Education Commons^™

Supporting An Ecosystem Of Learning: Outdoor Ece Lesson Plans, Nicole K. Ryden

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

While participating in an internship at Lichen Early Learning, lesson plans were created to uplift understanding of different relationships to land, consent, gender identity, race, and activism. It is essential for educators to create lesson plans that equip preschoolers for navigating the world they are a part of and disrupt systemic harm. Creating and applying lesson plans can serve as a way to start this kind of work.

Jay Treaty And Indigenous Student Mobility Across The Canada-U.S. Border: A Focus On The Cascadia Region, Michael O'Shea

Border Policy Research Institute Publications

This Border Brief describes the latest developments in the use of the Jay Treaty for international tuition waivers at U.S. and Canadian higher education institutions. It is based on research conducted through surveys, interviews, and the author’s previous publications to illustrate opportunities for universities and policy makers to support Indigenous student mobility across the Canada-U.S. border by recognizing the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous Nations.

Fierce Female Friendships: An Artistic Representation And Exploration Of The Benefits Of Gender-Based Inclusivity And Community In Stem, Maya Bachmeier-Evans

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Incorporating visual art, social research, women’s studies, and artificial intelligence, Fierce Female Friendships investigates the ramifications of gendered experience on the learning environment. By reflecting upon her work in a male-dominated discipline, the author transforms her sense of classroom isolation into two paintings that highlight the subtle yet significant differences that separate inclusivity from alienation. In addition to her personalized reflections, the author also creates a fourteen-question survey which invites her peers to consider gender in academia, to assess their experiences on a university campus, and to imagine how they might depict those experiences using visual art. Positing the idea …

Time As A Line: Helping Children Make Abstract Ideas Concrete, Rachel Mae Stenner

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This is a math education project that included research, a lesson plan, and actual in the classroom work with students. Under the advisement of Dr. Rebecca Borowski, I looked into how time, an abstract idea, is taught to young children who are just starting to learn what measurement is, and examined how teachers can better teach time as a more concrete topic. This focused on the idea of turning the abstract time concepts that are thrown at children into the more abstract ideas of both circular and then linear number lines, using physical materials to help guide the process.

Verb Strings And Other Weavings: An Exploration Of Grammatical Structures, Visual Arts, And Language Teaching, Mae Bash

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

In language education, visual arts are sometimes used as a tool to inspire communication and convey cultural concepts. However, limited research has looked into the application of visual arts in the classroom for the exploration of linguistic patterns. Both languages and weavings are complex systems governed by distinct sets of rules, yet they still permit infinite unique productions. This project explores this relationship by presenting five bandweavings, each of which is designed based on the rules and structures of different languages. These weavings show that it is possible to connect art and language through practical, structural methods, not only abstract …

Honoring The Gift: An Epistolary Exploration Of An Alternative Approach To Learning Grounded In Reciprocity And Gratitude, Tegan Keyes

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

In this project, I explore what it means to honor knowledge as a gift. This document includes a selection of letters I wrote to my teachers to express my gratitude to them, along with a written narrative in which I describe my vision of an alternative approach to undergraduate education that centers gratitude, reciprocity, and self-determination. This narrative weaves together lessons from emergence theory, Indigenous systems of education, and gift economies to tell a story of a life-sustaining education system that is grounded in the understanding that knowledge is a gift.

“Emotions And The Ocean”: Integrating Social-Emotional Learning Into A Fifth-Grade Science Curriculum, Madison Rossen

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This paper provides a lesson plan for integrating Social Emotional Learning into a fifth-grade science lesson as well as an overview of the benefits of Social Emotional Learning. Social Emotional Learning, known as SEL, has recently been implemented in classrooms across the United States and research has shown that SEL improves behavior and academic performance. Integrating SEL into science curriculums is a new idea without much research done on it but from personal experience in science class and science labs, many of the SEL standards line up with skills necessary to work in the scientific fields. Embedded in the paper …

Racial Diversity And Retention Rates Of Psychology Faculty In Washington State Public Universities, Chiyo Aoki-Kramer

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Racial diversity is extremely important in higher education; not only for the students but for the faculty, as well. Diversity within education is important because it can show students of color examples of people who look like them succeeding in higher education as well as giving White students a broader education of being taught by people who have different backgrounds than themselves. Along with diversity, it is important to know that Universities are also supporting their faculty so that their Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) faculty retention rates are as high as the White faculty. This paper reviews …

