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Full-Text Articles in Education

Re/Writing Identity: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Stereotype Thereat, Sense Of Belonging, And Self-Efficacy Among Young Men Of Color In First-Year Writing Courses, Jenny O. Arras May 2024

Re/Writing Identity: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Stereotype Thereat, Sense Of Belonging, And Self-Efficacy Among Young Men Of Color In First-Year Writing Courses, Jenny O. Arras

<strong> Theses and Dissertations </strong>

This narrative study explored the ways in which two Black male undergraduate students experienced and situated their identity in their first-year composition (FYC) courses. The study sought to reveal how the participants experienced stereotype threat in both the classroom and larger community and the ways in which this perceived threat impacted their self-efficacy and sense of belonging. The participants, enrolled in an FYC course for underprepared writers at a southeastern university, were both performing well in the class, thereby providing insight into the factors and experiences that helped mitigate the potential of stereotype threat. In order to more fully understand …

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Defining Experiential: Higher Education Educator Perspectives On Experiential Education Criteria And Experiential Learning Forms, Paul Gaszak May 2024

Defining Experiential: Higher Education Educator Perspectives On Experiential Education Criteria And Experiential Learning Forms, Paul Gaszak

Dissertations

In the field of experiential education, there is a general understanding that concepts and definitions of experiential education and experiential learning differ by individuals, departments, organizations, and institutions. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive research study was to gather the perspectives of individual experiential educators across higher education (n = 121) on what they perceive to be experiential education’s criteria and what forms of educational methodologies qualify as experiential learning forms. The findings demonstrated inclusive perspectives regarding both criteria and forms, such as receptiveness to experiential education being able to occur within classrooms, in short durations, and without third-party participation. …

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Effectiveness Of Student-Corrected Pretests To Increase Spelling Test Scores Of Students With Adhd And Low Working Memory, Melissa J. Johnson May 2024

Effectiveness Of Student-Corrected Pretests To Increase Spelling Test Scores Of Students With Adhd And Low Working Memory, Melissa J. Johnson

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated the efficacy of student corrected pretests as a part of spelling instruction especially as it affects learners with ADHD or low working memory in a 3rd and 4th grade classroom. After pre-tests were implemented in the classroom, spelling tests scores were compared to previous test scores when pre-tests were not implemented. Findings showed that spelling pre-tests had a moderately significant effect on final test scores.

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The Benefits Of Using Open-Note Assessments, Logan Schaefers May 2024

The Benefits Of Using Open-Note Assessments, Logan Schaefers

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated the impact of open-note assessments on student learning as measured by the student’s overall score on unit assessments inside of a 9th grade Algebra 1 classroom. This study included 332 freshmen: an experimental group (open-note assessments) of 72 students and a control group of 260 students. Findings of this study did not show a statistically significant increase in the scores of students using open-note assessments. However, when looking at the different quartiles of test scores, the overwhelming evidence by the researcher revealed the benefits that open-note assessments had on student’s academic performance resulting in better …

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Implementing A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports, Hayley Vander Wal May 2024

Implementing A Multi-Tiered System Of Supports, Hayley Vander Wal

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research project examined the implementation of a multi-tiered system of supports in a math classroom at a private, Christian suburban school in central Iowa. The researcher utilized the four essential indicators of MTSS to support a small group of four students who were the participants in her study. The intervention targeted the seventh grade math skills of simplifying expressions and solving equations using various methods. Analysis of the triangulated data showed growth in each of the students at varied amounts. Findings of the study suggest that students need consistent, protected Tier 2 intervention to make the most significant …

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Escúchame, Mi Ciencia Cuenta: Leveraging Cultural Ways Of Knowing To Increase Chicana Stem Engagement, Patricia Ramirez-Biondolillo May 2024

Escúchame, Mi Ciencia Cuenta: Leveraging Cultural Ways Of Knowing To Increase Chicana Stem Engagement, Patricia Ramirez-Biondolillo

Theses and Dissertations

This paper is about leveraging cultural ways of knowing such as ethnobotany in order to increase STEM engagement in Chicanx populations. The conceptual framework utilized in this study combines social justice, Chicana feminist epistemology, land-based pedagogy, critical place-based pedagogy, pedagogical praxis, pluralism and ecological sustainability to achieve this end. Four pre-service Chicana science teachers provided testimonio from their elder assignment and engaged in two focus groups in order to identify relevant themes that impact Chicana engagement in STEM. Major themes identified were challenges in bilingual education, elder knowledge as a form of pedagogy, stagnation in common science teaching practices, tensions …

