Education Commons^™

The Effects Of Divorce In A Society With Ever-Changing Family Structures, Rebecca L. Ahlstrom

Graduate Research Papers

Divorce rates have doubled since the 1970s, this has influenced both the structure and the impact of the family. It is imperative not to overlook the large and growing population of children affected by divorce. This paper will discuss the differences of important variables involved, such as age, gender and cultural background. In addition, it will discuss in detail outreach ideas and intervention strategies including small groups, mentoring programs, and bibliotherapy that have all been effective in supporting these children and their families in this crucial change of family structure. Children in single parent and blended families are considered "at-risk" …

Impact Of Music Education In Early Childhood Classrooms, Melissa J. Wolf

Graduate Research Papers

Music is a universal language that connects all students regardless of age, background, or social status. In our school's today, music instruction can offer many academic benefits to our students, especially in the areas of reading and mathematics. However, elementary school music teacher positions are being cut each year because of the lack of funds in the school district's budget. When this happens, classroom teachers are required to teach this subject to their students, according to Iowa Code-Chapter 12. These teachers may not be educated enough to give the students the instruction that is needed. This literature review examined the …

Leading To Develop A Culture Of Learning : A Reflective Essay, Stacie A. Henderson

Graduate Research Papers

As a principal, being the.instructional leader is a tremendous challenge. An instructional leader is a principal who knows the students in the school and is a constant advocate of what is best for them. Carrying the title of Principal does not automatically qualify you as an instructional leader. Instructional leaders set high expectations for the school community and support those members in reaching the expectations. This is done by being on the front lines, attending to student needs, researching best practice and learning and practicing strategies with the teachers. It is only in this capacity that an instructional leader can …

The Phenomenon Of Math Anxiety, Mary S. Fliehler

Graduate Research Papers

Math anxiety has cognitive, physical, and affective components. The physical component is recognizable by sweaty palms, nausea, rapid heart rhythm, and shortness of breath – all of which are the body's response to anxious feelings. The affective component is displayed through lack of confidence in one's ability to accomplish the required mathematics computations, avoidance of studying mathematics, limitations of career choices, and an over-all sense of helplessness when confronted with mathematical situations. The cognitive component occurs when the anxiety reaches a level that reduces the efficiency of the working memory in the brain while learning new mathematical concepts. Tobias, a …

Working With Children Suffering From Abuse And Neglect, Shalon L. Frye

Graduate Research Papers

This paper examines the history of advocacy for the rights and safety of children suffering from abuse and neglect in the United States and more specifically in the state of Iowa. It looks at statistical data concerning the incidence of child abuse and its correlation to age and ability level. It addresses the developmental, psychological, emotional, and physical effects of child abuse. This paper also outlines the role of the school counselor in helping children who are victims of abuse and neglect, as well as gives interventions that may be used to assist this population.

What I Believe About Leadership And Education : A Reflective Essay, Paul R. Henely

Graduate Research Papers

What I believe about leadership and education can be partly explained in the following words. Among the strongest of critical elements included in exemplary leadership in education are building relationships, hiring great teachers and developing the ones you have, maintaining high expectations, and creating a positive climate and culture.

Play Therapy With Victims Of Child Abuse, Annie E. Jessen

Graduate Research Papers

Child abuse is a very serious issue around the world. An estimated 906,000 children were determined to be victims of child abuse or neglect in the United States in 2003. Child fatalities are the most tragic consequence of maltreatment. Play therapy provides children with the ideal environment where they feel safe and they may experience their feelings without restriction.

