Digital Commons Network^™

Using Computer Conferencing Technology To Assist Collaboration Between Higher Education Faculty; Student Teachers And K-12 Practitioners, Richard Stahlhut, Richard R. Hawkes

Faculty Publications

The College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) created collaborative partnerships with nine major school districts in Iowa in order to establish several kinds of relationships between practitioners and university faculty which computer networks facilitated. A new "Cobra" computer conference system was expanded to the nine regional off-campus centers where UNI student teachers were working; and modem-equipped portable computers were linked to the campus through a WATTS telephone line. Personnel; including field-based personnel and practitioners; were then able to communicate with nearly all offices on UNI campus through E-mail and computer conferences. Further programs have recruited teachers …

Iowa Academy Of Science Directory, 1994-95, Iowa Academy Of Science

Iowa Academy of Science Documents

Contents:

Board of Directors ... 3
Program Directors ... 4
Editors ... 6
Committees ... 8
Sections ... 21
ISTS Regional Directors ... 36
Awards of Merit ... 28
Excellence in Science Teaching Awards ... 29
Past Presidents ... 30
Membership Roster ... 31

Reforms In Legislation Governing Judicial Organization In The Soviet Union And In Present-Day Russia: The New Law “On The Status Of Judges In The Russian Federation”, Jason Jeremy Kilborn

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Much scholarly work has been done in the area of Soviet-era law and legal procedure, and this paper attempts to make a continuing contribution to that effort in the new era of the Russian Federation. Drawing upon first-hand experience in the Kuibyshevskii court, this paper will attempt to shed some light on the recent reorganization of the judiciary in Russia by revealing and analyzing very recent changes in the new law concerning the status of judges in Russia. Along the way some speculations on the initial and continuing impact of these reforms on Russian criminal justice will be offered as …

Privacy And Property Versus Accuracy And Access: The Ethical Dilemma Of The Medical Record System, Melissa Pieper

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Although there may have been other issues that have not been addressed in this article for the medical record system alternatives, these are the most critical ones at this time. Both the smart card and the regional network technologies are feasible with respect to cost and technology. However, the implementation of each one means something very ethically different from the other. If a decision is made to employ either system, it should be made only after society decides whether privacy and property or accessibility and accuracy is more important.

Making an ethical decision will not be an easy task, yet …

Examining The Existence Of Burnout In Municipal Leisure Service Organizations In The State Of Iowa, Ronald D. Ramsing

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The term burnout was developed to describe a phenomenon modern work forces were experiencing. Organizations were facing high rates of absenteeism, low productivity, low quality, and reduced economic gains because of this phenomenon. In the later stages of burnout, employees were facing increased levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a sense of diminished accomplishment in their jobs. Although large amounts of research have been conducted in professions such as nursing, teaching, and social work, very little exploration of burnout has occured [sic] in municipal leisure service organizations. The purpose of this study was to explore the existence of burnout within …

Ecoregions And Subregions Of Iowa: A Framework For Water Quality Assessment And Management, Glenn E. Griffith, James M. Omernik, Thomas F. Wilton, Suzanne M. Pierson

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS

Ecoregion frameworks are valuable tools for inventorying and assessing environmental resources, for setting resource management goals, and for developing biological criteria and water quality standards. In a collaborative project between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we have refined boundaries of the EPA's five ecological regions of Iowa and defined six subregions of the Western Corn Belt Plains ecoregion within the state. Lists of candidate stream reference sites have been developed to date for the seven largest regions, and the sites were visited and evaluated by Iowa DNR and U.S. EPA personnel …

Involving Parents In The Consensus Building Process, Cheryl Budlong

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Consensus building is an important skill educational leaders use to generate trust and respect in the community. Because consensus building is a process, it can be learned and developed. However, not all issues can and should be solved by consensus building; for example, legal imperatives may preclude community discussions and decision making. For consensus to occur, all stakeholders must be involved in the process. One critical constituent is, of course, the parent.

Parental involvement in the schools is an essential ingredient in the education of children. Parents are children's first and predominant teachers of the value of school, trust, respect, …

Consensus Building: The Dimension That Makes Everything Work, Robert Decker

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Consensus building has to do with developing relationships between people in all walks of life. Many people believe that human relationships rely heavily on a great deal of talking and little listening. For some of us we have forgotten the concept of diplomacy. To be an effective member of a team whose main objective is to build consensus with a feeling of trust and respect, one needs to develop a variety of techniques.

