Education Commons^™

How Can An Intermediate Elementary Educator Use Critical Literacy To Promote Social Justice Through Book Clubs?, Grace Shields Mevissen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research is to better understand, “How can an intermediate elementary educator use critical literacy to promote social justice through book clubs?” The author researched and defined social justice, critical literacy and book clubs. After, the author administered a pre assessment, helped facilitate book clubs and a post assessment. The action research was conducted in a suburban school that is mainly comprised of white students. Two groups, having selected the same text, were chosen as a focus group. The author notes and highlights themes across all seven of the students’ experiences throughout the unit. The author …

What Teachers Need To Know About Translanguaging, Thomas Snell

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project addresses the question, what do non-ESL teachers need to know about translanguaging in order to support their emergent bilingual students? Translanguaging has emerged in the last two decades as both an epistemology of language and a pedagogical imperative with broad implications for language teaching and learning. This project traces the design and implementation of a professional development experience for teachers on translanguaging, whose goal is to effect a shift in teachers’ thinking about language so that they can understand their students more fully. It was designed specifically for non-ESL teachers, assumes no prior knowledge of translanguaging, and emphasizes …

American Indian Ethnic Studies: A Culturally And Linguistically Responsive Approach To Teaching An American Indian Ethnic Studies Unit, Bryan K. Deiman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Ethnic studies courses are designed to tell the stories of ethnic groups who have historically been marginalized in all or many aspects of society in the United States. The purpose of this study was to create a unit for an ethnic studies high school course centered on the American Indian experience. Adhering to the theory of culturally sustaining pedagogy, or culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy, the unit for this course was designed to decentralize whiteness and focus solely on the American Indian perspective. This unit was created with a strong emphasis on community outreach, seeking input on content for lessons …

High School Mathematics: A Venue For Political Resistance To White Supremacy, Morgan Kendall Fierst

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The teaching of mathematics in the United States is biased, unjust, and racist. It pretends to be a politically neutral subject despite its inherent white supremist structures and systems. Three main structural component of mathematics education support White Supremacy and need to be dismantled and restructured: inequitable access, the dehumanization of students, and the emphasis of the individual. Mathematics education can be a venue for political resistance to White Supremacy. This project outlines a yearlong advanced algebra curriculum that is rooted in student voice, community engagement, and social connection and includes: essential foundational work, curriculum design, a pacing guide, course-learning …

Designing A Language-Modified, Trauma-Informed Know Your Rights Training To Prepare And Empower Refugees With Beginning To Intermediate English Language Skills To Interact With The Police, Elizabeth Miyoung Kaufman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This study examined the experiences of Beginning to Intermediate English level adult refugees with the police, in order to inform the design of a language-modified, trauma-informed Know Your Rights training. Results of a student survey indicated a need for information and culturally-appropriate resources. The purpose of this curriculum is to prepare participants to interact with the police using English so that they can understand communication and advocate for themselves, whether they are being approached, detained, or arrested by law enforcement, or they are seeking emergency help. The context for this community education initiative is rooted in the traditions of people’s …

A Secondary Ela Classroom Curriculum Study Using Culturally-Relevant, Digital Texts To Increase Student Engagement And Understanding, Marika Belusa

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to create an engaging and challenging curriculum for a mid-level 11th-grade English course that would explore the use of culturally releveant, digital texts to increase student engagement and understanding. The paper that follows explores the reason why such an interactive and culurally relevant curriculum is needed in an increasingly-diverse suburban classroom. In particular, a blend of research around neuroscience, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Constructivism, the use of digital tools to enhance learning, and a look at how texts should fall under the mirrow-window continuum, was collected. Combinging theory and research led to the …

What Are Teacher Perceptions Of An Equity Committee?, Isabel Rowles

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study takes a constructionist approach to answer the research question: What are teacher perceptions of an equity committee? This research study was done using a combination of direct observation, field notes, a survey and interviews. The data from these instruments was analyzed by broadly identifying three common themes that emerged through each data collection method. Limitations, implications and recommendations are made for future research.

