Secondary Education Commons^™

The Short-Term Youth Exchange Program, Kristia Grandison

Capstone Collection

The study abroad world is constantly changing and adapting to the diverse needs of the global market. One current trend in France is the demand for students to begin studying abroad at a younger age, when many people believe it is easier to learn new languages and develop intercultural skills. Informed by needs assessment with members of the community at Saint-Denis International School, located in Loches France, I designed the short-term French youth exchange program. This three-week program will take place during the academic year and was designed for preadolescent students in 6^th and 7^th grade (ages 10 …

The “Soft Bigotry Of Low Expectations” And Its Role In Maintaining White Supremacy Through Mathematics Education, Laurie Rubel, Andrea V. Mccloskey

Occasional Paper Series

In this study, we offer an analysis of the phrase the "soft bigotry of low expectations" and considers its role in rhetoric about U.S. mathematics education policy and practice, especially in regards to Critical Mathematical Inquiry. From the phrase’s origins in a speech given by President George W. Bush in 2000, to its current use on social media, this phrase offers a lens into white supremacy and "tools of whiteness" (Picower, 2009), and their persistence in U.S. schooling paradigms, especially about mathematics. We analyze specific, recent instantiations of the phrase on blogrolls and Twitter, in addition to more implicit …

Getting To What Is: Poetry As A Genre Of Access For Multilingual Learners, Audrey A. Friedman, Joelle M. Pedersen, Chris K. Bacon

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This paper explores the poetry writing of 15, multilingual ninth graders to construct a practitioner framework for analyzing writing as discourse with multilingual learners (MLs). Grounded in an understanding of poetry as a genre of access for both teachers and students, we asked: How does poetry—read as a specific, situated discourse—reveal linguistic and cultural competence among MLs in an urban, high-school classroom?

Using four tools of Critical Discourse Analysis—situated meaning, significance building, connections building, and identity building—we analyzed student poetry produced via an online mentoring platform. Through applying these lenses, three major themes emerged, which structured our framework: language experimentation, …

Brookings, South Dakota: Learning Lab, Doriane Paso

Empowering Research for Educators

The following paper explores the possibilities of education in one local setting using both an insider and outsider perspective. Education is a part of society, and as society changes, why should education not change with it?

Alexa?: Possibilities Of Voice Assistant Technology And Artificial Intelligence In The Classroom, Patrick D. Hales, Melissa Anderson, Tonya Christianson, Amber Gaspar, Billi Jo Meyer, Beth Nelson, Krista Shilvock, Mary Steinmetz, Makenzi Timmons, Michelle Vande Weerd

Empowering Research for Educators

The following paper represents the combined effort of 10 educators exploring the experience and use of voice assistant technology in classrooms. This reflection and study of our classrooms looks to better understand both our use of technology and students’ use of technology in very specific ways. Is there a place for voice assistant technology in our classrooms? What benefits are there? What obstacles exist? We tell our stories and experiences here with the intent to provide context and continue the discussion among more of our colleagues.

From Assertion To Conversion: Classroom Management For 21st Century Teachers, Benjamin Halbkat

Empowering Research for Educators

The following position paper provides a new teacher's perspective on modern classroom management. Where is there room for improvement? What might the future hold?

High School Biology Preparation: Do Students Feel They Have Been Adequately Prepared For Introductory College Biology?, Mara Neitzel

Empowering Research for Educators

The purpose of this study was to determine how well students are being prepared in high school for introductory college biology courses. Specifically, the objectives of the study are as follows: To gain a better understanding about how well students feel they have been prepared for college science classes based on their high school education, to gain insight on how college preparation in high school impacts students’ self-confidence, and to determine if the accessibility of advanced education courses is influenced by the size of a high school. A mixed methods survey was distributed to freshman in the fall semester of …

In Support Of The Tinker V. Des Moines Decision, Matthew Olson

Empowering Research for Educators

The following position outlines a case for the Tinker v. Des Moines decision, including a historical and modern perspective. With freedom of speech and protest being a regular part of the discussion about U.S. society and schools, now is a good time to look back.

