Education Commons^™

Phrasing In Fluent Reading: Process And Product, Connie Briggs, Salli Forbes

Curriculum & Instruction Faculty Publications

Recent national studies (National Reading Panel, 2000; Partnership for Reading, 2001; Snow, 1998) include fluency as one of the critical components of reading development. Although these sources agree that fluency is important, their definitions describe fluency as a product of reading. They do not address the contribution of fluency to developing reading proficiency. It is only when we look at reading as a complex process that we begin to understand the role that phrased and fluent reading plays in building an effective system (Briggs & Forbes, 2001).

Designing A Web Page To Facilitate Communication, Lori B. Lee

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this action research project was to build a teacher-controlled web page that would facilitate communication between home, community, and school. The web site contained information about administration, athletics (including schedules), honor roll and awards, faculty and staff information, advisor/advisee programs, academic information with assignments, special events, and students of the week.

Twenty-three seventh grade parents volunteered to respond to surveys about their communication with the staff at the Nashua-Plainfield Middle School and the implementation of the middle school web site.

The response by the parents indicated that they liked the monthly news, information on assignments, and athletic …

Technology Staff Development, Paul A. Rabara

Graduate Research Papers

Traditional staff development does not suffice for emerging technologies and evolving pedagogy for teacher use of technology in instruction. Societal changes have produced new needs. Change causes a need to systematically look at progress and the attributes associated with the diffusion of innovations (Rogers, 1995). Roswell (1997) is only one of several schools who have dedicated considerable resources to developing a technology staff development plan with results in higher percentages of teachers using technology in the classroom. Technology staff development should have characteristics in models that coincide with the attributes of diffusion. Technology staff development can bridge the use and …

Dvd Technology For Educational Purposes, Donald J. Devore

Graduate Research Papers

This review of literature is about the technology of the Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). Provided is a brief overview of information in the area of DVD technology world, the evolution of DVD technology, areas that have enhanced educational advancement, and directions to be explored.

Corporate Universities : What Companies Should Know, Megan Riley

Graduate Research Papers

This paper reviews the research conducted about corporate universities. Our society lives in constant change, in regards to roles, skills, careers, and technology. Continual staff development seems to be requiring technology, as corporate universities are becoming more evident throughout the business world. Corporate universities differ from traditional training programs by providing employees with cutting edge information, in order to keep the company competitive. The research cited in this paper addresses the need to constantly update and transform their training programs, so that employees maintain and enhance their role as a productive and lifelong learner.

What Parents And Teachers Want To Know About Schools And How Schools Can Advertise This Information Using Technology, Denise H. Krefting

Graduate Research Papers

Finding good teachers is becoming very competitive in our nation as a large number of teachers will be retiring and fewer people are entering the profession. Parents are now shopping for the school that they want their children to attend and then finding the home in that district. The possibility of school vouchers is encouraging this. Schools need to be able to advertise information to potential employees and parents of their school district.

The Waukee School district in Waukee, Iowa works to create an informational CD made available to parents and employees is used as an example of what information …

Parents In Education (Pie), Kathy L. Becker

Graduate Research Papers

"I want to be part of my child's life, all parts of it. I want to help decide things at school, not just be there to help with work that is sent home, but really involved in the school and the decisions about the education my child gets." (D. Schnuelle, personal communication, April 2000) This is the voice of just one parent, but these sentiments and concerns echo many parents. School involvement and making decisions with the administration and faculty is an important part of a parent's responsibility to the school and the children. How do we, as educators, allow …

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 …

The Role Of Invented Spelling In Early Literacy, Nancy Carper

Graduate Research Papers

An awareness and understanding of invented spelling in early literacy were presented in this research paper. The developmental stages and guidelines associated with invented spelling were discussed. Advantages and problems of invented spelling were examined. Conclusions were drawn from the literature review and recommendations were stated for future research concerning invented spelling.

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 …

Teaching Literacy In Kindergarten, Dawnette Diane Leslie

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined ways of teaching literacy in the kindergarten. Benefits and problems associated with teaching reading in kindergarten were discussed. Guidelines were presented for teachers implementing literacy instruction in kindergartens. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for teaching reading to kindergarten students.

Removing Dust Bunnies And Expensive Paperweights From The Classroom : Effective Staff Development In Educational Technology, Margaret F. Krzywicki

Graduate Research Papers

With major funding directed toward putting technology in the classroom and training students to be tomorrow's workers, there needs to be an effective technology staff development program in place for the teachers. Developers of staff development programs need to include the learning style of adult learners (andragogy), instead of pedagogy. Successful staff development for the teachers must include innovation, release time, and quality equipment. The learning styles of adult learners should be foremost in the development of courses and workshops. Staff development is more than just the technical side of the technology. It should provide teachers with the tools to …

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.

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 …

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 …

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.

Using Authentic Learning To Teach Basic Technology Skills, Steven Burken

Graduate Research Papers

During the past decade, most school districts have been required to write technology plans that have included the goal that students will become technologically literate. Teachers and administrators have been challenged to teach technology skills that will help student solve problems in the work place. What has been commonplace is for schools to offer courses or units in which students acquire skills without applying them to real world problems. This paper takes a look at the literature and research surrounding the use of technology, and the learning of technology skills, in the framework of authentic learning.

Creating A User Friendly Website For The Boys & Girls Clubs Of Black Hawk County, Kimberly M. Carter

Graduate Research Papers

Website design can be overwhelming for many viewers. Many times viewers discontinue using sites, because it.is not easy to navigate through the site. In creating the website for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Black Hawk County, user-friendliness was the focal point of the project. The Chief Professional Officer along with the staff at the Boys & Girls Clubs assisted with the development of a website by providing information that was to be included on the site. To ensure a professional look the designer relied on the four basic principles of design: contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. The design simplicity …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Team-Teaching Involving General And Special Education Teachers In Early Childhood Programs, Lesley Janelle Ehlers

Graduate Research Papers

This paper examined the effects of team teaching in early childhood programs. Variations of team teaching were described. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with team teaching were also discussed. Guidelines were presented for educators concerning the successful implementation of team teaching. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for educators interested in team teaching.

The Constructivist-Based Approach : The Better Choice For Learning, Consuella Eugene

Graduate Research Papers

With the integration of technology in the classroom, the constructivist-based approach encourages students to utilize their minds in a scholastic and a creative manner. Students are encouraged to learn via creativity, experience, experimentation, and teamwork. Teachers are able to organize information around conceptual clusters of problems and questions as opposed to learning facts in isolation. This approach is based upon the idea that students construct their own knowledge, rather than reproducing someone else's knowledge.

The advantages of the constructivist-based approach will be clearly noted and described by this researcher exploring the learning environments for students, students learning, student involvement, evaluation …

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.

Establishing Literature Circles In One Middle School Teacher's Classroom, Kristin M. Englert Gehrke

Graduate Research Papers

Literature circles are a popular method of reading instruction in middle school classrooms. Literature circles are when small groups of students choose one book to read and then meet to discuss it. Students are taught how to discuss a book and use response journals. Implementing literature circles into a reading curriculum requires a great deal of planning. A teacher must make decisions about structure, themes, response journals, discussion groups, assessment and final projects.

Literature circles are an evolving teaching method and will not always work the same way each time they are used. I found literature circles to be a …

Specific Problem Solution And Distant Learning, David L. Kastler

Graduate Research Papers

This document is an overview of a project to identify the cause of a coolant overheating complaint on a diesel engine that powers a mechanical lift machine, implement a short-term solution and place into action a long-term solution. The short-term correction was to make necessary repairs in the field, long-term solution includes distant training of the mechanical lift machine assembly line and training on the proper assembly procedure of assembling the alternator pulley to the alternator shaft.

The project utilized problem evaluation (Root Cause Analysis), implementing corrective action (short term and long term), and training through distant communication via Internet …

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 …

Aggression In The Classroom, Heid Reaman

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined how aggression in the classroom influenced the learning climate. Types of aggression and causal factors were discussed. Guidelines for teachers on the successful management of student aggression were presented. Also, conclusions were drawn from the literature, and recommendations were made to help teachers in the classroom by improving their skills concerning student aggression.

Guided Reading Staff Development Training Manual, Anita L. Reisner

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this project was to provide a training manual for the topic of guided reading within a balanced literacy program for an elementary school. A broader goal was to use collaboration and reflection when providing training in guided reading. The teachers at my school started asking me questions about guided reading: What is guided reading? How do you get started? How can it help all of my students? What does a guided reading lesson look like? I wanted to prepare a workshop that would give them the knowledge they need.

Best Teaching Practices In Reading Methods Courses, Stacey Ruff

Graduate Research Papers

Recently, I made an occupational change to instructing at the college level while still completing work on my Masters in Reading Education. My journey has led me to this research project, a search for the best practices in teaching reading methods courses.

The questions guiding my research were: 1) What do the Higher Education professors of reading methods courses in a mid-sized Midwestern city's three colleges think are the most effective teaching practices being utilized in their reading methods courses to prepare pre-service teachers to be successful teachers? 2) How do these methods compare to research on the most effective …

Raising Cultural Awareness In The Elementary Classroom Through African-American Children's Literature, Kirsten Seebeck

Graduate Research Papers

This research project topic was selected because of the need for raised cultural awareness in elementary classrooms, as indicated in current research findings. I chose African-American literature because in this region of the United States, Iowa in particular, the classrooms tend to be largely homogenous. Children who are from African-American descent find themselves to be in the minority in their classroom settings.

These children are not seeing many other children like themselves in their school community. It is therefore important that they see themselves in the literature shared within this community, in order to help them to relate to their …

The Production Of A School District Video For Promotional Purposes, Rodney R. Zehr

Graduate Research Papers

Video production for educational purposes is becoming more popular in American schools today because of the advancement of technology. With the development of digital cameras, digital video, and various forms of digital-editing software for the computer, American schools can now tap into a new and growing form of media that will continue to grow in popularity as technology continues to advance in the future. 1 The video project for the Mason City Community School District in Mason City, Iowa was initiated as a graduate project through the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. This project was started because …

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 …