Education Commons^™

Solomon Islands Standardised Tests Of Achievement (Sista). English And Mathematics. Year 4 And Year 6. Report 1 Main Study 2013, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Assessment and Reporting

The SISTA program is a key monitoring tool of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development and has the capacity to serve multiple functions to a wide range of educational stakeholders. This report provides analysis of year 4 and year 6 Literacy and Numeracy of SISTA 2013. The SISTA results contain a wealth of data about how well students have responded to items that are indicators of curriculum attainment. The observed improvements in overall performances may be attributed to: a. Better tests and improved alignment of the tests with the target population; and b. In the case …

Birds Of A Feather... Generalization Of Facial Structures Following Massive Familiarization, Pablo Tinio, Gernot Gerger, Helmut Leder

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

Three experiments examined the effects of symmetry and complexity, as facial structures, on the aesthetic judgments of faces, and how these effects are modulated by moderate or massive familiarization. Results showed that symmetrical faces were judged as more attractive than nonsymmetrical faces, and simple faces were judged as more attractive than complex faces-with complexity defined as the number of facial elements. Complexity in faces seemed to have overridden the usually positive effects of facial symmetry. Moreover, while moderate familiarization did not modulate the effects, massive familiarization to a specific face type resulted in structural generalization effects: participants provided higher aesthetic …

From Artistic Creation To Aesthetic Reception: The Mirror Model Of Art, Pablo Tinio

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

The fields of creativity and aesthetics remain relatively separate in spite of the great advances made in the psychology of the arts over the past century. This divide has limited our understanding of the experience of art. Here I present a model that describes the interface between the two sides: art-making and art-viewing. According to the model, aesthetic experiences mirror the art-making process in the sense that the early stages of aesthetic processing correspond to the final stages of art-making; conversely, the late stages of aesthetic processing correspond to the initial stages of art-making. Considering the aesthetic processing of an …

The Transformative Potential Of Boundary Spanners: A Narrative Inquiry Into Preservice Teacher Education And Professional Development In An Nclb-Impacted Context, David Whitenack, Patricia Swanson

Faculty Publications

This narrative inquiry uses pedagogic discourse theory and organization theory to frame pre-service teacher education and in-service professional development initiatives in a school district facing tensions related to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Implications for similar future initiatives are considered.

Operation Fast And [We're Serious], Daniel Miedema, Donald Mitchell Jr., Ph.D.

Executives, Administrators, & Staff Publications

The intention of this piece is to push thinking beyond NCLB and offer a fresh perspective on how the U.S. educational system might progress in the future. Consider this a call to action to inspire and promote real change in a profession that has been restrained by federal regulations, standardization, and modest funding.

Addressing The Needs Of Students With Color Vision Deficiencies In The Elementary School Library, Karla Bame Collins

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

Color vision deficiencies affect approximately eight percent of the male population (Birch & Chisholm, 2008; Cole, 2007; Jenny & Kelso, 2007; Neitz & Neitz, 2000), yet the condition is often overlooked in the educational setting despite the pervasiveness of color in the school (Suero et al., 2004). The purpose of this study was to explore how elementary school librarians provide instruction and prepare the library environment to meet the needs of students with color vision deficiencies.

This mixed methods study consisted of two components. The first component was a questionnaire administered to elementary school librarians throughout Virginia to gather data …

The Effect Of Public Pre-Kindergarten Attendance On First Grade Reading And Social Achievement: A District Level Analysis, Michael James Haslip

Theses and Dissertations in Early Childhood Education

The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between attending a school district Pre-K program and children's later literacy and behavior outcomes in the beginning and middle of first grade. Children's text level, letter-sound identification, sight words, spelling and citizenship skills were measured. The study included 880 children who attended the division Pre-K program and 176 children who attended no formal or institutional preschool of any kind. Selection bias was addressed through propensity score matching, completed using optimal matching. Independent-samples t tests were run on literacy and behavior measures. Subgroup analysis was performed to test the effect of …

