Education Commons^™

Borrowing Avid Inquiry: Getting To The Essential Question In The English Classroom, Kaidi R. Stroud

English Literature Graduate Theses and Projects

There is a danger as new teachers struggle with how to implement their educational theories in the classroom to fall back into teaching how they have been taught, regardless of whether or not that method is appropriate to their beliefs or considered best-practice. In order to combat that tendency, this teacher-research project was designed to problem-solve the often-times conflicting relationship between curriculum and theory that all too often results in fall-back teaching. But also, this project aimed to collect and analyze student work in order to better inform instruction in a way that was both reflective and active. Specifically, the …

Despacio, Tengo Prisa: Caminos De Concientización A El Alcance De Educadores, Roberto E. Bahruth

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

En esta exposición, deseo expresar algunos criterios sobre el problema de la actual vida tecnológica acelerada y algunas respuestas pedagógicas para enfrentar a este mundo cada vez menos humano y más deshumanizante.

Humanizing Education In An Age Of Apathy And Greed, Roberto E. Bahruth

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

I want to begin by recognizing that the ideas I will address here may not be recognizable to most, but they are critical to all. I am aware of a long history of people who were persecuted, murdered, dismissed, or ignored because their declarations were not convenient to the power' structures of their day. Galileo was put in jail because his ideas were threatening to the status quo. His integrity required that he be an honest scientist despite the consequences and he would not be silent. I don't claim to be a Galileo, but I would say that a world …

Special Educators And Mathematics Phobia: An Initial Qualitative Investigation, Michael Humphrey, Jack J. Hourcade

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Special educators are uniquely challenged to be content experts in all curricular areas, including mathematics, since students in their case loads may require academic instruction in any area. However, special educators with math phobia may be limited in their ability to provide effective instruction to their students with mathematical deficits and/or needs, and may experience additional challenges in their professional and personal lives. This qualitative study sought to better understand the nature of math phobia in two special educators through extensive interviews, journaling, and observations in math experiences, with a number of primary themes identified. Several potential resolutions for the …

Creative Space: Collaborative Relationships Between Faculty And Student Affairs Professionals, Melissa Wintrow, Michael Humphrey

Michael Humphrey

No abstract provided.

On Democracy And Critical Citizenship, Arturo Rodriguez

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this essay I fuse narrative, social critique and critical understandings of schooling. Across the writing I argue for an increased critical awareness of print and other forms of news media. For the purposes of this paper I propose two major arguments that support critical awareness, they are: knowing what it means to be an informed citizen and practicing a critical democratic citizenship. As a springboard for discussing the major themes I review how print and other news media are used as propaganda and how a seemingly literate populace more easily accepts what are understood as social norms.

Literacy-Rich Emotional Intelligence Curriculum Guide, Carol Louise Fitzgerald

Literacy, Language, and Culture Graduate Projects and Theses

This research originated from my experience teaching in a school designed as an alternative to expulsion for a large public school district. The premise was that students could return to their traditional school setting after the appropriate “time-out” had been completed. My research and experience speaks to the fact that the threat of expulsion and required compliance of strict behavior codes rarely changed student behavior and did not make at-risk adolescents better students. I found that students who met the criteria for an expulsion referral came from all walks of life, had a variety of learning styles, and covered the …

Mentors Increasing Special Education Retention, Michael J. Humphrey, Evelyn S. Johnson, Keith W. Allred, Jack J. Hourcade

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lack of effective professional mentoring and minimal ongoing support programs have been suggested as two primary contributors to the chronic shortages of special education teachers. Few programs have been designed to address these specific causes. In this article we describe TATERS, a partnership between a university special educator preparation program, a state Department of Education, and district level administrations designed to (a) develop effective mentoring systems, and (b) strengthen training and recruitment of preservice and new special education teachers, especially in rural areas.

