Digital Commons Network^™

Full Steam Ahead: Arts Integration And The Common Core, Amy Hunzelman

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive literature review, examining the role of arts strategies and its effect on student and teacher learning in a kindergarten through twelfth grade school setting. Additionally, the review examined the relationship between arts teaching strategies and classroom curriculum, specifically mathematics. Do students who participate in regular art instruction (music lessons, dance class, etc.) perform better on tests? What are the effects of arts education on youth? How does arts participation impact student's empowerment and sense of accomplishment? Why are arts integration strategies in the classroom effective? And, how can movement enhance …

The Effects Of Weight Bias In Physical Education And The Impact Of Intervention Methods, Chris Ehlert

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this review was to examine the effects of weight bias in physical education programs and discuss interventions that may help to eliminate any negative consequences.

Student Reward Programs In Collegiate Athletics, Danielle N. Bakken

Graduate Research Papers

Incentive marketing is becoming increasingly popular among many brands, companies, and even sports teams. Incentive marketing uses motivational campaigns to promote the consumption or sale of merchandise or services. It encourages consumers to become repeat buyers and/or to become more loyal toward a specific product, brand, or company. An aspect of incentive marketing that is emerging within the sports industry is reward programs; specifically with students of universities or colleges. The goals of student reward programs include increasing awareness and attendance of all athletic events on campus, as well as the possibility of students remaining loyal and purchasing season tickets …

Effectiveness Of The Sport Education Model And Fitness Education Model For Teaching Physical Education: A Review Of Literature, Chad Beaman

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of the paper is to examine the effectiveness of the sport education model and fitness education model in the physical education teaching environment.

Philanthropy And Health Care Reform: An Examination Of The Pertinent Literature Of Philanthropy And Healthcare And How The Two Should Intersect In Today’S Dynamic Healthcare Environment, Mayme Patthoff

Graduate Research Papers

Many factors are diminishing the reimbursements hospitals receive from private (corporate) and public (Medicare and Medicaid) sources. To remain competitive while dealing with these factors, medical centers have begun looking for alternative funding sources to make up for lost revenues. Supplemental funding is needed to advance patient care, conduct innovative research, and educate the next generation of healthcare workers. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive literature review to explore how healthcare systems across the country are thinking about philanthropy and implementing strategic development practices to gain and retain grateful patients and community donors to ensure the …

Developing Clever Players Through Self-Talk, Kirk Artist

Graduate Research Papers

Coaches must instruct and motivate each individual athlete to fit within their team construct and philosophy. Athletes are expected to learn and develop through the feedback that their coaches give them, then execute and perform in practice and game situations. To execute and perform successfully, athletes must be able to take the feedback from coaches and make their own decisions. This sense of autonomy will enable individual athletes to become more clever, which is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary (2011) as, "Skillful or adroit in using hands and body or mentally quick and resourceful" (p. 231 ). Cleverness in athletes …

The Epidemiology Of Breast Cancer Among Men, And Gender-Specific Health Promotion Programming, Noorah A. Alsebiani

Graduate Research Papers

According to Goodman, Tung and Wilkens (2006), little is known about the epidemiology of breast cancer among men, compared to that among women. The challenge is that many studies focus on women as the majority of cancer victims (Reiner, Jacks, van Zee, and Panageas, 2011). According to Al-Haddad (2010), the lack of focus on breast cancer among men results in late diagnosis and an increased risk of mortality among male patients. The lack of focus on male breast cancer means that relatively little information is known about the epidemiology of the disease among men. Without a strong epidemiological understanding of …

The Effects Of Sleeping On Academic Performance And Obesity, Zach Liddle

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this review was to look at the importance of sleep to children and adolescents. Specific goals of this research paper were to a) define the importance of sleep and its' relationships with overall performance, b) understand the relationship between sleep and academic performance, and c) discuss the correlation between sleep and the obesity rate in today's society.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1) Can extra sleep improve students' grades in school?

2) Could the lack of sleep be increasing the prevalence of obesity?

3) Are there things parents and schools can do to help?

Mega Events: Review Of The Economic And Social Impacts Of The Olympic Games And World Cup Tournaments, Robby J. Krapfl

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to research and analyze the economic and social impacts of mega-sporting events. This paper will explore various aspects of hosting the event including costs, urban development, theoretical issues, residents' support, and intangible benefits. In particular, this study may help to assist event stakeholders in Brazil. Brazil is on the verge of hosting two of the largest mega-events in the world. The 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games will both be held in Brazil. This study will focus extensively on previous literature provided by academic scholars in the field of sports economics and …

The Effectiveness Of Selected Components Upon Childhood Obesity Prevention, Brian Kliegl

Graduate Research Papers

In the past few decades there has been a pandemic, but it is not an infectious or a communicable disease it is childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC (2011 ), the definition of obesity in children is having a Body Mass Index (BMI) equal to or greater than the 95th percentile for age, weight and height. The BMI percentile indicates the relative position of the child's BMI among children of the same sex and age. Other weight categories used with children and teens are underweight, healthy weight, and overweight. Underweight is defined as BMI …

Alignment Of A 9th Grade Earth Science Curriculum With The Iowa Core, Courtney Elizabeth Giesel

Graduate Research Papers

In 1990, education was brought to the forefront of federal law with the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The Act was continued during the Bush administration under the name No Child Left Behind (NCLB) (P.L, 2002). These laws became the framework for guiding state education policy (Massell, 2008). Education began experiencing growing pains as lawmakers decided there needed to be better continuity within the American education system, hence the birth of standards-based education.

