Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Education (432)
- Curriculum and Instruction (126)
- Arts and Humanities (84)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (67)
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education (55)
-
- Teacher Education and Professional Development (46)
- Law (43)
- Higher Education (40)
- Legal Education (35)
- Language and Literacy Education (32)
- Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research (28)
- Curriculum and Social Inquiry (27)
- Educational Methods (27)
- Elementary Education (18)
- Secondary Education (17)
- Early Childhood Education (16)
- Educational Administration and Supervision (16)
- English Language and Literature (16)
- Sociology (16)
- Educational Leadership (15)
- Science and Mathematics Education (14)
- Medicine and Health Sciences (13)
- Disability and Equity in Education (11)
- Linguistics (11)
- Other Education (11)
- Secondary Education and Teaching (11)
- Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education (11)
- Educational Psychology (10)
- History (10)
- Leadership Studies (9)
- Institution
-
- Hamline University (144)
- University of Minnesota Morris Digital Well (37)
- University of Michigan Law School (32)
- Nova Southeastern University (16)
- City University of New York (CUNY) (13)
-
- The University of San Francisco (12)
- Liberty University (11)
- Edith Cowan University (9)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (9)
- Brigham Young University (8)
- Illinois Math and Science Academy (8)
- Purdue University (8)
- Central Washington University (7)
- University of Nebraska at Omaha (7)
- University of South Carolina (7)
- Walden University (7)
- Georgia Southern University (6)
- Loyola University Chicago (6)
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln (6)
- University of South Florida (6)
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (6)
- Bridgewater State University (5)
- Claremont Colleges (5)
- Clemson University (5)
- Lindenwood University (5)
- SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad (5)
- University of Denver (5)
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas (5)
- Utah State University (5)
- Boise State University (4)
- Publication Year
- Publication
-
- School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects (102)
- School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations (42)
- Curriculum Committee Reports (29)
- Res Gestae (25)
- Theses and Dissertations (23)
-
- Electronic Theses and Dissertations (13)
- Master's Projects and Capstones (10)
- Dissertations (8)
- Doctoral Dissertations and Projects (7)
- All Graduate Projects (5)
- Australian Journal of Teacher Education (5)
- MA TESOL Collection (5)
- Masters Theses (5)
- Theses (5)
- Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice College Archive (4)
- Capstone Projects and Master's Theses (4)
- College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (4)
- Curriculum (4)
- Curriculum Committee Minutes (4)
- Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications (4)
- Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects (4)
- IMSA Profile (4)
- Journal of Social Theory in Art Education (4)
- Open Educational Resources (4)
- Russian Language Journal (4)
- UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones (4)
- USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations (4)
- Articles (3)
- Bridgewater State College Catalogs, 1960-2009 (3)
- Honors Projects (3)
- Publication Type
- File Type
Articles 271 - 300 of 616
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Exploring Multi-Sensory Curriculum Development: Grades 3-5 Science In A Virtual Environment, Terilynn Stackhouse
Exploring Multi-Sensory Curriculum Development: Grades 3-5 Science In A Virtual Environment, Terilynn Stackhouse
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
The capstone thesis uses a qualitative research approach to explore the question: What are virtual tools and multi-sensory strategies that can be integrated into curriculum development to support the engagement of learners in science in grades 3-5 in virtual learning environments? The author chose this topic to find and to apply multi-sensory strategies, including technology-rich approaches, in virtual education, and developed a new curriculum unit using current sensory-rich technologies. The goal is to enhance and enrich curriculum, and thereby to increase student engagement in the sciences. Applying these tools in virtual education and using multi-sensory approaches can lead to new …
Improving Reading Comprehension And Oral Proficiency Through The Use Of Literature Circles, Glorimar Rodriguez
Improving Reading Comprehension And Oral Proficiency Through The Use Of Literature Circles, Glorimar Rodriguez
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed is, how can literature circles be used to improve fluency and reading comprehension while allowing students to actively communicate in the target language? Oral practice of English in Puerto Rico is a topic of struggle for most who learn English since infancy but are not provided opportunities for oral practice outside of the language classroom. English learners need an environment where they can practice the language, skills and tools learned in the classroom. Literature circles provide students with an environment conducive to oral communication and active participation. Students take ownership of their learning and integrate themselves …
