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Full-Text Articles in Education

A Podcast And Website For Informal Educators And How It Can Disseminate Best Teaching Practices, Graham Charles Oct 2022

A Podcast And Website For Informal Educators And How It Can Disseminate Best Teaching Practices, Graham Charles

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Informal educators face barriers in delivering high-quality educational experiences. As they are not formally connected with teacher training programs, they frequently receive more content-area knowledge than pedagogical instruction. Thus, informal educators are challenged to discover and master best practices in their field on their own. Economic and learning theorists indicate that professionals share best practices through various socially mediated structures, such as peer learning, culminating in a spontaneous intragroup support structure which Wegner termed a community of practice. Many informal educators, however, cannot participate in such communities because they are physically located in different sites from colleagues performing similar work. …


How Adverse Childhood Experiences Affect Children In School And What Protective Factors Can Teachers Provide For These Students, Michelle Moorer Jul 2022

How Adverse Childhood Experiences Affect Children In School And What Protective Factors Can Teachers Provide For These Students, Michelle Moorer

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this Capstone Project is: How do adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) affect children in school and what protective factors can teachers provide for these students? I will start by giving an overview of ACEs, ACEs impact on adulthood, trauma and toxic stress, trauma informed practices, and finally discuss protective factors for children with ACEs. Research shows that having exposure to childhood adversity is connected to negative health and life outcomes. Protective factors against ACEs can be a buffer against the negative effects of ACEs. These factors can be provided in different contexts, for example in relationships, …


An Intervention To Support Comprehension During Independent Reading Time, Jacob Klis Jul 2022

An Intervention To Support Comprehension During Independent Reading Time, Jacob Klis

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The question that guided this project was: How can using an intervention based on a comprehension strategy increase student reading interest? This question guided research on digital and print texts, student reading interest, and a brief history of balanced literacy. Many schools use a mix of digital and print resources and students need to be prepared to understand each. Using independent reading time at school has shown to give students greater success in literacy and other areas of school. It has shown that dedicated independent reading time is important at school. The goal of this project was to make independent …


The Science Of Reading For English Learners, Allison Hanson Jul 2022

The Science Of Reading For English Learners, Allison Hanson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

In recent years, a movement of researchers, educators, and parents promoting the science of reading has been reigniting the so-called “reading wars.” This movement has pointed out the ways in which typical balanced literacy practices do not reflect research on how students learn to read, especially in the acquisition of word recognition skills. However, the current debate is sometimes ignoring the unique needs of a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. student population: English Learners (ELs) and other multilingual students. This capstone project addresses the question: How does the science of reading inform reading instruction for ELs within a balanced …


Using An Ecojustice Education Framework To Address Conservation In The Upstate, Rebecca Bolich-Wade Jul 2022

Using An Ecojustice Education Framework To Address Conservation In The Upstate, Rebecca Bolich-Wade

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

In an era of complex and overlapping issues, it is critical to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative interdisciplinary methodology within the fields of justice and environmental conservation. One such method is encapsulated in an ecojustice education framework. This capstone project sought to analyze the effectiveness of an ecojustice education framework to address conservation in the Upstate of South Carolina. In the process of this study’s literature review, it is evident that isolating social justice from environmental conservation is ineffective and unresponsive to the needs that historically underserved communities today face in terms of the mitigation of environmental burdens and enhancement …


Cultivating Student Agency Through The Use Of Authentic Science Practices, John Haug Jul 2022

Cultivating Student Agency Through The Use Of Authentic Science Practices, John Haug

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This paper examines a needed shift in teaching secondary science students as more states and school districts adopt the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for assessing student skills and knowledge. The eight practices identified by the NGSS offer an opportunity to incorporate authentic science instruction into the classroom. Research supports that students who gain confidence in authentic science practices have a broader and deeper understanding of the nature of science. Research also supports that students who improve authentic practices are more likely to trust scientific findings and be more apt to take action on social and environmental issues. This shift …


Increasing Student Engagement In Kindergarten Read Alouds, Sydney Cassidy Jul 2022

