Education Commons^™

The Benefits Of Utilizing Technology In The Physical Education Classroom, Brooke Benecke

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As a first-year teacher in a school with a high English learner population, I struggled to communicate with my students. As I began creating visuals and short videos for them, I saw both their confidence and their skills improve. This experience led me to my research question: How can technology enhance learning in a physical education classroom? In what ways can it be implemented? Thus, I created a website full of technology tools that will benefit the physical education classroom. During the research process, a lot of valuable information was found about the current trends of technology and how important …

How Does Teaching In Outdoor Classrooms Impact Secondary Student Learning Of Environmental Science Concepts?, Robert Cole

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Learning in context through experiential learning is a widely recognized method of teaching students of all ages new content that allows for better comprehension of new concepts and ideas. In spite of this, many environmental science courses are taught in classrooms without utilizing nature as an additional aid to better student understanding. This capstone project asks the question, how does teaching in outdoor classrooms impact secondary student learning of environmental science concepts a nd includes a review of literature relating to experiential learning and outdoor classrooms. The second part is a curriculum unit that utilizes the framework: “backwards design” (Wiggins …

Combining Cognitively Guided Instruction With Required Mathematics Curriculum To Improve Overall Number Sense And Problem Solving Skill, Anna Becker

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Elementary school mathematics instruction often moves quickly from one to one correspondence to algorithms and rote exercises, leaving students with procedural knowledge but lacking in number sense and problem solving skills. Teachers follow the required curriculum to ensure success on assessments but skip over important instructional time that leads to number sense and a deeper understanding. Bringing Cognitively Guided Instruction into the classroom will improve students’ problem solving skills while also strengthening their number sense. This project provides educators with a full unit of detailed lesson plans for the kindergarten classroom. It also includes an outline of another unit with …

A Middle School Professional Development That Uses Reading Comprehension Strategies To Create Engagement And Comprehension In Middle School Classrooms, Madison Gallagher

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many elementary students enter middle school disengaged with reading and lack literacy comprehension skills. All middle school teachers can make reading fun in their content classrooms to help students comprehend and engage with classroom content. This capstone project introduces a year-long, seven-session reading comprehension strategies professional development plan. This professional development plan motivates middle school teachers to use reading comprehension strategies to engage and help students understand their classroom content. This reading comprehension strategies professional development plan explains that each middle school teacher has their teaching style, and each student learns in their unique way. This capstone professional development plan …

How A Theater Curriculum Helps Students Process Racial Injustice, Molly Zupon

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The capstone question addressed in this project was, how can a theater curriculum help students process racial injustice? It chronicles a teacher’s experience teaching a theater class during a pandemic to students in an online distance learning model. The curriculum project utilized different forms of assessments and leaned on the research of Wiggins and McTighe (2008) for creating content based on Understanding by Design as well as the historical documentation of Hollander (1963) and Recchio (2011) to accurately inform students about racism in America as well as specifically within theater. The author details the difficulties of teaching online in addition …

Using A Text Set Of Diverse Media To Teach Alternative Perspectives To Third Grade Students, Christina Benson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project is centered on the question, how can a text set made of diverse books be used to teach alternative perspectives to third grade students? The author documents their experience both personally and professionally as well as their research that led them to create a fifteen lesson third grade literacy unit that teaches the critical literacy skill of alternative perspectives. This literacy unit focuses on students being able to distinguish their perspective from that of an author or character. Through the creation of this project, the author discovered important things about the topics of critical literacy, diverse books, …

Availability Of Diverse Books For Early Elementary Students, Lili Weisman

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Today students are more diverse than ever. They come from all different backgrounds. Many students are multicultural. Because of this, teachers and educators must have diverse books available to students. Diverse books allow students to gain self-confidence (Gomez-Najarro, 2020) and give them a new perspective on how others live their lives (Harper & Brand, 2010). However, when choosing diverse books, it is significant that the culture depicted in the book is accurate and not based on stereotypes and generalizations. Stereotypes and generalizations do not give the reader an accurate perspective and can be harmful (Harper & Brand, 2010). When looking …

