Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

The Impact Of Learning Environments On Student Engagement, Yanira Oliveras Ortiz

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Architects design schools every day, but the impact that their designs have on student learning is at times unknown to those that design the schools. Educational research has shown that a positive school culture impacts student achievement; among the factors that impact the school culture is having a safe school (K12 Insight, 2017). Pride, student behavior, and overall safety each impact a school’s culture. A sense of pride and overall school safety can be influenced by the conditions of the building where children go to school.

The purpose of this manuscript is to explore the impact architectural design had on …

Members, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Members of WKU Graduate Council and committees.

Korean Through Folktales, Kyungah Yoon

PDXOpen: Open Educational Resources

Korean Through Folktales consists of four chapters and each centers on a famous Korean folktale. The lessons and values that famous folktales teach are embedded and permeated in various aspects of the Koran culture. Using folktales in the curriculum will provide an engaging way to expose students to a slice of the target culture that native Koreans are naturally exposed to at an early age. Through the selected folktales and various activities offered in the book, students can gain cultural knowledge and insights into traditional and cultural values while they are given linguistic lessons to reinforce their acquired skills and …

Historical Practices And Modern Interpretations: Understanding The Wai Khru Ceremony As A Thai Educational And Cultural Tradition, Ryan V. Guffey, Anothai Kaewkaen

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

While working in Thailand, education professionals from Western backgrounds often remark on a certain social eminence accorded to teachers by Thais, and many will also experience, especially in abridged form, the rituals of the Wai Khru, or Homage to Teachers, ceremony. However, it could be that few without direct cultural orientation can appreciate these traditions to the depth such long-standing cultural practices deserve. More detrimentally, they may not be aware of the social expectations these traditional views place on educators within Thai society. Drawing on primary sources from Thai literature and media and their own experiences as educators in Thailand, …

The Impact Of Federal Level Special Education Policy Internships In Preparing Special Education Faculty: A Preliminary Investigation, Katie Miller, Lisa A. Finnegan, Wilfred Wienke, Angel Lopez

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

In this manuscript, the authors examine the reaction of special education doctoral scholars and their response to a federal policy internship. Six doctoral scholar participants participated in a summer federal policy internship opportunity and partook in the study. Doctoral scholars responded to a survey about their knowledge of federal legislation and their perceptions of the federal policy internship. Data were collected and analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Three themes emerged after completing their doctoral internship which include: importance of advocacy and its impact on policy, importance of evidence based practices and their role in policy making, and increased knowledge of …

Alternative Ways For Treating The Characteristics Of Autism Without The Use Of Medication, Heather Coleman

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Autism is a neurological disorder that affects one out of 66 children worldwide (Autism Speaks, 2015). Although, some people feel that medication is a benefit for treating individuals with autism, nevertheless, there can be alternative methods in the treatment of how the brain develops that does not include medication: such as brain based exercises, reducing primitive reflexes, and using a holistic approach. Through a series of extensive brain based exercises, in conjunction with reducing the primitive reflexes, as well as incorporating natural vitamins, minerals and essential oils, parents may able to see the brain grow in unison. Once the brain …

From Railways To Radiators: How Support Teams Can Use Special Interests To Promote Success Among Individuals With Autism, Maggie Bredlau

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is currently being diagnosed at a rate of 1 in 68 children (Katz, Malow, & Reynolds, 2016). According to the DSM-V a diagnosis of autism carries with it two identifying characteristics: 1. consistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across more than one context; 2. restricted, repetitive interests that are evident through highly fixated odd interests. Children with autism can have difficulty finding ways to incorporate these highly-fixated interests into their daily lives. Research indicated that when individuals on the spectrum can incorporate their fixations into daily interactions and routines their self-esteem, social connections, career …

Use Of Technology For Children With Autism: Academic Success In The Least Restrictive Environment, Laura Scott

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a prevailing neurodevelopmental disorder that affects many aspects of a child’s life. Their communication and emotional regulation are hindered which makes it more challenging for them to thrive in the general education setting. Every child has the right to be educated in the least restrictive environment with needed support provided by its local school. Research has shown the use of technology to be a major contribution to student engagement and success. The focus of this article is to examine how a child’s communication and emotional regulation affect their academics and offer research based solutions. It …

Leading Through Logic Modeling: Capturing The Complexity, Ann Sebald, Heidi Frederiksen

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Logic modeling supports project and program development and implementation through specific design, planning, communication, evaluation and learning considerations and are typically used for the purposes of explanation, resolutions and assessment. Logic modeling was used in one teacher training program in the U.S. experiencing substantial leadership change. Leading change requires the facets of both leadership and management. This paper will discuss leading change through strategic management; logic modeling as a way of supporting program development and evaluation; share two forms of logic modeling (Theory of Change and Program) used to put into focus one teacher preparation program; discuss the methodology used …

Housekeeping Chores Or Quality Education: The Dilemmas Faced By Lectures In Public Universities In Kenya, Zedekia Sidha, Justine Magutu

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This paper explores the relationship between task prioritization by university lecturers and quality of university education. It is based on the assumption that universities, like most street level bureaucracies, are chronically under-resourced for the work the public expects them to do. The lecturers must therefore make a choice on which of their numerous activities will be done first, which one second, and which will not be done all together. In making these decisions it is assumed that they would make choices that are in the best interest of the students and the university at large. However, lecturers also have their …

Evaluating Student Perceptions And Learning Outcomes: Differences Between Sla-Able And Non-Sla-Able Introductory Programming Courses, Christina M. Frederick, Matthew B. Pierce, Andrew Griggs, Lulu Sun

Publications

Engineering, computer science and subsequently knowledge of programming language is an increasingly vital skill in today’s workforce. First year engineering students are introduced to programming in addition to rigorous course loads in their first year. Second Language Acquisition (SLA) has been applied to programming course content delivery and has shown promise as an effective means of better educating new students. Results will be presented from a NSF funded study conducted over the past two years. SLA was applied to an introductory engineering course that teaches basic programming skills in a Blended learning environment (SLA-aBLe). This study examined four semesters worth …

Investing In Residencies, Improving Schools: How Principals Can Fund Better Teaching And Learning, Brigid Fallon, Prepared To Teach, Bank Street College

All Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

Investing in Residencies, Improving Schools: How Principals Can Fund Better Teaching and Learning, examines the feasibility for school-level funding for resident stipends including a description of a financial model that enables schools to fund co-teaching positions for novice teachers.