Increasing Student Engagement In Kindergarten Read Alouds, Sydney Cassidy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that when students are given the opportunity to showcase their learnings in various settings, there will be a greater chance of student engagement and motivation when completing various classroom activities. The curriculum designed for this project uses Howard Gardner’s (2006) Theory of Multiple Intelligences and Thomas Armstrong’s (2009) work with integrating these intelligences into a classroom environment to target the various ways that students learn in the classroom that is best suited to the way their brain processes and applies information. The project involved creating a curriculum that was suitable for kindergarten students to engage in various …


Facilitating The Success Of Students Transitioning Between Different Methods Of Instruction, Amanda Froberg Jul 2022

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 …


Studying The Self: Students Examining Culture And Identity For Improved Engagement And Achievement, Zara Pylvainen Jul 2022

Studying The Self: Students Examining Culture And Identity For Improved Engagement And Achievement, Zara Pylvainen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has demonstrated that incorporating culturally relevant and culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) into teaching can lead to greater academic success. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on using concepts of identity and culture as topics of study in a seventh-grade English language arts (ELA) class with the aim of improving student engagement and academic achievement. CSP argues that young people are in a fluid process of developing their identities, and our pedagogy should foster that development. CSP also maintains that classrooms need to provide space for communities of color to maintain, nurture, and sustain cultural practices. This curriculum design …


Preparing Trauma Informed Teachers And Utilizing Trauma Responsive Systems To Increase Educational Success For Elementary Age Students, Kate Jordal Jul 2022

Preparing Trauma Informed Teachers And Utilizing Trauma Responsive Systems To Increase Educational Success For Elementary Age Students, Kate Jordal

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research suggests that trauma informed teaching practices benefit all students, regardless of whether or not they have experienced trauma. The professional development created for this project is informed by the work of Danielle Theis’ Teach to Heal and Performing Tracking System (2022), Nicholas Long’s Life Space Crisis Intervention (2021), the scholarship of Ross Greene (2014), and the educational framework Universal Design for Learning (2022). Trauma informed teaching practices include at its core: role definition for adults, common language, and explicit teaching of social emotional skills. The professional development will help teachers create a trauma responsive classroom which will be beneficial …


How Music Can Be Integrated Into Life Science Teaching In A Way That Enhances Scientific And Musical Learning In Middle School, Erin Hustad Jul 2022

How Music Can Be Integrated Into Life Science Teaching In A Way That Enhances Scientific And Musical Learning In Middle School, Erin Hustad

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has shown that students who learn interdisciplinary content lessons in school have a better understanding of the interconnectedness of the world they are entering. This paper, and the resultant project, focus on the interconnectedness of science and the arts, eventually ecology and music, in order to teach students both scientific and musical concepts. The project was created using backwards design, in order to ensure students have long term learning outcomes that center both science and music. Students first experience the scientific process and reflect on the similarities between scientific inquiry and artistic processes. Students then explore ecosystems and music …


Utilizing A Culturally Relevant Ecology Curriculum To Help Students See Intersections Between Their Scientific And Cultural Identities, Emma Singer Jul 2022

Utilizing A Culturally Relevant Ecology Curriculum To Help Students See Intersections Between Their Scientific And Cultural Identities, Emma Singer

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone was to create a two-week long ecology unit for high school biology students rooted in culturally relevant practices. The project sought to answer the question “How can utilizing a culturally relevant ecology curriculum help students see intersections between their scientific and cultural identities?” Data shows that people of color and women are underrepresented within the sciences. Disengagement and lack of interest in the sciences begins in middle and high school, suggesting students feel the material is irrelevant or disconnected from their lives. To address this gap, this project utilized a culturally relevant lens to create …


Subverting The Academic Language Hegemony: Implementing Language Architecture And Similar Pedagogies, Viviana Chavez Garcia Jul 2022

Subverting The Academic Language Hegemony: Implementing Language Architecture And Similar Pedagogies, Viviana Chavez Garcia

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The field of English language teaching is continually evolving in order for teachers to best serve the students. The field’s connected history with colonization and racism must be acknowledged in order to confront the reasons why academic English is valued higher than all other forms of English and other languages. Under the current framework, teachers are asking multilingual students to change their language in order to reverse their own oppression. According to language architecture, the languages that students bring to class are already sufficiently cognitively sophisticated to achieve content standards and participate in academic activities. This is where the foundation …


