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Enhancing Civic Education And Engagement In High School Students, Alanna Novacek
Enhancing Civic Education And Engagement In High School Students, Alanna Novacek
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This capstone project examines educational methods on how to increase civic engagement and education in high school students, centering on a resource guide and civic learning project. This study discusses how students can utilize family and community support to engage inquiry-based learning skills through a supplementary civics curriculum, and how it enhances their civic knowledge. The literature review delves into themes of civic education, civic engagement, and the integration of local government in civics. Key findings include an analysis of the current state of civics education and its variable knowledge base, an exploration of differing definitions of civic engagement and …
Pen Pal Programs As An Effective Tool For Elementary Writing And Intercultural Learning, Michelle Babb
Pen Pal Programs As An Effective Tool For Elementary Writing And Intercultural Learning, Michelle Babb
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research has demonstrated how writing can be a challenge for young students. Motivation, authentic use, and low stakes environments are beneficial methods to build student writing confidence. Pen pal programs are an effective way to provide those benefits to student writing. These programs can also assist in students’ ability to build intercultural connections, which holds important skills in the modern world. However, research on pen pal programs is limited, and teachers often lack the time and resources to begin such a program for their students. The project involved creating a website resource for teachers who are interested in developing pen …
Putting Play In The Elementary School Classroom, Robert Mchugh
Putting Play In The Elementary School Classroom, Robert Mchugh
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Elementary school is a major setting for children’s development and the beginning of their academic journey learning language arts, math, and more. One of the primary ways that children learn and develop is through play. This capstone addresses the research question: How can organized play opportunities in elementary schools be leveraged to help nurture students’ development and strengthen their academic learning outcomes? This capstone report delves into the author's personal and professional connections to the topic of children’s play. Through the process of literature review, evidence is compiled to show that play opportunities strengthen the development of children’s physical health, …
Social-Emotional Learning Skills Embedded Within Math And Reading During The Primary Years, Cassandra Sutherland
Social-Emotional Learning Skills Embedded Within Math And Reading During The Primary Years, Cassandra Sutherland
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question asked in this capstone project was: How can social-emotional learning skills be taught within academic lessons to promote academic progress in primary years? Just like it is necessary to teach reading and math concepts; students need to be explicitly taught social-emotional learning skills. Students should feel a sense of belonging, feel successful and treat others with respect. All of these skills should lead to encountering academic success. This capstone project explores research about the importance of teaching social skills during primary years. The project portion of this capstone is a supplemental curricular resource that includes math and …
Engaging Social Studies Student Through A Culturally Relevant Student Centered Lesson Plan, Chee Kue Lee
Engaging Social Studies Student Through A Culturally Relevant Student Centered Lesson Plan, Chee Kue Lee
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Student learning and engagement with curriculum has greatly decreased as schools transition back from online education to in person instruction. The COVID-19 global pandemic, increased use of technology, and personal electronic devices are all contributors to student disengagement, however research has shown that student centered approaches and culturally relevant approaches to teaching can positively impact student engagement. Investigating the research question: How can understanding and implementing students’ cultural narratives and identities impact student engagement in the classroom?, this capstone project reviews four themes through its literature review: culturally relevant teaching (CRT), student motivation, student diversity in education, and student …
Building Relationships In The Elementary Classroom, Ashley Leafman
Building Relationships In The Elementary Classroom, Ashley Leafman
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Elementary school thrives on strong relationships between students, families, and educators. This research explores how these connections boost academic achievement, social-emotional learning, and student well-being. The author, a 3rd-grade teacher, highlights the importance of trust, communication, and cultural awareness, especially with BIPOC families. An interactive classroom website is proposed to bridge the home-school gap and foster collaboration. This research emphasizes the collective responsibility for creating a supportive learning environment where all students can flourish.
