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Effects Of Teaching Collaborative Learning Strategies To Teachers On Student Transferable Skills And Adaptability Development In The High School Stem Classroom, Isaiah Ripley
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Every student’s understanding of the world is formed from the interactions they experience and observe of which the relationships they build with their peers affect both. The guide created in this project serves as an answer to the question: What are the effects of teaching collaborative learning strategies to teachers in the high school STEM classroom on student adaptability and transferable skills development? The guide itself is oriented towards STEM teachers but includes activities and advice that can be transferred across disciplines. Furthermore, the guide is written informally which allows for the information and activities presented to feel more relatable …
Early Career Language Educators Experience Joy And Purpose In The Creation Of Multilingual Classroom Ecologies, Jonell Pacyga
Early Career Language Educators Experience Joy And Purpose In The Creation Of Multilingual Classroom Ecologies, Jonell Pacyga
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The goal of this phenomenological study was to intensely analyze and interpret the experiences of a select sample of early career language teachers as they reflected on their languaging interactions with their learners. To answer the research question: How do early career language teachers experience the creation of multilingual classroom ecologies?, four individuals participated by collectively providing 14 interviews, submitting 13 bi-weekly journals, and sharing 17 self-selected semiotic images over a two month time period. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith, 1996) was then employed using a double hermeneutic to uncover themes in each case by elucidating descriptions and then cohesively analyzing …
Adult Immigrant English Learners’ Perceptions Of Their Multilingual And Multicultural Identities, Greta Mcelvain
Adult Immigrant English Learners’ Perceptions Of Their Multilingual And Multicultural Identities, Greta Mcelvain
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Adult immigrant English learners (ELs) must navigate living in a new country while also learning a new language. These immigrants are becoming both multicultural and multilingual. It has been established in prior literature that as immigrants adjust to living in a new culture with a different language, they experience both a language (Wardhaugh & Fuller, 2015) and cultural (Gibson, 2001, as cited in Schwartz, 2006, p. 2) shift. These shifts can sometimes result in immigrants losing connection to their first languages (Zhang, 2010) or their home cultures Gu and Lai (2019). Self-reflection activities have been shown to allow individuals to …
The Impact Of Nature Deficit On Creating Learning Spaces For Children, Kirsten Bergren
The Impact Of Nature Deficit On Creating Learning Spaces For Children, Kirsten Bergren
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Nature deficit disorder is a problem because it causes a disconnect between people and the environment. Adults have their own experiences with nature deficit disorder and that is impacting their ability to design nature rich environments for children. Recognizing their own experiences can help them to create and enrich the learning environment of their students. This project aims to decrease nature deficit disorder and stress and increase overall health and wellness.
Joy In Choice: Cultivating A Choice-Centric Literacy Classroom In Upper Elementary, Alexandra Pickell
Joy In Choice: Cultivating A Choice-Centric Literacy Classroom In Upper Elementary, Alexandra Pickell
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project is: How do teachers initiate and nurture joyful, personally meaningful opportunities for reading in the classroom? This project is an introductory website detailing how and why teachers can shift their reading block to make it a time in the day when students are making choices for themselves. In so doing, student motivation and joy for reading is at the forefront of the classroom (Gambrell, 2015). The intended audience is any upper elementary teacher looking to decenter the teacher’s voice during independent reading, but is of particular importance for teachers who already have an …
Facilitating The Success Of Students Transitioning Between Different Methods Of Instruction, Amanda Froberg
Facilitating The Success Of Students Transitioning Between Different Methods Of Instruction, Amanda Froberg
