Education Commons^™

The Use Of Graphic Organizers When Writing With Dual Identified El And Ld Students, Katherine Corrigan

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This study will focus on the growth and student attitudes and their perceptions of their own ability regarding argumentative and expository writing tasks, specifically in the area of organization and development for dual identified EL and LD Hispanic, middle school students. This study seeks to answer the following guiding questions: Can a graphic organizer help improve organization and development in an argumentative or expository writing task? and How does the explicit instruction and use of an intentionally designed graphic organizer improve student perception of their own abilities and attitudes towards completing an argumentative or expository writing task? The quantitative data …

The Impact Of Racial Equity Coaching On White Educators’ Personal Growth And Professional Practice, Gretchen Baglyos

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The author’s research inquiry was: How does racial equity coaching impact White educators’ personal growth and professional practice? This originated from the fact that White educators comprised the majority of Minnesota’s teaching force, and, therefore, bore great responsibility for eliminating racial achievement disparities between White students and students of color. Racial equity coaching personally impacted participants by increasing their racial consciousness, equipping them with tools for racial discourse, motivating them to initiate race-based conversations, and strengthening their voices in the struggle for racial equity. Professionally, racial equity coaching impacted participants by increasing their will to disrupt patterns of systemic racism, …

The Impact Of Independent Investigations On The Engagement Of Elementary Spanish Immersion Students Who Are Gifted, Carolyn Suarez

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, What is the impact of independent investigations on the engagement of students labeled as gifted in the elementary immersion setting? It documents the implementation of a Renzulli Type III intervention, independent investigations, and students’ levels of engagement before, during and after implementation. Data was gathered from student questionnaires, translated style inventories, translated interest surveys, individual student reflections and group exit interviews. Results indicated that during the study, students demonstrated levels of engagement similar to or higher than other gifted education strategies already in place. Students who utilized engagement and research tools provided …

Supporting Students With Gifted-Talented Potential In High Need Schools: A Portraiture Study, Anna Zillnger Shepard

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project is – how are students with Gifted-Talented potential supported in the inclusive classroom model when it is implemented in high need

public schools? The research was conducted and organized utilizing Sarah Lawrence- Lightfoot’s Portraiture qualitative research method, which includes the components of

Voice, Context, Emergent Themes, and Aesthetic Whole. Five teachers who served in high need K-6 public schools provided the data through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and read multiple times to determine five Emergent Themes in accordance with the research method. Those themes were: Identification, Testing/Evaluation, Support, Failure, and Success. …

A Shift In Perspective, David Hander

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This project addresses the question of how to shift the average American History curriculum into a more Minnesota centric curriculum without the need to rewrite it completely or make it more cumbersome. The author believes that students will be more engaged if they have a personal connection to the people and places described. The main influence for this project was full curriculums written for Minnesota History at both the Secondary and College level. It differs though in that instead of being strictly about Minnesota History this paper uses Minnesota as a focal point for each broader topic. The author uses …

Environmental Stewardship: Protecting Our Planet’S Future, Barbara Pierce

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was how can Understanding by Design be used to create a curriculum that can be used to teach upper elementary students the basis of environmental stewardship? The motivating factor behind this project was a noticeable lack of outdoor exploration in public elementary schools, combined with limited science instruction in the classroom. Designing the curriculum using and Understanding by Design framework, the unit includes lessons on habitats, food webs, natural resources, and interdependence. Methods of teaching include hands-on and multimedia lessons, and time for free outdoors exploration. The unit culminates in a group presentation …

The Impact Of Effective Guided Reading Practices, Emily O'Rourke

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This research question purpose was to see how the impact of guided reading can positively improve second grade reading comprehension, fluency and word recognition. Various researchers, such as Jennifer Berne and Sophie C. Degener who have contributed to guided reading research are studied in this capstone. Guided reading is a pivotal element in a child’s journey in the reading process. It explores the specific teacher practices that are necessary to a beneficial guided reading experience. The author used quantitative method of study using district reading assessment and more specifically assessing comprehension, fluency and word recognition. As well as, studying the …

Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy And Social Interactions Within Families And Their Child With Autism, Christina Latterner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to answer the question, in what ways does ABA therapy impact social interactions between the parents and their child with autism? It also addresses past studies which focused on autism, ABA therapy and the family dynamics with a special needs child. The research included one family, with a five-year old child diagnosed with autism. Mixed method research was used, focusing on interviews with parents and data collection. Interviews were conducted with the mother and father which focused on their family’s social interactions before, during and after one year of therapy. Data collection tools …

Defining The Correlation Between Multicultural Training For Pre-Service Teachers And Their Effectiveness In Implementing A Multicultural Curriculum In The Classroom, Lynne Chung

