Education Commons^™

Losing Faith : The Process Of Converting To Atheism, Jennifer J. Jacobi

Graduate Research Papers

The current study examines the process of converting to atheism and the counseling issues associated with it. It is argued that conversion to atheism can be conceptualized according to the model of religious conversion that Paloutzian, Richardson, and Rambo (1999) suggested. Research on atheism is reviewed in terms of how it fits into the stages of this model, and implications for counseling are discussed.

Phonics Or Whole Language : Choosing The Most Effective Approach To Teach Reading, Alisha Sue Jobe

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the literature concerning the phonics reading approach and the whole language reading approach at the primary grade level. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with phonics and whole language were discussed. Guidelines were presented for teachers to use with the best reading approaches for children in the primary grades. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for teaching reading successfully to primary-age children.

Using The Instructional Computing Design Process To Introduce And Incorporate The Boys Town Social Skills, Marcus R. Kurtz

Graduate Research Papers

The following paper takes an inside look on how to use the Instructional Computing Design process to create instructional software that focuses on the Boys Town Social Skills. Within the planning, designing, and development of this multimedia project, the paper will also concentrate on the projects standards, management of the project, and an ongoing evaluation of the project. A great amount of discussion in the paper focuses on how to develop software that is used to instruct and guide learners using the Boys Town Social Skills. Each step of the ICD process will be described to reveal how the Boys …

Music And Software Piracy : Issues And Solutions For Music Teachers And Media Intensive Educators, Chad Criswell

Graduate Research Papers

The rampant piracy of digital materials is not just a problem for the individual home user. In today's world it is increasingly a concern for educators and their school district as a whole. Many recent court actions have been brought against school districts based the illegal use of unlicensed software and other copyrighted materials. This project presents the issues of music and software piracy and the legalities of the United States Copyright Act. It presents common examples for use in the music or media intensive classroom, as well as legal usage requirements including the payment of royalties and purchase of …

Middle School Art And The Internet, John F. Bueltel

Graduate Research Papers

This graduate project focuses on the efforts of one middle school art teacher to integrate the Internet into the middle school art curriculum at one middle school in Iowa. Classrooms with Internet access increased to 63 percent in 2000 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2000) with similar numbers of school age children ( 65 percent) having Internet access in their homes (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Art teachers have been reluctant to embrace this technology (Matthews, 1997) even though many art education resources exist on the Internet. The Internet can provide a vast resource of artwork from web sites published by …

Adult Distance Learners In Distance Education : A Literature Review, Yu Cao

Graduate Research Papers

Distance education is a current reality creating new opportunities and challenges for educational institutions, offering students expanded choices in where, when, how and from whom they learn, and making education accessible to a large population, especially for adult learners. This paper intends to present and discuss some of the most current research on the issues which influence adult distance learners' learning process. And help the school administrators, distance course designers and distance instructors to truly understand adult distance learners and their learning needs; design an effective and efficient learning environment and experience; facilitate adult learners' learning, provide learners' support to …

Developing A K-12 District Technology Plan, Greg Reese

Graduate Research Papers

Educational Technologies and technology integration into the curriculum have become hot topics in educational institutions and legislature across the country. Schools are scrambling to buy computers, install networks, buy software, and connect to the Internet. This interest in technology is rooted in various places: pressure from the state legislature and federal government, the business community, and parents in the district who see technology as necessary for their child's success (Lockwood, 1999).

A Review Of Online Career Services In The Twenty-First Century, Marsha Yvette Saddler

Graduate Research Papers

The need to examine and explore the status of career services online is not only timely, but necessary in the ever-changing technology movement that has affected the very culture of student affairs in American higher education. The purpose of this paper is to accomplish that task by providing a synopsis of research gathered from three main categories of online career services, and to discuss how using the Internet to deliver these services can enhance the career development of college students.

Developing An E-Commerce Strategy For Beverage Industry Professionals, Keith D. Wendl

Graduate Research Papers

A 278% increase in Internet traffic has moved providing a permanent ecommerce presence from an option to an imperative (Molitor, 2001). The Internet can generate new business if an effective e-commerce plan is a keystone component of an organization's overall business plan. This paper examines four roles an Internet professional can employ to match up with the appropriate stages a buyer is at in the buying process. The four roles include a) student; b) architect; c) counselor; and d) negotiator. With the dynamic support of e-commerce tools, these roles are important because they define how the Internet professional will help …

My Vision For Becoming A Secondary Level Educational Administrator : A Reflective Essay, Camelle C. Kinney

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to discuss my beliefs about being a secondary administrator. The focus of this paper is to gain a personal understanding of what a secondary administrator is and does, based on various readings, discussions, practicum experiences as well as journaling activities.

Developing Literacy Through Storybook Reading Events, Linda Eitmann

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of storybook reading on children's emergent literacy. Benefits and challenges were discussed which were associated with facilitating literacy through teacher-read storybook events. Also guidelines were presented for teachers to use storybooks as an emergent developmental and instructional method. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for the future facilitation of storybook reading events.