Rubrics And Revision: What Are The Effects Of 3Rd Graders Using Rubrics To Self-Assess Or Peer-Assess Drafts Of Writing?, Gabriel Cameron Horn

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental research thesis was to determine the effects of rubric-referenced peer-revision and self-assessment on the writing drafts of 3^rd grade students. A convenience sample of students in existing classrooms engaged in two persuasive writing assignments. The first assignment established a baseline score for comparison purposes. During the second assignment, a peer-revision group and self-assessment group received different interventions that focused on revision guided by a rubric. A third control group did not receive an intervention. Student opinions toward the usefulness of the treatments were also gathered through a questionnaire that was delivered after the writing …

Evaluating The Effects Of Credit-Based Transitional Programs On High School Students' Critical Thinking Skills, Jane M. Walther

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the critical thinking (CT) skills of Grade 12 students (N = 60) enrolled in different academic programs: International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and a control group (NON). CT was assessed using the Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test, which provided measures of five CT subscales: Evaluation of Argument, Deduction, Inference, Recognition of Argument, and Interpretation; and a separate category of CT skill: Use of Emotive Language to Persuade.

Despite similar demographics across groups, there were significant differences in three of the five subscales of CT and Use of Emotive Language to Persuade. IB and AP scores were …

Concept Booklets: Examining The Performance Effects Of Journaling Of Mathematics Course Concepts, Todd Stephen Fogdall

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Journaling is an effective tool for writing about mathematics, but research is mixed about the extent to its effectiveness in writing to learn mathematics. This study examined the performance effects of concept booklets on curriculum assessments. Concept booklets are a hybrid style of journal-writing that include responses to journal prompts, diagramming, and traditional note-taking. Prompts were designed to sometimes investigate new concepts and, at other times, to reflect on components of previously learned concepts.

The study, of an experimental design, was carried out at the high school level in honors-level mathematics classes with the independent variable being exposure to the …

Bullies, Gangs, And Books For Young Adults, Stan Steiner, Ben Steiner

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

This action research project describes the impact a love for reading and access to books had on incarcerated youth and the adults directly working with them. Through adults working inside a juvenile detention center a library was established, young adult books were made available, and literature discussion groups were conducted. The positive results dispels the myth of high illiteracy rates associated with people serving time for criminal offenses. The act of establishing a library in one detention center evolved into academic course work that brought educators, social workers and criminal justice students and professionals together for the first time. This …

Constructing Critical Literacy: Self-Reflexive Ways For Curriculum And Pedagogy, Anne Gregory, Mary Ann Cahill

Literacy, Language, and Culture Faculty Publications and Presentations

Schools have the potential to be places where students can come to understand how and why knowledge and power are constructed (Aronowitz & Giroux, 1993). This paper provides an overview of critical literacy from a critical theory/Freirian perspective. Within it, critical literacy is posited as a necessary component of all classroom practices, one that is elemental to Dewey’s (1916) view of democracy, social justice, and what it means to be literate. Features of a critical literacy approach to instruction are provided along with rationales for the necessity of its inclusion in a democratic society.

A Systemic Solution: Elementary Teacher Preparation In Stem Expertise And Engineering Awareness, Louis S. Nadelson, Janet Callahan, Pat Pyke, Anne Hay, Cheryl Schrader

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research shows that most K-5 teachers are typically required to complete only minimal coursework in science and mathematics, which constrains their knowledge, efficacy, and confidence for teaching STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) content. Additionally, elementary teachers, like much of the general public, have limited comprehension about the relationship between STEM concepts and engineering fields and the kind of work and societal contributions made by engineers. Yet, elementary school is a critical time in which students develop foundational understanding of STEM concepts, career options, and inquiry learning.

To address students' STEM needs and limited teacher preparation, the Idaho SySTEMic Solution …

Online Collaborative Learning In A Project-Based Learning Environment In Taiwan: A Case Study On Undergraduate Students’ Perspectives, Ke Zhang, Shiang Wuu Peng, Jui-Long Hung

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This case study investigated undergraduate students’ first experience in online collaborative learning in a project-based learning (PBL) environment in Taiwan. Data were collected through interviews of 48 students, instructor’s field notes, researchers' online observations, students’ online discourse and group artifacts. The findings revealed interesting phenomena as results of cultural influences as well as educational system impacts. Students experienced first handed various learning benefits of PBL in the intensive six-week period, yet voiced serious concerns about the changed role of the instructor, as well as strong reservations on peer collaboration as a result of the competitive tradition in education. Obviously, online …

