Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Using Sign Language In The Infant Room, Sara Paar

Graduate Research Papers

Trying to figure out what an infant needs can be frustrating for the child's parents and caregivers. Around eight months of age, infants can start pointing at things they want and start to mimic hand motions from simple finger plays like Pat-a-Cake. In this study, Early Head Start teachers in one classroom went from using four sign language signs in the classroom to using 12 signs for five weeks. The teachers recorded how many times they used each of the 12 signs during interactions with the infants. They also recorded whether an infant repeated the sign when the teacher showed …

The Effect Of Flipped Instruction On Student Learning : Perspectives From Students And Teachers, Britta Adams

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this literature review is to examine the effects the flipped classroom has on student achievement, student attitudes and teacher perceptions. Thirty peer-reviewed journal articles were reviewed and analyzed. Three themes emerged from the review: student achievement, student attitudes and teacher perception. It was found that the flipped classroom was a positive experience within a majority of the studies. Since little research has been done in the K-8 level for content areas outside of math and science, it is recommended that further research to be done in a larger variety of content areas at the primary and secondary …

Using Running Records Data In Planning For Literacy Instruction, Tabitha A. Waltz

Graduate Research Papers

Running records are an assessment tool that allows teachers to monitor the sources of information readers are using. Many teachers have learned to take running records, but they may not be as comfortable analyzing the running records and using the results of the analysis to inform instruction. This graduate, final project presents a professional development program that will help teachers learn not only to take running records, but also to analyze and use the results in their instruction.

Effective Professional Development For Teachers : Read-Alouds In The Middle Level, Kelly Ann Behmer

Graduate Research Papers

Teacher read alouds are common practice in the elementary level, but they are rarely seen in the middle level. This paper addresses the importance of read alouds, with evidence from the literature, followed by the development of an effective professional development process for working with teachers at the middle level in developing instruction that includes read alouds. The goal of this professional development plan is to teach teachers of all subject areas in the middle level school how to conduct read alouds so they will know how to incorporate them into their specific subject area to enhance their students' learning.

Critical Literacy And Digital Technology With A Novel Unit, Brandon Harrison

Graduate Research Papers

This paper contains an instructional unit designed for teaching a novel unit utilizing critical literacy and digital technology at the upper-elementary level. The design of the unit is composed around relevant research-based literature which is cited and referenced in the paper. Methods for instructional delivery are provided as well as a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of key terms and critical prompts.

Changing Early Intervention Provider Practices To A Coaching Model Through Self-Study And Distance Mentoring Model : Family-Guided Routines-Based Interventions And The Key Indicators, Cindy Lefeber

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to detemiine whether the use of the Distance Mentoring Model-Family Guided Routines Based Intervention strategies, adult learning strategies and self-study research would assist me in assimilating the Key Indicators into my early intervention provider practices. The Key Indicators are Setting the Stage, Observation and Opportunity to practice, Problem Solving and Planning and Reflection and Review (SS-OO-PP-RR). To determine the extent to which my teaching practices reflect the current practices in early intervention I engaged in Iowa Distance Mentoring Training through the state of Iowa while collecting and analyzing data through qualitative self-study, a constant …

What Relationship Between Preschool Class Sizes And Student Behaviors Do Teachers Report?, Lindsey Steen

Graduate Research Papers

This paper reports a study on whether preschool teachers of differing class sizes report a relationship between class size and student behaviors. Classes were categorized into small, medium, and large class sizes. Teachers reported Teaching Strategies GOLD scores for socio-emotional skills and gave their opinions about class sizes, Results of this study suggest that there is a relationship between class size and students' social emotional skills, but not always in accordance with teacher opinions.

The Impact Of Augmented Reality On Curriculum And Training Design, Destery K. Hildenbrand

Graduate Research Papers

Augmented reality (AR) is a relatively emerging technology that is being applied in a somewhat exploratory stage, for training design and curriculum development. In this review, 30 articles were selected and analyzed to identify some current uses of augmented reality in training and curriculum design. Four major themes were identified: 1) a brief introduction about AR; 2) the current uses of AR in curriculum and training development, 3) a review of the effects AR has on student engagement, and 4) the future implications of augmented reality in curriculum and training development. Recommendations for the future are also discussed.

