Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Feeling, Experiencing, Learning: Environmental Education At Escola Vila, Isabelle Aida Heilman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Teaching children about the importance of the protecting environment is a key step in preparing future generations to solve environmental issues. The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze how Escola Vila in Fortaleza, Brazil integrates environmental education into its curriculum to promote positive environmental actions later in the children’s lives. Classroom observations revealed how environmental education is incorporated into the curriculum in an interdisciplinary way. Students at Escola Vila learn about the environment through creative projects, experiential learning, sustainable practices on the campus and human rights education. Interviews with alumni showed that these four ways that Escola …

Summer Bridge Program At The University Of San Francisco For Conditionally Admitted Chinese Students, Adrienne M. Bergenfeld

Capstone Collection

While serving as a graduate intern at the University of San Francisco, I concluded that the conditional admit Chinese students were missing an essential element for academic success.

To insure a higher success rate for these students, I am proposing the creation of a Summer Bridge Program to bridge the gap between pedagogical learning and experiential learning. The program will focus on the acquisition of English as well as successful acculturation into the university. This “Bridge Program for International Students” will help students understand United States’ academic culture and the expectations of the university, introduce students to USF resources and …

English As A Foreign Language Professional Development Practicum: Placing Skilled Teachers Where They Can Grow A Program Proposal For The Schools Of Cañadilla, S.A. Santiago, Chile, Ellen Marie Dizzia

Capstone Collection

Chile is currently making great investments in English as a foreign language (EFL) programming as a means for international communication and commerce. The following mobility program has been designed for family run Cañadilla, S.A. to connect qualified, concerned EFL professionals with semi-private primary and secondary schools in Santiago. An in depth needs assessment was performed in their eight schools under Cañadilla’s Coordinator of English programs to determine the most efficient way to begin improvement. Professional development has been named a cornerstone in this process. This program intends to draw learned, practiced EFL teachers to participate in a hands-on professional development …

Cultivating Knowledge In The School Garden: New Ways Of Teaching Literacy To Esl Students, Michele Durivage

MA TESOL Collection

My thesis project includes a combination of materials development and classroom-based research. In my paper, I explore existing garden-related curricula, and create original garden-based lesson plans to teach literacy to fourth grade ESL students. This curriculum development project contributes to the field of ESL in its innovative garden-based pedagogy. The field study took place during the spring semester of 2009 at Increase Miller Elementary School in Westchester County, New York. Using nature as inspiration for writing descriptive essays and poetry, the ESL students at Increase Miller produced imaginative writing pieces, using their own voices to express their thoughts. The students’ …

How Esol Teachers Become Aware Of Communicative Peace, Josette Leblanc

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines the implications that the relationship between teacher language awareness and communicative peace may have on educational programs for teachers of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). The evaluation begins by analyzing proposals set out by the applied peace linguist Francisco Gomes de Matos, who suggests that ESOL teachers should teach communicative peace as an element of communicative competence, and also that education programs should provide training to support this approach. By juxtaposing current literature on structural and linguistic violence with Gomes de Matos’ classroom techniques, the hypothesis is made that teachers who would teach communicative peace …

Sustained Silent Reading In The Esl Classroom: The Silent Motivator?, Megan V. Ahonen

MA TESOL Collection

This classroom based research paper investigates the use of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) in the ESL classroom. The purpose is to determine if implementing a SSR program would increase students’ interest and desire to read in English outside of the classroom for pleasure. This paper will share background information on the students and school, different reading inventory samples and questionnaires with student responses, and current findings on SSR compared to my own personal findings. The final chapter is devoted to roadblocks and limitations encountered along the way throughout this study

Using Technology In The Efl Classroom In Saudi Arabia, Neil Oby Morris

MA TESOL Collection

This paper explores the ways that technology, specifically the use of laptop computers and cellular phones, may be incorporated in the EFL classroom to enhance learning and lower the affective filter of male Saudi Arabian university students.

Saudi Arabia presents the EFL teacher with many challenges that are unique to this gender-segregated Islamic kingdom. Meeting these challenges and turning them into learning opportunities that other EFL teachers may find useful within their teaching contexts is the purpose of this paper.