Parents’ Guidelines For The Transition From Chinese Homes To American Preschools, Jingyi Zhang

Early and Special Education Graduate Projects and Theses

The Chinese are the largest ethnic group within the Asian-American population, consisting of 23% of the Asian population living in the United States. For first generation Chinese-American parents, they face the choice of schools for their children, starting with preschool. Preschool is a vital start for all children. When Chinese children transition from homes to American preschools, they face the challenge of an unfamiliar culture, a different language from home and a new environment. This project will focus on the transition Chinese children make from home to American preschools. It will explore the similarities and differences between beliefs and ideas …

Conceptual Development About Motion And Force In Elementary And Middle School Students, Dewey I. Dykstra, Dale R. Sweet

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Methods of physics education research were applied to find what kinds of changes in 4th, 6th, and 8th grade student understanding of motion can occur and at what age. Such findings are necessary for the physics community to effectively discharge its role in advising and assisting pre-college physics education. Prior to and after instruction the students were asked to carefully describe several demonstrated accelerated motions. Most pre-instruction descriptions were of the direction of motion only. After instruction, many more of the students gave descriptions of the motion as continuously changing. Student responses to the diagnostic and to the activity materials …

Teaching Emergent Literacy Skills To Students With Autism, Linda Laz

Early and Special Education Graduate Projects and Theses

The acquisition of functional reading skills is a critical educational outcome for all students, as these skills enhance the likelihood of both subsequent academic achievement as well as post-school success and maximal independence in adulthood. While some students with more severe manifestations of autism and intellectual impairment may not be able to attain the highest levels of academic literacy (the ability to understand and use sophisticated written academic material), functional literacy is an appropriate goal for all, as it facilitates student ability to independently and productively live, work, and engage in their community. It is important that teachers teach the …

Another Look At Reflection: Promoting Student Voice, Self-Efficacy And Student/Teacher Dialogue Through Structured, Guided Reflection Prompts In A College Reading And Study Skills Course, Linda Kirby

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

“Learning improves to the degree that it arises out of the process of reflection.”

Shermis, 1999

In the past 10-15 years, numerous commissions, boards, and foundations as well as states and local school districts have identified reflection/inquiry as a standard toward which all teachers and students must strive not only in meeting new educational reforms but in helping maintain a dynamic, democratic society. The focus of this study was to examine the impact of using guided, structured reflective prompts and written discourse occurring between students and teachers within a college-level reading and study strategies course. Although there is a large …

Searching For Patterns Of Discourse In A Sea Of Professional Development: Professional Learning And Teacher Discourse, Brian T. Whitney

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Professional development, like a sea of changing tides, ebbs and flows through a myriad of professional trends. Some of these trends have disenfranchised teachers from the core of professional learning while others have empowered teachers to confront change with passion and courage. As collaboration continues to gain popularity as an empowering and effective route to professional learning, scrutinizing the effects of professional development on teacher discourse will ensure desired outcomes are achieved.

While collaboration holds the power to break down some of the isolation that exists in the teaching profession, talk alone, void of inquiry and reflection, will not necessarily …

Idaho Building Capacity: Developing A Statewide System Of Support For Districts And Schools In Need Of Improvement, Lisa L. Kinnaman

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, established by Congress as a re-authorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (EASA) requires that all states establish a statewide system of intensive and sustained support and improvement for local educational agencies and schools. This provision in the law was designed to insure that states are adequately supporting districts and schools in their efforts to help all students meet the State’s academic content standards and student academic achievement standards. This study will describe and analyze the design and establishment of a comprehensive statewide system of support in Idaho, the Idaho Building …

Writing In The Middle: A Qualitative Study Of Seventh Grade Language Arts Teachers, Cherie Jolene Dockstader

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe what four seventh-grade teachers in four districts in southern Idaho do that helps achievement on both the Direct Writing Assessment (DWA) and Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT). Through analysis of interview, observations, and classroom documents, similarities and differences between the four teachers was documented and reported. The results of this study suggest there are key practices that these teachers have in common that may contribute to student test success, but it also suggests that state standards and assessments influence the teaching practices of these successful teachers in both positive and negative …

