Education Commons^™

Gifted Underachievers : A Review Of The Past And Present With Implications For The Future, Angela R. Fry

Graduate Research Papers

The academic underachievement of gifted students has perplexed educators, parents, and researchers for over half a century. With such a controversial background, gifted underachievers have become a topic of increased interest in the last few decades. A large body of quantitative research has attempted to fill this void. Numerous personality and environmental factors such as lack of effort, learning styles, family dynamics, and peer relationships have been linked to underachievement.

A plethora of inadequate and unsuccessful interventions have been implemented, researched, and scrutinized. With such an increased awareness, why do potentially gifted students continue to fail and what can we …

Administrator Leadership Of Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, David W. Griffin

Graduate Research Papers

The multiple tasks of principals are a dynamic undertaking of responsibilities and expectations. It is crucial we increase the value of today's society and acquire resources needed to nourish our youth and provide them with the tools needed to become successful in the future. The principal plays a key role in identifying what is needed in order to make his or her building most effective.

In a day when so much energy seems to be spent on maintenance and manuals, to be a leader means having the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around you. …

Marketing Strategies For Career Services, Jessie Heideman

Graduate Research Papers

There are many marketing strategies career centers can use. Faculty, staff, alumni, and parents are extremely important targets to which services can be marketed. If career centers gain their support, they can promote the career center to students as well. Creating a marketing plan and a brand identity is another part of the process to market students to the career center. Once the career center achieves this step, the next step is looking at certain marketing ideas that may fit their specific college goals. The use of technology is another crucial strategy that can help attract students to career centers. …

School Age Bullying : The Victim's Point Of View, Jacquelyn L. Miller

Graduate Research Papers

Bullying is a common problem in schools across the world including in the United States. This paper focuses on the problem of bullying from the victim's point of view. Bullying can be defined in a variety of different ways and occurs in a variety of different situations. Victims of bullies suffer from a wide variety of academic, social, behavioral, and emotional problems. A comprehensive approach that includes school counselors, teachers, administrators, and parents is needed to combat bullying within the school. Bully prevention and intervention programs can help victims more effectively if they change their orientation from focusing on the …

Maintaining Developmentally Appropriate Practice In An Increasingly Academic Kindergarten, Amy Phillips

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper was to conduct a review of research to determine whether a developmental or an academic curriculum is most appropriate for kindergarten classrooms. The research outlined the benefits of developmentally appropriate practice, including increased academic performance and better social skills. The research also showed the detriments of developmentally inappropriate practice, including increased stress levels, a stifling of enthusiasm for learning and less advanced academic and social skills.

However, in spite of the research, many early childhood professionals are not fully implementing developmentally appropriate practice. Three main obstacles to full implementation were the following: (a) increased accountability …

When And How Should Keyboarding Be Taught In The Elementary School?, Shannon Fleming

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review addresses the topic of when and how keyboarding should be taught in the elementary school. It is apparent that keyboarding needs to be taught in the elementary school, but when and how formal keyboarding instruction should be taught is still in question. The review of the literature indicates that there is no concrete answer as to when keyboarding should be taught in elementary school. Most of the research says that instruction should begin one year prior to student use of the computer. As to how to effectively teach keyboarding, it seems that it is a conglomerate of …

Effectively Treating Conduct Disorder Through Therapy, Angie Wittstock

Graduate Research Papers

This research paper examined four types of treatment. Functional Family Therapy, Multisystemic, Parent Management Training and Problem-Solving Skill Training, for youth with Conduct Disorder. It looked at the core of how each treatment was facilitated along with some of the strengths and weakness of the different therapies. This paper also explored the cost-effectiveness rate for the different therapies. It suggested that less severe cases might benefit from some fom1 of Parent Management Training or Functional Family Therapy. Cases that are more difficult may require Multisystemic Therapy (Brosnan & Carr, 2000). Problem-Solving Skills Training should be used with Parent Management Training …

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.

