Education Commons^™

Negotiating Inherent Asymmetries Of Co-Design: A Case Of Integrative Elementary Mathematics And Computer Science Instruction, Victor R. Lee, Stephanie Robillard, Mimi Recker, Jody Clarke-Midura, Jessica Shumway

Publications

Collaborative design, or “co-design”, is a term that has gained popularity in educational research and design communities, including those working with K-12 educators. While more groups are identifying with and pursuing co-design, much remains to be understood about how to structure the work within given different constraints, circumstances, and resources available to different parties. We propose understanding co-design as having inherent asymmetries and that structuring co-design work patterns involves negotiation of those asymmetries. Through a case of an elementary computer science and math integration research-practice partnership, we share ways that those asymmetries are both intentionally softened and leveraged at different …

The Effects Of Social-Emotional Learning Strategies On Promoting Positive Behavior In Elementary School Students, Lea Adams

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The focus of this action research was to appropriately implement social emotional learning into a small classroom environment. The lessons were aimed to assist students and foster positive behaviors both inside and outside the classroom environment. Participants participated in a four-week study. The research participants consisted of 17 girls and boys within a classroom. This classroom environment had a total of 11 boys and 6 girls, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The study also included four specialist teachers (Hawaiian, Japanese, Computer Science, and Physical Education), the homeroom teacher, and the school counselor. During the intervention, each class engaged in daily morning meetings, …

Oral History: A Tool For The Elementary And Middle Classroom, Jessica Keiser

Senior Honors Theses

Modern historical instruction requires educators to cover broad expanses of history and prepare students for standardized testing. In the push to meet state standards and cover the vast curriculum in short periods of time, many educators have begun to teach to the textbook. Much to the detriment of students, this educational practice has favored periodization and content quantity over the development of crucial historical skills. Rather than adhering to popular education trends, teachers can consider implementing oral history projects within their elementary and middle school classrooms. Oral history is a methodology that employs first-hand accounts to teach about key historical …

A Phenomenological Study Examining The Experiences Of Single Parents Who Are Rearing Elementary-Aged Children Enrolled In A Public School In A Rural Community, Jenine Lavonne Cotman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Abstract The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the experiences of single parents who are rearing elementary-aged children enrolled in a public school in a rural community. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory of cognitive development was used to guide this study. Vygotsky’s theory focuses on cognitive development being fundamentally framed by social interaction. Vygotsky also believed that cognitive development is strengthened when a child is encouraged to learn within their zone of proximal development, which refers to a person’s current cognitive space that can be further developed with social interaction and help from a teacher, peer, or parent. …

A Collective Case Study Of Economically Disadvantaged High Achieving Minority Schools, Stefanie Barnes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to discover the characteristics that defined a high achieving minority population within a high, middle, and elementary school setting. The theoretical ideas included those of Dewey, Piaget and Payne. The central research question was: What are the unique characteristics of a high, middle, and elementary school with a high achieving minority student population? The characteristics were identified and examined through contemporary practices, observations, focus group discussions, interviews, surveys, and data analyzed. The participants in this research were the teachers, administrators, and students at various high, middle, and elementary school sites. The data …

Bricklayer: Elementary Students Learn Math Through Programming And Art, Michelle Friend

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

As computer science becomes more prevalent in the K-12 world, elementary schools are increasingly adopting computing curricula. Computer scientists have recognized the connection between math and computer science, but little work has demonstrated how and whether computer science can support improved learning in math. This paper reports on a project in which elementary students in a gifted program used Bricklayer, a functional programming environment that supports artistic and mathematical expression. A pre- and post-test design demonstrates significant learning gains in coordinate graphing and visual-spatial skills.

Supporting Students With Disabilities In Catholic Elementary And Secondary Schools: A Catholic Higher Education Perspective, Michael Boyle

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Phenomenological Study Of The Significance Of Recess And Brain Breaks During The Instructional Day From The Perspective Of Elementary Teachers, Laura Knight

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to collect the perceptions of elementary teachers on the influence of recess and brain breaks on students within the instructional day capturing the essence of their voice through analysis. Participants included 10 teachers at Smith School District (pseudonym used) in the southeastern United States of America. One of the theories guiding this study was Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Maslow, 1954) as it was in question whether elementary teachers perceive that students must have their need for physical movement met in order for optimal learning to occur. Another theory guiding this study was …

Investigation Of Differences In Star Reading Scores For Second- And Third-Grade Students Who Received Differentiated Reading Instruction, Elizabeth Hearn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research study investigated the effects of teaching Response to Intervention curricula in second and third grades in a rural school district in Georgia. A causal-comparative design was used to compare scaled score gains of students who were taught using an RTI approach with curriculum available in How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3 (Walpole & McKenna, 2009) and students who were taught with other unidentified RTI curricula. Students in both groups participated in either Tier 2 or Tier 3 reading instruction in addition to Tier 1 regular classroom instruction. The STAR Enterprise Reading Test served as …

The Nurse In The School Health Office: Exploring Health Care In A Public School, Pamela A. Rademacher

