Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Revisiting On-Line Discussion As Practice For Reflective Thinking In Three Sequential Classes, Charles Dittrich, Jonelle Pool, Divonna M. Stebick, Emily Weigler

Education Faculty Publications

In a previous study, the authors questioned the potential of an on-line environment for increasing productive reflection in three sequential education classes. Of their findings, the issue of consistency stood out as particularly perplexing, namely, why did students exhibit high level reflections sometimes, but not all the time, in an on-line environment? In this follow-up study, the authors question whether in-class reflections coupled with on-line prompts could yield consistently high level pre-service teacher reflections, as measured by individual and class progress over time. This study also examines perceived relationships between the length of a student's reflection and its productivity, as …

Exhibit Curriculum For Dominicans In New York: Lesson Overview, Sarah Aponte, Dania Diaz

Open Educational Resources

The Dominicans in New York is a display highlighting the experiences and contributions of the New York Dominican population. This exhibit uses primary source materials from the archival collections of the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute Archives as well as secondary source materials from the Dominican Library including documents, photographs and memorabilia to create a visual history of Dominicans as they developed communities that became integral part of New York’s incredibly diverse human landscape. The purpose of the exhibit is to introduce, through carefully selected images, the complexity of the Dominican experience in New York to the general public, students, scholars, …

Splitting The Cartesian Hair, Mary Rose O'Reilley

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

The "Believing Game," at its deepest level, protects a space where students and teacher can contemplatively ponder what they will choose to love.

School-Based Community Television, John Kotarski

Wayne State University Theses

This thesis develops a new model for teaching media literacy through school-based community television. It traces the history of television from its use as a military and commercial vehicle intended for control of many by a few, to Internet enabled television produced by individuals for personal expression or amusement. In addition, it traces the criticism of commercial media from post-World War II to the present through writings of philosophers like Martin Heidegger and Herbert Marcuse as well as social critics Noam Chomsky, Neil Postman, Todd Gitlin, and Susan Jacoby. Finally, the thesis details the author's personal experience adapting high school …

Using 'The Autobiography Of Malcolm X' To Teach Introductory Sociology, Brent D. Harger, Tim Hallett

Sociology Faculty Publications

In this chapter, we make the case for using The Autobiography of Malcolm X to teach introductory sociology classes. While The Autobiography of Malcolm X is an autobiography and not a novel, we summarize the literature on using novels in sociology and compare this literature to our own experiences using autobiographies in the classroom. We then describe how autobiographies are particularly helpful for introducing students to the concept of the ‘‘sociological imagination’’ before highlighting this with an in-class exercise. Finally, we discuss student feedback and some of the drawbacks to using autobiographies and the extent to which these drawbacks can …

Maya: An Integrated Curriculum Unit, Institute For The Development Of Gifted Education, Ricks Center For Gifted Children, University Of Denver

Ricks Curriculum Units Series

An integrated curriculum is an instructional approach that connects the disciplines to an underlying theme or topic. Immersing students in an integrated-thematic unit provides the backdrop for experiences to occur across the disciplines. Shaping coursework around integrated themes is especially appropriate for gifted students, however using an integrated-thematic curriculum is appropriate for all learners as it develops students' abilities to make connections, to solve problems by looking at multiple perspectives, and to integrate information from different fields of experience. An integrated-thematic curriculum permits students to be active participants in their own learning as they design their own explorations and take …

Architecture: An Integrated Curriculum Unit, Institute For The Development Of Gifted Education, Ricks Center For Gifted Children, University Of Denver

Ricks Curriculum Units Series

An integrated curriculum is an instructional approach that connects the disciplines to an underlying theme or topic. Immersing students in an integrated-thematic unit provides the backdrop for experiences to occur across the disciplines. Shaping coursework around integrated themes is especially appropriate for gifted students, however using an integrated-thematic curriculum is appropriate for all learners as it develops students' abilities to make connections, to solve problems by looking at multiple perspectives, and to integrate information from different fields of experience. An integrated-thematic curriculum permits students to be active participants in their own learning as they design their own explorations and take …

Hiv/Aids: Can We Get Any Lessons From Assessment In Zimbabwe Education?, Crispen Dirwai Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