Relationships are built upon a complex and comprehensive set of conditions and understandings. Some of the ingredients in the recipe for good working relationships are: predictability, no …

Coming To Consensus, Charlene Fulton

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Consensus building is a strength of mine. Allow me to share a few of my experiences to show how consensus building became a strength for me. I was raised on a farm in Southeast Iowa as the fourth in a family of eight children. I learned as a youth that life would be much smoother if I could help work out the differences between my older and younger siblings. In most families, the middle child learns to be the mediator as part of the survival skills of growing up, and I found that helping our family come to consensus was …

Perceptions Which Influence Participation Among At-Risk Youth In Extracurricular Activities, Herbert King

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Little research has been undertaken on levels of participation among students who attend alternative schools. The purpose of this study was to identify reasons youth give for participation or nonparticipation in extracurricular activities during non-school hours. The group of adolescents selected for this study were students in attendance at an alternative high school in Waterloo, Iowa. The design of this research unutilized a non-experimental descriptive approach. A survey methodology was used because: (a) large amounts of data could be collected, (b) the extent of student participation was minimized, and (c) the entire population could be surveyed in one undertaking. A …

A Descriptive Study Identifying Job Satisfaction, Tenure, And Professional Identification Among Nonschool Youth Professionals, Susan L. Hanzelka

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A movement to professionalize the field of non-school youth development is stymied by low salaries and even lower educational standards (Howard, 1993b). This movement is suffering due to a lack of professional preparation of its employees, and to the temporary nature of the work. These conditions have a direct effect on job satisfaction and employee tenure. The purpose of this study was to describe selected elements which positively and negatively impact job satisfaction, length of tenure, and professional identification of professionals working with and for youth in selected non-school community-based programs. Those surveyed in this non-experimental descriptive study were college-degreed …

A Study Of The Nature And Delivery Of The Environmental Health Curriculum In Selected Iowa Schools, Grades 9-12, Craig Allen Zoellner

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to describe the nature and extent of environmental health education currently being offered and taught in selected Iowa high schools during grades 9-12. The sample consisted of 136 high schools in Iowa. Schools in this sample were selected based on high school size using random stratified sampling techniques. A questionnaire was constructed to ascertain the nature and extent of environmental health education. Of the 136 questionnaires mailed, 86 were returned. The data were analyzed descriptively by compilation of frequencies and percentages for responses to each question. The results of this study indicated that within …

Benefits Of Formal Mentoring, Kimberly Hein Hutzell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The development of capable and result-oriented employees is of critical necessity in the business world. During a period of cutbacks and mergers, as well as demanding work schedules and skill qualifications, corporations must identify methods of support and training which not only maintain, but increase and maximize production levels of employees. One method to address these conditions is formal mentoring. Formal mentoring is a deliberate job training partnership which seeks to increase employee performance as well as improve an organization's competitiveness. While this form of experiential learning has a history in the education sector, it has been introduced and implemented …

Proposition 48 Football Players In The Gateway Football Conference: 1986-1991, Todd D. Eagen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of Proposition 48 student athletes competing in football in the Gateway Football Conference. In conjunction with this, the total number of Proposition 48 student athletes at each institution since its implementation was determined. Individual data concerning most often failed requirement, college grade point average, and progression towards a degree were also extracted. Finally, opinions of the head football coaches in the conference concerning Proposition 48 were revealed. Subjects for this study included any Proposition 48 football player entering any of the seven conference schools between the Fall of 1986 …

A Comparison Of The Symbol Sets Used For Augmentative And Adaptive Communication, Clair J. Judas

Graduate Research Papers

This research paper will review current research concerning the acquisition, transparency, and recall of various types of symbol sets and their use as part of an augmentative and adaptive communication (AAC) system for students with severe mental disabilities. The types of symbols sets include: Object symbol sets (nonidentical objects, miniature objects), Photographic symbol sets (identical colored photographs, nonidentical colored photographs, black-and-white photographs), Graphic symbol sets [Picuture Communication Symbols (PCS), Picsyms, Rebus, Self-Talk, and Blisssymbols], and Orthographic symbol sets (written words). It will look at the rate of acquisition, transparency, & recall of these symbol sets. Recommendations will be made concerning …

Design, Development & Implementation Of The Rod Library Navigator, Matthew P. Warming

Graduate Research Papers

The Rod Library at the University of Northern Iowa houses numerous volumes of material and has many services. The collections are spread throughout the library. Unfortunately, librarians are not always accessible to library users. Considering the size of the collections and amount of services available, the Library Instruction Committee, headed by Mr. Stan Lyle and Mr. Tim Wiles, reference Librarians, decided that there needed to be a synthesizer, or conveyer of all of the library collections and services. A number of information distribution methods were already in place (i.e., tours for groups and handouts to explain a majority of collections …

The Judicial Consequences Of Using Drugs: A Substance Abuse Education Program, Kimberly D. Merritts

Graduate Research Papers

Recent surveys indicate that there is good reason to be concerned about drug abuse in the nation's school-age population (Bangert-Drowns, 1988). Twenty-seven percent of high school seniors surveyed in 1986 said they were using drugs other than alcohol and seventeen percent reported already trying cocaine (Johnston, Bachman, and O'Malley 1987). With substance abuse being a serious problem among students, concerned adults have looked to the schools for help, and many schools have responded by creating substance abuse education programs (Bangert-Drowns, 1988).

Personal Space And Territoriality Of Users In An Academic And Public Library, Ruth A. Hamilton

Graduate Research Papers

An observation checklist was used to investigate responses of patrons to intrusion in their personal space. The study was done in a small academic library and a small public library. After the subject was seated an intruder would come in and sit as close to the subject as possible. The responding time was limited to five minutes. The response of the subject was recorded on a detailed checklist. Findings indicated that female subjects make more adjustments than male subjects. In general, adjustments made by subjects were minimal in number and minor in nature.

How Students Perceive The Influence They Have Over Energy Efficiency In Their Homes, Catherine M. Oates

Graduate Research Papers

This study investigated one aspect of the efficacy of an energy-efficiency education learning module. The investigation centered l>n studying the effects of this learning module on the perceived influence which early adolescent students have on their parents about making energy-efficient lifestyle choices. Measures of this perceived influence were obtained, through a survey, both before and after completion of a learning module. This learning module was taught by 25 field test teachers. Students {N=494) and their parents {N=449) represented five different middle schools across northeast Iowa. Four hundred ninety-four students, and their parents, participated in the field test and were …

A Report On The Assessment Procedures Used In The Evaluation Of Student Teaching At The Middle School Level, Joane W. Mckay

Faculty Publications

This conference paper on assessment of the qualities of student teachers in middle schools discusses the concepts of authentic assessment; continuous evaluation; the roles of the cooperating teacher and the university coordinator; and assessment procedures used at the University of Northern Iowa. Eleven categories are presented for use in determining; at mid-term of the student teaching experience; whether a student teacher is meeting the requirements to become an effective teacher. These are: knowledge of content and skills areas; knowledge of learners/learning process; use of instructional planning strategies; use of instructional strategies/teaching styles; use of management and discipline strategies; use of …

School/University Partnerships And The Uni Teaching Associates Cadre Model: Professional Benefits To Prek-12 Educators., Mary J. Selke, Roger A. Kueter

Faculty Publications

The implementation of the University of Northern Iowa's (UNI) Teaching Associates Cadre Model (TAC) Professional Development School (PDS) program is discussed within the context of Kagan's six stages of collaborative relationships: formation; conceptualization; development; implementation; evaluation; and termination or reformation. The TAC was designed to involve school-based practitioners more closely and directly in the preservice and inservice preparation of educators. TAC members are master teachers and experienced cooperating teachers who form professional partnerships with professors and clinical supervisors. Clinical supervisors are jointly employed by UNI and a school system to assist professor-coordinators with practicum supervision of student teachers. TAC members …

What Educators Want In A Master's Program: A Practitioner's Perspective, Mary J. Selke

Faculty Publications

A constructivist practitioner's masters program in professional development (PDMA) was designed and piloted at the University of Northern Iowa. The program provides an option for pursuing a master's in education structured upon the following constructivism-focused framework of components: (1) the program is designed for experienced educators; and all coursework is applicable to the classroom; (2) classrooms serve as field-based learning laboratories; (3) students progress through the program in cohort groups; (4) professors collaborate in teaching teams to deliver an articulated curriculum; (5) electives; seminars; and practice foster individualization within a community of learners; (6) exit outcomes reflect the linkage of …