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

As educators, we must hold each other accountable. It begins with how we are initially trained and the ideas we foster into actions that transcend textbooks and ultimately put into effective lessons. More often times than now, pre-service training reflects the values of the dominant society that may lead to perpetuating the status quo. This study aims to define the correlation between multicultural training for pre-service teachers and their

effectiveness in implementing a multicultural curriculum in the classroom. Through in- depth interviews with five practicing teachers in their first- through third-year of

teaching, the study documents their personal experiences with …

How Can A Self-Esteem Curriculum In A Mathematics Classroom Increase The Confidence And Ability Of Female Students?, Shelly Jean Chermack

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The teacher in this research decided to look at both single-sex groups and self-esteem curriculum and how they can help female students’ confidence, self-esteem, self-concept, and math grades or ability. Over the course of a quarter, the teacher incorporated self-esteem and community building activities that are identified and the subjects (high school geometry students) were given pre- and post-assessments as well as surveys to assess their emotional states in terms of selfesteem and self-concept. The participants were given surveys at the beginning and the end of the research and comparisons were sought between the two surveys.

Teaching Vocabulary To Ninth Grade Students From Context, Ned Nelson Jr

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Learning new words from context is a skill that many ninth-grade students lack. Although there are many methods to teaching vocabulary, many of the methods are outdated or riddled with issues. The methods help students, but no method is well rounded, leaving students with a skill set that is not completely developed. The integrated vocabulary curriculum that is proposed in this capstone explored the variety of methods and best practices to create a hybrid version to fully support students in learning vocabulary from context. Overall, the capstone addressed the need for a vocabulary curriculum that is flexible and can support …

From Mathmagicians To Mathematicians: Constructing Cognitive Understanding Over Trusting The Algorithm, Kathryn A. Gould

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

This capstone posed the question: what theoretical basis and best practices should be used to guide instruction that develops fluency in conceptualizing and executing multiplication strategies over the arc of third grade? With its foundation in constructivist learning theory and steeped in the research of Thomas Carpenter et al.’s Cognitively Guided Instruction this curriculum design project guides educators towards instruction that puts the students’ experience with multiplication in the forefront. Leaving behind the method of direct instruction of multiplication facts and algorithms. Research presented will show the dangers of leaning too heavily on procedural fluency and will focus on what …

The Effects Of The Press Intervention On Kindergarteners With Limited Early Literacy Skills, Lindsey Peterson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this Capstone is: What impact does the PRESS intervention have on Kindergarteners with limited early literacy skills? Many students enter Kindergarten with limited literacy skills and are in need of learning the basic skills of reading before they can learn to read.The action research that was conducted involved seven students and an intervention focused on phoneme segmenting. The students were given a phoneme segmenting pre assessment before the ten day intervention. A post assessment was administered after each ten day intervention. The data revealed that after two, ten day interventions that 100 percent of the …

How Higher Order Questioning And Critical Thinking Affects Reading Comprehension, Lindsay A. Samelian

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question was, how I can increase fifth graders’ reading comprehension through the use of higher-order thinking questions and critical thinking? This qualitative action research was based on Anderson, Krathwohl, and Bloom’s (2001) work on the six levels of cognitive thought, Walsh and Sattes’ (2005) and Morgan and Saxton’s (2006) research on quality questioning, and Brookhart’s (2010) critical thinking assessments and rubrics. Their research incorporates into a fifth grade reading classroom while using Fountas and Pinnell’s (2001) guided reading model. The author creates higher ordering thinking questions for three WWII novels. She studies the types of questions and uses …

Teaching Math Academic Language In Chinese Immersion Middle Schools, Xu Zhu

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The guiding question of this capstone is: How should teachers teach math academic language and support students using math academic language in Chinese immersion middle schools? Academic language is the language that students need in acquiring new knowledge, while teachers in language immersion schools need help with teaching academic language. This capstone presents a curriculum project to guide teachers in Chinese immersion middle schools to teach math academic language with a concentration on students’ communication and collaboration. Integrating the ideas in the studies of academic language, language immersion education, teaching middle school math, and student-centered learning, the project plays a …

Discovering Conceptual Metaphors In High School Biology To Instruct English Language Learners, Nancy R. Mccurdy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

An investigation was completed to identify and define abstraction that occurs within abstract nouns in biology terminology in the Mississippi high school biology subject area practice test in order to determine conceptual language patterns in biology terms to teach to high school English Learners. The conceptual metaphors that dominate biology concepts in major scientific theories of the text exemplar examined are ORGANISMS ARE MACHINES, ECOSYSTEMS ARE COMMUNITIES, DNA IS A TEMPLATE, and DESIRED TRAITS ARE VALUABLE. The most prevalent common conceptual metaphors found within abstract nouns in biology of the text examined are MATTER IS A STRUCTURE, PROCESS IS A …

The Impact Of Math Talks On Student Achievement In Kindergarten, Emily Payan

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The core goal of this study was to answer the question, How do daily math talks impact student achievement in kindergarten? Math talks were implemented daily in a Title I kindergarten classroom over a period of six weeks. The findings suggest that the use of math talks as an integral part of instruction positively impact student achievement. The average growth in the experimental group was an increase of 42% in the composite scores by the end of the study, compared to a 31% increase in the control group. The experimental group in this study started as a more emergent group …

Foundational Elements Of A Steam Learning Model For Elementary School, Ariel Starzinski

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

The research question addressed in this project was, what are the foundational elements necessary to the successful implementation of a STEAM learning model in the elementary school classroom? This capstone identifies inquiry, 21st century skills (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity), digital citizenship and learning partnerships as foundational to the success of a STEAM learning model. The model proposed is anchored in the framework of backward design, and is intended to be flexible for adaptation depending on grade level learning objectives as well as student strengths, needs and interests. A sample third grade unit of study illustrates the integration of standards …

Communities Of Practice In Higher Education: Transformative Dialogues Toward A Productive Academic Writing Practice, Janelle De Carrico Voegele, Dannelle D. Stevens

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

Because faculty have advanced degrees, it is often assumed that they have perfected the skills needed to be productive, successful academic writers. In reality, many faculty struggle with the demands of academic writing and the resulting loss of energy for teaching and other aspects of their roles. This article reflects on the impact of an academic writing program through a community-of-practice lens. We describe the program and its elements, its development into a thriving cross-discipline writing community, the role of central program elements such as accountability and dialogue, and the benefits stemming from a learning-community emphasis across program elements

La Valorización De La Educación Superior Para Estudiantes Indígenas En Madre De Dios: Interrogando Discursos Y Acciones Del Estado, La Fenamad, Y Los Estudiantes Indígenas / The Valorisation Of Higher Education For Indigenous Students In Madre De Dios: Interrogating Speeches And Actions Of The State, Fenamad, And Indigenous Students, Sierra Houck

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación explora cómo los estudiantes indígenas en Puerto Maldonado (que provienen de comunidades en Madre de Dios) valoran y pretenden usar la educación superior. Este informe compara estas perspectivas y deseos con las perspectivas y acciones de personas en los institutos superiores, miembros del gobierno, y miembros de la organización indígena FENAMAD. Además, esta investigación analiza tanto los desafíos que los estudiantes indígenas enfrentan al estudiar en Puerto Maldonado como los sistemas de apoyo que existen y se están desarrollando para los estudiantes indígenas.

La educación formal fue introducida en las comunidades indígenas de la región de Madre de …

Power To The Period: The Role Of Menstruation In Nepal’S Formal Workplace, Johannah Mitchell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Within the greater context of Nepal, menstruation is a topic that has long-held significance as a taboo topic due to religious and cultural connotations. However, over the past five years, there has been a push in Nepali schools to acknowledge menstruation and menstrual hygiene management as legitimate aspects of health curriculums. This is a great step forward for the country, but also begs the question of whether this educational movement is being recognized in other areas of society, such as the formal workplace. Through discussion with various individuals- from government officers to healthcare employees- this research examines attitudes towards menstruation, …

"Ewondo In The Classes, French For The Masses." Mother-Tongue Education In Yaoundé, Cameroon., Parker Henry

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cameroon is home to over two hundred eighty native languages coming from three language families, making it one of the most linguistically diverse countries on Earth. Despite this, native languages hold very few domains in Cameroonian society. In recent years, several experimental programs have begun to implement native languages in schools citing that children learn best in their mother tongue. Among these include ELAN-Afrique, an initiative put forth by La Francophonie with the main aim of helping students better learn French by way of their mother tongue. This paper seeks to differentiate the benefits prescribed or expected by overhead actors …

'You Become A Rock': Conceptions Of Motherhood And Lessons Of Race As Told And Photographed By Four Mothers From Cape Town, South Africa, Kaitlin Abrams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study will discuss conceptions of motherhood and lessons of racial identity through the lens of four women from Cape Town, South Africa. Utilizing both semi-structured interviews and photovoice, stories of motherhood are told as a journey from childhood to adulthood, in which one’s experience of being mothered influences decisions in current motherhood. In interviews, mothers pinpoint conceptions of good motherhood that encompass both financial support for one’s children and attentiveness, informed mostly by one’s race and class background. Additionally, experiences surrounding discrimination and silencing in childhood differ between races, later informing the way that mothers chose to share lessons …

