Digital Commons Network^™

Interactive And Textbook Lessons In Science Instruction: Combining Strategies To Engage Students In Learning, Christina Puentes

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Students in elementary classrooms are not receiving science instruction that is engaging and challenging. The review of the literature indicates that the way that the information is presented has more of an impact on the students than simply whether they comprehend the information. Studies show that hands-on science instruction allows success beyond the classroom, hands-on activities excite students about leaning and science in general, and that the hands-on activities create confidence in the children. Research also indicates that students who receive textbook based lessons earn scores similar to students who learn through hands-on lessons. This study explores the effects of …

Strengthening The Precalculus Bridge: Enhancing The Precalculus Student's Understanding Of Tangents To Conics, Biquadratic Equations, And Maxima And Minima, Dinah Lynn Deford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many students face tremendous difficulty in high school and/or college level calculus courses. The author hopes that by introducing students to the following nontraditional three topics prior to calculus, students' understanding of calculus will be enhanced. This thesis focuses on the following topics:

• Tangent Lines to Conics
• Maxima and Minima
• Biquadratic Equations

Because these topics are not generally covered in precalculus courses, there are several possible uses for them. An instructor could use the material as:

• An added classroom resource
• Project assignments for outside classroom study
• A student resource for precalculus advanced studies, or
• An independent study

This thesis assumes …

Unlv Magazine, Grace Russell, Gian Galassi, Shane Bevell, Karyn S. Hollingsworth, Jennifer Lawson, Lori Bachand, Cate Weeks, Erin O'Donnell, Peter Starkweather

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Situating The Georgia Performance Standards In The Social Studies Debate: An Improvement For Social Studies Classrooms Or Continuing The Whitewash, Michael K. Barbour, Mark Evans, Jason Ritter

Education Faculty Publications

After approximately two decades of using the Quality Core Curriculum, in 2005 the State of Georgia began the process of implementing the new Georgia Performance Standard. In this article the authors examine the strengths and weaknesses of this new curriculum, along with the proposed model of implementation. In this examination, the authors will attempt to situate both the standards and their implementation within the current political struggle over curriculum in the United States.

Preservice And K–12 Inservice Teachers' Perceptions Of Appropriateness Of Teacher Self-Disclosure And Its Teaching Effectiveness, Shaoan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations in Urban Services - Urban Education

Situating teacher self-disclosure within a curriculum and instruction context, this research explored preservice and K-12 inservice teachers' perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure and its teaching effectiveness as a component of the informal curriculum as well as an instructional tool. The following research questions were explored: (1) Is there any difference among preservice teachers and K-12 inservice teachers in their perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure? (2) Is there any difference between preservice teachers and K-12 inservice teachers in their perceptions of appropriateness of teacher self-disclosure? (3) Is there any difference among K-12 inservice teachers in their application of teacher …

Making Sense: Reflections On Developing A Social Studies Curriculum For Five- And Six-Year-Olds, Anne Tobias

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper is a reflection on the writing of a social studies curriculum for five and six-year-olds-a study of a neighborhood construction site. It examines the way in which one teacher's commitment to offering children meaningful content evolved into the formulation of her educational philosophy, as influenced by such progressive educators as John Dewey, Lucy Sprague Mitchell, and Caroline Pratt.

Part One of the thesis is divided into three major sections. The first consists of a developmental overview of five- and six-year-olds. The second describes the connections between understandings of basic child development, understandings of a particular group of children, …

A Dynamic Professional Development School Partnership In Science Education, Lawrence C. Scharmann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The author describes the evolution of a traditional on-campus secondary science methods course into a dynamic field- and campus-based professional development school collaboration. Whereas science teaching methods were taught in an isolated and independent course, they are now integrated within an interdependent experiential semester that carefully integrates teaching methods, professional seminars, interpersonal relations, classroom management, reading strategies, and multicultural education into a dynamic field-based curriculum for preservice teachers. A faculty team from the Kansas State University (KSU) Department of Secondary Education conducted a series of meetings to establish a collaborative climate in which to investigate the benefits of simultaneous reform …

Education In The Environment: A Hands-On Student Research And Outdoor Learning Experience: Quarterly Progress Report: Period Ending February 28, 2007, Environmental Education Strategy For Nevada

Reports (PLI Education)

• Forever Earth was scheduled and operated for 21 days; it benefited 398 individuals.
• Newly developed grade 4 activities from the Forever Earth curriculum were field tested.
• Three Discover Mojave Outdoor World events were conducted. A partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Nevada is under development; when finalized, this partnership will markedly increase participation in the program. Similar partnership discussions are also being held with local leadership of the local Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA.
• A work plan has been established for Conservation, Education, and Interpretation Program Manager.
• Cultural Inclusiveness workshops were held in …

