Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Educational Methods Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year

Articles 61 - 90 of 150

Full-Text Articles in Educational Methods

Improving Pre-Service Teachers' Preparation To Integrate Music And Movement In Early Childhood Classrooms, Elaine Myrianthopoulos May 2015

Improving Pre-Service Teachers' Preparation To Integrate Music And Movement In Early Childhood Classrooms, Elaine Myrianthopoulos

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study examines student teachers' fieldwork experiences, in order to better support their efforts to integrate music and movement in early childhood classrooms.


Mindfulness And Children, Edna Moy-Rome May 2015

Mindfulness And Children, Edna Moy-Rome

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The purpose of this study of mindfulness with third grade children is to describe the process using mindfulness as a tool and strategy to help children become self-aware of the present moment, and bring more calm, and focus and attention to learning within a classroom.


Towards A Constructivist Grammar Curriculum For The United States, Tyler Crafts Jennings May 2015

Towards A Constructivist Grammar Curriculum For The United States, Tyler Crafts Jennings

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The author argues that educators must forge an alternative method to teaching grammar: the explicit, constructivist teaching of grammar within the meaningful context of a writing curriculum.


Actors As Teachers: The Art Of Storytelling, Catherine Corbett May 2015

Actors As Teachers: The Art Of Storytelling, Catherine Corbett

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Aims to create a show for young children that is inclusive of children along a broad range of development.


Orchestrating A Kindergarten Block Program : The Teacher's Role, Abbey Butcosk May 2014

Orchestrating A Kindergarten Block Program : The Teacher's Role, Abbey Butcosk

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Analyzes the role of the teacher in kindergarten block building


The Early Years : A Handbook For New Early Childhood Progressive Educators, Mallory Morris May 2014

The Early Years : A Handbook For New Early Childhood Progressive Educators, Mallory Morris

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This master's project provides research, advice, and suggestions that will continue to prepare progressive early childhood teachers for their first years in the classroom.


Farming And Education : An Interview Project Advocating For Farm-Based Education, Rebekah Mindel May 2014

Farming And Education : An Interview Project Advocating For Farm-Based Education, Rebekah Mindel

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis is meant to inspire educators to value farm-based education in which farming and education come together in experiential, inquiry-based learning.


Etymology + Animation = Etymation : The History Of Spelling Via Animations, Gladys Aponte May 2013

Etymology + Animation = Etymation : The History Of Spelling Via Animations, Gladys Aponte

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Etymation is a series of 4-7 minute long animated cartoons. The seven cartoons provide a child-friendly overview of the history of American English spelling. Each cartoon explains one reason American English spelling often seems so irrational. The Etymation cartoons and accompanying activities are designed to supplement an investigative spelling curriculum. The rationale discusses the importance of such an investigative spelling curriculum, and outlines how Etymation is aligned to the Common Core State Standards.


Close Examinations Of Texts By Online Learning Communities Through The Final Word Protocol, Matthew Borgmeyer May 2013

Close Examinations Of Texts By Online Learning Communities Through The Final Word Protocol, Matthew Borgmeyer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study documents a potential approach to rich discussions around complex texts by using a combination of protocols and synchronous technologies. The shortcomings of both online text discussion technologies and protocols can be overcome by using best practices from both approaches. Includes a series of documents, guidelines, and instructional screencasts that will illustrate the implementation of the Final Word protocol using the technologies of Google Docs and the iPad app Subtext. Finally, the study discusses potential applications of this approach for leadership contexts both in K-12 education and higher education.


Steady Bodies Active Minds : A Resource For Using Yoga And Mindfulness In The Classroom, Clare Murchison May 2013

Steady Bodies Active Minds : A Resource For Using Yoga And Mindfulness In The Classroom, Clare Murchison

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper seeks to provide a resource for teachers to use the practices of yoga and mindfulness effectively in their elementary classrooms.