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To provide a high-quality education for all its students, schools must address a variety of needs that are related to physical, social and/or emotional health. School nurses are positioned to do that in the schools that they serve. Exploring how the school nurse intervenes to help children and their families to maintain a high level of health may contribute to an understanding of health care and academic achievement in the educational community. The purpose of this qualitative study is to gain an understanding of what a nurse does on a regular basis to provide health care to all children in …

Integrating Physical Activity Data Technologies Into Elementary School Classrooms, Victor R. Lee, Jonathan M. Thomas

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper describes an iteration of a design-based research project that involved integrating commercial physical activity data (PAD) sensors, such as heart rate monitors and pedometers, as technologies that could be used in two fifth-grade classrooms. Design-based research involves the development, implementation and study of new learning interventions in real-world contexts with the goal of elaborating principles or guidelines relevant to the design of new technologies and learning experiences. The current project involved the implementation of PAD technology-supported learning activities in two fifth-grade classrooms where students pursued investigations related to the distances that they walk, the relationship between heights and …

The Development And Validation Of The Elementary School Ethical Climate Index, Kay Anne Keiser, Laura E. Schulte

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The purposes of this study were to develop and validate an instrument that measures the ethical climate of elementary schools. To create the Elementary School Ethical Climate Index (ESECI), we adapted the ethical climate index for middle and high schools. The ESECI assesses student and teacher interactions and relationships through the application of five ethical principles: respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and fidelity (Kitchener, 1984, 1985). To provide evidence of the ESECI’s reliability and validity we distributed the ESECI to the students and teachers/staff at one urban elementary school in a Midwestern city. There was a significant difference in …

Teachers' Classroom Assessment And Grading Practices: Phase 2, James H. Mcmillan, Daryl Workman

MERC Publications

A significant amount of recent literature has focused on classroom assessment and grading as essential aspects of effective teaching. There is an increased scrutiny of assessment as indicated by the popularity of performance assessment and portfolios, newly established national assessment competencies for teachers (Standards, 1990), and the interplay between learning, motivation, as assessment (Brookhart, 1993, 1994; Tittle, 1994). In Virginia, the Standards of Learning and associated tests highlight the importance of assessment.

Previous research documents that teachers tend to award a "hodgepodge grade of attitude, effort, and achievement" (Brookhart, 1991, p. 36). It is also clear that teachers use a …

Disruptive Students In The Classroom: A Review Of The Literature, Daisy Reed, Caroline Kirkpatrick

MERC Publications

Classroom discipline and school violence continue to be major issues in American education today. Rose and Gallup (1998) in the most recent Gallup Poll, respondents were asked to identify the biggest problems with which the public schools in their communities must deal. The results showed that concern about "fighting/violence/gangs" was at the top of the list, followed closely by "lack of discipline/more control." The metropolitan Life Survey of the American Teacher (1993) reports that while the majority of teachers (77%) feel safe in their schools, only 50% of students feel that way. A substantial proportion of students say they often …

The Efficacy Of The Collaborative Teaching Model For Academically-Able Special Education Students: A Research Report, Paul J. Gerber

MERC Publications

Collaborative teaching is a model of teaching students with disabilities who are academically-able in general classes. This service delivery model is unlike paradigms of the past that denoted least restrictive place (i.e. resource room instruction and mainstreaming). This model is predicated on direct services in general classrooms where both special education and general education teachers team teach in order to meet the needs of students with disabilities. The model is being used more and more across the country, and it is gaining favor in school divisions in the greater Richmond area. The purpose of this study was to investigate the …

Parent Involvement In Public Education: A Review Of The Literature, Cifford Fox

MERC Publications

At the direction of the Policy and Planning Council, A MERC Study Group began meeting in September, 1994 for the purpose of planning and directing a study of parental involvement in public schools. This literature review represents the first product of that process. Research over the past several decades has shown that involving parents in the process of educating their children provides substantial advantages for their education (e.g., Stevenson and Baker, 1987; Henderson, 1987; Moles, 1982; et.al.). In a representative statement, Rebecca Crawford Burns summarizes the literature on the benefits of parent involvement to the education process as follows:

"Meaningful …

The Efficacy Of The Collaborative Teaching Model For Serving Academically-Able Special Education Students: A Review Of Liturature, Paul J. Gerber

MERC Publications

Collaborative teaching is the latest attempt by the field of education to address the instructional needs of students with disabilities in at least restrictive environment. It is distinctive in design because of the focus of the collaborative teaching concept is keeping students with disabilities in regular classes to be educated alongside their non-disabled peers (a "keep in" program versus a "pull out" program. In a collaborative teaching arrangement both regular and special educators use their coincidental and complementary skills to teach students with disabilities. Because of the diversity of learning arrangement needed in classrooms with students with disabilities, collaborative teaching …

State-Of-The-Art Technology Applications, Amanda Parks, John Pisapia

MERC Publications

This document provides information on descriptions of state-of-the-art technology using schools across the country. It is a resource that can be used by teachers, school administrators, and researchers who are investigating the varying applications of technology in the classroom. It should be helpful in: 1) learning how other schools have implemented similar technology and integrated in within specific curricula, 2) planning, purchasing, adopting, or implementing technology in a classroom or entire school, and 3) it serves as a valuable resource to identify such schools already engaged in exceptional educational technology usage.