The Three R'S Of Exercise: Review, Reframe, Recommend, Liam Arenas-Field

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Physical inactivity presents itself as a public health crisis worldwide, with significant risks to all populations. Two causes we identified are environmental factors and a lack of education. By providing a brief overview of bioenergetics and exercise prescription to the inexperienced, we can help educate and enable people to improve their activity level. Publicly available exercise guidelines often present themselves as very broad and nonspecific. Through further exploration, it becomes apparent that the concepts within more detailed exercise guidelines can be hard to interpret by those inexperienced in kinesiology. A key theme of exercise enjoyment leading to exercise adherence promotes …

Teaching For Social Justice In A Highly Politicized Historical Moment, Lorraine Kasprisin

Journal of Educational Controversy

The theme for the Volume 15 issue of the Journal of Educational Controversy, “Teaching for Social Justice in a Highly Politicized Historical Moment,“ is a continuation of a conversation that began in two earlier issues. In Volume 12, we explored the larger institutional structures that maintain inequalities and racism with the theme, “Black Lives Matter and the Education Industrial Complex.” That was followed with an inquiry in Volume 14 on the role that the past plays in wrongs in the present and the issues it raises in our attempts at seeking reconciliation in “The Ethics of Memory: What Does it …

The Policy Governance Leadership Model: A Qualitative Historical Narrative Study About Bellingham School District’S Implementation Of Policy Governance And The Impact On Student Success, Byron Gerard

WWU Graduate School Collection

Policy Governance is a leadership model developed in the 1970s by Dr. John Carver. It has been adopted by the boards and CEOs of numerous business organizations and is gaining popularity among public school superintendents and school boards. Policy Governance creates specific roles and responsibilities for the board and the superintendent, allowing them to work together toward targeted outcomes referred to as Ends. The Bellingham School District adopted Policy Governance in 2010 and has experienced qualitative and quantitative success using this governance structure. This study will provide literature research coupled with the experiences and testimonies of the current and past …

The Power Of Place-Based/Outdoor Education In A Rural District: Effective Leadership To Increase Learning, Engagement, And Belonging Through Place-Based Education, Mary Sewright

WWU Graduate School Collection

The research for this qualitative bounded case study on place-based/outdoor education in Mount Baker School District focused on fourth through sixth grades. The research was done mainly through interviews collecting the voices of 37 students including 16 fourth graders, 11 fifth graders, and 10 sixth graders. Twenty of those students were boys and 17 were girls. A total of nine District staff were interviewed including seven teachers and two administrators. Leaders at each of our Community-Based Organizations from Common Threads Farm, Wild Whatcom, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Camp Saturna, North Cascades Institute, and Whatcom Environmental Education Coalition making up our …

Educating Adolescent Ukrainian War Refugees: Current Practices And Recommendations To Address Complex Learning Needs, Eric Cahan

WWU Graduate School Collection

This research is important due to the thousands of Ukrainian war refugees seeking their education in the U.S. with limited English language proficiency and having likely experienced some ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) leading many to have some levels of trauma. This reality has resulted in MLL (Multi-Language Learner) educators needing support to identify effective classroom approaches. This qualitative research took a phenomenological approach utilizing constant comparison methods and triangulation to code the data and come to conclusions and recommendations. The results of the data show a need for a trauma screener for Ukrainian war refugee students, as well as a …

Equitable Access To The Career And Technical Education Graduation Pathway For Students Receiving Special Education Services, Mike Snow

WWU Graduate School Collection

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the access of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) graduation pathway for students who receive special education services in a selected school district. Analyzing the course taking of three cohorts of high school students, who had individualized education plans, involved a deep dive into each one of their transcripts. This type of analysis enabled me to compare and contrast the course taking between students served in special education who lost an elective opportunity to receive additional IEP services to those who did not. Did the students who lost an elective …

The Impact Of Mentorship On Attracting And Sustaining Female Superintendents In The State Of Washington, Michelle Kuss-Cybula

WWU Graduate School Collection

Female superintendents continue to make up a small fraction of public-school superintendents in this country. This study focused on gathering stories of current female superintendents in the state of Washington, all of whom are within their first three years of their superintendency to determine the extent to which mentoring had an impact on their career path leading into the superintendency role and the impact of mentoring in sustaining their role as a seated superintendent.