HIV/AIDS is such a traumatizing experience not to be left to the medical fraternity alone, but to education as well. In the quest for a sustainable reduction in HIV prevalence rates in Less Developed Countries (LEDCs), a revisit on the role of inclusion of HIV in assessment is perceived crucial. There is no doubt HIV/AIDS is still claiming lives many in sub Saharan Africa, teachers and their students included hence the need for different platforms from which the issue can be talked about. Down playing the power of educational measurement in behavioral change is quite an unfortunate omission in itself. …

Physical And Verbal Strategies Peers Use To Facilitate The Social Inclusion Of Friends With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Kathleen Winterman Ed.D., Victoria Zascavage Ph.D.

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

The purpose of the this study was to examine the impact that Responsive Classroom methodology had on the social inclusion of two elementary students with ASD in a public school setting. Varieties of educational programs to support students with ASD are in vogue; however, few investigate the influence the peers have on students’ motivation and desire to interact within an inclusive environment. This study, conducted over the course of a school year within two public elementary schools in the Midwest, explored how peer supports shaped by Responsive Classroom methodology provide the scaffolding students with ASD required to become part of …

Effective Reading Instruction Strategies For Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities, April Scruggs

Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education

Reading is the cornerstone of instruction for all students regardless of their ability level because it sets the foundation for future progress and success in virtually all other facets of life (Kliewer & Landis, 1999). Recent legislation and research has suggested that we should be more successful in teaching every student to read (Brower, Wakeman, Spooner, Ahlgrim-Delzell, & Algozzine, 2006).

There are various strategies that educators use to teach reading in a typical classroom setting. However, these strategies are not always the same in special education classrooms, especially in terms of teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities. Browder et al. …

Multicultural Education: Raj’S Story Using A Curricular Conceptual Lens Of The Particular, Vicki Ross, Elaine Chan

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

In this study, we employ a curricular conceptual lens of the particular to explore the experience of multicultural education from the perspective of an immigrant student, Raj. Using a school-based narrative inquiry approach, we learn about Raj’s experiences at the intersections of immigration and settlement, adaptation and assimilation, English-language acquisition, unemployment, poverty, family violence, and family relocation. We employ Dewey’s [(1938). Experience and education. New York: Simon & Schuster] theory of experience, Connelly and Clandinin’s [(1988). Teachers as curriculum planners: Narratives of experience. New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia] understanding of curriculum as experience, and Schwab’s [(1969). The …

Academic Interventions For Successful Inclusion Of Students With Mild To Moderate Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities In General E, Carolynne Gischel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) have traditionally been educated in self-contained special education settings. Recent legislative changes such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004 have led to increased inclusion of students with EBD in general education classrooms. Because of these changes, general educators need to know which research-based interventions are effective in improving academic performance with these students. This systematic review examined the literature to identify research-based effective interventions for students with EBD served in general education settings. Studies included in this review had to …

Outrageous State, Sectarianized Citizens: Deconstructing The ‘Textbook Controversy’ In The Northern Areas, Pakistan, Nosheen Ali

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This paper examines the ‘textbook controversy’ (2000-2005) that arose when the Pakistan state introduced new, overtly Sunni textbooks in the Northern Areas, and the local Shia population began to agitate for a more balanced curriculum. The conflict reached an acute stage during 2004-2005, as violent confrontations took place between Shia and Sunni communities, and a constant curfew paralyzed daily life in Gilgit for eleven months. I argue that the Shia mobilization against textbook Islam was not just a form of “sectarian” outrage; rather, it symbolized a broader political claim to inclusion in a context of long-standing regional subordination and religious …

Alien Invaders! On-Site Programming (Grade 6), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

In the “Alien Invaders!” program, students investigate how quagga mussels might affect Lake Mead. Students collect water quality data such as clarity, pH, and temperature to determine current habitat conditions that have allowed quagga mussels to thrive in Lake Mead. Students learn about the consequences that quagga mussels could have on the lake and its living and non-living resources. Using the knowledge they’ve gained, students create their own management plans to prevent the spread of quagga mussels to other waterways.

