Education Commons^™

Curricular Differentiation For Students Who Are Gifted In Language Arts, Colleen C. Wilber

Graduate Research Papers

The requirement that all schools provide a strong instructional program in language arts ls well recognized by educators. Often curriculum objectives focus on developmental skills. It is important that all students know the rules and mechanics of their language, have the opportunity for practice and feedback, and generate products of their own. All children should be provided the opportunity to stretch their use of language. However, it has been shown that a steady diet of drill and practice from textbooks and workbooks and skills-based instruction can cause boredom, disinterest, impatience and frustration in bright students (Brown & Rogan, 1983; Clark, …

Influences Associated With The Underrepresentation Of Women In Administrative Positions In Education, Judy S. Bohrofen

Graduate Research Papers

Women are greatly underrepresented in administrative positions at all levels of education. In spite of all the efforts that have been made to recruit women into, and to encourage women to seek, traditionally male-dominated careers, the statistics continue to be discouraging. Nationally, five percent of school superintendents are women, a 1989 National School Boards Association survey found. Only 10 percent of high school principals are women, 17 percent of junior high and middle school principals are women, and 32 percent of elementary school principals are women (Lanter, 1989). A September 30, 1990 fiscal year report of Iowa public universities showed …

Childhood Depression, Jonnie M. Webster

Graduate Research Papers

This paper will focus on a study of childhood depression using the following format. Childhood depression will be defined; characteri cs and symptoms will be discussed; an overview of theories about etiology will be presented; possible treatments will be reviewed; and practical applications and possible treatment as they relate to school counseling will also be included.

Beginning Reading, Lora Swanson

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to review recent literature in whole language, phonemic awareness, phoneme-grapheme correspondence, and alphabetic instruction. The reason for examining the literature is to discern the appropriateness of discrete skills instruction in a whole language classroom for first-grade students at the beginning of the year. This paper begins with an explanation of whole language and of a hierarchy of discrete skills. It concludes with a discussion of the implications for instruction of the research reviewed.

Impact Of Cooperative Learning Strategies Upon Mathematics Achievement: An Application Of Stad In Seventh Grade Mathematics, Mary L. Scholtes

Graduate Research Papers

Cooperation is a key to success today in our work and personal relationships as adults, yet the traditional classroom, that prepares children for adulthood, has been found to be more competitive than cooperative (Johnson & Johnson, 1975). Traditionally, students have spent their day working individually or receiving instruction in large groups through lecture or class discussion with students being expected to outperform or compete with their peers (Johnson & Johnson, 1975). It has been estimated that over 85 percent of the instruction in schools consists of lectures, seat work, or competition, where students are isolated from one another (Johnson, Johnson, …

Creative Drama In The Elementary Classroom: An Integrated Literature Review, Linda Lorraine Withers

Graduate Research Papers

Creative drama in the elementary classroom has often been thought of as a frill or luxury, but a new movement is underway. Drama specialists believe that their dream is finally coming true. For several years, they have hoped that educators would see the value in using creative drama in the elementary classroom. It appears that may eventually become a reality. Kase-Polisini (1987) observed that America is headed in that direction.

Designing An Effective Identification Model For Preschool Gifted And Talented Students, Jeanne Schoeller

Graduate Research Papers

Even though a case for the early identification of the gifted has been discussed for many years, little progress has been made in the development of a model to accomplish such a goal. In the 1950s professionals were still holding to the concept that intelligence was fixed. Hunt (1961) challenged the thinking of these professionals by stating that perhaps 50 percent of intelligence is due to genes and 50 percent to experience. He stressed the importance of providing young children with experiences that would foster their optimal development. It was made clear that if children were not provided with nurturing …

Talented And Gifted Language Arts/Reading Curriculum For A Rural School, Grades K-4: Goals, Objectives, And Suggested Implementation, Susan L. Cathcart

Graduate Research Papers

As a result of the new Iowa Standards {1988), It has become necessary for all schools ln Iowa to establish programs for gifted and talented students systemwide. This required the Missouri Valley, Iowa, School District to develop an adequate and appropriate program to serve the needs of its identified gifted students.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools: A Reflective Essay, Clayton Michael Wilcox

Graduate Research Papers

Jack Bowsher savy- a system serving only a quarter of its patrons well. A system which seemed immune to its own failures. I don't see it as an indictment of the.system, rather I see it as a challenge. My study in the graduate program has given me a perspective and sense of direction which can be used to make a difference. My graduate program, twelve years of classroom teaching and three years of administrative practice have been combined to develop a vision that, according to Jamieson and O'Mara (1991), reflects best practice, accepting individual differences, valuing people and providing choice. …

The Whole Language Approach To Reading Instruction: Strategies That Enhance Comprehension, Frances J. Pleak

Graduate Research Papers

The report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education,~ Nation at Risk (1983) focused the nation's attention on problems in our educational system. One of the reactions from the publication was a concern to improve literacy in the United States by improving current practices in reading instruction. Becoming~ Nation of Readers, a widely publicized report issued in 1985 by the Commission on Reading, was an outcome of this concern about current reading practices. An important finding of this two year study was that much is already known about how children learn to read, but this knowledge is not being …