Two Departments, Two Models Of Interdisciplinary Peer Learning, Julianne A. Wenner, Paul J. Simmonds

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

On graduation, teacher candidates (TCs) are typically underprepared to teach science, particularly physical science, whereas physics graduates frequently lack training in teaching or effective communication. In response, we created two models for interdisciplinary peer learning where TCs were paired with either graduate or undergraduate physics students. In both models, physics students teach TCs content knowledge relevant to a given area of either classical or quantum physics, which TCs then use to design and implement a short lesson for K-5 students. Overall, both models were successful, with the two sets of students reporting benefits in each case. Affordances for TCs included …

Histoires D'Avenirs: Science-Fiction Pour Le Cours De Français Niveaux Intermédiaire Et Avancé, Annabelle Dolidon, Stéphanie Roulon

PDXOpen: Open Educational Resources

Histoires d’Avenirs est un manuel basé sur neuf nouvelles de science fiction française qui s’adresse à un public d’apprenants étrangers (de niveaux intermédiaire et avancé) mais aussi à un public natif voulant approfondir ses connaissances de la science-fiction moderne - après un chapitre préliminaire qui rappelle les bases historiques du genre. Le manuel propose une approche holistique (stylistique, linguistique, et interculturelle) et sollicite une pensée critique au travers d’activités de lecture, interprétation, conversation, recherche et présentations, dans un double objectif : développer les compétences en français sur des sujets contemporains au travers de la fiction; et faire découvrir la science-fiction …

Enhancing And Evaluating Scientific Argumentation In The Inquiry-Oriented College Chemistry Classroom, Annabel D'Souza

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The research presented in chapters 2, 3, and 4 in this dissertation uses a sociocultural and sociohistorical lens, particularly around power, authority of knowledge and identity formation, to investigate the complexity of engaging in, supporting, and evaluating high-quality argumentation within a college biochemistry inquiry-oriented classroom.

Argumentation skills are essential to college and career (National Research Council, 2010) and for a democratic citizenry. It is central to science teaching and learning (Osborne et al., 2004a) and can deepen content knowledge (Jiménez-Aleixandre et al., 2000; Jiménez-Aleixandre & Pereiro-Munhoz, 2002). When students have opportunities to make claims and support it with evidence and …

Promoting Educational Opportunity And Achievement Through 1:1 Ipads, Gayle Y. Thieman, Tatiana Cevallos

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to expand the growing body of research on the educational impact of 1:1 mobile devices, investigating the iPad’s potential to reduce the disparity of access to high-quality instructional technology and achievement for low income, racially, and linguistically diverse students. Design/methodology/approach: This three-year, mixed-method study investigated the degree to which a 1:1 iPad initiative reduced the disparity of technology access and instructional use and improved student learning and attendance. The research design included survey data on student technology skills, experiences and use and teacher focus groups to confirm and contextualize the survey data. Findings: …

The Impact Of 1:1 Laptop Environments On The English Language Arts Achievement Of Fifth Grade Students From Diverse Socio-Economic Backgrounds, Nicole Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study extends previous research on the impact of one to one (1:1) laptop environments on student outcomes in English Language Arts (ELA) by focusing on students from various socio-economic backgrounds, while using a new technology-enhanced, state-administered assessment to measure performance. This study is significant because policy makers focus on state test scores when planning educational investments. Therefore, results from this study can assist policy makers in determining best practices related to technology integration to ensure equitable opportunities for all students. A non-experimental ex post facto causal comparative research design was used to explore the impact of 1:1 laptops …

07.01.001 Lesley Graduate School, Course Catalogs, 1954-2010, Marie Wasnock

Finding Aids

This collection contains course catalogs published annually for Lesley University's Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences (GSASS) and Graduate School of Education.

Levinas, Leviticus, & Language: A Case Study Exploring Acsi Maritime Teacher Challenges Of Practice Due To Increasing Esl Enrollment, Susanne Huizing

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to explain the perceived challenges of practice due to increasing enrollment of English Language Learners (ELLs) for ACSI teachers in the Canadian Maritimes. The theory guiding this study was ethics as first philosophy by Levinas (1981). Levinas’ theory aided in examining the ethical, relational, and linguistic challenges teachers experienced teaching ELLs. The central research question guiding this study was: what are the perceived challenges of practice K-12 ACSI Maritime school teachers face due to increasing ELL enrollment? Data was collected through pre-interview journals, semi-structured face-to-face interviews, and observations. Data analysis included transcriptions, documents, …

Session 4: There's No Communio Without U!, Julie Massey

Gateway's Pilot Year

Session will begin with students brainstorming their past experiences of belonging, including the rules/behaviors that support a strong sense of group. Then we will show a video that depicts SNC community members responding to the prompt “communio is…” by writing a word of phrase on a whiteboard. (The photos were captured in April; we’re still working on the video.) Leaders will provide a brief teaching on the theological foundation of the concept of communio (language is provided in the outline.) Next, the large group will be divided into six groups and each group will receive a sheet with one principle …