A Study Of Persistence Factors Of Nontraditional Students Enrolled In Noncredit Information Technology Programs In The Advantage Valley Community College Consortium, Steven L. Brown

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As continuing education divisions of college’s noncredit programs assume a greater role to help develop workforce job skills, it is important to understand what factors affect student persistence. There have been no studies on nontraditional student persistence in noncredit information technology training programs. This study examined non-traditional students enrolled in noncredit information technology (IT) programs in the Advantage Valley Consortium in the state of West Virginia. The study was conducted to determine if the demographic factors that were identified in the literature as adversely affecting non-traditional students pursuing credit programs of study also affected students enrolled in noncredit IT programs …

Pemberton Hydroelectric Power Station: A Teacher Resource, Les Pereira, Phil Gregory, Helen Kuehs, Amanda Draper, Jenny Staker, Rosalie Tomlinson, Christa Pereira

Research outputs pre 2011

This publication provides a resource for teachers of students in years seven to ten. Teachers are able to address a range of outcomes pertinent to the Western Australian curriculum within the context of the Pemberton Hydroelectric Power Station. The resource contains plans for four units of work, one in each of the following Learning Areas: Science, Mathematics, English, and Society and Environment.

The Preparedness Of Elementary Music Teachers To Include Students With Challenging Behavior In Their Classrooms, Christine Shirk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities, some with emotional and behavior disorders, are included in almost all elementary music classes. Students with emotional behavior disorders are one of the greatest challenges for teachers. To be effective, teachers must develop strategies and inclusive practices specifically geared towards intervention. With the quantity of students served and only limited class time with students, the music teacher is often unaware of the unique needs of specific special learners. Music teacher preparation has been inadequate in training teachers for inclusion. Elementary music educators rarely have outside support to deal with classroom challenges as they serve students with disabilities …

A Study Of Instructor Persona In The Online Environment, William Phillips

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher education continues to witness a significant increase in the demand for online courses delivered via the World Wide Web. Institutions are challenged to position and prepare faculty for successfully developing and delivering this increasing number of online courses from a distance. Becoming successful in the online classroom presents difficult and time-consuming challenges to the novice faculty member. Instructors who transition from the face-to-face classroom find that some characteristics, strategies and procedures carryover into the online classroom. The new teaching environment presents an evolving spectrum of possibilities for the online professor, a new paradigm for teaching and learning. This research …

Leadership Behavior And Technology Activities:The Relationship Between Principals And Technology Use In Schools, Alexandra Page-Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of study was to investigate the use of technology in schools and the influence of the principal on technology use. The technology activities of principals along with the school technology outcomes perceived by their faculty were described and analyzed to discover if there was a relationship between and among them. This study investigated technology related leadership behavior exhibited by principals in terms of NETS-A technology standards for administrators, and how their leadership behavior affected or predicted the multiple ways that technology was used throughout a school.The population for this study was composed of principals and instructional faculty from …

Impact Of Scale-Up On Science Teaching Self-Efficacy Of Students In General Education Science Courses, Mary Kay Cassani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of two pedagogical models used in general education science on non-majors' science teaching self-efficacy. Science teaching self-efficacy can be influenced by inquiry and cooperative learning, through cognitive mechanisms described by Bandura (1997). The Student Centered Activities for Large Enrollment Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) model of inquiry and cooperative learning incorporates cooperative learning and inquiry-guided learning in large enrollment combined lecture-laboratory classes (Oliver-Hoyo & Beichner, 2004). SCALE-UP was adopted by a small but rapidly growing public university in the southeastern United States in three undergraduate, general education science courses for non-science majors …

Levels Of Line Graph Question Interpretation With Intermediate Elementary Students Of Varying Scientific And Mathematical Knowle, Stacy Keller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how intermediate elementary students' mathematics and science background knowledge affected their interpretation of line graphs and how their interpretations were affected by graph question levels. A purposive sample of 14 6th-grade students engaged in think aloud interviews (Ericsson & Simon, 1993) while completing an excerpted Test of Graphing in Science (TOGS) (McKenzie & Padilla, 1986). Hand gestures were video recorded. Student performance on the TOGS was assessed using an assessment rubric created from previously cited factors affecting students' graphing ability. Factors were categorized using Bertin's (1983) three graph question levels. The assessment rubric was validated by Padilla …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Achievement Of Students With Learning Disabilities On Statewide Assessments, Maryann Gromoll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Each year as a growing number of students with learning disabilities are included in statewide assessments, teacher perceptions and beliefs toward student achievement are being identified and examined. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(NCLB) and the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) raise the achievement expectations of students with disabilities and require that teachers are knowledgeable about state academic content and achievement standards (Thompson, Lazarus, Clapper, & Thurlow, 2006). State departments of education are responsible to ensure that teacher competencies and expectations are specific to the achievement of grade level content standards (Thompson, …