High School Physics: Virtual Circuit Construction Vs. Real Circuit Equipment, Charlie Leslie Gardner Jr.

Graduate Research Papers

It is amazing to think about the transition of the computer's importance and the abundance of computers within schools. In the last couple of decades, the main purpose has shifted from teaching basic clerical work, to everyday use. It has gone from schools with a single computer room full of bulky desktops, to multiple computer labs, mobile laptop carts, and even personal laptops. Today, advances in technology are taken for granted as we continuously find ourselves surrounded by it. In 2000, there were approximately 1000 American schools using a 1:1 model, which totaled 150,000 laptops (Johnstone, 2003; Dunleavy, Dextert, & …

Student Centered Instruction & Incorporation Of Information, Communications And Technology (Ict) Into The Life Science Curriculum, Cathy Hones

Graduate Research Papers

My job as a high school teacher is a continual quest for helping my students explore and learn about the biological world. However, I also would like them to be self-motivated learners who develop 21st Century Skills to help them succeed as they move on to future learning, working and living experiences. I would like to use ICT (Information, Communications & Technology) tools such as Google Apps and Moodie along with other Web 2.0 tools and incorporate them into my life science curricula in order to meet the following three goals:

The first goal is to take advantage of the …

Science Teaching Methods That Work With At-Risk Students In An Urban Setting, Devin Bryce Yeoman

Graduate Research Papers

Urban science education programs have a plethora of problems associated with them. These include, but are not limited to: a shortage of qualified teachers, declining infrastructure, limited resources, and lack of student interest. Along with these problems, a significant number of students attending urban schools are at-risk of dropping out of school. These students tend to come from low socioeconomic households, they speak English as a second language, and/or they are already low-performing students. Each of these factors places a student at risk of failing. Research studies focusing on improving academic success in inner-city science programs were read and analyzed …

Problem Based Learning Lesson For The Next Generation Science Standards: Earth And Space, Amy Ann Tursi

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Developing The Nature Of Science Skills In At-Risk High School Students: Students “Doing” Science Using Historical Perspectives And Inquiry, Glenn Dewayne Varner

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

Using Readers Theaters To Help Students Develop Reading Fluency, Adrianna D. Cavanaugh

Graduate Research Papers

This study examines how Readers Theater can support the literacy development of struggling readers, especially in regards to improving fluency. The study was done over two school years, each time focusing on four students with the lowest fluency scores. The study focuses on using Readers Theater to increase student's fluency. The first year fiction Readers Theater was used, while the second year the focus was on using nonfiction Readers Theater. The results indicate that using Readers Theater has a positive impact on increasing student's fluency and disposition towards reading. The study showed an increase in students' WCPM from their baseline …

Cold Shoulder: An Alaskan Adventure, Christine C. Berlin

Graduate Research Papers

Multicultural novels are a must for school libraries. Where books about world cultures abound, lacking are sufficient books about Native Americans, especially Eskimos, set in present day. The purpose of this project is to create a resource that introduces life and Yup~ik culture in present-day bush Alaska. This project is limited to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta in Alaska.

Cold Shoulder is a middle grade novel exploring life in Alaska through the eyes of an eleven year old boy. For the first time in his life, the main character is an outsider trying to find his way in a new land and …

Successful Leadership And Communication Within A Company, Ésaïe Toïngar

Graduate Research Papers

When finding causes of all these issues, most of them are the result of lack of leadership and communications within the enterprise. Probably all those issues occur because managers and leaders fail either because they do not properly use their leadership skills or communication skills. Or maybe they do not have both talents in leadership and communications.