The Effects Of Curriculum Content Compacting Upon Student Achievement In Fourth Grade Mathematics, Christine Brunko Schultz

Graduate Research Papers

Council Bluffs Community Schools, in order to meet the needs of students, formally established two programs for able learners in 1986. They are called Challenge Centers and Talent Pools. The Challenge Centers are housed in four elementary schools within the district. They are available to all students who exhibit special needs in academic areas. These students comprise the upper one to two percent of the student population and are served by the Challenge Center teachers for two to three hours each day. The remainder of their day is very similar to that of other students in the school. The Challenge …

An Analysis Of Research In Approaches To Instruction, Modes Of Instruction, And Foci Of Instruction In The Teaching Of Writing At The Community College, Karen Swenson Lee

Graduate Research Papers

current research investigating approaches to instruction, modes of instruction, and foci of instruction in the teaching of writing was studied. Surveys of students and faculty at Northeast Iowa Community College were conducted to determine the status of composition instruction with regard to approaches to and modes and foci of instruction. Results of the research study and the surveys will guide the development of transfer-level writing courses at the community college. Six approaches are currently in use: literature, text-based rhetoric, peer workshop, service course, basic skills, and individualized approaches. Of the four modes, the environmental mode offers the greatest potential for …

Handwriting: Past To Present, Carol Collins

Graduate Research Papers

Is handwriting becoming a lost art? In this technological society where forms must be printed or typed clearly are we losing our ability to write our language? When the typewriter came into popular use, it was claimed handwriting would no longer be a needed skill. This has not been proven true. Templin (1960) concluded that while the typewriter gradually supplanted handwriting for making permanent records, "there ls strong evidence to support the belief that all children now in school will need handwriting in their business and social lives for many years to come" (p. 164).

Using Interactive Video In Vocational Training Of Mildly Retarded Students, L. Michael Wallace

Graduate Research Papers

This paper is a literature review of studies and articles done in both fields in order to expose the characteristics of interactive video and the learning characteristics of mentally retarded students to the reader. This paper will also address the instructional design process. There are some special considerations that need to be made when designing instruction for the handicapped learner. A selection model has been included to further aid the reader in the decision to use interactive video by bringing some alternatives to light. Interactive video is but a single component in the larger instructional program. Therefore, other elements of …

Cooperative Learning: Is It The Approach For The Minorities, Helen E. Wright

Graduate Research Papers

Cooperative learning ls a teaching strategy whereby students work together in teams to produce a group project or master a unit of study (Slavin, 1983). The teacher acts as a facilitator of knowledge, not the direct purveyor of information. Students are responsible for their own learning under the teacher/s general guidelines. They set up time frames, assign tasks within the group, and gather their own research.

Gifted Identification Practices In Five Southwest Iowa Public Elementary Schools: Their Impact On The Gifted Underachiever, Lauren E. O'Bradovich

Graduate Research Papers

In 1988 the State of Iowa mandated every school district to have a program to meet the needs of gifted and talented students. In addition, the new standards provided that the program would include "valid and systematic procedures employing multiple criteria for identifying gifted and talented students" (Iowa Department of Education, 1988). The subsequent new wave of TAG programs in the state has resulted in the necessity to build nomination and screening strategies for the selection of students for the various programs.

Alternative Teaching Strategies For The At-Risk Student, Christin M. Nugent

Graduate Research Papers

The focus recently in education has been on the at-risk student. Money from national, state, and local agencies has poured into the area of at-risk education. This money generated a significantly high level of research. Many questions can be answered using this body of research. What is an at-risk student and what factors cause a student to be at-risk? What programs have worked when dealing with at-risk students? How does a teacher's behavior affect at-risk students? What programs are the Dubuque Community Schools currently using with their at-risk students? The answers to these questions can provide a teacher with successful …

A Talented And Gifted Language Arts/Reading Curriculum For A Rural School, Grades 5-8: Goals, Objectives, And Suggested Implementation, N. Patricia Long

Graduate Research Papers

As a result of the new Iowa Standards (1988>, it has become necessary for all schools 1n Iowa to establish programs for gifted and talented students systemwide

Cooperative Learning And The Implications For Gifted Students, Pamela J. Hilgenberg

Graduate Research Papers

In today's educational community, several "buzz" words surface dally ln the layperson's journals. Some of the terms are curriculum-based measurement (taking basal texts and devising a measurement tool to evaluate one school district's students>, global education (taking into consideration the need to address skills which will enable students to fit into the world marketplace), whole-language (incorporating all language arts skills along with the chosen reading texts or stories into the total curriculum), grouping (placing students in homogeneous groups to teach them a skill), and cooperative learning. The last term is not new, however. It has been present for many …

Newspapers In The Classroom: Why Should Educators Use Them?, Lisa M. Stone

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this literature review is to learn 4 why educators should use newspapers in their classrooms. Are newspapers educational tools that can be easily used in the classroom for building skills? How difficult is it to incorporate them into the content areas? Can newspapers be used to help develop global awareness? How can newspapers promote critical thinking? Is the main goal of the Newspapers in Education program, to develop informed and concerned citizens (Skover, 1983; Rhoades & Rhoades, 1985), being met through the use of newspapers in the schools? And finally, what research evidence is there to support …

Health And Safety Practices In Three Art Classrooms, George Wade Killian

Graduate Research Papers

Each day art teachers and their students use clay, glazes. paints, solvents, aerosols, and adhesives that may be slowly poisoning their bodies. In most cases there are safe art material substitutes or alternative working methods which may be used. Unfortunately, many art teachers and their students still may not be fully aware of the dangers posed by a variety of hazardous materials and processes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of teacher concern about health and safety in the classroom.

