Digital Commons Network^™

Integrating Movement In Elementary Classrooms: Teacher Perceptions And Student Benefits In A Kindergarten Setting, Ferriday R. Green

Honors Theses

Movement integration has been shown to positively influence elementary students’ cognitive performance, engagement, and on-task behavior; however, its use in classrooms remains inconsistent due to various teacher-perceived barriers. This qualitative study investigates the challenges teachers face when implementing movement integration in elementary classrooms and examines whether access to structured, movement-integrated lesson plans influences instructional practices. The study was conducted with one kindergarten teacher at Lafayette Elementary School. Data were collected through two semi-structured interviews—one conducted prior to implementation and one following a two-week intervention period during which the teacher implemented pre-developed, movement-integrated lesson plans aligned with required academic standards. Interview …

Contemplative Classrooms For Ecological Wisdom: Reimagining K-12 Education In Pakistan, China, And Beyond, Maha Shoaib, Jing Lin, Yueyue Wang

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This paper explores the transformative potential of contemplative environmental education in addressing the growing disconnection between humans and the natural world, particularly within K-12 education systems shaped by anthropocentric and capitalist paradigms. Modern schooling often frames nature as an object of study, rather than a sacred, living presence, contributing to ecological alienation amid intensifying environmental crises. We propose a radical shift toward contemplative, holistic education that draws on spiritual, Indigenous, and ecological knowledge systems. Grounded in Daoist philosophy, Islamic teachings on stewardship, Hindu ethics, and Indigenous worldviews, we reimagine education as a relational and sacred engagement with the Earth. We …

Reimagining Masculinities Through Australian Indigenous Pedagogies, Ben Campbell, Anna Rumjahn

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

In the face of intersecting ecological crises and persistent gender inequality, this paper explores how dominant norms of masculinity—marked by control, detachment, conquest, and other ideals rooted in Western, hegemonic paradigms—contribute to environmental degradation. Drawing on ecofeminist theory, Australian Indigenous pedagogies, and contemplative education, we examine how relational, place-based approaches may offer transformative alternatives for boys in schooling contexts. Central to this inquiry is the Learning from Country framework, which positions land as teacher and emphasizes practices of deep listening, reciprocity, and ethical engagement with the more-than-human world.

We argue that this pedagogical approach challenges dominant masculinities by fostering care …

Journeys Of Two Children From West To East: Notes Of A Teacher-Parent, Katherine E. Khan Dr

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

This essay, explores the transformative educational journeys of two children across five countries, viewed through the dual lens of a teacher and parent. Grounded in the principles of Contemplative Education (CE), it draws on over two decades of the author’s experience in global education, weaving personal and professional insights into a narrative that examines how context, culture, and pedagogy intersect in shaping young learners.

The journey begins in the inquiry-rich, nature-based kindergartens of Germany and the nurturing early primary years of the United Kingdom, moves through the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary and Middle Years Programmes, and Big Picture education in …

Walking Towards Wisdom And Wholeness: Contemplative Education And Punjabi Gang Narratives, Nevan S. Sidhu

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

In this article, I examine how contemplative approaches to education can address the fragmenting nature of the Eurocentric British Columbia (B.C.) K-12 education system and allow for the cultivation of wise and whole human beings. More specifically, I draw upon the experiences of B.C. Punjabi male students who have been subjected to deeply harmful and oppressive gang narratives that have been left unaddressed by current educational approaches. Bringing attention to this issue can allow for alternate paradigms to flourish through contemplative approaches to education that would not only support Punjabi males but also support other marginalized students who find themselves …

A Remembrance Ritual In The Classroom--Death, Middle School, And Contemplative Education, Kari Van Gelder

Journal of Contemplative and Holistic Education

Death is generally unspoken, ignored, and considered too difficult to bring forward into our classrooms. Bringing death to my contemplative pedagogy has been essential for me as a teacher and on behalf of my middle school students. The deepest and most reverential way that we do this in my classroom is through an annual remembrance ritual. On this day, we remember people and pets in our lives who have died. We do inner work through journaling and meditation. The heart of our ritual day involves naming, sharing stories, and deep listening. This reflective essay tells the story of developing this …

Why Read In The Age Of Post-Literacy?, Corrine H. Martello

Educational Studies Honors Papers

This research paper aims to answer the question, “Why read?” by exploring the significance and purpose of reading, during what many have begun to call the post-literacy era, in order to convey the message that we as human beings have a fundamental need for reading and a failure to fulfill this need may result in an inability to reach one’s full potential as both an individual and as a society at large.

Bridging The Literacy Achievement Gap With Diverse Children's Literature, Sammy Siemon

Masters Projects

Classrooms across the globe contain immensely diverse populations of students, many of which are not well represented in the texts that they interact with inside of the classroom. This becomes especially noticeable in the intervention setting, when students are already reading below the proficiency level for their grade and may already have doubts about their ability to fit in within the learning space. Read-alouds and repeated rereading are often heralded for their impact on literacy development, they can be utilized in the intervention setting using texts that help to foster student identity, empathy and belonging. This project is grounded heavily …

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal for Florence Normal College, October 1909.

