Digital Commons Network^™

Institutional Constraints, Politics, And Good Faith: A Case Study Of School Finance Reform In Massachusetts , Rachel Wainer Apter

Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Benefits Of A Parent Involvement Plan For Second Grade Students, Mila Hart

All Graduate Projects

The benefits of a parent involvement plan for second grade students were researched. Students, whose parents were actively involved in their education, did better in school (Henderson & Mapp, 2002). Most parents want what is best for their child and will provide the support needed when encouraged and shown how to be involved with their child in school. Active parent involvement can be facilitated by a parent handbook combined with an open house, follow-up workshops that provide helpful information to parents, and frequent and regular communication via phone, progress reports, e-mail, home visits, and formal or informal conferences (Epstein et …

Garp3 - Workbench For Qualitative Modelling And Simulation, B. Bredweg, Anders Bouwer, F. Linnebank, J. Liem

International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software

Garp3 is a domain independent, multi-platform, qualitative modelling and simulation environment. It allows modellers to articulate and refine their conceptual domain knowledge and analyse this knowledge through simulation. Garp3 has been successfully applied in Ecology and Sustainable Development (SD) and is freely available via (http://www.garp3.org).

Redefining The Apartheid Of American History: A Middle School History Curriculum, John Scott Sandberg

All Graduate Projects

After more than half a century of efforts to address the historical educational chasm between marginalized groups it has become obvious that the need for culturally sensitive and inclusive curriculums need to be developed. This project is intended to assist educators take the first steps into the multicultural arena or provide a vehicle for curriculum incorporation. Sample curriculum is provided as an illustration of classroom practice and cultural inclusion. Student and educator roles are defined as well as activities, and assessment methods are described and outlined with links to curriculum content, Washington State's Essential Academic Learning Requirements and Classroom Based …

A Structured Approach To Teacher Collaboration Within Professional Learning Communities, Laura Ann Davis

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop a teacher handbook for a more structured approach to teacher collaboration within professional learning communities. Many groups of teachers have successfully participated in small teams, including focusing on such activities as team building, scheduling, parent communication, discussing lesson plans and curriculum, and sharing strategies to improve student behavior. Unfortunately, this is where most teams are stymied, unsure of how to take their collaboration to a higher level. The next step needed is to move forward and truly start looking at student learning and analyzing instruction practices as well as assessments, in order …

Academic Writing And The Pedagogical Practices Of Effective Teachers, Thomas Devere Wolsey Edd

Dissertations

Composition, particularly when academic register is required, is a complex task. Because cognitive flexibility theory explains how humans can spontaneously restructure knowledge and adapt to situational demands, it is ideally suited to the ill-structured domain of transactional writing. Global aspects related to paragraph and whole-text structure and local operations related to word and sentence-level features define academic writing. A mixed-methods design used quantitative methods for investigation of five corpora of 10th grade students' work. Qualitative methods were used to explore the means teachers used in promoting academic writing and the interactions they intended to promote via teaching cues, including prompts. …

On Becoming A Collaborative Professional: From Paradigm Shifting To Transformative Learning Through Critical Reflection And Dialogue, Richard W. Shields

Journal of Dispute Resolution

In Part II, I provide a brief overview of CL and its underlying assumptions. A description of CL training and learning objectives follows in Parts III and IV. In Parts V and VI, I review the paradigm shifting and transformative learning literature. I provide an overview of the study in Part VII, followed by my analysis of the data in Parts VIII and IX. In Part X, I conclude with a discussion of critical reflection and dialogue in a CL training context.

