Digital Commons Network^™

Composing Ourselves: Utilizing Literacy Narratives To Promote Knowledge And Reflection In Preservice Secondary English Teachers, Cheryl Henderson Almeda

Dissertations

My research entails examining and interrogating the literacy narratives written by six preservice secondary English teachers before their first semester of teaching. After writing their literacy narratives, these teachers worked together in two focus groups to consider, celebrate, and interrogate their memories they recorded in their narratives. They shared conversations which focused on their reflections, their teaching strategies, and the ideas they embraced as newly forming teachers.

This study considers claims made by Dewey (1933), Lortie (1975), Schulman (1986), and others, who emphasize the importance of learning through observation and the intuitive nature of reflective learning and teaching. It emphasizes …

The K-Cores Of A Graph, Allan Bickle

Dissertations

Full abstract attached as supplemental file.

4-H Fun With Foods - Lesson 4: Beverages, Georgia C. Lauritzen, Darlene Christensen, Susan Haws, Naomi Weeks, Debra Proctor, Ronda Olsen

All Current Publications

This publication is part of the 4-H Fun with Foods Guide, Lesson 4 provides tips and recipes for making beverages.

Using Mulches In Utah Landscapes And Gardens, Rich Koenig, Kitt Farrell-Poe Phd, Bruce Miller

All Current Publications

This publication discusses the use of mulches in Utah landscapes including benefits and application information.

Wildly Unpopular And Totally Inappropriate, Katherine Tippins

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

"Wildly Unpopular and Totally Inappropriate" is a screenplay about a budding high school romance between two unlikely (and quite opposite) teenagers. The two students, Beth and Alex, go through a series of trials in their relationship before even realizing they like each other: impersonating a parent, sabotaging a dinenr date, suspension, food fights and humiliation.

Maxwell's Suitcase, Peter Bein

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

Novel.

An Application Of Vygotsky’S Social Learning Theory On Calculator Self-Efficacy And Calculator Achievement By Gender, Debbie M. Kohler

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

The purpose of this study is to determine what relationships or differences exist between males and females in calculator self-efficacy and calculator achievement, and if social learning groups better support females in calculator achievement and efficacy. To accomplish this purpose, this quasi-experimental study examined pre-test and post-tests using a teacher developed Calculator Self-Efficacy Instrument and a Calculator Achievement Test. The study involved three treatment classes that were arranged into social learning groups according to Vygotsky’s social learning theory and one control class that was arranged in traditional rows. Four major findings emerged. Males scored significantly higher than females on the …

The Effect Of Classroom Bibliotherapeutic Intervention On Perceptions Of Bullying Among Teachers Of Young Children Aged Four And Five, Patricia Gail Doss

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

This paper investigates how the application of bibliotherapeutic intervention affects teachers’ perceptions of bullying in their young students, ages four and five. Bullying has become a serious global concern that has manifested itself in school dropouts, shootings, and suicides. Bibliotherapy is one way to help children solve problems using books and is advocated by researchers for use with bullying prevention.

Little research has been done on bullying in young children. This qualitative phenomenological study will add to the body of literature regarding bullying in young children ages four and five and will examine perceptions of teachers of young children regarding …

Social Networking In Collegiate Public Relations, Leon Bracey

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

A guide describing the importance of institutions of higher education implement social networking policies and procedures. The project includes a manual and marketing plan that will be implemented by the author of the project at his employer, Georgia Perimeter College.

Quilts As Visual Texts, Marcia Inzer Bost

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

I argue that quilts should be considered as visual texts, one to which theories of visual rhetoric and rhetoric in general can be applied. In drawing together the worlds of academia and quilting, I will use a variety of theoretical lens to explore quilts as texts. As a text, quilts contain units of meaning much like words. These units of meaning will be explored in Chapter 2 “Quilt Talks: How Quilts Communicate.” In this chapter I will follow the model of Elsley and propose a semiotics of quilts, one that can then be applied to any quilt. This semiotics is …

The Lost, Jano R. R. Donnachaidh

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

A novel following five characters in Los Angeles. Beca, Dunk, and Santiago live on the fringe of society. Michael sells drugs, taking advantage of those he believes are beneath him. Andre is the altruistic cop who finds that giving everything might be too much.

The Fertile Dark, Jacob M. Martin

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

The Fertile Dark is a portfolio comprised of approximately forty poems and an introductory essay. All of the poems were written and revised by me while I was a student in the Master of Arts in Professional Writing program, working under the direction of Dr. Jim Elledge and Dr. Ralph Wilson. Although no single theme characterizes the portfolio, the interplay between darkness and light may be seen throughout. As the son of a minister, I am fascinated by these elemental forces and how they shape our lives, our realities, and our beliefs.