*Press of The Florence Times*

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal of Florence Normal College, January 1911.

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal of Florence Normal College, May 1910.

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal of Florence Normal College, March 1910.

*Press of The Florence Times*

Florence Normal College Quarterly, Faculty Of Florence Normal College

Documents

Faculty Quarterly Journal of Florence Normal College, March 1911.

Ai Need Not Make One Slothful, Roy A. Kaelin Jr

Faculty Publications

As National Louis University seeks to plan and advance its way amid the potential perils and pitfalls of so-named artificial intelligence, one finds that with reasonable workflows and guard rails, the use of AI proposes both potential promise and prospect, to assist and augment the natural intelligence that students and teachers bring to the classroom, encouraging them to pursue STEM-related activities with the preparation and deployment of focused and directed AI-bots. This paper presents examples and a case study of that directed and focused approach, the incremental lessons learned to date, and a proposed path to advance worthwhile AI …

Adsorption Of Pfas On Bridged Functionalized Organosilica Materials, Elisha Lawerh Kabutey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PFAS are hazardous contaminants that have a devastating impact on human health and the environment. Their hazardous nature has led to the development of various adsorption methods for removing these contaminants from water sources. In this study, functionalized organosilica materials were synthesized from bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl] amine using the sol-gel method. The surface amino groups of the organosilica were converted into amine hydrochloride groups. Their adsorption properties were evaluated using salts of perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid. Results showed excellent adsorption capacity of the materials. Adsorption of PFAS leads to particle agglomeration and flotation of the spent material. A column …

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report – Bakersfield Del Oro High School, Xena M. Millan

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This AGED 539 portfolio documents the comprehensive development, management, and continuous improvement of the Bakersfield–Del Oro High School Agricultural Education Program. The portfolio demonstrates alignment with California Agricultural Education Quality Criteria through evidence of curriculum planning, Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) implementation, FFA leadership development, program management, recruitment strategies, advisory committee collaboration, professional development, and long-term program planning. As a newly established agricultural education program, emphasis is placed on creating sustainable systems, increasing student access to experiential learning opportunities, and building a strong foundation for future growth.

A central component of the portfolio is the Quality Criteria Improvement Project, which focused …

Curriculum Evaluation For Imagiedu, Madison Leigh Marchand

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This research examines whether or not ImagiEdu's curriculum aligns with the Indiana Academic Standards for K-8 Computer Science, and to determine if it meets the requirements to be approved as "High-Quality Curricular Materials" by the Indiana Department of Education (DOE). ImagiEdu is an award-winning technology education startup from Sweden, and provides inclusive coding education tools designed to help students imagine their future in the tech world. In this project, the DOE's 2024-2025 High-Quality Curricular Materials Rubric was used to evaluate ImagiEdu's curriculum, including its Scope and Sequence, Teacher Handbook, and over 25 Lesson Plans. The evaluation focused on four main …

Unl Emeriti And Retirees Association Newsletter, May 2026

UNL Emeriti and Retirees Association: Newsletters and Other Materials

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Emeriti and Retirees Association Newsletter, May 2026

Message from the ERA President, Vicki Highstreet

Welcome to new members

Recipe

Volunteer service

Funding opportunity

Wake up your well-being

Programming recaps

Celebration of life: Larry Dlugosh

Memory moments

Conversation Made 'Easy' In The Classroom: The Problem With Women's Education In Nineteenth Century New Jersey, Rebecca Bienskie Jackson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Born in 1877, Rose McDonough grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. She learned French in a local school inside a Congregational Church, and by 1920 was a private teacher. This thesis recovers information about Rose McDonough’s life through a single archival object: Easy Conversations In French, by Gustave Choquet and published by New York’s George R. Lockwood & Son, in 1854. Housed in the Montclair History Center, Rose’s penciled marginalia is scattered throughout. Using book history as the primary methodology, this thesis reads the material object of the schoolbook, marks left by its reader, along with Census records, historic maps, …

2026 May - Mary V. Jordan Center Newsletter, Mary V. Jordan Center, East Tennessee State University

Mary V. Jordan Center Newsletters

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Place-Based Education Professional Development On Faculty Identity And Perceptions Of Nature-Culture Dichotomies, Reyt Middleton

Master's Theses

This qualitative study analyzes how implementing place-based education (PBE) in undergraduate coursework shapes faculty identity narratives and nature–culture positionalities across conceptual lenses of past, present, and future. Three faculty members at a regional Mississippi university engaged in a PBE professional development program; narratively driven pre- and post-implementation interviews were given to participants, then examined via thematic analysis. Framed primarily through lenses of constructivism, with support from critical pedagogy of place, relational and ecological epistemologies, and scholarship on faculty identity, this study posits two research questions—1: How does teaching PBE influence faculty identity narratives across past, present, and future temporalities? 2: …

