Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Poweshiek County Historical And Genealogical Society Web Site Project, Shelley Cranston

Graduate Research Papers

A web site for the Poweshiek County Historical and Genealogical Society was developed in consultation with officers and members of the society. The goal is to promote the preservation and dissemination of historical and genealogical information with regard to Poweshiek County, Iowa and its citizens. This paper highlights the process involved and some of the key features of the web site. Recommendations for future additions to the web site are also included.

Book Talk In A Thematic Literature Unit, Cathy E. Dickerson

Graduate Research Papers

Discussions of literature may be viewed as a part of the social environment in which students can work together collaboratively to construct meaning. Book talk, or discussion, in a thematic unit encourages students to focus attention on the important ideas in their literature experiences, thus moving them beyond literal comprehension to inferential thinking.

The theme of survival was chosen to promote book talk. A web was created that visually mapped the different aspects of the topic. The book Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen, was chosen to introduce the unit and was read aloud to all children. This book became a foil …

An Integrated Science Unit : Ants, Julia Dillehay

Graduate Research Papers

This instructional development project integrated language arts and the science areas. A print-rich environment extended content and offered models of language, thus energizing children to become actively involved in the study. Many literature genres and.related expressive activities provided children with many options for learning experiences. The focus for this science unit for grade two was on ants. A print-rich environment was provided along with computer software and access to information on the internet.

The Impact Of Technology Integration On The Elementary Classroom With Reading Disabled Students, Donna Heying

Graduate Research Papers

The content of this paper will discuss and review the current literature in the area of technology integration in the elementary classroom, especially those classrooms with learning disabled students. The areas to be covered in this paper include technology's impact on student learning, legal reasons to use technology in the classroom, effective integration principles for technology integration, software and equipment for learning disabled students, Internet integration, and web-based instruction. All of these areas have an influence on how technology is integrated into the elementary classrooms and how effective that technology can be.

Implementing A Reading Recovery Shared Classroom : Good First-Grade Reading Instruction For All, Bonnie L. Hoewing

Graduate Research Papers

Reading Recovery is an early intervention designed by Marie Clay (1985) to be implemented in an educational system for the purpose of providing a second chance for success for first grade children who are at risk of failing to learn to read. Reading Recovery is preventive rather than a remedial intervention. Early intervention to deal with reading difficulties is much more powerful than remediation at a later time. Good teaching of reading skills, early in a child's formal education, will help create the foundation needed for continued learning throughout their lives.

Oral History In A Kindergarten Classroom, Marilyn J. Shanks

Graduate Research Papers

Oral history offers elementary teachers an exciting way to get students actively involved. It allows them to deal directly with people and places in the real world. It involves students in the decision-making process and allows them to feel ownership in a part of history. Oral history combines process and product into a real-life experience. It is an excellent teaching tool that fosters excitement about heritage, tradition, and family and helps promote respect and appreciation for the older generation.

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To The Science Area : Flight And Space, Thomas F. Ryan

Graduate Research Papers

This instructional project is an integration of the language arts and science areas. A fertile learning environment was established with a literature base that included different genres and related expressive activities. This extensive literature base provided an in-depth study of flight and space, a unit that is part of the third-fourth grade science curriculum.

The goal of this project was to present quality literature, representative of many genres, to integrate study across the curriculum. As the learners progressed through the activities that were student-initiated as well as teacher-directed, they displayed an increased appreciation of literature as well as a working …

Integrated Science Unit : Small Creatures : Spiders And Crickets, Pamela S. Olsen

Graduate Research Papers

This instructional development project integrates the language arts and the science areas. The science content is small creatures, specifically, spiders and crickets, from the first grade curriculum. A rich learning environment is provided through a literature base, representing the different genres and related expressive activity. The unit is presented through teacher-directed activities and learning centers that off er many options from which children could select experiences.

The goals of the program are to give children more control over their learning and to extend children's thinking-language abilities by capitalizing on the common processes of the language arts and science areas and …

Discussion To Promote Inference Making, Leah J. Muxfeldt

Graduate Research Papers

Using discussion as an integral part of the reading program is a natural outgrowth of real literature in the classroom. Children need opportunities to engage in conversations about their literature experiences in order to enrich and refine their understanding of them. Teachers can facilitate discussions that promote in-depth understandings of reading experiences by providing children with opportunities to make inferences. As a result, children become accustomed to bringing their prior knowledge to reading experiences to discover inferred meanings, thus extending their thinking-language abilities.

Collaborative Education : Working Together Toward Accommodating All Learners In The Regular Classroom, Anita A. Quirk

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this article is to inform readers about the efficacy of collaborative teaching. A review of pull-out resource room structure is presented, focusing on the amount of time students miss from the regular classroom. Scheduling is mentioned as a concern, as pull-out students are away from their regular classroom peers and environment for extended periods of time. Its effective and appropriate links to PL 94-142, PL 101-476, and the IDEA are presented.

