Digital Commons Network^™

Incorporating Nonfiction Into The Primary Grades: A Handbook For K-2 Teachers, Mandee D. Burton

All Graduate Projects

The majority of reading done outside the school setting is primarily nonfiction in nature; however primary teachers continue to emphasize fictional texts in the classroom. Therefore, many students are unprepared for the increase in the use of nonfiction text which begins in the intermediate grades and continues on up through the college years. Students as young as kindergarten benefit from the early exposure to nonfiction in numerous ways including increased background knowledge, vocabulary, and comprehension. A handbook was created to assist teachers (K-2) in incorporating nonfiction into the primary grades. Eight strategies effective in improving students' comprehension of nonfiction as …

Computer Use And Integration Of Elementary School Teachers, Samuel L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in this study asks: Could it be that teachers who have high frequency of computer use in the classroom have recognizable characteristics than teachers who have a low frequency of computer use in the classroom?

A data collection instrument was develop and distributed to 23 classroom teachers at H. B. Wilson Elementary School in Camden, New Jersey. The 47 questions on the survey assessed computer knowledge and uses in the classroom, and a score was given to each category. Some of recognizable characteristics of teachers who had high frequency of computer use in the classroom were the fact …

The Prevalence And Function Of Mathematics Specialists Across Southern New Jersey, Susan M. Eith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine current practices regarding math specialists in the eight southern counties of New Jersey. Additionally, information on training opportunities offered by several universities was presented and compared to the certification requirements of other states. A written survey was mailed to a proportional stratified random sample (n=45), categorized by county and socioeconomic status. Both simple percentages and tests of significance (t-test and chi-squared) were used in analyzing the data. This study found there were no significant differences in the number of math specialists working in economically disadvantaged districts compared to other, more affluent …

Anti-Bullying Laws And Policies In Southern New Jersey, Joanna M. Wardrop

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover the anti-bullying laws set by New Jersey legislatures. It was also to discover whether school districts in the five southern-most counties of New Jersey are following these laws. Finally, this study attempted to discover which, if any, anti-bullying services are being utilized by school districts in these counties.

This study consisted of a survey which was sent to the 110 superintendents in school districts in the five southern-most counties of New Jersey. The survey contained multiple choice, yes/no, and open-ended questions. The goal of the survey was to find the percentages of …

Web-Based Transitioning For Students With Disabilities: Learning From Existing Limitations To Design A Process That Leaves No Child Behind, Kevin Johnson

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

Students with disabilities face numerous obstacles. This is especially true while in the process of postsecondary transitioning, moving from secondary (K-12) to Post-secondary schooling (College, University or Community College). The transitioning process poses obstacles to all students however students with disabilities confront additional obstacles unique to having a disability. Federal law mandates public secondary schools design transition plans, a written plan detailing students transition from secondary to postsecondary school. Secondary schools must also create opportunities for students to develop both academic and life skills critical to successfully take the postsecondary leap and remain successful at the postsecondary level. The need …

Authentic Communication For Japanese Language Learning: A Single Case Study Of Midwestern University Students, Yuki Ozawa

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

The purpose of this single case study was to explore authentic communication for Japanese language learning in second-year Japanese classes at a small, private university in the Midwest. Types of authentic Japanese communication and materials in and outside of Japanese class were studied from four learners’ and one professor’s perspectives.

Data were collected throughout one academic year, the first semester of 2004 through the second semester of 2005. Multiple methods of data collection were used in this study including personal interviews, casual conversations, participant observations of classes and related events, and studying relevant documents including the textbook, students’ study sheets, …

Karen Johnson, Karen Johnson, Institute Of Child Nutrition. Child Nutrition Archives.

Oral History Project (all interviews)

Karen Johnson is a retired child nutrition director in Arizona and a past-president of the American School Food Service Association.

