Digital Commons Network^™

Student Created Multimedia Projects In The K-4 School: Effects On Student Learning, Nancy Sampson

Graduate Research Papers

Walk into any classroom in the country, and you're likely to see students looking up information to produce a written paper which will probably be seen only by the teacher, doing worksheets involving recognition of fraction parts, or answering questions related to the reading in science class, etc. These are all good activities in themselves, but they are also activities that often fall short of developing the student's maximum potential for learning. It has been suggested that the addition of multimedia projects to the classroom can enhance and improve the depth of student learning. This project explores the literature to …

Is The Internet High Performance Technology?, John Semprini

Graduate Research Papers

The intent of this review is to show that the Internet is high performance technology. The review will define indicators of high performance technology that were developed by experts in the field. These indicators can be used to assess the effectiveness of various technologies that are available in schools. The review will then show that the Internet achieves high performance in each area. A technology that meets high performance in all twenty indicators should be considered high performance technology.

Writing Portfolios Across The Curriculum In A Fifth Grade Classroom, Barbara L. Schultz

Graduate Research Papers

Writing portfolios in a fifth grade classroom were used to relate instruction and assessment more closely. A goal of the classroom instructional program was to extend writing experiences across the curriculum. Three students' portfolios were examined to show this instructional emphasis. Descriptions of the children's writing experiences and their portfolio entry responses are presented. This portfolio development experience indicates that the students used writing to learn in a more broad sense. They became more aware of the functions of the composition process. The students progressed from the idea that writing was stories and poems to the idea that writing is …

Parents Nurturing Literacy Through Literature Experiences, Leslie K. Titler

Graduate Research Papers

Parents as their children's first teachers play a significant role in nurturing their literacy. Children who come from home environments in which they have frequent and varied experiences with print material and observe adults interacting with print material for their own purpose usually achieve literacy with ease. Parents who present literature experiences through read aloud sessions to their young children not only extend their conceptual development, sense of story, and knowledge of print, but model an appreciation of language. Picture books, specifically nursery rhymes, alphabet books, predictable texts, books with little or no text, and concept books, can nurture children's …

Three Delivery Systems For Middle School Computer Literacy Curricula, Dale A. Wambold

Graduate Research Papers

This graduate paper, "Three Delivery Systems for Middle School Computer Literacy Curricula," investigates three delivery systems for computer literacy curricula in a middle school setting. The computer literacy curriculum at the middle school level is constantly being updated and changed to accommodate new technology and to implement new and effective teaching methods. There are few guidelines that are available when investigating computer literacy curriculum at the middle school level, but a variety of options do exist for the delivery of whatever curriculum a teacher selects. This review examines several delivery systems for middle school computer literacy curricula and explores the …

The Presence Of Developmental Role Models In Iowa Teen Award Fiction, Ann Jenette Dea

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine if the choice of winning fiction titles by Iowa teens in the Iowa Teen Award Competition reflect developmental role models. This study was a content analysis using the Havighurst Tasks of Adolescence as categories to record the frequency of the occurrence of developmental tasks by main characters of the Iowa Teen Award Winners and Runnersup, 1984-1994. The research findings of this study showed that today's Iowa Teen Award winners and contenders reflected all of Havighurst' s Developmental Tasks. It fmther showed that the developmental tasks attempted or accomplished by the main characters …

Literacy Projects For A Home-School Partnership, Kristi B. Schumacher-Fink

Graduate Research Papers

A literacy program that was implemented and introduced to the parents and students in the writer's third grade classroom is described. The goal of the literacy program was to nurture reading and writing in the home environment. Four literacy projects were included in the literacy program: "Tell Me About Your Child" (parents were invited to share about their children through writing), "Home Response Journals" (students/parents responded to a literature work read at home through the writing process), "Family Stories" (parents/children experienced the writing process together selecting a topic of their choice), and "Literature Retellings" (students responded through expressive activities to …

Enriching Poetry Experiences In A Fourth Grade Classroom, Diane L. Stumme

Graduate Research Papers

Children's responses to poetry and ways to enrich poetry offerings in a grade four classroom are explored. Specific poetry and related experiences, both incidental and teacher-directed, along with learning centers, are presented. Support for children's poetry writing is also offered.

