Education Commons^™

Project Based Learning: Are There Any Academic Benefits For The Teacher Or Students?, Michael Aristidou

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this paper, I raise an issue often neglected in Project Based Learning (PBL) literature. What academic benefits, if any, does the teacher or the student gain by adopting PBL pedagogy in college? I argue that PBL by its structure yields little academic benefits for the teacher or the students, and this could affect motivation as well. I present some examples from my personal teaching experience in mathematics. And thus, as I explain, a more “traditional” project-based approach could be better for both teacher and students.

The Cumulation Of Relationships, Vanessa Martinez Rios

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This is an approach to understand the complexities of becoming an effective educator using an ethnographic lens. This narrative outlines my first impressions of teaching, and it goes beyond to discuss the impact that community, school, and teacher relationships have on student success. The purpose of this ethnography is rooted in my progressive understanding of how to become an effective and socially just educator in Lincoln Heights. Through an impeccable experience in my very own classroom, I was able to capture the essence of quality relationships with my students and fellow teachers. A year packed with great content and strategies …

Thoughts Of A First Year Teacher: Know Your Students, Caitlin King

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This Ethnographic Narrative is a research based look into the lives of socially disadvantaged students in a low-income area. It breaks down the assets and needs of each student individually and discusses how to better help them academically and socially based on their individual personalities and needs. The narrative also discusses the community in which these individual students live and attend school, it looks at research on the community to determine how each student is affected by the city that they live in. Finally the narrative concludes by looking at the teacher over the course of this past year and …

Putting Educational Reform Into Practice: The Impact Of The No Child Left Behind Act On Students, Teachers, And Schools, Timothy Song

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to investigate the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on U.S. student achievement and teacher effectiveness. By combining the results from various data sources, I am able to indicate the levels of student preparedness, school spending, and specific classroom practices. After an analysis of my results, I suggest that NCLB has found moderate success in increasing the level of math preparedness for younger students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. On the other hand, the data also suggests that there have been no statistically significant gains in reading achievement after the implementation of NCLB. Additionally, spending …

To The Mathematical Beach, Francis Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

What context am I missing that hinders my connection with my students? How often do I take the time to get to know their backgrounds? What are the primary experiences that shaped them, and do those present obstacles or opportunities for learning? And in what ways does the mathematical beach say “open to all” but still feel restricted?

These questions appear unrelated to mathematics, but if we ignore their effects, some of our students will not flourish.

Theatre As Education: Creating And Performing A Play With Elementary School Students, Sarah C. Lopez

Scripps Senior Theses

This paper is an exploration of the concept of theatre as education and what I learned about teaching, transformation, and failure through my thesis project. In order to explore these ideas, I reflect on my experience creating and performing a short play with a group of eight 2^nd and 3^rd grade students over the span of nine weeks. I pinpoint the parts of the process that worked well and discuss how these techniques and activities could be used to enhance curriculum and learning in the classroom. I also discuss which parts of the process failed and what I …

K-12 Students See Steam Everyday, Meghan Reilly Michaud

The STEAM Journal

Today’s students exist in a visual world. A new semiotic language has emerged in the digital age. It consists of an ever-evolving vocabulary of signs and symbols that one can rapidly decipher. Icons represent applications and functions on a plethora of modern devices. Sounds indicate changes and the start and end of activity. The exposure of new audio and visual media are part of everyday communication, now more than ever. The Arts teach our students to better perceive these cues and the information that they deliver.

Family Support Factors In African American Families That Promote Academic Achievement For Male Middle-School Students, Osie Leon Wood Jr.

CGU Theses & Dissertations

One of the most consistently reported challenges in the education literature is the underachievement of African American males at all levels of the education pipeline - from elementary and secondary schools through to postsecondary education. African American boys are falling behind and they are falling behind early. This research focuses on resources within the home environment that are available to support the educational achievement of African American boys. There are a number of mechanisms through which parental involvement in the home and at school may promote academic success that are being examined: parental involvement in school activities, expectations that parents …

Rethink The Aptitude Excuse, David E. Drew

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

The achievement problems in U.S. schools can be seen clearly at our border. Juarez, Mexico and El Paso, Texas, are about a mile apart, separated by the Rio Grande. For years, one of my former doctoral students was on the faculty of the University of Texas at El Paso and directed the remedial center. Students who were having trouble in a variety of subjects, including mathematics, came to the center for tutoring by undergraduates and graduate students. In reviewing who was hired by the center over a number of years, she observed that Americans were rarely hired to tutor in …