Implementation Of Movement Integration In The Classroom, Maren Armstrong Jul 2022

Implementation Of Movement Integration In The Classroom, Maren Armstrong

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has illustrated that the involvement of movement and physical activity in the classroom can be utilized to achieve a variety of positive outcomes. This paper explores the concept of movement integration in regards to its effects on classroom management, student engagement, and childhood obesity. While the body of literature on movement integration is extensive, there has not been a defined “best practice” providing exact allotments of timing, type, duration, or intensity for implementation. The intent of this project is to synthesize current research and organize the types of movement integration that had common results. The website and professional development …


Experiencing An Old-Growth Forest: An Immersive Nature And Art Workshop For Environmental Educators, Valerie Ozaksut Jul 2022

Experiencing An Old-Growth Forest: An Immersive Nature And Art Workshop For Environmental Educators, Valerie Ozaksut

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Environmental education seeks to develop an engaged and environmentally literate citizenry for a more equitable and sustainable future (NAAEE). Environmental art education is an interdisciplinary field which utilizes environmental education and art education practices. Addressing environmental issues through artmaking can expand learner understandings and emotional connections to the natural world, fostering environmental literacy. Exploring concepts from environmental education and art education, this capstone project uses the sense of wonder (Carson, 1956), the live creature (Dewey, 1934) and aesthetic empathy (Haskell, 2018) as a framework for study. This professional development workshop for environmental educators is designed to introduce environmental art education …


Unlocking Math Minds: Using Inquiry-Based Instruction To Increase Student Engagement And Learning In A Third Grade Classroom, Eric Swendseid Jul 2022

Unlocking Math Minds: Using Inquiry-Based Instruction To Increase Student Engagement And Learning In A Third Grade Classroom, Eric Swendseid

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This paper and supporting website include research and strategies to answer the research question, How can the implementation of inquiry-based math instruction increase student engagement and learning success in a third grade classroom? Inquiry-based learning is a process where the students are involved in their learning. The classroom is student-centered, not teacher-centered. Using the student-centered or inquiry-based approach, students do not learn through transmission. Instead, they collect information and synthesize the information they find through critical thinking skills. The learning process is considered to be higher-order learning. The research presented in this paper focuses on guided inquiry within a mathematics …


Classroom Questions: How Mainstream Elementary Teachers Use Questions To Support Achievement For English Language Learners, Holly Wandersee Jul 2022

Classroom Questions: How Mainstream Elementary Teachers Use Questions To Support Achievement For English Language Learners, Holly Wandersee

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This small-scale study of an elementary classroom was designed to better understand the research question How do mainstream elementary teachers use questions in their instruction of ELLs? The goal of this study was to explore how one elementary teacher used questions in the classroom, how her class responded to the questions, and how she supported her learners along the way. A detailed literature review explored research that has already been conducted related to teacher questions and ELLs, and it included information about the following topics: second language acquisition, classroom questions in both the ESL/EFL classroom and the mainstream classroom, and …


A Black Woman’S Road To Principalship: An Autoethnography, Daria Caldwell Jul 2022

A Black Woman’S Road To Principalship: An Autoethnography, Daria Caldwell

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the perceived barriers of Black women in educational leadership. Majority of the research in the educational field pertaining to women is generalized in various ways and are not specific to Black women. With Black women in educational leadership on the rise, more research is needed for and by Black women to help successfully navigate educational leadership. During the last decade, African American women have pioneered and forged new frontiers as educational leaders (Rusher, 1996). This study included four Black women in educational leadership in different school districts in Minnesota. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews as well …


Does Lexia Core 5 Support Accelerated Reading Growth In Third Grade Intervention Students During Independent Reading Time With Minimal Teacher Support?, Whitney Strand Jul 2022

Does Lexia Core 5 Support Accelerated Reading Growth In Third Grade Intervention Students During Independent Reading Time With Minimal Teacher Support?, Whitney Strand

