Education Commons^™

Media And Communications, Joel M. Drotts Esq.

Joel M. Drotts Esq.

The media theories project.

Social Emotional Learning And Mindfulness: Learning To Be Human, Jena-Lee Rogers

Master's Projects and Capstones

I am a teacher. I always have been and always will be. As a little girl, I developed a passionate need to see fairness and justice in my world, which of course outside of my family of origin revolved around my life at school. If one of my friends could not understand something, even if I was not totally sure about it myself, I would endeavor to help them learn it in a way that made sense to them. A small act of friendship helped me learn and develop my own a belief in the oneness that connects all of …

Book Review: Revisiting The Great White North? Reframing Whiteness, Privilege, And Identity In Education, Christina Parker

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

No abstract provided.

Experiences Of Lgbtq Students At A Primarily White Institution In The South, Leia Kristin Cain

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, often Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and/or Questioning (LGBTQ) students are targets of verbal harassment and violence due to their sexual orientation or gender identity and gender expression. Further, 31 states do not offer protection against sexuality- or gender identity-based discrimination (ACLU, 2015). Schools are particularly vexing places, where L, G, B, T, and/or Q-identified students face difficulties due to the privileging of heterosexual students and heternormativity. In universities across the nation, suicide rates continue to climb for LGBTQ populations due to heterosexist policies, procedures, and practices, which lead to negative campus climates (Gortmaker & Brown, …

Deconstructing Cultural And Social Norms In The Classroom, Kimberly Davis, Ann Brunjes, Sabrina Gentlewarrior, Margaret Lowe

Margaret Lowe

BSC’s strategic priorities emphasize our commitment to “achieving a heightened appreciation of social responsibility.” One way we can do this in the classroom is to raise, investigate, and potentially deconstruct unexamined and often limiting social and cultural norms. In this roundtable, presenters will share specific classroom and scholarly practices that encourage students to grapple with these complex issues. Informed by multidisciplinary perspectives, the presenters will discuss strategies for using films about racial conflict to critique white ways of seeing; strategies for teaching the idea that race, including “whiteness,” is a historically specific social construction; the use of literary texts to …

Exploring Children's Perceptions Of African American English, Tamika L. Lewis

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The differences in attitudes toward African American English (AAE) and Mainstream American English (MAE) were investigated among elementary students (N=34) and middle school students (N=40) using the Speech Evaluation Instrument (SEI). Participants listened to audio recordings of speakers of AAE and MAE and then completed the SEI.

Both elementary and middle school students perceived MAE positively (p =.005), as hypothesized. However, for both hypotheses related to AAE, the researcher hypothesized that both groups would perceive the language negatively; however, in both cases, the researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis. Comparing how each group perceived …

A Case Study Of The Experiences Of Students With Disabilities Who Did Not Complete High School, Richard Wieringo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study explores the experiences of students with disabilities who have dropped out of high school, so as to identify related factors that led to their decisions. Participants included both males and females who were designated as students with disabilities at Ridgeville High School (pseudonym for a Virginia high school) and who dropped out between their third and fourth years of high school, during the 2010 to 2014 academic years. All participants were between the ages of 18 and 24. The case study was conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews, journaling, and observation of the sample population, with …

A Case Study Of The Experiences Of Students With Disabilities Who Did Not Complete High School, Richard Wieringo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study explores the experiences of students with disabilities who have dropped out of high school, so as to identify related factors that led to their decisions. Participants included both males and females who were designated as students with disabilities at Ridgeville High School (pseudonym for a Virginia high school) and who dropped out between their third and fourth years of high school, during the 2010 to 2014 academic years. All participants were between the ages of 18 and 24. The case study was conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews, journaling, and observation of the sample population, with …