Guerrilla Puzzling: A Model For Research, Marc Zimmer

Chemistry Faculty Publications

There are two main settings for puzzle solving in higher education: graduate programs, with professors and both graduate and postdoctoral students; and predominantly undergraduate institutions, with professors and students. Research programs at large universities are well-oiled puzzle-solving machines. Graduate students there work long, hard hours in the laboratory, under the supervision of postdocs and professors. Students at predominantly undergraduate institutions, on the other hand, can rarely devote more than 10 hours a week to research during the academic year, what with course work; extracurricular activities, like sports; jobs; and other commitments. In this article, the author describes "guerrilla puzzling," a …

Advanced Placement European History Exam Potentiality, Russell W. Herman

Master of Education Program Theses

This research provides an additional predictive study with regard to AP exam scores. This study correlates the following criteria with AP European History exam scores: cumulative high school Grade Point Average (GPA); average grade (%) in European History; Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITED) Reading and Vocabulary scores; Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) Writing, Reading (Verbal) and Math scores; ACT Reading and English scores; average minutes per day studied; and average days per week studied. The research uses the student's AP score as the criterion variable and the variables listed above as the predictor variables. The need for …

Enrichment Curriculum For Third Grade Mathematically Gifted Students, Brooke Anne Mcallister

All Graduate Projects

Research shows that mathematically gifted students learn differently from their same age group peers. They require curriculum to be differentiated to meet their specific learning styles (Johnson, 2006). Studies have shown that formal instruction in elementary school classrooms often lacks challenge for the gifted learner since courses in regular classrooms sometimes have a relatively narrow range of topics, minimal investigation of concepts, repeated drill and practice, and yearly repetition (Fello, 2004). This project consists of curriculum for third grade gifted math students which takes the regular classroom curriculum to a more contextual level. This unit provides inquiry-based, discovery learning approaches …

Southern Adventist University Graduate Catalog 2007-2008, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Graduate

Southern Adventist University's graduate catalog for the academic year 2007-2008.

Bridgewater State College Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2007-2008, Bridgewater State College

Bridgewater State College Catalogs, 1960-2009

No abstract provided.

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2007-2008, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Undergraduate

Southern Adventist University's undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2007-2008.

Emergent Pedagogy: Learning To Enjoy The Uncontrollable—And Make It Productive, Anne Dalke, Kimberly Cassidy, Paul Grobstein, Doug Blank

Literatures in English Faculty Research and Scholarship

This essay reflects the shared experiences of four college faculty members (a biologist, a psychologist, a computer scientist, and a feminist literary scholar) working together with K-12 teachers to explore a new perspective on educational practice. It offers a novel rationale for independent thinking and learning, one that derives from rapidly developing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary inquiries in the sciences and social sciences into what are known as “complex” or “emergent” systems. Using emergent systems as a model of teaching and learning makes at least three significant contributions to our thinking bout teaching, in three very different dimensions. It invites us …

Inclusive Education In India, Kumar Sanjeev Ph.D., Khagendra Kumar Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

India is one of the few countries world over where the education of children with special needs doesn’t fall within the purview of human resource development ministry. It is generally the burden of the omnibus ministry of social justice and empowerment, the prime focus of which is rehabilitation, not education. In fact, till today it does not have education as part of its agenda and the issue of education of children with disabilities remains imperceptible, hidden from the public domain, a private problem for families and NGOs to deal with. It’s time that governmental agencies as well as mainstream institutions …

Meeting The Needs Of Gifted Students At Quail Run Elementary School: An Action Research Report, Shannon L. Bryant

The Corinthian

Appropriately differentiating for gifted students can be a daunting task. There are many issues to consider when individualizing instruction for the gifted and talented student population. I teach gifted students in an elementary resource setting. This Action Research paper identifies a number of the issues I discovered when conducting my action research project-meeting the needs of my gifted students. I also offer recommendations on how I plan to improve my teaching in particular and gifted education at Quail Run Elementary in general.

An Integrative And Holistic Approach To Implementing Curriculum For A School Garden, Elizabeth Janette Newmeyer

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the project was to develop a curriculum guide that would allow teachers to effectively and efficiently utilize a school garden to teach the required standards while promoting peace among the students. To develop this a thorough review of literature in the following areas was used: school gardening, peace curriculum, and curriculum design.

Increasing Pre-Service Teacher Science Test Success With A Tutorial Cd, William Robertson, Brian Giza, Stephanie Kuehne

Selected Works Temporary Series

Pre-service teachers often perform poorly on high-stakes state certification exams. Noting that there were a few particular items and concepts that seemed to be the most problematical, the authors developed a n HTML and flash-based tutorial CD that contained supplementary video and reference materials designed to assist the prospective teacher in preparing for the exam. Research subjects were studied for their preparation for self-regulated learning, as well as language environment, content background, and other factors. Data from scores on the teacher certification exam was correlated with CD use and demographics to identify the effectiveness of the CD tool as an …

El Uso De Preguntas Y Descubrimiento En El Contexto De Química, William Robertson

Selected Works Temporary Series

This article, written in Spanish, describes the impacts of an effort to increase the teaching abilities of a group of Chemistry Peer Leaders working with undergraduates in fundamental Chemistry classes. The provided abstracts, in Spanish and English, describe the overall approach and the results obtained from the study done in the fall of 2005. A partnership between the College of Education and the College of Science at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) which was developed in order to strengthen the pedagogical methods within the context of chemistry content for student Peer Leaders. The goal was to enhance …

