Digital Commons Network^™

Student Engagement And Project-Based Learning In The Social Studies Classroom, Noelle J. Nelson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, how is student engagement affected through Project-Based Learning in an eleventh grade social studies classroom? It documents one teacher’s ability to incorporate Project-Based Learning in an urban high school social studies classroom. It will show that with the use of Project-Based Learning student engagement does increase. Students are pushed to critically think, problem solve, investigate, and collaborate. The author documents the details of a World War II Project-Based Learning unit and uses related research literature to construct meaning and validate the study. She looks into the different teaching strategies and scaffolding to …

How Can Teachers Motivate Struggling Middle School Readers In An Intervention Classroom?, Heather Young

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this curriculum was: how can teachers motivate struggling middle school readers in an intervention classroom? The author focused her research in the areas of struggling readers, middle school intervention classrooms, and motivation. The research was expanded to include influences on motivation, authentic instruction, and the role of relationships. The goal was to create a curriculum that could be easily implemented and adapted to fit the needs of teachers. A curriculum was created surrounding three main subjects: student choice, building relationships and sustained student reading.

Umm Curriculum Program Changes 11/28/2016, Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Reports

No abstract provided.

When Your Teachers Fail You: The Necessity Of Improving Teachers Training For Quality Education In Cameroon, Monique Kwachou

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

With the underlying hypothesis that the quality of a teachers’ training is directly proportional to the quality of education pupils eventually receive, this essay explores and critiques the basic education teacher training process in Cameroon, using two notable educational theories to assess the possibility of quality education resulting from Cameroonian government-trained basic education teachers. It was found that there is dire need to improve the quality of teachers we train to ensure that they can deliver the quality of education we seek. A brief outline of suggestions is made towards improving the flawed training system.

Curriculum Guide, Annie Buckley

Teaching Tips

No abstract provided.

2016-2017 Ursinus College Course Catalogue, Office Of The Registrar

Ursinus College Catalogues, 1869-Present

A digital copy of the 2016-2017 Ursinus College Catalog. It contains details of the curriculum, departmental requirements and courses of instruction as well as core requirements such as the Common Intellectual Experience (CIE) and Independent Learning Experience (ILE). Academic policies, special opportunities and scholarships, off-campus programs and graduation requirements are also outlined.

Culturally Responsive Vocabulary Curriculum: Third Grade Culturally Responsive Vocabulary Guide, Maureen Mccullagh

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Educational state testing results have shown gaps between students of color and white students for many decades. Research demonstrates that white students perform better on standardized reading tests than do the students of color. The purpose of this project was to create a standardsbased, culturally and linguistically responsive vocabulary guide, to help select vocabulary in order to build a bridge between students’ home vocabulary and academic vocabulary; to support the efforts in closing the achievement gap. Research on best practice for culturally responsive teaching, culturally responsive literacy and vocabulary instruction, including specific strategies to teach vocabulary instruction was integrated. The …

Utilizing The Next Generation Science Standards As A Framework To Create A Climate Change Curriculum, Jenna Totz

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, how can the Next Generation Science Standards be utilized as a framework to create a climate change curriculum? It documents the creation of the middle school climate change curriculum, Next Generation Climate. The curriculum integrates experiential education, argumentation, and modeling all using the most current climate change science. This curriculum was created out of the need for more resources that aligned with the NGSS and to provide educators with the tools to correctly provide climate literacy to their students. The author documents the details of writing the curriculum and uses research literature …

‘What Do You Do With An Idea?’ Differentiating A Fourth -Grade Reading Curriculum Using Gardner’S Theory Of Multiple Intelligences, Medora Elaine Schou

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This curriculum­based capstone answers the research question: How can a fourth­grade reading curriculum be differentiated using Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences? The research examines the value in differentiating curriculum to meet the needs of learners within classrooms. In addition, the author explores literature on best practices in differentiated reading instruction and its connection to MI theory. A twenty day unit was developed using an Understanding by Design framework (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005), wherein Common Core State Standards form the basis for established goals. Student interest, readiness, learning profile, and choice drive the learning activities and assessment options throughout the unit. …

Media Literacy Curriculum For The Adolescent Young Adult Classroom, Leah Oliver

Honors Projects

The American public education system has been lagging behind other developed nations in its implementation of media literacy curricula throughout all grade levels. As mass media outlets (including television, film, magazines, advertisements, and video games) become more prevalent in our society, the accompanying job market and the everyday use of electronic media platforms require high school and college graduates to have at least a basic understanding of how media can be used to disseminate information and to buy and sell products. Moreover, research studies in the field suggest that exposure to popular culture mass media can greatly influence teens’ self-esteem, …

Exploring Schools' Use Of Natural Spaces, M Gilchrist, R Passy, S Waite, R Cook

Plymouth Institute of Education

This chapter focuses on the changing ways in which schools are using natural spaces as part of their pupils’ learning experience. We suggest that learning in natural spaces has undergone something of a renaissance in recent times, and explore the reasons that this might be so. We then examine ways in which schools and other practitioners are using outdoor spaces for play, for non-curricular and for curricular learning. The chapter draws on a range of countries for examples that show how a nation’s cultural ideas about the outdoors can be incorporated into a country’s outdoor learning, and how other ideas …

