Digital Commons Network^™

Inside Unlv, Cate Weeks, Shane Bevell, Diane Russell, Leora Baron

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Unlv Magazine, Carol C. Harter, Karen Sharp, Gian Galassi, Tony Allen, Jennifer Lawson, Shane Bevell, Lori Bachand, Regina Vaccari, Pete Codella, Cate Weeks, Erin O'Donnell, Diane Russell, Phil Hagen

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Minutes Board Of Directors Meeting: June 26, 2006, The Davinci Institute

Minutes and Agendas

Directors met in the Conference Room of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education in Oklahoma City.

Legal Education In The Balance: Accommodating Flexibility, Jan Klabbers

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

Technological Literacy – Not Just You And Your Computer, Joseph Scarcella, Susan Daniels

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

One might argue that the word technology is one of the most misunderstood and misused terms in common usage today. Many believe technology to be synonymous with computers, the internet and other high-tech media. This is limited and short sighted view indeed! Technology encompasses both simple and complex artifacts used daily. Pencils, toothbrushes, zippers and toothpicks – not to mention Velcro (!) – for instance, are all examples of what might be considered relatively modern examples of technology. Often, the wonder of “everyday” invention is lost in our current notions of technology. Yet, it is an investigative inquiry into the …

The Power Of Visuals: Picture Books As Invitations To Literacy, Mary Jo Skillings

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

When young children are exposed to picture books, they are building important bridges to literacy. Picture books are sometimes defined as a storybook with a dual narrative. That is, the illustrations and text work interdependently, the integration of the visual and the verbal tell the story. The illustrations add a new dimension that extends beyond the words on the page; together, the text and pictures make the story stronger. A well crafted picture book is a feast for the eyes of a young child. The illustrations awaken and develop the child’s visual, mental, and verbal imagination.

In Our Own Backyard: Critical Theory And The Development Of The San Jacinto Center For Environmental Education, Susanna Hamilton, Darleen Stoner, Randall Wright

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This research addresses the topic of nature centers from a critical theory perspective. This research assumed in part, the question: what are the characteristics of a functional and successful nature center that includes environmental education goals and programs? Nature center administrators from across the United States were surveyed and asked to share their opinions on this topic. Six overall characteristics pertaining to management and vision were identified through an exploratory mixed‑method design. Other components of these characteristics were discovered during the analysis of the data, and include factors such as approaches to education. Recommendations for improving nature centers and their …

Where Visual Literacy And Identity Meet: Adolescents Define Themselves Through Participation In A University Video And Art Enrichment Program, Susan Daniels, Patricia Little, Linda M. Reynolds, Alayne Sullivan

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This article summarizes a project that oriented one hundred and twenty-five gifted and talented middle-school students to university culture through a series of summer workshops that emphasized visual media. Various workshops introduced students to methods of video and art production. The middle-school students created short videos and artistic collages to represent their identity in response to two activities: (a) in-depth explorations of the California State University campus at San Bernardino; and (b) literary reading. Art and video production are revealed as a powerful means of middle-school students’ identity formation and expression; the work summarized herein gains credence through its alignment …

How Have Teachers Affected The Disinterest Towards Mathematics?, Amy Brown

Senior Honors Projects

In our school system today there is a collective disinterest and lack of enthusiasm towards mathematics as a whole. This apathy is prevalent as early as elementary school and continues through higher education. It is disheartening that so many students avoid mathematics because of their misconception that it is too difficult and has little value in their future. How well prepared are our teachers to deal with this? I began my research by looking at the past perceptions of mathematics and how the reform movement has changed this perspective. I also looked at the changing standards and how the Principles …

A Curriculum Unit For 8th Grade Students Of Spanish: ¿CóMo Eras Tú De NiñO? (What Were You Like As A Child?), Cheyenne A. Jones

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The following Independent Study, written in partial fulfillment for a Master of Science degree in Middle-Level Education from Bank Street College, is a nine-lesson curriculum unit on the study of imperfect tense verbs in Spanish. The unit, titled ¿Cómo eras tú de niño? (What Were You Like As a Child?) was designed for 8th grade English-speaking students of Spanish.

