Elementary Education and Teaching Commons^™

Strategies For Developing 21st Century Skills Through Visual Literacy, Connie Mcdonald, Steven Mcdonald, Annyce Maddox

Connie McDonald

Students are being required to assimilate more types of information, in multiple formats, and to do so in a more efficient manner than in previous decades. These students are digital natives who need to develop 21st century skills in core subjects including reading . Our focus will be on strategies to assist students as they develop new literacies in reading for the 21st century through visual literacy.

The Status Of Students With Special Needs In The Instrumental Musical Ensemble And The Effect Of Selected Educator And Institutional Variables On Rates Of Inclusion, Edward C. Hoffman Iii

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Creative Work, and Performance

The purpose of this study was to describe the current status of students with special needs in the instrumental musical ensemble and to examine the effect of selected educator and institutional variables on rates of inclusion. An online survey was designed by the researcher and distributed electronically to 600 practicing K-12 instrumental music educators in the states of Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Rhode Island. While 13.6% of the total school-aged population nationwide received special education services, demographic data provided by respondents revealed that students with special needs accounted for 6.8% of all students participating in bands, orchestras, …

A Case Study Of The Full Service Community School Model: School Level Benefits In An Urban, Southern Elementary School, Elisa Cooper Luna

Doctoral Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative single case study was to explore the Full Service Community Schools model in one, urban elementary school. More specifically, the study sought to understand the impact this model had on students and teachers at one particular research site. This study was also intended to examine the impact the Full Service Community School model had on the role of school administrators. The research questions that guided this study were:

(1) How does the Full Service Community School model impact students?

(2) How does the Full Service Community School model impact teachers?

(3) What impact …

Does A Co-Learner Delivery Model In A Mathematics Methods Course Affect Pre-Service Teacher Candidates’ Self-Efficacy In Teaching Mathematics?,, John J. Ribeiro, Denise Demagistris

Teacher Education

This study is related to a previous study (Ribeiro, 2009) that examined teachers’ perceptions of teaching self-efficacy. In the first study the sample consisted of two groups of teachers that took the same professional development course in mathematics. The comparison group took the course in their school district with other teachers and the experimental group took the course with pre-service teachers in a university classroom. After completing the course, both groups were measured in three dimensions of teaching self-efficacy: student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom climate. Findings indicated that although both groups had significant gains in self-efficacy toward teaching mathematics …

Developing Comprehension With New Literacies, Connie Mcdonald, Laura E. Jones

Connie McDonald

How can teachers help students develop comprehension strategies and skills in the era of new literacies? Traditional and online texts are similar in some aspects but very different in other ways. The focus of the presentation is on developing comprehension in elementary students by connecting traditional and online texts with new literacies.

Promoting Resiliency Among First-Generation College Students, Jessica C. Fentress, Rachel M. B. Collopy

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

On a momentous day in May, six unlikely students walked across the graduation stage of a competitive, private university to receive their bachelor’s degrees. All six were participants in our study of successful first-generation college (FGC) students. Extensive research investigated the high attrition rates of FGC students and enumerated obstacles that led them to drop out.

Our research took a different approach. Through in-depth interviews, we explored the way resilient FGC students navigated around obstacles and what supported their success. By definition, resilient individuals succeed despite characteristics that predict their failure. Stories from this study offer practical implications for advisers …

Children's Book Update For 2010-2011, Gregory A. Martin

Library Faculty Presentations

Most colleges and universities with teacher training programs have collections of children's books. In many cases, the librarians who are responsible for selecting these books have a number of other responsibilities as well. The workshop for which this bibliography was prepared was designed for those busy librarians who are not always able to devote the time they would like to the selection of children’s books. It explored selected “best” picture books published during 2010 and 2011.

Stories Of God's Love (Kindergarten), Shauna M. Adams, Lisa Grabiel, Debra Ciambro Grisso

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

This kindergarten program offers a leaflet-style format that proclaims Bible stories as well as contemporary stories that relate to the life of a kindergarten child. Seasonal lessons deepen the child’s understanding of holy days, holidays and liturgical seasons.

Stories of God’s Love is the first new program following the Guidelines for Materials developed by the Subcommittee on the Catechism of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Exploring Problem Based Learning To Promote 21st Century Learning Skills In Full Day Kindergarten, Jillian M. Tsoukalas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The kindergarten program at the study site transitioned from half day to full day, yet the curriculum was not updated to accommodate the full day schedule, or to include best practices. In order to prepare learners for their future in education, activities were implemented to determine how problem based learning can promote acquisition of the 21st century learning skills. The purpose of this qualitative study was to create and implement an effective, full day curriculum that promotes 21st century learning skills for kindergarten students. This project, rooted in constructivism which allows for active and social learning, supplements the existing half …

Solo But Not Separate: Preparing 21st-Century School Library Professionals Who Can "Go It Alone", Becky Pasco

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Preparing school librarians for a diverse array of 21st-century educational environments is a daunting task. Faculty in school library preparation programs send candidates out into sparsely populated rural areas, dense urban settings, and everything in between. Some candidates will provide services and resources in updated, modern facilities, while others will operate in tiny, tattered little corners. Some new professionals will ply their trade in technically rich arenas, while others will work in technically starved settings. Regardless of place and space, resources and services must be developed and delivered in a proactive and productive manner for the P—12 community. School library …

Incredible Years Dina Dinosaur Program Evaluation, Amanda Holzapfel

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine the effectiveness of the Incredible Years (IY) Dina Dinosaur Child Training Program in the Early Childhood Special Education Classroom (ECSE) at the GFW Elementary School, a small town school. The Dina Dinosaur Program is designed to promote children’s social, emotional, behavior and academic skills through social skills and problem solving curriculum. This program has been found to be appropriate for children with ADHD, language and/or developmental delays and mild autism spectrum disorders, which were all present in the ECSE classroom at GFW Elementary. All of the ECSE teachers and paraprofessionals had …