Writing Portfolios: Descriptive Assessment Of Children's Writing, Barbara M. Bohach

Graduate Research Papers

A trend in the language arts program is to focus on nurturing children's emerging thinking-language abilities while they are involved in the language processes. This view of language learning places children at the center of the instructional program. A school learning environment that supports such activity promotes risk-taking and a sense of ownership. Assessing children's responses in this type of learning environment requires descriptive techniques (Johnston, 1987). In respect to the writing component of the language arts program, descriptive techniques facilitate the appraisal of children's responses as they write to create meaning. Assessment, then, becomes an integral part of the …

A Study Of The Students' Attitudes Toward The Use Of Peer Teaching In The Educational Media Course At The University Of Northern Iowa, Irene Leong Yoke Chu

Graduate Research Papers

Traditionally, learning and teaching situations from elementary school through higher education do not provide opportunities for students to use each other as resources. In fact, more often than not the teacher is their main source of information and help. Such traditional modes of teaching has placed emphasis on individualizing instruction, i.e., self-paced instruction and competition. According to Johnson (cited in Waggoner,1971), in such teaching situations which are outcome-based, very little attention has been given to how students should relate to each other while working on instructional tasks. Collaborative learning modes, on the other hand, focus on learning as a cooperative …

Questions, Question Asking, And The Questioning Environment For A Novice Teacher's Classroom Use, Timothy Burrell

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to provide a novice teacher with important, valuable and easily usable information regarding effective questioning, and the provision of an environment in which students feel comfortable asking questions. Two primary models of questioning are presented and the questioning environment has been discussed. Question interactions initiated by the teacher and those initiated by the students have then been considered. In the final chapter of this paper I discuss the information I believe will be most useful specifically to me in my first few years of teaching. The application of this information in my teaching will …

Conceptual Representation Of The Newtonian Model Of Motion In University Physics Students, Yannis Hadzigeorgiou

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to investigate how undergraduate students at the University of Northern Iowa who had taken prior coursework on non-calculus general physics with a unit on mechanics understand the Newtonian model of motion. In general, the study was concerned with reasoning strategies, the preconceptions that give rise to these strategies, and the schema that might be inferred from the preconceptions. In particular, the study focused on the three fundamental notions of the Newtonian model of motion: {a) that uniform straight line motion is equivalent to rest, {b) that motion is relative to an inertial frame of …

Global Education Attitudes And Practices In Iowa High Schools, Keith L. Stamp

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Global education is a curriculum which is creating considerable debate among educators and lay people. The Iowa Department of Education has mandated that all schools develop a global education program. Clough (1994) reports that "the globalization of American society has greatly increased the incentives for individuals in all parts of the country to become more involved in world affairs" (p. 4) . Therefore, it is important that the attitudes of educators toward global education and the implementation of global education be studied.

The purposes of this study were to identify the attitudes of public high school principals and social studies …

Culture And Cognition: The African American Thinker In The Classroom, Steve K. Hunt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In recent years, the importance of recognizing the unique characteristics of different cultures has drawn increased attention. In fact, many scholars have suggested that educators must be especially concerned with understanding the implications of cultural diversity in the classroom. Specifically, educators are becoming increasingly aware that different cultural groups may utilize different cognitive styles in the classroom. The purpose, of this study was to identify the cognitive styles utilized by African American students in the classroom. The participants in this study were students of a large urban high school in an Iowa community of approximately 95,000. The 43 students who …

Factors Effecting Personal Responsibility And Pregnancy Prevention, Anne M. Brenneman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Teen pregnancy has been an area of concern in the United States for many years. Given the growing number of births to girls between 15 and 19 years of age, it is of no wonder. Teens are taking risks for unwanted pregnancy and disease, although they have no intention of experiencing childbirth. The research continually debates the relationship between birth control, sex education, and the use of that knowledge. The Psychosocial Factors of self esteem and locus of control have also been found to be determinants of adolescent birth control use and sexual activity, although the strength of this determinant …

Fall Commencement [Program], December 18, 1993, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates.