Education Commons^™

Campus Visit Day Open House Set For This Saturday, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions invites prospective students and families to attend Campus Visit Day on Saturday, January 30.

Business Student Busy Giving To All Things Dominican, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Jessy Marshall '16 was in a giving mood all the time with her free time.

Chemistry Major On Fast Track To Pharmacy School, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

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Seeing she graduated in December, a semester early, and is already applying to pharmacy schools, Mindy Chen '15 believes her experience at Dominican has put her on a faster track.

Nbc Spotlights Lines Ballet Bfa In Dance Student, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Winning a coveted Princess Grace Foundation (PGF) Award in 2015 was a blessing for LINES Ballet BFA in Dance student Lani Dickinson '16, because she won it on merit.

Post Hoc Analysis On The Effect Of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Provided To Preschool Children On The Autism Spectrum, Catherine R. Maxwell Dumont

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) provides a framework for educators to assist children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to increase independence and positive social skills in the classroom (Reichow, 2012). Preschoolers with ASD who do not have access to programs tend to display negative and socially inappropriate behavior, such as acts of aggression, withdrawal, and inability to attend to lessons. Studies on program effectiveness documented that preschool children who received EIBI scored higher on IQ, language comprehension, imitation, expressive language, nonverbal communication, play, stereotyped behaviors and adaptive functioning compared to preschool children who do not receive EIBI. The literature …

From Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder To Substance Use Disorder: Perspectives From Recovering Addicts, Elena Potovsky

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

People who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are often at high risk of acquiring Substance Use Disorder (SUD). When a diagnosis is determined for a school age child, the special education team mainly focuses on the most obvious problems that occur with ADHD: executive function issues, reading and writing impairments, and disruptive behavior. They may not realize how common it is for those identified with ADHD to also acquire SUD.

The literature revealed that there may be a shared genetic basis between ADHD and SUD, that there is commonly an early onset of SUD for those who have ADHD, …

Assessment Of Ell Written Language Progress In Designated Esl Noncredit Courses At The Community College Level, Janet L. Daugherty

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Assessment of the effect of targeted instruction of functional language skills for English language learners (ELL) enrolled in community college basic skills classes is important as community colleges continue to offer noncredit courses for ELL students designed to improve English skills. The Foundations Skills Committee at a community college in a rural setting in Northern California received a State of California grant to provide basic skills instruction, specifically grammar and sentence structure, to ELL. The present study evaluates the effect of Supplemental Instruction (SI) on improving functional skills in writing.

A review of the literature reveals that community college instructors …

Evaluation Of Student Progress To Goals: Tracking Positive Behavior Changes Among Students Identified With Special Needs Grades 1 To 3, Julia Ries

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

There has been an increase in the number of children identified and served, in school settings, and in the community at large, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA.) Many school-based programs focus on mainstreaming students with disabilities. However, few programs exist for children between the ages of 5 and 9 who need positive behavior intervention services because they lack socially appropriate interaction skills.

The research literature revealed that students who lack appropriate social interaction skills are often placed into mainstream general class settings, where results of student improvement in social interaction skills are mixed. There is a gap …

Pre Kindergarten Students Increased Letter Recognition Ability Through The Use Of Educational Apps On Tablets For Classroom Instruction, Corrie C. Giugni

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Preschool students are preparing for kindergarten. The kindergarten curriculum is demanding. Students are expected to enter elementary school knowing many aspects related to language arts. The problem at the preschool level is that children need to master letter recognition and letter sounds in order to prepare them to learn how to read. The literature reveals that using technology before they enter kindergarten can be beneficial in developing students emergent literacy skills (Beschorner & Huchison, 2013).

It is important for teachers to meet the needs of all of their students. Using electronic tablets in the classroom is a tool that can …

Teacher Perceptions On Changing Instructional Practices In Mathematics With The Implementation Of The Common Core State Standards, Esther M. Underwood

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

As schools across the U.S. begin to implement Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM), teachers must shift their instructional practices from a traditional emphasis on procedures and algorithms to a conceptually based model in which students engage more meaningfully with mathematical concepts. The purpose of this study is to examine participants’ perspectives about the influence of CCSSM on their instructional practices, and the challenges they face in effectively implementing these changes. The literature reveals the need for professional development, standards aligned materials, and ongoing support of teachers in order for them to make substantial changes to their instructional approach. …

Building Depth Of Understanding Of The Concept Of Number Sense And Algebra In Students Grades 7 And 8, Catherine Janes

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Mathematics instruction offers both challenges and rewards to students. Teachers tend to focus on transmission of knowledge. Student creativity and problem-solving skills are not typically activated with common teaching practices. When students are engaged in mathematics they are recognizing patterns, making connections on their own, coming up with creative solutions, and discussing mathematical ideas with peers and adults. The purpose of this study was to identify, employ, and evaluate strategies that engage students in these practices and assist them in developing a deep understanding of mathematics concepts such as number sense and algebra.

The review of the literature began with …

Elements Of A Strategic Implementation Plan: Implications For Enhancing Combination Classes Using A Multiage Framework, Tracy Harding

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Combination classes are often created out of financial necessity rather than a desire to engage students in multiage learning. Teachers assigned to these classrooms come from the general teaching pool and may not have specialized training around the intricacies of multiage teaching.

