Education Commons^™

To Read Or Not To Read: A Comprehensive Study Of Effective Reading And Methods Of Teaching Reading, Morgan Decker

Senior Honors Theses

The ability to read written language proficiently is an important skill in modern society; however, reading seems to be a lost art in many ways. In order to correct this problem, educators must determine the most effective method for teaching reading to elementary students. The most prominent methods include the whole language method, the phonetic method, and the balanced method. Research on the techniques, advantages, disadvantages, and case studies associated with each method indicates that the most effective method for teaching reading to elementary students is the balanced method.

Meeting The Literacy Needs Of Adult Learners Through A Community-University Partnership, Jill A. Jones

Faculty Publications and Presentations

What is the best approach to scaffolding graduate students to higher knowledge and a heightened awareness of their own pedagogy? This article addresses that key educational question by investigating and depicting one atypical scenario, a collaborative model between a university graduate Remedial Reading class and a local adult literacy coalition. The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomena of signifacnt learning gains that occurred for the graduate students. The co-researchers utilized hybrid discourse and grounded theory in order to gain a new perspective on a familiar situation, the learning process that occurs within a university classroom. The educational …

Using Children’S Literature To Teach Writing, Rachel Schwedt, Janice A. Delong

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Selected titles of children’s literature are shown that can enhance writing instruction. Titles shared cut across content areas and address the writing of letters, journals, non-fiction, poetry, and fables. The following information is given for each title: awards won, themes, writing ideas, and website addresses for further information. The target audience is grades 4-8.

A Presuppositional Critique Of Constructivism, Paul R. Rickert

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Educational theories have roots. They have roots in broader philosophies, conceptions of the nature of reality, and the theories utilized in classrooms to teach have implications for broader society. Specifically, this paper discusses the problems of constructivist theory in the classroom. The author takes a presuppostitional view and shows that all systems have most basic beliefs which are un-provable. So at the heart of any form of interpretive schema is faith in that schema. The author discusses ontological and epistemological options and how shifts in philosophy change the order of the most basic beliefs, but not the fact that they …

An Analysis Of Rx For Discovery Reading For Elementary Students Below Average In Reading, Susan Kay Stanley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Rx for Discovery Reading® is an intervention developed by the National Institute for Learning Development to impact the reading abilities of students below grade level in reading. The program was designed to address every area of reading acquisition, but, for this study, the areas of phonological processing, decoding, and fluency were investigated using pre- and post-test scores from the KTEA-II, GORT, and DIBELS. The problem studied was whether Rx for Discovery Reading® would raise the mean standard scores in the three areas at the conclusion of the field test. Using a small-group format, twenty-nine students who were not on grade …

Cognitive Retention Of Generation Y Students Through The Use Of Games And Simulations, Melanie A. Hicks

Faculty Dissertations

A new generation of students has begun to proliferate colleges and universities. Unlike previous generations, Generation Y students have been exposed to a variety of technological advancements, have different behaviors towards learning, and have been raised in a different environment. These differences may be causing conflict with traditional pedagogy in educational institutions, thereby creating, while it may be unintentional, an inability for Generation Y students to learn under the standard educational method of lecture presented to previous generations. The literature supports the position that additional teaching methods are needed in order to effectively educate Generation Y students (Prensky, 2001; Brozik …

Ilrc Student Worker Orientation, Marcy Pride

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This presentation was made at the 2007 ILRC Student Worker Orientation. Some 90 students , 10 library faculty and about 10 library staff members also had a part in the half day orientation.

Overcoming Challenges In Online Counseling Course Practica, L. Zoe Payne, Lucinda C. West, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, Anita Castellanos

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Masters and doctoral students enrolled in Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP] accredited programs must meet certain standards regardless of the environment in which they learn. In our case, we are doctoral students enrolled in an online counselor education and supervision (CES) program delivered through the Blackboard.comSM e-learning system. Members of our cohort live in various parts of the United States and beyond its borders. The standards by which our program seeks to offer quality education are the standards established by CACREP (2001).

CACREP (2001) standards address group counseling and practicums. Doctoral-level students must engage in …

Teacher Candidates In The Urban Environment, Kathie C. (Johnson) Morgan

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Teacher candidates are often reluctant to enter the urban environment, fearing poor discipline, safety issues, and culture mismatch. The Partners in Education Program thru the Lynchburg City Schools allows Liberty University Students to become involved with inner city students and experience the urban environment.