Putting The Classroom To Work--A Classroom Blueprint : How Does A Classroom Environment Influence Teaching Styles And A Teacher's Well Being?, Maria L. Freda May 2013

Putting The Classroom To Work--A Classroom Blueprint : How Does A Classroom Environment Influence Teaching Styles And A Teacher's Well Being?, Maria L. Freda

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This empirical study is written to call attention to and define the role of the classroom environment as an influential teaching tool. Through observation, interviews, and extensive reference resources, this compilation of work will discuss and assess how the arrangement of a classroom, its furnishings, and its aesthetic climate can influence a teacher's sensibilities, well being, motivation, and teaching style. The result of this research is intended to lead to the development of the classeum blueprint, a workshop series and guide, created for educators kindergarten through fourth grade.


Lesson Study At The Bank Street School For Children, Ryan Harrity May 2013

Lesson Study At The Bank Street School For Children, Ryan Harrity

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Lesson study, the primary form of professional development in Japan, is receiving increased attention in the U. S. Its efficacy in Japan is well documented, and it has been successfully implemented in the U. S. Other educator-scholars have adequately argued for its use in American schools. What is needed, however, is more documented evidence of its implementation and outcomes, as well as school-specific frameworks for conducting lesson study in various schools, especially independent schools. There has been extensive documentation of lesson study in public schools across the U. S., but none, as we know, in independent schools. This paper establishes …


Acting Out In The Classroom : Applying Principles And Methods Of Differentiation To Address Challenging Student Behavior, Jeffrey Neale Kulick May 2012

Acting Out In The Classroom : Applying Principles And Methods Of Differentiation To Address Challenging Student Behavior, Jeffrey Neale Kulick

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Schools emphasize the need to consider individual learner differences and provide individualized supports when designing and implementing academic instruction. One of the strategies used to accomplish these objectives is differentiation. Ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, cognitive, and even physical differences are all factored into the equation. Contrarily, these same differences are seldom considered when it comes to student behavior. Using empirical data, anecdotal evidence, and original case studies, the purpose of this paper is to establish more definitively the inherent problems in a punitive approach and investigate more thoroughly the idea of using principles and methods of differentiation as a possible alternative …


Creating Accessibility In Museums For Visitors With Visual Impairments: Teaching Museum Educators How To Write Verbal Descriptions Of Artifacts To Create A Meaningful Museum Experience, Monica Brandwein Jan 2012

Creating Accessibility In Museums For Visitors With Visual Impairments: Teaching Museum Educators How To Write Verbal Descriptions Of Artifacts To Create A Meaningful Museum Experience, Monica Brandwein

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This Integrative Masters Project is a professional development workshop that was created to teach museum educators, staff, and Gallery Educators (the museum's docents) at the Museum of Jewish Heritage -A Living Memorial to the Holocaust how to create accessibility for visitors with visual impairments to increase the richness of the museum's artifacts within the collection.


Roots Of Farm And Family, Carol Gjenvick Jan 2012

Roots Of Farm And Family, Carol Gjenvick

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The current food industry is a vast and confusing system that often generates contradicting information, new jargon and trends on how and what to eat. Most families in urban and suburban regions shop at local grocery stores, supermarkets or chains and are far removed from the origins of their food supply. Even with the growing support of farmers markets and local farmers, the average person no longer has access to an actual farm. Children in particular, are less likely to understand how a farm operates, the essential role of the farmer, the impact of seasonal changes on food supplies and …


Giftedness In The Early Elementary Classroom: History, Theory, And Practice, Sonia Von Gutfeld Jan 2012

Giftedness In The Early Elementary Classroom: History, Theory, And Practice, Sonia Von Gutfeld

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Abstract Teacher training programs in general education often overlook questions of giftedness. This essay draws upon primary and secondary source material to trace the evolution of the term and illuminate the current plurality of definitions. It also explores acceleration and ability-grouping, two practices available to support the needs of children who might be identified as gifted in inclusive school environments. An analysis of research finds that these practices can offer benefits to both the intellectual and the social-emotional development of these young children. Ability-grouping raises valid concerns about equity of educational opportunity, and teachers must be careful to implement this …


The Overrepresentation Of African American Males In The Category Of Emotional Or Behavioral Disorder: A Literature Review, Jake Becker Jan 2012

The Overrepresentation Of African American Males In The Category Of Emotional Or Behavioral Disorder: A Literature Review, Jake Becker

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In this literature review, the scope and etiology of the problem of disproportionate minority representation in special education are examined.