Using Diverse Literature To Increase Empathy And Cultural Understanding In The Classroom, Joanna Sevre
Using Diverse Literature To Increase Empathy And Cultural Understanding In The Classroom, Joanna Sevre
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research demonstrates a direct connection between reading literature and building empathy, aiming to foster a more inclusive classroom. This capstone explores the pivotal role of diverse literature in nurturing empathy and cultural understanding within a classroom. The first part of this project will focus on personal and professional insights to understand the significance of this topic. Then, the research delves into the origins of empathy as well as the connection between curating empathy during key points of adolescent development as a way to positively impact relationships and social understanding. Research also emphasizes the critical need for educators to create inclusive …
The Disappearing Of The Hmong Language, Choua Yang
The Disappearing Of The Hmong Language, Choua Yang
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Within my personal and professional experience, I have observed that the Hmong oral language has declined since the Hmong people arrived in the United States. Over the past 50 years in the United States, there have been growing concerns regarding the decline in usage of the Hmong language within Hmong children. In my personal experience, my children who are second generation Hmong, only the five older children are bilingual while my three younger children only speak English. As for my seven grandchildren, who are third generation Hmong, they only speak English. They do not understand nor speak the Hmong language. …
Place-Based Environmental Education Towards Collective Environmental Literacy, Nicole Stubbs
Place-Based Environmental Education Towards Collective Environmental Literacy, Nicole Stubbs
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
As environmental issues and environmental injustices persist, it is even more important for environmental educators to foster in individuals and groups the skills, knowledge, and natural appreciation needed to timely address these issues. Place-focused environmental education that seeks to address an individual’s sense of place can deepen an individual's connection with their local environment and community. A developed sense of place within a group can also pave the way for collective environmental literacy, the literacy held by a community and defined by the characteristics of collective action, collaboration, shared knowledge, and diverse perspectives. This capstone seeks to answer the question: …
Social And Emotional Learning Resource To Reinforce Skills For 1st Grade Families And Caregivers, Jemmy Vasquez Sermeno
Social And Emotional Learning Resource To Reinforce Skills For 1st Grade Families And Caregivers, Jemmy Vasquez Sermeno
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Social and Emotional Learning continues to grow and take part at all times in schools. This capstone project extends social and emotional learning (SEL) to time outside of school. The project discusses the relationship between schools and families/caregivers with the common goal of extending learning outside of school. This project creates a website as a resource to aid families/caregivers in reinforcing social and emotional skills outside of school. The following question is proposed: How can we make Social and Emotional Learning more accessible for 1st grade families and caregivers in order to reinforce social and emotional skills outside of school? …
The Effective Use Of Technology In Faith Formation Programs, Lindsey Bernardy
The Effective Use Of Technology In Faith Formation Programs, Lindsey Bernardy
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Technology has been underutilized in nontraditional academic settings like faith formation programs, but there is a place for it if implemented appropriately. While traditions of the Catholic Church uphold certain aesthetic standards and ways of participating in Mass, nothing says the ways in which children are taught about the Mass have to remain stagnant. This research revolves around the evolution of formal faith formation in church settings and how technology can play a role in its growth to engage youth in churches. The findings indicate a need for further change in faith formation in order to fully connect with the …
Increasing Student And Educator Participation In Outdoor Classroom Spaces Through Teacher Education And Community Connection, Cora Greenawald
Increasing Student And Educator Participation In Outdoor Classroom Spaces Through Teacher Education And Community Connection, Cora Greenawald
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Place based outdoor integrated education in the general elementary setting aims to connect student learning in subjects such as reading and math to first hand schoolyard experiences. This educational practice is anchored in a wealth of research which enumerates the benefits. Yet implementation is not commonly supported within general education teacher professional development. This capstone aims to answer the question How can urban elementary educators take advantage of schoolyard resources for integrated place based learning experiences? The final product is a professional development sequence that introduces general education classroom teachers to the joys and benefits of outdoor integration through circle …
Using Cooperative Groups To Enhance Student Learning In A High School Math Class, Caitlin Mccain
Using Cooperative Groups To Enhance Student Learning In A High School Math Class, Caitlin Mccain
