Education Commons^™

Using Young Adult Literature : A Classic Way To Teach English, Matt B. Pries

Graduate Research Papers

Students are reading less, and enjoying reading less. Sticking to the same curriculum year after year in the hope that student attitude will suddenly change, that there will be an awakening in the classroom, and students will read the classics with enthusiasm cannot be done. It is a false hope. But there can be an awakening.

Using young adult literature in the high school English classroom is the solution. It will give new hope to teachers that as students come to enjoy reading, they will be more apt to, not only read more, but eventually come to read the classics. …

Using An African Centered Educational Model And Technology To Improve African American Children's Performance In School, Tehia Venise Starker

Graduate Research Papers

A literature review was performed to understand the ways that African Centered Education can be incorporated into technology integration for the improvement of African American children. With the five components of the Murrell model of African Centered Education, which are identity development process, community integrity practices, practices of inquiry and reappropriation, making meaning practices, and engagement and participation practices, technology integration can become an integral part of improving the education of African American children. Within the model, the focus of building on prior knowledge, reaffirming the positive aspects of African and African American history, and applying knowledge learned to real …

The Sounds Of Silence : Music Education And Academic Achievement, Donny Brazile

Graduate Research Papers

This research began with the author's firsthand experience with regard to the value of music education. Very few deny the benefits of music education and its connection to academic achievement. In a recent poll administered by the Gallup Organization, 95 percent of Americans believe music to be a cornerstone of a quality education, and over 75 percent of those polled suggested that music education should be mandated by the schools. However, far too many music education programs are being cut, or are in grave danger of being cut, from the curriculum nationwide. Research clearly shows the importance of music education: …

The Evolution Of Distance Education: Bridging The Gap Between Teacher And Students, Theresa Zeigler

Graduate Research Papers

Distance learning has been present in our educational society for numerous years, but has evolved more rapidly and attention has been focused more intently during the past two decades. The advancements in technology have allowed for distance learning to reach beyond the traditional boundaries and deliver instruction to learners in diverse locations at time that are convenient to their needs. The recent trend in the increased number of courses available via television and the Internet demonstrates the need for asynchronous learning opportunities for students. However, historical studies in the area of distance education have not always focused on student learning …

Students Who Self-Injure : How Can Counselors Help, Martha Watter

Graduate Research Papers

It is estimated that approximately two million Americans self-injure (Nadelson, 2000). Generally, females are most likely to self-injure and usually begin in their teens. Approximately 72 percent of those who self-injure use deliberate cutting (Ng, 1998). Although possibly new to many common civilians, self-injury has been called the addiction of the 90's according to many researchers (Nadelson, 2000). This paper describes what self-injury is, when it usually begins, and the many reasons why an adolescent chooses to self injure himself or herself. Each teen should be treated as an individual, although, most often, self-injurers come from similar family situations and/or …

A Preferred Vision For Leading The Secondary School : A Reflective Essay, Chad David Wolf

Graduate Research Papers

As I reflected on past experiences in my life, I found myself in a position of leadership. Interestingly, one ofmy earliest leadership experiences happened around the age of ten. The neighborhood I grew up in had several families with children. It was natural back then for us to play outside most of our free time. As children, it was not unusual for us to have times when no one could make a decision on what we would do that day. On many occasions, I found myself being selected to make the decision for the group. My childhood years were the …

A Vision Of Elementary School Leadership : A Reflective Essay, Julia Lynne Zastrow

Graduate Research Papers

The smell of coffee and crayons has always warmed my heart. Coming home from kindergarten, I couldn't wait to join my mother and her perennial cup of coffee at our dining room table for a ritual of coloring and catching up. While I labored away with my Crayolas, my mother would ask me about my day at school, and we would talk together about the sound that a cardinal makes, or the color of our oak tree in the front yard. Through these conversations my mother fostered a joy of learning and sharing that would grow with me into adulthood, …