Thematic, Interdisciplinary Curricular Unit Developed For Fourth Grade On ‘The Science And Engineering Of Slime, Laura Johnston
Thematic, Interdisciplinary Curricular Unit Developed For Fourth Grade On ‘The Science And Engineering Of Slime, Laura Johnston
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Teaching literacy units based on language arts standards alone can leave some students lacking background knowledge and vocabulary that is necessary to deeply comprehend what they read. This reality led to the asking of the research question What is the impact of thematic, interdisciplinary teaching on students’ reading engagement and achievement in a language immersion setting? A review of pertinent literature was conducted regarding thematic, interdisciplinary instructional methodology, content area literacy, research-based practices for multilingual learners, and student engagement. In response, a thematic, interdisciplinary curricular unit capstone project was developed to provide students a learning context for literacy tasks. The …
Fossilization Of L And R Phonemes And Effective Pronunciation Teaching Practices For Adult English Language Students, Sacha Chandavong
Fossilization Of L And R Phonemes And Effective Pronunciation Teaching Practices For Adult English Language Students, Sacha Chandavong
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question answered in this paper was, in order to implement effective pronunciation instruction, to what extent does fossilization affect adult learners' ability to acquire another language? The concluding research found that despite adult English learners’ (EL) long exposure to the target language, some ELs find themselves unable to progress in their second language development due to fossilization. Thus, ultimate attainment to achieve native-like comprehensibility becomes difficult, but not impossible. The literature researches the details of fossilization, phonemic awareness, and best approaches for pronunciation instruction in the classroom. The paper includes a complementary curriculum project that comprises /l/ and …
Increasing Target Language Input For L2 Students: Strategies For Success In Classroom-Based Language Acquisition, Katie Schmidt
Increasing Target Language Input For L2 Students: Strategies For Success In Classroom-Based Language Acquisition, Katie Schmidt
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question investigated in this project was, in what ways can teachers enhance language input for L2 students in classroom-based language acquisition? Generally, students do not get sufficient exposure to the target language in the average classroom setting. This project explores the role of input/exposure on language acquisition and success. The research in this capstone provides evidence for the importance of strong language input as well as other factors that attribute to language acquisition. By closely analyzing the studies completed in the classroom, a clear connection was found between language input and interaction. The curriculum created for this project …
Implementing Multicultural Curriculum In A Metro Area Middle School 6th Grade Minnesota Studies Class, Megan De La Forest
Implementing Multicultural Curriculum In A Metro Area Middle School 6th Grade Minnesota Studies Class, Megan De La Forest
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
As the United States is becoming more diverse, so are our classrooms. Experts in the field of multicultural education agree that educators need to consider multiple perspectives, while teaching, in order to develop meaningful curriculum for all students. Therefore, the researcher aimed to design curriculum that supports the benefits of multicultural education and answers the research question: How can I change the current 6th grade Minnesota Studies curriculum to meet the needs of the changing, diverse population in a metro area middle school? The author shares of her personal experiences related to multiculturalism, which lacked diversity during her school career. …
How Social Studies Curriculum Can Help Spanish Immersion Students To Develop And Improve Their Grammar And Language Skills, Juan Perona
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The purpose of the project is to develop examples of activities and lessons within the regular social studies curriculum of Spanish immersion students in middle school that reinforce Spanish language skills that most of these students seen to struggle to master. The rationale of the project came from the observations of the author of the language skills of Spanish immersion students in middle school, in which he notice that, although their communication and understanding skills were very advanced, the students have gaps in language areas like specific grammar concepts, and develop academic Spanish language. The literature review major studies on …