The Insensible Dependency - Addiction, Clarissa Orona

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Addiction is the desire for the intake of a certain substance. All people have an addiction to something whether that is a substance, an item, or an act of doing something. Specific to this topic, it was found that alcohol and drugs are the most common substances to become addicted. Two key factors influencing this are easy accessibility and cost. A human’s whole life can change just after they make the choice of using a substance.

● These substances change a human’s bodily function and cognitive abilities. ● Dopamine is a person’s reward and pleasure hormone meaning once an addict …

Teens And Sleep, Henry Buscher

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Sleep is a very important part of the day for everyone. There are many reasons why people should be striving to get the sleep they need. However, many people are skipping out on an hour or two of the recommended time. This presentation is focused on teenage students, how their loss of sleep affects them and why they aren’t getting the amount of sleep they need.

● Teens aged 13–18 should sleep 8–10 hours per day, and 72.7% of high school students don’t get this amount. ● Many negative effects of sleep deprivation. ● Having a normal sleep schedule is …

Male Rape, Tyler Murphy

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

This research explores the ideologies behind male rape and why it isn’t a larger topic of discussion through means of examining the predators and misconceptions, the victims, and the effects and counseling techniques used to help the victims. The predators and misconceptions includes the types of people who commit the act of male rape and explains what kinds of fallacies the populus believes in about male rape. The victims are men of any race, age, ethnicity, and sexuality. The effects and counseling techniques include depression, anxiety, and other negative mental disorders and counselors use a multitude of techniques to treat …

Global Poverty And The Effects, Antonio Sanchez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

The project explores the global epidemic of poverty and how it creates issues among all groups of society. This issue includes demographics in the United States and other countries as well. Poverty affects all of society in one way or another and research provides insight on economical and societal effects as a result. Economically, in the United States, programs like Welfare, TANF, and Food Stamps that were designed to lift people out of poverty, actually kept them in poverty due to qualifications among other reasons. Societally, the poor are viewed in a bad light and are separated from the higher …

Successful Psychopaths, Amber Magallon

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

In the modern world, psychopaths are seen as nothing more than murderers or criminals. Psychopaths are those without empathy and emotions. They are callous, manipulative, and reckless. People may see these people as one thing, but they are actually many psychopaths who are thriving in the corporate world. They are business leaders, CEO’s, and politicians. There is that slight possibility that they are actually helping not hurting the world of work. Is this really true? The question remains unanswered, but there is proof to prove both sides of the argument.

● Around 1% of the population are psychopaths ● The …

Corruption Within The U.S. Justice System, Aleida Montanez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

The U.S. criminal justice system has let down the American people when it comes to justice, and those failures not only impact the victims but the society as a whole. The judicial system was implemented around the 17th century, and corruption quickly followed it not long after. Although the justice system maintains some order in our society, it is not very effective when it comes to preventing any form of corruption within the justice system itself. The criminal justice system has empowered corporations and authoritative people to break the law and get away with it.

- Throughout this research, it …

Why Does He Abuse/ Why Does She Stay?, Esmeralda Ramirez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Domestic violence is generally defined as the use or threat of physical, sexual or emotional force by a partner. This research examines when a partner starts to physically or mentally abuse their significant other. Often the abuser assures their victim “they won’t do it again” yet continues to abuse their partner. Many factors contribute to the reasons a victim stays in an abusive relationship. One of the reasons a victim stays is because they want their partner to change. Although the exact reason as to why an abuser starts to abuse cannot be determined, there are signs in a person’s …

Exploring How Sleep Affects Teens, Hope Jensen

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Teens need sleep, but it can be compromised as a result of busy daily schedules, technology, and sleep disorders that can affect sleep cycles. Sleep is vital to the human body and the mind. Without it, there can be problems. Technology can greatly impact a teen’s sleep schedule. The busy daily life of a teen can also impact sleep. Sleep is very important to a maturing teen’s body and brain, but research proved that it can be compromised during adolescent years. It is important for teens to understand what sleep is and how sleep works for the mind and the …