Differences In Literacy Scores Among Students Who Attended School-Based Prekindergarten, Head Start, And No Prekindergarten, Melissa Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With no state-funded prekindergarten program in Mississippi, some school districts have chosen to divert Title I funds to the creation of school-based prekindergarten programs. This study looked at archival data to determine differences in the beginning of the year kindergarten scores between students who attended local Head Start programs (n = 41), students who attended school-based prekindergarten programs (n = 64) in schools that use Title-I funds to support such programs, and students who did not attend prekindergarten (n = 31). The study sought to examine the question of whether a difference existed in the overall scaled score of the …

The Effects Of Preparedness On Career And Technical Education Student’S Program Performance And Vocational Attainment, Walter Warren

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to consider the effects that academic and vocational preparedness have on postsecondary students’ performance in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) or apprenticeship program, and the relationship between their in-program performance and vocational attainment after program completion. The study was conducted using archival data from a postsecondary CTE institution with a proven track record for administering apprentice programs. The findings from this study are an indication that academic and vocational preparedness are relevant factors when considering students’ ability to complete a postsecondary CTE program, level of performance in a CTE program, and …

Teacher Perspectives On Professional Development Needs For Better Serving Nebraska's Spanish Heritage Language Learners, Janet Marie Eckerson

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A growing number of heritage language speakers of Spanish are enrolling in Spanish language courses during secondary school. Current scholarship has suggested that these heritage language learners (HLLs) have very different instructional needs than learners of second or foreign languages. Because Spanish language instruction in Nebraska secondary schools has been traditionally conceptualized only as foreign language instruction, classroom teachers may not be adequately prepared to meet the needs of HLLs. This dissertation examined the experiences of Nebraska secondary Spanish teachers who worked with HLLs in order to inform the creation of relevant professional learning experiences for pre- and in-service teachers. …

The Transformative Experiences Of Female Educators As A Catalyst For Social Change In The World, April D. Jordan

Dissertations

As social justice issues become known, one may be moved to act in the hopes of alleviating the conditions that burden marginalized and oppressed people. What is sometimes missing from the discourse when discussing oppressive issues is the role women play in counteracting such subjugation. Also essential, yet missing from the research, are studies that underscore the importance of educators fostering social action change outside of and apart from institutions of learning and curriculum planning. This qualitative study examined the lives of six, nontraditional, female educator intellectuals whose perceptions of self (identity) and the world were transformed by engaging in …

Creating A Framework For Success For High School African American Males: A Policy Advocacy Document, Ilandus Hampton Sr.

Dissertations

The policy advocacy document is an alternative to the traditional doctoral dissertation. This approach arose from the educational administration preparation reform agenda which calls for more thoughtful approaches to educational policy development, a concern that educational leadership express itself in a moral context, and a desire to develop reflective practices in administration. (Browder, 1995). This document attempts to ensure public schools, high schools in particular, are providing African American males with the skills and knowledge necessary to be academically successful so that they are given the opportunity and support necessary to achieve economic and social advancements throughout life. The policy …

Adaptive Change For An All Boys College Preparatory Public Middle School: A Change Leadership Project, Carla L. Sparks Dr.

Dissertations

As a result of district, state, and national attention on academic achievement, as measured by state assessment tests and end of course examinations, teacher and school leaders at the school identified for this Change Leadership Project (CLP) have worked diligently to raise student rigor and achievement. However, they have used largely instructional practices that rely heavily on the work of educators rather than emphasizing the engagement of students. This CLP provides the basis for a paradigm shift in instructional practice that promotes a full understanding of the value of authentic learning, project based learning, exhibitions of mastery, and capstone projects …

Implementing Authentic Practice Through Capstone Projects At Selected Terminal Grades: A Policy Advocacy Document, Carla L. Sparks Dr.