Response To Intervention At The Secondary Level: Identifying Students At Risk For High School Dropout, Carrie Lisa Semmelroth

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Using the basic premise of RTI, which is to identify those students at risk, in order to provide timely intervention, this study contributes to the development of a universal screening measure to identify high school at risk of drop out. This study was designed to apply the Early Warning System (EWS) tool developed by the National High School Center as a possible Tier 1 universal screening measure to identify students at risk as part of an RTI framework for the secondary school level. Freshmen data from one high school from the 2004-2005 school year was entered into the EWS tool …

Monitoring And Evaluating Classroom Behavior In Early Childhood Settings, Delilah Krasch, Deborah Carter

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Monitoring and evaluating classroom behavior in early childhood for the purpose of improving teaching and learning is critical. There is a clear link between social behavior and academic learning. Classrooms where students are following expectations, engaging academically, and transitioning effectively between activities are classrooms where students spend more time accessing instruction. In order to make efficient and effective decisions for class-wide supports, data should be collected on the class as a whole. With accurate data, interventions can be implemented for the whole group that will increase instructional time. In this paper we propose quick and efficient data collection methods for …

Knowledge Surveys, Megan Frary

CTL Teaching Gallery

A knowledge survey consists of course learning objectives framed as questions and is given before and after the content of the knowledge survey is presented in class. For each question on the knowledge survey, students respond using a three-point rating of their confidence to correctly answer the question.

Knowledge surveys may be used as a pretest before the semester or a new unit begins to help faculty get a sense of what students believe they know about upcoming topics. Knowledge surveys may be conducted electronically through Blackboard or as an in or out of class assignment on paper.

A Family Strengths Approach To Early Language And Literacy Development, Deborah Carter, David J. Chard, Juli Pool

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Language and literacy skills are an essential element of young children’s development and allow them to interact meaningfully with other people and to develop knowledge in all subject areas. Despite the importance of language and literacy development, however, more than one third of children in the United States enter school with significant differences in language, early literacy skills, and motivation to learn that place them at considerable risk for developing long-term reading difficulties. The quantity and quality of language interactions children have with their parents and exposure to print in their home environment prior to entering school have an important …

Differential Effects Of A Direct Behavior Rating Intervention Based On Function Of Problem Behavior, Kent Mcintosh, Amy L. Kauffman, Deborah Carter, Celeste Rosetto Dickey, Robert H. Horner

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a teacher-implemented tier two behavior intervention and differential effects based on function of student problem behavior. The participants were 36 public elementary school students who were nominated for additional behavior support beyond universal School-wide Positive Behavior Support. The intervention provided was Check-In/Check-Out, a tier two intervention using direct behavior ratings to increase structure and feedback to the student’s environment. Before and after implementation of the intervention, the authors assessed the students’ function of behavior, levels of problem behavior, prosocial behavior, and rate of behavioral incidents. A multivariate analysis of …

Online Learning And Mentors: Addressing The Shortage Of Rural Special Educators Through Technology And Collaboration, Evelyn S. Johnson, Michael J. Humphrey, Keith W. Allred

Early and Special Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article describes a promising model in comprehensive special education personnel preparation to support the recruitment and retention of special education teachers in rural areas. The approach draws on several bodies of research to include best practices for teacher education, online service delivery, collaboration among key stakeholders, and the development of strong mentoring and induction programs. The implementation plan, based on evidence-based practice in special education and online learning, is presented. A key element of this plan is developing and maintaining strong relationships among rural districts, the state department of education, and higher education.

From Silent Film To Youtube™ : Tracing The Historical Roots Of Motion Picture Technologies In Education, Chareen Snelson, Ross A. Perkins

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article traces the historical roots of YouTube™ and online video to examine it within the context of educational motion picture history. The current state of online video is discussed first followed by a thematic analysis of the history of educational motion pictures from silent film to YouTube. The historical literature reveals recurring themes and issues, which include: (1) the intrinsic advantages of motion picture technologies, (2) differing opinions about the benefits of film and video, and (3) access and equipment issues. Previous historical accounts fall short of addressing how these themes connect to online video. The potential future of …

Proportional Reasoning 101, Laurie O. Cavey

Laurie O. Cavey

No abstract provided.