What I Believe About Educational Leadership: A Reflective Essay, Janet Young

Graduate Research Papers

Education, in my opinion, is one of the most honorable professions a person can experience. Each teacher or principal involved with educating children is someone that makes a difference in the lives of children and influences them as they become adults. It is amazing to think about the profound impact each educator has on others. No other occupation has such a responsibility. I believe that all children can learn, and I have had a passion for making that a reality since my childhood. I know that I can help children reach their potential. Parents must know that we cherish their …

The Needs Of The Adult Learner : Typical Characteristics And How It Impacts The Training Process, Joleen W. Siebert

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review was conducted to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the characteristics of the adult learner, and the impact of those characteristics in implementation and training situations in a business environment. The review introduced this researcher to numerous theories, resources, and strategies proven to improve business training activities or programs.

The amount of available research provides evidence that business recognizes quality training must be provided to derive optimum results from training programs for their employees. It also confirms that understanding typical adult learner characteristics will enhance the learning situation when both the course designers and the …

A Case Study Of Organizational Change At Riverview Early Childhood Center, Jaclyn Yetmar

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the need for change in an organization and the obstacles which must be overcome. The reasons for change were discussed in regard to Riverview Early Childhood Center of Webster City, Iowa. Guidelines were presented for change agents to use in accomplishing change within an organization. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations were made for organizations in facilitating change from within.

Counseling Couples In Domestic Violence, Krista L. Strauser

Graduate Research Papers

Domestic violence is a widespread problem that is being passed down from generation to generation. Counselors have been debating for years as to how to effectively treat couples with domestic violence issues. The nature of couples counseling is debated against the ethical issues, safety issues, and appropriateness of counseling domestically violent couples. Challenges for counselors are discussed along with rules of how and when to conduct couples counseling with domestically violent couples.

A Vision For Administering An Elementary School, Karen L. Thorpe

Graduate Research Papers

My philosophy of educational leadership has developed from the experiences I have had over the course of my lifetime. It began with the values taught to me by my parents and has continued to build to the present. My parents provided a caring and secure family life for my four siblings and me. Neither my mother nor my father had the benefit of much formal education. Neither was able to graduate from high school because they had the obligation to contribute income to their families during the depression. Perhaps the hardships they lived through were the basis of the values …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools: A Reflective Essay, Anne E. Speer

Graduate Research Papers

From the day I graduated with my bachelor's degree from Northern Iowa, I knew that I would soon return to begin work on my master's degree. Having grown up in a family of educators, there was no doubt that this degree would continue in the educational field. Because I appreciate initiative, change, and challenge, it seemed natural that I take the path of administration. In order to be :an effective principal, one must possess many1specific attributes. In each leadership position these qualities may be different and for each leader the definition may differ. Although positions and definitions may fluctuate, one …

Counseling Students With Limited English Proficiency, Michiru Shiraishi

Graduate Research Papers

As the United States experiences ever-increasing cultural diversity, school and mental health counselors are struggling to find an effective counseling style for these clients. This study focuses on students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). It addresses possible issues that LEP students will face, the things the counselors need to be aware of when counseling LEP students, the way to work with LEP students' parent(s), using various assessments to understand students, teaming with the English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor, using interpreters, and applying the community counseling model as a guideline to counsel LEP students.

Legal Issues In Ncaa Intercollegiate Athletics, Craig Sanderson

Graduate Research Papers

This paper reviews legal issues related to NCAA intercollegiate athletics. More specifically, the paper will discuss Title IX, discrimination against student athletes with disabilities, drug testing, and other of today's highly publicized legal issues. Legal issues of smaller athletic associations such as the National Association of lntercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) are not addressed in this paper. Rather, the focus is on NCAA institutions, particularly large member institutions at which legal issues have surfaced.