Creating Conversations, Changing Cultures: Case Study Of A Professional Development Plan, Alexis Goldberg Dec 2011

Creating Conversations, Changing Cultures: Case Study Of A Professional Development Plan, Alexis Goldberg

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This case study, as documented through notes, self reflection, and interviews, describes the process of making space for a dialogue that enables teachers to share ideas around the beliefs and practices of teaching.


Learning Styles: The Key To Learning, Lisa Egan May 2011

Learning Styles: The Key To Learning, Lisa Egan

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This Master's thesis contains components and documentation of the reasoning for the creation of a community website entitled, Learning Styles: The Key to Learning in which learners of all ages can explore the topic of learning styles in order to gain personal insights into their unique styles of learning. The website is designed to help individuals including children, adults, and educational professionals to embrace their personal styles, understand the learning styles of others and gain knowledge leading to the creation of optimal learning environments for themselves and their community members. The author suggests that the understanding of learning styles leads …


Bank Street And Teach For America: Process And Preparation, Paul Shirk May 2011

Bank Street And Teach For America: Process And Preparation, Paul Shirk

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In this paper I analyze the goals and practices of education that are implied in the mission statements and literature of Bank Street College of Education (Bank Street) and Teach for America (TFA). I noticed and struggled to understand the tension between the mission statements of the two organizations that I was a part of during my master's program. While analyzing the readings and my experiences, I began to see differences between these two organizations' theories and beliefs about child development. I considered how my experiences with children supported or refuted these beliefs. From Bank Street, I recognized many beliefs …


Racial Disproportionality In Special Education: Causes, Outcomes And Avenues For Change, John Gillies Jan 2011

Racial Disproportionality In Special Education: Causes, Outcomes And Avenues For Change, John Gillies

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In school systems across the United States, disproportionality in special education along racial and ethnic lines is not merely a problem of overrepresentation or underrepresentation, but misrepresentation. African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans are given incorrect diagnoses, disproportionate educational designations, and inappropriate placements. The key factors behind disproportionality include racial bias among educators and other service providers, socio-economic status, substandard early childhood environments, and family composition. Inappropriate special education placements can lead to increased rates of school dropout, poor academic achievement, lower-paying jobs, and juvenile crime. Therefore disproportionality is not a problem confined to the education system, it is of …


Teaching The Infant Toddler Cda, Gwendolyn Brown-Murray Jan 2011

Teaching The Infant Toddler Cda, Gwendolyn Brown-Murray

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Discusses some of the highlights of the author's experience teaching the curriculum for the Infant Toddler Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential to a group of women who were culturally, ethnically, religiously, educationally, and socially different from her.


Who Is Telling This Story? : A Study Of An Aesthetic Education Collaboration Between A Classroom Teacher And A Cultural Institution, Katherine Fox Jan 2010

Who Is Telling This Story? : A Study Of An Aesthetic Education Collaboration Between A Classroom Teacher And A Cultural Institution, Katherine Fox

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This study explores the classroom teacher's role in a collaboration between a New York City classroom teacher and Lincoln Center Institute. Aesthetic education, imaginative learning, and collaboration between classroom teachers and teaching artists, the core practices of Lincoln Center Institute's inquiry units, are defined through a review of other established approaches to these concepts. The perspective of a third-grade teacher who participated in an inquiry unit focused on MytholoJazz, a storytelling performance illustrates the purpose, planning, and action that characterize Lincoln Center Institute's programs. Qualitative analysis of the teacher's work, in addition to her own reflection on the process, reveal …


Lessons Of Place : A Critical Look At Place-Based Education, Karen L. Lew May 2009

Lessons Of Place : A Critical Look At Place-Based Education, Karen L. Lew

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This thesis consists of: a rationale for place-based education; the developmental appropriateness of place-based education in elementary education; examples of place-based education; and a list of place-based education resources. Also included is an overview of the impact of standards based reform on education in the United States and the author's experience of the Bank Street Long Trip.