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Shane Bevell, Carol C. Harter, Lori Bachand, Cate Weeks, Mamie Peers

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Unlv Magazine, Carol C. Harter, Joe Cockrell, Tony Allen, Regina Bacolas, Lori Bachand, Jennifer Lawson, Bret C. Birdsong, Steve Parker, Erin O'Donnell, Jennifer Robison

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Shane Bevell, Carol C. Harter, Cate Weeks, Mamie Peers, Regina Vaccari

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

La Otra Camina Educativa: Being A Change To Teach A Change At Siidenofal/Cideci In San Cristóbal, Chiapas, Kailee Brickner-Mcdonald

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Eighteen years of my short life have included attending school, and it would be difficult for me to define myself and my interests without involving some sort of illusion to the world of formal learning or my primary occupation of being a traditional student. I was born with a teacher as my mother and since then I have lived in a town with one of the best school systems in New Jersey, chosen to take several classes on topics related to education at The College of William and Mary, and planned to work in a field of education in my …

Teaching Courses Online: A Review Of The Research, Mary K. Tallent-Runnels, Julie A. Thomas, William Y. Lan, Sandi Cooper, Terence C. Ahern, Shana M. Shaw, Xiaoming Liu

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

This literature review summarizes research on online teaching and learning. It is organized into four topics: course environment, learners’ outcomes, learners’ characteristics, and institutional and administrative factors. The authors found little consistency of terminology, discovered some conclusive guidelines, and identified developing lines of inquiry. The conclusions overall suggest that most of the studies reviewed were descriptive and exploratory, that most online students are nontraditional and Anglo American, and that few universities have written policies, guidelines, or technical support for faculty members or students. Asynchronous communication seemed to facilitate in-depth communication (but not more than in traditional classes), students liked to …

Minutes Board Of Directors Meeting: March 24, 2006, The Davinci Institute

Minutes and Agendas

Directors met in the Conference Room of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education in Oklahoma City on March 24, 2006.

Utilizing Web Based Technologies In Problem-Based Learning, William Robertson

Departmental Papers (TE)

This instructional strategy utilizes a Problem-based learning (PBL) approach to curriculum development and delivery. Each student is tasked with designing, developing, and reflecting on an appropriate grade level project that is published as a Web based curriculum. The content of the PBL focuses on a current real world science topic while concentrating on specific concepts and skills in both science and technology. The purpose of this integrative approach is to have the learner demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry that effectively integrates Web based technologies.

Multigenre-Multigendered Research Papers, Mary E. Styslinger

Faculty Publications

Mary E. Styslinger asked high school seniors to explore genre and gender in a nontraditional research project. She then “sought to discover more about what students knew and how students’ knowing was represented.” Her analysis reveals that the multigenre paper can be a powerful form that allows for complexity, questioning, and the development of personal voice.

Education In The Environment: A Hands-On Student Research And Outdoor Learning Experience: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending February 28, 2006, Margaret N. Rees

Reports (PLI Education)

During the past three-months, the focus of the university’s efforts has included the following highlights:

• The 2006 Our Places Tell Stories Conference for place-based educators was held on the UNLV campus, January 24-27, 2006. Attendance totaled 120 participants, who rated the overall content and arrangements at 3.59 on a 4.00 scale.
• Forever Earth was scheduled 22 days in the past three months, benefiting more than 200 individuals.
• A $3,000 donation was received for the Forever Earth program.
• The Year 2 Schedule of Events for the Discover Mojave Outdoor World program is on track for delivering 29 total events, a 190% …

Effects Of Cooperative Learning On Motivation, Learning Strategy Utilization, And Grammar Achievement Of English Language Learners In Taiwan, Hui-Chuan Liao

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

To examine the effects of cooperative learning on EFL students in Taiwan, a 12-week quasi-experimental pretest-posttest comparison group research study was designed. Two college classes (42 students each) in Taiwan participated in the study, one receiving grammar instruction through cooperative learning and the other through whole-class teaching. Three specific research questions guided the study. The first looked at effects of cooperative learning on motivation, the second on out-of-class strategy use, and the third on grammar achievement. Additional exploratory questions examined these results across subgroups within each class as well as the relationships between the dependent variables. Data were collected via …

Self-Assessment And Democratization, Betty Mcdonald Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

This paper takes the stance that self-assessment is an integral part of democratization in classrooms. Defined as ‘the involvement of students in identifying standards and/or criteria to apply to their work and making judgments about the extent to which they met these criteria and standards’ (Boud 1986, p. 5), self-assessment uses principles that promote democracy. Freedom of expression and participation in decision making propel the student to a level outside of the norm that results in excellence in all areas of endeavor, within and without the classroom. Implications for education and society are discussed.