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The Perspectives Of Using Desmos For Students’ Conceptual Understanding And Procedural Fluency To Solve Linear Equations, Larmel Dimatulac Madrilejos May 2024

The Perspectives Of Using Desmos For Students’ Conceptual Understanding And Procedural Fluency To Solve Linear Equations, Larmel Dimatulac Madrilejos

Theses and Dissertations

The study examines the perspectives of using the Desmos calculator of Algebra I students' conceptual understanding and procedural fluency to write, graph, and solve linear equations in Algebra I STAAR. While the students have continuously used technology for mathematics assessment, emergent bilingual students in South Texas still need help passing high-stakes testing. The framework of the study is grounded in the theory of mathematical education (knowledge of mathematics educators to teach), the theory of mathematical learning (understanding how students learn mathematics), and social constructivism. The study seeks ways to teach all students, mainly the minority, to learn …

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The Lived Experiences Of K-12 Instructional Technology Leaders During Covid-19, Robin Jackson May 2024

The Lived Experiences Of K-12 Instructional Technology Leaders During Covid-19, Robin Jackson

Dissertations

This study examines the lived experiences of K-12 Instructional Technology Leaders in rural schools and school districts throughout Mississippi. It sought to explore the challenges that were encountered, the strategies they were employed, and the lessons that were learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, as traditional classroom teaching and learning was abruptly transitioned to 100% online or remote teaching and learning. Five participants were recruited. Only one participant holds the actual title of an instructional technology leader of their school district, while the other four assumed the role and responsibilities of an instructional technology leader for their schools or school districts. …

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Voices From The Inside: Enhancing Co-Teaching Experiences Through Student Perspectives At 'Small University', Nina Cruz May 2024

Voices From The Inside: Enhancing Co-Teaching Experiences Through Student Perspectives At 'Small University', Nina Cruz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For this Capstone Project, the researchers investigated how students in the credential program at ‘Small University’ on the coast of California viewed their co- teaching credential experience and what they think could be done to improve it. An evidence based argument is offered that co-teaching be improved to be more equitable for students. Considerations of the issue should include the perspectives of credential program students. Expected benefits included an opportunity for participants to reflect on the co-teaching credential program at “Small University” and provide concrete suggestions for improvement that may be translated into action. Three themes emerged from an analysis …

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Increasing Social-Emotional Development In Early Childhood, Brianna Navarro May 2024

Increasing Social-Emotional Development In Early Childhood, Brianna Navarro

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on increasing social-emotional development of 5- to 7-year-old children. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a methodology that helps students of all ages better comprehend their emotions, feel emotions to the fullest extent, and demonstrate empathy for others. These learned behaviors are then used to help students make positive, responsible decisions, create frameworks to achieve their goals and build positive relationships with others. Researchers indicate that social-emotional learning promotes scholastic achievement, well-being, and positive life outcomes and can be a powerful tool for prevention and resilience when embedded with intentionality in curriculum, instruction, and school climate (Durlak et …

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Implementing Instructional And Assessment Strategies To Improve Student Success In Art, Hayden Thomaier May 2024

Implementing Instructional And Assessment Strategies To Improve Student Success In Art, Hayden Thomaier

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

For my honors capstone project, I taught a 3-week unit to my Art III class at a suburban high school in Nebraska. This unit covered concepts such as color theory, composition, and how to create the illusion of depth within a piece of art. This unit ended with the students creating a 24x30 in. painting of a space that was personal to them. The instructional strategies that I used throughout the unit included learning objectives, providing feedback, and nonlinguistic forms of representation. The assessment strategies I used included a pre and post-assessment at the beginning and end of the unit, …

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Reading Fluency Intervention: The Impact Of Integrating Differentiated Instructional Strategies Into Small Group Instruction, Amaya Brodine May 2024

Reading Fluency Intervention: The Impact Of Integrating Differentiated Instructional Strategies Into Small Group Instruction, Amaya Brodine

