Digital Commons Network^™

Examining The Influence Of Race, Class And Gender Inequalities On Perceptions Of The American Dream Since The 2008 Economic Recession, Scarlett D. Marklin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

America has a national ethos embodied in the moniker “land of the free” and defined by a set of ideals in which being free means all men and women have an equal opportunity for prosperity, the pursuit of happiness and success. In essence, simply having access to upward social mobility achieved through one’s own perseverance and hard work, the quintessential American Dream. The first use of the phrase American Dream was by James Truslow Adams to characterize the ideal that every man should live a richer and fuller life than his ancestors based on opportunity according to ability or achievement …

Integrating Art Education And Literacy Education: A Curriculum For The Secondary Level, Erin Moody-Zoet

Masters Theses

The purpose of this paper is to examine, through the design of a new curriculum, how the integration of reading and writing literacy into a visual arts curriculum can strengthen literacy skills as well as foster creative thinking at the middle school level. There is a growing demand for the integration of literacy in all core, and non-core curricula. By developing a curriculum that integrates literacy strategies in a visual arts program, as well as touches on the disconnect that I see between individuals and their own creative outlets, a curriculum is established that fosters and engages students in creative …

The Recruitment, Education, And Training Of Pla Navy Personnel, Kenneth Allen, Morgan Clemens

CMSI Red Books

Looking back at the parlous state of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in the early 1980s, Liu Huaqing, its former commander, wrote, "All areas [of the navy] required significant strengthening, but I believed the key was developing capable personnel." Indeed, during Admiral Liu's tenure (1982-88), the PLAN embarked on a major effort to improve the quality of its officers and enlisted personnel an effort that continues to this day.

An Empirical Analysis Of The Role Of Geography In Sustainability Education, Makayla Jane Bonney

Theses

Many within and outside of the discipline of geography see it as a highly appropriate home for sustainability studies. Despite a history of human-environment education within geography and support from professional research or education organizations, some studies show that geography has not developed a lead role in sustainability education. This study examines the role of geography in offering "Sustainability Focused" courses as reported by AASHE STARS institutions with geography programs. The results show that although geography departments are highly utilized when available at an institution -offering the highest proportion of sustainability courses, averaging 14% of "Sustainability Focused" curriculum- there is …

Project Prairie And Tallgrass Education On The Rice Lake Plains: A Journey From 1870 To Today And Beyond, Todd Farrell, Mark Rupke, Mark Stabb

The Prairie Naturalist

Project Prairie began in 2011 as a curriculum-linked integrated environmental studies program to showcase the Rice Lake Plains (RLP), a tallgrass prairie landscape of sandy rolling hills located at the eastern extent of the Oak Ridges Moraine in southern Ontario. Project Prairie provides educators both indoor and outdoor activities that support their curriculum and share the story of the RLP. Project Prairie provides teacher and student resources that focus on the RLP from the mid-nineteenth century to present day. Learning objectives of Project Prairie are developed from the subjects of science, social science, language arts, geography, history, and Aboriginal culture. …

History Of Numeracy Education And Training For Print Journalists In England, Steven Harrison

Numeracy

If the history of journalism education has been a footnote to accounts of the profession’s development, then the history of numeracy training for journalists must be considered a footnote to a footnote. Despite the universally acknowledged centrality of numbers to a clear understanding of the world, many journalism students and entrants are proudly number-phobic; it is even suggested that an aversion to maths is a key reason why some choose journalism as a career. This study traces the development of numeracy education for journalists in England. It is only with the incipient professionalisation of journalism from the mid-19th century that …

Assessing Students' Attitudes Towards Geography In A Problem-Based Learning Environment, Andrew Jasper Quain

Theses and Dissertations

Problem-based learning is an instructional strategy that is a growing trend in geographic education at all levels. The benefits of problem-based learning and how it improves students' content knowledge are well established in the literature. However, a gap in the literature exists in regards to the impact problem-based learning has on students' attitudes towards geography. This study focused on determining if high school students' attitudes towards geography improved after enrollment in a course taught with problem-based learning instruction. The study assessed other factors, such as preference for group work and problem-solving efficacy, which are associated with problem-based learning instruction. The …

Impact Of Effectuation Based Interventions On The Intentions To Start A Business, Muhammad Shahid Qureshi, Fawad Mahdi