This qualitative study focused on five essential questions:

• What kinds of mentoring do female school superintendents experience on their pathway to becoming chief executive of a …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Two School Districts’ Onboarding And Retention Mentorship Programs For New Teachers During The Covid‐19 Pandemic, Angelina Quiles

WWU Graduate School Collection

Every year, districts welcome new teachers to a school community and prepare them for the new school year. Establishing and maintaining a strong school culture is an important and vital part of a teacher's job. Part of this preparation entails hiring, training, and retaining the best teachers to establish a framework for ensuring that new teachers hit the ground running from the first day of school (Howard, 2019). This qualitative research case study focused on the onboarding and retention mentorship program for new teachers in two school districts in Washington State. This case study focused on two districts’ onboarding and …

School And District Leader Perceptions Of The Root Causes Behind Male Underachievement In American Secondary Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study Of This Phenomenon, Patrick Hegarty

WWU Graduate School Collection

The Title IX legislation of 1972 asserts that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, ..” This, along with other movements and forces of the past half century, laid the foundation for our ongoing challenging, national dialogue about individuality, identity, opportunity, equality, and equity. This study advances that conversation based on the continuing evidence of male underachievement in our secondary schools.

The purpose of this study was to explore school …

Factors Affecting Indigenous Student Motivation In K-12 Public Schools In British Columbia, Duane Penner

WWU Graduate School Collection

Many Indigenous Tribes within Canada, such as the Sto: Lo and Matsqui First Nations in British Columbia, with whom I work alongside in the Abbotsford School District, have struggled since the time of first contact and colonization to preserve and defend their culture and values. It is through truth, reconciliation, and the hope of working together that we may find common ground moving forward within our society. This research study considered Indigenous peoples’ narratives through interview questions and stories. The research question was what are factors that motivate student success in K-12 public schools in British Columbia, Canada? A small …

Aahkóinnimaan Kii Makoyiisaaminaa: Indigenous Success In La Conner Public Schools, William Makoyiisaaminaa

WWU Graduate School Collection

In relationship with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community using an Indigenous research paradigm listening to stories and lived experiences resulted in narratives of Swinomish students attending La Conner Public Schools in La Conner, Washington. The purpose and research questions were generated through focus group interviews of Swinomish Indian Tribal Community elders, family members, parents, and educators. In other focus groups and individual interviews, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community elders, family members, parents, educators, and high school seniors, share their experiences at La Conner Public Schools. Their stories tell the reader the factors that contribute to successful experiences while sharing the barriers …

“Make The Big Time Where You Are” Applying The Coaching Principles Of Frosty Westering To Build A Culture Of Success, Steven Stoker

WWU Graduate School Collection

Building a culture that allows sustained success is the goal of any organization. While an organization may have a period of success, few have sustained success. In some cases, however, success is sustained. This is the case for the Pacific Lutheran University football team under the leadership of head coach Frosty Westering. As the head football coach, Frosty Westering won four national titles. He is also a member of the college football hall of fame. How did he continue to be successful over time? This study attempts to answer that question.

A qualitative, multiple case study research methodology with a …

The Impact Of Guiding Coalitions On The Overall Success Of Schools Properly Implementing And Sustaining Professional Learning Communities, John Lombardi

WWU Graduate School Collection

The role of the school administrator and teacher leadership has become increasingly embedded within education. Extensive research and literature suggests teacher leaders are critical in reforming schools. Strong professional learning communities (PLCs) recognize that teacher leadership development must be a purposeful and formal component of their culture. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand the impact of having or not having a guiding coalition (GC) on the overall success of schools properly implementing and sustaining PLCs.

This study explored the perceptions of secondary school administrators throughout Washington State on the five dimensions of PLCs as delineated by the …

Single Sex Education In A Gender Fluid World, Stella Sisson

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Intersectionality always seems to be a never-ending crux that people are working on becoming more aware of. Even more difficult, gender fluidity at a single sex institution—how do we tackle that intersection? This is the point of my project. As someone who is about to enter the professional field as an outdoor educator, I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can make accessibility easier for my students. These days, gender fluidity in environments that were originally intended for one gender seems like it would have roadblock after roadblock. However, the working professionals at Seattle Girls’ School work …

Lesson Planning In 5th Grade Visual Arts: Teaching Art Lessons Aligned With Washington State Visual Arts Standards To Fifth Grade Students In An Art Specialist Classroom, Hanna Johnson