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project will report the effectiveness of three instructional strategies and two assessment strategies integrated into a 11-week reading fluency unit. These strategies were implemented in a small group setting with the goal of improving students’ automaticity reading scores. This small intervention group met four times a week for eleven weeks where students practiced choral reading, buddy reading, and game-based learning strategies. Throughout this reading intervention unit student data was gathered through triannual growth assessment, weekly progress monitoring, formal assessment strategies, and a final project. This capstone will also provide an overview of the data collection methods utilized through …

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Teaching Self-Regulation To Sped Students: An Intervention, Kelsie Premer May 2024

Teaching Self-Regulation To Sped Students: An Intervention, Kelsie Premer

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project examined the impact of self-regulation and executive functioning skills of using a planner on eighth-grade students with missing assignments, who have mild to moderate learning disabilities, and other health impairments that impact their learning. Self-regulated learning strategies and executive skills, such as using a daily homework planner were explicitly taught during a five-lesson intervention to eight, eighth-grade Special Education (SPED) students during a Guided Study Hall class. The data was compared to students of similar ability who did not receive intervention. This study took place over three weeks; this study tracked rates of students missing work for …

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The Effects Of Demographic And School Related Factors On Academic Distinctions Of Secondary Schools, Kourtney Hines May 2024

The Effects Of Demographic And School Related Factors On Academic Distinctions Of Secondary Schools, Kourtney Hines

Dissertations (2016-Present)

The purpose of this correlational study is to determine the nature of the relationship between school and demographic factors and student achievement using data from the individual schools reported by an independent school district in North Texas. Answers to the following questions were sought: Do the teacher demographic factors (years of experience, gender, ethnicity, degree held) have a significant impact on the student achievement on the English I and II STAAR exam? Do the school-related factors (size of school, attendance, average class size) have a significant impact on student achievement on the English I and II STAAR exam? In this …

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The Effects Of Selected Demographic Factors On The Reading Achievement Of Middle School Students, Kendrea J. Bryant May 2024

The Effects Of Selected Demographic Factors On The Reading Achievement Of Middle School Students, Kendrea J. Bryant

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Middle school is one of the most important times during which students gain knowledge. However, a large proportion of adolescents have continued to complete middle school without mastering essential knowledge of, and skills in, vocabulary and reading comprehension. Adolescents who miss school in the 30–60 days leading up to high-stakes exams experience declines in their reading scores. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of selected demographic factors on the reading achievement scores and attendance of middle school students. Specifically, this study involved examination of the effects of socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and ethnicity—both separately and in …

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Moving Beyond The Banking Method And Scripted Curricula: Creating Confident Teachers, Max Solotar May 2024

Moving Beyond The Banking Method And Scripted Curricula: Creating Confident Teachers, Max Solotar

Art of Teaching Thesis - Written

This thesis is an exploration of the role of scripted curricula in contemporary classrooms and its adverse impacts on students and educators alike. When scripted curricula are put into conversation with Paolo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed and his description of the banking method of teaching, the oppressive nature of both are revealed to be deeply intertwined. Political contexts, such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, led to a proliferation of scripted curricula in classrooms serving low-income and nonwhite children. These scripted curricula, which often deny students agency and center whiteness, heavily restricted teacher autonomy, treating educators …

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Key Benefits Of Small Group Instruction For Diverse Learners, Lydia Mcevoy May 2024

Key Benefits Of Small Group Instruction For Diverse Learners, Lydia Mcevoy

Master's Theses

Utilizing a mixed method approach this research study investigated the effects of small group instruction on the learning of diverse learners. Informed by a preliminary literature review that supports the use of small-group instruction, the researcher conducted a small-scale action research project to focus on three diverse learners in a 1st-grade classroom over four weeks. One of the findings of this project shows that small group instruction helps promote social and emotional skills as students feel more comfortable interacting with peers in a small group rather than in a whole group. Another finding indicates that students feel more encouraged by …

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The Effects Of Student Choice On Motivation And Writing Skills, Laura Annunziata May 2024