Collaborative teaching is then defined as an alternative to students being pulled out to receive resource room services. The premises of collaborative teaching are shared. Included …

Literacy In The Multiage Classroom : A Review Of The Research, Barbara Avaux Messer

Graduate Research Papers

Multi-age grouping has a long history and is once again being studied as a viable alternative to the age-graded education model. Research indicates that multi-age programs are academically effective as well as being beneficial in promoting feelings of self-efficacy in students. Our society has changed since the inception of the age-graded model and teachers today are looking at multi-age education as a way to meet the diverse needs of their students. Successful multi-age programs have similar characteristics, but each program needs to be designed to meet the needs of the community it serves. Specific teaching strategies, materials, and assessment methods, …

Middle School Intramural/Co-Curricular Programs, Andrew W. Strottman

Graduate Research Papers

Schools that have used an intramural program find students benefit socially, academically, and physically from these activities. Some schools have even seen a drop in teens getting into trouble in their communities with the implementation of an intramural program. The first portion of this project was to review the literature to find out: (1) what the benefits of an intramural program are at the middle school level, (2) what grade level or levels would benefit most from a program that involves many students in activities, and (3) what students are interested in doing after school as opposed to being unsupervised …

Writers Workshop In A Second Grade Classroom, Julie Ryan

Graduate Research Papers

A writers workshop consists of peer and teacher interaction in assigned small groups. For this project, a writers workshop was implemented in a second grade classroom. A print-rich environment and a careful introduction to the components of the writing process were the basis of the program. Students were offered a continuous and predictable workshop schedule. Guidance was given in the form of student-teacher conferences, mini-lessons and the introduction of many genres of writing.

Elements Of Writers Workshops In A Third Grade Classroom, Gale L. Nagunst

Graduate Research Papers

The act of writing is a natural process and should be treated as such. For children seven years and older, writing usually is not a linear act that follows a prescribed set of steps in a particular order, but a recursive process in which writers move forward and back through the different components of writing to make meaning. A classroom that includes writers workshops, or groups of children working together to interact about writing, must incorporate several important elements to allow this recursive, natural process to happen. These elements include classroom organization, ample writing time, models of writing, teacher instruction …

Book Clubs And Their Effect On Mother-Daughter Relationships, Kimberly Wise

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this research paper was to examine book clubs and how they affect the mother/daughter relationship. Thirteen seventh grade girls and their mothers began participating in the book club. The members were surveyed during the initial organizational meeting as to their conversational habits with one another as well as their perceptions of the quality of their mother/daughter relationship. The members then participated in several book club meetings. During the meetings discussions were held which included topics such as characterization, plot, theme, climate, tone, and voice. Mothers and daughters were asked to reflect upon their own life experiences in …

Writing Portfolios In A Second Grade English As A Second Language Classroom, Adriana Vargas

Graduate Research Papers

Student reflection in collaboration with the teacher is an important element in the describing children's involvement in the writing process and their instructional needs. Such description, or qualitative assessment, is necessary as language is a process. Several qualitative assessment techniques that support each other can further children's self-reflection, or self-evaluation, such as journaling, conferencing, and portfolio construction. These techniques can closely relate instruction and assessment. This article describes the implementation of portfolios in a second grade classroom in which English is a second language. Two students, each with different English language abilities, were selected to focus in this implementation stage.

Portfolios--From Traditional To Digital : Research For Understanding And Implementation In The Art Classroom, Deb Ann Richmann

Graduate Research Papers

Portfolios are a method in which educators assess student work. The traditional portfolio is generally a collection of papers stored for an intended purpose. There are many types and purposes for portfolios. Technology, however, has yielded some inventive methods for managing the many papers in the portfolio in a digital format. This term, digital portfolio, represents a technological presentation of student work. The differences in hardware, software, and peripherals have been investigated in this review. Along with the tools for management, the implementation in an art classroom is explored. The sustaining impact of the digital portfolio in the art classroom …

Interactive Health Information Web Services For Business Settings, Nadezhda Soloukhina

Graduate Research Papers

With the increase in the cost of healthcare many business in the United States are becoming self-insured or relying on managed healthcare organizations to provide healthcare. Employee wellness programs are playing a more pivotal role in the healthcare strategies of medium size to large size business. On average, according to the surveys, these companies spend $40 per employee per year on wellness programs. This research summarizes the needs to provide interactive health information services to complement employee wellness program of business in the US, and describes the procedures of developing health information kiosks.

Curriculum Of The Dubuque Community School District In Relation To Industrial Technology Programs In The State Of Iowa, Boyd A. Card

Graduate Research Papers

This study was conducted to draw a comparison between the Industrial Technology course offerings available in Iowa high schools and those offered in the Dubuque Community School District (DCSD). The top twenty largest school districts grades nine to twelve in Iowa will be selected for this study. The survey will be in table format and sent to Industrial Technology teachers.

Defining Readiness : For, Against, And An Appropriate View, Linda Harris

Graduate Research Papers

The appropriate time to begin kindergarten is no longer simply a matter of chronological age. Developmental readiness, or maturational readiness concern, has caused parents and educators to delay the entry of selected children into kindergarten programs. Some educators look to the developmentally appropriate kindergarten programs, or multi-age grouping in the primary grades, to solve the readiness dilemma.