Developing Mathematical Practices In A Social Context:An Instructional Sequence To Support Prospective Elementary Teachers', Debra Wheeldon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This teaching experiment used design-based research (DBR) to document the norms and practices that were established with respect to fractions in a mathematics content course for prospective elementary teachers. The teaching experiment resulted in an instructional theory for teaching fractions to prospective elementary teachers. The focus was on the social perspective, using an emergent framework which coordinates social and individual perspectives of development. Social norms, sociomathematical norms, and classroom mathematical practices were considered. A hypothetical learning trajectory (HLT) including learning goals, instructional tasks, tools and imagery, and possible discourse, was conjectured and implemented in the mathematics class. Video tapes of …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Perceptions And Experiences Of Seven Urban Middle School Science Teachers Related To Retention, Lu Dunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Job satisfaction is essential to retain teachers in classrooms. Increased challenges in today s classrooms discourage many teachers from reaching veteran status. Teachers with a perception that they are making a difference appear to have more resilience in the difficult times in their classrooms. Purpose: To investigate the experiences of middle school science teachers. This study explored the influence of perceptions, beliefs, and experiences on job attrition and teacher satisfaction; and helps explain the cumulative effects that contributed to teachers' dissatisfaction. This study analyzed the intensification of the teaching profession and the increased emotional stress this causes for teachers. …

Qualitative Assessment Of Climate Within Small, Stand Alone, Secondary Magnet Schools, John Schembari

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Just Forms, Brevard Community College

Curriculum

This document includes: Assessment, Community Partner Forms, Credit Hour, Employee Service Project (ESP), Faculty, Marketing, Recognition, Student, and Assessment.

Spirit Of Giving Teacher Resource Guide, Volunteer Center Orange County

Curriculum

Spirit of Giving is a non-denominational, multi-faceted Service-Learning experience that will provide your 1st and 2nd year students with the unique opportunity of "feeling the joy and elation of receiving" that translates into the spirit of volunteerism and giving back to others. This project will enhance and support academic curriculum.

Killer Waves, Fiction To Fact: Fiction To Inspire Nonfiction Research In The Intermediate-Grade Classroom, Barbara Ruben, Barbara Liles

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

A description of a literature-based unit on tsunamis that uses the emotional connection of fiction as a stepping-stone to informational research. This unit uses literature circles to motivate curiosity in young readers about science. The emotional connection a reader has with fictional characters bridges fiction and nonfiction and makes nonfiction research more relevant. As is true in all learning, when students have an authentic reason to explore informational text, the learning becomes deeper and more lasting.

Rapid Elearning : Its Impact On Instructional Design In The Corporate World, Stephen W. Acheson

Graduate Research Papers

Rapid eLearning is a present and growing phenomenon in the world of corporate training that is challenging traditional instructional design ideas. The concept of Rapid eLearning represents a class of easy-to-use eLearning development tools, methods designed to shorten course development timelines, and techniques intended to enhance learner understanding and retention. Companies are adopting Rapid eLearning as a way to reduce costs and shorten the time it takes to disseminate new information and concepts to employees in geographically diverse locations. New software tools and instructional design methods are being developed to address the goals of Rapid eLearning.

To gain a broad …

Music And The Brain, Kimberly D. Madison

Graduate Research Papers

A great deal of literature focuses on the subject of music and the brain and how music can affect learning. Music stimulates brain patterns, and therefore should be considered essential in an academic setting. This review was written to provide an analysis of the published literature and studies in the area of music and cognitive development, to examine how the brain is wired for music, and to determine whether music is an effective tool in enhancing environmental and cognitive learning conditions in classrooms.