Early Childhood Education Commons^™

Technology’S Impact On Students In A Virtual Environment, Leah S. Sorensen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In 2020, a worldwide pandemic ensued as the coronavirus spread throughout the United States. This caused a nationwide shutdown, closing schools. All forms of education went to a virtual learning setting, where all students were expected to learn outside of a classroom. This also meant that there became a heavy reliance on technology. This setting and use of technology began to affect students’ learning and development. Through conducted research, three domains of child development are evaluated to determine the effects of this form of learning. The cognitive, physical, and social-emotional domains will be considered.

Strategies For Supporting Professional Growth In Early Childhood Team Members, Kristin Goetz

Graduate Teacher Education

Early childhood education (ECE) teachers, including pre-service and in-service workers, have reported the need for ongoing professional development support (Boyer, 2004; Buettner, Hye Hur, Jeon & Andrews, 2016; Brown, Cheddie, Horry, & Monk, 2017). Specific targeted support for professionalism was addressed as a retention strategy for the future of ECE (Boyer, 2004). The lack of consistent minimum qualifications for ECE teachers has contributed to a number of teachers in the field having little understanding regarding professionalism as a whole when teacher careers commence. The quality of learning and teaching in the classroom has been said to be largely determined by the level of professionalism ...

Effects Of Play-Based Learning On Phonemic Awareness And Phonics Skills, Kristen Heidecker

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this research was to determine the effectiveness of play-based learning on phonemic awareness and phonics skills in kindergarten. This study aimed to determine whether or not play-based learning materials such as letter tiles, cards, timers, and literacy-based games were an effective way for kindergarten students to acquire skills such as segmenting, letter sounds, and sight word recognition. A pre-assessment was given using FastBridge to determine which skills the students were working towards mastering. Play-based learning materials were then offered to small groups of students during our regular literacy time, and data was collected using FastBridge after two ...

Using Avatars To Address Teacher Self-Efficacy, Chancey Bosch, Trevor Ellis

Journal of Global Education and Research

Technology-enhanced learning continues to provide opportunities for increased interventions in educational programing. For teacher education programs, novelty pales in comparison to providing meaningful instruction and enduring outcomes. The use of avatars has provided integration of research evidence that increases intended behaviors; however, research is lacking on teacher self-efficacy change via an avatar experience. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and avatar use in a teacher education program. A relational study using both parametric and non-parametric designs for four different samples indicated a significant relationship between avatar intervention and teacher self-efficacy in classroom management ...

Social-Emotional Supports For African American Males: An Examination Of Strategies And Practices That Inform Persistence For College And Career Readiness, Kamilah Hampton

Dissertations

African American males are faced with many challenges because of the lack of social-emotional supports and current society. African American males experience trauma as a result of their exposure to violence, mistreatment in most environments, and implicit biases in obtaining an education. Social-emotional programming designed specifically for African American males is proven to positively impact their learning outcomes. This study found that the implementation of programming can have a direct impact on African American male’s ability to achieve at high levels. This must be addressed through continuous professional learning and support to challenge and improve a teacher’s instructional ...

A Decolonial Middle School Social Studies Curriculum: 19th Century U.S. Westward Colonization, Leah Chatterji

Master's Projects and Capstones

Social Studies education throughout the United States sustains settler futurity, white supremacy, and coloniality, as it rarely engages with Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) hxstories and structural violence. For middle schoolers, this is especially troublesome as social justice pedagogies are minimal for this demographic. To shift this, this field project offers an 8^th grade decolonial Social Studies curriculum on 19^th century U.S. Westward colonization; this topic was intentionally chosen as it is an opportunity to disrupt settler epistemologies. It centers: Land; relationality; and collective liberation. It complements the California unit 8.8 standards, yet different ...

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Early Childhood Instructional Coaches: An Explanatory Case Study, Laura Scamardella

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

High expectations for student achievement, the continuous evolution of teacher evaluation protocols, and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 have led schools and districts to find effective, ongoing professional development for teachers. Schools and districts have invested a great deal of time, energy, and money offering teachers the opportunities for ongoing professional development. One specific professional development approach many United States schools and districts have adopted is instructional coaching. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of teachers who have worked with early childhood instructional coaches. This study identified a better understanding of what instructional ...