Business Review

Intention plays a very important role to measure one’s willingness to pursue entrepreneurship as a career. Previous researchers have differed about various antecedents that impact the entrepreneurial intention to start a business. Entrepreneurship education (EE) assumes to play an important role in shaping traits and attitudes of an entrepreneur, contrary to the “entrepreneurs are born” school of thought. We use the Individual entrepreneurship orientation (IEO) construct as developed by Boltan and Lane (2011) to measure its impact on the intention levels of students. The use of Effectuation (Sarasvathy, 2001)as a pedagogical tool is used as a mediating variable between IEO …

Students’ Digital Photography Behaviors During A Multiday Environmental Science Field Trip And Their Recollections Of Photographed Science Content, Victor R. Lee

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Taking photographs to document the experiences of an educational field trip is becoming a common activity for teachers and students alike. Considering the regular creation of photographic artifacts, our goal in this paper is to explore students’ picture taking behavior and their recollections of science content associated with their photographs. In this study, we partnered with a class of fifth-grade students in the United States and provided each student with a digital camera to document their experiences during an environmental science field trip at a national park. We report the frequency of photography behaviors according to which activities were most …

A Sociological Perspective Of The American Education System, Duskin Hobbs

Social Sciences

The intension of this research project is to provide a critical analysis of the modern American school system, the policies that created and maintain it, the extensive effects of its practices, and the future of education under such a system. I will begin by tracing the evolution of the current order and discuss the impacts of government educational initiatives such as No Child Left Behind (George W. Bush) and A Race to the Top (Barack Obama) among others. To support these examples I will use secondary statistical research data, scholarly journals, government sources, and other forms of evidence. In this …

Identifying The Impact Of Universal College Testing On State Academic Testing At The Eleventh Grade, Kristi N. Thompson-Gibbs

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Universal American College Test (ACT) administration as part of a required high school assessment program on eleventh-grade students’ achievement on state level assessments. The study focused on four groups of eleventh-grade students. The first group, eleventh-graders who scored met on the 2010 NeSA Reading assessment and did not participate in the district implementation of the Universal ACT but took the 2010 ACT (n = 103). The second group, eleventh-graders who scored exceed on the 2010 NeSA Reading assessment and did not participate in the district implementation of the …

Guardians Of Historical Knowledge: Textbook Politics, Conservative Activism, And School Reform In Mississippi, 1928-1982, Kevin Boland Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This project examines the role cultural transmission of historical myths plays in power relationships and identity formation through a study of the Mississippi textbook regulatory agency and various civic organizations that shaped education policy in addition to textbook content. A study of massive resistance to integration, my project focuses on the anticommunism and conservative ideology of grassroots segregationists. Civic-patriotic societies such as the Daughters of the American Revolution, the American Legion, and Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation formed as the major alliance affecting the state’s education system in the post-World War II era. Once the state department of education centralized its …

Wheels On The Bus: School Transportation As A Reflection Of Sprawl, Autumn C.E. Arthur, Natasha M. Eulberg, Kevin C. O'Malley

Student Publications

The second half of the twentieth century constituted a change in land use ideology and development practice brought about by the rise of the automobile, increasing economic upward mobility, and privatization of the family home. During this time, the districting and building of public schools similarly changed, turning schools from local community centers to regional and de-contextualized places of education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which these development practices have caused children to rely on car and bus transportation to get to and from school. Using the variable of distance within a GIS analysis …

The Case For A New College Governance Structure In Nevada: Integrating Higher Education With Economic Development, Magdalena Martinez, David F. Damore, Robert Lang

Lincy Institute Reports and Briefs

As Katz and Bradley (2013) document, the confluence of partisan politics and budget cuts have left the federal government and to a lesser extent, state governments impotent to address the countless economic and education challenges facing the United States. Out of necessity, metros and regions are taking the lead in collaborating, innovating, and governing in Post-Recession America. Instead of waiting for federal or state governments to impose prescriptive, one-size fits all “solutions,” localities are seizing opportunities to strengthen their economies by working with stakeholders to develop policies tailored to their unique and complicated needs.

Fish And Fruit For Food Justice Success, Nickelle A. Raschick

Pomona Senior Theses

Given the critical role of food justice organizations in providing for the 49 million Americans who live in food insecure households, one of the most important questions that can be answered today is what determines the success of such an organization. This paper analyzes case studies from Sitka, AK and Portland, OR, aiming to communicate a better understanding of which factors result in an organization’s success and which factors lead it to failure. That information is used to establish guidelines that other organizations seeking to be relevant contributors to the food justice movement can follow. Ultimately, my research discovers that …

Education And Economic Development: An Untapped Alliance, Serena E. Williams

Honors Theses

Many Mississippi economic developers firmly believe that education could be the answer to the economic development of a community. However, there is a relatively small amount of research published on how the connection between education and economic development works. This is a case study of the Greater Hattiesburg Area of Mississippi which seeks to explore and to begin to understand how to better the relationship between education and economic development.