Multimedia In Education, Shouh-Chang Chen

Graduate Research Papers

Multimedia has a role in education, because of its ability to present information in a format that interests the users. It can serve to complement traditional instruction. According to Luehrmann (1994), multimedia instructional software cannot totally replace the human teacher, because the purpose of education is not entirely academic. He further pointed out that schools not only provide the environment for learning, it also lets pupils interact and communicate with adults and peers. Multimedia can potentially offer learners the ability to access information in a appealing format without the direct presence of an instructor. This could reduce the cost of …

The Role Of Narrative In Public Speaking, Takis Poulakos, Marie Nasta, Dave Hoffman, Tom Lacey, Valerie Peterson, Marilyn Bordwell, Tom Lindsey, John Nicholson

Iowa Journal of Communication

One of the most pleasant tasks we have had as instructors in the Speaking Lab over the last two semesters was helping students with their first speech. For unlike other speeches, the objectives of the introductory speech seemed to be the clearest and the most uniform. In a department that houses more than one-hundred TAs, that welcomes diverse approaches to teaching public speaking, and that has no standardized syllabus, speaking assignments with uniform goals are obviously rare. We were pleasantly surprised, therefore, to learn from Rhetoric instructors and students who visited the Speaking Lab how closely related assignments for Speech …

Electronic Databases And Electronic Storybooks In K-12 Schools, Margie Argotsinger

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review describes and analyzes the use of CD-ROM in K-12 schools in particular areas. One area of interest was in how the CD .. ROM storybooks foster learning, especially in the area of language arts. Data was gathered through journal articles and case studies. The literature is divided into three categories. 1 . Advantages and disadvantages of CD-ROM in the K .. 12 setting. 2. Results of a survey of secondary media specialists, who used CD-ROM for reference, in Maine and Pennsylvania. 3. Several case studies involving the CDROM storybooks in language arts. The data revealed that library …

Literature Base Unit On Ants, Bees And Crickets, Lisa S. Foley

Graduate Research Papers

The process of instructional development was engaged in to extend the literature base of the unit on insects, specifically ants, bees, and crickets, for grade two. Quality literature works were gathered to enrich the unit. The result of this project was the development of a rich environment in which the processes of the language arts and science areas were integrated to foster students' in-depth study of the concepts of the unit and thinking-language abilities. The unit was presented through teacher-directed activities and learning centers--sustaining and specific to the unit. Sustaining centers maintained a secure, predictable learning environment as well as …

Extending The Multi-Cultural Literature Base Of A Reading Program Through Experience With Folk Tales, Karen J. Ginn

Graduate Research Papers

Our school district supports the use of the basal approach for reading instruction. This project is intended to extend the literature base of the folk tale unit that is included in the basal reader for grade five. The unit on folk tales in the reader consists of only three stories, one story from each of these cultures--Chinese, African and American Indian. This project extends the offerings of the unit with many works of quality literature to provide a print rich environment. Such an approach gives students a chance to explore the genre in-depth and to interact with the other children …

Female Aggression In Semi-Contact Sports, Karla Ann Sipple

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate female aggression in semi-contact sport. More specifically, two areas were examined: the types of aggression, hostile or instrumental, that occurred in girls basketball and soccer and the types of aggression that were committed within both sports. The subjects (N = 57) for this study were female athletes ( ages 15-18) who were sampled from various Midwestern high schools: basketball athletes (n = 32) and soccer athletes (n = 25). Subjects responded to a modified form of the Bredemeier Athletic Aggression Inventory (BAAGI-S). One way ANOVA's indicated non-significant differences for the …

Acceptability Across Disciplines Of Attribution Retraining Alone And Combined With Learning Strategy Instruction, Melody A. Reeder

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Attribution theory has been reformulated repeatedly over the past 40 years. Seven of the major theories of attribution are discussed in this paper, as well as five attribution assessment instruments. A brief overview of learning strategy instruction is provided also. Based on a review of eleven major school psychology training textbooks and the past five and one half years of major school psychology journals, it was hypothesized that educational professionals have little knowledge, experience, and skills in attribution assessment and intervention. The purpose of the current study was to investigate educational professionals' (i.e., regular education teachers, educational consultants, school psychologists) …

