Implications Of 3-D Printing For Teaching Geoscience Concepts To Students With Visual Impairments, Karen E. Koehler, Tiffany A. Wild, Sean Tikkun

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This article presents the results of a study on the use of 3-D printed models in a science classroom for students with visual impairments and examines whether the use of these models impacts student conceptual understanding and misconceptions related to geosciences concepts, specifically plate tectonics.

Data were collected one week prior to instruction, one week after instruction and throughout the 3-week instructional period. Results showed that students with visual impairments held many of the same misconceptions about plate tectonics as students who are typically sighted. All students in this study had fewer misconceptions after the instructional period than they held …

Pedagogy Of The Edges: Anarchism And The Implicate Order, Jenka Soderberg

Leadership for Sustainability Education Comprehensive Papers

The ecological, structural and epistemological crisis that the planet is facing right now cannot be resolved within the modern educational model. Education can be a means for the transformation of society to a more just, sustainable future – but only if education itself is transformed and re-envisioned by looking to the perspectives that have been most marginalized. This new kind of pedagogy will develop outside the realm of an academic discourse, and will be found in transformative social justice movements and the relationships that are formed in these movements.

Effectiveness Of Remind.Com For Students Missing Credits At Greenfield High School, Alfredo Diaz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone is to determine the extent to which online credit recovery is effective at allowing students to regain missing credits at Greenfield High School (GHS). Recent studies show students do better in school when parents are involved. This helps students become motivated and engaged in being successful students. The counseling department at Greenfield High School lacks connection with students and parents. It is not the school's fault nor the staff trying to provide students with resources to help them gain a high school diploma. Unfortunately, Monterey County struggles with parent involvement for the fact that many …

Student Voices: African American High School Seniors' Perception Of Culturally Responsive Teaching., Whitney M. Stewart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined African-American high school seniors’ perceptions of culturally responsive teaching in one public high school within a large urban public-school district in the southeastern region of the United States. It begins with a brief historical overview on the plight of African-Americans in the US public education system and how public school educators have failed to leverage Afrocultural learning orientations as an asset to educate and increase the academic achievement of African-American students in classrooms. The Philosophical Aspects of Cultural Difference Framework (Nichols, 1986, 1995) will guide this dissertation study. The latter part of the dissertation reveals that a …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between High School Seniors And High School Seniors Participating In A Multi-Year, Looping, School-Based Mentoring Program, Devon Alaine Lassetter

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have indicated that secondary school students were more likely to be truant than primary school students which lead to students dropping out of school and becoming less productive citizens as adults. Researchers have also shown that participation in a school-based mentoring program can positively influence the students and help them make better life decisions. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent a multi-year, looping, school-based mentoring program has on the attendance data, behavioral data, achievement data, and graduation rate of high school seniors at a rural high school in west Georgia. The researcher conducted a …

A Case Study Of A Technical College's Faculty Perceptions Regarding The Value Of Professional Development Activities, Kermelle D. Hensley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate technical college faculty members' perceptions of the professional development. Most of the literature was focused on four-year higher educational institutions. For the purposes of this qualitative case study, the researcher addressed the limited amount in the literature about professional development in two-year technical colleges. The researcher investigated faculty perceptions concerning the usefulness of professional development in a two-year higher education institution through survey research design with 8 participants. The main themes were 1) technical college faculty desired professional development; 2) technical college faculty needed for follow up from the professional …

Gearing Up For College, Beatriz Amy Huerta

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Sadly, in the Greenfield community, there are exceedingly high rates of individuals who lack post-secondary education. The Census (2010), states that only 4.8% of persons age 25 years and older in Greenfield, CA obtain a bachelor’s degree. At Greenfield High School over the past five years, an average of 16 students enrolled at a CSU campus (The California State University, 2018). In efforts to promote higher education, Gear Up (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) empowers students and families of the Monterey County by fostering equitable access to postsecondary education and career readiness through relevant rigorous academic and …

Teacher Perception And Their Understanding Of Progress Monitoring Throughout A Longitudinal Assessment System, Rena A. Duewel

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the phenomenon of teacher perception and their understanding of progress monitoring throughout a longitudinal assessment system. This monitoring of student progress is to enhance their academic skills in mathematics and provide necessary interventions for growth as measured on a longitudinal assessment system through fidelity of implementation of interventions processed through progress monitoring. Data was collected from participant responses through interviews, a demographic survey, and focus groups. Interview respondents participated in a closed-door, face-to-face interview. The survey was used to collect specific demographic data to provide a concise snapshot of each individual …

Working-Class Graduates’ Perceptions Of The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens Training And Its Impact On Their Life Choices And Future Success, Andrew Kenneth Ashley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine working-class graduates’ perceptions of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens training. This purpose was accomplished through a qualitative analysis of data. The data was collected from interviews of graduates and teachers. Following the coding process, graduate data was then reduced to the following categories: social awareness, relationship development, teamwork, communication skills, empathy, self-awareness, and self-confidence which created the themes of interpersonal skills and intrapersonal skills. Four additional graduate themes were created from decision-making data: weighing pros and cons, prioritizing outcomes, thinking long-term, and real-life applications. Additional graduate data was provided …

