Education Commons^™

Minecraft In The Math Classroom, Aaron J. Hultstrand

Senior Honors Theses

The spread of technology is creating the need for teachers to evolve and adapt their strategies within the classroom. Teachers must continually improve upon their technological integration in order to teach students ever more effectively. Game-based learning has recently gained prominence as a plausible use of technology in the classroom. This thesis will discuss the classroom implications and application of game-based learning. Specifically, the use of the video game Minecraft in the high school math classroom will be examined. The potential of Minecraft as an effective teaching tool to advance the quality of student learning will be examined through a …

Equity In The Classroom, Robert L. Napoli

Student Publications

When discussing how teachers should pursue equity among, in, and through education in their current educational system, many go straight to discussing the lessons. These are very important, and the planning of these lessons can very much influence students to think more openly about equity, but there is something that must be established first before even thinking about executing a lesson plan, and that is the classroom itself. After all, “a large part of the work of teaching is constructing the laboratory for learning.” (Campbell & Demorest, 2008, p. 87). Postman & Weingartner also say that “the most important impressions …

Notes From Mrs. Hadgu's Class: Conceptualizing Music Education Curriculum For A Changing World, Logan B. Santiago

Student Publications

How can we conceptualize curriculum and school knowledge to better address important questions of social change, contingency of knowledge, life in mediated worlds, and inequalities? To answer this question I wrote fictional stories from students about their favorite moments from their 8th grade music class. Each account deals with a specific activity or instance in which the teacher included social change and/or student centered knowledge in the curriculum. The explanation at the end of the accounts details the reasons for creating each activity and the relation of the stories to texts utilized in class.

Test Proctors Share All: Stories From The Frontlines Of Testing, Jarret M. Dyer

Open Educational Resources

A compilation of test proctor stories from testing centers around the United States and across the globe. Proctors reveal the day to day realities of being on the frontlines of test fraud mitigation in an ever increasing digitally shareable society.

Integrating Ipads In The Kindergarten Classroom: How Does Technology Engage Students In Learning?, Kristine Ray

Research and Evaluation in Education, Technology, Art, and Design

Abstract:

This action research was conducted over the course of a semester with 22 kindergarteners at a public school in Lincoln, Nebraska. The researcher set out to find how technology engaged students in learning using iPads. The students were given a questionnaire to determine prior interactions with technology such as tablets, smartphones, computers or laptops. Majority of students viewed these devices for entertainment and pleasure. After integrating the use of iPads in the classroom for whole group instruction, during guided reading for small group instruction, and during choice time, the students viewed the devices as a learning tool as well …

Social Media In Secondary School Settings, Michael K. Barbour

Faculty Publications & Research of the TUC Graduate School of Education

From Conclusion:

The rise of social media gives schools another opportunity to use a real world connection with their students. The benefits are plentiful, allowing for collaboration and communication opportunities both in and out of the classroom. Depending on the social media tool selected, students can share videos, writing, and photos while allowing others to comment and interact. While the socialization aspects are powerful, educators should strongly consider the online safety of young teens before venturing into social media. If not supervised properly, social media can open students up to cyberbullying and leaving a negative digital footprint, both of which …

Biological Evolution In Canadian Science Curricula, Anila Ashgar, Sarah Bean, Wendi O'Neill, Brian Alters

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"The social controversy around biological evolution and creationism continues to persist throughout North America (Alters and Nelson 2002; Berkman and Plutzer 2011; Moore and Cotner 2009; Wiles and Alters 2011; Winslow and others 2011; Rissler and others 2014). This fierce debate has been quite visible in the United States, but seems to be relatively muted in Canada, which may lead many to believe that the dispute does not exist north of the border. While this issue has been researched and documented thoroughly in the US, relatively little is known about its dynamics in Canada, despite the powerful presence of such …

Adventures With Mr Monkey: Stimulating Creative Writing In The Primary School Classroom Through Play, Chloe Gordon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The importance of learning through play is now accepted as an integral component of early childhood classrooms. However, including opportunities for play in the primary school classroom can be challenging when competing with an overcrowded school curriculum. In this article I share my reflections on how I used play to stimulate my Year one students' creative writing in 2013.