Oftentimes play allows children to distance themselves from experiences that are quite painful if expressed directly to a therapist. When assessing the needs of children, it is important for play therapists to assess the phenomenological impact of the abuse, the family's …

Developing Writers, Ann Craig

Graduate Research Papers

As our nation focuses on educational reforms in reading, math, and science, the place of expository writing within subject areas becomes evident. Students are required to write for different purposes within their classes, often expected to draft, explain, and interpret ideas offered by their educational experiences. Unfortunately, teachers find many of their students unable to understand their directions for writing. An approach that balances writing instruction with self-regulation as students write may help them internalize different aspects of writing expository papers as a means of communication in their classes. This paper, therefore, examines an instructional writing strategy, specifically self-regulated strategy …

A Preferred Vision For Leading Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Brian J. Downing

Graduate Research Papers

The role of administrator, when done successfully, is a difficult and multifaceted one. It involves fulfilling many different duties with many different groups simultaneously. Educational leadership is a balancing act of the day-today and the unexpected emergencies, of the mundane and the exceptional, of management and progress. This task would be difficult to accomplish by a team of professionals, let alone by one person. We all have our talents and abilities in certain of these areas but a successful administrator needs to be competent in all of them and be able to balance them effectively.

Best Practices In Middle Level Mathematics Teaching And Learning, Wendy Sue Korte

Graduate Research Papers

The added pressure on students and teachers to do well in mathematics has placed a new emphasis on how best to teach math. This paper discusses the standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and how those standards can be implemented into classrooms in order to help students to increase their mathematical power. Although teaching to the standards would be a drastic change for many teachers with the proper professional development, standards-based math classes could be a reality that will help our students' mathematical understanding.

Narrative Therapy Treatment For Adolescents With Drug Abuse, Julie F. Stevens

Graduate Research Papers

Counseling adolescents can be challenging and hard work. Counseling adolescents trying to conquer their substance abuse can be even more difficult. The goal in counseling teens with substance abuse is to assist the adolescent to stop drug use and to help the teen choose positive life choices. Narrative therapists use techniques found to be helpful in counseling teens with substance abuse. This paper will define Narrative therapy, discuss some techniques, and examine its effectiveness in treatment of drug abuse in adolescents.

The Factors Preventing The Successful Implementation Of A Middle Level Advisory Program At One Middle School, Gina Grasso Leonard

Graduate Research Papers

This study investigated the feelings and conceptualizations about Advisory Programs of the teachers at one middle school in Southeast Iowa. Interviews were conducted to uncover the teachers' thoughts and perceptions on Advisory Programs at their middle school. The collected data was then evaluated and recommendations were made.

Character Education, Kim Slater

Graduate Research Papers

Character education has been a topic that has been heavily talked about in many schools across the United States. This article presents the purpose and goals of character education in our school systems. Many issues and concerns are brought to educators' attentions when discussing the role character education plays. Issues and concerns such as teacher time and responsibility, proper way to teach Character Education, parents as partners, and religion and cultural differences are discussed in this article as well as the importance Character Education has on the lives of all students.

Reflective Practitioner As The Leader Of Learning : A Reflective Essay, Julie A. Amendt

Graduate Research Papers

The role of the principal has changed significantly over the last twenty years. Today's principal is always multi-tasking, changing gears and changing roles over the course of a day. Leadership must come from the inside out instead of top down. To fulfill this role, an effective principal must adhere to their personal philosophy and belief of education as well as live and model with ethical consideration. Philosophy and ethics will guide specific qualities of leadership that will prove to be effective in the management of an effectively run school. The principal must be a reflective leader who can promote and …

Optimal Characteristics For Happy And Satisfying Marriages, Britni J. Anderson

Graduate Research Papers

For many people, having a happy satisfying marriage is the ultimate goal in a marital relationship. However, what constitutes a happy marriage is not always clear. Many people go into marriage with high ideals and expectations, but without the reality that marriage is an entity in its own right that needs to be maintained daily. Communication, including conflict resolution, is a large part of a successful marriage. Other characteristics include sharing positive feelings, having more positive than negative interactions, having a solid friendship, maintaining a strong commitment, and staying focused on the positive aspects of the marriage. Marriage is difficult, …

What I Believe About Leadership And Education, Joseph L. Green Ii

Graduate Research Papers

The importance of being a strong educational leader and demonstrating successful practices as a reflective practitioner, leader of educational change, leader of learning for both students and teachers, and a leader of service is essential to the growth of all our country's students, and the educational systems from which they learn.

Being an educational leader encompasses every educational title and every educational position, from teacher to parent, and principal to school board member. By successfully collaborating and communicating among all stakeholders, educational leaders can guarantee that every child will succeed and develop into productive and knowledgeable citizens.

What I Believe About Leadership And Education : A Reflective Essay, Valerie J. Daily

Graduate Research Papers

Educating our children is the most worthy, rewarding, and influential profession obtainable. Educators join the profession to improve our society and because they care about children. The task educators face is immense. Every child can learn. I believe good teachers can positively impact the lives of children and their families.

Teaching is an art and good teachers teach children how to learn. Good teachers provide a variety of resources and tools a child can use in several situations to enhance learning. Good teachers ask thoughtful, and purposeful questions that leave a child a curious learner. Education should be a highly …

Implementing Bibliotherapy: Noah & Friends, Ryan Ealy

Graduate Research Papers

For this project, I have decided to write a series of short stories. It is titled Noah and Friends. These stories will teach students about diversity, peer pressure, and role models. Reading stories can be used as a great therapeutic tool as well a unique way to teach and a fun way for students to learn. Through reading stories students can learn about themselves through characters in books that are dealing with conflicts similar to what they are currently experiencing. This allows them to gain insight about their problems as well as learn different solutions they could try to solve …

The Importance Of Ehealth In The Education Of Underserved Populations, Shanel L. Winfield

Graduate Research Papers

The use of the Internet or the World Wide Web for educational purposes is widespread and rapidly growing. It is only natural that, in response to this rapid growth, its usage expands into the field of medicine, particularly eHealth. But as the nature of how the Internet is being used in health and medicine increases, there is a large segment of the population being left behind because of lack of access. This lack of access is in response to economic barriers, political barriers, social-cultural barriers and social-economic barriers. Issues of literacy, content, and language also play a role in the …

Nebbe's Nature Nest : A Summary Of An Animal Assisted Therapy Camp, Trisha L. Ames

Graduate Research Papers

Two graduate students conducted a small animal assisted therapy camp. The main goal for this camp was to enhance and promote the campers' socialization skills and self-esteem through the use of animal assisted therapy. Two pre and post measurement scales were used to evaluate the children's loneliness and self-concept. The campers participated in a one-week camp lasting approximately three hours a day. To meet desired lesson goals, the campers engaged in direct animal contact and specific animal assisted activities. The following is a complete description and reaction to the animal assisted therapy camp led by Trisha (Hobbiebrunken) Ames, Nicole Whisler, …

The Study Of Computational Fluency, Cassandra Hart

Graduate Research Papers

Teachers, educators and researchers are still attempting to reach consensus on the kinds and amounts of computational fluency that are relevant for today's classroom. But one thing is certain, computational fluency is one of the most vital components of developing mathematical understanding. It is absolutely necessary that students have knowledge of basic number relationships and the ability to choose from a number of appropriate strategies. The question to be answered in this study is how can Computational Fluency strategies enhance student achievement in math and improve the current climate for learning? This study evaluated the implementation of the Computational Fluency …

Keys To Effective Leadership: The Principal's Role - A Reflective Essay, Amy R. Sulzbach

Graduate Research Papers

In the ever-changing field of education, the role of a principal is constantly evolving. An effective principal, has a clear vision to lead her school into the future. The ultimate goal of every administrator must be to help each student within the school achieve their potential, and gain success. They must be willing to collaborate with families, staff members, and the community to make their vision a reality. They must set examples through integrity and fairness, and utilize all available resources to help achieve these goals. I believe that a truly effective principal must be a leader of learning, a …

The Effects Of Emotional Intelligence In Everyday Life : What Counselors Can Do To Reinforce E.I. In Couples Counselings, Bridget M. Bencke

Graduate Research Papers

This paper will explore the aspects that make up emotional intelligence, compare IQ to EQ, and explain how emotional intelligence plays a role in the schools and in the workplace. This paper will identify how counselors can guide and support couples to recognize their feelings and develop healthy relationships with their spouses. Although techniques involving emotional intelligence skills are important for clients in individual sessions, there has been further research done with couples regarding therapy work and EI (Goleman, 1995). Therefore, this paper will focus on "emotional intelligence in couples" counselors, but will touch on EI in the schools and …

Self-Mutilation : A Misunderstood Behavior, Carmon Rasmussen

Graduate Research Papers

Self-mutilation is most accurately described as the intentional harm of one's own body. Individuals engage in this behavior as a means of coping with intense emotions. The act of harming one's own body provides a release of endorphins, which provides the self-mutilator with a sense of relief. This behavior is becoming problematic within the adolescent population and a growing concern for those in the field of school counseling. School counselors need to have a strong grasp of the characteristics, functions, and intervention strategies involved with self-mutilation to be effective advocates for this population of students.

Children Of Incarcerated Mothers, Kisha Smith

Graduate Research Papers

Since 1990, the female prison population has increased significantly. In the United States, there are 721,500 incarcerated individuals who are parents of minor children. Many of these parents are mothers who experienced drug use and came from single parent families living in poverty.

Since 60 percent of children are primarily cared for by their mother, maternal incarceration results in many children being removed from their homes, resulting in internal and external problems as well as academic concerns. In addition, this situation can lead to emotional issues, such as grief and loss, and problems related to social adjustment. Consequently, children of …

Educational Leadership In An Age Of Accountability : A Reflective Essay, Laura J. Medberry

Graduate Research Papers

There are qualities of educational leaders that will lead them to success. A leader can use these qualities to improve the student achievement in a building, the self-concepts of the students and the teachers, and their own professional capacity. Four of these critical elements include the ability to develop a positive culture and climate, the ability to develop leaders within an organization, their ability to think systemically and systematically, and the integrity of their character.

Leading From Within : A Reflective Essay, John C. Mutum

Graduate Research Papers

The principal is a team member that brings a specialized skill set to the table, for the benefit of the whole team. The principal' s role is that of a leader. The principal functions as the leader of vision, climate and culture, the leader of reflective practice, the leader of change, the leader of learning, and the leader of service. In all of these areas the principal leads from within the team as a member of the team.

A Solution-Focused Approach To School Counseling, Holly Dawn Honey

Graduate Research Papers

Solution-focused brief therapy has only recently been discovered as an effective counseling strategy in a school setting based on its time-limited, positive approach to work with students. Though this approach has not been researched in depth, there have been several studies documenting its effectiveness with school age children. This paper will provide an overall view of solution-focused brief therapy as well as some specific techniques for all levels of school counseling.

The Corporate University : Effective Strategies Used To Create A Productive Corporate Training Program, Eduardo Calderon

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review describes the strategies utilized in creating a successful corporate training program. There has been an evolution in the corporate training sector within the past decade that has encouraged the development of the corporate university. Many of our world's top companies are teaching content that is used to motivate employees to ensure a higher level of corporate success. This review suggests that by following the components established by effective training and instructional design, other entities can produce the same prosperous outcomes.

Vocabulary Development Through Math Journaling Using Technology Resources In An Elementary Math Classroom, Debbie Hansel

Graduate Research Papers

An action research study was conducted in a second grade classroom in a nonpublic elementary school with student seven-to-eight years of age. The purpose of the research was to determine if the use of computer-based content journaling leads to a better understanding of the mathematical vocabulary being focused on and to establish if the use of computer-based reflective journal entries has a positive impact on the students' attitude toward mathematics.

The comparison of scores from the pre-assessment and post-assessment of vocabulary knowledge demonstrated an increase in accuracy. Journaling helped students arrive at the generalization relating the size of what is …