Cinematherapy In Gifted Education Identity Development : Integrating The Arts Through Stem-Themed Movies, Timothy Carl Kangas

Graduate Research Papers

This paper examines the crucial need for inclusion of a curricular component within gifted and talented programming that addresses the social and emotional development of gifted students. This component, cinematherapy, addresses the asynchronous development of gifted students through the lives of gifted characters. This paper details the process for selecting STEM-themed movies to view with students, provides a table of relevant STEM films that feature gifted characters, and possible general discussion questions to be used after viewing.

Strengthening Early Mathematics In Early Childhood Classrooms : A Professional Development Project, Jennifer Lynn Jansen

Graduate Research Papers

This project outlines a series of professional development sessions for preschool teachers that focus on early mathematics. Each session emphasizes key mathematical content and builds teachers' understanding and positive attitudes toward mathematics. Teachers also explore how children's knowledge and skills in the content topics develops and examine examples of children at various levels of understanding and stages of learning with regard to mathematical content.

The sessions also emphasize how the mathematical content can be explored in preschool classrooms in ways that support children's foundational learning in the area of mathematics. Another element of this project is the use of site-based …

The Rise Of Close Reading, Jayne E. Larsen

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this advanced literature review is to examine the evolution of close reading as a reading strategy. Currently, close reading is a strategy used to teach students to independently navigate through challenging text. This strategy was previously used in higher education, but as years progressed, the strategy was used less frequently. Since the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) there has been a rebirth of close reading as a reading strategy.

The literature review discusses the history and background of close reading starting in the early 1900's. Next the literature review explores instructional strategies, and effective …

The Design Of A Professional Development Program For Technology Integration, Dana M. Lampe

Graduate Research Papers

Although teachers recognize the use of technology in their classrooms has a positive influence on their students, efforts to learn the technology integration are often limited by barriers. The purpose of this project was to document the whole process of designing and developing a professional development program for technology integration to break out barriers. By conducting a literature review I gained a better understanding for professional development of instructional technologies. After collaboratively conducting the context analysis with my colleagues, I designed, developed and implemented thirteen sessions of the professional development sessions. I got the on-going feedback as the formative evaluation. …

The Effects Of Argumentation On Student Motivation In Mathematics, Julie Kirkpatrick

Honors Program Theses

As a future educator, I am going to need to motivate my students to learn mathematics and be engaged deeply with the material. Because mathematics is a required subject for students, mathematics teachers must employ various strategies to motivate their students. Something that has motivated me in past mathematics courses has been the chance to form arguments and defend them in class. Argumentation in mathematics classrooms has been included in the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice as Practice Standard 3: “Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others” (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of …

Gender Stereotypes In Children's Literature, Christine C. Nebbia

Graduate Research Papers

This research paper focused on the creation of nine professional development sessions using critical literacy practices in order to analyze and examine gender stereotypes in children's literature addressed in the classroom. This professional development grew out of an in-depth examination of the research over the past 40 years addressing gender stereotypes and gender representation in children's literature, as well as, the literature on critical literacy practices and issues of social justice. The professional development sessions were designed around three major goals: to enable teachers to independently analyze children's literature for gender stereotypes; to help teachers understand the four components of …

Word Study And Its Importance To Reading And Writing In The Primary Classroom, Korie Frazier

Graduate Research Papers

The Words Their Way Spelling program was used to evaluate student progress in spelling with direct instruction versus traditional spelling programs. Teachers were asked to volunteer to take the Words Their Way Course, implement the Words Their Way Spelling Program in their classrooms, and allow their data to be used in the decision making process for the district curriculum office. Students began spelling more words correctly in their independent writing, and were therefore able to use what they knew about words to spell unknown words with similar spelling patterns.

Designing A Self-Directed Gamified Professional Development Course For Technology Integration, Rebecca J. Kinnander

Graduate Research Papers

Gamified Professional Development for Technology Integration is a one credit license renewal or graduate credit course that can be offered to teachers at the elementary and secondary levels, and pre-service teachers at post-secondary levels, for self-paced learning. Created in response to a lack of dedicated in-service time and ineffective professional development, I sought to develop a rigorous self-paced course using the Understanding by Design framework (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) – a course where teacher-learners could master technology tools, make their personal meaning, and independently/flexibly transfer learning to authentic tasks they could replicate in their own classrooms.

