Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Teaching Video Production In The Secondary Art Classroom: An Educational Travel Log, William Lee Daggett

All Graduate Projects

This project is intended to serve as a model and resource for secondary teachers seeking to incorporate video production into their curriculum. A central premise of the project is that video production can serve as a valuable learning tool when it is part of an integrated, project based instructional program. The sample model used here is an educational travel log. A secondary art students' trip to Europe was undertaken. The various steps in how the trip was set up and how the curriculum was organized is the focus of the project. Students' roles, responsibilities, and activities are described, along with …

Introducing A Foreign Language Experience Into The Elementary Curriculum: A Flex Curriculum Handbook, Deborah Michelle Doherty

All Graduate Projects

A handbook has been created to assist elementary educators integrating Spanish into their curriculum. Lesson plans, activities, and supplemental materials are developed based on The Standards for Foreign Language Leaming, recommended and published by the National Association of Foreign Language Teachers and are aligned to meet the Essential Academic Leaming Requirements (EALRs) adopted by The Washington State Commission on Student Leaming. Current literature and research involving the benefits of teaching foreign language to elementary children are studied.

Curriculum To Help Teachers Support Student's Development Of Writing Strategies, Christine Elizabeth English

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to create a curriculum that can be used to support students as they develop writing strategies. Current literature and research on the writing process and writers' workshop is explored. The project describes procedures, methods, and activities used to develop the curriculum. The project makes use of the Washington State Essential Leaming Requirements. The project explores use of the curriculum that was developed and how it can be adapted to meet individual needs.

Developing Reading Skills Through The Use Of Music, Toni Baffaro Hobbs

All Graduate Projects

Music is a powerful language that can enhance a classroom. This project was designed to support early literacy by using music. Songs were chosen and activities designed to supplement a beginning reading program. A compact disc of the songs was created to use in conjunction with the activities. It is hoped that the utilization of singing and reading together will not only help children learn to read but also foster a love for reading.

The Cooperative Approach: A Handbook For Elementary Physical Education Teachers Focusing On Cooperation Within The Pe Curriculum, Michael D. Johnson

All Graduate Projects

After being transferred to teach physical education, I wanted to prepare myself by gaining some background knowledge on foundations, concepts, and objectives in physical education. I noticed a large transformation in recent years from curriculums focusing on competitive, self-defeating games, to an approach aimed at teaching skills, cooperation and teamwork. I compiled research on the history, goals and intent, and cooperation and teamwork in the physical education curriculum. I also compiled research on the national and state standards, and evaluation and grading in the physical education program. Based on the research, I created a handbook for physical education teachers. The …

Conflict Resolution Skills For Elementary Teachers, Jenna K. Blythe

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a conflict resolution resource for teachers to use with elementary school children. To accomplish this purpose, current research and literature related to classroom conflict, conflict resolution skills and school violence issues were reviewed. The research demonstrated that students who are taught to deal with conflict at an early age are more inclined to be peaceable problem solvers as they go through school. The goals of this project are to provide teachers with lesson plans that can integrate conflict resolution skills and concepts into their curriculum in the hope that they would prevent …

Incorporating Multicultural Children's Literature Into A Primary Curriculum, Cristian Rene Newell

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of the project was to provide primary teachers with a multicultural literature resource book. To accomplish this a review of literature was completed to investigate the need for, and value of using multicultural literature within a primary classroom. How to judge quality multicultural literature was also reviewed. The project consisted of general lesson plans to use with multicultural literature, twenty specific activities to use with multicultural literature, and annotated book lists of multicultural literature. The activities incorporate Reading, Writing, Communication, and Mathematics Essential Academic Learning Requirements for the state of Washington. Literature is representative of several cultures and …

Implementation Of Writing Portfolios In Grade Two, Jill A. Hans

Graduate Research Papers

The view of language as a process has influenced the use of qualitative assessment techniques that allow the description of children's progress, interests, and instructional needs. One qualitative technique among several is the portfolio. Specifically, in assessing children's writing, the students and the. teacher can collaborate in selecting a collection of writing exhibits for their. portfolios. Such collecting can occur over time giving evidence of emerging literacy.

The purpose of this article is to provide background information about writing portfolios. Then, the implementation of portfolio assessment in a second grade writing program is presented through three students' collection activity.

Integrating "Kindergarten Technology Activities" Into The Kindergarten Classroom, Tania Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

This graduate project outlines how technology was integrated into a kindergarten classroom using the activities from" Kindergarten Technology Activities." The activities were tested during the 2000-2001 school year with a kindergarten class of fifteen students. The project gives a brief description of the activities, how effective the activities were, and what modifications may need to be made.

After any revisions, the activities will be shared with the other members of the kindergarten team for the following school year. These activities will improve the use of technology with the kindergarten students. The teachers will gain knowledge of additional technology activities that …

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To Science, Jennifer A. Johnson

Graduate Research Papers

A literature-based language arts program provides meaningful experiences for children within the functions of language. Such programs can be extended across the curriculum to utilize the functions in other areas. These connections across the curriculum can be enhanced through the different genres of literature.