Promoting Effective Language Development In English Language Learners Through A School Garden-Based Curriculum, Krista Steffen
Promoting Effective Language Development In English Language Learners Through A School Garden-Based Curriculum, Krista Steffen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question for this project was, how does interacting with a school garden-based curriculum promote more effective language development for English Language Learner (ELL) students? The goal of this project was to design a language-focused curriculum for ELL students to be delivered through the hands-on learning that happens in a school garden. Bringing research from experts in ELL together with studies focused on science and outdoor education, eight best practices were unearthed from the research that guided the development of the project. The best practices included: using additional instructional supports, combining strategies for maximum impact, embedding language instruction and …
The Pragmatics Of Politeness As Expressed By Native Arabic-Speaking English Learners, Michael Marn
The Pragmatics Of Politeness As Expressed By Native Arabic-Speaking English Learners, Michael Marn
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project was, what are the areas of pragmatic difficulty for adult, native Arabic-speaking English learners when expressing politeness in English in ESL settings? Research of literature on the topic, accounts by cultural informants, and the author’s observations as an instructor of adult, native Arabic- speaking ELs informed five areas targeted for lessons in a pragmatics education seminar designed for this group—compliments, requests, inter-familial communication, communication between the sexes, and euphemisms. The author documents the details of the seminar lessons, which use a variety of student-centered instruction based on authentic language samples as advocated by …
Engaging The Faculty: Developing Content And Writing Support, Eric Mason, Chris Netterville, Jacob Weiers
Engaging The Faculty: Developing Content And Writing Support, Eric Mason, Chris Netterville, Jacob Weiers
CAHSS Faculty Presentations, Proceedings, Lectures, and Symposia
In this roundtable, presenters gather information on interactions with university faculty and writing centers. Upon reflection, they will ask participants to collaborate on discussing best practices concerning the development of workshops and overall supportive content for faculty in order to help promote the teaching of writing from a writing center perspective.
Isolation And Onboarding: Gender Bias In Aviation Training Documents, William Hart
Isolation And Onboarding: Gender Bias In Aviation Training Documents, William Hart
Technical Communication Capstone Course
There is a growing interest in male-dominated industries and the challenges women face finding their place within the workplace community. Yet, there seems to be little research on how training documents, generally created by technical communicators, may isolate and limit women who seek to pursue careers in these fields. Technical communication and gender scholars have examined women in the technical communication field and gender bias in male-dominated industries but have not yet examined gender stereotypes in training documents. Training documents are designed to provide written instructions and a reference guide for job functions, workplace rules, orientation, and company policies. This …
Don’T Get Lost In Translation: A Discussion Of Best Practices For Creating Translation-Friendly Text And Related Curriculum For Technical Communication, Adrienne Urban
Technical Communication Capstone Course
Within global companies, a single source document, created by a technical communicator, is often translated into more than twenty-six languages. Simple modifications to semantics and style that are incorporated upfront in the source document can save multinational companies who rely on translations vast quantities of time, money, and labor. However, the perception of English as the lingua franca has led technical communication programs to discount the importance of teaching students to write for translation. In order to address this issue, institutions of higher learning should consider revising their technical communication programs to include a writing-for-translation component. Moreover, comprehensive sources need …
Fostering Giftedness And Creativity: Implementing Engineering By Design In Kuwait, Nathan Mentzer, Philip A. Reed, Meshari Alnouri, Mohammad Barbarji
Fostering Giftedness And Creativity: Implementing Engineering By Design In Kuwait, Nathan Mentzer, Philip A. Reed, Meshari Alnouri, Mohammad Barbarji
STEMPS Faculty Publications
The article offers information on a partnership between the International Technology & Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) and the Sabah Al Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC) to support innovation and design education. The partnership is aimed towards the implementation of the Engineering byDesign (EbD) curriculum and contribute towards building a Kuwaiti society that fosters giftedness and creativity.