Promoting Early Literacy Learning, Margaret Baird

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone addresses the importance of early literacy exposure for later literacy development and academic achievement. Literacy levels when students enter school have been shown to be related to later reading achievement and academic success. Caregiver involvement is a significant part of early literacy development. The influence of caregiver involvement is the primary focus of the project. The website created for this project provides caregivers of children birth to age 5 with activities to facilitate the development of early literacy, and community resources dedicated to promoting early literacy. The project is intended for anyone who spends an extended amount of …

Culturally Sustaining Social Studies: Practical Applications To A High School Elective Course, Emily Thomas

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Scholars including Delpit, Ladson-Billings, Chandler, Paris and Alim remind us that schools must be a place where students’ cultures are validated, centered, and sustained. Social studies classrooms are optimally positioned to allow students to explore issues around race, class, gender, and other forms of (in)justice. Yet while many social studies teachers wish to teach in alignment with the theory of culturally sustaining pedagogy, powerful factors make its tenets difficult to enact in the classroom. This project embedded culturally sustaining pedagogy into curriculum design for a high school Environmental History elective. Using Tomlinson and McTighe’s (2006) Understanding by Design + Differentiated …

Effective Social Skills Curriculum For Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders That Focuses On Skill Generalization Across Settings, Jessica Waterstreet

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Finding creative and engaging ways to effectively teach social skills to students with emotional and behavioral disorders is a common goal for many special education teachers. Additionally, finding ways to increase the generalization of these skills across setting and post-high school, is another important goal area that student teams work to address as they develop meaningful transition plans. This capstone project answers the question, what specific research based practices can be used in the development of a curriculum that focuses on both social skill acquisition and generalization across settings? This capstone project includes a six week unit that focuses on …

Long-Term Effects When Educating Elementary Students On Waste Reduction In Minnesota, Madeline Hoensheid

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Recycling is a part of many people's everyday lives but it is often an action that many did not receive formal education regarding. Recycling provides a simple way to reduce waste and reduce dependence on virgin resources. However, this lack of education leads to much confusion about the items that can be recycled. The literature review revealed the many benefits of recycling and education about reducing waste at an elementary age. The literature review informed the educational guide about waste and waste reduction for elementary students. The purpose of the guide is to answer the question, How can curriculum support …

How Does The Use Of Annotation Affect Reading Comprehension In The Primary Grades Of Immersion Education?, Erin O’Flaherty

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project is developed to support students’ reading ability and comprehension. I want to improve my students' interaction with texts. I hope for students to not just passively read but to actively engage in their reading which will lead to a deeper understanding and better comprehension. The purpose of this capstone project is to address the following research question: How does the use of annotation affect reading comprehension in the primary grades of immersion education? Through my research and literature review I found that annotation of text has a positive effect on promoting students’ reading ability including improving reading …

A Capstone Project Concerning Social Justice In Secondary Science Education, Jacob Skerletts

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Minnesota began collecting and analyzing the graduation rates of different student demographics starting in 2012. This has led to the exposure of the Achievement Gap, in which students of color graduate from high school at an alarmingly low rate compared to white students. Minnesota ranks nationally at the bottom for the graduation rates of students of color. This Capstone Project had the driving question of, How can secondary science teachers bring Social Justice into the classroom in order to help close the Achievement Gap? The literature reviewed showed that effectively using Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Disaggregate Pedagogy can increase intellectual …

Engaging Middle Schoolers: Teaching Strategies For Boosting Independent Reading Motivation In Middle School, Hannah Schrempp

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone investigates and describes the factors that impact adolescent reading motivation. With access to modern technology, limited resources at home, and a shift in teaching practices, adolescent readers do not find value in reading. Many guardians struggle with supporting their middle school readers at home due to social and economic factors. A combination of articles, studies, and assessments, help answer the question, What factors impact reading motivation in middle school students to help them identify as readers? Research concludes that creating a print-rich environment, giving access to high-interest books, building a positive relationship with family members, and giving students …

How Can Primary Teachers Use Digital Resources To Enhance Reading Instruction?, Gabrielle Harteneck

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This Capstone project answers the question: how can primary teachers use digital resources to enhance reading instruction? Research has demonstrated that students need exposure to both print and digital literacies. This paper reviews effective reading instruction and highlights the importance of integrating digital technologies in primary classrooms, focusing on kindergarten, first, and second grades. The project involved identifying quality digital resources that support literacy development in elementary grade levels. A website was developed to combine the findings based on research with digital resources that support targeted learning objectives. Specific digital resources are analyzed using both the Common Core State Standards …