The Effects Of Student Choice On Motivation And Writing Skills, Laura Annunziata

Master's Theses

This mixed methods action research study investigates the potential effects of student choice on motivation and academic performance in writing-based assignments in a fourth-grade classroom. Baseline data was collected prior to implementation of student choice writing activities and then used to compare writing samples collected post intervention. The baseline data suggests that students’ attitudes towards autonomy are positive. Having choices was important to them and helped them learn better. However, data also indicates that while students were motivated to write using choice, many of the reading and writing competency scores dropped during journal entry writing samples. Data shows that while …

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The Impact Of Online Tools On Student Writing, Rebekah Probst May 2024

The Impact Of Online Tools On Student Writing, Rebekah Probst

Master's Theses

Our classrooms today are vastly different from those just a few years ago. Many students are foreign to learning without any technology. In light of this drastic change in our classrooms, it is important to understand the new age's impacts on our students and their learning abilities. This research study used a mixed-methods design to explore online tools' effects on student writing. The research examines data collected from a fifth grade over two months, which included student writing samples and survey responses. This research compared outcomes between handwritten responses and those with access to tools such as automatic correction features. …

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The Impact Of Play-Based Learning On Early Childhood Development, Aubry Mauro May 2024

The Impact Of Play-Based Learning On Early Childhood Development, Aubry Mauro

Master's Theses

This action research project emphasizes the recognized influence of play on children’s social, emotional, and cognitive growth. The researcher explored how play-based learning strategies contribute to students’ development, drawing insights from existing literature. The research used mixed methods to analyze the impact of play-based learning on social, emotional, and cognitive development in a sixth-grade classroom. The researcher collected data over six weeks. Initial findings showed the effect of play-based learning on students' development. The baseline data in this action research project showed that this group of students enjoys playing inside, outside, independently, or in a group. The researcher found that …

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Implementing Music To Increase Elementary Student Focus, Kathryn Garceau May 2024

Implementing Music To Increase Elementary Student Focus, Kathryn Garceau

Master's Theses

This action research project used a mixed methods design to address the effect of different types of music on student focus while performing an independent task. Despite its success with memorization, does music work equally as well on student focus? Data was collected over a period of three weeks for 30 minutes each morning for 5 days each week. The music played while students completed the task changed each week. This included lyrical songs during week one, classical music during week two, and instrumental versions of songs students knew the lyrics to during week three. Four behavior markers were observed …

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Food And Culture In Challenged Books, Noah Hawkins May 2024

Food And Culture In Challenged Books, Noah Hawkins

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This paper looks at the way food and culture are intertwined and discussed in literature. I also discuss how many of these books that represent culture in America are being challenged across the country. My research takes a deeper look into why challenging these books is more harmful for students than it does good. My lesson planned is then planned around poetry and how food and culture and be a great opportunity to talk about their culture in their homes. My lesson plan aims to make students better writers as well as be able to give them a voice to …

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Informing Adolescents About Potential Internet Risks And Tools For Safely Navigating Online Spaces, Rhiannon Jean Elliot May 2024

Informing Adolescents About Potential Internet Risks And Tools For Safely Navigating Online Spaces, Rhiannon Jean Elliot

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on digital safety for adolescents who have already been or are accessing online spaces for the first time. Adolescents today have been growing up in the age of technology and are likely to have had access to digital devices, such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and gaming consoles, from a much younger age than previous generations. Today, 96% of teens in the U.S. say they use the internet daily, with about 95% of teens reporting having a smartphone (Faverio & Sidoti, 2024). With adolescents accessing the internet more often, they must understand the risks they may encounter …

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Using Improvement Science And A Co-Teaching Model To Increase The Effects Of Evidence-Based Reading Intervention For High School Students Reading Below Grade Level Proficiency, Ashley Vaughn May 2024

Using Improvement Science And A Co-Teaching Model To Increase The Effects Of Evidence-Based Reading Intervention For High School Students Reading Below Grade Level Proficiency, Ashley Vaughn

All Dissertations

I conducted a single instrumental case study to address the problem of practice in which approximately one-third of students entering the ninth grade for the 2019-2020 school year in the study school district were reading below grade level proficiency. I chose an instrumental case study method because it allows for an in-depth examination of a situation within its real-life context. I opted for this approach because I sought to understand the problem of practice deeply and generate recommendations for practical application. By focusing on a single case, I could thoroughly explore the intricacies of the subject matter, providing valuable insights …

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What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study Examining What Influential Factors Guide Rural Middle School Students To Consider A Potential Career Trajectory, Heather Wilks May 2024