Field-Based Science Education With A Community Service Learning Focus, William Robertson

Selected Works Temporary Series

Field-based program of studies for future teachers provides opportunities for powerful learning through a dialectical union of reflection and action. Methods courses in academic disciplines are linked with seminars and coursework on community partnerships, critical pedagogy and culturally responsive education. This article illustrates the processes of planning, implementation and evaluation of this approach, highlighting the impacts of community service learning on parents, families, students, and schools with a focus on validating native language literacy, increasing parental involvement and providing conceptually correct science education. The project indicates that two-way dual language programs with a strong parent engagement component can help improve …

2007-2009 Catalog, Wku Graduate School

Graduate School

Graduate School catalog regarding admissions, curriculum and policies.

Changes In Preservice Teachers' Observations Of Middle Georgia Schools And Teacher Practice In The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities From 1998 To 2006, Karen K. Brooks Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This mixed method study found that teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion practices in the middle Georgia area in the past six years have become more inclusive. The study also showed that teachers’ attitudes about inclusion varied from elementary, middle and high schools; and those teachers’ attitudes do affect the implementation of inclusion. The participants were preservice teachers in elementary, middle, high school and special education classrooms. They completed a questionnaire to evaluate their field placements by rating their experiences and noting their observations of inclusive education in local schools where they were required to volunteer 20 hours weekly for about six …

Student Use Of, And Engagement With, Information Technology, John Ainley, Laura Engers

Digital learning research

The emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has changed the nature of the learning environments experienced by school students. ... The connection between the learner and the learning environment is central to understanding how virtual learning environments motivate or engage students... The research literature on engagement in general has distinguished between three forms of engagement; behavioural, emotional and cognitive. These distinctions provide a means by which students? engagement with information technology can be described. Behavioural engagement refers to participation (both how much and in what forms) in technology-related activities. In this context behavioural engagement pre-supposes opportunities to engage with …

Increasing Pre-Service Teacher Science Test Success With A Tutorial Cd, William Robertson, Brian Giza, Stephanie Kuehne

Departmental Papers (TE)

Pre-service teachers often perform poorly on high-stakes state certification exams. Noting that there were a few particular items and concepts that seemed to be the most problematical, the authors developed a n HTML and flash-based tutorial CD that contained supplementary video and reference materials designed to assist the prospective teacher in preparing for the exam. Research subjects were studied for their preparation for self-regulated learning, as well as language environment, content background, and other factors. Data from scores on the teacher certification exam was correlated with CD use and demographics to identify the effectiveness of the CD tool as an …

Experiential Programs: Best Practice: Effective Programs Are Experiential, Allison Brody

Education about the Environment

“Teaching by pouring in” refers to a medieval belief that we could teach people by drilling holes in the human head and, with a funnel, pour information into the brain. We laugh at this idea, yet we still see educators and interpreters use passive instruction to “fill up” the brains of their audiences.

Think back on how you learned to ride a bicycle. You took an action, saw the consequences of that action, and chose either to continue or to take a new and different action. What allowed you to master the new skill of riding a bicycle was your …

Lesson Plans Got You Stumped? Gov. Docs. Can Help!, Augustana College - Sioux Falls

Education/Employment

Bibliography and photographs of a display of government documents from Augustana College, South Dakota.

Tree Identification And Age Project, Mark Jensen

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of the Tree Identification and Age Project is to use authentic learning activities to extend the current curriculum to include learning that takes place at high levels of cognition. The methods employed integrate higher-order thinking into learning through a hands-on, problem-based approach to authentic scientific investigation. Using a problem-based approach, the learners apply knowledge and skills to solve real problems. The process involves focusing on the problem, identifying relative information, categorizing, critically analyzing, synthesizing that information and effectively communicating the results.

Assistive Technology : An Instructional Tool To Assist College Students With Written Language Disabilities, Isandra Martinez-Marrero

Graduate Research Papers

In their practice, instructional designers develop instructional materials and learning environments that address the individual needs of learners. However, little research has been conducted on how to address the needs of learners with disabilities, especially in post-secondary education. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the literature regarding the use of Assistive Technology as an instructional tool to assist college learners with written language disabilities. Implications for instructional designers are presented.

Field-Based Science Education With A Community Service Learning Focus, William Robertson

Departmental Papers (TE)

Field-based program of studies for future teachers provides opportunities for powerful learning through a dialectical union of reflection and action. Methods courses in academic disciplines are linked with seminars and coursework on community partnerships, critical pedagogy and culturally responsive education. This article illustrates the processes of planning, implementation and evaluation of this approach, highlighting the impacts of community service learning on parents, families, students, and schools with a focus on validating native language literacy, increasing parental involvement and providing conceptually correct science education. The project indicates that two-way dual language programs with a strong parent engagement component can help improve …