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question being addressed in this project is, how do teachers successfully facilitate the movement back and forth between different methods of instruction for students? This question is answered in the paper and then the project. The project consists of a professional development workshop that is five 120 minute sessions. The first chapter introduces the topic with discussing teaching experiences before the pandemic, COVID-19 and distance learning, and teaching experiences after the pandemic. The second chapter is the literature review that looks at defining student success (academic, social, and mental/emotional), distance learning and COVID-19, and transitions in method of …
Employing Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices In English Language Arts Classrooms, Austin Niederkorn
Employing Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices In English Language Arts Classrooms, Austin Niederkorn
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a well renowned approach to teaching that connects students’ cultures, languages, and personal experiences to the curriculum they learn in school. CRT helps students access higher level learning while also promoting increased student achievement, a positive classroom environment, meaningful teacher-student relationships, and impactful connections with communities and families. All teachers can benefit from using CRT in their classrooms, yet English Language Arts (ELA) teachers have unique opportunities to use students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds to shape their reading and writing instruction. Despite being widely praised, culturally responsive teaching is not often the focus of professional …
Restorative Justice Practices And Their Impacts In Elementary Classrooms, Mary Miles
Restorative Justice Practices And Their Impacts In Elementary Classrooms, Mary Miles
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone sought to answer the question: What are the most effective ways to implement restorative justice practices into elementary classrooms in order to create a positive learning community? This capstone analyzed the historical need for restorative justice practices in classrooms by describing the detrimental effects of zero tolerance policies and the school to prison pipeline. It analyzed the roots of restorative justice practices in indigenous cultures and examined how culture can influence the way conflict is addressed. This capstone examined the need for interactive staff development on how to implement restorative practices in the classroom. It discussed several restorative …
How Do Schools Assess And Deliver Effective Professional Development To Mainstream Teachers With A Focus On Supporting Multilingual Learners?, Michelle Tornga
How Do Schools Assess And Deliver Effective Professional Development To Mainstream Teachers With A Focus On Supporting Multilingual Learners?, Michelle Tornga
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
A significant educational concern in the state of Minnesota is that there is a substantial achievement gap between native English speakers and Multilingual Learners (MLLs). Despite implementation of federal (ESSA) and state legislation (LEAPS Act) designed to address this issue, an achievement gap still persists and Minnesota educators continue to struggle to support MLLs academically. This capstone project uses a synthesis from a literature review and the creation of a website, survey and pre-selected curated professional development resources in order to answer the question: How Do Schools Assess and Deliver Effective Professional Development to Mainstream Teachers With a Focus on …
Utilizing Experiential Education In Nature-Based Settings To Impact Pro-Environmental Behaviors, Delaney Babich
Utilizing Experiential Education In Nature-Based Settings To Impact Pro-Environmental Behaviors, Delaney Babich
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Spending time in nature can have many effects on a person. I wanted to find out if one of these effects was a change in behavior regarding sustainable actions and mindsets. The research question posed for this project is: How does experiential education in a nature based setting impact pro-environmental behaviors? After researching many different forms of outdoor education and frameworks widely used in education, I decided my project would consist of an interactive activity booklet meant to be taken to a park or natural space along the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities, or the surrounding areas. I wanted …
Social And Emotional Learning In An Open Space, Emily Stein
Social And Emotional Learning In An Open Space, Emily Stein
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Utilizes an adaptation of the open space technology (OST) method to support 9‐12‐year‐old attendees of residential summer camps in proposing, developing, and facilitating own camp activities. Provides intentional support for development of social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies laid out by Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (2020). Specifies examples of skills from each competency and where practiced in the curriculum. Offers considerations for supporting diverse individuals and groups in practice.