Nebline, May 2021

The NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from UNL Extension in Lancaster County

Building Health Equity in Lincoln: Extension Launches Health Equity Coalition

Recipe of the Month

Intensive Gardening Techniques

Garden Guide Things to Do This Month

Naturally Occurring Elements in Groundwater--Part 3 of a Series — Fluoride

Cash Rent Survey

Preparing for the Inevitable: Japanese Beetles

Challenge Accepted! Children Thrive Outside

Heart of 4-H Volunteer Award: Rusty & Heidi Hanley

4-H Announcements for 4-H'ers and Volunteers

Clover College: June 15–18, 2021

EXTENSION CALENDAR

4-H’ers Qualify for State Speech & PSA Contest

4-H Horse Stampede Results

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Self-Efficacy On Stem Implementation, Caroline Buechel

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

In order to equip students with the 21^st Century skills necessary for today’s society, STEM education must be properly implemented in school curricula (Lamb, Akmal, & Petrie, 2015). To do so, it is important for teachers to possess both proficient knowledge of the subject matter and confidence towards the implementation of STEM. A person’s beliefs about their ability is known as their self-efficacy (Bandura 1997). Related to education, Bandura notes that this self-efficacy affects a teacher’s views on their ability to handle tasks, obligations, and challenges related to a challenge (1997). Additionally, numerous studies indicate that this self-efficacy in turn affects actual performance in the classroom (Katzenmeyer & Lawrenz, 2006; Smith, Douglas, & Cox, 2009). With this in mind, this study was designed to survey teachers in the Northwest Arkansas area (Washington and Benton counties) and determine the extent to which STEM education and project-based learning is being implemented. In order to gain insight into the research questions, the researcher distributed the STEM Efficacy Survey Instrument to a random pool of elementary educators over a two week period in February 2021. This instrument surveyed ...

Integrating Residencies Into Substitute Teaching, Prepared To Teach, Bank Street College

All Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

This one-page document illustrates the possibilities and benefits of having residents take on substitute teaching roles in a district. Dollars previously allocated to substitute teaching can be redirected toward candidate stipends while substitute teaching needs are largely met by the cohort of residents.

The Changing Classroom: A Thematic Analysis On The Impacts Of The Coronavirus Pandemic On Children And Educators Of A Montessori School, Briley Holbrook

Honors Theses

The Coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has drastically changed day-to-day functioning in American culture and the outlook of many essential institutions, specifically the education system. A halt in learning for most American school children in the spring semester of 2020, as well as necessary adaptation of the day-to-day functions of educational facilities in the fall has altered the learning environment for children and educators like never before. Research on historical disruptions in education, such as natural disasters and public health crises, provide a partial framework for federal approaches to the modern-day pandemic and their potential consequences. Modern technology has provided an ...

In Ten Days, My Instructional Teaching Choices Affect My Teaching Practices, Jeffrey Alboum

Senior Scholars Day

My Self-Study Research is on how my instructional teaching choices influence and affect my personal teaching style. In my presentation I describe how moving around the classroom can influence learning and create a collaborative environment within the classroom. Emphasis on classroom movement while also bringing in the importance of voice inflection.

The Effect Relationships Have On Teaching Practices, Johanna Benson

Senior Scholars Day

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Procrastination On Teaching Practice, Renee Johnson

Senior Scholars Day

This project examined the effects that procrastination can have on teaching practices as well as gathering data on specific reasons for procrastination as it relates to the teaching profession. Procrastination is an issue that affects everyone, whether it be a positive effect or a negative effect. The purpose of this self-study sought to answer the question of how procrastination affects my performance as a teacher specifically and address the reasons behind it to lessen the likelihood of procrastination occurring.

Using The Multiple Intelligences In Classroom Instruction, Evan R. Mitchell

Senior Scholars Day

The purpose of this self-study was to use the Multiple Intelligences to guild my teaching practice. I used my knowledge of these intelligences to help myself better understand my students and my instruction. Through observations and reflections of my teaching and my student's needs, I was able to make changes to my teaching based on the multiple intelligences. I made observations of my lessons through self-reflections as well as reflections made by my cooperating teacher. Over the course of my placement, I began to craft instruction that targeted the strengths and weaknesses of my students to help them be ...

The Effects Of Management And Organization On Teaching Performance, Charles Dowling

Senior Scholars Day

No abstract provided.

Making The Connection: Creating Relationships To Cultivate Classroom Community, Madison Rice

Senior Scholars Day

No abstract provided.

How Have Past Experiences Affected Students And Teachers In The Classroom?, Demetra Price

Senior Scholars Day

How has past experiences affected students and teachers in the classroom.

How Positive Reinforcements Affect My Teaching Practice, Meghan Garofalo

Senior Scholars Day

I completed a self study on how positive reinforcements affect my teaching practice.

How Technology Affects My Teaching Practice, Tayah Moore

Senior Scholars Day

No abstract provided.