Diversity And Cultural Competence In The Lis Classroom: A Curriculum Audit, J. A. Jacobs, Nicole A. Cooke
Diversity And Cultural Competence In The Lis Classroom: A Curriculum Audit, J. A. Jacobs, Nicole A. Cooke
Faculty Publications
In a case study examining a library and information science graduate curriculum, 18 graduate students engaged in a comprehensive diversity audit of the School of Information Science curriculum. The diversity audit was a student-generated review of 108 syllabi and permitted students to engage in an action-learning project that benefited the school and allowed them, and the school’s faculty, to see first-hand why diversity and cultural competence are important facets of library and information science curricula.
Education And Civil Conflict: The Negative Effects Of Intolerant Curricula In Kosovo, Pakistan, And Sudan, Nicholas A. Jaspers
Education And Civil Conflict: The Negative Effects Of Intolerant Curricula In Kosovo, Pakistan, And Sudan, Nicholas A. Jaspers
Dissertations and Theses
Education has long been used as a tool for national identity formation and social cohesion. However, in diverse communities across the globe, the question must be asked: are educational institutions creating citizens with a narrow view of “us vs. them” or an identity built on multiculturalism and acceptance? Through past research, it is obvious that education has either acted as an instigator or mitigator of civil conflict, though to what extent is still largely unknown. In this thesis, I argue that both the extent and quality of education in a country can instigate or, at least, exacerbate the outbreak of …
Investigating Tesol Teachers' Awareness Of Critical Pedagogy At Higher Education Institutions In Oman: Implications For Critical Professional Development, Thuraya Al Riyami, Ali Al-Issa
Investigating Tesol Teachers' Awareness Of Critical Pedagogy At Higher Education Institutions In Oman: Implications For Critical Professional Development, Thuraya Al Riyami, Ali Al-Issa
Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences
Critical Pedagogy (CP) has been proposed as an alternative pedagogy capable of meeting the complex demands of teaching English within a particular sociopolitical context. Despite the fact that CP has been present in education since the 1960s, much of the research on CP has been conducted recently in Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) contexts. There is a growing but as yet small amount of research that addresses the usage of CP in TESOL contexts, to which this study hopes to make a useful contribution. Therefore, this study investigates the extent to which TESOL teachers from four …
The Effects Of Teaching Middle School Students Math Using The Gifted Supplementary Curriculum “Mawhiba” On Students’ Academic Achievement And Attitude Toward Math In Public Schools In Saudi Arabia, Ahmed M. Alreshidi
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the use of a supplementary math curriculum, “Mawhiba,” that was designed for gifted students, would be appropriate for regular students in a mixed-abilities classroom. The researcher investigated the effects of implementing the Mawhiba enriched supplementary math curriculum on students’ achievements in mathematics and on students’ attitudes toward mathematics in Hail State, Saudi Arabia. The research design was an experimental randomized subject pretest, post-test, control group design. Two schools were chosen (a female middle school and a male middle school). The sample consisted of 121 students (60 males and 61 females). The …
Career Planning And Curriculum Integration: Millennials On The ‘Lost’ Coast, Alison Holmes Phd, Loren Collins Ma
Career Planning And Curriculum Integration: Millennials On The ‘Lost’ Coast, Alison Holmes Phd, Loren Collins Ma
Career and Curriculum Connections: integrating career education across the disciplines (2017 archives)
Career preparation during college is increasingly an area of interest and concern not only for the parents, family and friends of prospective students, but administrators, politicians, and even the average taxpayer. As costs continue to rise, the ‘value’ of higher education is no longer based primarily on the goal of preparing a future generation to participate in, and to lead a democratic civil society, but on how competitive students will be in the global marketplace as a result. Humboldt State University is located approximately 300 miles north of San Francisco in a relatively isolated region known as the ‘lost coast’, …
How To Integrate Vocabulary In A Fourth Grade Classroom Of English Language Learners To Accelerate Reading Achievement, Randi Kay Weiland
How To Integrate Vocabulary In A Fourth Grade Classroom Of English Language Learners To Accelerate Reading Achievement, Randi Kay Weiland
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
English language learners are prevalent in modern American schools, yet educators are often still grappling with how to best teach these unique students. Unsurprisingly, vocabulary plays a fundamental role in reading comprehension. This capstone presents the existing research on the foundational relationship between vocabulary and reading comprehension as well as effective vocabulary instruction for English language learners. The research was then used to design a vocabulary curriculum for a fourth grade thematic literacy unit on Mexican Heritage. The curriculum focuses on four major aspects of vocabulary instruction: 1) the direct instruction of Tier II words, as defined by Isabel Beck; …
Transitioning From Teachers' Words To Students' Words: Strategies To Promote Comprehension During Literature Circles, Tiffany Tozke Brian
Transitioning From Teachers' Words To Students' Words: Strategies To Promote Comprehension During Literature Circles, Tiffany Tozke Brian
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations
Literature circles can be a powerful tool for motivating students to take part in discussions around text. The power of these literature circles lies in the success of the conversations students have. Those conversations are shaped by the words the teacher uses to facilitate them, and by the words students use within them. This capstone addresses how teachers can focus on words in a student-focused manner that supports students in having in conversations that deepen their understanding and connection to novels.
