Elementary Education Commons^™

A Study Of Story Stones In Informal Learning Environments, Nina Berch

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper aims to provide context for the use of an open-ended tool called Story Stones for engaging young students in creative discussion. Story Stones are a collection of palm-sized rocks with transposed images attached. Student ages within this discussion range between two and seven years old, accompanied by adult caregivers in the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling in Harlem, New York and Not Just Art childhood enrichment center in Oyster Bay, New York. The method of observation and analysis consisted of presenting Story Stones in an open-ended, hands-on invitation to visitors of the museum and enrichment …

Remedial Reading Strategies, Anna Dispensa

Education: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

From Augustana College's partnership with Longfellow Elementary School, I was able to examine strategies that work with struggling readers. More specifically, I was able to use the close reading strategy when working with a small group of students to read grade level texts. From this intervention, the students were able to enhance both their comprehension and their accuracy when reading.

The Curriculum Development Of Experienced Teachers Who Are Inexperienced With History-Based Pedagogy.Pdf, John Bickford

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15.0px} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'} span.s1 {font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'} span.s2 {font: 7.0px 'Times New Roman'} Contemporary American education initiatives mandate half of all English language arts content is non-fiction. History topics, therefore, will increase within all elementary and English language arts middle level classrooms. The education initiatives have rigorous expectations for students’ close readings of, and written argumentation about, numerous texts representing multiple perspectives about the same historical event, era, or figure. Practicing English language arts teachers must adjust …

Impact Of Two Wars On The Educational System In Nigeria, Helena Onyemelukwe-Waziri

Sustainability and Social Justice

Since the 1960's Nigeria has continuously been in a state of internal conflict, with different ethno-religious groups vying for social, economic, and political control. The situation has played out in extreme violence and has been on the international world's radar since the emergence of Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram in the late 2000's. Boko Haram translates to "Western education is forbidden," and the group has been behind the destruction of over 2,000 schools in Nigeria, killing hundreds of teachers and students, while displacing entire communities. As Nigeria holds the highest African population, it also has the highest number of …

Classroom Organizational Structure In Fifth Grade Math Classrooms And The Effect On Standardized Test Scores, Dallas Marie Lane

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between the classroom organizational structure and MCT2 test scores of fifth grade math students. The researcher gained insight regarding which structure teachers believe is most beneficial to them and students, and whether or not their belief of classroom organizational structure differs based on the number of years of classroom experience and/or degree held.

The results of this study showed no significant difference in the standardized test scores of students in a self-contained classroom compared to the students in a departmentalized classroom. Though there was no significant difference …

21st Century Education: The Importance Of The Humanities In Primary Education In The Age Of Stem, Christine M. Reiter

Senior Theses

Taking into consideration the global shift towards innovation and technological development, the rapid changes in the global economy, and the United States Department of Education’s attempts to find a one-size-fits-all solution for America's education woes, our national focus has shifted towards the STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This shift to STEM-focused education has challenged the role of the Humanities in American education, introducing concerns that the overwhelming emphasis on STEM disciplines has pushed the arts, Humanities and human sciences off to the side or even completely out of the picture in American classrooms. In our everchanging technology-focused world, …

Elementary Educators' Perceptions Of Conscious Discipline As A Management Strategy, Mary Hill

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study explored elementary educators’ perceptions of Conscious Discipline as it is implemented in the classroom as a management technique. To gather data, the researcher created a survey that asked about the demographics in the schools, how the teachers view Conscious Discipline, and the teachers’ opinions on the Conscious Discipline program as it relates to management in the classroom. The survey was shared via email with a link embedded. The participants consisted of twelve teachers from one Northwest Arkansas school district who taught Preschool through fifth grade in a general education classroom, as well as school counselors and administration such …

Integrating Literacy And Science In An Elementary School Classroom, Morgan J. Dye

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study explored how the integration of science and literacy in an elementary school classroom impacted the conceptual learning and understanding of first grade students. This study was explored around two research questions 1) How do students respond to the weather activities after being exposed to scientific read-alouds? 2) How will the impact of center based science inquiry on students reading comprehension and conceptual understanding of science knowledge change when the teacher engages students in scientific inquiry through the use of centers? Data was collected over a three-day period when the teacher was conducting a weather unit. It was found …

Interview And Focus Groups Analysis Of Decreased Composite Benchmark Scores On Dynamic Indicators Of Basic Early Literacy Skills Dibels From Kindergarten To First Grade Students, Loreen Flanary

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

School districts in the state of Utah are required to use Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills (DIBELS) as an assessment of reading ability for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The Logan City School District (LCSD) kindergarten end of year (EOY) Composite DIBELS data have been strong over the past 5 years with over 90% of students scoring at benchmark. In comparison, in each of those 5 years, first grade beginning of year (BOY) data drops considerably. LCSD is concerned with this trend because it is larger than the state trend of 13-14%, the trend is increasing, and this …

Up From Poverty: A Narrative Non-Fiction Study Of Three Female Superintendents From Poverty, Stephanie L. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This narrative non-fiction study was designed to investigate the lived experiences of three female superintendents in the state of Texas who have lived in poverty during their youth and early life. The participating female superintendents were contacted by this researcher through email. The information used in this study was collected from participating superintendents through interviews and analyzed to find the common themes that exist between the lived experiences of each female superintendent from poverty as she progressed through the stages of development in life. The information was also analyzed to ascertain how she was able to elevate out of poverty …

The Phenomenon Of Teacher Burnout: Mitigating Its Influence On New Teachers, Kaila Sanford

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Burnout is a psychological condition with physical, emotional, and mental dimensions. Burnout often includes feelings of exhaustion, long-term fatigue, negative self-concept, despair or hopelessness, frustration, and a lack of productivity at work.