Improving Professional Learning Community Structures For Enhanced Professional Practice, Stephen Juracka

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This Change Plan gauges the historical reality of the District ABC professional learning communities (PLC) to gain a better understanding of their past effectiveness and secure recommendations for the future. This Change Plan included a qualitative study conducted with the members of the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT). The ten members of the ILT provided feedback to the PLC Survey. The PLC survey was then coded for general themes and common language. The PLC Survey found that in past practice PLCs were absent within District ABC and collaboration among teachers was inconsistent and ineffective. Based upon the findings of the …

Woke Pedagogy: A Framework For Teaching And Learning, Altheria Caldera

Diversity, Social Justice, and the Educational Leader

The sociopolitical context of schooling demands that teachers acknowledge the ways their students’ and their own experiences are shaped by the intersections of racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, and other discriminatory factors. This is especially true during times of heightened civil unrest resulting from pervasive and persistent injustice experienced by minoritized populations. To engage students in pedagogy that connects with their lived experiences and that equips them to critically examine inequities, teachers must refute colorblind pedagogy in favor of woke pedagogy. Woke pedagogy, like critical multicultural education, is defined by teaching practices that integrate critiques of contemporary justice-related issues with academic …

A Case For An Online Educational Administrator Practicum Experience, Texas Council Of Professors Of Educational Administration Compiled By Lloyd Goldsmith

School Leadership Review

The principal and superintendent practicum experiences have traditionally been entirely face-to-face (f2f) between university professors, interns and site mentors – typically a campus or district administrator (Figure 1). Advancements in technology combined with the exponential growth of online graduate programs give rise to additional incorporation of technology into the practicum experience.

Community And Student Engagement: A Committee's Weaknesses And Strengths, Stacy Hendricks, Malinda Lindsey

School Leadership Review

Good, bad or indifferent. .. things are not always as they seem. The first glance often deceives many. School districts are no different; districts face many challenges every day, and with these challenges come weaknesses and strengths. Some of the challenges include areas such as assessment and accountability, teacher turnover, vouchers, diversity, bullying, technology, and funding (Cavanagh, 2011; Harris, Irons, & Crawford, 2006; Nelson, 2014; Ronfeldt, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2013; Spector, 2013; & Terry, 2010). With these challenges, legislative mandates often create a level of apprehension or uneasiness for school district personnel. In May 2013, House Bill (HB) 5 was …

Book Review: Towards Inclusion Of All Learners Through Science Teacher Education, Greg Stefanich

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

It is a pleasure to receive an invitation to submit a review for the book titled Towards Inclusion of All Learners through Science Teacher Education. The contributors include four wellknown leaders in inclusive science education complemented by a spectrum of authors American and international, in pre-service and graduate science education, pre-service and graduate special education, science research, special education practitioners, classroom teachers, graduate students, and students through case studies and interviews.

The book presents an excellent overview of current practices in schools, descriptions of individual and team efforts to improve practice, and emerging innovations such as the application of Universal …

Leadership Education And Development In Stem High Schools, Andrea Stuiber, Katie Berger

Staff Publications & Research

Leadership. Education. Development. How are we inspiring young adults to grow as good and ethical leaders? Leadership should not be defined by a title or label. It’s about developing the perspective, skills and personal style of the whole individual. Through the LEAD program at IMSA, we believe that leadership can be learned through discussion and application. Thus, we have designed a year long course that takes an intricate look at various definitions, theories, models, and conceptualizations of leadership. Students are challenged to think critically about leadership during peer-to-peer facilitated class discussions, hands-on exercises, and group work.

Drop In Or Drop Out: A Case Study On The Effects Of Academic Track Placement, And Levels Of Student Skill And Will, On Successful Ninth-Grade Completion, Channell M. Wilson-Segura

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The ninth grade is a transition year from middle school to high school where many students struggle to successfully navigate a new environment, new teachers and peers, new academic and behavioral expectations, and the concept of graduation requirements. This qualitative study examined the effects of academic track placement, and student levels of skill and will, on successful ninth-grade completion in one New Mexico Title I high school. It also provided insight into their perceptions of the success factors and challenges that they felt impacted their ability to successfully promote to the tenth-grade, and thus, remain on-track for graduation.