Moving In, Moving Through, And Moving Out : Applying Schlossberg's Transition Theory And The Influence Of Culture Shock In Study Abroad Experiences, Sara Lyness

Graduate Research Papers

The experience of studying abroad is a period of transition for a college student. The impact of this transition on a student's life can be explored through the application of Schlossberg's transition theory to the experience, and more specifically, how the resources available affect the student while in a new culture. The application of Schlossberg's transition theory to the study abroad experience of college students can have implications for those working with students going to and returning from study abroad experiences, and it can also provide a framework for advisors preparing orientation and reentry sessions.

Single Custodial Fathers : Effects On Families And Implications For School Counselors, Nicole M. Gebel

Graduate Research Papers

This paper uses current published literature to determine characteristics of single father headed households in comparison to the characteristics of single mother headed households, as well as the effects of being raised by a single custodial father. The general characteristics of single father headed households that are examined include: family resources, role strain, parenting style, and support from others. Behavior, academic performance, and relationships and social development of children of single custodial fathers are briefly examined to explore the effects of being raised by a single custodial father. Implications for school counselors working with single custodial fathers and their children …

Grief Counseling With Children And Adolescents, Megan Funke

Graduate Research Papers

There are many causes for the grief children and adolescents suffer in their lives. No matter what the cause, they will need someone to help them deal with their grief and develop the necessary coping skills to live a normal live. This paper discusses how school counselors can help children and adolescents learn to deal with their grief in a healthy manner and develop strong and lasting coping skills.

Incorporating Classroom Guidance Into A Comprehensive High School Guidance Program, Winifred L. Dewey

Graduate Research Papers

A comprehensive high school guidance program which includes developmental . and preventative classroom guidance lessons provides the opportunity for students to develop necessary academic, personal/social and career skills that will enable them to be positive and contributing members of society. Counselors today are spending a disproportionate amount of the day responding to students and others with complex issues and high-risk behaviors. Although classroom guidance is a recommended part of most counseling program models, the majority of high school guidance programs do not include classroom guidance opportunities. This paper reports the need for system changes which incorporate classroom guidance and provides …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Michael J. Panoch

Graduate Research Papers

My decisions to teach, and to now become, an administrator has received much thought. This thinking has caused me to evaluate my personal value system, identifying the beliefs that are important to me. This reflection has also identified individuals that have had an impact on the development of my value system. These people have molded, formed, shaped me into the person writing this today. The lessons have been many.

Counseling Gifted And Talented Students, Karen S. Robertson

Graduate Research Papers

This paper is subdivided into three sections. The first section provides a series of definitions of giftedness, level of cognition and frustration, and criteria of gifted students. Whereas the second section includes literature reviews covering counseling the gifted student, commencing with developmental issues and concluding with issues related to learning disabled gifted and talented students. The final section of this paper is divided into an overview of concepts, recommendations, and future expectations for the counselor working with gifted and talented students.

Baby Boomer Parents : Challenges With Their Increasing Involvement, Deborah E. Kosina

Graduate Research Papers

As the children of boomers move through education system, there is an increasing parental involvement in the college student's experience. This is the result of a combination of factors, including the increasingly higher cost of attendance, boomer parents' own experiences in higher education, societal trends to extend adolescence, and student issues today that can sometimes be life-threatening.

While this parental involvement can blur the lines of just who the institution is educating and responsible to – student or parent – administrators would be wise to acknowledge this participation and develop well-defined and consistent policy regarding it. As Murray (1999) pointed …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Rebecca Jensen

Graduate Research Papers

Developing a culture of trust is the first and foremost responsibility of the ethical leader, without which we will be unable to examine some uncomfortable truths about the systems we have in place to educate children. In addition, we must be willing to open the practices of the school to community scrutiny. The stories of documented educational achievements of poor and minority students have grown in number in recent years, leading Reeves, in Crusade in the Classroom (2001), to conclude that "Given the clear evidence that children can be successful, the focus of accountability moves from the consequences for students …

Building Effective School-Based Substance Abuse Prevention Programs, Stephanie M. Juhl