Teacher burnout is a well-known and researched field. It has been documented in the literature that teachers experience high levels of stress and emotional exhaustion, which leads to high levels of burnout and professional attrition. This study examined the incidence of burnout in new elementary school teachers and offered recommendations for changes to organizational structure that may reduce professional burnout.

For the purpose of this study five new …

Literacy Revolution: How The New Tools Of Communication Change The Stories We Tell, Molly Gamble

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The transmission of culture depends upon every generation reconsidering what it means to be literate. The way we consider ourselves to be a literate species is changing, which puts us at a unique turning point in human history. Verbal literacy, or the ability to read and write, is slowly being replaced by visual literacy as a primary tool for human communication. As a culture, we tend to underestimate the creative ferment of our increasingly visual world. The linear, structured pathways of traditional literacy are shifting towards a creative and participatory pursuit of unstructured information that emphasize dimensional thinking. The acceleration …

Becoming Co-Witnesses To The Fukushima Disaster In An Elementary Literacy Classroom, Kaoru Miyazawa

Education Faculty Publications

This study explores what challenges fifth and sixth graders in Pennsylvania encountered as they exchanged letters with children in Fukushima and read a testimony of the Fukushima disaster written by a child there. Trauma theory and seikatsu tsuzurikata, a Japanese traditional critical literacy approach, were used in designing the project and in interpreting children’s engagement with the project. The children demonstrated signs of emerging empathy for children in Fukushima. However, the unspeakable nature of the trauma experience, students’ discomfort, and a pressure to read and write in a structured manner to prepare for the statewide exam posed obstacles for their …

Academic Achievement Of 6th Grade Students In A Social Studies Classroom Implementing Traditional Vs Project-Based Learning, Keith Bryan Overholt

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This study compared students taught with traditional teaching methods and those with project-based learning methods in a sixth-grade social studies classroom. Student assessments were examined to determine how students scored on lower-level thinking questions and higher-level thinking questions as defined by Bloom’s taxonomy of learning. Results indicated that students who were taught through traditional methods scored significantly higher on lower-level thinking questions than those taught through project-based learning. Conversely, students taught through project-based learning scored significantly higher on higher-level thinking questions than those taught through traditional methods.

Reading Workshop Conferences: Effect On First Grade Student Reading Ability, Samantha Everbeck

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Reading workshop is a way to structure a literacy block during the school day that allows for differentiation and a high level of student engagement in the process of learning to read. During reading workshop, students read independently and with partners at their independent reading levels while the teacher confers with students and leads small groups. During conferences, the teacher differentiates instruction and tailors lessons to individual student needs.

The purpose of this study is to examine the result of individualized lessons on word attack strategies on first grade students’ reading ability. Word attack strategies, as in strategies for decoding …

Implementation Of An Avid Elementary Program In A Technology-Rich Environment, Molly J. Large

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the innovations that occurred as the AVID Elementary program was implemented in a technology-rich school environment and the ways in which those innovations were communicated and adopted across the school. It examined how the AVID Elementary program functioned at the site and how teachers developed technology-enabled alternatives to traditional AVID strategies and materials.

The primary question for this study was “How is AVID Elementary implemented in a technology-rich environment?” A qualitative ethnographic case study methodology was appropriate for this study, and the study was conducted through an ethnographic lens that explored the …

Blended Learning Versus The Traditional Classroom Model, Aaron M. Rozeboom

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

The purpose of this action research project was to determine the effectiveness of blended learning in the classroom compared to the traditional, direct instruction approach. Two sections of sixth grade math went through the same unit with one section using the blended learning model and the other section participating in the direct instruction model. Data was collected quantitatively using a pre-assessment and post-assessment, as well as, qualitatively using informal questioning and observations. Analysis of the data suggested that students in the blended classroom increased their learning more than the direct instruction classroom. Also, students participating in blended learning were observed …

Differentiated Instruction For 1st Grade Advanced Learners In Mathematics, Patricia Cawley

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Differentiated instruction is student-aware teaching, in which the students not only develop content mastery, but also take ownership of their learning. This study examined the results differentiated instruction in mathematics had on advanced learners perceived competence, persistence, and intrinsic motivation. Differentiation was implemented in a classroom through various activities that challenged student thinking. Students enrolled in a first grade class in an all girl school setting served as study participants. Data were collected on a total of 21 students in the class, but analysis focused on a subgroup. Results indicated that the participants’ interest and engagement in math varied student …

Dance Education In An Urban Kindergarten Classroom, Anna M. Veelman

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Incorporating arts education can be a valuable intervention for students in an urban setting. Teaching through the arts can act as an initial, Tier One intervention, for students who exhibit disruptive behaviors in the classroom, due to trauma, as well as benefit the overall classroom culture. The arts curriculum has a restorative power that allows students to learn social-emotional regulation skills, bodily-awareness, and expression.

This study examines dance as an art form. Dance is a form of art that allows students to express their emotions and release energy to support positive behavior in the classroom. Data were collected on 25 …

Creating A Multiracial Lesson Plan, Clayton Davis

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this project is to teach students about multiracial identity issues. Multiracial populations in the U.S. continue to grow and it’s important for educators to address the needs of these students. A 5-E multiracial literature lesson plan was created for second grade that incorporates KWL and Text-to-World teaching strategies. A second grade class were read two children’s picture books, each featuring a biracial protagonist, and were asked to discuss and evaluate the content and commonalities of these stories. Students recorded what they learned in this lesson in their KWL’s. The results reveal that some students understood the problems …