Education Commons^™

When Technology Works: A Case Study Using Instructional Rounds And The Samr Model, Gregory Warsen, Richard Vandermolen

Peer Reviewed Articles

Billions of dollars are spent each year in the United States on technology for schools, and researchers in this case study wanted to determine the degree to which individual computing devices (ICDs) enhance the learning experience of students in grades six to twelve. The leadership practice of instructional rounds (City, Elmore, Fiarmen & Teitel, 2011) combined with the SAMR model (substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition) (Puentadura, 2014) of technology integration was utilized in this case study to capture how ICDs are being used and the impact this use is having on learning. This method detected use rates far above what …

Using Multi-Tiered Systems Of Support To Improve Student Outcomes, Kevin Daniel Annis

Masters Projects

The passing of NCLB and ESSA creates a mandate that every school must take proactive steps toward every student in their population to be college and career ready. U.S. students are consistently scoring lower on achievement than students from other developed nations. With diversifying student demographics and a relatively stable teaching demographic, schools needed to develop systems to help each student be successful. Many schools have begun to utilize a tiered system of support; however, schools are focused on different aspects of intervention. Effective models of student support include developing a quality school environment, social and emotional learning, response-to-intervention, and …

Benefits Of Inclusion: Supports And Strategies For Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Molly M. Mccain

Masters Projects

Special Education has evolved over the years. One shift has been the placement of students with special needs, specifically those with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). These students are getting out of their special education classrooms and are being mainstreamed in the general education setting with their same aged peers. Studies have revealed there are positive social and academic benefits to inclusion, including increases in peer-to-peer interactions, shared learning opportunities, and access to general education curriculums. Unfortunately, students do not always acquire these benefits because people working with students with ID: students, teachers, and paraprofessionals, are unaware of what inclusion is and …

Trauma-Informed Schools: A Strategy For Problem Behaviors In The Classroom, Timothy Hall

Masters Projects

Students that are making poor behavior choices in school generally are performing lower academically. The growing number of students that are coming to school that have experienced trauma is one reason why students are misbehaving in class. Schools have the opportunity to address this issue by implementing a trauma-informed school methodology. Trauma-informed schools work with students to be aware of the trauma that they have faced and teaches them ways to cope with the symptoms of trauma. This project discusses what trauma is and how it affects students and what schools can do to meet the needs of these students. …

I, Too, Sing Neurodiversity, Morénike Giwa Onaiwu

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

The neurodiversity community was envisioned as an inclusive and welcoming space for individuals with neurological conditions such as ADHD, autism, Tourette’s Syndrome, giftedness, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, intellectual disability, NVLD and related diagnoses. The underlying premise of neurodiversity is that people present with various neurological differences and there is value in acknowledging and accepting these differences. Despite efforts made over the past few decades, a growing number of individuals within the neurodiversity community, including people of color, have called for intersectional concepts to be more intentionally and more effectively interwoven into neurodiversity as a whole. Referencing “I, Too,” a decades-old poem …

The Blue Room, Suzanne J. Gikas

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

The Blue Room is a true account of a teacher's experience in a federal setting four classroom.

Challenged by highly restrictive practices and perceived lack of support, the teacher finally confronts the realization that the concepts of continuum and least restrictive environment equally apply to teachers in that setting.

Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, And Pedagogy, Raven Jones Stanbrough

Michigan Reading Journal

No abstract provided.

No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships, Annie P. Spear

Michigan Reading Journal

No abstract provided.

Great Lakes, Great Books In A Time Of Change, Lynette Marten Suckow

Michigan Reading Journal

Books reviews addressing changes in our lives

Essential Practices For Disciplinary Literacy Instruction In Secondary Classrooms, Laura Gabrion, Michelle Renna, Megan Schrauben, Jenelle Williams

Michigan Reading Journal

In response to the call for increased literacy and more equitable learning opportunities across the state of Michigan, the 6-12 Disciplinary Literacy Task Force formed. The group’s first charge was to revise and publish the Essential Practices for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction in the Secondary Classroom: Grades 6 to 12, based on the work of lead researchers from the University of Michigan, Drs. Elizabeth Moje and Darin Stockdill. During the 2019-2020 school year, education consultants and educators from around Michigan participated in the Regional One-Day Institute, which served as an introduction to the Essential Practices for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction in …

Inquiry And Counter-Witnessing In Covid-19, Erica R. Hamilton, Deborah Vriend Van Duinen, Gretchen Rumohr

Michigan Reading Journal

This essay focuses on the use of inquiry and counter-witnessing as a means of understanding our teaching identities, vulnerability, and productivity in the era of COVID-19. Based on our experiences as teacher educators at three separate institutions of higher education, we have come to value counter-telling and validating. As we share in this essay, working in COVID-19 has taught us, once again, that we must find, and model, courage and self-acceptance. In our teaching and administrative roles, we – along with other educators – can learn to speak our truths and experiences bravely. We hope that in so doing, others …

Teaching And Learning Through Shared Grief And Loss During Covid-19, Amanda Thorpe

Michigan Reading Journal

The closure of Michigan’s schools and the emergency learning that followed no doubt kept students and teachers safe during a global pandemic, but the fallout from these transitions is differing amounts of shared grief and loss among students and teachers. Giving staff and students time, space, and resources to process this will be essential in any plan for returning to learning in the fall.