Portrayal Of Characters With Disabilities Within K-6 Fictional Literature, Katie Roling

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine how fully characters with disabilities were developed in children's literature. The researcher examined a set of children's fictional books which contained persons with mental and physical disabilities. The sample of books used was gathered using the following method: the Children's Core Collection database was searched using the advanced option. The key words entered were handicapped and disabled, with the limitation to fiction books. The recommendation level chosen was Core Collection and Highly Recommended. Books with a publication year of 2002 or newer were selected. The grade levels criteria used were grades K-6. …

Student, Teacher And Parent Perceptions Of The Role Accelerated Reader Plays In Elementary Students' Reading Motivation, Jannette Thrane

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research study is to describe the perceptions first through fourth grade students, first through fourth grade teachers, and parents of third grade students at Howe Elementary in Ogden, Iowa, have regarding various practices in their reading program which includes Accelerated Reader programming and how they feel those practices influence their/their students' /their child's reading motivation and attitudes toward reading. By first surveying students attitudes toward both academic and recreational reading with the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS) developed by McKenna & Kear, 1990, this research showed how attitudes toward reading are affected by the use of …

A Comparison Of Obesity Patterns Between University Students From The United States And Gulf Arab Countries, Ali Alsultan

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Physical Activity/Fitness On Academic Performance: A Review Of Literature, Michaelene Powell

Graduate Research Papers

No abstract provided.

The Implications Of Quiet Eye Training On Sport Performance, Jeffrey H. Rose Jr.

Graduate Research Papers

This paper explores recent research on the key visual behavior necessary for successful motor skill execution known as quiet eye. Quiet eye has been shown to have a positive effect on sport performance for a broad range of sport specific skills including soccer, basketball, ice hockey, golf, and volleyball. To integrate quiet eye into a coach's perspective, patterns of behavior for unrelated sport motor skills were established, and specific suggestions based on these behaviors have been provided. Furthermore, research shows that quiet eye is highly trainable across a variety of team and individual sports. Detriments to sport performance and quiet …

The Power Of Collaboration And Partnerships, Shawn Dunn

Graduate Research Papers

Although there are many studies, reports, books, and articles on the subject of mergers and acquisitions, there is not a study dedicated to Y mergers. This evaluative report will provide insight from Ys and their Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) who went through and completed a merger. The report will also give local Ys considering a merger, shared services agreement, or management agreement some tips in making the process and transition more smooth. There are common themes that will surface while interviewing and researching the Ys and their merger processes. The themes, tips, and insight will give CEOs and Chief Volunteer …

Volunteer Motivation And Satisfaction: An Examination Of The Pertinent Literature On Volunteer Motivation And Satisfaction, Kevin Kann

Graduate Research Papers

The American Cancer Society is a volunteer driven organization. The purpose for this study was to learn what motivates volunteers and what keeps them satisfied with their role in the organization. There were two secondary purposes of the study: to see if there were any differences between volunteers who are in a metro, rural, or college environment and to find what would make the volunteer experience more rewarding. These purposes tied into the main goal of the study which is to highlight ways to improve the overall experience for volunteers.

A comprehensive literature review was conducted to create a framework …

Misconceptions Of The Teacher Librarian Role, Mary Junker

Graduate Research Papers

The problem identified in this study was the difference in perceptions among what teacher librarians perceive their role to be and what expectations they felt principals and classroom teachers had of them. The purpose of this study was to determine why such dissonance exists between how teacher librarians perceive their own role and how administrators and teachers perceive the role of the teacher librarian.

A survey utilizing both quantitative and qualitative data was conducted to determine what the expectations were of the teacher librarian role and library support staff in school libraries. The survey was sent to 93 K-12 teacher …

Library Paraeducators' Training: Assumptions Or Facts?, Virginia H. Knapp

Graduate Research Papers

Paraeducators seem to be in a quandary. State officials, administrators, teachers, special education teachers, librarians, local educational agencies, community colleges and school boards all have perceptions of what training paraeducators need but few consider the special expectations for a library paraeducator.

The current study seeks responses to the following research questions:

1. How well qualified for their positions do library paraeducators feel?

2. How do library paraeducators describe their job training?

3. What are perceptions-of teacher librarians and administrators regarding the training of paraprofessionals to work in school libraries?

The researcher will examine the requirements of the Iowa Department of …

Collaboration Of The Teacher Librarian And The Classroom Teacher To Incorporate Literature And Information Literacy Skills Into A Sixth Grade Social Studies Unit, Susan A. Klett

Graduate Research Papers

Collaboration between the teacher librarian and classroom teacher is essential to effectively teach information literacy skills and give students a wider view of the world through literature. This action research paper traces the collaboration of the teacher librarian and classroom teacher as they plan and implement a sixth grade social studies unit that incorporates historical fiction, primary sources, and informational text. This paper also analyzes the reaction and learning of the sixth grade students by means of their responses to the SLIM Assessment.

Examining The Benefits Of Technology In Training, Nelson Rokke

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this literature review is to provide an overview of significant literature published on the topic of the benefits of increased technology use for training as an integral component of business strategy. After satisfying initial research requirements set forth by the researcher, 34 peer-reviewed articles published after 2001 were purposefully selected based upon relevancy to the research topic and critically analyzed to identify consistencies, similarities, and differences, in an attempt to explain the motives behind increased investments in technology for training. Three major trends are identified: Globalization Challenges and Benefits for Training Programs Organizational Training and Performance Assessment. …