A review of the literature indicates that the United States has a long history of multiage classrooms. When the practice of graded schools took over, however the multiage school remained as an approach to teaching children (Anderson, 1992). Progressive education programs often use a multiage classroom paired with looping, students remaining with the same teacher for more than …

Virginia Sabbatical Fellowship Inspires New Manuscript, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Joan Baranow seeks inspiration for her poetry every day. She does so while juggling her work as an English professor, an independent book publisher, a documentary filmmaker, and director of Dominican’s graduate humanities program. However, finding the time to write can be a challenge.

Crossing The Street: Civic Engagement And The Politics Of Belonging Among Latino And Jewish Middle School Students In Northern California, Jennifer Lucko

Education | Faculty Conference Presentations

In this paper, I draw on 10 months of fieldwork with English language learners in Northern California to explore the possibilities and limitations of Participatory Action Research (PAR) in schools doubly segregated by race and class. Today much of the progress integrating American public schools that occurred in the decade following Brown vs. Board of Education has been reversed—even as the overall population of public school students has become increasingly diverse (Orfield et. al. 2014). During the 2011-2012 academic year, 55% of Latino students and 45% of Black students in California attended intensely segregated schools (i.e., 91-100% minority students), and …

Service-Learning Class Inspires Student To Form Music Club, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

When Julia Sayavong '18 enrolled in a Service-Learning Advanced Writing and Research class as a freshman, it opened her eyes to new ways to pursue career goals.

Photo Contest Highlights International Education Week, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

The Global Education Office (GEO) celebrated International Education Week at Dominican, November 16- 21 with a series of events, highlighted by its International Photo Exhibit Reception in the Alemany Library lobby

Nursing Professor's Research Focuses On Military Veterans, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Shortly after receiving her PhD in nursing from Yale University, where her dissertation research focused on the link between sleep disturbances and falls among military veterans who have experienced strokes, Nancy Knechel found herself drawn to teaching and continuing her research at Dominican for many of the same reasons that appeal to undergraduates seeking their perfect college.

Executive Education Program Thrives In Barowsky School, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

In its fifth year, the Executive Education program at Dominican continues to grow and provide leadership, sales and managerial skills for individual and teams. To date, the program has now enrolled more than 500 participants from various counties, hospitals, businesses and organizations.

Patti Smith Speaks, Sings To Sellout Crowd In Lecture Series, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Singer-songwriter-poet Patti Smith, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, spoke at Dominican University of California on November 18, as part of the Institute for Leadership Studies' 2015 Fall Leadership Lecture Series in partnership with Book Passage. She also surprised the sellout crowd in Angelico Concert Hall by singing.

Teacher's Research Supports Multiage Combo Classrooms, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Last spring when Tracy Harding presented her research at the Dominican Scholarly and Creative Works Conference in Guzman Lecture Hall, she delved into the national debate about the benefits of multiage combination classrooms versus traditional classrooms in elementary and middle schools.

Political Path Leads Alumna To S.F. City Hall Fellowship, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Kelsea Vaughan ’15 came to Dominican seeking a career that would allow her to empower others with the tools to live a better life. She enrolled as an English major with the goal of eventually becoming a teacher. Then, she did what a lot of students do. She explored her options, discovered new interests, set her sights on new goals, and happily found herself on a new, unexpected path that has led her to San Francisco’s City Hall.

Sellout Crowd Hears Gloria Steinem In Ils Lecture Series, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

International feminist icon and political activist Gloria Steinem spoke before a sellout crowd in Dominican's Angelico Hall on Tuesday afternoon, November 10, as part of the Institute for Leadership Studies' 2015 Fall Leadership Lecture Series in partnership with Book Passage.

Campus Ministry Observes Homelessness Awareness, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

In observance of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week November 15-21, Campus Ministry hosted a series of educational programs and events aimed at heightening awareness and deepening understanding of the major issues of hunger and homelessness on a local and national scale.

Kat Skiles ’07 Named One Of Most Powerful Women In D.C., Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Kat Skiles ’07, Senior Advisor and Digital Director for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, has been named to Washingtonian magazine’s list of “100 Most Powerful Women in Washington.”

Pianist Mykola Suk Performs In Guest Concert Series, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Internationally acclaimed Ukrainian-born pianist Mykola Suk appeared in the 15th season of the Guest Concert Series at Dominican University of California on November 15 in Angelico Concert Hall.

Isabel Allende Returns To Speak In Ils Fall Lecture Series, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Internationally acclaimed author and Marin County resident Isabel Allende spoke to a delighted crowd in Dominican's Angelico Hall on November 4, as part of the Institute for Leadership Studies' 2015 Fall Leadership Lecture Series in partnership with Book Passage.

Nbc Universal Internship Unites Dominican Student, Alumna, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Samantha Simmons ’17 worked as an intern at NBCUniversal in New York City and she had Mariah Chinchilla ’14 to thank.

President Marcy Moderates Climate Change Event, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Dominican University of California President Mary B. Marcy moderated “Time to Lead on Climate,” an open discussion on November 9 in Angelico Concert Hall on climate change featuring several keynote speakers including U.S. Congressman Jared Huffman.

Barowsky School Of Business Boasts Grad Job Data, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Jake Fritz ’15, Kayln Selor ’15 and high percentage of recent Barowsky School of Business graduates have jumped right into the work force.

Shield Day Tradition Bonds Senior And Freshmen Classes, Sarah Gardner, Dave Albee

Press Releases

Beginning when they were roommates in Meadowlands Hall as freshmen, Sophia De Quattro ’16 and Isabel Cremer ’16 learned the significance of Shield Day at Dominican.