Creating An Online Community Of Learners During The Covid-19 Shutdown Using Michigan’S Literacy Essentials, Annie P. Spear

Michigan Reading Journal

When a global pandemic shuts down our educational system it is critical to mobilize quickly and effectively to support children and families. This article explores one educator's experience of setting up free online classes to support students during the COVID-19 shutdown. Participants ranged in age from 3 to 12 and were from Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Ohio. The author outlines how she designed classes, engaged with children and families, and provided instruction that was grounded in literacy research and Michigan's Essential Instructional Practices in Early Literacy while guided by developmentally appropriate pedagogy. Specific practices that foster motivation and engagement …

From A Distance: Teaching, Learning, And Parenting During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Melanie Love

Michigan Reading Journal

No abstract provided.

I Wrote My Way Out, Sharon Murchie

Michigan Reading Journal

When the pandemic caused schools to close, I challenged myself to write a blog post a day about the experience. I had expected to write funny posts about the ridiculousness of the entire situation, sheltering-in-place in a too-small space with too many people. Instead, I wrote about that and so much more. Throughout this journaling experience, I came to several realizations about me, about my students, about my family, about my profession, about our state, and about our country.

An Educator's Response To Michigan's Stay At Home Order, Kristin M. Scherkenbach

Michigan Reading Journal

This article examines the educational impact of the stay at home order issued in the spring of 2020. It explores methods that were used to connect with students during this time such as YouTube videos, book drop offs, parent education PowerPoints, and online teaching. It concludes with the understanding that a passion for literacy can be ignited in students even in challenging situations.

Reflections On A Third Year Of Teaching, Chelsea Berg

Michigan Reading Journal

The first year of my teaching career ended with the following advice from the building administrator who had served as my evaluator: “During your first year, you will learn more than your students. In your second year, it might be an equal balance between what you learn and what they learn. By the end of your third year, your students will finally learn more than you.” As much as I love learning and I’ve enjoyed my growth as an educator, I’ve been anxiously awaiting the end of my third year so I could see if the advice I had been …

Let's Read A Story!: Collaborative Meaning Making, Student Engagement, And Vocabulary Building Through The Use Of Interactive Read-Alouds, Shaya Helbig, Susan V. Piazza

Michigan Reading Journal

The interactive read-aloud has long been a practice during early literacy instruction in schools and in homes. Reading aloud to children provides a platform for teachers or caregivers to model meaning-making interactions with text. Students are able to collaboratively engage in conversations to create a collective understanding of texts. Interactions during a read-aloud can foster engagement, create meaning, and promote vocabulary acquisition. This article examines current research that supports the use of interactive read alouds to engage learners in meaning-making processes and translates research and theory into practical recommendations for effective interactive read-alouds.

Teaching Amid Covid-19 School Closures: Key Findings From The Spring 2020 Gvsu Educator Survey, Kiel Mcqueen, Olivia Rau, Grand Valley State University

Charter School Research Reports

Executive Order (EO 2020-35) mandated all Michigan districts and schools provide distance learning opportunities amid COVID-19 school closures. As part of EO 2020-35, school districts submitted Continuity of Learning Plans (CLP) to continue receiving state aid for school operations. Districts’ completed applications – including assurances documents, CLPs, and budget outlines – were submitted to intermediate school districts and authorizing bodies for approval.

In April 2020, the Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Charter School Office (CSO) partnered with Basis Policy Research (Basis) to analyze CLPs and describe how districts would support students’ learning and well-being. The present study extends prior work …

Grand Valley Magazine, Vol. 20, No. 2, Fall 2020, Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley Magazine

Grand Valley Magazine is a quarterly publication about Grand Valley State University produced by University Communications since 2001.