World History Instruction For English Language Learners: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach, Mary Engelun
World History Instruction For English Language Learners: A Systemic Functional Linguistics Approach, Mary Engelun
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project was how can text analysis using a Systemic Functional Linguistic framework inform curriculum design in sheltered EL world history classes? Research in the theory and applications of systemic functional linguistics in education was described; emphasizing connections to instruction for secondary English language learners. The project was completed in parts: text analysis of theme progressions in history text, development of curriculum, and a pre-planning checklist for future unit development. This project documents one teacher’s creation of an integrated unit of world history content with language development lessons through a systemic functional linguistics approach. A …
How Can Art Educators Promote A Choice-Based Program While Supporting And Maintaining Standards-Based Instruction And Assessment?, Jessica Frisco
How Can Art Educators Promote A Choice-Based Program While Supporting And Maintaining Standards-Based Instruction And Assessment?, Jessica Frisco
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
In order for art educators to uphold best practices, we must recognize the shifting and overlapping philosophies in the art education world. We must reflect and adjust to the needs of our students and communities, as well as embrace the research and practices of previous scholars and art educators to help us grow in our own practice. The guiding question to address this challenge was: “How can art educators promote a choice-based program while supporting and maintaining standards-based instruction and assessment?” The literature review includes an examination of standards based instruction, 21st century learning, Teaching for Artistic Behavior, choice based …
Discovering The Learner Profile: An Interactive Read-Aloud Curriculum For K-2 Students In The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, Dannika Wright
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Interaction with quality picture books is a powerful way for young students in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB PYP) to develop understanding of the Learner Profile. The Learner Profile is a set of ten attributes that define the “internationally minded learner” and is an integral part of the PYP curriculum framework. The author of this capstone examines existing literature on the history and structure of the IB and PYP, character education, and interactive read-alouds to create a curriculum that focus on attributes of the Learner Profile. Using the PYP curriculum framework and elements of the Fountas and Pinnell …
How Reading Comprehension Strategies Support English Learners In A Primary Integrated Environment, Amanda Roberg
How Reading Comprehension Strategies Support English Learners In A Primary Integrated Environment, Amanda Roberg
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
English Learners (ELs) are an important and growing population of students in schools nationwide, and how they are taught can have a major impact on their academic success (of course). The overall purpose for this study is to ensure that ELs in my own classroom are taught reading comprehension strategies from an effective curriculum that meets their specific needs. The curriculum used in the school in which this study was conducted was a combination of Daily 5 and the Treasures curriculum. The question posed for my research is: “What instructional strategies are appropriate for teaching reading comprehension to second language …
Curriculum For The Community: Creating A Community-Based English Learner Curriculum Framework, Danielle Celia Selcer
Curriculum For The Community: Creating A Community-Based English Learner Curriculum Framework, Danielle Celia Selcer
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Many schools and districts are experiencing a high influx of English Language Learners (ELLs), and a good number are experiencing difficulties with helping these students achieve at high levels, while at the same time fostering a sense of community in their schools. As a result of the author’s research and personal experience teaching English Language Development (ELD) in urban schools, the following research questions were posed. How well are Minneapolis ELLs meeting rigorous educational standards currently? How have personalized and community-based learning been approached in Minneapolis historically? What pre-existing, place-specific, and successful curricular frameworks exist which might provide a model …