Physics First: Impact On Sat Math Scores, Craig Earl Bouma

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has become a national priority and the call to modernize secondary science has been heard. A Physics First (PF) program with the curriculum sequence of physics, chemistry, and biology (PCB) driven by inquiry- and project-based learning offers a viable alternative to the traditional curricular sequence (BCP) and methods of teaching, but requires more empirical evidence. This study determined impact of a PF program (PF-PCB) on math achievement (SAT math scores) after the first two cohorts of students completed the PF-PCB program at Matteo Ricci High School (MRHS) and provided more quantitative data …

Exploring Family Heritage And Personal Space To Find Meaning And Content In Student Art, Rebecca Link Wilhelm

Theses and Dissertations

As an art educator, I found student art lacking in meaning and students lacking personal engagement. I sought a way to engage students in more meaningful art-making in the classroom by exploring family heritage and personal spaces. This case study searched the family heritage and personal spaces of students in a junior high art class to engage students and find deeper meaning and context for student art-making. The research was informed through an arts-based inquiry with a/r/tographic influence. It was a qualitative inquiry, mining the familiar for development of a curriculum rich in context and personal significance for students. This …

Political Agendas And Education: Textbook And Geographical Impacts, Rachel Patterson

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This research project analyzed high school United States history curriculum by examining textbooks through a political lens. It questioned who makes curriculum decisions, what the goals of these policy-makers are, and what the implications of an agenda-driven curriculum are. Three textbooks were used and chosen from politically relevant states—California, Texas, and Florida. In addition to being typically “Blue,” “Red,” and “Swing” states, these states are also the three most populous states in the country, respectively. This project studied how students of American public schools learn about the history of their country through a qualitative content analysis, particularly an approach called …

Design Thinking For The Development Of Formal Operations: A Team-Based Middle School Design Curriculum, Stephanie K. O'Dell

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I propose a team-based design curriculum that aligns with the cognitive development of middle school age students. The ability to think abstractly develops at a specific time in development, according to widely accepted cognitive theory. The middle school years are the launching pad of abstract thinking. At this age, students are also primed for learning through social activity. The design process often includes abstract problem solving challenges, and working within a team structure. These ideas build a foundation for a research question—could a team-based design curriculum in middle school strengthen students’ natural cognitive development by providing opportunities …

Coming To The Table: Exploring The Narrative Of Cafe Reconcile And Learning In The Kitchen, Danielle Klein

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In New Orleans, Louisiana, food shapes much of the discourse around cultural history and identity. Residents of this city identify with the historical and cultural significance of the dishes they cook, and as a result foodways as a curriculum emerges as a way to engage individuals in their learning and development. This study is concerned with how students learn in a space where the classroom is not just four walls and rows of desks, but instead is reimagined to also include a kitchen, restaurant, and the context of the local community. Furthermore, this study explores what learning looks like in …

Units Of Study: A Curriculum Supplemented With Problem-Based Learning And Technology, Jami Kristina Vandenberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, How can I provide 5th grade students with opportunities to engage in reading, writing, and talking about texts and ideas across different instructional contexts using technology and problem-based learning? The motivating factor for this capstone was the struggle with providing students dynamic learning opportunities that teach academic content as well as 21st century skills and relevant technology integration. This capstone details problem-based learning as an opportunity to assuage this struggle. The capstone reviews the components of problem-based learning and outlines the research on successful implementation. The capstone goes on to describe the …

Integrating Human Culture, Community, And Sense Of Place Into An Existing High School Environmental Studies Curriculum, Kathy Allen Kline

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone addresses challenges faced by a first year high school teacher on an interdisciplinary team integrating social studies into an environmental studies curriculum. After exploring literature in biodiversity, biocultural diversity, and place-based education, the author determines that the existing curriculum can be enhanced to make stronger connections between people and the places already being studied, including the local community. To that end, this paper presents a sub-unit, developed using the Understanding by Design ® model, that seeks to integrate human culture, community, and sense of place into an environmental studies curriculum. The sub-unit includes six weeks of lessons to …

Assessing Awareness, Interest, And Knowledge Of Fractal Geometry Among Secondary Mathematics Teachers In The United States And China, Suanrong Chen

Dissertations

Fractal geometry has gained great attention from mathematicians and scientists in the past three decades (Fraboni, & Moller, 2008). As a new geometry language and subject, fractal geometry has significant value in teaching and learning secondary mathematics. The present study focused on investigating the current state of mathematics teachers’ awareness, interest, and knowledge of fractal geometry in the U.S. and China, as well as the factors that influence them.

The instrument of the study included a survey and a test designed by the researcher and validated by five experts. The results of the study indicated that secondary math teachers in …

2015-2016 Ursinus College Course Catalogue, Office Of The Registrar

Ursinus College Catalogues, 1869-Present

A digital copy of the 2015-2016 Ursinus College Catalog. It contains details of the curriculum, departmental requirements and courses of instruction as well as core requirements such as the Common Intellectual Experience (CIE) and Independent Learning Experience (ILE). Academic policies, special opportunities and graduation requirements are also outlined.