Student Thought And Classroom Language: Examining The Mechanisms Of Change In Dialogic Teaching, Alina Reznitskaya, Maughn Gregory

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

Dialogue, as a communication form characterized by its commitment to inclusiveness and rationality, has long been advocated by educators as a mechanism for helping students become better thinkers. Unfortunately, numerous claims about the educational potential of participating in dialogue have not resulted in substantial changes in classroom practices. Studies have consistently shown that in today's schools the dominant discourse remains largely monologic. In this article, we present a testable theory of change that suggests how sociocultural processes in a dialogic classroom influence students' development.We identify and discuss three learning outcomes of dialogic teaching, including epistemological understanding, argument skills, and disciplinary …

Developing Resilience In The Elementary School Classroom, Ellen Ferrin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Explores the ways in which elementary school teachers can help their students develop the skills associated with resilience. For this study, an extensive literature review was conducted and surveys were completed by twelve elementary school teachers in Washington, Oregon, California, and New York.

Connecting The Strands Of Wampum, Marissa Corwin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Documents the development of the author's philosophies and strategies as she formed a methodology for teaching social studies content about Native Americans in New York State.

Addressing Invisibility Of Asian-American History And Cultural Heritage In North American School Curricula : A Curriculum Guide, Kathryn Eliza Harris

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Presents a curriculum guide for upper elementary students (5th grade) including rationale and background research on need for critically informed multicultural education, an overview of the history of Chinese immigrants in the United States, origin and prevalence of Asian-American stereotypes, and underrepresentation of Asian-Americans in curriculum.

Passion And Compassion : Teaching First Graders Reading Comprehension Through Kindness And The Works Of Kevin Henkes, Salvi Muzio

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A literature review in the field of reading comprehension combined with a research-based curriculum created based on the experts and the author's personal experiences both in the classroom as a teacher and a student.

After-School Cooking Curriculum : Fruits & Vegetables, Lauren Cooke

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis is an after-school cooking curriculum for 2nd or 3rd graders focusing on fruits and vegetables. The curriculum's primary goal is to help students discover a love of food as opposed to studying the health benefits of eating well.

Supporting The Development Of Executive Functioning Skills In Sixth Grade Students, Anne Davidson Anderson

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This integrative master's project explores how teachers can support the development of executive functioning skills in sixth grade students at the particular school where the author is a learning specialist (though many of the findings and recommendations can be generalized to other settings).

"For The First Time, All Over Again" : Reading Classic Children's Literature With Contemporary Children, Julia Hope Martin

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis explores a simple question: what happens when modern children are exposed to the "canon" of great children's literature for the very first time? How will contemporary children process and engage with texts that are over fifty years old? Using qualitative research with her own classroom of second graders, the author sets out to explore student reactions as they discovered a selected set of exemplary children's literature.

An Evaluative Study Of Family Guides And Subsequent Design Of A Multi-Museum Third Grade Explorer's Guide, Katherine Hillman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The idea for this project began with the evaluative study of a cultural organization's family guide. The results of that study, garnered from interviews with and observations of families, serves as the inspiration for a newly designed family guide intended for third graders and their families. The guide incorporates several museum visits with NY State Social Studies Scope and Sequence criteria and is based on personal teaching experience, age-relevant developmental guidelines, theoretical influences, a literature review of family learning and current family guides, as well as the results of the evaluative study.

Immigration At The Core : A Curriculum For Fourth Grade, Ma'ayan Eckstein

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This curriculum provides educators with a framework for teaching fourth grade students about immigration in the United States between 1880 and 1924. It is designed to align with state-issued curricular guidelines for social studies as of 2012.

Roof Top Garden Play Space, Karolyn Crutchfield

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Throughout this unit, the author's kindergarten and first grade students had hands on experience with growing a variety of plants. As students were exposed to the variety of plants through the garden project, they were able to determine what plants needed to survive and flourish. Additionally, they focused on how plants help people, animals, and insects and explored what effect plants have on the ecological balance of the earth.