Nicotine: Electronic Cigarettes Use Among Adolescents, Jaden Melgoza

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

This research examines the chemical known as nicotine. Specifically, the popularity of electronic cigarettes, use of nicotine in adolescents, the possible e!ects of nicotine use among adolescents, and the possible negative outcomes that can derive from vaping and use of electronic cigarettes. This research also establishes the popularity of e-cigs and the epidemic of teen use in the current day. The shocking reality is that many kids are hooked on nicotine and it is a growing problem across the country.

Surgeon General Jerome Adams` ● More than 3.6 million U.S. youth have or use electronic cigarettes ● Believes nicotine should …

Child Abuse And Neglect, Gladys Martinez Cruz

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

This research focuses specifically on informing on one of the most problematic issues around the country: child abuse and neglect. In depth, it examines the types of child abuses, the risk factors, the signs and symptoms, and the consequences this issue brings to the victims. Seen in various forms such as neglect, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, child abuse is the intentional act of a parent/caretaker which results, or is likely to result, in physical injury to a child. This issue is important because several children are losing their lives, losing the opportunity of having a future.

● Young children …

The Discovery Of A Lifetime: Gravitational-Waves, Maria I Dominguez Barraza

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

This presentation offers an insight to one of the biggest discoveries made in science. The discovery of gravitational-waves had been a long journey to achieve for physicists and scientist. Now gravitational-waves are helping scientists study the universe in a more efficient way never seen before. The discovery of gravitational-waves is a sign that a new era of astronomy and physics is about to open doors for many scientists and astrophysicists.

● Gravitational-waves are energycarrying waves propagating through a gravitational field, produced when a massive body is accelerated or otherwise disturbed. ● Gravitational-waves prove the existence of Black Holes. ● Laser …

A Balance In Classroom Technology, Osvaldo Palma Vargas

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Looking through a historical, social, and psychological manner over the use of technology, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World envision the benefits and dangers of technology in society, the parallels to technology’s role in the classroom, and what the overall role technology in schools should be when it comes to how much power devices and tools should be given in a classroom. While both novels provide two sides of the argument over the endorsement or rejection of technology, it will be shown in Enhancing the Art & Science of Teaching with Technology by Sonny Magana & …

Effects Of Racial Oppression, Joana Reyes

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

During influential African-American movements, such as the Harlem Renaissance and Civil Rights, texts were created to illustrate oppression and one’s search for identity within that oppression. This is most notably presented in works such as Invisible Man and A Raisin in the Sun; they accurately depict racial and social-economical differences and the struggle of the characters to find both their place and society as well as their confidence as defined by their race. Through both literary works, each was able to describe and show how these individuals faced oppression. Therefore these two individuals were able to break away from the …

Opioids: The Epidemic, Jocelyn Covarrubias

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

The new epidemic in the United States is a storm of the most powerful classification of drugs: opioids. Opioids are one of the most helpful yet dangerously addictive painkillers in the world. Illegal prescriptions and street drugs like heroin have plummeted the United States into the worst drug epidemic in the last decade.

● Heroin is an illicit drug but Hydrocode, Codeine, Fentanyl, etc., are not. They all require a prescription written from a doctor. ● Illegal prescriptions have played a big part in this epidemic. In 2012 alone, 259 million prescriptions were written, That is more than enough for …

Low Income Families: The Struggles Of Living In America, Rianne Rodriguez

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

Living in America can be difficult at times. The amount of low income families is rising as years go on and no one seems to notice. Parents who have no college degree, low paying jobs with no benefits, or no job at all can make it difficult to provide for a family. Children also experience challenges of their own that their parents may not be aware of. Together a family can endure the hardship of being evicted from their home.