Viewing Skills & Methods Of Visually Representing, Kathie C. Morgan, Connie Mcdonald

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The International Reading Association and National Council Teachers of English have recognised the importance of teaching viewing and visual representing as a means of communication amd have included it in the Standards for the English Language Arts. This presentation offers methods to address and teach those modes of communication, arguably the most used of all language arts skills for today's student.

Christian School Administration: Exercising Biblical Competence: A Consecrated Heart And An Educated Mind, Julia Curruth Mcmillan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is minimal research conducted to assist Professional Educators with effective ministering and administration in Christian Schools. While secular academic training and experience provide the Administrator with great preparation, there are specific dynamics unique to the Christian school environment that warrant deliberate attention if the Administrator is to be effective. Observed from the perspective of a parent, having served faithfully as both teacher and the current Principal of the Bible-Based Fellowship Christian Academy; in its young life, this nine-year old school had experienced eight different administrators, most recently in January 2005. Inconsistency in leadership had stunted the growth of the …

Reducing Levels Of Elementary School Violence With Peer Mediation, Rita Cantrell Schellenberg, Agatha Parks-Savage, Mark Rehfuss

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The effectiveness of an existing peer mediation program in a diverse, suburban elementary school was examined. Peer mediation was available to all students (N = 825). Three-year longitudinal data showed significant reductions in the school's out-of-school suspensions after implementation of the peer mediation program. Mediation training also resulted in significant mediator knowledge gains pertaining to conflict, conflict resolution, and mediation, which was maintained at 3-month follow-up. All mediation sessions (N = 34) were successful in resolving conflict, and mediators as well as participants viewed the peer mediation program as valuable.

Viewing Skills & Methods Of Visually Representing, Kathie C. (Johnson) Morgan, Connie Mcdonald

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The International Reading Association and National Council Teachers of English have recognised the importance of teaching viewing and visual representing as a means of communication amd have included it in the Standards for the English Language Arts. This presentation offers methods to address and teach those modes of communication, arguably the most used of all language arts skills for today's student.

Developing Oral Reading Fluency: Effects Of Daily Use Of Word Walls And Daily Independent Silent Reading On Oral Reading Fluency Development Of Second Grade Students, Douglas F. Osborn

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The researcher measured the effectiveness of two popular supplemental reading instruction strategies, word walls and independent silent reading, in 6 second-grade classes over 12 weeks. The study involved the comparison of eight oral reading fluency growth measures (Rate, Accuracy, Fluency, Comprehension, Oral Reading Quotient--overall oral reading ability, Sight Word Efficiency, Phonemic Decoding Efficiency, and Total Word Reading Efficiency). The researcher used the individually administered Gray Oral Reading Tests (fourth edition) and the Test of Word Reading Efficiency in a pretest-intervention-posttest experimental design to obtain these measures. Although pretest and posttest comparisons of the standard scores and percentile ranks revealed no …

Brain-Based Learning Theory: An Online Course Design Model, Abreena Walker Tompkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The development of a theoretical brain-based online course design model with potential transferability across course management systems in higher education is the problem for this study. Qualitative inquiry was the emergent design and consisted of an extensive current, relevant literature review of educational literature in brain-based learning theory, online course design, and course management systems for the purpose of developing a theoretical brain-based online course design model for higher education. The model developed includes synthesized indicators from the analytical charting. The proposed model is presented in acronym form, which in and of itself aligns with brain-based learning theory. The acronym …

The Effects Of Life Skills Instruction On The Personal-Social Skills Scores Of Rural High School Students With Mental Retardation, Mary K. Quigley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Effects of Life Skills Instruction on the Personal-Social Skills Scores of Rural High School Students with Mental Retardation. (Under the direction of Dr. Margaret Ackerman) School of Education, March, 2007. The current legislation No Child Left Behind mandates that students with mental retardation have access to core curriculum courses. A comprehensive life skills program, Life Centered Career Education (LCCE), was integrated into the curriculum of high school students with mental retardation. The LCCE program was utilized to educate students on Personal-Social, Daily Life skills, and Occupational lessons with an academic emphasis. The study measured improvements made in the personal-social …

High School Athletic Eligibility Policies: A Mixed-Methods Study Of The Perspectives Of Public School Athletic Directors, Harlie G. Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