World History Lesson Module Design: Promoting Civic Responsibility Through Engagement, Relevancy, And Global Understanding, Jacalyn R. Polloway

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

A goal with this capstone was to create a classroom that advocates civic responsibility through the use of understanding, engagement, application, compassion, and skills to succeed in the future. If lessons are geared around critical thinking, engagement, and creativity while in a world history class that also reminds students of empathy and relevancy to their lives, then students may begin to think about civic responsibility and social justice not only throughout history but also in their lives. Whether it’s the topic of warfare, genocide, the Syrian refugee crisis, discrimination, or other societally relevant topic, teachers need to inspire strategies to …

Teaching Animal Ethics In Culturally Diverse Settings, Julie Knopp

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This project explores the research question “How can we teach compassion for animals in a culturally responsive manner?” The premise stems from the contrast of the narrow range of values taught in public schools and the growing cultural diversity of our students. Literature in moral development theory, culturally responsive pedagogy, and humane education suggested that the most effective values education invites students to think critically. By providing information, modeling, and supports for ethical decision-making, students develop a greater sense of moral integrity, while simultaneously developing essential academic skills. The result of this project is a unit promoting critical thinking about …

Defining The Correlation Between Multicultural Training For Pre-Service Teachers And Their Effectiveness In Implementing A Multicultural Curriculum In The Classroom, Lynne Chung

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

As educators, we must hold each other accountable. It begins with how we are initially trained and the ideas we foster into actions that transcend textbooks and ultimately put into effective lessons. More often times than now, pre-service training reflects the values of the dominant society that may lead to perpetuating the status quo. This study aims to define the correlation between multicultural training for pre-service teachers and their

effectiveness in implementing a multicultural curriculum in the classroom. Through in- depth interviews with five practicing teachers in their first- through third-year of

teaching, the study documents their personal experiences with …

How Family Advocates Home-Visiting In A Midwestern Urban Area Describe The Impact Of Family Stress On Children’S Learning And Success In School, Virginia Lucio

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine Seven Out of School Factors common among the poor that significantly affect the health and learning opportunities of children. In depth interviews were employed to allow six Family Advocates to answer interview questions regarding their experiences in witnessing the the seven factors. Findings suggest that many children possess one or more of the factors which are related to a host of poverty-induced physical, sociological, and psychological problems that children often bring to school, ranging from neurological damage and attention disorders to excessive absenteeism, linguistic underdevelopment, and oppositional behavior. Implications for future research …

Student Reactions To Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Designed To Build Trust And Mutual Respect, Karrah O’Daniel

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

In a qualitative study of an inner-city, diverse classroom, this Capstone looks at the question: How do students describe their reaction to culturally relevant pedagogical strategies designed to build engagement, trust, and mutual respect in a culturally diverse classroom managed by their Caucasian teacher? The Capstone shares some personal stories of the researcher and looks at the existing research about the importance of relationship building, particularly within the realms of trust and mutual respect between students and teachers. This particular Capstone focuses deeply through the eyes of race and culture in the classroom, especially examining the realities of lack of …

The Use Of Graphic Organizers When Writing With Dual Identified El And Ld Students, Katherine Corrigan

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study will focus on the growth and student attitudes and their perceptions of their own ability regarding argumentative and expository writing tasks, specifically in the area of organization and development for dual identified EL and LD Hispanic, middle school students. This study seeks to answer the following guiding questions: Can a graphic organizer help improve organization and development in an argumentative or expository writing task? and How does the explicit instruction and use of an intentionally designed graphic organizer improve student perception of their own abilities and attitudes towards completing an argumentative or expository writing task? The quantitative data …

Equity And A Quality Education: Perceptions Of Suburban And Urban High School Graduates, Leanne Kampfe

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study utilized grounded theory analysis through a critical lens and within a qualitative paradigm to research how students define the quality of their education and its connections to equity. The study focused on a small sample of students, all of whom graduated from one suburban and one urban high school in a Midwestern, metropolitan area. Focus groups, elite interviews, and document analysis were all used to collect data. The theoretical concepts that emerged from the data illustrated the negative impact of white supremacy with regard to the achievement of an equitable, quality education by all students. The data …