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An Examination Of Within-Class Grouping Arrangements To Replace Traditional Grouping Practices In Elementary Classrooms, Rhonda R. Bonk

Graduate Research Papers

The dilemma of deciding the most effective means of grouping students for learning activities has been a controversial issue in education for many decades (Manning & Lucking, 1990). Traditionally schools have grouped students by achievement levels and/or perceived ability. Recently, however, ability grouping has been questioned in regard to its ability to provide quality and equitable education for all students, especially those placed in Iowa and middle-ability groups (French & Rothman, 1990).

The Effects Of The Premature Infant On The Family, Frances Bollinger

Graduate Research Papers

The birth of a child is a life altering event. Parents are now responsible for a new life. The birth of a child alters the parent's relationship with each other, their own parents, the community and the rest of their family. Many parents adjust to the new infant without complications. Parents of a premature infant will have a different relationship with their family, friends, and community than do parents of full-term infants. "The birth of a sick or premature infant alters the time accepted events that celebrate a new member of the community" (Goldson, p.32, 1992). Parents feel anxiety, fear, …

Flexible Grouping As A Means Of Nurturing Children's Language Abilities, Brenda M. Clark

Graduate Research Papers

This paper will review the professional literature on ability grouping patterns in traditional reading instruction and their effects on learners. Then elements of flexible grouping will be proposed for implementation into a reading program that nurtures children's language abilities.

What Skills Are Needed In Personnel Management Utilizing Telecommunication As A Training Tool, Veronica Lynn Heno

Graduate Research Papers

According to Daniel Bissonnet (1990) in his article, "The role of high technology in training", as trainers, whether we are firmly entrenched in traditional modes of teaching or are adept at using new tools, the changes that technology imposes on the role of training in corporations are intimidating. The fact remains, though, that high-tech communication products will be used in training. Most consultants agree that as we move into the next decade, technology will require better learning and a broader array of skills and knowledge in the area of telecommunications.

The Home And School Factors That Influence The Development Of Early Literacy In Preschool And Kindergarten Children, Moira Hopkins

Graduate Research Papers

During the past decade, much has been written regarding the development of reading and writing of preschool and kindergarten children. While this topic has been investigated since the late 1800s, it is only within the past 10 years that the research has included children as young as 14 months and even younger (Teale and Sulzby, 1989). Leading researchers in the field, such as Holdaway, 1979; Morrow, 1989; Strickland, 1989; Sulzby, 1986, 1989, 1990; Teale, 1986, 1989, have studied early literacy development, as well as those factors which encourage it.

Elementary Keyboarding Curriculum In A Small Public School Setting, Sharon Lynn Keehner

Graduate Research Papers

The microcomputer is creating a revolution in the workplace and having a major impact on educational programs in the school. With this emphasis on the use of computers, keyboarding is a skill needed to survive and succeed in both educational and occupational settings. Regardless of the ultimate career objectives of students, the keyboarding skills taught today will help them open the doors of tomorrow. The job of business educators is to help students make keyboarding a life-long tool. Hinson and Dickey (1984) pointed out that whether their students go out and work in a warehouse entering inventory or whether they …

Writing Portfolios In The Language Arts Classroom, Lori L. Kleppe

Graduate Research Papers

With the implementation of the whole language concept into language arts programs, the focus is on creating meaning through the language processes. In such a learning environment, children while involved in whole units are active participants in relevant activities that foster their thinking-language abilities (Goodman, 1986).

Appreciation Of American Indian Traditions, Janet M. Lamont

Graduate Research Papers

Multicultural education has been mandated in many areas throughout the United States, for the need to understand other cultures, especially the neglected ones, is recognized as an important goal of education. Educators no longer have the option to ignore the study of minority groups. Simbol (1983) states that there has been a rebirth of the cultural pluralism concept. America is not a melting pot where cultures are dissolved into one new superior American culture.

An Overview Of Foreign Language Instruction In The Elementary School, Ann M. Lassen

Graduate Research Papers

This paper is an overview of foreign language instruction in the elementary school. Through a review of the current literature, the rationale for language instruction at the elementary level is explored. Current program models and frequency of such programs in United States' elementary schools today are identified. Characteristics of successful programs in the areas of planning, teaching methods, and evaluation are addressed. Teacher qualifications are examined and steps being taken to rectify a lack of qualified elementary foreign teachers are offered as suggestions for the future.