The researcher conducted eight in-depth, open-ended interviews with key informants who were directly engaged in the K-12 education system and economic development of the Greater Hattiesburg Area. The researcher coded …

Lesson Plans For The Seventh Grade Alaska State Standards In Language Arts, Kenneth E. Gieser

Education

The SBE (standards-based education) reform movement calls for clear, measurable standards for all school students. Rather than norm-referenced rankings, a standards-based system measures each student against the concrete standard. Curriculum, assessments, and professional development are aligned to the standards. However, many teachers find standards burdening and restrictive, and it has been challenging for teachers to infuse them with her, or his personal passions. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate that not only can these new standards be taught effectively, but that teachers can find them accommodating enough for their passions. This project's outcome will include lesson plans, activities, …

We Were There Too: Learning From Black Male Teachers In Mississippi About Successful Teaching Of Black Students, Cleveland Hayes, Brenda Juarez, Veronica Escoffery-Runnels

Democracy & Education

Applying culturally relevant and social justice–oriented notions of teaching and learning and a critical race theory (CRT) analysis of teacher preparation in the United States, this study examines the oral life histories of two Black male teachers recognized for their successful teaching of Black students. These histories provide us with a venue for identifying thematic patterns across the two teachers' educational philosophies and pedagogical practices and for analyzing how these teachers' respective personal and professional experiences have influenced their individual and collective approaches to teaching and learning.

Nonviolent Action As A Necessary Component In Educating For Democracy, Barbara A. Peterson

Democracy & Education

Educating for democracy, seen within a liberal democratic framework, requires that students develop the requisite knowledge and skills to recognize injustice and work effectively to oppose it. Stitzlein’s notion of dissent is examined in conjunction with Kahne and Westheimer’s argument for teaching democratic capacities by actively engaging students in addressing real world problem. This paper further suggests that for active dissent to lead to real change, we must extend our notion of dissent to include the knowledge and skills to influence the balance of power. Teaching students for democracy requires teaching them theory, history, and techniques of nonviolent action so …

Edward Bliss Emerson: The Blazing Star Of A Complex Constellation, Silvia E. Rabionet

The Qualitative Report

Edward Bliss Emerson, a younger brother of Ralph Waldo Emerson and a promising scholar in his own right, traveled to the West Indies at the age of 26 hoping to alleviate his pulmonary afflictions. While in the islands, from January 1831 to July 1832, he logged his daily activities in a pocket journal. The journal falls short in revealing Edward’s childhood, his years at Harvard, and his brief time as teacher and lawyer. This biographical essay aims to enhance the understanding and enjoyment of the journal. It unveils defining stages in Edward’s life. Using a wide variety of archival documents, …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Scripted Education, Alexa M. Lowery

Honors College Theses

The purpose of my study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of scripted techniques using state mandated standards and the techniques’ impact on student performance. I surveyed the teachers of elementary schools in Edwards County (pseudonym) and found that most teachers are not using the standards as they were originally intended, and they feel that students are falling behind because the standards are not developmentally appropriate.

In Praise Of Hospitality, John R. Rosenberg

Brigham Young University-Public School Partnership Occasional Papers

No abstract provided.

Epistemology: It’S Elementary! An Architectonically Constructivist Elementary School In Syracuse, Ny-- Part 1, Tyler Ferrusi

Architecture Senior Theses

The Constructivist framework is an epistemology which posits that “knowledge is a compilation of humanmade constructions”1 not the “neutral discovery of an objective truth.”2 As a fairly broad concept that theorizes how knowledge is acquired, constructivism illustrates our conception of what knowledge is. This the classical framework of infallible truth. Hence, the individual learner is responsible for actively building Constructivism, as theorized by educational philosophers like Dewey, Piaget, Lewin, and Kolb, is the its application is certainly not limited to designated learning environments. Thus, any environment can be a learning environment takes place within that environment. The multiplicity of environments …

A Critique Of Chinese Education, Ying Chen

Architecture Senior Theses

The biggest problem of the state-controlled children’s education in the People’s Republic of China is that the system focuses more on the method of education rather than learning of children themselves. Thus the children lack of internal motivation to learn. Moreover, the typical education in China tend to isolate the students from the neighborhood, lacking a chance for students to really interact and experiement hands on with new knwoledge. However, this problem aspect can be overcame by learning from the western pedagogical strategies, such as the Montessori Education. For this educational approach, the primary goal is to stimulate children’s internal …

Past Global Changes Magazine, Volume 22, No. 1, April 2014, Bernd Zolitschka, Jennifer Pike, Lucien Von Gunten

PAGES

Contents: News – Pages restructured -- Editorial -- Maximizing the information yield from annually resolving natural archives – Science Highlights: Annual Recorders of the Past -- Layers within layers: quantifying seasonal versus event processes in varved sediments --Understanding varve formation from sediment trapping and limnological monitoring -- Hyperspectral imaging: investigating sediment structures and composition -- High-precision sampling of laminated sediments: Strategies from Lake Suigetsu -- Seasonal laminae in marine sediments: applications and potential -- The global network of tree-ring widths and its applications to paleoclimatology -- The potential of tree rings in Terra Australis -- Bivalve shells: ultra high-resolution paleoclimate …

Evidence-Based Health Literacy Training Program For Occupational Therapy Professionals : Program Development And Evaluation, Cheryl Miller-Scott

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This capstone project is a training program development and evaluation project. The purpose of the project was to develop, pilot, and evaluate an

evidence-based health literacy training program for occupational therapy professionals. Occupational therapy strives to be a science-driven profession, which provides client-centered care. Health literacy is a client-centered factor for which occupational therapy professionals require additional training to best serve their clients in all settings and across the lifespan. A review of health literacy literature was used in this project to develop the training program and offers a science-driven approach to this client-centered factor for occupational therapists to better …

Historical Configurations Of Knowledge Among The Iñupiat In Arctic Alaska, Joshua Andrew Van Drei

Open Access Theses

This thesis explores how the Iñupiat of the North Slope of Alaska have responded to cultural pressures, specifically those arising from the introduction of missions and schools, and characterized by an increase in permanent outsider settlement, and how they have internalized these pressures into their knowledge system. By examining political, economic, and social factors, this thesis provides a more holistic picture of how and why Iñupiat knowledge has changed through time, beginning with the contact period in the early to mid-1800's until the present day. I find existing models of knowledge transmission cannot account for the ways in which Iñupiat …

A Qualitative Life Course Study: Significant Life Events In The Lives Of Appalachian First-Generation College Graduates, Peggy Henderson Murphy

ASA Annual Conference

Traditionally, the Appalachian region has struggled with poverty and isolation. Although in recent decades many of the outer Appalachian counties have stabilized economically the central region of Appalachia that includes West Virginia, southeastern Ohio and Eastern Kentucky continues to have the highest concentration of distressed and at-risk counties in the country. One of the most effective ways of combating poverty and isolation is through education, yet, educational opportunities for Appalachian youth have been limited. This study used a qualitative approach; six Appalachian youths who had either recently graduated from university or who were in their junior or senior year of …

Demographic Trends In Appalachia And Implications For Enrollments In Higher Education: The Case Of Marshall University, Joshua Hagen, James Leonard, Aaron Nelson, Britt Arcardipane, Delbert Cannoy, Patrick Donovan, Godwin Dijetror

ASA Annual Conference

Demographic Trends in Appalachia and Implications for Enrollments in Higher Education: The Case of Marshall University Joshua Hagen, James Leonard, and Aaron Nelson Given Appalachia’s relatively depressed economic profile and limited opportunities, especially for young adults, out-migration to other regions has long been a prominent feature of the region. More recently, declining fertility rates have contributed to create a population that increasing skews toward older age groups, both in absolute numbers and as percentages of the total. This demographic dynamic has broad implications for the socio-economic future of the region. Some of these challenges, like coping with health care costs …

Lessons Learned From An Inter-Institutional Graduate Course On Interdisciplinary Modeling For Water-Related Issues And Changing Climate, Laurel Saito, Timothy E. Link, Alexander Fernald, Lisa Kohne

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education

Computer modeling is a useful tool for integrating approaches from different disciplines to address complex water and climate issues, but because academic training is typically disciplinary, many scientists and practitioners are not aware of modeling techniques in other disciplines or ways that different models can be integrated to address complex questions. Since 2005, we have conducted a course on interdisciplinary modeling that provides lectures and laboratory exercises from different disciplines as well as topics related to interdisciplinary modeling such as issues of scale and uncertainty. Students work in interdisciplinary teams to integrate modeling approaches from different disciplines to address issues …