Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Team-Teaching Involving General And Special Education Teachers In Early Childhood Programs, Lesley Janelle Ehlers

Graduate Research Papers

This paper examined the effects of team teaching in early childhood programs. Variations of team teaching were described. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with team teaching were also discussed. Guidelines were presented for educators concerning the successful implementation of team teaching. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for educators interested in team teaching.

Developing Literacy Through Storybook Reading Events, Linda Eitmann

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of storybook reading on children's emergent literacy. Benefits and challenges were discussed which were associated with facilitating literacy through teacher-read storybook events. Also guidelines were presented for teachers to use storybooks as an emergent developmental and instructional method. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for the future facilitation of storybook reading events.

The Constructivist-Based Approach : The Better Choice For Learning, Consuella Eugene

Graduate Research Papers

With the integration of technology in the classroom, the constructivist-based approach encourages students to utilize their minds in a scholastic and a creative manner. Students are encouraged to learn via creativity, experience, experimentation, and teamwork. Teachers are able to organize information around conceptual clusters of problems and questions as opposed to learning facts in isolation. This approach is based upon the idea that students construct their own knowledge, rather than reproducing someone else's knowledge.

The advantages of the constructivist-based approach will be clearly noted and described by this researcher exploring the learning environments for students, students learning, student involvement, evaluation …

Implementing Student-Led Conferences, Allyson Forney

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of conducting student-led conferences. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with conducting student-led conferences were discussed. Guidelines were presented for teachers to conduct effective student-led conferences. Conclusions were drawn from the literature, and recommendations were made for the future implementation of student-led conferences.

Experiential Learning In Webcasting For Peace Through Tourism, Courtlandt Butts

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to report on a project to develop cultural awareness and knowledge of the tourism profession; and to bring the team of students to Amman, Jordan to facilitate the first ever-global webcast of a conference. Within the international experience itself, the major components of the overall project involved grant writing, technological hands-on training, international student presentations, and the production of a professional videotape. The possibility of gaining such access had been made possible through the Undergraduate Research/ Experiential Learning Grant (UREL Grant) offered by the College of Education at UNI, which provided the ideal avenue …

The Use Of Electronic Technologies In The Cedar Rapids Community Schools' Physical Education Programs, Nicholaus J. Daniel

Graduate Research Papers

How often is electronic technology used in physical education programs? How much electronic technology is available to physical education programs? Does electronic technology and physical education go together? When most people think of electronic technology, they do not think about physical education. Most people tend to think that technology is anything related to a desktop or laptop computer, something you sit down at and work on, not something that involves being physical.

From the researcher's experience in the Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD), there is some pressure for all subject areas to implement and integrate electronic technologies into the …

Improving After-School Programs : A Literature Review, Harriet A. Davis

Graduate Research Papers

The desire and need for after-school programs in the United States is steadily increasing especially for low- to moderate-income children and adolescents. Studies show after-school program participants watch less television and spend more time in academic activities and enrichment lessons (Posner and Vandell 1994). As a result, these programs are extremely beneficial to children who participate in them. After-school programs also provide a safe haven for countless children who need adult supervision at the end of the regular school day.

The following analysis is a compilation of information derived from scholarly journals, books, organizations participating in after-school programs, Internet sources, …

Maintaining Developmentally Appropriate Practice In An Increasingly Academic Kindergarten, Amy Phillips

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper was to conduct a review of research to determine whether a developmental or an academic curriculum is most appropriate for kindergarten classrooms. The research outlined the benefits of developmentally appropriate practice, including increased academic performance and better social skills. The research also showed the detriments of developmentally inappropriate practice, including increased stress levels, a stifling of enthusiasm for learning and less advanced academic and social skills.

However, in spite of the research, many early childhood professionals are not fully implementing developmentally appropriate practice. Three main obstacles to full implementation were the following: (a) increased accountability …

Removing Dust Bunnies And Expensive Paperweights From The Classroom : Effective Staff Development In Educational Technology, Margaret F. Krzywicki

Graduate Research Papers

With major funding directed toward putting technology in the classroom and training students to be tomorrow's workers, there needs to be an effective technology staff development program in place for the teachers. Developers of staff development programs need to include the learning style of adult learners (andragogy), instead of pedagogy. Successful staff development for the teachers must include innovation, release time, and quality equipment. The learning styles of adult learners should be foremost in the development of courses and workshops. Staff development is more than just the technical side of the technology. It should provide teachers with the tools to …

Technology Staff Development, Paul A. Rabara

Graduate Research Papers

Traditional staff development does not suffice for emerging technologies and evolving pedagogy for teacher use of technology in instruction. Societal changes have produced new needs. Change causes a need to systematically look at progress and the attributes associated with the diffusion of innovations (Rogers, 1995). Roswell (1997) is only one of several schools who have dedicated considerable resources to developing a technology staff development plan with results in higher percentages of teachers using technology in the classroom. Technology staff development should have characteristics in models that coincide with the attributes of diffusion. Technology staff development can bridge the use and …

The Empirical Development Of A Curriculum On Identification Of The "Tongues" Of 1 Corinthians 14 Utilizing A Socio-Exegetical Approach To Interpretation, Angel Hernandez

Dissertations

Problem. The Corinthian tongues is a subject that has been extensively covered in the literature, especially in exegetical Bible commentaries, but no empirically developed curriculum for college-level instruction has been found. The purpose o f this study was to develop such a curriculum. The approach to the interpretation o f the tongues of 1 Corinthians 14 was interdisciplinary: both theological and sociological.

Method. The instructional product development method formulated by Baker and Schutz and revised by Naden was used in this study. The process consisted of ten steps including; assessment of the need for a new curriculum, identification and …

A Study Of The Reported Long-Term Attitudinal And Behavioral Effects Of An Eighth-Grade Environmental Education Project And The Development Of An Innovation Configuration To Promote Environmental Education, Jean Lomino

Dissertations

Problem. Increasing scientific evidence reveals that this planet is in serious environmental jeopardy. Since 1977, when an international group of K-12 educators met in the USSR and established goals for teaching environmental education worldwide, many schools have endeavored to fulfill these goals through the use of various curricula and teaching strategies. Although some progress has been made, most K-12 public schools have not done enough to meet the demands of environmental problems. In 1996, my co-teacher and I designed and implemented an environmental project, called Mission Environment, that we hoped would help our students develop long-term positive environmental attitudes …

Effective Bilingual Practices For Early Childhood Reading And Language Arts :/ A Professional Development Seminar And Model Thematic Unit For English-Spanish Bilingual Educators, Priscila Palomino De Piper

Graduate Research Papers

This project provides a workshop framework for the implementation of effective bilingual practices in early childhood reading and language arts. It is designed as a series of workshops for English-Spanish bilingual educators, with the purpose of providing ideas and strategies to support the development of reading and language arts programs in both languages. It is important to point out that the success of a language program relies not only on excellent research, but also on the support of parents, teachers, administrators and the whole community. It is important to believe that no language is superior to any other, that the …

Adult Distance Learners In Distance Education : A Literature Review, Yu Cao

Graduate Research Papers

Distance education is a current reality creating new opportunities and challenges for educational institutions, offering students expanded choices in where, when, how and from whom they learn, and making education accessible to a large population, especially for adult learners. This paper intends to present and discuss some of the most current research on the issues which influence adult distance learners' learning process. And help the school administrators, distance course designers and distance instructors to truly understand adult distance learners and their learning needs; design an effective and efficient learning environment and experience; facilitate adult learners' learning, provide learners' support to …

Vocabulary : A Building Block In Reading, Lisa L. Capper

Graduate Research Papers

From all of my reading and research, I learned that vocabulary is an essential part of teaching. In all of the curriculum areas, knowledge of vocabulary is important. With word understanding, comprehension grows and so does the student's knowledge.

Vocabulary development activities not only include many opportunities for students to be actively involved with reading a variety of books, but, through vocabulary instruction, the teacher directly teaches important words and strategies to help students understand what they are reading. Through the use of a variety of strategies I observed how different strategies can help students learn and grow in their …

Meeting The Needs Of Gifted Primary Readers, Lori K. Deboer

Graduate Research Papers

Today's classrooms consist of students with a diverse range of social, emotional, and academic abilities. There are young children who enter school already knowing how to read or who learn quickly after they begin their education. Current literature seems to indicate that primary reading curricula in schools are not meeting these students' needs. This project was developed as one method to meet the needs of gifted primary readers.

The project consists of 10 books that were selected to challenge and address the intellectual, social, and emotional needs of gifted primary readers. For each book a series of discussion questions and …

Indivisible, With An Education For All : Differentiation Strategies Used In A Multi-Categorical Classroom, Stephanie Elizabeth Francis

Graduate Research Papers

This article focuses on a pilot study that examines the effectiveness of differentiation strategies when used in a multi-categorical classroom. The writer, a gifted and talented facilitator in a rural Iowa school district, team taught with two other teachers in a classroom where identified learning-disabled and gifted students were clustered together. The purpose of this clustering was to determine the impact of alternative strategies upon special needs students when implemented in a common learning environment. The writer concludes that with careful planning, differentiation can be a positive instructional strategy in a multi-categorical classroom. She also offers recommendations for educators and …

Dvd Technology For Educational Purposes, Donald J. Devore

Graduate Research Papers

This review of literature is about the technology of the Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). Provided is a brief overview of information in the area of DVD technology world, the evolution of DVD technology, areas that have enhanced educational advancement, and directions to be explored.

Promoting Word Recognition Through Parent Workshops, Michelle Lynn Reicks

Graduate Research Papers

Awareness about the powerful influence of the family on children's literacy development has gained national prominence in recent years. Improved consistency between home and school can be reached by teaching the parent about literacy learning in order to reach the child. However, parent involvement can be difficult, especially when their children are considered to be at-risk of having reading delays. To encourage parent involvement through parent workshops can improve literacy development at home, based on the assumption that improving the literacy skills of parents results in better educational experiences for their children.

Positive And Negative Effects Of Television Viewing In Early Childhood, Rachel R. Morris

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the positive and negative effects of television viewing. in early childhood. Benefits, as well as problems,associated with television viewing were discussed. Guidelines to assist parents for using media in positive ways that.match a child's developmental levels and needs were presented. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations made to complement the developmental level of the young child.

Struggling High School Readers' Responses To A Literature-Rich Curriculum, Fran Harrison Stephens

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

The purpose of this study was to determine how struggling readers in 11th grade Applied Communications classes responded to literary texts that are typically taught to college-prep students. Differentiation of literature for college-prep and techprep students began in the early twentieth century; since then, noncollege-bound students have traditionally studied literary texts that have been rewritten on a lower reading level to accommodate struggling readers in these classes. In this research project, I taught 11th grade Applied Communications students the same literature that college-prep students read; using a qualitative research design, I analyzed the impact of this literature on these students. …

Using Authentic Learning To Teach Basic Technology Skills, Steven Burken

Graduate Research Papers

During the past decade, most school districts have been required to write technology plans that have included the goal that students will become technologically literate. Teachers and administrators have been challenged to teach technology skills that will help student solve problems in the work place. What has been commonplace is for schools to offer courses or units in which students acquire skills without applying them to real world problems. This paper takes a look at the literature and research surrounding the use of technology, and the learning of technology skills, in the framework of authentic learning.

Listening To Recent High School Dropouts And The Need To Reconceptualize School Violence Prevention, Beatrice A. Geddie

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

As the high school dropout rates in Georgia exceed the national average, public concern mounts. The complex interactions of internal and external factors that contribute to students' decisions to leave school before graduation require reconceptualizing the educational process on multiple levels. This dissertation addresses current public school policies designed to prevent violent acts and punish offenders, policies that reveal limited understanding of underlying causes, deterministic assumptions and an overwhelming desire for quick fixes. Interviewees deemed many of these policies not only ineffectual, but also as contributing to a negative school climate that encouraged them to drop out. Furthermore, some participants …

A Brief History Of Educational Development: Implications For Teachers And Developers, Richard G. Tiberius

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

An historical review of the practice of educational development identified four belief systems about teaching and learning that shape the practice. Each system is characterized by an assumption about the teacher’s role: content expert; performer, who makes learning happen; facilitator, who encourages learning through interaction; and helper, whose relationship with learners is a vehicle for learning. The good news is that even teachers who are limited to only one of these belief systems can be successful. On the other hand, developers must have an appreciation for more than one belief system if they are to be successful at helping teachers.

Research On Faculty As Teaching Mentors: Lessons Learned From A Study Of Participants In Uc Berkeley's Seminar For Faculty Who Teach With Graduate Student Instructors, Linda Von Hoene, Jacqueline Mintz

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This chapter describes the results of a research study of University of California, Berkeley’s annual seminar for faculty teaching with Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs). It demonstrates that such a faculty development activity can have a significant impact not only on faculty mentoring of GSIs but also on faculty teaching, attitudes, and behaviors vis-à-vis teaching and learning in higher education. The chapter presents an overview of the seminar, a description of the format and methodology of the research project, and qualitative and quantitative outcomes.

Evaluating Teaching Workshops: Beyond The Satisfaction Survey, David G. Way, Virleen M. Carlson, Susan C. Piliero

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Workshops are a prevalent approach to fostering instructional development for both teaching assistants (TAs) and faculty. Frequently we evaluate workshops by asking participants to fill out a satisfaction-oriented survey at the end. To what degree do such surveys evaluate adequately the workshop’s long-term effect on participants’ learning? The authors explicate earlier investigative work on transfer of training, and present the results of a follow-up survey to two groups of TA workshop participants designed to assess the degree to which conditions theoretically conducive to the transfer of training exist at their institution.

Teaching Through Discussion As The Exercise Of Disciplinary Power, Stephen D. Brookfield

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

The French philosopher Michel Foucault spent much of his lifetime analyzing the way in which power flows through all human interactions, including those of discussion groups within higher education. His analysis of disciplinary power and surveillance is directly applicable to the practice of discussion-based teaching.

2002-2003 Graduate Catalog, Morehead State University

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2002-2003 graduate catalog for Morehead State University.

2002-2003 Undergraduate Catalog, Morehead State University

Morehead State Catalog Archive

2002-2003 undergraduate catalog of Morehead State University.

Teaching Mathematical Problem Solving In The Context Of Oregon's Educational Reform, Nicole R. Rigelman

Dissertations and Theses

Implementation of Oregon’s Educational Reform Act (HB 3565 and HB 2991) provides the context for this inquiry as its emphasis on problem solving has impacted mathematics teaching and learning throughout the state. Even though all Oregon teachers are responding to the same policy, their goals in teaching problem solving vary. These goals and these practices are influenced by the way teachers view the role of problem solving in the curriculum. Further, their practice is influenced by their knowledge and beliefs about mathematics content, teaching, learning, and the reform policy. The questions addressed in this study are: (1) What do exemplary …