The Effects Of Using Computer-Assisted Learning To Teach Multiplication, Brian Unruh

Graduate Research Papers

This case study investigated the effects of using computer-assisted learning (CAL) while teaching multiplication facts to 32 third-graders. This quasi-experimental study spanned a six-week period and was analyzed using a variety of qualitative and quantitative techniques. Among these qualitative techniques were participant observation and formal and informal interviews. The quantitative component included document analysis of three separate instruments. This study demonstrated a low correlation between the use of CAL and recall skills. However, students felt comfortable and enthusiastic working with the computer. In addition to the excitement, students felt significantly more confident and successful using the computer. There was evidence …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Lynne E. Wallace

Graduate Research Papers

Historically, schools have been viewed as an integral part of the problem and solution for our nation's social, political, and economic problems. Americans generally believe that the public schools should address the ever-changing needs of our society. I agree with this belief, even though school systems sometimes are ill-equipped to handle this responsibility. Schools have the best opportunity to reach students to make the needed changes. Schools have the opportunity to pass on to students prevailing ideas and values to help them adjust to present society and be able to transform future society. The ideal school in the 21st Century …

A Social Studies/Science Technology Project Manual For Upper Elementary Educators In The Dubuque Community School District, Jenny M. Kress

Graduate Research Papers

In the last five years, the Dubuque Community School District's technology infrastructure has grown tenfold. With the implementation of a district-wide networked computer system also came growing expectations for classroom teachers to provide technological opportunities for students (Dubuque Community School District, 2001). With the administration's eagerness to bring Dubuque's students into the information world, teachers have not been provided with any technology curriculum or manuals on how to incorporate computer projects into their lessons. This graduate research project was developed to give the classroom teacher a means to provide these technological opportunities in a very systematic and step-by-step manner. The …

The Effects Of A Mother's Incarceration On Her Children, Jane Elizabeth Mayer

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of a mother's incarceration on her children. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with facilitating a mother-child visitation program were discussed. Guidelines were presented for parents, caregivers, children, and prison staff on a successful mother-child visitation program. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for the future facilitation of a mother-child visitation program.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Tami L. Mclean

Graduate Research Papers

I believe that the role of the principal is vital in creating the workplace and learning community necessary to prepare students for the future. The principal serves many roles including communicator and leader. I know that I possess the skills necessary to fulfill these roles and effectively move a district forward. My vision for the future is not to use a top-down approach in leading a school, but a broad-based participation approach. The school in which I work will strive to enhance leadership in all teachers, form a community of lifelong learners, and grow and reflect individually as professionals. I …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary And Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, James D. Moeller

Graduate Research Papers

There was a time the school principal's job was clear and relatively simple - not easy, but simple. Everyone understood the role of the principal. That is no longer the case.

In today's society, the public education system in America is one that is fraught with dissension, politics and numerous other variables. Leaders and managers in the public sector are under far greater scrutiny than those in the public sector and the school principal is one position that is frequently caught in a maelstrom.

This essay will explore the literature to identify the numerous characteristics, knowledge and skills that are …

Indivisible, With An Education For All : Differentiation Strategies Used In A Multi-Categorical Classroom, Stephanie Elizabeth Francis

Graduate Research Papers

This article focuses on a pilot study that examines the effectiveness of differentiation strategies when used in a multi-categorical classroom. The writer, a gifted and talented facilitator in a rural Iowa school district, team taught with two other teachers in a classroom where identified learning-disabled and gifted students were clustered together. The purpose of this clustering was to determine the impact of alternative strategies upon special needs students when implemented in a common learning environment. The writer concludes that with careful planning, differentiation can be a positive instructional strategy in a multi-categorical classroom. She also offers recommendations for educators and …

Academic Attribution Style Of Tenth Grade Students With Attachment Problems, Kimberly Conrad

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a relationship between attachment and attribution in adolescents. The question that will be answered in this study is is there a relationship between attachment (as measured by the Adolescent Attachment Questionnaire) and attribution ( as measured by the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire). There is not enough data in the literature at the present time to clearly support that there is a relationship. Data were collected by using two instruments, Adolescent Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ), (West, Rose, Spreng, Sheldon-Keller, & Adam, 1998), and Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire (Crandall, Katkovosky, & Crandall, …

Motivation And Mandatory Standardized Testing: Utilizing The School Counselor As Consultant, Liaison, Trainer, And Advocate, Trent Taylor

Graduate Research Papers

Since the publication of "A Nation at Risk" in 1983, the emphasis on using standardized testing has dramatically increased (Burke & Lombardi, 1998). Political candidates at all levels are using the issues of accountability and testing in campaign advertisements and as focal points to attack opponents. Today, hundreds of thousands of achievement and aptitude tests are administered each year in educational settings (Hood & Johnson, 1997).