Exercise And Immune Function In Athletes Over Age 50, Lynda L. Graham

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to search for relationships between lifestyle factors and the number of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) suffered per year in older runners. A cover letter and questionnaire were mailed to 1400 members of the Combelt Running Club. It questioned subjects about life-style factors like: (a) education, (b) occupation, (c) race, (d) activity, (e) cold episodes, (f) vitamin/mineral supplements, (g) stress, (h) diet, (i) smoking, (j) alcohol, (k) weight, (1) height, (m) caffeine, and (n) self-remedy for a cold. One hundred and thirty subjects aged 50 years of age and older participated in this study. …

Influence Of Physical Fitness On Susceptibility To Noise-Induced Temporary Threshold Shift In Females, Stacy Claire Bukatz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study investigated the influence of physical fitness on susceptibility to noise-induced temporary hearing loss in 33 females of various fitness levels, and the relationship between temporary threshold shift (TTS) and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) measurements. Behavioral audiometric thresholds and DPOAE measurements were obtained at 2000, 3000, 4000, and 6000 Hz prior to and immediately after 10 minutes of exposure to 108-dB SPL narrow-band noise centered at 2000 Hz. The greatest TTS and largest reduction in DPOAE amplitude occurred at·3000 Hz. However, no significant correlation was observed between TTS and DPOAE at any frequency or between any of the …

Japan And Southeast Asia: Conflict And Cooperation In Environmental Policymaking, Mika Itoh

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

For a long period, it was strongly believed that industrialization was necessary for economic development, and little attention was paid to the possible effects of rapid industrialization on society and environment. Japan was not an exception for this regard. After the Second World War, Japan's economy developed very rapidly, however, this rapid economic growth didn't bring only good side of the story but also the bad side of story. While the quality of living standard was improved greatly due to its economic development, its environment suffered and many Japanese people have suffered from unexpected consequences. By the mid 1960s, Japan …

A Comparison Of Measurement Reliability Between A Sonic Digitizer And A Tape Measure On A Complex Three-Dimensional Object, Diane Darlene (Wheeler) Schou

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Digitizers and scanners have begun to replace traditional devices for measuring three dimensional objects. However, there is a shortage of relevant research to compare digitizer tools with other measuring devices. The objective of this study was to compare the measurement reliability of a sonic digitizer to a traditional measuring tool, the tape measure, for measuring a complex, three-dimensional object. It was hypothesized that:

1. H₁ Data from measurements with the digitizer vary less than data from measurements with a tape measure at the 0.05 level of significance.
2. H₂ The data from eight complex surface measurements taken with a digitizer …

The Effects Of Telephone Technology On Saudi Arabian Society, Khalid I. Otibi

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The current research explores the significance of the introduction of telephone technology into Saudi Arabia. The problem addressed by the research was to identify and describe the cultural and economic significance that the telephone has had in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the research was specifically to study the significance that telephone technology has in the three areas of family ties, business, and transportation. The methodology began with the development a data-collection document. An English version of the document was administered as a pilot test to students at the University of Northern Iowa. This pilot test revealed that the document …

Invisible Walls: Milliken V. Bradley And America's Urban Apartheid, Sonia E. Ingles

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In 1954 the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education ruling nullified the Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) doctrine of "separate but equal." At the time, a racially dysfunctional America looked to the South to observe the results of the Court's sweeping statement. Few realized that, carried to its logical conclusion, the decision would necessarily bring into question the racial practices of every part of the nation. To the dismay of Northerners, blacks began to challenge the unofficial system of segregation which existed outside of the South. The most controversial aspect of this challenge centered around school desegregation and busing. When …

All Our Days Are Numbered --: Journey Through Breast Cancer With Traditional And Alternative Medicine, Tomma Lou Maas

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

All Our Days Are Numbered--Joumey Through Breast Cancer with Traditional and Alternative Medicine brings hope to women who must face breast cancer. In four books, Lorna Jordan shares the events leading up to her disease; her traditional breast cancer experience; her search for alternative medicine which will improve her health; and her journey into good health. Book One, "In the Beginning," presents evidence of Lorna's developing ill health. Beginning in adolescence, Lorna's exposure to mercury, antibiotics, and DDT contribute to her poor health. Later, in early adulthood, she begins to have mood shifts and menstrual disorders. When she takes birth-control …