Understanding Heath Viscerally: The Role Of Kinesthetic Experience In Defining Health, Lisa M. Perhamus

Peer Reviewed Articles

This article examines how health promotion is experienced by students, their families, and their teachers. Experiential aspects of health point to the embodied and sensory dynamics of health meaning-making. Findings of this qualitative study indicate that (1) people make sense of health kinesthetically, and (2) when needs are high and resources are low, schoolbased health promotion takes the shape of crisis management. The first finding foregrounds the role of viscerality, illustrating the intimacy of health; the second finding points to the importance of context, demonstrating the contingency of health. Also introduced are the theoretical frame of kinesthetic circuitry (the somatic …

Addressing Sexual Violence In K-12 Education, Taylor Bowie

McNair Scholars Manuscripts

Sexual assault has been widely recognized as a public health crisis for decades. Since at least the late 1980s, rates of sexual violence have been steady around 25% of women experiencing it by their freshman year of college. Our past and most prevalent prevention methods have consistently shown to be useless, as rates of violence have not decreased, and the results often do not lead to increased understanding about sexual assault and violence intervention. In recent years, college campuses have started to implement a new prevention education known as the bystander model. While the literature generally agrees it has some …

Differentiating Literacy Instruction Through Guided Reading, Emily Clare Ringquist

Masters Projects

Research reiterates how instilling a strong reading foundation in young students is vital to their growth in the future. Today, students need more support and individualized education to meet the diverse needs students enter school with. Whole group reading instruction does not benefit students in comparison to differentiated instruction. In order to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of the students as well as provide scaffolds to enhance literacy, teachers must incorporate small group instruction such as guided reading groups.

Guided reading are groups of students around the same developmental level that showcase similar learning needs exploring books. Teachers work …

Elementary College And Career Readiness Curriculum: A School Counselor Intervention, Alexandra Evans

Masters Projects

Labor market projections indicate that across all industries, jobs will require increased post-secondary education, credentials, and training requirements. The U.S. will not have the workers that meet these requirements, resulting in a worker shortage. Knowing this predicted shift, our current education system is charged with the responsibility of educating and preparing students for these positions and to fill the needs of our society. Career development is a lifelong process beginning in childhood, and school counselors are responsible for supporting this healthy development. Despite this call to action, there is a of lack content, resources, or evidence-based programs available for elementary …

Examining How White College Women Make Meaning Of Their Identities And Experiences After Studying Abroad In A Non-European Country, Damaris Renee Crocker De Ruiter

Masters Theses

One of the many ways higher education institutions attempt to provide students with an opportunity to examine conflicting identities is through study abroad experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore how White college women make meaning of their privileged and oppressed identities after returning from studying abroad in a non-European country. It focused specifically on issues related to their gender identity, racial identity, and their nationality. This qualitative study was rooted in grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014). The theoretical frameworks guiding this study were the Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity (MMDI) (Jones & McEwen, 2000; Abes, Jones, & …

An Exploration Of Leadership Qualities Demonstrated During Level Ii Fieldwork, Amy Maurer, Summer Besteman, Jessica Mooney, Katelyn Campbell

Education

Background. Occupational therapy (OT) students are expected to demonstrate leadership qualities throughout their Level II Fieldwork experiences; however, it has been reported that students lack this quality. The purpose of this project was to identify the leadership characteristics that master’s-level OT students demonstrate and develop during their Level II Fieldwork experiences.

Method. This study utilized an online survey tool, Qualtrics, to understand the perceptions of Fieldwork Educators (FWEds) who have taken a Level II Fieldwork student within the past five years. A code-recode procedure was used to analyze open-ended questions. The frequency and mode of responses were used to report …

Autistic Representation In Charter Schools: A First-Hand Experience Within A Michigan Charter, Morgan Selke

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

Since the 1990s, Michigan has had an overabundance of charter schools established within the state. In hopes that it would urge public school districts to improve. Michigan has become the state with the second-highest amount of charter schools in the nation (Zernike, 2016). There have been many controversial issues that surround the inclusion of charter schools in the public education sector. One issue that I wanted to explore more was the underrepresentation of autistic students and students with special needs in these schools--focusing on the resources and support available to these students. This article showcases my experience teaching, as a …

Grading For Growth: Introducing New Assessment Approaches In Traditional Grading Models, Beth A. Walsh-Moorman, Katie Ours, Aubrey Deaton, Maura Mcginty-O'Hara

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

This article explores three teachers’ experiences introducing a new assessment approach in an existing school-wide, grading framework. Teachers explore how they were able to manipulate the school framework in a way that allowed (and required) students to revise and rewrite until they had achieved mastery on key writing assignments.

The Transformative Effects Of Authentic Argumentative Writing, Margaret Grossnickle

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

How can argumentative writing have an impactful and transformative effect on the classroom? A reflection on the effects of bringing authentic argumentative writing to the language arts classroom. Engagement and achievement increased through embracing student choice, student ownership of content mastery, and the teacher working as a facilitator not an expert.

Staying Power, Elizabeth M. Brockman

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

Using a wide-angle lens spanning three decades, the author proposes that a 1991 OJELA article has “staying power” in the field. Its original purpose—to celebrate the highly recursive revision and personal voice of Emily, a high school junior—is still relevant today, nearly thirty years after the fact. In other words, Emily (who must be nearly 50!) can still vividly model revision strategies and habits of mind with the power to enlarge our own students’ writerly horizons, bolster their rhetorical confidence, and accelerate their literacy growth. However, English teachers today can do more than value the original purpose; they can broaden …