Nurturing And Assessing Children's Emerging Writing Abilities, D. Janeece Lasley

Graduate Research Papers

In the past twenty years, writing instructional programs have moved away from an emphasis on form. Currently, the focus is on creating meaning through the composition process. Underlying the emphasis on form was the assumption that if students had all the necessary subskills for writing, they could synthesize them into quality composition (Hieronymous & Hoover, 1987). The recent trend is to center on the whole of the idea, not to accumulate discrete skills. This approach to writing encourages students to take risks, to construct their own meaning, and to learn to integrate prior knowledge with the demands of the writing …

Authentic Assessment At The Middle Level, Christi A. Lines

Graduate Research Papers

Middle School students are unique. As burgeoning adolescents they are going through some of the most profound physical, emotional, social, and intellectual changes of their lives. Compounding this diversity is the fact that individuals do not begin changes at the same time, nor progress at the same rate through this developmental stage. Anyone who has worked with a group of seventh graders can attest to the great variability within the group, as well as the great variability from one developmental domain to another within an individual. The boy with the size 12 shoes may still be operating at a very …

Grouping In Reading Instruction To Extend The Whole Language Concept, Linda S. Schneider

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of the paper is to examine ability grouping and then to offer flexible grouping as one means of extending the whole language concept into the reading instructional program of the elementary school.

The Development Of A Transformational Curriculum Model For Kindergarten, Kathleen Schmitt

Graduate Research Papers

Curriculum is ever-changing in all content areas and grade levels. These changes are necessary and sometimes painful. The needed curriculum changes in early childhood have been well-documented (Bredekamp, 1987), and adventurous teachers are beginning to transform their structured, 1 teacher-centered classrooms to active, student-centered classrooms.

Sexist Portrayals Of Women In Daytime Television, Angela Sommars

Graduate Research Papers

Television is one of the main socializing forces in our culture today. It can mold opinions and attitudes and it can also help to change them. The portrayal of women on television in programs and commercials is still very negative in 1992. Although many people believe women have a more positive image on television today, many of these appearances are deceiving. Television's resistance of the influence of the Women's Liberation Movement is very evident in its continued stereotypes of women in subservient positions to men. Stereotypes of women are shown by the overwhelming majority of female roles in programs, commercials, …

Mckinstry School Media Center Project Card Catalog On Hypercard, Bonnie L. Smith-Davis

Graduate Research Papers

The card catalog is an integral part of any library and the patrons need to know the appropriate method of using it. This HyperCard project was developed to integrate the basics of the card catalog with the visual aspects of the computer for "high-risk" (special learning difficulties) second graders to motivate interest in reading and card catalog. These children were guided through a series of lessons using the HyperCard materials to assist in certain conceptual aspects like distinguishing the elemental parts of the catalog card from one another. The lessons were divided into four sections averaging around thirty minutes each …

Naturalistic Assessment Of Young Children's Writing Abilities, Mary A. Sullivan

Graduate Research Papers

This paper will describe naturalistic assessment, discuss the problems with standardized tests, suggest qualitative assessment measures, and offer ways that qualitative assessment can be implemented into a first grade language arts writing program.

Values Education: Empowering Teachers, Mary J. Trousdale

Graduate Research Papers

The complexity of American society has left schools reeling from new roles and re-examination of the old ones. Dramatic social changes have burdened the schools with responsibilities traditionally left to the family and its support systems. Among the revisited roles comes the task of determining whether values should be taught in our schools. There appears to be a strong belief that schools and families no longer teach a common set of values or ethical principles that appear necessary for a society to sustain a common universally accepted system of governance. What, then, is the role of schools in preparing individuals …

An Examination Of Writing Apprehension Levels Among Student Writers, Kim Yvette Walker

Graduate Research Papers

Many students dislike writing because they feel they cannot write (Basile, 1982). They view writing as an obstacle in their attempts to communicate what they know and in furthering their knowledge. This leads to frustration and hostility towards writing. Students will often develop the attitude that education should not depend on the ability to write (Basile, 1982).

The Gifted Child In Latin America, Dolores M. Shouse Vivas

Graduate Research Papers

The May, 1992, international issue of Roeper Review covered issues in gifted education as evidenced in several areas of the world. China and Korea were represented in Asia. England and the Commonwealth of Independent States were represented in Europe. There were two articles on Australia. Representing the Middle East, there was an article on gifted education in Israel. There were two articles on gifted education in the United States and one related to gifted programs in Canada. On the other hand, there were no articles on gifted education in Latin America.

Picture Storybooks For Speech Communications Curriculum And Extracurricular Activities: An Annotated Bibliography, Del Brink

Graduate Research Papers

High school speech instructors frequently use picture storybooks in their curriculum. Picture storybooks differ from illustrated storybooks and picture books because they are the only type of the three that includes a balanced union between text and illustrations. An observation made at a high school speech contest in Iowa was the impetus for the formation of a bibliography of picture storybooks suitable for speech contest work. The researcher located, read, annotated, and categorized books reviewed in The Horn Book Magazine between 1989 and 1992. Of the 497 books read, 363 formed a bibliography of picture storybooks divided among these categories: …

Model Of A Marketing Plan For Library Media Programs, Ruie Chehak

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to create a model of a marketing plan for library media programs. The plan uses Johnson Elementary School of the Cedar Rapids Community School District as an example for the restructuring idea of interactive learning. The model is organized to compliment the overall strategy of the Cedar Rapids Community School District. The plan is presented in six basic steps: 1) understand the corporate mission and objectives, 2) analyze the situation and environment, 3) determine the goals and objectives, 4) develop the marketing strategies to achieve the desired goals, 5) design an action plan to …