Women As Subject And Audience In World War Ii Venereal Disease Posters, Kyra Whitton

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

Internationally, venereal disease first became a major health concern during World War I. Venereal diseases were some of the most common infections and led to more hospitalizations among soldiers than wounds or battle-related illness. The Selective Service discovered that almost fifteen percent of those who were eligible for the draft were already infected with a venereal disease, sparking an intense anti-venereal disease campaign across America. Red-light districts were shut down, and American cities sought new laws that would criminalize prostitution to protect young men from contracting a venereal infection.

Though venereal disease rates were still high during World War II, …

At-Will Employment In The Public Sector: A Case Study Of The Georgia Reform, Olayinka Tejuoso

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

Prior to the advent of at-will employment, elected officials and public managers have laid blame on government in the United States of being distended, unproductive, and impassive. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 abolished the Civil Service Commission and endorsed reformation of workforce practice and policies. Many states in the United States have followed suit, but with limited measures (Battaglio 2010). It is apparent, nonetheless, that a lot of political executives and professional managers have lingered on in aggravation, and are pushing for more considerable influence and stiffness over employees. As a consequence of at-will employment over the years, …

The Needs Of Young Daughters Being Raised By Single Parent Fathers, Nicoma Wood

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

The purpose of this study is to analyze the needs of young daughters being raised by single parent fathers in order to create a program that will assist in addressing these needs. Daddy’s Girl, a program to be founded by the Nicoma Narjett Foundation will be created to provide inspiration, support, character education, and social development to young girls, between the ages of 10 to 16, who are currently being raised in single parent homes, where the father is the primary care taker. The researcher believes that by creating this program under the nonprofit organization, she will be assisting young …

Healthcare Reform In Two States: A Comparative Analysis Of Georgia And Massachusetts, Jason Stansberry

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

Healthcare has been an ongoing conversation throughout the formation of America's sense of values and rights based on its Constitution. The role that the state plays in ensuring access to care based on legislation passed by the United States Congress is crucial for the public administrator to understand. This paper attempts to review the nature of the relationship between two states, Georgia and Massachusetts, and the federal government since the passage of the Healthcare Reconciliation Act of 2010 and the politics surrounding the controversy that has since ensued since the Act’s enactment.

Access to healthcare is an important part of …

Intergovernmental Collaboration In Emergency Management: The Case Of The September 2009 Georgia Flood, Mamadou M. Samba

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

The purpose of this study is to explore the various aspects of intergovernmental collaboration in emergency management at the local, state, and federal level. It provides a descriptive analysis of how these mechanisms interact with each other for effective emergency management. Most importantly, this study provides a unique insight on how Georgia prepared for, mitigated against, responded to, and recovered from the September 2009 flood. There are several important mechanisms for intergovernmental collaboration; among them are the national incident management system, the incident command system, and the emergency management assistance compact. During disasters these mechanisms interact with each other to …

Inequities In Education: The Case Of Fulton County School District, Lyndsay M. Moses

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

On June 30, 2007, after much dissension the United States Supreme Court came to a final decision that public schools are not allowed to use a student’s race or ethnicity as the primary factor in assigning students to particular schools. This ruling comes at a time when there are high levels of residential segregation that are producing resegregated schools. Residential segregation is not only creating racial resegregation, but also a consolidation of poverty. Forty-three percent of African American and Hispanic students attend schools with poverty rates over 80 percent, compared to just 4 percent of Caucasian students (McArdle, Osypuk, and …

The Glass Ceiling: An Analysis Of Women Working For Federal Agencies, Megan Martin

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

Over the years, discrimination based on gender has become a topic of concern. The purpose of this study is to investigate the percentage of women and men working in the federal government agencies. This research also looks into public policies that are designed to improve bureaucratic representation of women in the United States. The paper begins with an explanation of the glass ceiling concept and key findings of the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission. This section is followed by a review of theories that explain why women are discriminated against and why it is important to have women working in public …

The Arts In Cobb County: A Case For Increased Public Funding, Samuel G. Robinson

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

Public funding for the arts has been the subject of debate for many years, particularly since the inception of the National Endowment for the Arts in 1965. Early questions about the role that government has in supporting the arts gave way to significant support at the federal level. A series of controversies in the 1990s, and a shift in opinion regarding the role of the federal government, however, led to the devolution of public funding from the federal to the state level, and a move away from supporting individual artists to supporting arts organizations and arts education programs. As state …

Employment Of People With Criminal Records: An Exploratory Study Of The State Of Georgia, Michael Dutcher

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

Individuals in Georgia with criminal records have many barriers and collateral consequences which impact their ability to find employment upon release from prison. Collateral consequences are those repercussions which impact the ex-offender’s civil liberties after they are released from prison. Research has shown that ex-offenders who do not find gainful employment upon release from prison are more likely to return to prison than those who find gainful employment after they are released.