Navigating Mixedness As A Multiracial Teacher, Casey S. Kraichoke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study utilized Critical Multiracial Theory (MultiCrit) to construct a counternarrative that amplifies the voices of Multiracial teachers, focusing on the development of personal and teacher identity. Specifically, the study critically examines the trajectory of Multiethnic-Racial (ME-R) identity transformation following experiences teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in participants’ heritage Asian countries. Data were collected through one-time semi-structured virtual interviews with fifteen purposefully selected Asian-White Multiracial EFL teachers who had completed a one-year Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) within the past decade. Each participant also provided a written artifact to support the analysis. Participants reflected on …

The Effects Of Vocational Self-Concept Crystallization And Career Choice On Crop Farming Apprenticeship Completers: An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis, Stormy Zane Speaks

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Across the United States, a farmer shortage threatens the future of food production as the population continues to grow. However, farming apprenticeship programs may be a solution to this crisis. This study addressed a gap in research regarding the career decision-making processes of farm apprenticeship completers. Specifically, this study sought to identify whether farm apprenticeship completion resulted in greater vocational self-concept crystallization as well as farming as a career choice. Due to the lack of research, an exploratory qualitative research design was most suitable for this study. Donald Super’s self-concept development theory was the theoretical framework. Self-concept development theory was …

Evaluating The Role Of Hosa–Future Health Professionals In Addressing The Healthcare Workforce Shortage, Amy Warner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States continues to face a significant healthcare workforce shortage, particularly in rural and underserved communities, with implications that extend globally. As a practitioner in health science education, this study was driven by a problem of practice: understanding how HOSA–Future Health Professionals contributes to developing the future healthcare workforce. While the need for effective workforce pipeline strategies is widespread, this study is centered specifically on Oklahoma HOSA as a model of practice within one state. HOSA is designed as an intracurricular extension of health science programs, providing students with opportunities to apply classroom learning through leadership development, competitive events, …

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative And Adaptive Thinkers, Robell Yeung

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Abstract of Project

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative and Adaptive Thinkers addresses a developmental gap in educational practices that prioritize technical proficiency over the psychological frameworks necessary for navigating systemic ambiguity. This project introduces an interdisciplinary, modular curriculum specifically designed for the challenges of emerging adulthood. By synthesizing Creative Problem Solving (CPS), James Clear’s habit architecture, and Martin Seligman’s PERMA model, the curriculum provides a structured pathway for cultivating creative self-efficacy and financial capability. Moving beyond traditional views of innate creativity, this model employs asset-based frameworks to treat cognitive agility and ambiguity tolerance as developable competencies. The project culminates …

Imaginatude!Tm Designing Informal Activity Sessions To Cultivate Creative Confidence And Well-Being In Young Adolescents, Cheryl Harris

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Telling a young adolescent to "be creative" doesn't always land the way adults hope. At a younger age, being told to be creative was easier because creativity was often effortless — erasers became dolls in a tissue box panorama, a pet was recruited as a co-investigator in a backyard mystery hunt, and wacky on-the-spot rules transformed a boring board game into an epic quest. But as young teens become aware that creativity is a highly valued skill for 21st century work and life, that awareness can feel like pressure — arriving precisely at a time when many adolescents are transitioning …

Dungeons And Dragons As Game-Based Learning, Moses Allen

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the use of the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Role-Playing Game as a Game-Based Learning (GBL) model, measuring middle school student perceptions of engagement, motivation, and skill development through interactive storytelling. The study used a Practitioner Research theoretical framework and Thematic Analysis to identify emergent themes from the collected data. The study included gameplay of D&D after school with a small group of participants grades 6-8. Results indicated that participants reported consistently high levels of motivation and engagement. Participants perceived that D&D gameplay promoted the development of 21st Century Skills and middle school curricula skills, specifically …

Observation And Reflection Of Neighborhood And Community 2026: Sdohs: Environment, Food Scarcity, Community, Leigha Diegel, Ryan Smith, Haidy Aziz, Timothy Zhu, Lauren Timmer, Christian Smolen, Tavan Zadeh, Danielle Foster

Patient Education Projects

No abstract provided.

Mississippi Early Childhood Math Resource Guide: Supporting Mathematical Development From Birth Through Age Eight, Melissa Luckett, Systems Change Lab, Mississippi State University, Social Science Research Center, Mississippi State University

Books

The Mississippi Early Childhood Math Resource Guide is a comprehensive, research-informed digital publication designed to support the development of foundational mathematical skills in children from birth through age eight. Developed by the Systems Change Lab at Mississippi State University's Social Science Research Center, the guide translates evidence-based early mathematics concepts into practical, accessible strategies for educators, families, and caregivers. 

Organized by developmental stages, the guide integrates learning domains, age-appropriate math skills, and everyday instructional practices to promote the use of "math talk" and embedded learning opportunities across settings. It incorporates activities, instructional strategies, and resources aligned to support both formal …

Reigniting Identity: Rediscovering My Teaching, Lifelong Learning, And Myself, Rachel Griffith

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

A culmination of two years of work and self-discovery represented through three different types of writing, two academic and one creative. The academic works explore communication and autism in the English classroom, as well as teaching technical writing in practice ways. The creative work is a poetry portfolio that is one of the author's proudest works from their degree track, covering a variety of topics from love to nostalgia to inner turmoil. Together, they narrate three reasons why the author writes, teaches, and lives.