Education Commons^™

Culturally Proficient Leadership May Not Be Efficient, Tami Williams

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

This paper addresses the need for developing culturally proficient educational leaders. Our experiences influence our mental models. Our mental models inform our attitudes, expectations, and behavior. Leaders in education are expected to influence current and future educational practices in ways that disrupt conditions of oppression in order to foster equity and justice. It is essential that educational leadership graduate work addresses the awareness of mental models, dimensions of diversity, deliberative thinking with reflection, and the value of student voice in order to integrate standards of culturally proficient leadership into daily behavior.

Are English Teachers The First Math Teachers? A Comparison Of English And Mathematics Syntax, Elliott Ostler, Jill Bruckner

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Abstract: The narrative presented hereafter will demonstrate the similarities of syntactic systems in formal written English and in generalized systems of standard computational algebra. The argument is made that algebraic systems can be taught using generalizations from written English syntax. This argument will be characterized in three parts: 1) describing the development of axiomatic systems in mathematics, 2) demonstrating the similar structure of the foundational elements used in English and mathematics, and 3) illustrating how mathematical process may be characterized by providing practical examples from written English.

Assessing Concerns And Leading Pedagogical Innovation In Higher Education: A Case Study Of The Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School Of Business, Kamla Mungal, Gour C. Saha

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Studies of pedagogical innovation indicate that the implementation process is enhanced by addressing teachers’ concerns. Institutions address teacher preparedness mainly from the perspectives of their preparation and institutional support, without recognising teachers’ mental state and particular implementation concerns. This paper adopts the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) to examine the Stages of Concern (SoC) of faculty involved in the implementation of pedagogical reform. The standardized 35-item SoC questionnaire was sent online to 152 faculty members and 31 responses were obtained. The study found the faculty body had high levels of self-concerns, low levels of impact concerns and a willingness to …

The Power Of Multimodal Feedback, Breanne S. Campbell, Ann Feldmann

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Abstract: Feedback to students is most effective when it is timely, relevant and meaningful. English teachers spend many hours providing feedback on student writing and are disheartened as students disregard it. An English teacher and a technology specialist, while using available technology, set out to find a way to make the feedback process more streamlined, efficient, and something students would actually employ in the writing process. We discovered that utilizing technology tools available to provide on demand and archivable audio and visual feedback transforms the writing process and student responses are favorable.

Ability Of Functional Performance Tests To Identify Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis, Adam B. Rosen, Alan R. Needle, Jupil Ko

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Objective:

The purpose of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to determine the effectiveness of functional performance tests (FPTs) in differentiating between individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) and healthy controls.

Data Sources:

The National Library of Medicine Catalog (PubMed), the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and the SPORTDiscus, from inception to June 2017 were searched. Search terms consisted of: “Functional Performance Test*” OR “Dynamic Balance Test*” OR “Postural Stability Test*” OR “Star Excursion Balance Test*” OR “Hop Test*” AND “Ankle Instability” OR “Ankle Sprain.” Included articles assessed differences in FPTs in patients with CAI compared …

Using Multiple Intelligence Theory To Aid In Reading Comprehension, Kelsy Neil

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The main purpose of this study is to determine if using Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory to guide activities for literature groups aids in student comprehension. Students in three literature groups at the fifth and sixth grade level were given a survey to determine each student’s intelligence scores. After each student’s intelligence scores were found, the average of each intelligence score was used to determine the groups’ strongest and weakest intelligences. Activities were then made for each group to correlate with their strongest and weakest intelligences and comprehension was tested after each reading assignment and activity was completed via a …

Middle School Common Grading Expectations And Teacher Perceptions Of Grading Pedagogy, Jennifer Carson

Student Work

Grades in schools can be subjective in nature. Yet, grading remains a key piece in the American education system. Beliefs around grading practices are deeply held and can vary from teacher to teacher. This study aims to explore how teachers arrive at their own grading practices and to analyze teachers’ perceptions of implementing common grading expectations at one middle school in the Midwest. The implementation was grounded in research surrounding ethical change leadership. In year two of implementation, certified staff responded to a survey of Likert scale and open-ended questions providing feedback on implementing common grading expectations. The medians of …

The Social Justice Role Of School Librarians, Stephanie A. Burdic

Student Work

This study builds on Rioux’s 2010 social justice metatheory in the library sciences as it looks at the practices of school librarians in the areas of collection development, policies, and instructional practices. The mixed methods study demonstrates that school librarians act as agents of social justice in the collection of materials based on diversity, inclusion, vantage points, and international viewpoints. The policies of unrestricted access to library materials, access to digital and print formats, critical reflection, school library as a safe haven, advocating for the freedom to read, and facilitating students to read a variety of materials were also examined. …

Factors That Influence The Reading Motivation Of Fourth And Fifth Grade Students In A Midwest Urban Elementary School, Jo A. O'Garro

Student Work

Reading motivation has been found to impact both literacy development and student achievement. Unfortunately, reading motivation tends to decline as students get older, and many students lose interest in reading by middle school (Edmunds & Bauserman, 2006). This decrease can have a negative impact on achievement and may also contribute to reading achievement gaps based on gender, race, and socioeconomic status. This study examined factors found in the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ) that influence reading motivation for fourth and fifth grade students in a Midwest urban elementary school. In addition, the researcher sought to determine if there were significant …

Factors That Influence Middle School Mathematics Teachers’ Willingness To Collaborate With School Librarians, Stephanie L. Schnabel

Student Work

Collaboration between school libraries and classroom teachers can have a powerful impact on student learning. School librarians routinely collaborate with English language arts and social studies curriculum and less frequently with areas in STEM education. This research examines middle school mathematics teachers’ extent of or willingness to collaborate with the school librarian in one large urban Midwestern school district. This quantitative descriptive study sought to answer the question “What factors influence middle school mathematics teachers’ extent or willingness to collaborate with school librarian?” This research looks at, from the middle school mathematics teacher’s perception, the roles and responsibilities of the …

Evolving Legal Issues In Education: Introduction To The Special Edition, David L. Stader, Jeanne Surface, Kathryn I. Matthew

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The articles in this edition of The Clearing House include some of the challenges currently facing public schools and institutions of higher education. Restrooms have become a bio-political battleground attempting to bring order and equilibrium to what is maleness, and what is femaleness. The rights of transgender students have brought disequilibrium to traditional gender mapping in public places. R. Stewart Mayers tells the story of GG v. Gloucester County School Board in his analysis of Title IX arguments. Paul Watkins and Edward Moreno review the challenges school districts face when transgender students request access to restrooms facilities that correspond to …

Elementary Teachers’ Grading Practices And Perceptions In Communicating Assessment Of Students, Shannon A. Thoendel

Student Work

Grading reform has been a major focus in school districts across the country (Guskey & Jung, 2012). Reporting student achievement through grades can have a lasting and profound impact on a student’s academic career. Grades are often considered to have little relationship to student performance (Brookhart, 2004; O’Connor 2016). Grading authenticity is reached when the following standards are met: accuracy, consistency, meaningfulness, and supportiveness of the learning environment (O’Connor, 2016). A current movement to standards-based grading is believed to be a more accurate measure of student achievement than a traditional grading system (Guskey, 2001). Standards-based grading systems are believed to …

Exploring Education Professionals' Perceptions Of The Changes In School/Classroom Climate, Students' Experiences, And Educators' Experiences As A Result Of Implementing The Secret Kindness Agents Project, Ferial G. Pearson

Teacher Education Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

This phenomenological study explored the perceptions of 23 educators as related to the implementation of the Secret Kindness Agents Project. The methodology was comprised of a researcher-designed questionnaire to capture the essence of the participants’ experiences with the project. A Conceptual Map developed by researchers at the University of Arizona in 2016 was used as the Conceptual Framework for the study. Participants reported perceived impacts of the project on themselves, their students, and their contexts. Their responses fell into the following themes: Kindness Focus, Changing Pedagogy and Classroom Management, Improved Work Environment/Morale/Well-Being, Improved Social-Emotional Skills, and Improved School/Context Environment. The …

Spr Bulletin, Spring 2017, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Sponsored Programs Bulletins

This bulletin features Recent Grant Recipients.

Living Education Law In 2017: How Facebook, Prayer, Toilets, And Guns Impact Today's Teachers, Gretchen Oltman J.D., Ph.D, Jeanne Surface

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Survival for public school teachers goes beyond curriculum design, discipline and other skills. School law is critical for teachers to face the areas of challenge that are currently present. There are two types of common legal mistakes made by teachers: a) failing to take disciplinary action when they should, and b) unintentionally violating students rights. Social media, religion, the rights of transgender students and the possibility of teachers right to carry a weapon are all within the realm of rapidly changing public school law. Teachers should stay well-informed, so they are ready to protect students and their own constitutional freedoms.

Turning Teens Into Fossilphiles: Citizen Science And Advanced Visualization Of Paleontology Collections, Khai Button, Lynn Cross, K. Ren Rende, Patricia G. Weaver, Jacob A. Van Veldhuizen, Lisa L. Herzog, Lindsay Zanno

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

In 2016, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) received funding from NSF’s Collections in Support of Biological Research Program to launch a new citizen science initiative—FossilPhiles—aimed at improving publically accessible natural history specimen data. The FossilPhiles project supported NCMNS’ ongoing efforts to digitize paleontology collections and provide STEM opportunities for historically underrepresented student populations by engaging middle and high school students in authentic data collection.

Five students were chosen from area schools with underserved populations to digitize highly significant or visually impactful vertebrate, invertebrate, and paleobotanical fossil specimens (e.g., type specimens, rare collections, specimens of high public interest). …

Healthy Families: A Family-Based Community Intervention To Address Childhood Obesity, Danae Dinkel, Melissa Tibbits, Emily Hanigan, Kelly Nielsen, Leah Jorgensen, Kay Grant

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Healthy Families, a family-based community intervention, in improving the knowledge, self-efficacy, and health behaviors of overweight/obese children and their families as well as to explore the lessons learned. Results showed families who completed the program had significant improvements for children and parents in areas such as nutrition knowledge and self-efficacy in making healthy eating choices as well as participating in physical activity. Additionally, families reported decreasing their intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. Participating families and community partners provided valuable lessons for other communities seeking to implement a similar program.

Uno Faculty, Staff, And Student Diversity 2010 - 2016, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Assessment

This report includes data on racial/ethnic and gender diversity of faculty, staff, and students at UNO. Data are presented by year (2010 through 2016) for the campus and college levels.

Local Implementation Effectiveness Of A Multi-Tier System Of Support In Elementary School Settings, Terry P. Houlton

Student Work

Ensuring all students learn at high levels is demanding. Multi-tier systems of supports (MTSS) has shown promise as a way to promote high levels of learning for all students while catching students who are struggling to learn. However, implementing MTSS models in school districts and schools has seen its challenges. The context of an individual school impacts efforts related to implementation especially related to implementing a system such as MTSS. During the 2016-2017 school year, using program theory-driven evaluation methods a program theory for MTSS was developed with input from members of the research school district. Then a questionnaire was …

Sla Newsletter, Volume 8, Issue 1, Fall 2017, Uno Service Learning Academy

SLA Newsletters

No abstract provided.

External Funding Bulletin, Fall 2017, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Sponsored Programs Bulletins

This bulletin features recent award recipients.

Teachers Of Teachers: What They May And May Not Know About Military-Connected Children, Brianna Conway, Connie Schaffer

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Most children (92%) who have a caregiver in the U.S. military attend school "off-post" (U.S. Department of Defense, 2011).

This means military-connected students are enrolled in nearly every school district in the U.S. (Military Child Education Coalition, 2011), and most of these children are taught by 3.1 million public school PK-12 teachers in the U. S. (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2016). Even with this many educators working with the large population of military-connected children in the school setting, there is no consistent requirement for pre-service educators to receive any kind of training regarding the military lifestyle/culture.

Social Studies Instruction In Nebraska, Jamie Wagner, Connie Schaffer

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

In the 1980s standardized testing began to emerge as a major component of P-12 education reform and by the late 1980s state standards, benchmarks and curriculum frameworks started to become more widely used in states (Vogler and Virtue 2007). Both elementary and secondary social studies classes have changed to adapt to the new standards and mandated standardized testing. With increasing focus on reading, mathematics, and science, many began to be concerned that social studies instruction may be limited. Social studies instruction is vital to educate civically engaged individuals. However, at the high school level, teachers emphasize memorization and recollection of …

Assessment Of Human Adipose Tissue Microvascular Function Using Videomicroscopy, Melissa G. Farb, Song-Young Park, Shakun Karki, Noyan Gokce

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

While obesity is closely linked to the development of metabolic and cardiovascular disease, little is known about mechanisms that govern these processes. It is hypothesized that pro-atherogenic mediators released from fat tissues particularly in association with central/visceral adiposity may promote pathogenic vascular changes locally and systemically, and the notion that cardiovascular disease may be the consequence of adipose tissue dysfunction continues to evolve. Here, we describe a unique method of videomicroscopy that involves analysis of vasodilator and vasoconstrictor responses of intact small human arterioles removed from the adipose depot of living human subjects. Videomicroscopy is used to examine functional properties …

An Overview Of Assessment Methodology For Obesity-Related Variables In Infants At Risk, Danae Dinkel, Corrine Hanson, Karsten Koehler, Ann Anderson Berry, Anastasia Kyvelidou, Matthew Bice, Jill Wallen, Danstan Bagenda, Laura Jana, Jana Pressler

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background: The first 2 years of a child’s life are a particularly critical time period for obesity prevention.

Aim: An increasing amount of research across the world is aimed at understanding factors that impact early childhood obesity and developing interventions that target these factors effectively. With this growing interest, new and interdisciplinary research teams are developing to meet this research need. Due to rapid growth velocity during this phase of the lifespan, typical assessments used in older populations may not be valid or applicable in infants, and investigators need to be aware of the pros and cons of …

Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, And Validation Of The Korean Version Of The Identification Functional Ankle Instability (Idfai), Jupil Ko, Adam B. Rosen, Cathleen N. Brown

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Purpose: To cross-culturally adapt the Identification Functional Ankle Instability for use with Korean-speaking participants.

Methods: The English version of the IdFAI was cross-culturally adapted into Korean based on the guidelines. The psychometric properties in the Korean version of the IdFAI were measured for test-retest reliability, internal consistency, criterion-related validity, discriminative validity, and measurement error 181 native Korean-speakers.

Results: Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC2,1) between the English and Korean versions of the IdFAI for test–retest reliability was 0.98 (standard error of measurement = 1.41). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.89 for the Korean versions of IdFAI. The Korean versions of the IdFAI …

Using Ya Fiction To Build Interest In Stem With Teen Girls, Melissa Cast-Brede

Teacher Education Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

If Hunger Games can inspire young women to take up the bow and arrow, then surely other young adult (YA) titles can inspire enthusiasm for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). This program will discuss the role of YA fiction in teen development and specific YA titles to encourage STEM interests with teen girls.

Oasa Leadership Forum Summary, September 7, 2017, Uno Office Of Academic And Student Affairs, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

2017-2018 Academic Year

Notes from the September 7, 2017, OASA Leadership Forum.

Academic Department Indicators 2016-2017, Uno Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Program Review

The audience is the Academic Planning Council (APC), college and department heads, and faculty. The purpose is to report instructional productivity measures useful for making comparisons and observing trends. Selected departmental information in this report is submitted annually to the Delaware Study, a National Study of Instructional Costs and Productivity.

This Instructional Productivity information corresponds to the UNO state- and tuition-funded budget. The Supplemental Information at the end of the document provides counts and statistics for campus wide programs embedded in most colleges. Only Dual Enrollment instruction is excluded from the productivity report since it is a fee-based instructional program …

Diagnosis Of A Chiari Malformation After A Concussion In A Junior College Football Player With A History Of Chronic Headaches: A Case Report, Takeaki Ando, Shannon Gehr, Melanie L. Mcgrath, Adam B. Rosen

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this report is to present the case of a National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association football player diagnosed with Chiari malformation postconcussion. A Chiari malformation is characterized by the cerebellum presenting below the level of the foramen. The uniqueness of this case stems from the patient’s health history, length of symptoms, and diagnosis. The effectiveness of treatment options, and the primary means to reduce the risk of catastrophic head injury in those with Chiari malformations are debatable. Clinicians should be familiar with the potential for the presence of a Chiari malformation with persistent symptoms postconcussion.