The appendix includes a writing rubric and a 40-day materials introduction calendar. The calendar illustrates the day-by-day introduction of material …

Funding The Fundamentals: A Peace First Teacher’S Recommendations For Increased Quality Sixth Grade Curriculum To Effectively Engage And Educate An Increasing Quantity Of Students., Pamela Gonzales

Capstone Collection

In the United States, the top 20% of the population owns 85% of the wealth. This leaves only 15% of the wealth for the rest of the population. This clear disparity of wealth, in combination with the common practice of racial segregation (created by 300 years of inequality) has direct correlations to violence in United States cities. Boston is one of these cities. Impoverished minority neighborhoods are struggling because they exist in a society that is essentially ignoring them. There are fewer opportunities in poor minority neighborhoods, particularly for young people. As a result, a cycle of violence has continued …

International Student Orientation: Designing An On-Going Program For Soka University, Diana Ueda

Capstone Collection

The United States continues to host more international students than any other country in the world. Not surprisingly, universities in California hosted the largest number of international students with 94,279 (Open Doors, 2010). With more than 40 percent of its students consisting of international students, Soka University of America (SUA), located in Aliso Viejo, California, is one of the universities contributing to the influx of international students. As the number of international students increases, it becomes more crucial to have a structure in place to support these students, especially as they encounter many adjustment issues. Institutions can play a major …

Positive Discomfort: Structured Student Reflection In International Service-Based Programs: A Social Justice Curriculum, Stephanie K. Kraemer

Capstone Collection

In the fall of 2009, Princeton University launched the Princeton Bridge Year Program—a service-based, international, pre-freshman “bridge” or “gap” year for 20 accepted students sent to four different countries. Princeton chose the international social enterprise ProWorld Service Corps as its partner organization to run the Bridge Year Program in Urubamba, Peru. Princeton University and ProWorld Peru both state a very clear intention in running this program: to transform participants. Their explicit goal is to turn out students who have a global perspective and are compassionate, humble, aware, innovative and inspired.

But how should program-providers, out in the field, actually accomplish …

The Writer’S Voice: Developing Self-Expression In Esl Writers, Genevieve Halkett

Sandanona

What is good writing? For many ESL students, this means grammatical accuracy; as a result, their own writing voices are often lost. The presenter will illustrate successful strategies and activities which can be used with a variety of levels and ESL writers to encourage fluency and self-expression.

Developing Learners’ Lexicon Through Vocabulary Cards, Andrew Noonan

MA TESOL Collection

This paper explores the author’s process in using flashcards to teach formulaic sequences. First, there is a discussion of the terminology, which ties the term “formulaic sequences” to earlier discussions about the Lexical Approach and collocations. The importance of teaching formulaic sequences is then explored, as a way to build vocabulary and to aid in general skill development. Rote learning through the use of flash cards is then argued for, with a variety of card types presented and compared. The author then discusses the methods by which flash cards have been used to teach formulaic sequences in his own classroom, …

Using Games In A Foreign Language Classroom, Amy Talak-Kiryk

MA TESOL Collection

This independent professional project researches the value of games in a classroom setting. The research focuses on the educational benefits as well as on recommendations how to incorporate games into a learning environment. Also included are games that can be used in a foreign language classroom to enhance student learning. The games were developed by various sources and used in a Spanish classroom in an American high school with teenagers ages fourteen to eighteen.

Basic Social Math: A Linguistic Upgrade For Decision Analysis And Social Dynamics Research., Jared Hanson

MA TESOL Collection

There are foundational errors in the mathematical frameworks currently used in Economic and Decision Theories. Recent systemic failures in the interdependent business and educational sectors also show that many practices based on these theories are unsustainable in the changing dynamics of the global economy. A new approach is needed in social science research and systems engineering. This paper examines how the new understandings of complex systems, the role of emotion in cognition, and the core dynamics of decision making can help us correct these errors and to create a general framework for systemic innovation. It argues for the development of …

Grounding Theory In Practice: A Reflection On Designing And Delivering A Workshop On Intercultural Sensitivity For Korean Public School English Teachers, Kevin Giddens

MA TESOL Collection

In this paper I will use a process of rigorous reflection to explore the design and implementation of a cross-cultural simulation workshop as a means of developing intercultural sensitivity among Korean public school English teachers in Daegu, South Korea. After introducing the workshop design I will describe in detail my experience of delivering the workshop. I will overlay Milton J. Bennett’s model for developing intercultural sensitivity (1993) with participant reflections as a means of grounding theory to practice and exploring whether or not participants were able to demonstrate observable movement within Bennett’s model. I will then highlight some possible modifications …