Orchestrating Change At The Departmental Level:, Lari Coakley, Linda Randall

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Academic leaders in higher education must increasingly deal with demands from stakeholders such as students, parents, and government at the same time that they are held accountable for the curriculum and student learning environment (Newman, Couturier & Scurry, 2004; Smith, 2004). In addition, new types of higher education institutions, i.e. the for-profit schools, purport to be more agile in responding to the needs of these various constituencies, putting more pressure on the traditional colleges and universities to react more quickly. Gone are the days of unhurried deliberations and incremental changes that could take years to institute. The loosely coupled organizational …

Rural School District Consolidation, Joe Bard, Clark Gardener, Regi Wieland

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

This paper, developed by the NREA Consolidation Task Force, provides a review of the literature on rural school consolidation, defines consolidation, addresses current research and issues related to consolidation with respect to school size, economies of scale, and student achievement, and concludes with proposed recommendations for the NREA Executive Board.

Leading With The Heart: Coach K’S Successful Strategies For Basketball, Business And Life, Peter A. Maresco

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

If you are a student of leadership, whether in business or in sports, you have no doubt noticed the proliferation of leadership books that continue to make their way onto the shelves of bookstores. After a while one starts to wonder if there can be possibly anything left to write on the subject that hasn’t already been written. Well, perhaps there is; the relationship between leadership in sports and leadership in business, perhaps even leadership in our everyday lives.

Women In The Superintendency: A Study Of Accumulative Disadvantage, Cheryl Evans

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Through the lens of the Salieri effect (Clark & Corcoran, 1986) and accumulative disadvantage, the purpose of the study is to describe and explain the under-representation of women in the superintendency despite their over-representation in the teaching profession. The following will be accomplished: (a) a description of the stories of women’s lives and experiences that pertains to or describe a career in education administration; (b) an analysis of the stories these women tell through the lens of the Salieri effect and accumulative disadvantage; © other realities that may be revealed; (d) an assessment of the usefulness of the Salieri effect …

The Academic Workplace (Spring 2006): Learning Equity-Mindedness: Equality In Educational Outcomes, New England Resource Center For Higher Education At The University Of Massachusetts Boston, John Saltmarsh, R. Eugene Rice, Estela Mara Bensimon, Melissa P. Read

The Academic Workplace

No abstract provided.

Gaining Options: A Mathematics Program For Potentially Talented At-Risk Adolescent Girls, Pamela Trotman Reid, Sally K. Roberts

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

In response to indicators that a decline in interest in mathematics occurs among girls—particularly those from low-income and minority groups—during middle school, the GO-GIRL (Gaining Options: Girls Investigate Real Life) program was designed to help potentially talented at-risk girls. The program aimed to build mathematical confidence, skills, and conceptual understanding by integrating mathematics and social science research in a single-sex, technology-rich environment supported by university student mentors. The program targeted seventh-grade urban girls from public and private schools. Participants met over the course of ten Saturdays to learn research methods, computer skills, mathematics, and descriptive statistics. Quantitative data from the …

Peaceable Schools: Bringing Positive Behavior Support Into Utah Public Education, Paul Caldarella, K. Richard Young

Faculty Publications

This symposium highlights Peaceable Schools, a University-Public School Partnership currently underway in Utah County. Peaceable Schools is a prevention and intervention model for public schools K-12. This project uses Positive Behavior Support principles, which are based on the application of applied behavior analysis, focusing on the promotion of pro-social skills in the public schools. Peaceable Schools uses a positive teaching model to school-based discipline. It attempts to create and build a school culture that communicates explicit, positive expectations for students through posting school rules and consistently promoting positive behavior, rather than reacting in a punitive manner to students’ inappropriate behaviors.

Exclusion Of Girls From Education In Rural Pakistan, Parvez Pirzado

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

No abstract provided.