Effective Curriculum To Accelerate Academic Reading Comprehension For High School English Language Learners, Lisa Menke Johnson
Effective Curriculum To Accelerate Academic Reading Comprehension For High School English Language Learners, Lisa Menke Johnson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this project was, what is an effective curriculum for accelerating reading comprehension skills in secondary English Language Learner students. It documents one teacher’s creation of a unit that combined research based strategies for increasing reading comprehension skills in older students as well as second language acquisition strategies. It integrated vocabulary development, grammar forms and functions and intervention strategies proven to be successful with high school students. The author documents the details of the unit and uses related research literature to construct meaning and validate the study. The project provides a quarter long unit focused on …
How Self-Regulated Strategy Development In Writing Eases The Transition From Special Education To Regular Education For Students With Learning Disabilities, Charlene K. Irvin-Brown
How Self-Regulated Strategy Development In Writing Eases The Transition From Special Education To Regular Education For Students With Learning Disabilities, Charlene K. Irvin-Brown
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The author’s own and her students’ struggles with writing encouraged her to research best practices in teaching written language in order to ease the transition of students with learning disabilities to the regular education classroom. She found that Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) along with teaching the writing as a recursive process had the highest effect size. She narrowed her research by focusing on the stages of SRSD and best practices for teaching writing. She also reviewed the Minnesota writing standards for third through fifth grade. The author created an eight-lesson curriculum that incorporated the stages of SRSD for teaching narrative …
Lesson-Plan Delivery Before Lesson-Plan Design: Defining, Sequencing, And Teaching The Essential Skills Of An English Language Teacher Development Program At Induction, Joel Hanson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research questions addressed in this project were: 1) What are the essential set of teaching skills/practices at the induction portion of teacher training that are applicable to my EFL teaching context? 2) In light of the specific teacher preparation and development needs of the staff in a 12-school network in Morocco, how should these skills be sequenced and taught during the induction portion of an English language teacher development program? Answering these questions involved an investigation—and integration—of four teacher development frameworks proceeding from the macro- to micro-level of teacher training, unpacking what Feiman-Nemser calls the central tasks of learning …
Effective Vocabulary Instruction And Study Strategies For Adult Efl Learners, Daniel Todd Place
Effective Vocabulary Instruction And Study Strategies For Adult Efl Learners, Daniel Todd Place
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
In this capstone I seek the answers to two questions. What are some effective ways to teach vocabulary in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom? What are some effective ways students can use to study vocabulary outside of the classroom to help them learn and retain target vocabulary items? I start by explaining who my students are. I include information about the students, the university I teach at and the town where the university is located. I continue to explain: what recent research says about adult EFL learners` needs; the importance of vocabulary improvement for EFL learners; and …
A Secondary Ela Classroom Curriculum Study Using Culturally-Relevant, Digital Texts To Increase Student Engagement And Understanding, Marika Belusa
A Secondary Ela Classroom Curriculum Study Using Culturally-Relevant, Digital Texts To Increase Student Engagement And Understanding, Marika Belusa
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The purpose of this capstone project was to create an engaging and challenging curriculum for a mid-level 11th-grade English course that would explore the use of culturally releveant, digital texts to increase student engagement and understanding. The paper that follows explores the reason why such an interactive and culurally relevant curriculum is needed in an increasingly-diverse suburban classroom. In particular, a blend of research around neuroscience, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Constructivism, the use of digital tools to enhance learning, and a look at how texts should fall under the mirrow-window continuum, was collected. Combinging theory and research led to the …