This study reviews the most recent literature on the subject of readiness. It also looks at the benefits and problems concerning delayed entry. The study attempts to pull together an appropriate view of readiness for parents and early childhood teachers, and offers guidelines …

Delaying Kindergarten Entrance, Nancy Hayes

Graduate Research Papers

This study addresses the issue of delayed kindergarten entry of children five years of age. Benefits as well as problems were discussed. Guidelines for implementing a developmentally appropriate kindergarten program were outlined and conclusions were drawn from the literature. Recommendations were made for future kindergarten programs.

A Literature-Based Extension Of A Basal Reading Unit, Julie J. Holdsworth-Nagal

Graduate Research Papers

A unit on friendship in the basal reader was extended to include many literature experiences and teacher-directed and student-initiated activities for children in second grade. Quality pieces of literature from different genres served as the unit's basis. Many different expressive activities that extended the literature experiences were offered through learning centers, both sustaining and specific to the unit. Children worked in the centers individually, in pairs, and in small groups. Whole group sharing time at the end of daily center sessions was provided.

The print-rich environment with many opportunities for engaging in the language processes led to quality comprehension-composition connections. …

Integrating Literature-Based Language Arts And Mathematics, Lora L. Irvine

Graduate Research Papers

The National Counsel of Teachers in Mathematics in 1989 developed a list of 13 mathematical standards that would lead to a more effective way to teach mathematics. Before they began their list of standards, they made a list of goals. These goals stressed the importance of making learning relevant to the learner.

The goals that the NCTM developed are similar to the theoretical formulations that support instruction in the language arts. Many leading authorities in language arts advocate an instructional program that extends literature-based language arts across the curriculum. The content areas provide content and experiences with the functions of …

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To The Science Area : Backyard Unit, Grade 2, Suzanne Jensen

Graduate Research Papers

This paper explores the process of integrating second grade language arts into a science unit through a literature base representative of the different genres. This experience will provide students with the opportunities to connect the content of a backyard theme with quality literature and related expressive activities. From the supporting professional references cited, it becomes clear that students' positive interactions with literature develop self-motivated learners.

Parental And Community Involvement In Reading Education, Rhonda S. Johnstone

Graduate Research Papers

Research shows the effects of parental involvement in reading education to be beneficial to students, parents, teachers, and schools. Parental involvement can aid students in keeping up with (and possibly catching up with) grade level reading, learn to appreciate books, and about the various ways of communication in real life situations. Parent involvement helps parents gain the understanding of their children's strengths and weaknesses in literacy acquisition and the opportunity to assist in their development. Teachers may gain an insight into students, and their literate activities outside of school, which might help with curriculum development. At the same time, schools …

Exploring Social Justice With Third Graders Through The Works Of Mildred D. Taylor, Elaine M. Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

We need to learn the history of the civilizations that have given us the framework for all of what we teach and learn. We must learn more specifically about the Americas and the European oppression, slavery, the Civil War in the United States, and the American Dream with liberty and justice for all. Still, perhaps the most significant learning, our change of heart, happens just one person at a time. It happens by developing those relationships of mutual care and concern.

For us, the voices came from [author] Mildred D. Taylor and from Nina [a student]. For social justice to …

Developing Literacy Through Symbolic Play, Lisa Kaiser

Graduate Research Papers

This study examined the effects of symbolic play on children's emerging literacy. Benefits, as well as problems, associated with facilitating literacy through symbolic play were discussed. Guidelines for teachers on the successful use of symbolic play as a tool for literacy development were presented. Conclusions were drawn from the literature and recommendations made for the future facilitation of literacy-based play.

Children's Perceptions Of Older Adults : Past And Present, Mary Kathryn Hatcher Jones

Graduate Research Papers

This study compared more recent research findings, 1990s to present, with the results of earlier research studies, 1970s and 1980s, to determine whether children's perceptions of older adults have changed. Factors that contribute to and inhibit children's positive perceptions of older adults were identified. Guidelines for facilitating children's positive perceptions of older adults were suggested, and conclusions were drawn from the literature. Recommendations were made for further study of children's perceptions of older adults.

An Instructional Development Project In Grade Two : The Theme Of Friendship, Trudy L. Lainson

Graduate Research Papers

The theme of friendship was extended through quality literature experiences and related expressive activities to second grade children at the beginning of the school year. The primary goals were to involve children in the language processes and to develop a community of friendly learners. Teacher-directed and student-initiated activities were provided. The student-initiated activities were presented as options through literature-based learning centers. The goals of the centers included ways to make friends and to be a friend, an understanding that friends can be of all ages, involvement in pals, ways to cope with difficulties encountered in friendships and to recognize each …

Creating A Web Page For The Professional And Scientific Council At The University Of Northern Iowa, Rochelle Lee Gehrke Loonan

Graduate Research Papers

A web site was created for the Professional and Scientific Council at the University of Northern Iowa. This site can be visited at www.uni.edu/ps_council. This site was created as a resource for the Professional and Scientific Staff. It includes links to payroll and benefits, along with background of the council, listing of the council members and information on meetings and monthly events.

The methodology used to create the site will be addressed which will include discussion of why to build a site, categories of sites, planning the site, the design process, design principles and the presentation of information on …