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

With the growing push for increased time spent on STEM in classrooms, visual arts often fall to the wayside. Even rarer is the opportunity to practice teaching visual art lessons in a dedicated elementary art classroom. This project describes the process of developing art curriculum for fifth grade students, based on course work in ART 380 Educating the Child and using Washington State Visual Arts standards and corresponding assessment. Over the course of six weeks, with one 45-minute lesson per week, students produced a series of images illustrating an important event, person, or place in their life. By producing these …

Digital Citizenship For Elementary Students, Sherry L. Drader

Educational Leadership Student

This study aimed to identify the need for digital citizenship teaching in the elementary school setting. It aimed to address the question, how can teachers effectively teach and implement digital citizenship in a Kindergarten to grade 4 elementary school? A small purposive focus group determined an obvious need for educators to have clear direction and guidance in the area of digital citizenship at the elementary school. This group of educators emphasized that digital citizenship is extremely important as the world increasingly offers online options for many services, including education. Furthermore, it is imperative for schools to partner with families in …

Klipsun Magazine, 2022, Volume 52 Issue 03 - Spring, Tyler Brown

Klipsun Magazine

Dear Reader,

When I was given the news that I would be the future editor-in-chief for Klipsun, I knew immediately the theme I wanted for the spring edition.

Passion; (Noun)

1. a strong and barely controllable emotion.

2. an intense desire or enthusiasm for something.

Passion lies within all of us, waiting like a starving beast ready to pounce. Unexpected, unbidden and sometimes unwanted. It stirs, waiting to open its jaws and howl. It guides us. Passion rules us all, and we obey.

If we could live without passion, maybe we’d know some kind of peace. But we would be …

Trouble Sitting Still Disorder: Adhd Through The Social Model Of Disability, Rey Kistler

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by issues with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. The medical model of disability sees ADHD as something to be fixed within an individual. The social model, in contrast, looks at how the organization of society negatively impacts those with ADHD. The diagnostic criteria in the DSM-V does not fully reflect the lived experiences of those with ADHD which leads to adults not getting diagnosed. Undiagnosed ADHD can cause anxiety and depression which, in turn, can mask ADHD—making it harder to accurately diagnose. Additionally, symptoms are misunderstood by society which leads to …

Honors Peer Mentorship: A Guide To Sustaining Community In The Institution, Silvia Leija Rosas

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Honors Peer Mentors are trained to be welcoming and reliable sources of community for incoming students of color in the Honors College; offer constructive opportunities and solutions for perceived problems; and listen to, support, and encourages the mentee. There are also benefits in being a peer mentor. A primary goal of the Honors Peer Mentor Team is to increase support for incoming Honors students from underrepresented backgrounds and facilitate connections with cross-campus partners, including the Ethnic Student Center, Student Advocacy and Identity Resource Center, LGBTQ+, Disability Outreach Center, mental health resources, Academic Advising, Career Services, etc This paper is both …

Aramark And The Prison Industrial Complex, Katie Jayne Hengqin Scoles

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This paper examines how Western Washington University is directly tied to the unethical practices of the Prison Industrial Complex through their dining services contract with Aramark. The Prison System exploits marginalized communities, specifically Black communities and lower class Americans, rendering them second class citizens in order to create profit for the companies involved.

Can Women Science?: A Climate Survey To Address Gender Inequity In Wwu’S Geology And Physics/Astronomy Departments, Raina Shaw

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This research study aims to assess and analyze gendered differences in student perceptions of the environment and climate in WWU’s Geology and Physics & Astronomy Departments. Underlying hypotheses involve the perceptions, comfort, and discrimination of women and gender minorities in male-dominated spaces. We also theorize that these gendered differences will increase with seniority and more so within physics than in geology. In addition to testing these hypotheses, we sought to collect relevant student feedback on factors that influence their perceptions of the climate & environment, to identify areas for future study and formal program assessment. From 56 respondents, this study …

Honors Pathways And Curriculum Structure, Sebastian Doll

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

Exploring the different pathways and curricular requirements of Honors program and colleges, I found several important recommendations tailored at Western Washington University Honors (which could also be used in conversations about Honors at other institutions) aimed at making Honors accessible to transfer students and increasing both the number and success of transfer students. Based on the research conducted, I find that offering mentoring programs to transfers, establishing agreements with community colleges, and increasing flexibility for honors requirements would help increase the number of transfer students in Honors.