Correlates And Predictors Of Cognitive Complexity Among Counseling And Social Work Students In Graduate Training Programs, Christopher Simmons

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For this study, a web-based survey method was used as a means of collecting data to test a predictive model of education, supervised clinical experience (SCE), age, human services experience (HSE) and cognitive complexity. The theoretical framework for the study was Perry's (1970; 1999) scheme of intellectual development. The sample consisted of 332 counseling and social work students in graduate training programs in four different regions of the United States. The instruments used in the study were a researcher-developed demographic questionnaire and the Learning Environment Preferences (LEP) instrument (Moore, 1987). The results of the hierarchical regression analysis indicated that education …

Dialectic, Perspective, And Drama, Ethan Mckay Sproat

Theses and Dissertations

This project is by and large a project of elucidation: it may add something to studies of Kenneth Burke, but I doubt it adds much to Kenneth Burke's studies. This thesis begins and ends with analyses of Burke's famous motto Ad Bellum Purificandum (or Toward the Purification of War). The Introduction focuses on "war" while the Conclusion focuses on "purification." In short, purified war is a dialectical activity which actively and perpetually pits divergent perspectives against each other. Such an activity keeps the conflictual nature of divergent perspectives in verbal and symbolic arenas rather than physical ones. Burke owes this …

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A Two-Semester Course Sequence For Jazz Ear-Training With Application For Vocal Improvisation, Timothy Joseph Brent

Open Access Dissertations

A series of interviews were conducted with Professor Armen Donelian (New School University), Professor Frank Carlberg (New England Conservatory of Music), Professor Gary Keller (University of Miami), Professor Thom Mason (University of Southern California), and Dr. Stephen Prosser (The Berklee College of Music). A comparison and analysis of existing texts whose focus was jazz aural-skill development, in combination with the information gathered from the interviews, as well as the author's personal teaching experience, served as the basis for the creation of a two-semester course sequence for jazz ear-training with application for vocal improvisation. The major content areas found to be …

Enhancing Autonomy In Paid Surrogacy, Jennifer Damelio '06, Kelly Sorensen

Philosophy and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

The gestational surrogate – and her economic and educational vulnerability in particular – is the focus of many of the most persistent worries about paid surrogacy. Those who employ her, and those who broker and organize her services, usually have an advantage over her in resources and information. That asymmetry exposes her to the possibility of exploitation and abuse. Accordingly, some argue for banning paid surrogacy. Others defend legal permission on grounds of surrogate autonomy, but often retain concerns about the surrogate. In response to the dilemma of a ban versus bald permission, we propose a ‘soft law’ approach: states …

Summer 2008 Farquhar Forum, Farquhar College Of Arts And Sciences

The Farquhar Forum College Magazine

No abstract provided.

Increasing Academic And Behavioral Success For Adhd Students In The Primary Classroom, Sandra Kay Munoz

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a teacher's handbook that provides primary classroom teachers with effective classroom interventions and strategies that would improve behavioral and academic success in students who experience ADHD. To accomplish this purpose, a review of current and relevant resources was conducted on topics that included best practices, strategies, techniques and interventions concerning classroom management of ADHD students.

The Application Of Transformational Leadership Among Christian School Leaders In The Southeast And The Mid-Atlantic North Regions, Dan L. Bragg

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Transformational Leadership is part of a growing body of research that is having impact in leadership development in every industry and service organization. The Christian schools leader can also take advantage of the ideas that integrate so well into Biblical principles. This causal comparative study utilizing correlation and parametric statistics (ANOVA) along with descriptive cross-sectional observation investigated the differences of Transformational leadership in two distinct regions to understand how transformational leadership responded to differing cultures. This research has taken a deeper look into the elements of transformational leadership that must be enacted for a Christian school to succeed and thrive …

An Integrated Nutrition Unit For Half-Day Kindergarten, Erin Spencer

All Graduate Projects

The obesity rates among children in the United States have been rising rapidly over the past thirty years. Children are getting messages from the media to eat unhealthy foods. This epidemic is beginning to be addressed in schools. A nutrition curriculum was developed and implemented in a half day kindergarten program. Core academic subject were integrated using Washington State GLEs as a guide. Parent involvement was a component to strengthen student's understanding of cultural diversity as it pertained to food.