Building Lexical Awareness Through Sustained Authentic Text, Jeff Puccini

MA TESOL Collection

This paper describes an experiment to implement a lexical approach in the context of a High-intermediate ESL classroom. The vehicle for building students’ lexical awareness was Sustained Authentic Text (SAT). SATs, a term I coined, refers to texts like newspapers, TV programs, etc. covered for a prolonged period—a month or more, as opposed to one-off lessons, or traditional textbooks. The students were young adults studying in a non-credit Intensive English Program (IEP) in San Francisco and the paper focuses on one two-month period during which time the SAT was the TV sitcom, Two and a Half Men. The paper …

Environmental Conscience And Comportment Of Youth In Dakar, Elizabeth Van Brocklin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The natural environment is in a state of crisis in Dakar, in Senegal, in Africa and throughout the world. Humans are the primary contributors to environmental degradation, as their activities place stress on natural ecosystems, and this stress is often most acute in the urban setting. Dakar is one major West African city where inhabitants are particularly neglectful and disrespectful of their communal environment, illustrated by the oppressive presence of mismanaged waste that pollutes the public streets. Based on the hypothesis that the general population was either unaware or misinformed of the actual state of the environment, I aimed to …

The Significance Of Music Education In The Primary Curriculum, Mina Won

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I arrived in Ireland with very little knowledge of what the ‘Transformation of Political and Social Conflict’ semester would entail. As music major, I had to be prepared to study and learn about particular subjects that were completely foreign to my normal area of concentration. During my experiences throughout Ireland, however, I was surprisingly able to soak up even more of my two passions in life: music and children. After one afternoon with children from the Foundation Project, I realized how my two areas of interest are universal and that studying about music and children is never-ending. I recognized that …

Curriculum And Student Motivation, Jennifer Jones

MA TESOL Collection

This paper details the process and results of an experimental project-based curriculum for a college preparatory ESL course and its effects on student motivation. The course, designed to appeal to students’ desire for variety, community and self-expression, was divided into three modules, each with a different focus. Participants were international adults studying English at a private school in Austin, Texas. Results indicated that the course structure and content can play a large role in students’ motivation levels. Course documents are appended.

Incorporating Students’ Perceived Needs And Interests In The Planning And Implementation Of Lesson Plans, Genalyn L. Luces

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines and discusses the effects of integrating students’ perceived needs and interests in the planning and implementation of lessons plans to their attitudes towards English and their self-evaluations in the four skills and grammaring. The lesson plans were based on the prototypes developed by the Bureau of Secondary Education of the Department of Education in the Philippines. It particularly deals with students’ attitudes towards English and their self-evaluations in the four skills and grammaring and investigates the correlation between attitudes, the four skills, and grammaring.

Sex Education In Amsterdam: What They Do And Why They Choose To Do It., Coral E. Hackler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sex education in the Netherlands has been regarded by many as exemplary. Around the world the phrase “Double Dutch” is known as the term of using both the condom and the pill. The actual effectiveness of sexuality education in the Netherlands has rarely been studied. The teachers themselves must decide what they believe will be the most effective methods of sexuality education. This begs one to question why a teacher chooses the methods they have chosen and what makes them believe that these methods are effective. Because there is no research on how sexuality education is directly influencing students, teachers …

Storybooks: A Teaching Tool For Sustainability, Amanda Medress

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

If today’s children learn to make decisions with the environment in mind, tomorrow’s future will be cleaner, greener, and energy leaner. Storybooks, which are a creative and imaginative learning tool, can influence children to pursue sustainable lifestyles. Early education through literature can help green decisions be the default mode for the next generation.