Technology: Review Of Literature Executive Summary, John Pisapia

MERC Publications

This literature review focuses on the application of technology (primarily the computer) to education. It is organized to present background information to familiarize the reader with basic issues relevant to teaching with technology, the restructuring of American schools, and the performance one could expect from the infusion of technology into schools and classrooms. Furthermore, it summarizes findings regarding access and equity, in-service and pre-service education, and funding and facilities.

After the decade of enthusiasm, there still is no single compelling vision driving the infusion of technology into the schools; four have been projected.

1. The Social Rationale. Policy makers want …

Learning Technologies In The Classroom: Review Of Literature, John Pisapia, Jeanne Schlesinger, Amanda Parks

MERC Publications

This literature review focuses on the application of technology (primarily the computer) to education. It is organized to present background information to familiarize the reader with basic issues relevant to teaching with technology, the restructuring of American Schools, and the performance one could expect from the infusion of technology into schools and classrooms. Furthermore, it summarizes findings regarding access and equity, in-service and pre-service education, and funding and facilities.

After a decade of enthusiasm, there still is no single compelling vision driving the infusion of technology into the schools; four have been projected.

1. The Social Rationale. Policy makers want …

Learning Technologies In The Classroom: Case Studies, John Pisapia

MERC Publications

These case studies were commissioned by the Virginia Department of Education during the development of the State Master Plan for Technology. The case studies complement an exhaustive review of the literature also conducted during the development of the Master Plan for Technology. The information found in these case studies makes it possible to approach technology decisions at the school level with a healthy blend of informed instinct and analytical deliberation.

The case studies collected information under three broad categories; an organizational profile, technology profile, and resource profile. Each of these areas were further broken down into sub areas to organize …

Learning Technologies In The Classroom: A Study Of Results, John Pisapia

MERC Publications

The Research reported in this paper focuses primarily on the shot term question, "Do learning technologies effect student learning?" It utilizes a meta analytic technique to review comparative studies of differing technologies under different conditions.

A study had to meet the following criteria to be included in this analysis: It 1) took place in a classroom; 2) had a control and treatment group structure; 3) was free of major methodological flaws, and 4) provided either an effect size or the data to calculate one. The 184 studies selected for this review represent a diverse array of district and vendor evaluations, …

National Assessment Of Educational Progress In Mathematics: Analysis And Interpretive Remarks Of Teh State Of Mathematics Achievement, John Pisapia, Ena Gross

MERC Publications

The National Assessment of Educational Progress's Mathematics assessment (hereafter the report) provides the national, educational policy makers, and practitioner the opportunity to stop pretending not to know. The report plainly confronts our own professional knowledge regarding mathematics education. In many instances it conforms much of what research has all ready described and what we have feared regarding mathematics education.

In some instances the report agrees with Carol Glickman's view that "professionals have gone about the business of teaching and operating schools in ways they privately admit are not in the best interests of students." From this view one of the …

Six Books On Child Development, Robert E. Mcconnell

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

In the education of teachers for the elementary schools, it is important that they be tutored in the field of child-development as well as in subjects that give them a knowledge of life such as art, science, social science, mathematics, language and literature. The first deals with the learner and the second with those phases of life to be learned. Many young teachers report that in their early endeavors at teaching they have greater concern over the dealing with the child than in the branches of knowledge. The understanding of the child is the important consideration in many of their …

Social Study Survey Of State Courses Of Study, Harold E. Barto

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

This study was undertaken in an attempt to determine the comparative emphasis given to certain subject matter areas within the scope of the social studies. In order to obtain the information necessary for a working basis, the state courses of study were surveyed by means of a questionnaire. One of the most recent trends in the field of curriculum development, is definitely towards integration in the social studies. No doubt there are many who are confronted with the problem of comparative emphasis. With this in mind. a summary of the findings is hereby submitted for the benefit of the readers …

The Third Grade Conducts A Post Office, Mabel T. Anderson, Amanda Katherine Hebeler

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

Because our third-grade children were often asked to go to the down-town post office to mail letters or to buy stamps, this group of pupils decided to have a school post office. Group discussion and planning began immediately. While plans were being made, the following problems arose and had to be solved: 1. What supplies shall we need? 2. When can we buy our supplies? 3. Where shall we get the money to pay for these supplies?

The Festival Of Nations, Amanda Katherine Hebeler

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of Education and Professional Studies

The Festival of Nations, an all-school activity of the Edison Elementary School of the Washington State Normal School at Ellensburg, has through three years of experience proved itself very rich in social learnings. The festival idea began when a bazaar was suggested as a means of earning money to meet the special activity needs of the school. The teachers agreed that any project used to raise funds should also be of real educational value. It should be related, so far as possible, to the interests of the children in grades two to six inclusive, since these would be the groups …