The Purpose Of Schooling: Beliefs And Practices Of Educators In British Schools, Jessica Gilleylen, Jamie Hoogasian, Rachel Hunt, Elizabeth Johnson, Amanda Kristie, Jessica Landolfi, Mark Mishriky, Tara Murphy, Lauren Preleski, Jennifer Rigano, Elizabeth Schall, Lauren Zafrin

TERC Documents

The overall purpose of this study was to explore what British teachers consider to be the purposes of schooling and how their beliefs impacted their classroom practice. The principal aims of the British National Curriculum informed this study, thus we examined teacher perceptions of schooling along a continuum, from academic to personal/social education. Research methodology included the use of teacher surveys, semi-structured interviews, and classroom observations in four different London schools (two elementary, two secondary). Each London school was ethnically and linguistically diverse and primarily served an economically disadvantaged student population. Our research suggests that overall, an emphasis on standardized …

Using A Balanced Reading And Spelling Approach To Enhance The “Spell To Write To Read” Program For Preschool To Fifth Grade, Dawn A. Heer

All Graduate Projects

Reading is the foundation of much that society aspires to, even now in the age of technology. The teacher plays a key role in facilitating the learning of reading in an elementary school. By using a balanced reading approach through the use of spelling, phonics, writing and language, teachers will be able to apply user-friendly principles of reading with the curriculum, Spell to Write to Read. A handbook will be used to present this information during a workshop for teachers and para-professionals of preschool to fifth grade students.

A Manual For Using Communication Strategies With Adolescents With Autism, Gayle J. Anderson

All Graduate Projects

Many students with autism lack the essential skills necessary to communicate effectively as adolescents and adults. They communicate in a nonproductive manner to get their "wants" or "needs" met. Some of these behaviors include crying, screaming, or having tantrums. Current research reviewed for this project indicates clearly the benefits of applied social skills such as social stories, augmentative strategies such as picture exchange systems, and alternative strategies such as gestures and sign language. These students need to communicate their wants and needs by using socially appropriate adaptive methods of communications. The purpose of the manual at the end of this …

Medination: Pop Culture And The Classroom, Justin Lesniewski

All Theses

This manuscript examines theoretical and practical concerns regarding the use of pop culture items in educational environments. By utilizing an ideological social constructionist perspective, such items can be seen as reified objects of thought and power. This discussion considers the reification process, our growing control over it in an increasingly techno-literate society, a specific example of the process, and how this process and our control over it can be incorporated into the classroom. The intent is to provide both a theoretical foundation and practical suggestions.

Teacher Training Manual For The Christian Education Program Of Bethesda Church, Rick Allen Wolgamott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Current teacher training in local churches often consists of asking a teacher to read pre-developed curriculum and follow the publishers’ instructions. Teachers are not being taught to critically evaluate the materials, and as a result they simply follow the directions provided. The purpose of this project is to train teachers in the local church in basic theology, hermeneutics, and preparing a Bible lesson. As a result, teachers will be trained to study Scripture and evaluate lessons based on Scriptural truth, and to prepare their own lesson plans. Recruiting and retaining teachers will become more effective as a result of providing …

Promoting Locally Grown Foods In Schools Through Developed Classroom Curriculum And Foodservice Educational Tools, Meredith F. Carter

Senior Honors Projects

The Massachusetts’ Farm-to-School Project has worked for years to bring local farmers and school districts together. Focused on improving the markets and economic stability of farmers, while also improving the quality of foods available to students, the project implemented the first annual “Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week” during the week of September 24, 2007. As part of Harvest Week, selected schools in Massachusetts purchased and served foods grown and made by local farmers. Marketing materials were used in the participating school cafeterias, and classroom education regarding local agriculture, nutrition, and sustainability was provided. Harvest Week had the potential to improve …

Analysis Of Students' Misconceptions Of Research Methods In Relations To Thinking Style, Tonya Tavares

Senior Honors Projects

This study explores college students’ misconceptions about scientific research methods and their predisposition for rational-analytic thinking or experiential-intuitive thinking. The measures used in assessing misconceptions and thinking style were a seven-item version of Students’ Conceptions of Research Methods Inventory (SCoRI), specifically the misconceptions of research methods subscale (Meyer et al.(2005), and Epstein’s Rational-Experiential Inventory (REI) Scale (1996), respectively. The REI Scale consists of two subscales adapted from the Need for Cognition scale (NFC, J. T. Cacioppo & R. E. Petty, 1982) and Epstein’s Faith in Intuition (FI) scale, each with five questions; REI-NFC measures rational-analytic thinking, while the REI-FI measures …