In this article, a literature base was integrated into the science area of the curriculum. A science unit on pumpkins was developed for first grade children with quality literature and related expressive activities that extended the children's literacy and their understanding of plants. Teacher-directed activities were presented along with learning centers.

Extending The Dimensions Of Science Through Poetry, Tracey L. Jones

Graduate Research Papers

The primary function of poetry is to bring enjoyment, but poetry can also foster concept development in an instructional program that extends literature across the curriculum. Because of its intense emotional quality and sharp images, it can assist in connecting children's prior knowledge with new concepts.

One of the goals of an integrated program for fifth grade was to integrate literature-based language arts with science. The connection of the language arts and science areas offered children opportunities to engage in the language processes within the functions of language offered in the science area. Through reading and writing poetry and conducting …

Literature-Based Language Arts Extended To The Science Area : A Unit On Spring, Kelly Jones

Graduate Research Papers

A literature-based program emphasizes creating meaning through the language processes, thus leading to growth in thinking and language abilities. A print-rich learning environment supported by the different genres encourages involvement in the language process and contributes to the dimensions of a unit of study. When literature-based language arts are extended to the science area, such a program can extend children's knowledge of the world around them and nurture their curiosity.

A science unit on spring, extended through quality literature and many options for expressive activity, was presented to first grade children. This literature-based unit is shared.

Distance Education, Kathleen E. Krug

Graduate Research Papers

Distance education has helped to reach many students regardless of geographic location and differences in learning styles. Interactive classrooms, for example the ICN, have helped to eliminate barriers regardless of the distance between locations. Still the concern remains with finding a way to address the different learning styles of the student. This paper will examine both the institutional and situational barriers and how K-12 district administrators in one area of Iowa and the nearby community college are addressing the issues.

Optimum Time To Teach Beginning Reading, Lisa A. Ludwig

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the literature concerning the optimum time to begin teaching reading. Four questions were answered, addressing the optimum time to begin teaching reading; advantages of early reading; problems with early reading; and guidelines for developing an effective reading program.

Early readers were found to have better grades, a higher self-esteem, and continued to be better readers throughout the secondary school years. However, some early readers also experienced difficulties because of the pressure and high expectations put on them at an early age.

It was concluded that there is no magical age …

Constructivist Education : Developing A Constructivist Kindergarten Program, Carol J. Menefee

Graduate Research Papers

This paper is a review of literature relative to the importance of using constructivist approaches in the kindergarten program. The primary focus of this paper was to look at the features of a constructivist approach. Advantages and criticisms of constructivism are included. This study also provides guidelines designed to help educators, specifically kindergarten teachers, implement constructivist approaches in their classrooms. The conclusion of this paper offers suggestions and cautions to educators on implementing these guidelines. Recommendations for further research in the area are stated.

High School Students' Perceptions Of Evolutionary Theory, C. Sheldon Woods, Lawrence C. Scharmann

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

If we are to be successful in teaching evolution, we must take into account our students' worldviews as well as their individual understandings and misconceptions. It is im-portant to know our students their cultures, personal his-tories, cognitive abilities, religious beliefs, [and] scientific misconceptions. [It is also important] to address directly the likely cultural/religious concerns with evolution and to do so early on so as to break down the barriers that keep many students from hearing what you say. (Smith, 1994, p. 591)

Smith penned these words for a special issue of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching which focused …

Strategies To Improve Critical Thinking Skills In High School Students, Alan Smith

Perspectives In Learning

At this time, there is no abstract.

A Psychoeducational And Support Group For Parents Of Add/Adhd Children, Kenya Gilmore

Perspectives In Learning

The purpose of the group for ADHD parents is to (1) educate the parents on the symptoms ofADHD, (2) teach the parents some behavior management techniques, (3) help the parents to understand the ADHD child so that they can manage them, (4) provide a safe place for disclosure and support for the parents. The group will be set up as a psychoeducation / support group because it will be held in an educational setting with its main goals to educate parents and to provide a source of support to these parents.

Negotiating A Labyrinth: Uncovering Meaning Through Biography, Floretta Thornton-Reid

Perspectives In Learning

Biographical method is one of “several intellectual disciplines that make use of life writing” (Smith, 1994, p. 286). However, biographies are probably better described as an interdisciplinary methodology that incorporates several approaches to qualitative research including but not limited to life history, narrative analysis, case study, historical social science, grounded theory and ethnography (Marshall & Rossman, 1999; Riessman, 1993; Atkinson, 1998). In laymen’s terms, a biography can be understood as the written history of a person’s life. Thus the life history or narrative story of a person is a key biographical concept. Controversy has long surrounded life history. Runyan (1982a) …

My First Day Of School, Martha Hall

Perspectives In Learning

Dr. Martha Hall shares the reflections of a five year old girl regarding her first day of school. The details tell the reader that the first day of school for the girl happened in the distant past: Sawdust on the floors, new feed sack dress, etc. Perhaps the girl's observations can be understood by students of every generation.