School-Based Bully Prevention And Violence, Catherine T. Mclallen

Graduate Research Papers

This paper reviews the literature available on several bully prevention/violence awareness programs. Also discussed is the significance of prevention programs and the roles they can play in today's school systems. It includes a definition of bullying behavior and describes the several types of bullying prevalent in schools today that most programs attempt to address. Additionally, it includes a brief history of bully prevention programs, with a look at the zero tolerance movement, an initiative that has not been overly successful in the past with regards to aggression in schools.

The paper also explores the effects of bullying on the victim …

Developing A Quality Parent Program For Dunkerton Preschool, Jolene Denner

Graduate Research Papers

This study addressed the topic of developing a quality parent program for the Dunkerton (Iowa) Preschool. A literature research study focused on benefits of a parent program and the problems associated with implementing parent education, involvement, and support. Guidelines and resources for planning and developing a successful program were outlined. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for pertinent guidelines for the Dunkerton Preschool.

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.

Positive And Negative Effects Of Television Viewing In Early Childhood, Rachel R. Morris

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the positive and negative effects of television viewing. in early childhood. Benefits, as well as problems,associated with television viewing were discussed. Guidelines to assist parents for using media in positive ways that.match a child's developmental levels and needs were presented. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations made to complement the developmental level of the young child.

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.

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).

The Use Of Electronic Technologies In The Cedar Rapids Community Schools' Physical Education Programs, Nicholaus J. Daniel

Graduate Research Papers

How often is electronic technology used in physical education programs? How much electronic technology is available to physical education programs? Does electronic technology and physical education go together? When most people think of electronic technology, they do not think about physical education. Most people tend to think that technology is anything related to a desktop or laptop computer, something you sit down at and work on, not something that involves being physical.

From the researcher's experience in the Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD), there is some pressure for all subject areas to implement and integrate electronic technologies into the …

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 …

Vocabulary : A Building Block In Reading, Lisa L. Capper

Graduate Research Papers

From all of my reading and research, I learned that vocabulary is an essential part of teaching. In all of the curriculum areas, knowledge of vocabulary is important. With word understanding, comprehension grows and so does the student's knowledge.

Vocabulary development activities not only include many opportunities for students to be actively involved with reading a variety of books, but, through vocabulary instruction, the teacher directly teaches important words and strategies to help students understand what they are reading. Through the use of a variety of strategies I observed how different strategies can help students learn and grow in their …

Classroom Success Using Online Distance Education : Methods For Maximizing The Effectiveness Of Online Distance Education, Deborah Rae Crane

Graduate Research Papers

This review of literature was conducted to explore classroom success using online distance education and proven methods of maximizing the effectiveness of online distance education.

The components of successful online distance education programs are reviewed and brought together in a paper that suggests that online education developed with careful planning will continue to grow and become a standard component of many programs. The challenges that online instruction faces as it continues to develop are also included.

The future of online education is dependent on the quality that is built into courses. Technologies continue to evolve and present opportunities and challenges …

Meeting The Needs Of Gifted Primary Readers, Lori K. Deboer

Graduate Research Papers

Today's classrooms consist of students with a diverse range of social, emotional, and academic abilities. There are young children who enter school already knowing how to read or who learn quickly after they begin their education. Current literature seems to indicate that primary reading curricula in schools are not meeting these students' needs. This project was developed as one method to meet the needs of gifted primary readers.

The project consists of 10 books that were selected to challenge and address the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of gifted primary readers. For each book a series of discussion questions and …

Employee Assistance Programs And Mental Health Counselors, Paul H. Wehrman

Graduate Research Papers

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are services to help employees, and often their dependents, in finding assistance for substance abuse, mental, emotional, family, health, legal, or other personal problems (Balzer & Pargament, 1987; Masi, 1997; Spicer, 1987). For counselors who may not be familiar with EAPs, a brief history is presented. There are four models of EAPs and these are described along with the advantages and disadvantages of each model. Details of how to start an EAP are given coupled with facts about which population may utilize the EAP services. A report on the training, responsibilities, and tasks of EAP counselors …

School Readiness: Characteristics, Viewpoints, And Guidelines For Developing An Effective Kindergarten Program, Vicki A. Zweibohmer