Dissertations

American educational and political communities have become focused on assessment of students and accountability of teachers and administrators. Consequently, educators are focused largely on preparing students for high stakes tests, oftentimes at the expense of authentic instructional practice. The educational, economic, social, political, moral, and ethical needs of students and American society demand a policy that provides student experiences that are action-oriented, promote character development, provoke reflective thinking, and develop skills and knowledge that prepare students for life and ultimately transform society. Therefore, I recommend through this Policy Advocacy Document that the school district under study require capstone projects of …

Predicting Academic Achievement For Seventh Grade Language Arts Students Using The Seven Dimensions Of The Multi- Dimensional Assessment, Mary Rogers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this correlational study was to test how accurately end of the year achievement scores can be predicted by using the seven dimensions of the Multi-Dimensional Assessment in the seventh grade language arts classroom in a southeastern Tennessee school district. The predictor variables were the seven dimensions of the MDA: community engagement, curriculum expectations, developmental perspectives, educational attitudes, faculty fidelity, leadership potential, and school climate. The criterion variable of interest, academic achievement, was generally defined as scores made on the Tennessee Department of Education state mandated test for seventh grade in reading/language arts, the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program …

Blended Online Learning Versus Traditional Classroom Learning: A Comparison Of Mathematics Content Mastery For High School Students Of Homeowners And Non-Homeowners, Jeannette Hallam

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to compare the methods of traditional face-to-face classroom instruction and blended online instruction for students from differing home environments who were repeating a Mathematics I course at the high school level. This quantitative study, conducted at three high schools in Georgia, used the theories of self-regulated learning, student-centered learning, Keller’s ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction) model of motivational design of instruction, and cognitive load theory to compare the two approaches to learning. The participants in this study consisted of 398 high school students taking a Mathematics I class for the second time …

Inclusive Education For Preschool-12th Grade Students With Low Incidence Disabilities: A Case Study Of State Leaders’ Perceptions, Charles Kemp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this holistic single-case study was to examine the state leaders’ perceptions of the readiness for public schools to implement inclusive education for students with low incidence disabilities. The adult learning theory (Knowles, 1990), the sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978, 1986), and the implementation science framework (Blasé, Van Dyke, Fixsen, Duda, Horner, & Sugai, 2009) provided the theoretical framework for this study. The study, set in a Midwestern state, sought to understand from state-level leaders’ perspectives the readiness for and the roadblocks to implementation of inclusive education for students with low incidence disabilities. The data for this study was …

Teacher Preparedness For Spiritually Transformational Teaching: A Case Study In One Christian High School, Wendy Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This single instrumental case study examined a purposive sample of teachers from Live Oak Christian High School (a pseudonym) for indications that they were spiritually qualified, sufficiently trained, and intentionally committed to transformational Christian teaching. Spiritually qualified teachers would evidence an active Christian faith as demonstrated by a sound basic theology, verbalization of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and various spiritual practices. Teachers who were sufficiently trained would evidence personal knowledge, experience, education, or training related directly to Christian education. Teachers who were committed to transformational Christian teaching would evidence that intentionality in documents, surveys, classroom observations, and personal …

Advocating For Mother Earth In The Undergraduate Classroom: Uniting Twenty-First Century Technologies, Local Resources, Art, And Activism To Explore Our Place In Nature, Christina Triezenberg, Ilse Schweitzer Vandonkelaar

Christina Triezenberg

Despite the growing evidence of humanity’s impact on the natural world and the urgent need to shape citizens who understand the impact that their choices and actions have on their local and global environments, colleges and universities throughout the United States have been slow to add environmental education as a core component of their undergraduate curricula. Harnessing our shared interest in environment issues and the humanities, we designed and taught an experimental course in environmental literature for the honors program at Western Michigan University that we hope will become a template of what is possible in postsecondary environmental education. Using …

Viewing Film From A Communication Perspective: Film As Public Relations, Product Placement, And Rhetorical Advocacy In The College Classroom, Robin Patric Clair, Rebekah L. Fox, Jennifer L. Bezek

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Academics approach film from multiple perspectives, including critical, literary, rhetorical, and managerial approaches. Furthermore, and outside of film studies courses, films are frequently used as a pedagogical tool. Their relevance in society as well as their valuable use in the classroom makes them an important and pragmatic medium deserving further attention. The ability of film to be used in a socio-political way may sustain, challenge or change the status quo, which supports studying film as well as teaching students about the power of film. The purpose of this article is to share the development of a course which points out …

The Peter London Papers, Aaron Darisaw

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

No abstract provided.

