Education Commons^™

Improving Teacher Intern Self-Evaluation Through The Use Of Preservice Experience, Pamela Sanders

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This practicum involved an analysis of the relationship between preservice experience and the self-evaluation of teaching ability of 1st-year teacher interns in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The preservice experience was part of the Teachers For Chicago (TFC) program. The practicum took place at an elementary and a high school in the CPS that implemented the program between July 2000 and June 2001.

As part of the practicum, a survey was developed by the researcher and the program's independent evaluator. The 110 selected teacher interns in the practicum were a heterogeneously mixed group of aspiring educators with common beginning teaching …

Teaching Children How To Learn: A Program To Teach Self-Regulation Skills, Connie C. Lawrence

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes an intervention to train teachers how to instruct and support self-regulated learning in the classroom. An analysis of 4th- and 7th-grade student responses on a modified Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie, 1991) revealed that, although 43% of the students indicated that they always or almost always use some self-regulation skills, 23% stated that they never or almost never use them. In a private school where the mission is to equip future learners, 50% of the students should be using self-regulation skills all or most of the time. An analysis of the teaching …

A Special Remedial Program To Improve The Skills Of Failing Eighth-Grade Students, John J. O'Malley Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This report describes an afterschool remedial program during the 2000-2001 school year at Forest Grove Middle School in Worcester, Massachusetts. The remedial program was an effort to improve the skills of 8th-grade students who fall short of the state norms on the mandatory 8th-grade Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment Test (MCAS; Massachusetts Department of Education, 1999). An analysis of the 1999 test indicated that 480 8th-grade students in a 905-pupil enrollment at the school fell short of the passing grade, 51% in the mathematics section and 21% in the language arts section.

Planned solution strategies included (a) an afterschool and vacation remedial …

The Development Of A Strategic Continuous Improvement Process Implementation Guide For The North Carolina Department Of Administration, George E. Millsaps Jr.

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The North Carolina Department of Administration (DOA) is under pressure by the North Carolina legislature and governor's office to increase both the quality of services provided, and decrease the cost of providing services. The pressure is on mission expansion, reduction in the number of positions, and limiting budgetary growth primarily to cost of living increases in salary.

The leadership of the department knows of no other reasonable way to respond to these pressures except through the implementation of continuous improvement or total quality management (TQM). However, the department has attempted to implement quality initiatives four times in the past with …

Evaluation Of The Usage And Effectiveness Of Computer Assisted Instruction In Basic Skills Remediation At The East Los Angeles One Stop Career Center, Rex Steffey

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The problem for investigation encompassed three domains that identified the One Stop Career Center's (OSCC) remedial programs, the ability of its clients to enter federally funded job training programs, and clients' success in the programs they entered. Another facet of the study examined whether OSCC was using its current instructional software effectively in client remediation. The purpose of the project was to evaluate the use and effectiveness of computer assisted instruction (CAI) in basic skills remediation.

Four research questions guided the study. First, "Does the center's basic skills remediation program prepare clients to enter federally funded job training programs?" Second, …

Development Of An American Indian Studies Program For The Tohono O’Odham Community College, Byron Lee Blackwell

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The Tohono O'odham Community College opened a tribal Indian college in the fall 2000 semester. The Tohono O'odham Reservation was previously referred to as the Papago Reservation; the name was changed in 1986. The problem was that there was no curriculum in American Indian Studies at the college. In the past the Papagos always had to leave the reservation if they wanted to pursue higher education in American Indian studies.

The purpose of the applied dissertation was to develop a product. The purpose of the applied dissertation project was to design an American Indian Studies Program for the tribal college …

Development Of An Associate Of Applied Science Degree In Interpreting For The Deaf At The Community College Of Southern Nevada, Sandra L. Workman

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The associate of applied science degree in deaf studies has been in place since 1 994 and 4 is transferrable as a prerequisite toward a four-year deaf studies degree. The Community College of Southern Nevada (CCSN) has the only deaf studies program in the state. If a student wants to pursue a degree in interpreting for the deaf, the student must go out of state. In July, 1 997, the governor of Nevada signed a law stating that American Sign Language is a fully developed, autonomous, natural language with distinct grammar, syntax, and art forms. However, the current administrations at …

West Delaware County Community School District Talented And Gifted Program Handbook, Mary Quinlan-Kelley

Graduate Research Papers

Every district should have a program handbook that describes its talented and gifted program. The West Delaware School District especially needed such a document because of the many requests for information from faculty, administration, and parents concerning such areas as identification, organization, and purpose of the talented and gifted program that arise year after year.

