it gets to Park Slope.

Shelter - Investigate how and where people house themselves in the neighborhood and what are …

Interpretations Of Progressive Education: A Comparative Study Of The Philosophies Of Education Of The Municipal Early Childhood Schools Of Reggio Emilia And The Bank Street College Of Education, Monica Della Croce

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Compares the progressive philosophies of education of the municipal infant-toddler centers and preprimary schools of Reggio Emilia, and Bank Street College of Education and its School for Children. The histories and theoretical origins of each philosophy of education are introduced. Elaborations on the fundamental principles of each are provided, including discussions of the creation of learning environments, the perception of children's learning, the roles of teachers, and the place of the community. Throughout the text, cultural frameworks are made evident, in order to reflect on the influence that culture and history have on the ways in which progressive philosophies of …

The Hudson River Museum And The Foxfire School : A Museum/School Collaboration, Leslie K. Butler

Graduate Student Independent Studies

I was hired by the Hudson River Museum during December, 1995 to develop a museum component for a brand new school in Yonkers, New York. This new school was named the Firefox School. It was given this name because of the method of teaching which is based on the Firefox Program, a method of teaching developed 30 years ago in a small community located in the Appalachian Mountains.

Peds Path: A Journey From Home To The Hospital And Back Home: A Game To Orient Preschool Children To The Hospital Settings, Leslie May

Graduate Student Independent Studies

With all of the cutbacks in the health care system children entering hospitals today have very few planned admissions, with an increasing large number of patients entering the hospital through the emergency room. As a result of this there are many children today who are entering the hospital with absolutely no preparation. This lack of preparation leads children to develop their own ideas and notions about just what the hospital experience will be like. These misconceptions or fears regarding illness or treatment may develop into incredible anxieties which often end up making the hospital experience much more difficult and scary …

The National Mall: Becoming Correspondents, Chronologers, Autobiographers, And Biographers, Marion Mccorkle Bradford

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The National Mall curriculum for seven and eight-year-olds is a child-centered, literacy and social studies-based series of units.Recognizing the need to connect reading and writing with the students'real life experiences, this study utilizes the prior knowledge which students bring to the curriculum and extends that information with activities which build a common experience for all of the children. Developed for inner-city students in Washington, D.C., the study incorporates teaching and learning about letter­ writing, timelines, autobiographies, and biographies with history, geography, economics, and political science which is pertinent to the National Mall.

The Founding Of A School: An Oral History Of The Abraham Joshua Heschel School, Joan Yotive Berland

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The Abraham Joshua Heschel School was founded in the early 1980's by Peter Geffen and other Jewish professionals and laypersons who were committed to a school that was independent of any synagogue or organization. A school where a wide range of Jewish beliefs and practices along with secular studies could be integrated through intellectual, academic, ethical, artistic, social and emotional realms.

By conducting interviews with 4 or the 8 people who taught or worked at the Heschel school when it opened in 1983, it was possible to collect an oral history that revealed aspects which were significant in founding and …

The Language/Literacy Connection: Aiding The Dysnomic Reader, Danette Lipten

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study examines word-finding difficulties in the oral language of children and their impact on literacy learning. It presents suggestions for remediation in both domains, but focuses primarily on aiding the dysnomic reader. Specific strategies are discussed which are applicable to the teaching of normal emergent readers and that can be particularly useful to readers experiencing retrieval problems. A brief case study is presented of a child who is affected by dysnomia, along with a description of the author's work with this child. Appendices include games and sample lessons.

Teaching Third Grade Math : A Learning Experience, Emily Terte

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study was based on my experience as a new teacher, teaching math to a group of third graders. The purpose was to examine my methods of planning and teaching in order to better understand how I was learning and changing my views on teaching math. I gathered information by reading educational theorists, observing the children in my group, recording anecdotes and writing about my planning process. I gained inspiration from readings of Piaget's and other cognitive theorists, I gained insights from the ways my children responded to my lessons and I discovered that using manipulatives, examples that the children …

A Staff Development Program For Paraprofessionals, Marjorie Brickley

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A description of the process of designing a staff development program for paraprofessionals working with children birth - 3 years of age. The thesis highlights special issues that infant/toddler programs face. The staff development process includes an assessment of the caregiver's skills, setting goals for the improvement of the program, a description of the 2 day training that was held, and an evaluation of the changes that resulted from the staff development experience.

A Study Of One Group's Experience Of The Advisement Process At Bank Street College, Marianne Montero

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study describes and analyzes the Advisement Process as experienced by eight members of one advisement group. Most of the data is based on interviews with the students and the advisor of the group. Particular emphasis is given to mental health concepts that are applicable to Advisement.

Also discussed are the philosophy and goals that five of these students have for the children they teacher and how they strive to apply these.

Of the seven students interviewed, six felt that advisement was effective for them. One person did not.

A Study Of Olga Smyth, Director, High Valley School: 1934 Graduate Of Bank Street, Deborah Stone

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A study is made of the educator Olga Smyth, 1934 graduate of Bank Street. Examins her particular style of working with children, and what it is based on in her history, education, and personality. The continuity of her work and the consistency of her approach is shown, from her days at Bank Street through the making of "Incitement to Reading" (film by L. J. Stone showing her teaching first graders at the Poughkeepsie Day School in the 1950's) to her work at her own school with children whose emotional and learning problems make it impossible for them to succeed in …

The Teacher's Role In The Separation-Individuation Process: An Examination Of This Role During Separation In Nursery School, Roberta Altman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

One of the aims of this study is to discover how a pre-school child's personal relationship with her teacher is related to her ability to adjust to school and to learn in the classroom. Theoretical as well as observational material has been used in an attempt to shed light on the nature of teacher, child and parent interaction in the first days of a child's school experience. From the field of education, the developmental ­interaction approach has been examined as the model for teaching and educational background. Psychological theories include the work of Margaret Mahler on the separation-individuation process which …

A Math Program For The Third Grade, Dolores Gitlin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This is a study of a math curriculum designed for a third grade class in a departmentalized setting. The children in the class were below average in math skills for this school and had little or no enjoyment from math. This paper shows the methods used to give the children a more positive outlook towards math while also building their skills. The paper includes descriptions of games and extensive samples of work sheets used.

A Descriptive Analysis Of A College Day Care Center, Rena N. Rice

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper is a descriptive analysis of a college day care center, situated on the campus of one of the community colleges of the City University of New York, which services the pre-school children of full-time matriculated day students. The Center is administered by the student-parents, under the supervision and guidance of the faculty Coordinator, who is a professor in the Department of Student Services. The teaching staff consists of a New York State certified Teacher-Director and Group Teacher, and an Assistant Teacher, all full-time, and numerous part-time work­study student aides.

Chapter I contains a review of the literature on …

A Study Of The River : Social Studies As The Core Of The Curriculum For Five And Six Year Olds, Carol Yahr Tucker

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Using social studies as the core of the curriculum is an effective educational framework for five and six year olds. When this curriculum starts with the children's life experiences and goes on to study some aspect of their community or environment, children can begin to understand the interconnectedness of the adult world. Young children feel the excitement of learning when they immerse themselves in a study; they find that learning can be a vital process related to their needs and experiences, rather than a dry transfer of skills and pre-existing bodies of knowledge.

Learning Through Expressive And Representational Experiences In Social Studies : Eight-And-Nine-Year-Olds Study The Netsilik Eskimos, Joan Cenedella

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The following paper is the record of a study of the Netsilik Eskimos that took place in a group of twenty-five eight and nine-year-olds in 1973. Included in the paper are a description of the school, the classroom, and the children involved; a brief discussion of the overarching concepts inherent in the content of the study; a record of the ways in which the study was presented to children; and finally, a detailed description of the children's work. The point is made throughout the paper that the children learned through expressive experience in the study and that this expressive experience …

Designing And Implementing Open Workshop Education At Bank Street College Of Education, Stanley Chu

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Bank Street College of Education needs to design and implement an expanded program of open workshop education. Increased input of staff, scheduled time, and equipment is necessary for this implementation.

Open workshop education offers help, time and facilities where a teacher can be involved with learning concepts using a combination of materials and skills. In addition, it can also function as an opportunity to continue and further develop ideas and skills initiated in other classes or from one's own school or classroom.

An Examination Of The Writings Of Margaret Wise Brown With Special Reference To Uses Of Fantasy And Reality, Virginia Schonborg

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Here, in this section, where we shall examine the idea of fantasy in relation to the particular way that Margaret Wise Brown employed it in her writing, these five lines from "The Dream Book" epitomize her point of view. Unlike many writers of the sensory perception school, she does not present only the recording of "plink, plink, the water in the sink." Her own particular view sees the world as it is; is almost in love with it. Yet she seems to see the world with a sensitivity to the magic in it, as we shall see further on discussing …

The Bank Street Threes And Their World, Lois Owen

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This is a study of a group of seventeen three year olds at the Bank Street School for Children, 69 Bank Street, New York City in which I was a student teacher for five months. My purpose is to, first, state some philosophical positions of my own concerning preschoolers and preschool education. On these bases I proceed to an investigation of the school as an institution, a discussion of the parents, the children, and the curriculum for the group. I attempt to analyze the suitability of the curriculum to the needs of the children, and to evaluate the expectations of …