Andragogy And Community College Education: An Analysis Of The Importance Of Enhancing Self-Concept/Self-Esteem In The Nontraditional Student, Nancy Billings Meyer

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research paper was to explore the characteristics and needs of the nontraditional, American adult students attending community colleges. The paper argues that enhancing the self-concept and self-esteem of the nontraditional, adult student fosters and increases his/her academic success and life chances. The literature review first focused on the history, description, philosophy, purpose, and mission of community colleges. In order to adequately explore issues with the nontraditional student, a review of the literature on adult development was incorporated. Then, the paper described the unique characteristics of the nontraditional, adult student, who tends to enroll in community colleges. …

Improving Curriculum: An Interdisciplinar Approach To Meeting The Developmental Needs Of Children, Connie Olson Osler

Graduate Research Papers

A growing interest in cooperative learning, writing-across-the-curriculum, and Indirect, process learning shows that educators are searching for a better way of helping children learn. Educators concerned with developmentally appropriate curricula are questioning classroom teaching strategies and are beginning to revise current curriculum. What can be done to improve curriculum so it meets the developmental needs of children while providing an intellectually stimulating environment and high academic standards? One answer may be the implementation of an interdisciplinary curriculum.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Young Children: A Review Of Literature, Jenny A. Parkin-Werth

Graduate Research Papers

Four-year-old John walks into the classroom on a typical day of preschool. As the other children work in the various centers, he flits aimlessly from center to center creating a minor cyclone behind him. During storytime, he talks loudly. When requested to "zip lips and open ears", he complies for a few seconds, and then leaves the group activity to play with the clay in the art area. When he is brought back to the group, he touches others incessantly and blurts out frequently. John does not walk; he runs. He also climbs on the tables and has a difficult …

The Effects Of Sustained Silent Reading On The Reading Attitude Of Primary Students, Dena Marie Higginbotham

Graduate Research Papers

The effect of sustained silent reading on the reading attitude of primary grade school students was investigated. Data were compiled for 87 primary grade students and their eight teachers. The Elementary Heading Attitude Survey by McKenna & Kear (1990) showed no significant difference in students' reading attitude after beginning a sustained silent reading program. Parent Surveys indicated students increased the amount of time spent reading outside of school by over 25%. A relation between teachers' opinions and students' opinions about sustained silent reading was not established due to the small size of the teacher group. Results of the Teacher Questionnaire …

Differentiating The Curriculum For Lower Elementary Talented And Gifted Students In The Regular Classroom, Sue Riggs

Graduate Research Papers

Gifted and talented students exist everywhere, in every community and in every classroom. The exact numbers are difficult to determine due to the many definitions of giftedness including a current trend ~o broaden those definitions to include multi-dimensional intelligences (Gardner, 1983). Such broad definitions mean that large numbers of students fall into the various categories. However, as Helmberger (1980) states, a teacher may have difficulty identifying the gifted and talented members of a class since they may not immediately stand out in the group.

Computer-Assisted Cooperative Learning, Terence C. Barschow

Graduate Research Papers

Collaborative and cooperative effort is recognized as vital to almost every kind of relationship from family to workplace. It improves communication and creates a school/work culture that fosters mutual assistance among members. Industry has increasingly turned to the "work team" method of grouping workers. A similar process is gaining ground in American schools. Cooperative small group learning is being viewed as an important alternative to whole class instruction and having individuals work alone (Adams, Carlson, & Hamm, 1990).

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools: A Reflective Essay, Susan Newman Cleveland

Graduate Research Papers

As I read these lines from A Tale of Two Ci ties, a novel about the French Revolution, I am struck with the fact that they could have been written about the state of American education today. When the "Nation at Risk" report came out in the early 80' s, it spoke of the ills of American education, and offered an abundance of "cures" in the way of strong suggestions. The report itself aroused consternation for the most part in the eyes of the American public, a public largely in favor of the sweeping reforms that were offered by this …

A Survey And Analysis Of Potential Uses Of The Computer In The Social Studies Classroom, Mike Healy

Graduate Research Papers

The computer has become an integral tool in education. In math classes, in business education classes, in computer literacy classes, the computer is a well-accepted tool of instruction. However, computers have been slow to enter most Social Studies classrooms, including my classroom. Should the computer be used in the Social Studies classroom? What would be an effective use of computers in the classroom? Would the computer be the best tool for that unit of instruction?