Bullying In Schools : Understanding And Interventions, Donkar Wangmo

Graduate Research Papers

Bullying in schools is a worldwide problem that can have negative consequences for the general school climate and for the right of the students to learn in a safe environment without fear (Banks, 1997). Bullying can also have negative lifelong consequences, both for students who bully and for their victims. Although much of the formal research on bullying has taken place in the Scandinavian countries, Great Britain, and Japan, the problems associated with bullying have been noted and discussed wherever formal schooling environments exist (Banks, 1997). Olweus (1993) reported that one child out of every seven is either a bully …

Picture Books About Korea And Korean Americans, Jongsun Wee

Graduate Research Papers

Multicultural literature is beneficial to children to understand different cultures diversity in the global world. Koreans started to immigrate to the United States beginning in 1902. In spite of a lengthy Korean American immigration history, few children· s books portray Korea and Korean Americans. This study overviewed picture books about Korea and Korean Americans available in local libraries and universities and identified cultural values and themes in the Korean American picture books. This study also examined authenticity and stereotyping in the Korean American picture books. Few pictures books about Korea and Korean American have been published over the past 40 …

Understanding Brain-Based Instruction And The Technology Connection For Improved Teaching And Learning, Tammy Wawro

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to give educators a brief description of the parts of the brain, the implications of the brain on learning, and an understanding of how technology can help in this way of teaching and learning. Many experienced and well respected brain researcher's works are cited as examples and used as references, including but not limited to Slywester, Jensen, and Kovalik. By utilizing what researchers have found, and integrating their own experience and knowledge, educators can find best practices that will help to promote student learning.

Retention In The Primary Grades, Joni Gunter

Graduate Research Papers

Every year children are retained because of teachers' recommendations. When teachers recommend retention, the major reason is that children are having difficulty keeping up with their peers, or they are not functioning at grade level on district or state tests. Teachers may also recommend retention if children are smaller than peers, immature, have a late birthday, have excessive absences as a result of illness, or a move, or when English is a Second Language. This study examined the benefits, problems, as well as alternatives to retention. Conclusions and recommendations were determined based on the written research on retention.

When The Wildebeest Gets Your Berries : Adolescent Anger Management, Patresa A. Hartman

Graduate Research Papers

This study presents a review of literature regarding adolescent anger management. Problematic anger is defined as externalizing or internalizing behaviors that occur frequently enough and at a high enough level of intensity to: (1) disrupt one's everyday functioning at school, home, and/or in the community; and (2) impair one's relationships with others and one's own self-concept. The causes can be traced to a myriad of possible sources: cognitive problems; developmental problems; chronic irritability, agitation, volatility, or mood instability; or environmental stressors.

This review of studies regarding adolescent anger management programs leads to the following suggestions for school psychologists: (1) understand …

Phonemic Awareness: Its Impact On Beginning Reading, Deb Metcalf

Graduate Research Papers

Phonemic awareness plays a part in the reading acquisition process. Studies have found that language tasks that measure phonemic awareness are significantly related to success in the early stages of reading. This study examined the effects of phonemic awareness in relationship to beginning reading. Guidelines, skill levels, and assessment tools for teachers were presented. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for future research in this area.

A School Psychologist's Role In Decreasing Eating Disorder Prevalence In School-Aged Children, Natalie Muth

Graduate Research Papers

Eating disorders have dramatically increased over the last 20 years, resulting in prevalence rates exceeding other high-incidence medical conditions treated in the educational setting. Chapter 2 presents a review of literature covering eating disorder identification, history, prevalence and epidemiological data. Theoretical perspectives, risk and protective factors, symptoms, and medical complications are also reviewed. Current assessment measures used for screening and diagnosing anorexia and bulimia is additionally presented along with a summary of school-based primary prevention programs. The second chapter concludes with a brief overview of eating disorder treatment.

A summary is presented in chapter 3 along with implications for school …

Teaching Nctm Standards Through Subject Areas In The Kindergarten Classroom, Elizabeth Tata O'Neil

Graduate Research Papers

Teachers are being expected to provide a full range of experiences for their students. But in reality, many early childhood programs have reading readiness and literacy as the only focus. In many situations, mathematics instruction is an afterthought. Many students are not given quality instruction because little time in the school day is left, once language arts instruction is completed. This is even more true for students in half-day programs.

One way to alleviate this disparity is to incorporate math instruction within other subject areas. This can be achieved if teachers are educated in the National Council of Teachers of …

Promoting Word Recognition Through Parent Workshops, Michelle Lynn Reicks

Graduate Research Papers

Awareness about the powerful influence of the family on children's literacy development has gained national prominence in recent years. Improved consistency between home and school can be reached by teaching the parent about literacy learning in order to reach the child. However, parent involvement can be difficult, especially when their children are considered to be at-risk of having reading delays. To encourage parent involvement through parent workshops can improve literacy development at home, based on the assumption that improving the literacy skills of parents results in better educational experiences for their children.

Ywca Family Literacy Program, Adam Severson

Graduate Research Papers

According to the federal government (2002), family literacy programs are defined as services provided to participants on a voluntary basis. The programs should be of sufficient energy in terms of hours and duration. Such programs should make lasting changes in a family that include the following activities: (a) interactive literacy activities between parents and children, (b) training for parents regarding how to teach their children and be a partner in education, (c) parent literacy training that leads to economic independence, and (d) an age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences.

The Family Literacy Program at …