High school students in North Carolina public schools must meet academic eligibility requirements in order to compete on school sponsored teams. While all districts must follow the state association guidelines, local education agencies may elect to create policies that are more rigorous. This mixed-methods study investigated the impact of the academic eligibility policies on high school campuses. The research relied heavily upon interviews with high school athletic directors, but also analyzed measures of student academic success. Interviewees were male and female, white and African-American. They had varied years of experience, and were from schools that were different geographically and demographically, …

Improving Instruction For Teacher Candidates In Classroom Management And Discipline Issues, Scott Watson, Michelle Goodwin, Beth E. Ackerman, Karen L. Parker

Faculty Publications and Presentations

The effective teaching of classroom management and discipline skills remains a major challenge for teacher educators in the 21st century. In some ways, instruction and experience with these issues should be the priority for all education programs. Why is this? The answer is simple. If teachers cannot manage their own classroom and control their students, they cannot effectively teach. All of the subject matter knowledge that teachers expect to impart on their students is useless if their students cannot or do not listen and participate in learning activities. The major purpose for this presentation is to provide research-based suggestions on …

Character Education In Literature-Based Instruction, Karen L. Parker, Beth E. Ackerman

Faculty Publications and Presentations

As schools mandate character education, teachers face the dilemma of crowding another requirement into their teaching schedules while continuing to meet increased accountability for academic performance. Therefore, teachers are seeking the most effective approach to teaching character education and one that conserves time in their classrooms. Teaching character principles that apply to children’s literature is a character education strategy that conserves classroom time because it does not infringe upon the academic schedule. The principles of character education are an effective match for guided reading activities to enhance reading comprehension and character.

Sixth Grade Fitness Levels And The Fitnessgram Assessment Program, Reginald S. Kimball

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine sixth grade students’ level of fitness on the FitnessGram physical fitness testing program at the beginning of the 2006 – 2007 school year. This study examined if students entering the sixth grade were in the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) or needs improvement zone of the FitnessGram. The primary participant population for the study was 155 sixth grade students from four different Metro-Atlanta middle schools. Although there were 155 students, gender was not reported for two of the students. Data was collected during the 2006 – 2007 school year during the first 3 …

The Relationship Between Oral Reading Fluency And Comprehension, Jessica A. Talada

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Oral reading fluency and reading comprehension are identified as components in effectively gaining meaning from text. A reciprocal relationship exists between the two that allows one to comprehend more thoroughly as one reads more fluently. Additionally, as one reads more fluently, one’s ability to comprehend also improves. This is due to the fact that one’s brain is more capable in processing text meaning when one is able to read fluently. Therefore, when one automatically identifies words one is able to comprehend text more completely. The oral reading fluency and comprehension relationship was tested for a second and third grade population …

Neophyte Group Therapists (Ngts): Needs, Training, And Supervision, Amanda J. Rockinson-Szapkiw, Lucinda C. West, Anita M. Castillanos

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Promoting Diversity In Higher Education, Shante' Moore-Austin

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many institutions are working on ways in which they can promote diversity. Within a diverse society, there are so many different cultures. Faculty, staff, and administrators have been working hard to implement strategies that will assist in diversifying their institution of higher education. As we continue to advance through the millennium, institutions of higher education are making changes in their programs of study in order to have a more diversified learning environment. This paper discusses diversity in higher education and how the university community can work together to make the institution a more welcoming environment for everyone.

Enhancing Christian School Field Experiences Through Academic Coaching In A Service-Learning Partnership, Beth E. Ackerman, Karen L. Parker, Leonard W. Parker

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article gives an overview of service learning as it relates to learning and understanding a college student’s field of study. A survey was given to our education candidates who were completing a service learning project in a local Christian school. Results from the survey indicate that students were more likely to work in Christian school after having been exposed to this experience.

Standards Blending: Aligning School Counseling Programs With School Academic Achievement Missions, Rita Cantrell Schellenberg

Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper proposes a standards blending approach that provides a means by which to explicitly demonstrate that direct impact of school counseling on student academic achievement. Standards blending is the process of combining school counseling standards with core academic content standards to provide students with a practical means by which to better comprehend and visualize the interrelationships of their learning and real life situations.

Parkers' Study Skills Inventory Form, Leonard W. Parker

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Parkers' Learning Styles Profile Form, Leonard W. Parker

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

What Does Math Have To Do With Reading, Kathie C. (Johnson) Morgan

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Elementary students must be able to read in order to do content area material. Integration of reading and math can make the teaching of either subject more fun. Using narrative materials to teach math can help overcome math negativity. The presentation includes steps and strategies for improving comprehension in math and reading.