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the recent literature on the subject of school readiness. Positive viewpoints, as well as negative viewpoints, associated with school readiness were discussed. Guidelines were presented for developing an effective kindergarten program with regard to school readiness. Also, conclusions were drawn from the current literature and recommendations were made for future kindergarten programs

Fat Is Not A Four-Letter Word : Examining The Factors That Contribute To Eating Disorders In Adolescent Females And The Role Of School Counselors In Prevention And Treatment, Megan B. Tressel

Graduate Research Papers

An eating disorder is an obsession with food, weight, and body image that can lead to both physical and emotional problems (Mickley, 2001). The rate of eating disorders among girls between the ages of 9-13 is steadily rising (Herzog & Delinsky, 2001). It is estimated that approximately eight million girls and women in America have symptoms of some type of eating disorder, and this is a conservative number because many girls go undiagnosed (Meehan, 1990). Recently Schur, Sanders, and Steiner (2000) showed that 41 % of girls ages 9-10 desired a thinner body shape, which indicates that children are developing …

Factors That Contribute To Increases In Human Performance And Employee Morale, Chandra Washington

Graduate Research Papers

This research paper focuses on training and other factors that increase employee morale and performance. In regards to training, this researcher focuses on its benefits and its place within the corporate organization, while offering suggestive methods such as motivation, employee recognition and succession planning, for increases in employee performance. The purpose of this paper is to show how organizations do not have to increase overhead in order to reach their goals with every employee. Employees do not always need to sit in a training class to correct a problem that can be resolved by motivating the employees, recognizing and rewarding …

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 …

Performance Improvement Or Training : What Is The Difference?, Travis Kramer

Graduate Research Papers

The issue of training or performance improvement in the corporate workplace is of vital importance to trainers, instructional designers, and human resource development specialists. Recent research indicates a need to reach beyond training to performance improvement.

This review provides insight into how training was conducted in the past, focusing on training that was specific to the task, compared to how training is conducted today. Today's organizations focus on improving the performance of the organization's employees. The use of knowledge management systems has emerged in initiatives that seek to improve an organizations performance.

In the future, it is recommended that training …

An Overview Of Bibliotherapy As An Intervention For Young Children, Lisa Ludwig

Graduate Research Papers

Young children can benefit from therapy to deal with disabilities, abuse, normal developmental issues such as famiily problems, and social-emotional issues. One approach to helping children manage psychological issues is bibliotherapy. In its simplest form, bibliotherapy can be described as the practice of using books in treatment, or helping with books (Pardeck & Pardeck, 1993; Pardeck & Pardeck, 1987). The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on bibliotherapy and to examine its possible applications, its effectiveness, and best practices in carrying out the intervention.

Effective Bilingual Practices For Early Childhood Reading And Language Arts :/ A Professional Development Seminar And Model Thematic Unit For English-Spanish Bilingual Educators, Priscila Palomino De Piper

Graduate Research Papers

This project provides a workshop framework for the implementation of effective bilingual practices in early childhood reading and language arts. It is designed as a series of workshops for English-Spanish bilingual educators, with the purpose of providing ideas and strategies to support the development of reading and language arts programs in both languages. It is important to point out that the success of a language program relies not only on excellent research, but also on the support of parents, teachers, administrators and the whole community. It is important to believe that no language is superior to any other, that the …

Implementing Student-Led Conferences, Allyson Forney

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of conducting student-led conferences. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with conducting student-led conferences were discussed. Guidelines were presented for teachers to conduct effective student-led conferences. Conclusions were drawn from the literature, and recommendations were made for the future implementation of student-led conferences.

School Climate : A Review Of Literature, Sarah Galloway

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature and research on school climate to determine how school climate affects achievement, social, emotional and behavioral development, school safety, and school attendance and completion. Reviewing these outcomes for students leads the author to address principles for school climate measurement and improvement, as presented in the school climate literature. The measurement and improvement programs are reviewed in the context of school psychologists contributing to climate interventions.