Program handbook development began by sending out a needs assessment to parents, teachers, administration, and students. Based on the discovery of the needs of our district, a new philosophy, format, and identification process were constructed. In addition, the development of written goals and a yearly …

Computer Assisted Instruction: Successmaker™ Reading And Math, Melissa M. Haley

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research was to determine whether the SuccessMaker™ reading and mathematics program being used at Collins-Maxwell Elementary School, Collins, Iowa, has increased the reading and mathematics scores. The elementary classroom teachers, the reading teacher, elementary principal, and two student key informants were all surveyed to obtain their opinions of the SuccessMaker™ program. Survey results indicated that while most of the teachers felt that this program had been beneficial to the students, they did not feel that computer-assisted instruction should replace classroom instruction.

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Principal's Leadership Practices During Curriculum Change., Donna Peck Henry

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Educators' Perceptions Of Attributes Necessary To Retain Enthusiasm Toward Teaching., Alice Fulmer Yeager

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Instructional Practice Responses To The Alabama High School Graduation Examination, Third Edition, As Perceived By Alabama Teachers., Martha Ann Newman Lacroix

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

Principals' Perceptions Of Needed Leadership In Technology In Elementary Schools., Linda Elaine Maxwell

All ETDs from UAB

No abstract provided.

0706: West Virginia Typescripts, 1995, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This collection consists of a copy of the narration for the four-part documentary "West Virginia," produced by WNP-TV (Morgantown) public television; accompanied by classroom teacher's guide prepared by Osterman Associates. The narration covers only briefly the life of Native Americans living on the land that would become West Virginia, but focuses on the settlement of West Virginia by Europeans to the 1920s.

A Description Of New Teacher Induction Programs In The State Of Georgia, Judi Harris Wilson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations (1964–2006)

The purpose of this study was to descriptively analyze new teacher induction programs across the state of Georgia regarding the support programs school districts provided for new teachers. Subjects for this study were 500 randomly selected Georgia teachers who completed their first year of teaching during the 1999-2000 school year. Participation in this study required that the subjects complete and return a survey developed in 1990 by Dr. Shelby Talley and modified by the researcher for this study. There were 327 surveys returned with a collective response rate of 65.4%.

This study found that induction practices to socialize new teachers …

Family Literacy, Dorothy Fay Bantz

Graduate Research Papers

This is a Family Literacy Program set up for second grade students and their families. The project includes thirty-six books and activities for the students to take home every Friday of the school year. The activities include both the student and the adults in the home. The picture books are both narrative and expository and written in a variety of genres. The book reviews are included for each book to show their quality. The adults are given support from the school through newsletters, a web page, family nights, and an initial home visit. The adults are encouraged to become part …

Teacher Change In Math Education, Jamie Folkers

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review addresses the process teachers go through in order to change their instructional practices in math. The purpose of this review is to compare traditional math practices with practices being advocated by reform initiatives, to look at hurdles preventing teachers from adapting these reforms, and share suggestions for removing these hurdles to allow a smoother change process for teachers.

The sources referenced come from research studies involving classroom practices and professional development programs, journal articles related to the math reform movement, and books on the same topic. They date from 1989 to 2000.

The main recommendations are as …

Religion And Spirituality In Counseling : A Multicultural Perspective, Linda G. Culbertson

Graduate Research Papers

As the counseling profession moves into the 21st Century a greater emphasis is being placed on multicultural and spiritual issues. It is difficult to see how the two entities can be separated. When counselors ignore that a client is Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, or Christian with the unspoken assumption that religion is irrelevant .to their issues, this may jeopardize the forming of an effective therapeutic relationship (Burke, et al., 1999). Knowledge of religion and spiritual beliefs of ethnic groups can help professionals provide care that is culturally specific and sensitive to the beliefs of the individual (Bibbins, 2000).

Using Lightspan Technology To Build School To Home Connections, Frances J. Birks

Graduate Research Papers

Family involvement in children's emerging literacy is critical to their school success. School personnel can support family literacy by becoming acquainted with families and providing home strategies and materials. Teachers can guide caregivers to the resources of the school and public libraries for books and software. Schools can off er caregivers instruction on computers as a learning tool for children.

The implementation of school computer lab sessions scheduled at night for families is described. This project was designed to 1) discover the ways families interact while using computers, 2) determine if families enjoyed using the lab together, and 3) document …

Addressing Peer Mediation : Conflict Resolution In Schools, Amy Junkermeier

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to review existing literature and research on peer mediation ip schools. A critical review is necessary due to the increasing popularity of peer mediation programs despite limited empirical evidence to support their usage. Examining the strengths and weaknesses of previous research is an important part of establishing program effectiveness and overcoming barriers to successful implementation. A critique of the research and implications for future research are also provided.

Distance Education, Kathleen E. Krug

Graduate Research Papers

Distance education has helped to reach many students regardless of geographic location and differences in learning styles. Interactive classrooms, for example the ICN, have helped to eliminate barriers regardless of the distance between locations. Still the concern remains with finding a way to address the different learning styles of the student. This paper will examine both the institutional and situational barriers and how K-12 district administrators in one area of Iowa and the nearby community college are addressing the issues.