This study …

Preparing Educational Leaders For Social Justice: Reimagining One Educational Leadership Program From The Ground Up, Holly M. Manaseri, Christopher B. Manaseri

School Leadership Review

Thirty years after the report that started the latest round of educational reform, A Nation at Risk (National Commission on Education Excellence, 1983), the Wallace Foundation began funding a series of studies examining the preparation of school and district leaders. Bringing together findings from four reports, one each by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), The School Superintendents Association (AASA), the American Institutes for Research (AIR), and the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), the Wallace Foundation issued five key recommendations for university preparation of school leaders. This call to action was sounded at a time when …

Unlocking The Potential For Every Teacher To Lead: A Phenomenological Study Of Informal Teacher Leadership, Jennifer M. Martin

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study of informal teacher leaders used a phenomenological method of research to investigate the lived experiences of teachers who have led in schools without a formal title or position of leadership. The study used a mixed methods approach to gathering data including a survey of 111 secondary educators in Eastern Massachusetts and 10 interviews with informal teacher leaders at the high school and middle school levels. The study inquired about how informal teacher leaders understand the concept of teacher leadership, what motivates and prepares them for leadership, the factors and conditions that encourage or discourage engagement in informal …

Teachers As Leaders: An Autoethnographic Account Into The Way That Personal Spirituality Influenced One Teacher's Leadership In A South Louisiana High School, Scott Mckneely Blanchard

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this autoethnographic study is to better understand the role spiritual leaders have in both educational settings and in the motivation of students. An overarching question guides this autoethnographic study: Is spiritual leadership, influenced by Christianity, an appropriate form of mentoring-leadership relationships in public secondary schools? The specific research sub-questions for this study address the following: 1. How do servant leadership and spiritual leadership help create this autonomous learning environment identified by Deci and therefore reduce the number of amotivated students? 2. How can understanding the student as an individual help a teacher confront the issues with motivation …

04. Dead Aid & Theory Of Change, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

SocEnt

The theory of change method is designed to bridge the gap between the initiation of an effort and the solution. Using the Theory of Change model, students will be able to find a long-term goal for their macro-problem and work backward to find an entry-point where an intervention is required. Groups will ultimately finalize their pain-point, target audience, and a more specific area of research. In addition, understanding dead aid is necessary for creating a successful product. A solution falls under dead aid when it doesn’t consider its target audience enough or dives deep enough into a pain point, resulting …

07. Pitching And Sustainability, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

SocEnt

It’s important to look at how a venture affects the world around it; ventures don’t exist in their own universe, after all! This module intends to go in-depth as to what metrics a social venture should look at in order to gauge how sustainable its practices are, both externally — with respect to its environment — and internally, with respect to its funding cycle. It will also help students become more comfortable with pitching their ideas, speaking off the cuff, and being creative!

02. Agenda Setting And Problem Definition, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

EnACT

This module aims to introduce students to the first two steps of EnACT’s policy cycle: Problem Definition and Agenda Setting. Through this, students will understand what inherency is and learn how to bypass political gridlock and break the status quo. In addition, students will learn the differences between saliency and intensity and apply it to real-life situations.

08. Enactivism, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

EnACT

This module will further explain activism, introducing students to methods of activism as well as providing modern day examples.

01. Government & Public Policy, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

EnACT

The structure of the US government is very detailed and often treated as a separate field from policy development. This module will serve as an introduction to the basic principles that allow the US government to function and the reasoning behind its growth. This module discusses the fundamental structures of the US government including the electoral process, economy, checks and balances, and separation of powers. This basic understanding is critical to learning about the policy cycle and the differences between policy and politics, presented in the second half of the module. By the end of the class, students will also …

03. Interview Fair, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMPACT

Agenda

1. Dear Data Reminder
2. Spotting Spin (Media Bias) (15 minutes)
3. What Would Willie Say (Credible Websites) (20 minutes)
4. Finalize Group Topics (15 minutes)
5. How to write an email (10 minutes)
6. What’s Skype (5 minutes)
7. Skype interview (25 minutes)

02. Interviewing, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMPACT

Agenda

1. Dear Data - Topics and variables are due (5 minutes)
2. Assign Groups
3. Interviewing Crash Course (35 minutes)
4. Interviewing Activity
5. Begin the search for project topics (10 minutes)
6. Crowdsourced Sophs survey (5 minutes)

01. Welcome To Data Journalism!, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMPACT

As the first module within the IMPACT curriculum, this module serves as an introduction to the course. The students will get a good idea of what’s expected of them, as well as what they can expect of the class throughout the rest of the year.

09. Plotly With Extra Plotly, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMPACT

Students learn plotly and use it for their projects. Facilitators introduce plotly, and guide them through the tool until they are comfortable, and then the facilitators give the students time to use their new skills to make fulfilling visualizations for their overarching projects.

11. Data Visuals, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

IMPACT

Let’s make some cool graphicks!!!!!

Thick And Thin: Variations In Teacher Leader Identity, Julianne A. Wenner, Todd Campbell

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recently, there has been more focus on issues related to the professional development of teacher leaders (TLs), but there is still much to learn. Situated within a larger study, the purpose of this research was to understand the ways in which individuals participated in teacher leadership and how participation and identities shaped and were shaped by communities of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Specifically, this study focuses on two TLs and the manifestation of what we are describing as ‘thick’ and ‘thin’ TL identities. Based on our findings, we see thick identity – that is, a TL identity that is …