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone addresses the following research question: Does Lexia Core 5 Support Accelerated Reading Growth in Third Grade Intervention Students During Independent Reading Time With Minimal Teacher Support? The author first examines the previous research around Lexia Core 5 done by O'Callaghan et al. (2016) & Maracuso et al. (2019). This mixed methods study investigates how using Lexia Core 5 impacts participants’ overall reading growth via pre- and post- assessment data. It follows participants’ Lexia Core 5 usage over the course of 7 weeks tracking both the minutes spent and number of units completed. Data for this study also includes …


Applying Multiple Intelligences Theory In Esl/Efl Classrooms, Shirin Soltani Jul 2022

Applying Multiple Intelligences Theory In Esl/Efl Classrooms, Shirin Soltani

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to create a unit on activities that were inspired by multiple intelligences theory to help English Learners (ELs) develop their language proficiency. The questions explored in this capstone project were: How can language learners develop their multiple intelligences to become proficient language learners through classroom activities? What are ways to create a curriculum that includes both the traditional foundations of language teaching and multiple intelligences theory? I learned English as a foreign language through rote learning. During my teaching experience, I realized that not all ELs learn English the same way and they have …


Best Practices Using Pair Work For English Language Learners, Olivia Meyer Jul 2022

Best Practices Using Pair Work For English Language Learners, Olivia Meyer

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project examined English Language (EL) learners and pair work in order to improve English skills and proficiency, answering the question: What are the best ways to use pair work to assist EL students in making English proficiency gains? There are many sources that show that collaboration and in particular, pair collaboration, supports language learning for all ages. One reason for this may be because language learning is most successful when there is plenty of feedback and interaction, creating plenty of opportunities to practice language skills. The project led to creation of a professional development course for educators that teaches …


Using An Interactive Word Wall To Increase Spanish Language Acquisition For Urban Middle School Learners, Jordan Schuneman Jul 2022

Using An Interactive Word Wall To Increase Spanish Language Acquisition For Urban Middle School Learners, Jordan Schuneman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

My primary research question for my capstone project is: What are the ways in which interaction, collaboration, and dialogue impact students’ Spanish language acquisition? More specifically, my research and project aim to answer: How can an interactive word wall affect Spanish language acquisition in an urban classroom? I have created an interactive word wall curriculum. This was specifically designed to fit my context as a middle school Spanish teacher, grades 6-8. However, this interactive word wall curriculum can be utilized effectively in any content area. Through considering culturally and linguistically responsive teaching (Hollie, 2018) as well as how to best …


Strengthening Early Literacy Skills Through Data-Driven Decision Making, Kaari Bly Jul 2022

Strengthening Early Literacy Skills Through Data-Driven Decision Making, Kaari Bly

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As part of this research, nine professional development sessions and a data workbook were designed to address the research question: how can a school establish a sustainable system for making data-based decisions to strengthen the literacy skills of kindergarten and first-grade students necessary for further educational success? Data-driven decision-making is an essential component of an MTSS framework and is based on the steps of a problem-solving model. Key tenets of a data-driven school include strong leadership, a comprehensive assessment system, easy access to data, time and resources to examine data, and clear connections between data and potential interventions. Often schools …


Growing Environmentally Literate Youth, Kimberly Harding Jul 2022

Growing Environmentally Literate Youth, Kimberly Harding

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has demonstrated that the importance of producing environmentally literate youth is becoming a priority around the world Producing environmentally literate youth through E-STEM Garden-based learning practices will not only allow our students to become environmentally literate but also capable, aware, citizens with the 21st Century skills necessary to tackle today and tomorrow’s problems. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on using garden-based STEM practices to increase young students' environmental literacy. The project involved using the Next Generation Science standards, the learning goals of the proposed Michigan Environmental Literacy Plan, as well as the American Society for Engineering Education’s …


A Curriculum Resource For Teachers Of Low-Level Adult English Learners: Incorporating Digital Literacy Skills, Jennifer Sorlie Jul 2022

A Curriculum Resource For Teachers Of Low-Level Adult English Learners: Incorporating Digital Literacy Skills, Jennifer Sorlie