Integration Of Service Learning Into The Public School Curriculum, Rita M. Arnold

Graduate Research Papers

In the researcher's hometown, in the last year of high school, there were two false fire-drills and two intentionally set fires. There was one firecracker set off in a restroom. At this school, swearing, fighting, and stealing among students have become common place. In addition to these, cases of verbal abuse of teachers, teen pregnancies, and substance abuse have increased. All these events happened in a 3 town with a population less than thirty-thousand, and the future does not look bright. This school, like many others is faced with teaching unmotivated students subjects they do not find relevant; it is …

Historical Fiction In The Study Of The American Indian Culture, Kay Lynne Bisinger

Graduate Research Papers

In planning school instructional programs, educators need to consider the cultural diversity in the United States. Children need to become attuned to diversity and at the same time discover the universals that all people share. One means of doing this is through literature experiences that nurture children's awareness and appreciation of different cultures. In selecting multicultural literature for the classroom, teachers need to make informed choices. Portrayals of any culture require sensitivity, accuracy, and positive imagery (Bishop, 1987).

Strategies And Practices To Enhance Reading Comprehension In The Elementary Classroom, Lois Marie Collins Berger

Graduate Research Papers

The heart of reading instruction is comprehension. Today, reading is no longer considered a passive activity, but rather an activity that demands active engagement in the search for meaning. "Comprehension occurs when the reader extracts meaning from the written text rather than when he merely names the words in the text" (Lapp & Flood, 1 984, p. 274). Successful readers are actively involved in the comprehension process. They select and use a variety of reading strategies before they read, while they read, and after they read to help them construct meaning.

Comparison Of Effectiveness: Course-Integrated Information Skills Instruction Or Instruction Of Information Skills In Isolation, Veronica J. F. Mitrisin

Graduate Research Papers

What effect does the course-integrated method of information skills instruction have on student scores on the Reference Section of the "Work Study Skills" subtest of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills compared to the traditional method of teaching information skills in isolation by the library media specialist alone?

The Study Of Play Therapy On The Emotions Of Young Children, Brenda Jean Miller

Graduate Research Papers

There are many people involved in the evolution of play therapy. First a look at Jean Piaget and Erik Erickson's view of play in the stages of childhood development. Piaget (cited in Bruner, Jolly, and Sylva, 1976) felt that children learned through accommodation, experimenting with toys and assimilation, deduction/incorporation of objects into logical schema. Piaget expressed when accommodation and assimilation dissociate, play begins (cited in Bruner, Jolly, Sylva, 1976). In other words, a child experiments with a toy or activity, learns how to use the toy or do the activity, and then does it for happiness and display of knowledge. …

The Effect Of Integrated Shelving On Circulation Of Adult And Juvenile Non Fiction, Nancy Hasenwinkel

Graduate Research Papers

This study analyzed one part of the physical arrangement of public libraries -- the shelving of nonfiction books. The results of the study could offer practical help in one aspect of new or remodeled public library buildings, that is, would it be better to shelve the children's non-fiction books in a separate area, perhaps with the children's fiction books? Or would a better approach be to shelve all non-fiction books, whether on a second grade or college reading level, on the same shelves?

Three hypotheses were proposed dealing with the differences in non-fiction book circulation in two small public libraries …

The Effects Of Electronic Mail On Teacher Isolation, Steven Peiffer

Graduate Research Papers

Research indicates teacher isolation is a significant problem affecting teachers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether teachers who had access to electronic mail in the school setting felt less isolated than teachers who did not have access to electronic mail. High School teachers from four high school were asked to complete a survey on their feelings of isolation from colleagues, administrators, and secretarial staff. Two of the high schools were using electronic mail while the other two schools did not. Results were tabulated and at-test was done to determine whether teachers feelings of isolation were significantly reduced …

An Exploration Of Peer Modeling On Behavior, Language, And Cognition Of Autistic Children In Early Childhood Education, Diana Pritts

Graduate Research Papers

Autism is a developmental disability that for years was closeted as a mysterious ailment that was not often researched, understood or even discussed. When the federal Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-142) was passed, parents, professionals, and even the public started to look for answers to questions about autism that had been left unanswered for years. This law stated that all handicapped children were to be placed in the least restrictive environment.

The Ethics Of Student "Affairs": Intimate Relations Between Residence Hall Directors And Students, Lori Butikofer

Graduate Research Papers

An examination of the literature concerning higher education over the past decade reveals that "ethics" has been a topic of increasing interest. Many professions have taken new steps to ensure that ethical behavior is a top priority, student services among them. Some of the primary professional associations of student services administrators such as the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the National Association of Women in Education (NA WE, formerly NA WDAC) have developed formal statements of ethical standards for their members. Also, many graduate preparation programs in college and university student …