Poverty In Education: The Impact On Academic Vocabulary And Need For Early Interventions, Carly Spillner

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The research question addressed in this extended literature review was: How does poverty impact academic vocabulary skills and how can early vocabulary interventions be used effectively in order to strengthen the academic vocabulary skills of students living in poverty? To determine effective interventions to use with low-income students, an extended literature review was conducted that analyzed research studies that implemented academic vocabulary interventions including explicit instruction of phonics and vocabulary, embedded instruction, class discussions, shared book reading, and guided reading. Ten research studies were reviewed with intervention lengths varying from five weeks to two school years. These studies measured improvements …

Multilingualism And Translanguaging In General Education Classrooms: How Educators Can Support The Complex Linguistic Repertoires Of Multilingual Learners In Elementary School, Jenna Healy

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

This capstone project is a culmination of research, professional experience and educational growth. Through these lived experiences I studied what many sociolinguists have determined; the population of multilingual learners in the United States continues to increase. According to the Minnesota Education Equity Partnership (MnEEP, 2020), multilingual students are the fastest-growing student group in Minnesota, totaling 73,919 in the 2018-19 school year. Therefore, linguistic pedagogies such as multilingualism need to come to the forefront of professional development to educate and support non-ELL teachers to address the complex linguistic needs of multilingual learners. The paper begins with an introduction of why I …

Multi-Tiered Support Systems For Multilingual Learners: Structures That Inform Reading Instruction And Intervention, Elisabeth Riley

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Multilingual learners (MLLs also known as English Language Learners or ELLs) are a growing population in United States schools. The literature reviewed in this capstone explored the question: How does the research recommend designing a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for Multilingual Learners (MLLs) to inform reading instruction? This capstone used the literature reviewed to create a series of three professional development sessions for adult staff in this midwest school to navigate the implementation of a system of support beginning with how data is used. The professional development sessions provided an overview of MTSS, explored culturally responsive teaching methods, investigated …

Finding A Balanced Blend: Designing And Supporting Engaging And Effective Integrated Skills Materials For Adult Esl Blended Learning Classrooms, Marlee Dorendorf

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

As technology plays an increasingly critical role in society, responsive classrooms are pushed to innovate in new ways in order to equip students with the skills they need for daily life. Blended learning classes, combining in-person and virtual instruction, went from being a helpful model to a critical need in light of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Many Adult Basic Education (ABE) English as a Second Language (ESL) programs had not developed robust blended learning programs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to emergency models that, while innovative, were not sustainable. As the field of education moves forward we can consider …

Shifting Voices: Facilitating The Ideal L2 Self Through The Development Of Imagined Communities In The Language Classroom, Kyle Undem

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Much can be learned about second language (L2) learner identities by understanding imagined communities which learners create to imagine participation in a target community. As L2 learners’ identities are varied, vast and imagined, it is important to line our pedagogical practices to help learners connect to and explore their various imagined communities and ideal L2 selves. Transformative pedagogy views language not simply as a set of governing rules, but more importantly from a social perspective, taking into account learner identities as they shift in accordance with the social world. The classroom is viewed as a place where learner investment in …

A Toolkit For Mainstream Teachers Of Multilingual Learners In International Schools, Elizabeth Butterfield

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

International schools date back to the early 20th century, just after the end of World War II. Today, they can still act as a kind of “island of English” in countries where English is not the language spoken by the majority of residents. English learner programs in international schools tend to reflect an English-advantaged mindset which can be detrimental to multilingual learners. This is especially problematic in the international school setting, where English learners are not immigrants, but rather are in the school for a short time (2-4 years), and will likely return to their home countries and home languages. …

Informing Educators On Effective Strategies For Ltels, Maria Soto

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Research has demonstrated that students who speak languages other than English are a growing presence in U.S schools. The presentation designed for this project focuses on strategies to help and support ESL students known as long-term ELs. LTELs are typically found in grades 6–12. LTELs mainly go unnoticed in schools ,or worse yet, are misunderstood, perceived as failures. This is why this LTELs research is important to me. Many practices have been implemented in the ESL classroom settings, but research on how to scaffold and use effective instruction with these LTEL students is limited. The project involved creating a presentation …