Using Comprehensive Literacy Instructional Modules For Literacy Instruction With Students With Disabilities, Amanda M. Wasylik

Graduate Research Papers

This research study examined the use of comprehensive literacy instruction within a self-contained ID-mild Special Education classroom. Comprehensive literacy consists of daily instruction in word study, comprehension, and writing, with an additional period of time during each day for self-selected reading. Comprehensive literacy instruction was examined using self-study methodology on teaching practice through the analysis of lesson reflections, class schedules, and an autobiography of professional teaching experience.

Three case studies of student performance across a semester of instruction were analyzed using data on literacy tasks, literacy assessment, and classroom observations. Results support the promotion of effective comprehensive literacy instruction for …

Utilizing Local Project Experts To Provide Professional Development For Early Childhood Educators : A Professional Development Project, Dawn Janette Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

This project consists of a series of professional development sessions designed to support early childhood educators in implementing Project Approach in their classrooms. The project utilizes local project experts of the Southeast Iowa Project Group. In addition, the project addresses the need of early childhood educators in rural southeast Iowa to have opportunities to attend professional development locally.

Research indicates that professional development is enhanced when educators are given opportunities to learn in authentic contexts, engage in problem-solving, practice new skills, and participate in extending learning experiences. Additionally, professional development greatly affects educators' abilities to provide children with high quality …

Empowering Elementary Teachers To Explore Critical Literacy Through Drama-Based Instruction, Courtney J. Jensen

Graduate Research Papers

This research project comes in the form of a professional development project combining the theories of critical literacy for elementary students and drama as a form of arts integration in literacy instruction. The project consists of six workshop sessions intended for willing elementary school teachers looking to expand their thinking around literacy instruction. Participants experience introductions to drama as an instructional approach by learning three specific strategies, including tableau, character interviews, and writing-in-role. They also learn about the basic elements of critical literacy by engaging in self-exploration and reflection, along with participating in research-based learning exercises intended to extend individuals' …

A Journey Of Designing And Beta-Testing A Game-Based Unit, Renee E. Thomas

Graduate Research Papers

This project report describes a journey of designing and beta-testing a game-based learning unit with sixth grade students in rural Iowa. Game-based learning was a trial at practicing the 21st century employability skill of demonstrating productivity and accountability. The unit was designed and developed using the backwards planning process of Understanding by Design (Wiggin & Mc Tighe, 2005). The beta testers were two classes of sixth grade students and a classroom teacher. Alpha testers were other school personnel. It is found that a majority of sixth grade students like to be in control of their learning path in a game-based …

Sign Language In The Preschool Classroom : A Self-Study, Dianna Geiger

Graduate Research Papers

This research was a self-study involving the learning and implementation of sign language in the preschool classroom. Over the course of eight weeks, I taught myself sign language and implemented what I learned in my preschool classroom of three- and four-year-old children. Through journaling, videotaping and surveys, I was able to increase my sign language knowledge at a good rate, increase student engagement and find a unique way to bond with my students. My memory was the biggest challenge for me during the study. Knowing someone that speaks in sign language would be beneficial to someone just starting out. While …

A Unit Design : Learning To Code With Finches, William V. Gruman

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this project was to develop a coding unit for students in grades 5-8 as an introductory programming course using the programming language SNAP! with a Finch robotics platform. The robotics platform provides a means of student engagement that allows them to complete computer programming challenges that drive interest and motivation. A series of five major learning activities were created as part of a middle school technology exploratory course. The beta testers included the four course instructors and around 30 of middle school student volunteers.

The designed unit was implemented once as a pilot, and was being implemented …

Belief And Practice: A Self-Study, Jamie Marie Nelson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this self-study was to critically examine whether or not my beliefs about literacy are reflected in my teaching practice. In addition, it was to determine if my teaching practice aligned with six instructional elements for literacy suggested by Allington and Gabriel (2012) in their article “Every Child, Every Day.”