Pluralism And Religious Education In Bali: How Lack Of Implementation Of Educational Reform Threatens Indonesian Identity In The System Used To Construct It, Nikolai O. Birch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Indonesia’s education system was developed with the construction of the Indonesian as a cohesive people in mind. In doing so, the system adopted the practice of mandatory religious education as a means of developing the character of the Indonesian student through religion, a component imperative to the nation’s statehood. In the years and decades following, the education system, and subsequently its program of religious education, has been reformed and changed many times. This research attempts to look at how and why this changed system has struggled to implement these changes in the classroom, and why pluralism has been included in …

Gender Socialization In Chinese Schools: Teachers, Children And Gender Roles, Connor Swan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the first major social environment most children will encounter outside the family, school plays a pivotal role in the socialization of gender roles for young children. The aim of this research is to examine how young children learn and practice gender roles in Chinese school environments. In what ways do teachers and adults communicate messages about gender to children, and how do children receive and internalize these messages? What do teachers consciously intend to teach children about gender, and what do they unconsciously teach through their actions? Over the course of one month, I attended classes and observed teacher-student …

Abc Or Aei: A Comparison Of Approaches To Early Childhood Education In Samoa, Sofia Valbuena

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Due to discussion about the importance of early childhood education (ECE), the scene in Samoa has shifted. The present study compares and analyzes approaches to ECE in Samoa from three schools: Brilliant Star Montessori Preschool, Divine Mercy Preschool, and Saoluafata Preschool. Data was collected through participatory observation over the course of two and three days at each school. Results showed both similarities and differences within the preschools in themes such as play, academic curriculum, and classroom management. Analysis found ECE in Samoa is developing and potential tools to further improve the schools were presented. This study will provide a report …

¿Trabajando Juntos? La Dinámica De La Relación Entre Movimiento Estudiantil Y Movimiento Docente De 2014-2015 / Working Together? The Dynamics Of The Relationship Between Student Movement And Teacher Movement 2014-2015, Klielle Glanzberg-Krainin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación explora la relación entre movimiento estudiantil y movimiento docente en período de movilizaciones por demandas educativas. Para investigar esta relación, este proyecto se centra en los años 2014-2015 como un estudio de caso, porque durante esos años, hubo una movilización docente grande, y casi al mismo tiempo hubo una movilización estudiantil. Por eso, es viable la pregunta acerca de si existía una relación y si existió, cómo fue a través de estos movimientos, porque estaban sucediendo simultáneamente. Este proyecto se realizó a través de entrevistas con personas que estaban involucradas con los movimientos. Después de recopilar toda la …

La Educación Multicultural: Enfoques Y Brechas En Cuatro Escuelas Municipales En Santiago, Chile / Multicultural Education: Approaches And Gaps In Four Municipal Schools In Santiago, Chile, Fiona Riebeling

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La investigación se enfoca en la educación multicultural en cuatro escuelas municipales en Santiago. Se usa teoría notable de James Banks y Rolando Poblete Melis para identificar, categorizar, y comparar enfoques y brechas actuales en las escuelas y en la sociedad chilena. Se organiza y provee análisis de los desafíos, las iniciativas en desarrollo, y sugerencias para mejorar el futuro de la educación integradora e inclusiva en varias sub-categorías, destacado a través de conversaciones formales e informales con estudiantes y profesionales trabajando en el contexto escolar. Se aborda los límites de la investigación y enfatiza la necesidad de seguir investigando …

Un Rescate Incompleto: Los Éxitos Y Limitaciones Del Programa De Educación Intercultural Bilingüe Como Un Proyecto Anticolonialista / An Incomplete Rescue: The Successes And Limitations Of The Bilingual Intercultural Education Program As An Anticolonialist Project, Aviva Thal

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is an exploration of the Bilingual Intercultural Education Program (EIB) mandated in Chilean schools with a high density of indigenous students. It focusses on the implementation and impacts of EIB in Putre, a small town in the Arica and Parinacota region of Chile where the majority of the residents are Aymara. After gaining the region in the War of the Pacific at the end of the 19th century, the Chilean government waged a violent campaign of forced cultural assimilation known as “Chilenization” against the local Aymara people. The effects of the linguistic repression that occurred during this period …

Spring 2017

Common Knowledge (2013-2019)

Five minutes with Dean Alicea; Enhancing knowledge engages SNL faculty; DePaul blue: Police cohort launches in SNL; The buzz; American success story; Family tradition