Roles And Functions: School Psychology Within A Pediatric Setting, Stephanie C. Olson, Ashley M. Rohlk, Susan M. Sheridan, Cynthia R. Ellis

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Presentations

Pediatric School Psychology

-&#;With an increasing number of children with chronic health conditions, the concept of pediatric care has expanded from a primarily medical emphasis to one that is more comprehensive and includes the disciplines of psychology and education (Perrin, 1999).

-&#;Children with developmental disabilities experience symptoms that affect their physical, academic, behavioral, developmental, and social functioning; therefore, collaboration among interdisciplinary professionals is essential.

-&#;Pediatric school psychology represents an “emergence of a subspecialty” within school psychology and includes the competencies of both school psychology and health psychology (Power, DuPaul, Shapiro, & Parrish, 1995).

-&#;Pediatric school psychologists serve as a liaison …

Budgeted Money In Staff Development And Technology Integration, Chad Frerichs

Masters Theses

Many studies have been done on the different styles of professional staff development for teachers and administrators in the area of technology and its integration into the classroom. One element has been consistently ignored in recent studies, the amount of money being spent on staff development.

This research attempted to uncover the relationship between expenditures on staff development activities for educational technology and the extent of technology integration occurring in K-12 schools. With shrinking budgets throughout the education system in this country, an answer is needed. As Butler says in her review of the research, "Further studies of this type …

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 …

Culturally Sensitive Services Using Cbc: A Case Illustration, Diane C. Marti, Katherine Bevins, Susan M. Sheridan

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Presentations

•The United States is becoming an increasingly diverse nation. In 2000, 38% of the US population under the age of 18 was non-Anglo whites and nonwhites.

•In addition, since the 1990-91 school year, the LEP population has grown approximately 105%, while the general school population has grown only 12%.

•Many ethnic minority students in English Language Learner (ELL) programs have difficulties achieving in the general education curriculum, and are considered at risk for academic failure (Barona & Garcia, 1990).

•Strong, positive relationships between the home and school systems have been shown to improve a child’s educational experience (Christenson & Sheridan, …

Developing And Integrating A Campus Program For Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning Initiatives, Paul Savory, Amy M. Goodburn, Amy Nelson Burnett

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Based on the successful campus model that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has developed over ten years, and those of our project consortium partners (Texas A&M, Kansas State University, Indiana University–Bloomington, University of Michigan, and University of Kansas), this panel offers suggestions for creating a campus peer review program designed to promote the intellectual work of teaching generally and the scholarship of teaching and learning more specifically. We offer our perspective on approaches for getting started, establishing the project leadership, seeking funding to support a project, recruiting and supporting faculty participants, developing strategies for running the program, and assessing the project’s …

Risks And Opportunities Within Self-Study: A Presentation For The S-Step Sig, American Educational Research Association, 2006, Margaret A. Macintyre Latta, Gayle A. Buck, Teresa Abrahams, Chandra Diaz-Debose, Sandra Dop, Kathy Fuchser, Joyce Lehn, Colette Mast, Virginia Newton, Judith Ruskamp, Sarah Thomas

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

This paper documents a self-study research group from its inception, storying its development and impacts on the curricular lives of 11 participating educators individually and collectively. Drawing on the scholarship of the self-study tradition within educational research (Loughran et al. 2004), we see teacher knowledge as largely untapped and an important source for the improvement of teaching. Positioning participants to look at the sense and selves being made on a continual basis places reflexivity is at the heart of self-study. Our paper reveals multiple ways educators might engage reflexively, considering and reconsidering beliefs about the nature of learners, learning, teachers, …

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation: The Effectiveness Of A Partnership Orientation, Stanley A. Garbacz, Ashley M. Rohlk, Michelle S. Swanger, Kathryn E. Woods, Kathryn A. Black

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Presentations

Families and Schools
Family-Centered Perspective
Partnership-Oriented Perspective
Conjoint Behavioral Consultation
Methods
Variables
Measures
Procedures
Analyses
Results
Discussion
Implications for Practice
Limitations and Future Directions

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.