Art Therapy In Educational Settings: A Confluence Of Practices, Nicole M. Gnezda Ph.D.

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Art educators solicit a range of images from students. Art therapists help clients respond to the images they create in ways that promote self-understanding and personal growth. This article describes two settings where art therapy perspectives have been integrated with art education practices in order to help students identify underlying issues impacting their education and well-being. As a result of information that arises in art therapy oriented art education programs, students can be offered guidance and directed to interventions that help them grow past their pain and self-defeating behaviors.

Socially Engaged Art Education Beyond The Classroom: Napping, Dreaming And Art Making, Barbara Bickel

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Article and video offer a socially engaged art project as an example of dynamic lived curriculum. Through what the Gestare Art Collective call a Nap-In students , faculty and the community encounter and engage the unusual experience of communal napping, social dreaming and art making.

Of Camera And Community, Jodi Patterson

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Shared insights regarding a socially mediated art practice as "Land Ambassador." Artist utilizes landscape photography and her nomadic travel experiences as an opportunity to educate her "friends" on global climate change.

Art Education In My Backyard: Creative Placemaking On An Urban Farm, Jodi Kushins

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

An art educator describes how she used her knowledge and experience of artistic and educational initiatives that forefront collective activity in real world settings to transform her backyard into an urban farm with the help of friends and neighbors. She combines an autoethnographic account of her experiences, including original photographs, with research on conceptual artists, participatory culture, and creative placemaking to position her work as participatory environmental art education. The paper is organized around the major steps one undertakes in planting a garden – siting, amending, seeding, tending, and harvesting - to draw parallels between the processes of maintaining a …

Other-Than-Ego Consciousness: Approaching The “Spiritual” In Secular Art Education, Nico Roenpagel

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Alternative worldviews bring forth alternative visions of education. This article sheds light on one contemporary approach to a spiritual worldview and its implications for secular art education. It proposes that high school visual art is a particularly conducive environment to engaging teenagers with existential and spiritual questions. An approach to spirituality grounded in a worldview of “profound interconnectedness” and “other-than-ego consciousness,” rather than religious systems, offers a timely basis for renegotiating the spiritual in secular art education settings. Through five concepts, the article bridges broader discussions on spirituality with concrete learning and teaching in the art classroom. For example, it …

Inverse Inclusion: A Model For Preservice Art Teacher Training, Angela M. La Porte

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

A university community-based intercession course offers preservice art teachers a unique opportunity to experience inverse inclusion in an art class for special needs adults. Inverse inclusion allows preservice teachers to become students working side-by-side with an equal or greater number of special needs learners, and also places them in occasional roles as teacher, teacher’s assistant, and videographer. Their observations and interactions within these roles provide preservice teachers with perceptive insights and perspectives about teaching, and nurture a better understanding of special needs students’ personal interests and abilities. Applying, reflecting upon, and adapting open-ended art curriculum theory and practice from multiple …

Celebrating Life, Denouncing Human Violence, Peter London

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

Essay enticingly brings to our view the painter Seymour Segal, as artist who admits the viewer unabashedly into the "discomfort, the danger ... of the protagonist or event taking place."

Misunderstandings And Consequences Of Labeling Artists As Self-Taught, Kristin Congdon

Artizein: Arts and Teaching Journal

I have championed artists who have been invisible and underrepresented for decades. Sometimes these artists have been labeled by race or ethnicity and many of them have fallen into the categories of folk and self-taught. When writing about artists who have fallen into one of these categories, I have often tried to avoid labeling them, hoping to have them viewed simply (and complexly) as artists worthy of (high) art consideration. However, I have found that sometimes labeling has been necessary and even useful. Labeling helps a writer, curator, scholar, educator, or arts facilitator focus on a particular cultural group, worldview, …