The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine the current state and federal programs along with nonprofit organizations and discuss how they affect Georgians with criminal records. …

Community's Safety Net: A Comparative Analysis Of The Role Of Nonprofit Hospitals In Barrow And Clayton Counties In Providing Services To Its Medicaid Population, Carlene Coggins, Julie John

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

Nonprofit hospitals serve as part of the healthcare safety net to deliver a significant level of care to low-income, uninsured, underinsured, Medicaid and other vulnerable groups in society. Safety net hospitals are defined as those hospitals where at least 10 percent of the costs of care provided is uncompensated. Nonprofit hospitals are granted tax exemptions from the government and in exchange they are required to meet community benefit standards which include offering care to a relatively large proportion of uninsured or socially disadvantaged individuals.

Increasing poverty levels due to rising unemployment, foreclosures and economic distress have placed the safety net …

Confiscation Or Serving The Public Good?, Gabriel Aramian

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

Throughout the past decade, the idea of overreaching government policy has sparked a disconcerting impression among the American people. Is it true that the government can take private property for the benefit of private interests? After the Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London (2005), a public firestorm erupted, sparking massive public and political discourse that rocked the sphere of property rights nationwide. Although much of the scrutiny was critical, there were those that attempted to illustrate not only the importance of eminent domain, but the damage that excessive limitation through public policy might cause.

The purpose …

Environmental Impact Of The Euro-American Emigration Through Southwestern Idaho (1840-1862): Effect On Native Lifeways, Garrett G. Webb

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

It has traditionally been held by historians that during the period of Euro-American emigration that preceded settlement of southwestern Idaho in 1863, environmental degradation stemming from emigrants undermined native lifeways and incited conflict between the two cultures. The quantitative nature of the emigration, potential ecological impacts, and the historical perspective all suggest that such claims cannot be substantiated. Overall, the negative effect upon native lifeways may have been significantly less than what is maintained by the current historical paradigm. Instead, conditions of mutual interdependence that existed during the fur trade (1811-1840 A.D.) likely persisted throughout the period of emigration. It …

Ancient And Recent Demographic Events Influence Mitochondrial Dna Diversity In An Immigrant Basque Population, Michael Christopher Davis

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Basques are an ancient people, considered by many anthropologists to represent the oldest extant European population. Because of this, they have been the subject of numerous sociological and biological investigations. The Basque Diaspora, a relatively recent demographic expansion of the Basque population, has until now been overlooked in molecular genetic studies. Samples were taken from 53 individuals with Basque ancestry in Boise, Idaho, and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation of the first and second hypervariable regions were determined. Thirty-six mtDNA haplotypes were detected in the sample. Comparing the genetic diversity in the Idaho sample with other Basque populations, …

Review: Hokkeji And The Reemergence Of Female Monastic Orders In Premodern Japan, James C. Dobbins

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Self-Stabilizing Group Membership Protocol, Mahesh Subedi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In this thesis, we consider the problem of partitioning a network into groups of bounded diameter.

Given a network of processes X and a constant D, the group partition problem is the problem of finding a D-partition of X, that is, a partition of X into disjoint connected subgraphs, which we call groups, each of diameter no greater than D. The minimal group partition problem is to find a D-partition {G1, ... Gm} of X such that no two groups can be combined; that is, for any Gi and Gj, where i ≠ j, either Gi U Gj is disconnected …

“You Can Pick Really Good Literature That Will Lead Them There”: Investigating The Instructional Roles Teachers Utilize When Conducting Literature Discussions, Sophie M. Ladd

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this multi-case study was to investigate the instructional roles teachers utilize in whole group and small group discussion. This study highlights the questioning and response strategies two elementary teachers used during read alouds and literature discussions. Data sources included whole group and small group discussions, interviews, teachers' reflection journals, classroom observations, researcher field notes, and Informal correspondence. Data were analyzed using Merriam's (1998) analytic framework for case study. A within-case analysis was conducted for each case, followed by a cross-case analysis. Through with-in case analysis questioning and response categories were developed. These categories included: appealing, prompting, examination, …

Development Of Software To Estimate Pressures On The Residual Limbs Of Amputees By Means Of A Pylon Mounted Transducer, Malli K. Yalamanchili

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The alignment of prosthesis has been recognized as one of the main factors that determine successful prosthetic outcomes for trans-tibial amputees. Alignment is defined as the relative position and orientation of the prosthetic components. Misalignment can result in changes in the position and orientation of the joints of the leg and moments experienced by them during gait, increases in energy use, and discomfort or even tissue breakdown at the socket/stump interface. Hence it is very important to align the prosthesis in correct manner. Gait analysis can be used to examine the effects of incorrect alignment of the prosthesis during gait. …

Characterization Of Unsaturated Flow In Dual-Porosity Granular Media, Jeevan A. Jayakodilage

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A geological medium made up of uncemented coarse porous rock fragments may be described as a “dual-porosity granular medium” due to the presence of two types of pores; small pores within individual fragments and large pores between the fragments. Crushed stone found in heap leach piles, mine waste, backfills, rock drains, and engineered capillary barrier systems fit this description. Unsaturated flow in a dualporosity granular medium will occur both through the fragments (matrix flow), and on the fragment surfaces (film flow). The relative influence of gravity and capillary forces on these two flow regimes will be largely different. Therefore, unsaturated …