Using On-Going Mentoring To Support Elementary Teachers Of Language Learners, Elizabeth Callaghan Done
Using On-Going Mentoring To Support Elementary Teachers Of Language Learners, Elizabeth Callaghan Done
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This project was shaped from experiences as an ESL teacher, classroom teacher, and teacher mentor led me to research how teachers improve their practices, particularly around language learners in the mainstream classroom. The question became how can implementing a mentoring program support elementary classroom teachers in changing their practices with language learners. The research led in two directions: effective professional development and best practices with language learners. Based on this research, a determination was made that in order to support teachers in developing their practices with language learners, a mentoring program focusing on four specific areas – vocabulary, syntax, oral …
Culturally Responsive Identity Project For A High School English Language Arts Classroom, Monique A. Plaster
Culturally Responsive Identity Project For A High School English Language Arts Classroom, Monique A. Plaster
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project is, what is necessary to empower and engage students in high school ELA classrooms to allow them to express themselves? It documents one teacher’s creation of an eight-week english language arts curriculum unit that will offer a method to engage students in self-discovery, self-expression, and cultural acceptance. The curriculum focuses on the concept of identity and integrates project-based learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and Understanding by Design, based on Wiggins and McTighe’s (2011) framework. The author documents the details of the unit and uses related research literature to construct meaning and validate the creation …
Framework For Implementing Metacognitive Reflection Tools To Facilitate Student Learning, Elise Thompson
Framework For Implementing Metacognitive Reflection Tools To Facilitate Student Learning, Elise Thompson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Educators of all disciplines are finding themselves providing endless engaging content and working long hours to give feedback, yet they are still witnessing their students struggle to master content objectives. Students need to be empowered and provided the tools to take ownership of the learning process. Through intentional metacognitive reflection, the interrogation and reconstruction of learning, teachers will find increased retention, comprehension, critical thinking, knowledge transfer, accountability, and motivation in their students. This professional development framework is intended to improve high school student mastery through metacognitive reflection and to provide tools for teachers of all disciplines to set students up …
How Can Restorative Justice Practices Be Utilized To Create A Positive Classroom Climate In A K-2 Setting?, Ella Brown
How Can Restorative Justice Practices Be Utilized To Create A Positive Classroom Climate In A K-2 Setting?, Ella Brown
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Students have the right to feel safe, loved, and valued in every school. Schools worldwide are shifting their approaches to discipline and classroom management by forgoing zero-tolerance policies and exclusionary practices. Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) is a growing movement taking the place of traditional forms of discipline. Restorative justice is more than just a buzzword. It is a way to transform learning communities, relationships, and classrooms. From personal experiences in the classroom and throughout my research, the author was encouraged to provide more teachers with resources to implement restorative justice practices into their classrooms. The question, How can Restorative …
Facing Race: A Project For Talking About Race In A Classroom Setting, Erin Sutliff
Facing Race: A Project For Talking About Race In A Classroom Setting, Erin Sutliff
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research shows that racism is alive and well in American school systems. From achievement gaps, to attendance, to behavior referrals and beyond, it is clear that Black and Brown students are not getting the equitable education they deserve. Educators need to step up and face race in order to truly address the inequities and white supremacy that plague our education system. They need to do their own reflection to check their privilege, do some learning, and take the important step of inviting critical conversations in their classrooms. When educators invite students to talk about race, they are centering student experiences, …
Growing Mindset And Goals: A Blog Designed To Lead Intrinsic Motivation In Students, Alison Prahl
Growing Mindset And Goals: A Blog Designed To Lead Intrinsic Motivation In Students, Alison Prahl
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research conducted by Dr. Carol Dweck clearly demonstrates the importance of building a foundation of growth mindset in order to build resiliency in students. Not only does this resiliency help students overcome challenges but also supports students in building lifelong skills, such as: forming and carrying out goals, receiving and utilizing feedback, and increasing intrinsic motivation in a variety of settings. The educational blog designed for this project focuses on sharing research relating to mindset theory, gifted students, goal setting, feedback, intrinsic motivation in adolescents, and curriculum materials. It also provides educators with free resources to begin implementing a combination …
The Importance Of Social And Emotional Learning In The Classroom, Kayla Bilotta
The Importance Of Social And Emotional Learning In The Classroom, Kayla Bilotta
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Life changes on a daily basis and that includes the lives of students in the classrooms. Many students seem to be struggling with social and emotional skills that help them be successful in learning and in life. I created this capstone with the purpose of learning how the implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL) can benefit and impact students, with an end focus on students at the elementary school level. I created a professional development presentation for elementary educators that provided the same information I collected during my research stage. My project also includes an example of ten free-standing …
How Can Educators Use Multicultural Materials To Create A More Inclusive Classroom Community?, Jenna Urick
How Can Educators Use Multicultural Materials To Create A More Inclusive Classroom Community?, Jenna Urick
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
A common goal among educators is to create a classroom environment where students feel welcomed, seen, and heard. This Capstone Project provides a resource guide of multicultural materials that teachers can use in order to create a more inclusive learning environment. The resource guide includes literature, games, technology, and community resources. The project and review of literature helped to answer the research question: How can educators use multicultural materials to create a more inclusive classroom community? Research concludes that students are more engaged and more likely to be successful at school if they feel they are represented in their curriculum.
Redefining Maine: Grade 3 Maine Studies Curricular Unit, Margaret Hutchison
Redefining Maine: Grade 3 Maine Studies Curricular Unit, Margaret Hutchison
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Social Studies is considered an essential element of American public education as an academic discipline that cultivates essential knowledge and skills for meaningful participation in democratic society but has become marginalized in recent decades at the elementary level. The current-day state of Maine passed LD291 in 2001 to require K-12 teachers to include Maine Native Americans in all Social Studies instruction. The full implementation of this vision has not yet been achieved due to various barriers and limitations. Yet this work is more critical than ever in current-day Maine, the Whitest state in the nation and a place where the …
Culturally Relevant Small-Group Strategies To Increase Engagement In African-American Students, Kimberly Haley
Culturally Relevant Small-Group Strategies To Increase Engagement In African-American Students, Kimberly Haley
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Minority groups of students are oftentimes expected to convert to the eurocentrism set up of education. However, the demographics of students in education continues to grow and evolve. Teachers are expected to keep up with this evolution of change, but aren’t necessarily provided with the correct resources. Due to this, educators are seeing reduced levels of engagement, particularly in African American students. This capstone is a professional development for staff showcasing some culturally responsive strategies created by Dr. Sharroky Hollie. These strategies can easily be placed into lessons in order to support the different rings of cultures within students, while …
Integrating Mindfulness Strategies And English As A Second Language Instruction, Samuel Trojan
Integrating Mindfulness Strategies And English As A Second Language Instruction, Samuel Trojan
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The guiding question addressed for this capstone project is: how can mindfulness be integrated into English Language Learner (ELL) curriculum in a way that promotes social, emotional and academic development? The motivation for this project was born out of a desire to address academic, emotional and social growth concurrently for ELLs in a way that addresses the specific needs of that population. To address these, mindfulness techniques are integrated into curriculum design. The rationale for this is that mindfulness techniques can have certain mental health benefits, social benefits, improve focus and create greater awareness in regards to academic, social and …
Equity In Social And Emotional Learning In The Elementary Classroom: An Introduction For Educators, Kirsten Hoffer
Equity In Social And Emotional Learning In The Elementary Classroom: An Introduction For Educators, Kirsten Hoffer
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research has demonstrated that social and emotional learning is key in early elementary education, and that a lack of social and emotional skills has many negative implications for the lives of students in the future. It is also widely accepted that the education system in the United States has a great deal of work to do in regards to equity. The course designed for this project pulls together texts that encourage educators to examine their own teaching practice through a lens of equity, to identify places where white supremacy culture is prevalent in their subtle messages to and actions toward …
Implementing An Effective Instructional Coaching Program To Benefit The Teacher As A Learner, Amber Bentley
Implementing An Effective Instructional Coaching Program To Benefit The Teacher As A Learner, Amber Bentley
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Professional development opportunities are not created equally, especially in their ability to achieve sustainable growth in both teachers and students. This paper examines the benefits of an effective instructional coaching program for teachers as the learner and develops the idea that instructional coaching is the best form of differentiated professional development that is built upon a culture of conversation and reflection. Chapter one of this paper provides the author’s investment into the topic of instructional coaching and the need for a differentiated approach to professional development in order to reach the needs of an adult learner. Chapter two explores the …
Using The Process Approach To Create An Effective And Efficient Secondary Writing Curriculum For Students And Teachers, Adam Koehler
Using The Process Approach To Create An Effective And Efficient Secondary Writing Curriculum For Students And Teachers, Adam Koehler
