Education Commons^™

"Learning By Doing, By Wondering, By Figuring Things Out:" A New Look At Contemporary Homeschooling And Pedagogical Progressivism, Jacques Klapisch

History Honors Theses

Pedagogical progressive education, as defined through the work of John Dewey, Helen Parkhurst, and Carleton Washburne was the precursor to the contemporary homeschooling movement in ideology, practice, and rhetoric as defined by the writing and pedagogy of John Holt. Their shared beliefs in community, student freedom, and good experience as pertinent to education marked the relationship between these two pedagogical methods. Despite Holt's departure from the classroom through his unschooling method, the ideological consistencies between the movement are undeniable, suggesting we rethink the relationship between progressive education and homeschooling and our basic assumptions about the legacy of both movements.

Empathy, Social Intelligence And Critical Thinking: What Can Theatre Education Offer?, Jane Dewey

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

This study examines the relationship of theatre, education, and emotional and social intelligence. The applied research component explores what theatrical processes can offer the efforts to address the issues of bullying by developing skills (focusing on empathy) to help deal with that issue in a substantive way. In this study, I provide a selected review of literature with regards to: how theatre has historically addressed social issues, the current state of bullying with an emphasis on bullying in schools, and how theatre is currently addressing the issue of bullying in both school and theatrical settings. The role that emotional and …

Theater Study And The Power Of Possibility, Jill Rafferty-Weinisch

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

My experience as an Arts Educator, working with a particular group of at-risk students has led me to question the manner in which the Arts are primarily utilized in K-12 education. Specifically, their use as a delivery system for academic curriculum, while highly effective, may be at the expense of, and ultimately may limit, other far more significant benefits. In my experience as both a student and a teacher of theater, I have observed a correlation between certain habits of mind developed through theater work and modes of thinking, which are widely believed to support healthy adolescent development. This paper …

A Teacher Reflects On Seven Years In A Kansas City Alternative High School, Deborah Evaline Franks

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

With an informed eye to the psychological, sociological, and institutional aspects of immediate events, the writer explores her seven years teaching in a school for disadvantaged urban youth living in a mid-sized Midwestern U.S. city. This work melds intensely personal memoir with perspectives to be had from current research, thus situating the personal in a wider social context. With this articulation came deep dissatisfaction with premises and practices on which the high school was based, and ultimately the writer decided to leave for an entirely different environment. At the conclusion is an annotated bibliography, offering the reader tools to evaluate …

Differentiating Art Curriculum For Students With Learning And Emotional Disabilities, Susan Ackerman

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

Participation in the visual arts should be a pleasurable, vital learning experience for students with special needs. Art teachers without formal training are challenged by differentiating curricula for these special education students due to current teacher certification requirements. Art teachers of special education students strive to provide the most creative atmosphere possible while struggling to balance the demands of behavior management these children require. To understand this dilemma, this paper begins with an exploration of disability's integration into our education system and the impact of federal legislation on society's desire to teach everyone equally. It presents theories of creativity that …

The Effects Of The Arts Curriculum On The At-Risk Student Population: An Examination Of Music And Drama With Regard To Specific Risk Factors, Christy D' Ambrosio

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

Development of musical and dramatic arts skills strengthens psychological wellness within the at-risk population. The ability of the arts curriculum to promote psychological wellness is documented repeatedly in the premier research surveyed by two overarching compendia, Champions of Change and Critical Links. It is postulated that music and drama, specifically, promote positive behavioral change by enhancing or altering neurological pathways. Twelve developmental issues are examined in two broad categories: concepts of self and socialization. Each developmental issue is analyzed according to the aforementioned premier research. Musical and dramatic therapeutic responses, reflecting the conclusions reached by numerous researchers, are suggested for …

Environmental Education And A Proposal For Its Implementation In Public Schools, Casey Putnam

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

Human impact on nature has led to global environmental destruction and degradation. Young people are not environmentally knowledgeable, and they are not receiving the type of instruction they need in order to be environmentally literate citizens. In order to repair some of the damage that has been done and to diminish future impact, environmental education must be thoroughly and thoughtfully incorporated into people's lives.

Environmental education has existed, in various forms, for nearly a century as, at best, a supplement to "real education." Rather than being a fringe subject, environmental education warrants attention in American education that is equal to …

The Benefits Of Supplementing The Eighth Grade American History Curriculum With Historical And Realistic Fiction Novels, Susan Shadle

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

As the textbook remains the driving force of instructional methodology in the secondary history curriculum, student enthusiasm and achievement in the discipline continue to decline. Textbooks, which fail to tell the complete story of the American experience, are not just shortchanging history, they are ill-suited to the developmental requirements of the adolescent learner. Through personal classroom experience, literature review, and a one-year site-based study, the evidence compiled in this study endorses the integration of social studies trade books, in particular historical and realistic fiction novels, as a prescription for diminishing, if not turning around, the discouraging trend in middle school …

Self-Esteem, Self-Determination And Behavior Outcomes: Applications For The Secondary School Context, Diane White Fish

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

Self-esteem and self-concept theories are associated with psychological and social well-being as well as specific behavioral outcomes such as academic performance. The theories represent two ideas that are part of a multitude of empirical work stemming from "self-theories" in general. Furthermore, self-esteem and self-concept elements relate in myriad ways to the literature of motivation theory, particularly self-determination theory and perceived control. This paper will begin by examining the literature of self-esteem and self-concept in order to define the constructs and examine their relationships to age and sex differences. Then, a summary of self-determination theory will be necessary in order to …

The Whole Child: The Importance Of Considering All Aspects Of A Young Child, Kristin L. Houle

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

This paper synthesizes information from several researchers and well-known educators, philosophers, and theorists in the field of early childhood education. I intend to show that all sides of a child's life, including social, emotional familial, cultural, and cognitive capabilities be taken into consideration before making any decisions regarding the education or welfare of that child. Educational and intervention strategies are discussed, and examples of developmentally appropriate practice are given. The paper ends with a guide for teachers of children ages 3-5 to use when planning a program designed to benefit the whole child.