Learning In Green Spaces : A 1st And 2nd Grade Curriculum On The High Line, Alyssa Anker

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This social studies curriculum provides educators with the framework for teaching 1st and 2nd graders about the High Line and other New York City parks. It provides the lens for students to explore how parks are used, observe the commonalities among different parks, and investigate the uniqueness of the High Line.

Defining Experiential Legal Education, David I.C. Thomson

Journal of Experiential Learning

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Refugees On Jordanian Identity, Max Yenkin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Jordan has become known as the home for refugees from the crises that have occurred along its borders. Several waves of large groups of refugees have come to Jordan: 1948, 1967, 1991, 2003, and 2011-present, with copious amounts of refugees coming from different surrounding countries to Jordan. The Hashemite Kingdom is ruled through keeping relations between the Bedouin tribes that have lived in the area from the founding of the country. This has led to the denial of equality for former refugees who obtained citizenship as well as the other refugee populations in areas such as work and education. As …

Analysis Of Higher Educational Offerings In Operations Management, Heather Lutz, Laura M. Birou, Vijay R. Kannan

Management Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of a large-scale benchmarking study of operations management (OM) courses in higher education. The goal of the research is to drive continuous improvement in the quality and value of the educational experience in academic institutions, and inform the training, development, and recruitment efforts of SCM professionals. A content analysis of a large sample of OM course syllabi was carried out to identify the content of both undergraduate and graduate courses, and the relative importance attached to individual topics. Gaps between topical coverage and what industry experts have identified as the important knowledge, skills and abilities …

Taproot In & Outside The Classroom, Coalition For Education In The Outdoors

Taproot: A Journal of Outdoor Education

The following Wilderness History lesson has been adapted from Wilderness.net a public wilderness information website formed in 1996 through a collaborative partnership between the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute – the federal government’s wilderness training and research arms, respectively – and the College of Forestry and Conservation’s Wilderness Institute at the University of Montana. Additional and extensive wilderness education lessons can be obtained by visiting their websites.

Bridgewater State University Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog 2015-2016, Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater State University Catalogs, 2010-

This 2015-2016 Bridgewater State University Catalog outlines programs of study.

This catalog is an official publication of Bridgewater State University. The rules, regulations, policies, fees and other charges, courses of study, and academic requirements that appear in this catalog were in effect at the time of its publication.

Whether noted elsewhere in this catalog or not, the university reserves the right to change, eliminate, and add to any existing (and to introduce additional) rules, regulations, policies, fees and other charges, courses of study and academic requirements that appear in this catalog, in the Student Handbook or on its website or …

Bridgewater State University Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog 2015-2016, Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater State University Catalogs, 2010-

This 2015-2016 Bridgewater State University Catalog outlines programs of study.

This catalog is an official publication of Bridgewater State University. The rules, regulations, policies, fees and other charges, courses of study, and academic requirements that appear in this catalog were in effect at the time of its publication.

Whether noted elsewhere in this catalog or not, the university reserves the right to change, eliminate, and add to any existing (and to introduce additional) rules, regulations, policies, fees and other charges, courses of study and academic requirements that appear in this catalog, in the Student Handbook or on its website or …

Parasitism Revealed: On The Absence Of Concession, Ann G. Winfield

Education Faculty Publications

An examination of the role of ideologies from the past in shaping educational thought, action, policy and practice in the present. Takes the position that inequality is an expression of a fundamentally parasitic relationship forged during the 17th century colonial push and cemented institutionally in the early 20th century by a progressive version of social Darwinist thought known as eugenic ideology. Considered are the roles of historical disciplinary limitations, memory, and the co-optation of the language of social justice in perpetuating a racist, classist, hierarchy in education that has been bearing fruit for nearly two centuries. Warns against uncritical use …

Foundations: Curriculum & Faculty, University Of Michigan Law School

Miscellaneous Law School History & Publications

Michigan Law Faculty are the best of the best. As you look through these pages, you will see some of their accomplishments: They serve as senior advisers to policymakers and governments around the world, they argue important cases in courts of every level, and they produce superb research that addresses society's greatest problems.

Our faculty also take teaching very seriously. They are dedicated to using their research and experience to help create a curriculum that will challenge and transform you. Michigan Law's rich curriculum features foundational courses that evolve with the needs of the profession, a wide array of upper-level …

Outdoor Education Integrated Curriculum Program Impact On Adolescent Self-Authorship, Amanda Lee Mcgowan

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

One of the challenges currently faced by secondary schools is to teach 21st century skills, such as self-authorship. Self-authorship is the command of one’s life, or the capacity to invent one’s beliefs, identity, and relationships with others. This study investigated the impact a one-semester outdoor education program has on adolescents’ perceived self-authorship development, as measured by the 27-item self-report Self-Authorship Questionnaire (SAQ). The sample population (n=26) for this study was made up of 10th and 12th grade students from two classes of one-semester outdoor education programs at a public secondary school in Ontario, Canada. Analysis of paired t-tests of the …