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
There are many ways that teachers can use cooperative learning in their classroom. The literature review found in this capstone dives into the research surrounding cooperative learning, starting with the four theoretical perspectives on cooperative learning identified by Slavin (1995, as cited by Slavin, 2011) and how they work together to enhance learning. Also discussed is a 2003 study by Kramarski and Mevarech which demonstrates the need to expose students to metacognitive training. Liljedahl et al.’s (2021) research on how to group students can also be found in this capstone. The research from this literature review, along with the author’s …
My Work Is Wild — Promoting Career Literacy Of Conservation And Stem Vocations In Secondary School Students, Lauren Salick
My Work Is Wild — Promoting Career Literacy Of Conservation And Stem Vocations In Secondary School Students, Lauren Salick
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
As the climate crisis heightens and we tread ever further into the Anthropocene epoch, it becomes imperative environmental educators help recruit young adults to the conservation career force. However, studies show that career literacy education is a complex subject that is often misrepresented in traditional K-12 education. The goal of this project was to create an inclusive and influential curriculum for informal after-school programming for secondary students to supplement the career literacy of conservation professions garnered in the traditional school day. The lesson plans focus on relating conservation professions to our communities and students’ daily lives, as well as the …
Creating Inclusive Spaces: Using Book Clubs To Increase Diverse Literature In Schools, Clare Ng
Creating Inclusive Spaces: Using Book Clubs To Increase Diverse Literature In Schools, Clare Ng
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Multiple studies have identified that many groups of underrepresented students, including non-Christians, LGBTQ+, Native-Americans, children of immigrant families, and youth of color, feel invisible or not included in school settings because there is a lack of visibility of non-dominant groups in school, or a lack of policies and practices that support the needs and experiences of non-dominant groups. This may include a lack of representation in recognized celebrated holidays, curriculum topics, or literature discussed in school. This capstone project will focus on how we can create inclusive spaces for students to promote positive school culture by obtaining diverse literature for …
Teaching Trauma-Informed Pedagogy And Critical Literacy In A Middle School Language Arts Classroom, Katherine Chambers
Teaching Trauma-Informed Pedagogy And Critical Literacy In A Middle School Language Arts Classroom, Katherine Chambers
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Trauma is an innate human experience. People from every walk of life can experience trauma at any time, in a variety of ways. The awareness of trauma is seeping into the forefront of our society. In particular, education has seen trauma in varying ways. Many educators are tasked with navigating trauma’s tricky waters. This capstone explores the possibility of how trauma-informed pedagogy and critical literacy impact student engagement in a middle school language arts classroom? Much of the literature reviewed in this capstone examines trauma’s complexities, trauma’s manifestation in schools and suggests several strategies that can be implemented to impact …
A Training Program That Connects Seasonal Garden Staff And Volunteers To The Mission Of Gale Woods Farm To Promote Land Stewardship Through Agriculture Education, Lindsay Bolstad
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
An educational farm has an opportunity to support staff with the skills needed to make pro-environmental food consumption choices, such as participating in a Community Supported Agriculture program and producing food using regenerative or sustainable practices. Research concludes that best practices for a staff training program considers environmental literacy, skill-building, andragogical principles, and consistent workplace values. This capstone uses a combination of literature review and personal communication to answer the question, what are the elements and considerations of creating a training program that connects seasonal garden staff and volunteers to the mission of land stewardship through food production and agriculture …
Developing A Proposal Plan To Create Nature-Based Classrooms In Early Childhood Settings To Support Inquiry Learning, Alaina Zapata
Developing A Proposal Plan To Create Nature-Based Classrooms In Early Childhood Settings To Support Inquiry Learning, Alaina Zapata
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this capstone was, how can a nature-based setting support inquiry learning in early childhood education? It documents the author’s professional experiences and how they provided inspiration for the capstone topic and project. The author complies research that examines learning environments in early childhood education, curriculum to support learning in a nature-based setting, and partnerships involved to ensure outdoor learning success. The project includes a complete researched based proposal plan and presentation to transform a courtyard space within a school, into a nature-based classroom. The proposal plan highlights the benefits of nature-based spaces for early childhood …
Animal Assisted Environmental Education Program Design: The Environmental Learning Farm, Kellie Soronen