Introduction, Volume 19 (2001), Devorah Lieberman

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Introduction to volume 19 (2001) of To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development, written by Devorah Lieberman of Portland State University.

Ethical Guidelines For Educational Developers

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Ethical guidelinesfor educational developers prepared by Mintz, Smith, and Warren, January 1999, revised March 1999, September 1999, and March 2000.

Transitions And Transformations: The Making Of Department Chairs, Irene W. D. Hecht

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

When we talk about a need for leadership in higher education, we are in fact demanding that chairs be leaders. Is there then another level of transition that is required today of those who become chairs? Is task mastery a guarantee of being a leader? If there are other adaptations needed, what might they be? That is the focus of this exploration. This chapter examines the theory behind leadership and applies to it models that are aligned with the leadership skills needed for successful chair leadership. This article specifically addresses the role of faculty developers in supporting department chairs in …

Education For Responsible Citizenship: A Challenge For Faculty Developers, Thomas Ehrlich

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Higher education professionals need clearer, stronger frameworks for the integration of both civic and moral learning and the more common cognitive learning that occurs in traditional classrooms. This article addresses when and why this author chose to focus on community service-learning as a way to reengage in direct work with students and other civic responsibilities. His discussion focuses on student acquisition of academic knowledge and skills through service-learning and the study of ethical dilemmas facing professionals in different fields. He proffers in-depth discussion on service-learning programs championed by the Carnegie Foundation and addresses how these programs working with faculty across …

A Prophet In Your Own Land? Using Faculty And Student Focus Groups To Address Issues Of Race, Ethnicity, And Gender In The Classroom, James Francisco Bonnilla, Patricia R. Palmerton

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In this study, six focus groups of faculty and students addressed issues of how race, ethnicity, and gender affected their classroom experiences. Consistent themes emerged across all groups, including feeling unsafe and vulnerable, concerns about equity, power, and role modeling. As importantly, the research process itself became a vehicle for growth and change in the community at large, both inside and outside the classroom. Six recommendations are offered for those who seek innovative approaches to addressing race and gender in the classroom.

Faculty Learning Communities: Change Agents For Transforming Institutions Into Learning Organizations, Milton D. Cox

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

In my 20 years of faculty development, I have found faculty learning communities to be the most effective programs for achieving faculty learning and development. In addition, these communities build communication across disciplines, increase faculty interest in teaching and learning, initiate excursions into the scholarship of teaching, and foster civic responsibility. They provide a multifaceted, flexible, and holistic approach to faculty development. They change individuals, and, over time, they change institutional culture. Faculty learning communities and their “graduates” are change agents who can enable an institution to become a learning organization. In this article I introduce faculty learning communities and …

Doing Faculty Development As If We Value Learning Most: Transformative Guidelines From Research To Practice, Thomas Anthony Angelo

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

If producing high-quality student learning is American higher education’s defining goal, how can faculty development best contribute to its realization? In response to that question, this essay synthesizes theories, findings, and strategies from a variety of literatures into seven transformative ideas which, taken together, have the potential to make our mental models of and approaches to faculty development more effective. It also offers seven guidelines based on these ideas, as well as related, practical strategies for doing faculty development as if student learning matters most.

Clarity In Teaching In Higher Education: Dimensions And Classroom Strategies, Nira Hativa

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

This essay presents research knowledge regarding the main dimensions of effective teaching in higher education, concentrating on clarity in teaching and its components—classroom behaviors and strategies that promote clear teaching. On this basis, I suggest arranging all dimensions and classroom strategies of effective teaching within a logical structure of interconnected teaching behaviors whose contribution to student learning is based on theory and research. The model organizes all dimensions and strategies of effective teaching in three hierarchical levels and is illustrated by successively breaking down clarity in teaching into intermediate dimensions and classroom behaviors and strategies. The model may help faculty …

Preparing Today's Faculty For Tomorrow's Students: One College's Faculty Development Solution, Patrick Nellis, Helen Clarke, Jacalyn Dimartino, David K. Hosman

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida, has created a faculty development program underwritten for the past five years by a US Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant. Our program rose from a deliberate desire to build active, collaborative faculty teams that would, in turn, build active, collaborative classrooms; our results demonstrate that faculty development programs based on observable and measurable outcomes can positively affect student academic performance and persistence. This essay details this faculty development project.

The Role Of A Teaching Center In Curricular Reform, Constance Ewing Cook

To Improve the Academy: A Journal of Educational Development

Instructional consultants can play a crucial role in curricular reform. They gather evaluation and assessment data about the current curriculum so that faculty decisions about improvements are based on empirical evidence. They organize and facilitate meetings and retreats at which faculty make curricular decisions, and they provide pedagogical expertise and resources to help with course design and enhancement. They also provide ongoing data for formative evaluation of the new curriculum. Examples from the University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching illustrate instructional consultants’ contributions to the curricular reform process.