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The process approach to writing instruction has become widely used; however, writing assessment practices that emphasize summative feedback may not utilize the strengths of the process approach to instruction. This capstone project answers the question: How can writing instruction and assessment practices be used to create an effective and efficient writing curriculum? The result of the research shows that the instruction methods of specific writing strategies, mentor text analysis, collaborative writing, and sentence combination can be effectively integrated. Research-informed curricula were developed with an emphasis on student-centered formative assessment practices such as writing conferences and peer/self-assessment. These practices effectively support …
Co-Teaching Strategies For Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Learners In Middle School English Language Arts, Adena Berg
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project is: What are the most effective co-teaching strategies for teaching literacy skills in a middle school English Language Arts class that is culturally and linguistically diverse? It documents one teacher’s creation of an ELA-based curriculum that includes strategies for ELD co-teaching, learning activities to increase middle school literacy skills and supports for culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Designing the curriculum using the Understanding by Design framework, it is for use when teaching Free? Stories Celebrating Human Rights ( Morpurgo et al., 2015) in a co-taught sixth grade classroom. The overall goal of the …
A Coaching Framework: Supporting Mainstream Teachers In Incorporating Academic-Language Development For English Learners, Sarah K. Holty
A Coaching Framework: Supporting Mainstream Teachers In Incorporating Academic-Language Development For English Learners, Sarah K. Holty
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
It is challenging to meet the linguistic needs of English learners in mainstream classrooms, even for experienced and trained English-language-development teachers, and many mainstream teachers are minimally equipped to address language needs in the context of content instruction. Because English learner success in the mainstream classroom depends upon mastery of content together with proficiency in academic English, mainstream teachers need further professional development, tools, and resources in order to support English learners in their classrooms. This project proposes embedded professional development within a coaching structure focused on implementing academic-language development in mainstream instruction. Research shows that an instructional coaching model …
A Better Understanding Through The Use Of The Nature Journal, Carol L. Anderson
A Better Understanding Through The Use Of The Nature Journal, Carol L. Anderson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This paper examines the positive impact that spending time in the natural world has on students. In reviewing the history of environmental education in the United States, the importance of nature on human development, and the impact that journaling and reflective thought processes have in education, this capstone sought to expand upon the research and encourage using nature journals to affect children’s perceptions of the natural world and their place within it. While journaling can facilitate communication, self-expression and personal development, it is also a way to enhance learning by connecting background knowledge to new information, analyzing and synthesizing ideas …
Promoting Student Metacognition To Aid The Writing Process, Jessica Kramar
Promoting Student Metacognition To Aid The Writing Process, Jessica Kramar
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Writing is a process that occurs over multiple steps; this may seem both excruciating and tedious to students. By encouraging metacognition throughout the process, teachers can create more autonomous learners. This capstone uses reflective strategies that address the question How can educators use independent and group reflection processes to help students assess their understanding and mastery of writing state standards? Research concludes that guided interaction with feedback increases student accountability and understanding of effective writing. Through a series of reflective strategies, modeling, and both critical and positive feedback, teachers can shift the way students think about their own writing, benefiting …
A Reflective Approach To Building An Inclusive Classroom And School Community For Students In Special Education, Yama Moua
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Teachers today have a responsibility to teach a wide range of learners in the general education classroom. Federal laws in the United States such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) were implemented to ensure that all children are held to higher expectations and with appropriate services to learn in public schools. At the same time, researchers have demonstrated that a teacher’s experience, lack of support in the classroom and varied belief on inclusive education can impact the outcome of achieving inclusion. The purpose of this research is …