Philosophy And Practice: Examining Classroom Management In Progressive Education Settings, Jessica Anzelone May 2009

Philosophy And Practice: Examining Classroom Management In Progressive Education Settings, Jessica Anzelone

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Are John Dewey's and Lucy Sprague Mitchell's twentieth century hopes for classroom management realized in the early twenty-first century practices in progressive schools? The viewpoints of these two pioneers in progressive education create the backdrop for examining the execution of classroom management in present-day progressive educational settings in this study. In order to examine classroom management in practice, three classroom observations and teacher interviews were conducted in progressive schools in New York City. These observations and interviews are compared and analyzed through the lens of Dewey and Mitchell's thoughts about the functioning of a classroom. The study does not claim …


Fueling Small Explosions Of Conversation: A Reading Curriculum For Fourth Grade, Rebecca Blake Eisenberg Jan 2009

Fueling Small Explosions Of Conversation: A Reading Curriculum For Fourth Grade, Rebecca Blake Eisenberg

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The purpose of this fourth-grade reading curriculum is to teach students to become active readers who can articulate and communicate their thoughts about reading. By communicating about text, readers construct meaning and develop a rich understanding and appreciation of their reading. The curriculum uses the reading workshop framework (Atwell, 1998; Calkins, 2001; Rief, 1992) and the literature circle structure (Daniels, 2002). Process- and content-based mini-lessons provide explicit instruction for literature circle discussions. Comprehension strategy mini-lessons are provided to complement the literature circle instruction and provide support for students as needed.


The Mobility Impact: Implications And Solutions For Families On The Move With An Original Book For Children., Sarah Willis Jan 2009

The Mobility Impact: Implications And Solutions For Families On The Move With An Original Book For Children., Sarah Willis

Graduate Student Independent Studies

Examines the relationship between student mobility and achievement. Contains a picture book for children four to six years designed to help with the transition from house or neighborhood into a new one. Includes recommendations for ways families and schools can help children with the moving process.


Play In Public Schools, Casey Yanella May 2008

Play In Public Schools, Casey Yanella

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This is a research paper and literature review on the issue of play and developmentally appropriate practice in the public schools of New York City during the era of No Child Left Behind. It begins with an examination of the theory surrounding play in the primary grades, along with the discussion of studies dealing with play in today's public schools. The work includes school visits and an ethnographic description of the models of play environments in these schools. Finally, it also includes recommendations for programmatic actions to be taken in order to reinstate play in public schools.


The Samurai In Medieval Japan: A Teacher Resource & Curriculum Companion Based On The Japanese Collection At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Barbara Anderson Apr 2008

The Samurai In Medieval Japan: A Teacher Resource & Curriculum Companion Based On The Japanese Collection At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Barbara Anderson

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This resource guide utilizes the fascination with the samurai and their honor code system, known as bushido, to examine the eastern feudal system, and the artistic and cultural traditions of Medieval Japan. The six provided lessons in this resource support a museum visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Mary Griggs Burke Collection of Japanese Art and the Arms and Armor Collection. They are directed to build upon each other to provide students with a meaningful sequence of experiences and attempts to address a diverse body of learners through variance of activities and the integration of academic areas such as …


Art Speaks! Connecting Visual Arts And Language Arts A Program For Fourth-Grade Students In The School District Of Philadelphia, James Stein Apr 2008

Art Speaks! Connecting Visual Arts And Language Arts A Program For Fourth-Grade Students In The School District Of Philadelphia, James Stein

Graduate Student Independent Studies

The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) received a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support a partnership among PMA, Pennsylyania Academy of the Fine Arts, The Barnes Foundation, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, and Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania. These five art institutions collaborated with each other, and with the School District of Philadelphia (SDP), to develop a literacy-based museum visit program called Art Speaks! that is open to all 13,500 fourth-grade students in SDP public schools. The program features a museum visit to one of the five collaborating institutions …