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The use of technology in the workforce and in academia is ever increasing. Given the events of the past two years, more and more individuals are turning to technology as a means to help them function in today’s world. There are many individuals who arrive from other countries to the United States for various reasons. One possible reason is learning English. However, what happens when you arrive to a country that uses technology daily in a prolonged manner and you have never had this experience? This is the case for many learners who enroll in adult education programs across the …


English Language Learners: Closing The Achievement Gap, Silyvanus Juma Jul 2022

English Language Learners: Closing The Achievement Gap, Silyvanus Juma

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research is to investigate the best practices and effective teaching strategies that teachers and other educators can use with English Language Learners (ELLs) to close the achievement gap. The research intends to illustrate that English language proficiency requirements should not in any way be a barrier to the academic performance and achievement of English Language Learners. ELLs are continuously lagging behind their native English speaking peers academically. Various reports indicate that ELLs continue to under-perform in state tests, course grades, and college placements tests. They face numerous challenges including lack of interaction with native speakers of …


Supporting Multilingual Learners In The Content Classroom Through Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Teaching Practices, Karen Martinez Tinajero Jul 2022

Supporting Multilingual Learners In The Content Classroom Through Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Teaching Practices, Karen Martinez Tinajero

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching practices have been demonstrated to yield positive learning outcomes for multilingual learners. The curriculum designed for this project focuses on making direct use of the culturally and linguistically responsive guidelines, frameworks, and strategies as proposed by Zaretta Hammond, Sharroky Hollie, Sydney Snyder, and Diane Staehr Fenner in a secondary level history classroom for the purpose of maximizing learning opportunities for multilingual learners. This project involved creating a dynamic curriculum complete with teacher considerations to transform content learning through cultural and linguistic responsiveness. The curriculum will primarily be used in secondary social studies classrooms for multilingual …


Renewable Energy Education At Residential Environmental Learning Centers, Kim Corson Jul 2022

Renewable Energy Education At Residential Environmental Learning Centers, Kim Corson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project sought to answer the question, what are effective methods for teaching middle school students about renewable energy at residential environmental learning centers? Research shows that participation in a residential learning experience helps students retain knowledge and learn in a more hands-on and real world context. However, research connecting a residential environmental learning experience and renewable energy education is limited. This project involved creating a curriculum that utilizes effective methods for teaching and learning about renewable energy with the goal to help grow students energy and environmental literacy. The lesson targets middle school students but can be adapted …


How Can A Non-Personal Interpretive Guide Increase Place Attachment For Visitors, Encourage The Appropriate Development Of Sustainable Community-Based Ecotourism, And Increase Knowledge Of The Desert And Coastal Ecosystems And Migratory Whales Of Baja Mexico?, Mahin Hamilton Jul 2022

How Can A Non-Personal Interpretive Guide Increase Place Attachment For Visitors, Encourage The Appropriate Development Of Sustainable Community-Based Ecotourism, And Increase Knowledge Of The Desert And Coastal Ecosystems And Migratory Whales Of Baja Mexico?, Mahin Hamilton

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Small ecotour companies run whale-watching tours in remote, protected lagoons of Baja California Sur every winter, as gray whales migrate there to mate and give birth to their young. Often, tourists must drive for hours each way to reach the lagoons for their tour. When tourists get to the small villages that are the base camp for whale watching, their only guides are the boat captains, who do not normally speak English (the main language of tourists in the area). A non-personal interpretive guide would bridge the gap of information, so that tourists learn about the ecology, history, and culture …


Food Justice And Urban Agriculture: Using City Spaces To Foster Equity, Jessica Giese Jul 2022

Food Justice And Urban Agriculture: Using City Spaces To Foster Equity, Jessica Giese

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

In an increasingly urban society, urban agriculture creates opportunities to address inequalities in access to healthy foods and bridge gaps in our food systems. While solving the problems of food and environmental injustice demands large-scale changes at a systemic level, urban agriculture can promote community engagement, education, and sovereignty, empowering city residents to gain control over their resources and access to nutritious foods. This research seeks to explain how two very different urban agricultural projects are impacting their communities through access, engagement, and education. Intersections Food Forest is a neighborhood project that utilizes an empty city lot to cultivate perennial …