Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Reader, Writer, Learner, And Teacher: Portfolio Reflections, Amanda Sweeney

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This is Amanda Sweeney's final portfolio for her M.A. in English (with a specialization in teaching). It includes a reflective narrative and four revised pieces: Victorian Spitfires: Female Characters Who Suffer Because of Their Deviance, Explorations of Alcohol Abuse: Paula Hawkins’ Girl on the Train and Flynn Berry’s Under the Harrow, Refreshing Alternatives: Reviving Research in the Classroom, and My Hibernating Imagination: My Journey as a Writer.

Role-Play In The Chinese Classroom, Matthew Werth

Masters Theses

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing push for foreign language teachers to use a communicative approach to language instruction. One area this can be seen is through role-plays, activities where students take on a persona other than themselves to complete a task in the target language. Despite the growing popularity of role-play, there has been little empirical research looking at the impact of role-play on students. In particular, the differences between large group and small group role-plays remain virtually unstudied.

This thesis looks at role-play in Chinese language classrooms from the perspectives of both teachers and students. …

Close Reading And Critical Theory, Kimberly Rosewall

All NMU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

CLOSE READING AND CRITICAL THEORY

By

Kimberly L. Rosewall

Close reading is the very foundation of literary studies, yet this interpretive practice can be very difficult, especially for undergraduate students. The purpose of this study was to explore my own action research and examine the ways in which the teaching of critical theory affected both my teaching of close reading practices, and my students’ ability to conduct close readings of selected passages of texts in a general education English classroom. I also examined how the teaching of critical theory enriched my students’ understanding of the world, their lives, and …

Final Ma Portfolio, Elizabeth Armor

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

A Final Portfolio submitted to the English Department of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the field of English.

Research Before Teaching And Service? Performances, Perceptions, And Experiences Of Faculty At Teaching-Intensive Institutions, Megan Elizabeth Throm

Wayne State University Dissertations

The privileging of research over teaching is well documented in scholarship regarding the teaching-research nexus. In this dissertation I analyze the experiences and identities related to research, teaching, and service of sixteen faculty members at teaching-intensive institutions through intensive interviews. The focus on teaching-intensive institutions is driven by two goals. The first goal was to gain a better understanding of how the privileging of research over teaching and service is experienced, understood, and reified by faculty members at teaching-intensive institutions. Second, by giving voice to the experiences of those at teaching-intensive institutions I hope to increase the value placed on …

Using Twitter As A Pedagogical Resource To Teach First-Year Composition, Carol Reynolds-Srot

Department of Writing and Communication Theses

This study examines the incorporation of Twitter in a first-year composition classroom, and addresses the following question: “How can using Twitter as a pedagogical resource to teach writing benefit both students and professors?” The study employs mixed-methods, including surveys, textual analysis of student tweets, and an interview with the professor to assess the application and outcomes of using Twitter. The research finds that although students use social media for a significant amount of time daily, bringing it into the classroom does not automatically lead to better engagement or improved writing. However, students in this study did demonstrate a differentiated used …

From There, To Here, Now Where? My Journey Of Vulnerability Toward Interdisciplinary Teaching, Jennifer Lyn Way

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Few words have the power to make people both cringe in fear and lean forward, fascinated to know more. This thesis focuses on one such word: vulnerability. Through the Scholarly Personal Narrative writing format, I explore what vulnerability means to me and how my understanding has changed. I examine how vulnerability in my life helped refine me into a wiser, more compassionate, teacher.

Teaching requires vulnerability, a willingness to risk failure and accept mistakes for what they really are: lessons to create a connection among other humans. This thesis portrays how I have come to understand and accept vulnerability as …