● Parents will often do odd jobs in order to make more money (Hill & Kauff, 2002, p. 3) ● …

Reality Check, Diego Almanza Zavala

Nebraska College Preparatory Academy: Senior Capstone Projects

There is much to discover when it comes to the development, process, and uses for augmented and virtual reality. This research analyzes a similar augmented reality device to a fictional counterpart called Augma. The investigation proceeds to examine the problems and challenges of augmented reality. Findings go in depth on the critical uses for virtual reality: medicine, games, empathy and fulfilling dreams. However, just like every other invention, there are challenges concerning the development of full-dive virtual reality. This project investigates how some experiments could be used to complete full-dive reality.

❏ Empathy is the ability to understand others and …

Safe At Home: My Journey From Student To Teacher, Elena Fregoso

CGU Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this ethnography is to examine my journey through my first full year teaching. The main subjects of this work are myself, along with my 10^th grade World History students from Monte Vista High School. Through an examination of my personal history, as well as interviews with students and their parents, I have traced my effectiveness as a first-year teacher, through my ability to meet each student’s needs, as well as the development of relationships with each of my three focus students. Through personal anecdotes and the examination of assessment data, I have tracked my student’s progress …

Putting Educational Reform Into Practice: The Impact Of The No Child Left Behind Act On Students, Teachers, And Schools, Timothy Song

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to investigate the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on U.S. student achievement and teacher effectiveness. By combining the results from various data sources, I am able to indicate the levels of student preparedness, school spending, and specific classroom practices. After an analysis of my results, I suggest that NCLB has found moderate success in increasing the level of math preparedness for younger students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds. On the other hand, the data also suggests that there have been no statistically significant gains in reading achievement after the implementation of NCLB. Additionally, spending …

Preservando Nuestra Lengua Materna: A Project Based Curriculum Created For High School Spanish For Native Speakers Class, Angela Tovar Alvarado

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

It is projected that by 2050, Latinos in the United States, who are a minority, will move to become a majority. With an increasing influx of Native Spanish speaking students in our schools, it is more than likely these students will take some type of Spanish class in their high school career. For many native Speakers, Spanish is their dominant the language, but the mechanics behind the language are unknown to them. In this paper, I review the literature on the history of Spanish language classes in the United States, and discuss how project-based learning (PBL) in the Spanish language …

Emergent Bilinguals And Academic Language Acquisition Through The Use Of Sentence Frames, Leah Clougherty

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Emergent bilinguals are a growing demographic in the United States, but little research has been completed on certain aspects of language acquisition, such as the commonly known practice of using sentence frames as a means for academic language acquisition in the middle school classroom. In order to learn more about practices being implemented within my own classroom and to add to the body of research on academic language acquisition, I analyzed the effectiveness of student writing with and without use of sentence frames within the existing curriculum in a pilot study utilizing a mixed methods approach.

Building Engagement Through Developing Students’ Sense Of Self-Control, Natalia Sanchez Gonzalez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Students who enter public schools in the United States in the latter part of their academic career may lack the English language proficiency or capital necessary to successfully participate in mainstream content courses. Students such as these, known as late arrivals, face even greater difficulties when they enter academic institutions that or not equipped to provide language supports that ensure students can access content. Arriving at a later age and grade level, places additional pressure on educators and students to enter mainstream language classrooms. With little control or access to be active participants in the new academic settings, these students …

Unspoken Barriers: An Autoethnographic Study Of Frustration, Resistance And Resilience, Rose M. Wake

The Qualitative Report

Immigration, cultural capital, cultural hybridity are the contributing players within my autoethnographic research as a second-generation daughter of southern Italian migrants from the post war era. This autobiography of my lived experience identifies contributing influences of arrested development within my educational and life trajectory and explores theoretical frameworks as key comparative indicators for my thwarted stages of psychosocial development. My identity and role as a female is further explored within the construct of a determined and culturally hybrid adolescence in an effort to answer research questions of identity and role confusion. My narratives situate my life as a daughter, student, …