Enhancing Communicative Competence Of Adult Korean Efls, Ikran Ali

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The objective of this extended literature review was to answer the questions: What obstacles may hinder adult Korean English as a foreign language (EFL) students from improving their communicative competence? and What are strategies to enhance English communicative competence of adult Korean EFLs? This study provides an in-depth look into research on the topic of Korean adults learning English as a foreign language. Many adult Korean EFL students have studied English from a young age but still face many difficulties when attempting to communicate with native English speakers. The literature suggests three major strategies teachers can use to assist students …

Helping Primary School Students Exposed To Stress Or Trauma To Learn In The Language Classroom, Ekaterina Shamaeva

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Perhaps, every teacher would like to see their students thrive academically and succeed in their future careers. However, some learners face challenges which are not related neither to their individual characteristics, nor to aptitude, but to stressful and traumatic experiences in their lives, which represent huge barriers on the way to success. Therefore, the question addressed in this project was how can English as foreign language teachers in Russia mitigate the impact of stress and trauma on primary school learners to facilitate learning in the language classroom? Extensive literature review concludes that the effects of stress and trauma at a …

Facilitating Awareness Of Trauma For All Staff In An Educational Environment, Kelly Rygh

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

It is important to address the effects of trauma in the K-12 education system because those effects can have crippling effects on how students succeed academically and in life. The research uncovered in this review of literature pointed to the fact that there are inconsistencies in even defining trauma. There are multiple versions of how to categorize trauma and various ways they manifest, with only some of them being observable. The methods used for addressing trauma have their positives and negatives, however, those methods are inconsistent. This makes it confusing and difficult to evaluate their effectiveness. The capstone project sought …

A Parent Focused Bilingual Literacy Program, Jordan Perkins

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

While theories and methods surrounding English language teaching are continually evolving, the goal is almost always the same: help students acquire the English they need to be successful in their communication at work and the community. Adult ESL programs are often focused on work and community but leave family communication out of the curriculum. Inclusion of the first language (L1) in adult-focused curricula can help improve the language acquisition of the second language (L2) and improve the overall literacy of the learners. Although many family literacy programs are being created or researched to improve child literacy in the home, and …

Implementing Translanguaging Pedagogies To Promote Academic Success Of English Learners In An Eighth Grade English Language Arts Classroom, Jenna Kotula

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Many mainstream educators in the United States are under the impression that immersing students in English is the best practice in helping students excel academically. Monoglossic ideologies, which only place prominence on one language in the classroom, can send English Learners (ELs) the message that their cultural and linguistic funds of knowledge are not accepted or valued in the school community. As educators, it must be our mission to create a safe space where learners feel tolerated and eager to share about their unique backgrounds and experiences. Translanguaging practices compete with the common misconception that only the target language should …

Social Emotional Learning In Elementary Schools: A Professional Development Series, Brianna Strandberg

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this capstone project is to evaluate the impact social emotional learning has in elementary schools. There are several aspects that play key roles in social emotional learning, such as, Trauma Informed Instruction, the effectiveness of social emotional learning, and the teachers mental health. Each one of these key aspects are carefully reviewed and analyzed through an extensive literature review, to answer the capstone question, How can social emotional learning be implemented in elementary schools? This capstone project is a professional development series that dives into the effectiveness of social emotional learning. It is a series that …

Rewilding Students To Establish A Slow Pedagogy In Short Term Environmental Education Settings, Mason Keel

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

of connecting individuals with nature: what does it mean for students to actually connect with nature? Many organizations strive to connect their users with nature using “fast pedagogy” that usually takes the form of adventurous outdoor activities, such as canoeing, rock climbing, and going through high ropes courses. However, these activities allow little time for users to dwell in their natural surroundings, preventing them from learning via “slow pedagogy,” which involves making novel observations about nature and connecting to their surroundings through these observations. The same issue rings true for residential environmental learning centers that host grade school students for …

School Employees’ Perceptions Of Organizational Support During A Critical Incident, Donavon P. Soumas

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to discover the lived experiences and perceived organizational support (POS) of school employees’ during the abrupt transition to remote education instruction resulting from a critical incident such as COVID-19. In direct connection, this study’s problem was to fill a gap in the literature regarding school employees’ lived experiences and POS during the abrupt transition to remote education instruction as the result of a critical incident. Organizational support theory and experiential learning theory were the conceptual framework that guided this study. The researcher used semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with 10 school employees at a …