Animal Assisted Environmental Education Program Design: The Environmental Learning Farm, Kellie Soronen
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research has shown that by including animals in therapeutic and educational experiences progress can be made in improving the quality of our education and the quality of our lives. This project focused on filling a gap seen in Minnesota’s environmental education programs. There are many environmental learning centers in Minnesota and many different animal assisted therapy programs focusing on physical, mental and emotional health, but there is not a program that is dedicated to bringing our domesticated animals into the curriculum in environmental education. The Environmental Learning Farm is an theoretical and experimental project that could bridge the gap that …
Supporting Kindergarten Multilingual Learners During Morning Meeting, Tamara Tripp
Supporting Kindergarten Multilingual Learners During Morning Meeting, Tamara Tripp
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The guiding question of this capstone project is: “How can kindergarten classroom teachers support Multilingual Learners during Morning Meeting to improve their ability to engage and communicate with classmates?” Morning Meeting is a daily classroom time that supports the building of a shared classroom community. Students are seen and heard as they share about themselves and learn about their peers. Research has demonstrated the need for students to make connections with their classmates in order to feel safe taking academic risks. Multilingual learners in kindergarten classrooms can struggle to make social connections and actively engage in learning when they are …
The Role Of The Native-Speaker Listener In English As A Lingua Franca Interactions, Leah Fruechte
The Role Of The Native-Speaker Listener In English As A Lingua Franca Interactions, Leah Fruechte
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Research agrees that monolingualism, through a lack of linguistic and metalinguistic awareness and general linguistic reflexivity, is the source of a widely observed listening problem where monolingual native-speakers (NSs) of English fail to correctly perceive the meaning of spoken English that diverges from their own in phonological forms or contextual norms. On the other hand, research has also shown multilingual communities, such as those which use English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), to display the intuitive use of collaborative, pragmatic listening strategies that keep them from misunderstanding each other, despite their differences in forms and norms. As a result, this …
Effective Teacher-Parent Communication Tools To Empower Families To Be Active In Their Children’S Learning, Ellis Richardson
Effective Teacher-Parent Communication Tools To Empower Families To Be Active In Their Children’S Learning, Ellis Richardson
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Creating an environment that is conducive for learning is an essential component of education. In search of ways to achieve this goal through family engagement the question was posed, How can educators effectively communicate with families to empower them to take an active role in their child’s learning? Research has demonstrated that there is a link between student success and teacher-parent partnerships through one way and two way communication methods. The project involved creating a set of resources for educators to foster and maintain teacher-parent partnerships with the goal being student success. The resources are accompanied by a professional development …
A Podcast And Website For Informal Educators And How It Can Disseminate Best Teaching Practices, Graham Charles
A Podcast And Website For Informal Educators And How It Can Disseminate Best Teaching Practices, Graham Charles
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Informal educators face barriers in delivering high-quality educational experiences. As they are not formally connected with teacher training programs, they frequently receive more content-area knowledge than pedagogical instruction. Thus, informal educators are challenged to discover and master best practices in their field on their own. Economic and learning theorists indicate that professionals share best practices through various socially mediated structures, such as peer learning, culminating in a spontaneous intragroup support structure which Wegner termed a community of practice. Many informal educators, however, cannot participate in such communities because they are physically located in different sites from colleagues performing similar work. …
Unlocking Math Minds: Using Inquiry-Based Instruction To Increase Student Engagement And Learning In A Third Grade Classroom, Eric Swendseid
Unlocking Math Minds: Using Inquiry-Based Instruction To Increase Student Engagement And Learning In A Third Grade Classroom, Eric Swendseid
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This paper and supporting website include research and strategies to answer the research question, How can the implementation of inquiry-based math instruction increase student engagement and learning success in a third grade classroom? Inquiry-based learning is a process where the students are involved in their learning. The classroom is student-centered, not teacher-centered. Using the student-centered or inquiry-based approach, students do not learn through transmission. Instead, they collect information and synthesize the information they find through critical thinking skills. The learning process is considered to be higher-order learning. The research presented in this paper focuses on guided inquiry within a mathematics …