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study Examining What Influential Factors Guide Rural Middle School Students To Consider A Potential Career Trajectory, Heather Wilks

All Dissertations

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examines what influences 7th and 8th grade rural middle school students to consider a potential career trajectory. Phase One of the study includes a demographic and career cluster interest survey of 38 participants. Phase Two of the study focused on 23 of the 38 Phase One participants, who were chosen using random sampling. The Phase Two participants were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. They were asked to discuss their career cluster results from Phase One, how they used their surrounding factors and knowledge to conclude, and if they agreed with their results. Findings indicated …

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Assessing Teachers’ Dispositions Towards Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Northwest Arkansas High Schools, Rylie Ford May 2024

Assessing Teachers’ Dispositions Towards Culturally Responsive Pedagogy In Northwest Arkansas High Schools, Rylie Ford

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

Culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) entails the use of cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and learning styles of ethnically and culturally diverse students to make instruction more relevant and effective for them. Furthermore, practices within this pedagogy are validating, inclusive, emancipatory, and ethical, and help diverse students succeed academically while maintaining their cultural identity. Numerous studies have indicated that using culturally responsive pedagogy increases student academic achievement, sense of self, and emotional well-being (Ladson, 1995; Gay, 2018). Considering the varying degrees of cultural and linguistic diversity in Northwest Arkansas (NWA) schools and the lack of reported professional development relating to CRP, this …

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Clothing, From Textiles To Pixels: Exploring The Possibilities Of Design With Clo3d Software, Tina Shetabi May 2024

Clothing, From Textiles To Pixels: Exploring The Possibilities Of Design With Clo3d Software, Tina Shetabi

Department of Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This project explores the application of Clo3d software as a transformative educational tool in couture fashion design instruction. Despite couture's rich tradition of meticulous craftsmanship and personalized design, its teaching methodologies have yet to fully leverage digital advancements. This project examines the integration of Clo3d into the apparel design program curriculum, specifically focusing on the undergraduate course Digital Apparel Design at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Through a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application, this project aims to determine how digital tools like Clo3d can enhance the learning outcomes of fashion design students by providing a more interactive and …

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Workflow And Best Practices Of Planting Design In Virtual Reality, Becca L. Springer May 2024

Workflow And Best Practices Of Planting Design In Virtual Reality, Becca L. Springer

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this study is to develop a technical workflow and deliver an instructional module for teaching planting design in Virtual Reality (VR). The developed workflow and instructional model will be presented to students enrolled at Utah State University in the Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning (LAEP) Department. The first objective of this thesis project is to explore and create a successful workflow of basic planting design principles and apply them in virtual reality with the use of new technology. The virtual reality and planting design software that were explored were Twinmotion, VR Sketch, SketchUp, AutoCAD, Land FX, Gravity …

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Investigation Of K-2 Teachers' Self-Efficacy In One Rural School District, Crystal Schaefer May 2024

Investigation Of K-2 Teachers' Self-Efficacy In One Rural School District, Crystal Schaefer

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the past four years education has undergone many changes, whether it be shifting to distance learning in 2020 or changing student behaviors, and these changes have undeniable effects on teachers and their self-efficacy. The purpose of this study is to investigate teachers’ sense of self-efficacy. A 24-question Qualtrics survey was distributed through email for kindergarten through second grade teachers between two elementary schools in one rural Arkansas school district. These 24 questions were adapted from The Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale. The survey collected 16 total responses. The survey results provided evidence that teacher efficacy in instructional strategies is …

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The Affable Raphael: Milton's Surrogate Instructor In Paradise Lost., Beau Kilpatrick May 2024

The Affable Raphael: Milton's Surrogate Instructor In Paradise Lost., Beau Kilpatrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667) is a beautifully written epic that continues to be a stalwart text in the English literary canon, with unlimited potential for interpretation. In this dissertation I propose that Paradise Lost can be read as a pedagogical lesson for Milton’s “fit audience,” where the author implements his views on education in the context of heaven, hell, and Paradise. In the poem, Milton presents three pedagogical methodologies: first, the wrong way to knowledge is presented through Satan’s manipulations of the fallen angels and Eve; second, the divine way to knowledge is illustrated via Michael’s prophecy to Adam …

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