Accounting Students' Perceptions Of A Learning Management System: An International Comparison, Illias Basioudis, Paul De Lange, Themin Suwardy, Paul Wells

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

The impact and use of technology on learning outcomes for accounting students is not well understood. This study investigated impact of design features of an ‘off the shelf’ Learning Management System (LMS) in teaching undergraduate accounting students. Specifically, responses elicited from students located in the UK, Australia and New Zealand form the basis of the study which reports on a number of design features in the LMS (e.g. delivery of lecture notes, announcements, on-line assessment and model answers) used to deliver learning materials regarded as necessary to enhance learning outcomes. Responses from 825 on-campus students provided international data to develop …

Pediatric School Psychology: Opportunities And Perspectives On Training And Practice, Susan M. Sheridan, Thomas J. Power, Edward S. Shapiro, George Dupaul, Kathy Bradley-Klug, Cindy Ellis

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Presentations

Expanded Model: Address Continuum of Need
Targeted Intervention
Process of School Reintegration
Indicated Level of Prevention
Universal Level of Prevention
Implications for School Psychologists
Interdisciplinary, Intersystemic Collaboration in Pediatric School Psychology
CBC in a Pediatric Context
School Psychology Leadership Specialization in Family-Centered Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Training In Pediatric School Psychology: A Model For Interdisciplinary Collaboration, J.D. Burt, B. L. Clarke, Susan M. Sheridan, A.M. Rolke, K.E. Woods, M.S. Swanger, S.C. Olson

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Presentations

- Approximately 20% of children and adolescents are affected by a mental disorder (National Institute of Mental Health, 2005), 22% suffer from obesity, and an additional 10% suffer from asthma (Creer & Bender, 1995; Troiano, Flegal, Kuczmarski, Campbell, & Johnson, 1995). - Educational reform emphasizes that schools must begin to address how mental and physical health issues are potential barriers to learning (Adelman & Taylor, 1998). - An interdisciplinary approach is necessary to meet the multiple needs of children across systems (Power, Shapiro, & DuPaul, 2003). - The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), American Psychological Association (APA), and the …

Strategic Planning: Is It Worth The Effort? The Superintendent’S Perspective, Ralph Jasparro

Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Teacher Education In Pakistan With Particular Reference To Teachers' Conceptions Of Teaching, Amin Rehmani

Examination Board

This paper discusses teacher education in Pakistan with particular emphasis on teachers’ conceptions of teaching in improving quality of education. This paper is based on an initial study that examines teachers’ conceptions of teaching in the context of Pakistan. The study seeks to explore whether teachers’ conceptions of teaching influence decision-making in classroom teaching. It describes conditions of teaching and learning in Pakistan and argues for reform in teacher education to improve quality of teaching and learning.

Externalizing Tacit Knowledge For Improving Leadership Practices: Experiences From Leadership Programmes Under Esra, Muhammad Babur, Sajid Ali

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This paper draws upon the experiences gained from a leadership development course held at AKU-IED that included participants from 9 districts from Sind and Balochistan provinces. It describes the attempt, by the course planners, to conceptualize and deliver the course with a focus on externalizing participants’ tacit knowledge. The paper shares strategies used during the course, and describes successes and challenges in this respect, and the subsequent impact on participants’ learning and practices. Based on the outcome of the course, the paper suggests that the design of leadership and management development courses should focus clearly on strategies that capture and …

A Female Pdt’S Journey In The Northern Areas Of Pakistan, Safida Begum

Book Chapters / Conference Papers

This paper presents the learning journey of a female Professional Development Teacher (PDT) in the context of Northern Pakistan. This journey highlights difficulties for the female PDT in constructing her image as a leader or a change agent in a traditionally male dominated society. The paper explores the major challenges faced by the PDT in putting the theory of leadership into the realities of the context and describes the supporting factors that enabled her to establish herself as a leader. From her experiences, the author draws the processes and strategies for a female leader in a rural male dominated society, …