Investigating Culture Through Story, Jennifer Jabareen

MA TESOL Collection

This paper is a description and discussion of a project which incorporates the design for a story-based cultural investigation, based principally on the synthesis of teaching methodologies such as Collaborative Learning, Reader Response Theory and Alternative Assessment and their application to a series of stories. The cultural investigation relies on the application of a five-point graphic model, adapted from the book Teaching Culture: Perspectives in Practice by Patrick R. Moran, which analyzes culture in terms of persons, products, practices, perspectives and community. The paper presents the process by which this project was developed, piloted and assessed, as well as detailed …

Using Tv News To Integrate The Four Skills: A Guide For Efl Teachers, Christina Evans

MA TESOL Collection

These materials were developed to help guide an EFL teacher’s approach to incorporating TV news stories in an intermediate or advanced level course. An introduction and rationale are presented, the role of the instructor is explored and teaching suggestions are offered. An extensive checklist of four skill core activities and a demonstration on incorporating them into a lesson plan are also integrated into these materials.

Exploratory Learning: The Digital Recorder Project: An Investigation Into A Student Designed Project For Finding And Addressing Esl Students’ Listening And Speaking Needs, Joel Cooke

MA TESOL Collection

The Digital Recorder Project was designed to present students with an opportunity to design and implement, as a class, a project that would address speaking and listening issues they experience as ESL students. Each student was required to observe their own speaking via a self-created digital recording and in conjunction with the class, design a unique, individualized method to work on issues he or she identified. This document will present the observations and conclusions about the nature of such a project from the teacher’s perspective. In addition, the paper will use transcripts of class recordings as a means of placing …

Southern Adventist University Undergraduate Catalog 2006-2007, Southern Adventist University

Catalog, Undergraduate

Southern Adventist University's undergraduate catalog for the academic year 2006-2007.

Perceptions Of A Culturally Sensitive Hiv/Aids Curriculum, Yolanda Vivian Mouton

Theses Digitization Project

The focus of the study was to explore to what degree culturally sensitive HIV/AIDS curriculum and materials were perceived as important by African-American students. Students selected for the research (N=121) were from a high school in San Bernardino, California, an area that represents a multiethnic population. Frequency descriptions and bivariate corrrelations were conducted to analyze the data. Trends found in this study indicated African-Americans did not perceive cultural sensitivity as an important aspect of HIV/AIDS education, and correlations between the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) score of African-Americans and their perceptions of the need for culturally sensitive HIV/AIDS education materials …

A Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Curriculum For Secondary Biology Teachers, Raquel Georgina Martinez

All Graduate Projects

Research was conducted in the following areas, which help support the need for a culturally and linguistically responsive curriculum for secondary biology teachers. The history of both bilingual education and science, the importance of bilingual education, a summarization of selected bilingual and ESL models, bilingual and science curriculum, supported bilingual research, standardized tests, science and ELL students, and in closing secondary bilingual research. Based on the conducted research, the curriculum was developed utilizing the late-exit bilingual model, preview/review, and the incorporation of the student's culture.

Bridgewater State College Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2006-2007, Bridgewater State College

Bridgewater State College Catalogs, 1960-2009

No abstract provided.

Anti-Ethnography?, Ian Barnard

English Faculty Articles and Research

"Many of the ongoing difficulties teachers face revolve around the 'translation' of disciplinary knowledge—especially critical theory—into pedagogical praxis. It often seems that our teaching lags behind our theoretical knowledge by about two decades, and sometimes we wonder if it will ever catch up. This sense of disjunction has been compounded by the difficulty of teaching postmodern understandings of subjectivity, truth, and epistemology in an increasingly commodified teaching context, where consumers expect to purchase a clear, identifiable, and literally usable product, and where 'knowledge' often means easily digestible and repeatable content rather than analytic skills, critical understandings, or complex world views. …

Ec798 Residential On-Site Wastewater Treatment: An Overview, Janet R. Hygnstrom, Wayne Woldt, Sharon Skipton

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Answers for homeowners, realtors and lenders about residential on-site wastewater treatment systems.

This publication will answer many questions that homeowners, potential homeowners, realtors and lenders have about residential on-site wastewater treatment systems. Information is based on Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality's "Title 124: Rules and Regulations for the Design, Operation and Maintenance of On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems.