Education Commons^™

A Selected Survey Of Sacred And Secular Music From The English Reformation, With Emphasis On Pedagogical Applications For The High School Choral Classroom, Caroline Morse

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this project was to examine the historical and applied performance aspects of music from the English Reformation, and to explore and explain the pedagogical methods of teaching this music to developing musicians in high school. I was responsible for organizing, programming, rehearsing, and conducting a recital featuring several works of sacred English, sacred Latin, and madrigal/secular songs. In addition, I was responsible for researching and presenting a lecture recital on the Tudor Dynasty, and the effect the monarchy had on the publication of music during 1517-1648.

I developed a lecture recital based upon age appropriate choral pieces …

Summing It Up: Comparing And Contrasting Constructivist-Based Teaching Practices, Megan T. Kohanik

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast various aspects of focused teaching practices supported by constructivist learning theories in a mathematics classroom. This paper will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of three focused teaching practices and connect the results back to current literature in mathematics education. The three focused teaching practices observed were 1) involving students in classroom discussion (Discussion-Based Classroom), 2) implementing a flipped model of instruction (Flipped Classroom), and 3) incorporating problems related to real-world contexts (Real-World Applications Classroom). Each focused teaching practice corresponded to one secondary or post-secondary classroom that was observed over the …

The Year Of Change: Challenges Faced By First Year Students Based On Individual Identities, Holly K. Millet

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The first year of college is often a fresh start for students. For many, it is the first time away from home where students will have freedom to make their own decisions. During this year students gain new experiences, new knowledge, and a new understanding of themselves. However, it is commonly known that the transition into college is often accompanied by many challenges, including, homesickness, depression, inability to fit in, and financial instability. Often, students’ identities can influence the types of challenges they encounter throughout this transition. This study determines correlations between five social identities and challenges that first year …

How To Teach Hamlet, Rachel A. Wolfe

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This thesis is a discussion of the history and previous methods of teaching Hamlet followed by a unit plan and lesson plans that are grounded in a more modern understanding of how to teach dramatic literature.

Family And Child Development Education For Harrisonburg Adolescents, Mollie M. Moran, Jennifer E. Corser, Julia M. Glauber

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The pregnancy rate among 15- to 17-year-old women in Harrisonburg is double Virginia's state rate (Townsend, 2008). While meeting administers and guidance counselors of Harrisonburg High School we learned that Harrisonburg High School views this issue as one that cannot be addressed by teaching abstinence in their public school. They have found that because of cultural beliefs, abstinence is not an effective tool for preventing teenage pregnancy. Instead, HHS teaches their students about safe sexual practices and how to have a healthy pregnancy in the event they were to become pregnant. The high school offers a class called “Child and …

Mentoring Under-Resourced People, Virginia M. Sandlin

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Fighting hunger has been a global problem for many generations. Public and private businesses, churches, along with nonprofit organizations, have joined national, state, county, and local government agencies to assist under-resourced people attend to some of their needs as measures in improving the quality of their lives. Although there are many resources available, statistics show that the under-resourced clients of these organizations are not using all the resources available to them. One major factor is that applications for these resources are available on the Internet, and under-resourced heads of household do not know how to use a computer to access …

Critical Thinking Skills Across The Semester In Lecture And Team-Based Learning Classes, Zachary L. Buchin

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this study was to compare critical thinking and higher-order thinking skills across the semester in lecture and team-based learning classes. Team- based learning classes utilize techniques that were thought to foster an increase in critical thinking and higher-order thinking skills when compared to lecture classes. The Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment S2 (HCTA S2) was used to measure critical thinking skill changes and Bloom’s Taxonomy coded higher-order thinking questions on the final exam. Raw score changes on the HCTA S2 and scores on the higher-order thinking questions on the final exam were compared between the two classes. No …

Parents Of Students With Disabilities Views Of Schools’ Efforts To Facilitate Their Involvement In Their Child’S Educational Progress, Stephanie A. Lessard

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The objective of this Senior Honors Project was to investigate schools’ efforts to collaborate with parents of children receiving special education services within Harrisonburg City Public Schools in the State of Virginia. The study had two primary purposes.

The first was to empower parents by educating them about special education laws and their rights concerning how to obtain services for their child. The workshops, presented by the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC), addressed areas such as communication skills and interpersonal skills for the purposes of bolstering relationships between schools and parents.

Second, since schools sometimes fail to effectively involve …

"Zome": An Interactive Art Piece, Cassidy Moellers, Robert Spinosa, Dylan Chance

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

As our communities expand rapidly, both physically and digitally, we can lose our sense of connection and togetherness. Interactive and participatory art interventions cultivate community by provoking engagement in unexpected areas. In this project, the prototype for an interactive zonohedral dome (or “zome”) was constructed as a proof of concept for an art intervention to engage students in collaborative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning, by creating feelings of connection with the technology and with each other. Consequently, it demonstrates the values of the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) movement in education. Design elements (and an assessment …

Manifestation Determinations: An Interdisciplinary And User-Friendly Guide To Best Practices, Molly E. Knudsen

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Rates of suspensions and expulsions are increasing in public schools in the United States, despite research stating that such exclusions have negative effects on students and are generally ineffective in addressing misbehavior. There is an overrepresentation of students with disabilities in the population of excluded students, which poses a threat to their right to a free and appropriate education (FAPE). When a student with a disability faces an exclusion, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires a manifestation determination review (MDR) to be held by a committee of school personnel and the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) to determine the cause of …

The Effects Of In-Class Application Questions On Academic Behaviors, Julia Ricotta

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Interteaching is a behavioral method of teaching college co urses, where students take a more active approach to learning. The current study manipulated int erteaching preparation guides and studied the effects on exam scores, attendance, duration of discussion, and ratings of the discussions. Both groups received the same materials in di fferent formats. The control group completed full prep guides at home, which included factual an d application questions. The intervention group completed revised prep guides at home, whi ch included factual questions, and application questions in class. During discussions, the control group discussed answers to the full prep guides, …

Learning Preferences In Elementary Education, Samantha R. Boyd

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project seeks to develop an understanding of the many theories on how children learn, develop a unit plan grounded in research, investigate the research-to-practice bridge in elementary education, and analyze theories of learning and curriculum implementation within the field of elementary education.

A Comparative Analysis Of The Racial And Class Achievement Gap In Schooling In The United States, France, And South Africa, Taylor J. Fulcher

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This research study focuses on three countries: the United States, France, and South Africa. While the issue of the income and racial achievement gap may seem similar on the surface for these three countries, research suggests that these issues, deeply embedded in each country’s history of racial segregation, economic inequality, and current policies and practices are connected to the struggle of students in acquiring necessary cultural capital. The comparative analysis conducted in this thesis illustrates how schools sort and select students based on racial identity and socioeconomic status, hindering access to cultural capital and affecting student achievement. The outcome of …

Lev Vygotsky Speaks: Early Childhood Curricula, Dakota L. Gagliardi

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Early childhood curricula have become a major source of conversation in recent decades. The desire for growth and reform in the education field has contributed to changing tides in the classroom, leading to more child-centered approaches that are believed critical in the acquisition of holistic development. Two such curricula that have received recent attention are Reggio Emilia and Tools of the Mind, both of which stem from the foundational beliefs of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky. It is the aim of this paper to analyze both Reggio Emilia and Tools of the Mind in terms of how they compare to Vygotsky’s …

The Effectiveness Of Social Stories On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review, Caroline E. Johnson

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The primary goal of Social Stories is to address debilitating difficulties and are written with the goal of objectively sharing important social information with individuals with ASD (Gray, 1998). The purpose of this literature review was to look at the effectiveness of Social Stories on children with autism.

The Leadership Hub, Michelle E. Healey

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The Leadership Hub Senior Honors Creative Thesis comprises a website and creative design book. It organizes and designs leadership within the JMU community within four key areas.