There were three data sources in this study. I kept a time-log for one week with an instructional calendar about my schedule for literacy instruction. At the end of each day, I wrote a post-teaching reflection. The third data source was my personal, written responses to each of …

The Effects Of Using Digital Storytelling For Fourth Graders' Literacy Learning, Benjamin J. Feight

Graduate Research Papers

The dual purposes of this action research project were to investigate how the inclusion of digital learning techniques helped impact students' perceptions towards literacy instruction, and any impact on parents' perceptions. The action research was conducted in a fourth grade classroom of twenty-one participants in a rural school, engaging students in the whole process of creating a digital story.

The major results indicate that: a) student motivation towards writing increases when introduced to the concept of using some sort of digital device to write the story; and b) parents were enthused about the level of work their students submitted when …

The Effects Of Flipped Learning On Students In Secondary Education, Abigail M. Fish

Graduate Research Papers

As schools incorporate flipped instruction into the classroom, it is important to understand the effectiveness of flipped learning and its pedagogical shift. This literature review analyzed 24 peer-reviewed empirical studies out of 30 articles that explore the effectiveness of flipped learning versus a traditional learning style on student achievement and student engagement in general and the promotion of student-centered learning activities when using a flipped learning environment in particularly. Studies selected for the review were conducted in secondary classrooms after the year 2000 with sound research methodology.

The major findings reveal that flipped learning can lead to higher student achievement …

After-School Success: Associations Between Youth Participants And Youth Outcomes, Dana Miller

Graduate Research Papers

After-school programs (ASPs) are becoming more and more popular among children and their parents, with an abundance of children lacking access to ASPs. Participation in ASPs has been proven to positively impact participants. The positive impacts of ASPs include higher grades, less behavioral problems, and healthy youth development. After-school programs that provide a structural environment, influential leaders, goals, and evaluation of the program are characteristically proven to be more successful than programs who do not have these characteristics. Funding of ASPs can come from various sources and can be classified into one of three sectors; private for-profit, non-profit, and public.

Mindfulness In The Classroom: Cultivating Peace From Within, Maya Vandriel

Honors Program Theses

Teachers are placed with the difficult task of transferring knowledge to the next generation of leaders. This knowledge transfer can be measured in various ways. What cannot be easily quantified is the impact of the life skills taught to accomplish this handoff of reading, writing and math skills. Often times, teachers are the role model of how a student can cope with life inside and outside of the classroom. Teaching mindfulness in the classroom is a powerful method that shows students how to self-regulate emotions in order to cope with whatever life brings them. These life skills are essential for …

The Impact Of Teacher Prompting And Questioning On Third Grade Students' Comprehension, Jenna Francois

Honors Program Theses

This qualitative research study explores how teacher prompting and questioning impacts students’ comprehension of texts. The researcher observed a third grade teacher, Mrs. G., at a local elementary school in order to discern patterns in how this teacher used verbal prompts and questions to assist her students in understanding what they read. An initial interview was conducted with Mrs. G. to determine how she typically teaches and assesses reading comprehension, as well as the types of verbal prompts and questions she utilizes to assist students in comprehension. The researcher observed two literacy lessons in which Mrs. G. instructed the whole …

Increasing Vocabulary And Oral Language Skills Of Pre-K English Language Learners Through Shared Storybook Reading And Take-Home Literacy Bags, Angela Butler

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Shared Storybook Readings and Take Home Literacy Bags utilizing Dialogic Questioning Techniques on the oral language skills and vocabulary knowledge of preschool-aged English Language Learners.

Eleven preschool students identified as English Language Learners in a suburban school district took part in the six-week intervention. Each week students were exposed to three read-aloud experiences utilizing Dialogic Reading Techniques and Questioning and a Take Home Literacy Bag for further reading experiences with their families. Student growth was assessed weekly using three tools: Teaching Strategies GOLD observations, a Teacher-Created Vocabulary Assessment, and …

Effects Of Gamification On Motivation And Engagement In Secondary Curriculum, Matthew J. Molumby

Graduate Research Papers

This literature review investigates the ways and means schools have attempted to influence motivation through the process of gamification in secondary curriculum. This literature review analyzed 31 peer-reviewed empirical studies that sought to understand the links between motivation and engagement with gamified lessons. This review attempts to analyze and synthesize the studies that are related to the definitions of gamification and beyond, the successful implementation along with the failures for motivation and engagement, and a whole system that afford school districts a more deliberate approach to gamification in the high school curriculum. The reviewer has attempted to chronicle studies to …