Non-Technical Issues Involved In Moving A College Course From The Traditional Classroom To Cyberspace, Dixie L. Mercer

Graduate Research Papers

Advances in communication technologies have rapidly led to interest in the development of online learning programs. The value of these programs is beginning to be accepted as a way of providing an alternative delivery system to students in higher education whose work schedules, family issues, or geographical location make it impractical to attend regularly scheduled classes on a college campus.

Despite the potential of online learning, online instruction is not simply a traditional class gone digital. The teaching and learning processes of traditional classes needs to be reexamined for online classes, as the technology becomes more widespread. Educators need to …

Constructivist Education : Developing A Constructivist Kindergarten Program, Carol J. Menefee

Graduate Research Papers

This paper is a review of literature relative to the importance of using constructivist approaches in the kindergarten program. The primary focus of this paper was to look at the features of a constructivist approach. Advantages and criticisms of constructivism are included. This study also provides guidelines designed to help educators, specifically kindergarten teachers, implement constructivist approaches in their classrooms. The conclusion of this paper offers suggestions and cautions to educators on implementing these guidelines. Recommendations for further research in the area are stated.

The Design Of Web Sites With Quality User Interface, Amery L. Moultry

Graduate Research Papers

Usability engineering focuses on how well Web sites are structured. Many designers are unaware of the diversity of usability engineering and what it can offer the developer in efforts to produce a usable Web site. Three researchers in the field, Borges, Morales, and Rodriquez (1998), have created a style guide of content, which recommends essentials for user-friendly Web sites. They included in their list Common Look and Feel (CL&F), Information Display, Navigation, and Labels. This research paper goes through the steps it took to create a quality Web site using the style guides of the noted researchers.

Alternate Curriculum In Reading For Grade Four, Julie A. Schmit

Graduate Research Papers

Julie A. Schmit, a fourth grade teacher, specifically designed the two reading alternate units. These units were designed to provide challenging reading and learning experiences for talented and gifted students in grade four. These units provide challenging, above grade level materials and activities for the students whose reading, vocabulary, and language skills are advanced to such a degree that they would derive greater educational benefit from working with alternate materials.

Non-Technology Issues: The Human-Side Factors In Online Education, Qinghua Yu

Graduate Research Papers

As much as the explosive growth of electronic communication, things have changed in business, education and our society. Many professionals are thinking about the training and skill base in the area of technologies. How can instructors translate their teaching skills in a successful teaching online (Addesso, 2000). Coldeway (1988) acknowledges that the focus of most distance education institutions is on the technology but suggests that the research is shifting to the more human side of distance learning as the programs age. Using the current research on the problems addressed, as well as philosophies and theories implemented in online environments, this …

Fundamental Design Considerations For Creating Web Pages, Damon Staker

Graduate Research Papers

Fundamental Design Considerations for Creating Web Pages is a graduate review paper that was written to increase awareness of the proper use of design principles and web page layout in designing school web sites. This was written in response to the increase of poorly designed web sites that are difficult to read and understand because of the use of improper text and text size, distracting backgrounds, and color combinations that do not match. Information is given as to what design considerations and background information is needed to create a web site. The use of tables and frames is compared along …

Bridging The Gap Between Fiction And Nonfiction In The Literature Circle Setting, Deborah L. Stien

Graduate Research Papers

Third grade students experienced literature circles as part of balance literacy program. First, students learned about literature circles and its importance. After several fiction literature circle cycles, the classroom teacher bridged the gap between fiction and nonfiction in a literature circle setting. This allowed students read nonfiction and learn about a topic connected to their previous fiction read. Students were excited to read nonfiction and began choosing this genre on their own. They realized the power of learning that was available to them in nonfiction text.

The Underserved: Primary Grade Gifted, Michelle Sturtz

Graduate Research Papers

Gifted primary grade students, those in grades one through three, have interests and abilities similar to their age mates. The main difference is the depth to which they want to learn and explore these interests. However, due to the lack of programming for this age group, untrained teachers, and parents who are uncertain of their role, these children are underserved when it comes to meeting their needs. There are three issues that contribute to the primary grade gifted student being underserved. The first issue is lack of programming. The majority of educational programs for gifted students are designed for students …

A Look At The Possible Effects Of Genial/Eclectic Learning Environments In Denmark And The United States Of America, Annette Sigrid Wilson

Graduate Research Papers

The intent of this qualitative research is to gain knowledge and understanding of the impact a genial/eclectic environment may have upon creativity and skillful problem solving. Upon invitation from Benedicte Riis, a well-known Danish educator, composer, author, musician, and presenter in Denmark, Bulgaria, Norway, and the United States; I embarked on a trip to Ebeltoft, Denmark in May of2000 to study her pedagogy. My desire was to compare the methodologies, philosophies, and classroom environments of Benedicte's Tante Andante Hus in Denmark with Franklin Elementary School in Council Bluffs, Iowa. My professors at the University of Northern Iowa encouraged me to …