The Role Of Occupational Values And Support In Career Choice: An Emphasis On Women In Science, Heather Meikle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how occupational values and social support for career pursuits influenced career choice, with a specific focus on women in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM). A sample of 62 college graduates participated in telephone interviews that addressed gender differences in seven occupational values and three sources of social support. Results showed that differences in occupational values differ by both gender and between individuals in STEM and non-STEM careers. The strength of STEM values better predicted a career in STEM than did gender. Finally, women in STEM received the least amount of social …

Theme For English A, B And E: An Anthology Of Identity In Cape Town, South Africa, Noelle Elizabeth Rose

Honors Scholar Theses

This collection of poetry from grade 11 students in Cape Town, South Africa seeks to explore self-identity in South African high school students. In reading through their personal work, one can identify four ways in which these students define themselves: using self-promotion, or a display of personal strength; self-doubt, or moments of vulnerability; self-exploration, or the literary journey students take to define and explore their lives; and self-definition through social issues, or the examining of important social issues in South Africa and how they play into the lives of students. This anthology and literary analysis explores life-defining issues that are …

Effects Of A Mind-Consciousness-Thought (Mct) Intervention On Stress And Well-Being In Freshman Nursing Students, Judith A. Sedgeman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An emerging "health" paradigm, Mind-Consciousness-Thought (MCT), proposes that three universal Principles, Mind (life energy), Consciousness (the capacity to be aware of thinking as "reality"), and Thought (the ability to create thinking continually), explain how psychological experience is created from the inside-out, not created from the outside-in by events and circumstances. It proposes that life comes through us, not at us. It proposes that insight into the existence and operation of those principles reconnects people to their innate mental well-being, an always accessible source of balance, wisdom, and creativity (i.e., resiliency). It proposes that accessing mental well-being is incompatible with chronic …

Planning Effective School Field Trips For Elementary Students, Marcella Sidars

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Field trips for elementary school students are valuable contributors towards improved learning, motivation, and student social interactions. Unfortunately, they are often underutilized in the support of student learning due to several factors: often teachers do not know how to use field trips to their best advantage, often planning field trips is time consuming and difficult, teachers are pressured to justify field trips in terms of links to measurable educational standards, and preservice teachers seldom are instructed in their effective use. To address these concerns, a guidebook for preservice and current teachers has been developed. In it, research based teaching strategies …

Comparison Of Six Selected New York City High Schools, Syracuse University. Maxwell School. Community Benchmarks Program

Community Benchmarks Program

This section presents data from five NYCDOE and NYSED documents for each of six New York City public high schools: Health Opportunities High School (HOH) • High School of Economics and Finance (HSEF) • High School for Leadership and Public Service (HSLAPS) • Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School (JKO) • Mathematics, Science Research, and Technology Magnet High School (MSRT) • Richard R. Green High School of Teaching (RRG)

Data from these reports compare test scores, attendance, drop-out rates, demographics, etc. for each school. The goal of the study is to consolidate key findings in a manner that allows readers to …

Educational Games Increase Learning Effectiveness: A Case Study, Shonda R. Hoyt

All Graduate Projects

Educators of all age groups-whether they be elementary, secondary, or postsecondary- have long recognized and known that there is a strong connection between student engagement in the learning process and student success. Given the environment in which we teach in today, with its growing diversity, larger class sizes, increased focus on high-stakes testing, and ever- expanding poverty levels, it is essential that teachers incorporate new teaching techniques into their classrooms as a tool for better engaging students in their own learning. To that end, this paper reviews the purported benefits of educational games in the classroom setting as a tool …

Do Public Funds Increase Days Of Instruction In Primary Schools?: A Study Of 3 Districts In India, Sourav Mukherji

Working Papers

This article investigates the role of public funds in ensuring that primary schools in India have at least a certain minimum number of instructional days. Using data on primary schools from three districts, we first document that the distribution of instructional days may reasonably be thought of as a binary variable where a school is either functional (i.e., with more than 201 instructional days) or is not (i.e., has less than 201 instructional days). Secondly, we show that receiving any public funds is important for schools to be functional; however, the marginal effect of doses of public funding diminishes with …