A Literature-Based Thematic Unit For A Multi-Age Classroom, Diane C. Beard

Graduate Research Papers

The development of a literature-based integrated science unit for a multi-age classroom of 6- to 8-year-olds is based on a review of professional literature and a search of library materials for children. The integrated science unit on Iowa Owls and Bats allows children the opportunity to study animal life in their neighborhood, thus developing a better understanding of the real world around them. The print rich environment with a whole array of literature genres and developmentally appropriate expressive activities gives the children a secure and predictable environment in which to learn and grow socially, mentally, emotionally and physically. This integrated …

Teaching Young Parents About Their Influence On Their Children's Emerging Literacy, Anita E. Sieh

Graduate Research Papers

This article discusses the importance of the parents' role in the development of their children's emerging literacy. This role is described in a review of literature and further explored in three sessions with young parents from an alternative high school. During each session, a book and a related activity were presented. The students received a copy of the modeled book and materials so they could do follow-up activities with their children. The three sessions showed the students how they could participate in their child's emerging literacy.

Ballast Quarterly Review, V10n4, Summer 1995, Roy R. Behrens

Ballast Quarterly Review

A journal devoted to wit, the contents of which are intended to be insightful, amusing, or thought provoking.

The Annual Meeting Of The Iowa Academy Of Science April 21-22, 1995 [Program, 107th Meeting], Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contents:

Program Summary --- 5
General Session Speakers --- 8
Awards --- 11
Symposia Programs --- 12
Poster Session14
Map --- Centerfold
Section Programs/Special Sessions --- 17
Agricultural Sciences --- 17
Anthropology --- 17
Botany --- 19
Cellular & Molecular Biology --- 20
Chemistry, Inorganic --- 21
Chemistry, Organic --- 23
Conservation --- 24
Engineering --- 25
Geology --- 27
Physics --- 29
Physiology/Zoology --- 29
Psychology Linguistics --- 30
Science Teaching --- 31
Annual Meeting Committee --- 33
Local Arrangements Committee --- 33
IAS Officers & Directors --- 34
Future Meetings --- 34

Program Abstracts, 107th Session, Iowa Academy Of Science, April 21-22, 1995, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Presentation abstracts from the annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Science

Attribution Theory And Assessment Of Children, Melody A. Reeder

Graduate Research Papers

Attributions can be defined as a person's beliefs about why he/she succeeded or failed at a task. For example, a person can either attribute success on a job to ability, effort, knowledge, and other internal attributes or to luck, help from others, mood, task difficulty, and other external attributes. Knowledge and understanding of attribution theories, research, assessment, and intervention have important implications for school psychology practice. When school psychologists have gained this knowledge and understanding, they will be better equipped to effectively design intervention plans to assist others in developing success attributions. There are several ways that attributions for student …

The Prevalence Of Females Diagnosed As Conduct Disordered When Dsm-Iii And When Dsm-Iii-R Are Employed: A Comparison, Jodee Jane Bohr

Graduate Research Papers

Historically, significant gender differences have been reported in the prevalence rates of conduct disordered youth (Zoccolillo, 1993). This differential has led to considerable confusion concerning the nature of the disorder and the individuals directly affected. Further, this differential has made it difficult for practitioners, in schools and in other settings, to comprehend the nature of conduct disorders within a rapidly changing society. Zoccolillo reports that male:female ratios have ranged anywhere from 3:1 to 9.3:8. Reasons for this variation are unclear, but may be associated with such factors as the various criteria employed, rapid change of gender roles in society, age, …

Career Services And The International Student, Linda L. Jernigan

Graduate Research Papers

It has been suggested by practitioners in the field that the career planning and placement profession is a dynamic one which must continually reevaluate its direction and services due in part to changing demographic forces (Powell & Kirts, 1980). These changing demographics generally include women, non-traditional students, and minorities--Asian Americans, African-Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians. There is one population, however, which is seldom included in the discussions of shifting demographic factors. That population consists of the thousands of foreign or international students currently attending and graduating from U.S. institutions of higher education. Certainly, foreign students' needs cannot effect a reevaluation …