Steady Bodies Active Minds : A Resource For Using Yoga And Mindfulness In The Classroom, Clare Murchison

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper seeks to provide a resource for teachers to use the practices of yoga and mindfulness effectively in their elementary classrooms.

"Kids Create" : The Development Of An Out-Of-School Program For Creative, Empowered Exploration In Hudson, New York, Bonnie Scott Jones

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Describes the design and implementation of an out-of-school program that the author developed and facilitated in Hudson, New York. The program, "Kids Create," provides elementary school-aged children with opportunities for creative, empowered exploration through project-based "design and build" workshops.

Putting The Classroom To Work--A Classroom Blueprint : How Does A Classroom Environment Influence Teaching Styles And A Teacher's Well Being?, Maria L. Freda

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This empirical study is written to call attention to and define the role of the classroom environment as an influential teaching tool. Through observation, interviews, and extensive reference resources, this compilation of work will discuss and assess how the arrangement of a classroom, its furnishings, and its aesthetic climate can influence a teacher's sensibilities, well being, motivation, and teaching style. The result of this research is intended to lead to the development of the classeum blueprint, a workshop series and guide, created for educators kindergarten through fourth grade.

Natural Science In Our School Environment : Being Five And Being A Scientist, Danielle L'Heureaux

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This independent master's project is a proposal of an integrated science curriculum for five and six year olds. The curriculum is divided into four units: natural/manmade, living/non-living: animals, living/non-living: plants, and change.

A Study Of Bridges For Second Graders, Christopher Mera

Graduate Student Independent Studies

A curriculum designed to inform students on the science and uses of bridges and to stimulate investigation into these topics. It contains planned lessons, trips and trip sheets, worksheets, and discussion topics and focus questions that are necessary for teaching this topic.

Building Community In The Classroom Through Storytelling : Theoretical And Field-Based Perspectives, Yelena Kushnirova

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study includes a discussion of the meaning and definition of story and storytelling from literary and socio-cultural perspectives with field-based examples in formal and informal educational settings (grades 1-5). A selection of Russian folktales with a presentation of folktale structure and morphology and their implications for classroom practice are included.

Sounds In The Neighborhood : A Curriculum For Six And Seven Year Olds, Rachel Rubinow

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study of the sounds in the neighborhood comes from a larger neighborhood study within the first grade class. Students will have the opportunity to gain more information about the neighborhood by solely listening to the sounds and making sense of these sounds.

An Investigation Of The Common Characteristics Of High Poverty, High Performing Rural K-8 Schools, Beth Ann Pennington

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Lleap Dialogue Series (No.2) : A Practical Guide To Grow Your Ideas For Maximum Impact, Michelle Anderson, Emma Curtin

Leading Learning in Education and Philanthropy (LLEAP)

This Guide, number 2 in the series, has been designed as a user friendly tool that could be used by different groups within education and philanthropy to suit their needs (e.g. in the training of philanthropic program managers in education; in the development of educational projects in schools; or supporting school-philanthropic-not-for-profit collaborations). Included are two ‘think pieces’ around collaboration: one on socially intelligent schools by Bill Lucas; the other on philanthropy and Indigenous education by Tony Dreise. These are followed by frameworks and guiding principles; and specific tools, tips and strategies for improving collaboration and engagement. Fifteen cases are also …

Used By Him, Raquel Gomez

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Comparing Student Experiences With Story Discussions In Dialogic Versus Traditional Settings, Alina Reznitskaya, Monica Glina

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

The authors examined the testimonials of 60 elementary school students about their experience during class discussions of assigned readings. They randomly assigned 12 classrooms to 2 treatments: Philosophy for Children (P4C) and Regular Instruction. P4C is an alternative educational environment that places dialogue at the center of its pedagogy. Ten students from each classroom were interviewed. According to the results, significantly more P4C students stated that they enjoyed expressing disagreement with peers, taking on new responsibilities, and explaining their thinking to others. More P4C students complained about the difficulties with getting the floor to speak, and suggested that changes are …

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, The University Of Southern Mississippi, The University Of Southern Mississippi's School Of Library And Information Science

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the forty-sixth annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2013.