Facilitating The Success Of Students Transitioning Between Different Methods Of Instruction, Amanda Froberg
Facilitating The Success Of Students Transitioning Between Different Methods Of Instruction, Amanda Froberg
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question being addressed in this project is, how do teachers successfully facilitate the movement back and forth between different methods of instruction for students? This question is answered in the paper and then the project. The project consists of a professional development workshop that is five 120 minute sessions. The first chapter introduces the topic with discussing teaching experiences before the pandemic, COVID-19 and distance learning, and teaching experiences after the pandemic. The second chapter is the literature review that looks at defining student success (academic, social, and mental/emotional), distance learning and COVID-19, and transitions in method of …
How Adverse Childhood Experiences Affect Children In School And What Protective Factors Can Teachers Provide For These Students, Michelle Moorer
How Adverse Childhood Experiences Affect Children In School And What Protective Factors Can Teachers Provide For These Students, Michelle Moorer
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The research question addressed in this Capstone Project is: How do adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) affect children in school and what protective factors can teachers provide for these students? I will start by giving an overview of ACEs, ACEs impact on adulthood, trauma and toxic stress, trauma informed practices, and finally discuss protective factors for children with ACEs. Research shows that having exposure to childhood adversity is connected to negative health and life outcomes. Protective factors against ACEs can be a buffer against the negative effects of ACEs. These factors can be provided in different contexts, for example in relationships, …
Empathy For Self And Others: An Sel Curriculum For A Catholic Middle School, Isabel Heins
Empathy For Self And Others: An Sel Curriculum For A Catholic Middle School, Isabel Heins
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This project explores the importance of an easy to use social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum that can be implemented immediately. While it is aimed specifically at a middle school audience in a Catholic school setting, it is intended for use in any advisory, homeroom, or unstructured time when teachers want to easily incorporate SEL activities. Focused on mental health and empathy, activities such as Role Playing, Naming Emotions, and many others are designed to be implemented with students right away. The goal of the curriculum is to serve as a resource for teachers as they begin teaching SEL skills …
A Sense Of Place In Environmental Education: A Forest Ecology Curriculum, Samantha Selter
A Sense Of Place In Environmental Education: A Forest Ecology Curriculum, Samantha Selter
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
This project discusses the definition of a sense of place as it pertains to environmental education to present the influence of people-to-place relationships in developing environmental stewardship and pro-environmental behavior. Researchers across the fields of geography, environmentalism, and psychology have long identified places as being important to how people see the world and how they act in different places. Fostering place attachment and place meaning within environmental curricula can advance environmental understanding and responsibility through the use of local ecology and problem solving of environmental issues. The curriculum unit within this project focuses on invasive species and uses this environmental …
Employing Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices In English Language Arts Classrooms, Austin Niederkorn
Employing Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices In English Language Arts Classrooms, Austin Niederkorn
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a well renowned approach to teaching that connects students’ cultures, languages, and personal experiences to the curriculum they learn in school. CRT helps students access higher level learning while also promoting increased student achievement, a positive classroom environment, meaningful teacher-student relationships, and impactful connections with communities and families. All teachers can benefit from using CRT in their classrooms, yet English Language Arts (ELA) teachers have unique opportunities to use students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds to shape their reading and writing instruction. Despite being widely praised, culturally responsive teaching is not often the focus of professional …
Students Writing Restorative Justice, Rebekah Rentzel
Students Writing Restorative Justice, Rebekah Rentzel
School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects
The need for systemic change has never been stronger. Schools are at a breaking point. In the wake of the uncertainties of COVID and the injustice seen in the racial uprisings after the police murder of George Floyd of 2020, students are dealing with trauma that needs to be addressed in schools. The practices of restorative justice, when applied with a cultural shift within the schools, are powerful ways to support students in their healing (Morgan, 2021). Studies find that when students are at the center of creating a restorative system, it is more effective because it directly reflects the …