This project has two components. The first is to produce research on the following question: what kind of storybook instills environmental regard and motivates sustainable behavior? The second is to produce a children’s adaptation of Greeniology, a green living guide by Tanya Ha, which utilizes the findings …

Nate And The One Sixty-Eight, Michael S. Mcmillan

MA TESOL Collection

This paper explores the fate of 168 students who failed the Level 4 test at the American University Alumni (AUA) Language Center in Bangkok, Thailand. It examines enrollment trends of all Level 4 students during a one-year study period spanning 2006 and 2007, and reveals what happened to the students – who dropped out (and when), and who continued to study. It also examines why students might have dropped out. It then takes a critical look at certain aspects of the Level 4 test, explores what makes a test a “good” test, and recommends a series of improvements to AUA’s …

Motivating Students To Learn, Luz María Cueva Zepeda

MA TESOL Collection

This thesis presents four activities that motivated my students in a public High School in a small city in Mexico to learn by inviting them be active participants in their language learning process. Added to the regular classroom work, these activities encouraged everyone to make an extra effort. Students had the opportunity to shine and to comprehend that they each have a greater potential for learning. Students gained another perspective about learning English. They were given the opportunity to enrich their experience not only in speaking English, but in applying their efforts to new challenges. They did so by writing …

Visual Language: Using Color, Myth And Image To Present Grammar In The Spanish Language Classroom, April Miller Mcmurtry

MA TESOL Collection

Spanish grammar can be presented in a memorable way by using a system of color-coding and storytelling. This materials development project includes three stories written or adapted by the author to present the gender of nouns, noun/adjective agreement and verb inflection. Images of the sun and the moon, and the colors purple and orange are used to illustrate masculine and feminine gender of nouns. Chameleons and the color green exemplify adjectives. Additionally, patterns of verb conjugation charts are presented using color to show how verbs inflect to agree with the subject pronoun and tense. While learning Spanish grammar, these colors …

English Exchange: An Authentic Communication Event Connecting Native English Speakers And Japanese High School Students, Heather Ruth Johnson

MA TESOL Collection

Interacting with native speakers can be very powerful because it encourages motivation, positive attitudes, and self confidence. English Exchange is an event that is the culmination of a one semester long travel abroad unit for English language learners in a Japanese high school. The aim is to create a safe English environment where students have the opportunity to directly interact with native English speakers in a low stress atmosphere.

This project follows the development of English Exchange from start to finish. Included in these pages are thorough lesson plans and materials needed for every step of the process, should you …

Humanizing My Business English Class And Myself, Ana-Maria Nicolae

MA TESOL Collection

A teacher of English for Business at a Romanian business college reflects on her experiences and beliefs about language learning and teaching before and after attending the Summer Master of Arts (SMAT) Program at the School for International Training (SIT).The project reports on some of the changes that the humanistic tenets of the SIT SMAT program brought about in her teaching and includes three examples of how these humanistic principles could be applied in an EFL business college classroom. The first example showcases her attempt to address affective factors during the first Business English class. The second example focuses on …

The Use Of Frameworks In Teaching Tense, Marc Haccius

MA TESOL Collection

This paper proposes three frameworks that will assist students in their understanding and use of English tenses. It argues that the English tense system really is a system (and not just a collection of rules) but that this system is only apparent if tenses are taught at the textual level instead of at the sentential level. To this effect, it argues against the traditional approach of teaching tenses individually in that it is restrictive and counter-productive to students expressing themselves independently. Finally, this paper gives practical hands-on guidance as to how the frameworks can be used in class, along with …

5th Grade Readers Reading Aloud To Make An Intercultural Connection, Margaret G. Bell

MA TESOL Collection

The purpose of this paper is to show that through reading aloud, elementary ESL students can build relationships with younger students and make an intercultural connection within their school community. The interaction between the readers and their audience can change dramatically if the readers are aware of the reading strategies that they bring into their reading to make it engaging. By reflecting on their own process of making connections and by using reflective portfolios, ESL students can begin to discover what kind of connections they are making and develop an awareness of how it is happening.

As teachers how can …

Over There A Preparation Course For Japanese High School Students Embarking On A Student Exchange Year Abroad, Jonathan Bolick

MA TESOL Collection

This paper explores the course design process for a study-abroad preparation course for Japanese high school students. The design process yielded valuable teacher insights: the importance of understanding one’s teaching beliefs, the vital need for student and teacher feedback, the benefits of strong classroom community, and the need for better understanding students’ cultural and learning contexts. Interviews with ten former exchange students revealed students’ lack of cultural knowledge of their own and target culture, especially the invisible culture, which had led to misunderstanding and conflict. Students’ inability to express their personal identity adequately in L2 had also led to an …