Graduate Research Papers

Substance abuse among children and adolescents has become an epidemic in our society. Therefore, it is important to be cognizant of the reasons for child and adolescent substance abuse as well as to recognize risk factors for use. Many prevention programs have not been research-based and are not appropriate for all populations. Several programs and approaches are reviewed as to whether they will reduce the use of substances. School counselors can improve efforts by combining approaches to create comprehensive and multifaceted programs, which will improve the probability of prevention. Creating school counseling programs will be fundamental in preventing early substance …

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Students In The Classroom : An Overview Of Strategies And Implications For Educators, Emily Olson

Graduate Research Papers

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a very serious disease that is affecting more and more students in schools across America each year. Each of these students with FAS have different levels of severity of the disease and individual needs, but there are general and universal interventions and strategies that can be used by educators when working in the schools with these students. The following is an overview of some of these interventions and strategies that can be used with FAS students. Also included are implications for school psychologists and other educators for development and education in this area to better …

Borderline Personality Disorder : A Comparison Of Linehan And Kernberg's Treatment Modalities, Janet M. Riley

Graduate Research Papers

About 30% of clients worldwide are diagnosed as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) (Bohus et al., 2000). BPD is a complex disorder and difficult to treat. Therefore, it is necessary for counselors to gain as much knowledge about treatment modalities and their effectiveness as possible. This paper attempts to define BPD by looking closely at its history.and describing the criteria for diagnosis. Linehan's Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Kernberg's Object Relational Theory (ORT) are compared as to their effectiveness in working with clients who exhibit symptoms of BPD.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Gregory B. Semler

Graduate Research Papers

The principal plays a pivotal role in developing and unifying the core beliefs of a staff to put children first. At the heart of the school's philosophy there should be the core belief that students come first. Benefiting students must be the focus or foundation for all decisions made in relationship to the operation of a school. The Iowa Standards for School Leaders (ISSL) are excellent guidelines to be utilized when creating an instructional environment that benefits students. The strength of ISSL is they are guidelines that provide direction; an infrastructure that can be used in any school environment. Regardless …

Never Settle, Keep Exploring : A Reflective Essay, Brenton D. Shavers

Graduate Research Papers

I taught 3rd and 4th grades in an urban area in St. Paul, MN. This was an eye opening experience for someone right out of college. I was one of two African American teachers and one of only three males in the building. A principal, entering the building for her 1st time as their new leader, placed me into a leadership position immediately.I found myself spending countless hours in activities outside of school, in support of my students. It became increasingly evident that these supports needed to be in place for both students and their families in order for the …

Social Phobia : Examining The Empirical Shortcomings Of The Most Prevalent Anxiety Disorder, Randall P. Schultz

Graduate Research Papers

Social phobia, which is notably the fear of being negatively evaluated, humiliated, or embarrassed by others in social situations, has become the most prevalent anxiety disorder and the third most diagnosed mental disorder in the nation (Orsillo & Hammond, 2001). Although social phobia is no longer considered to be the "neglected" anxiety disorder (Liebowitz, Gorman, Fyer, & Klein, 1987), it remains an often undertreated, misunderstood, and understudied anxiety disorder (Cuthbert, 2002). The purpose of this paper is to examine the numerous discrepancies and shortcomings within social phobia literature in regards to defining, diagnosing, measuring, and treating social phobia. Recommendations are …

Effects Of Maternal Depression On Youth Adjustment, Jennifer Alexander

Graduate Research Papers

Depressive disorders are chronic illnesses affecting women and their families for extended periods of time. This paper summarizes research related to the effects of maternal depression on children's short and long term adjustment. Children of depressed mothers are at risk for internalizing and externalizing disorders. Genetics account for a small portion of these problems. Since depressed mothers tend to withdraw or show intrusive, hostile behaviors with their children, parent-child interaction problems account for the majority of youth adjustment problems, particularly when mothers' depression is severe, occurs during infancy, is chronic, and is paired with high family conflict or separation. Individual …