Secondary Education Commons^™

Perspective Taking Through An Elementary Unit On Lewis And Clark, Ronald V. Morris

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

The teachers showed the perspectives students acquired through reading and comparing narratives. Teachers helped students work toward the common good in a democracy by helping the student to examine perspectives. In their reading and writing, they developed rich background and content about the experience. When students studied these explorers, the students developed an empathetic understanding for the hardships and sacrifices madeby the Corps of Discover as they traveled on this expedition. Student interest and motivation flowed into this project because they felt the problems as their own; they, therefore, were interested when they understood what it meant and found …

Advanced Placement (Ap) Computer Science Principles: Searching For Equity In A Two-Tiered Solution To Underrepresentation, Keith Howard, Douglas D. Havard

Journal of Computer Science Integration

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between students’ participation in the two high school AP computer science exam options and their selected fields of study once they enter post-secondary education. Two studies using national public-use datasets of participation and performance were conducted. Study 1 compared score distributions for the traditional Computer Science A exam to those of the newer Computer Science Principles exam during its first two years of implementation. In Study 1, Chi-square analyses revealed large differences in performance between the two exams, with the Computer Science Principles scores clustering more around marginal pass rates. …

All Advanced Placement (Ap) Computer Science Is Not Created Equal: A Comparison Of Ap Computer Science A And Computer Science Principles, Douglas D. Havard, Keith Howard

Journal of Computer Science Integration

This article compares the two most prominent courses of Advanced Placement (AP) computer science study offered throughout 9-12 grades in the U.S. The structure, guidelines, components, and exam formats of the traditional AP Computer Science A course and the relatively newer AP Computer Science Principles course were compared to examine differences in content and emphases. A depth-of-learning analysis was conducted employing Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy to examine potential differences in rigor and challenge represented by the two options, particularly as it relates to acquiring computer programming proficiency. Analyses suggest structural differences in both course content and end-of-course exam components likely result …

Extending The Challenge Of Problem-Based Learning, Jessica J. Sullivan

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

No abstract provided.

Using Publicly Available Genbank Data To Teach Plant Phylogeny In High School Classrooms, Madhav P. Nepal, Ethan J. Andersen

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this teaching module, students will learn about NCBI GenBank, search for DNA/protein sequences from multiple plant species of a gene that encodes Rubisco enzyme, construct and interpret a phylogenetic tree, and discuss traits that allowed plants to adapt their life on land.

Dropped Into Battle: Transitioning To Middle School, Vikki Wandmacher

The Qualitative Report

Early adolescence is the beginning of huge changes that eventually move humans from children to adults. One important transition during this time is moving from elementary into middle school. This paper explores my own memories of transitioning from a two-room elementary to a large three-story middle school and the difficulties I encountered. Through the use of the autoethnographical process, I explore my complex relationship as both a middle school student and a middle school principal to this phase of development. Writing the autoethnography allowed for an assessment of my own transition, while also affording the opportunity to reflect these memories …

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.

Data Diving Into “Noticing Poetry”: An Analysis Of Student Engagement With The “I Notice” Method, Scot Slaby, Jordan Benedict

Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education

This paper explores students’ engagement in reading poems, examining data on their self perceptions of their confidence and competence in reading poems before, during, and after using the “I Notice” methodology as adapted from The Academy of American Poets’ unit plan, “Noticing Poetry” (Slaby, 2017). The data was collected over the course of a month from January 9 through January 30, 2018 and involved five classes of one hundred general English tenth grade students across three teachers’ classrooms at Shanghai American School’s Puxi High School Campus. Data indicates that the “I Notice” method and the “Noticing Poetry” unit and its …

The Transition Experiences Of High Achieving High School Students From Secondary Education To College : A Case Study, Lori Christine Lachowsky

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative multiple case study explored the experiences of eight students as they transitioned from high school to college. Eight students from an urban high school in the southern United States agreed to participate in this study. Participants were high-achieving students, 18 years of age, who participated in a teacher preparation class and took the MSLQ for a class project during the last semester of their senior year of high school. The researcher collected and triangulated data to ensure reliability: archival MSLQ scores from the participants’ senior year, open-ended interviews after the participants’ first year of college, document review of …

Finding Aid For Elsie Green Dement Papers, (1928-1934), Elsie Beatrice Green Dement

Elsie Beatrice Green Dement Papers

Finding aid for the Elsie Green Dement Papers, (1928-1934).

Technology Integration Experiences And Perceptions Of Southeastern Secondary Teachers, Candace M. Pattman

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This research examined secondary southeastern teachers’ experiences and perceptions of technology integration in the classroom. Two research questions guided this study: What are the experiences of South Carolina secondary high school teachers in technology-equipped classrooms? How do secondary high school teachers in southeastern schools perceive the process of integrating technology in their daily lessons? The study was conducted using the conceptual framework of Bruner (1961), Dewey (1910), Piaget (1970), and Vygotsky (1978). Constructivism suggests that individuals construct their knowledge and meaning through their experiences. Eight purposefully selected secondary teachers who used technology integration in their classrooms more than once participated …

Standardizing Facilitator Development For Exploring Computer Science Professional Development, Steven Mcgee, John Wachen, Lucia Dettori, Don Yanek, Faythe Brannon, Andrew M. Rasmussen, Dale F. Reed, Ronald I. Greenberg

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

A key strategy for broadening CS participation

in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has been the enactment

of a high school CS graduation requirement. The Exploring

Computer Science (ECS) curriculum and professional development

(PD) program serve as a core foundation for supporting

enactment of this policy. The CAFE´CS researcher-practitioner

partnership provides support for ECS implementation in CPS.

An important part of the sustainability of the ECS PD model in

CPS is the development of local workshop facilitators. Potential

facilitators have generally been selected based on the CAFE´CS

team’s personal familiarity with active ECS teachers. Once

selected, teachers engage in a …

Perspectives Of Student Dis/Engagement In Youth Attending An Alternative School As Viewed Through A Lens Of Respect And Relationships, Daniel Vallee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study enlists the voices of youth attending an Alternative School in a small town in Western Canada to further theorize what it means to be dis/engaged with/from school. Findings suggest that school relationships with both staff and peers are key to understanding student dis/engagement, and that relationships are understood in terms of their degree of respect or un/fairness.

Morris High School: A Biography, Naomi Sharlin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Morris High School was conceived and built in the Bronx with a lofty mission: to provide a comprehensive, world-class secondary education to the children of immigrant and working-class families, and in so doing to elevate the American public education system and America itself. Such a weighty mission for an institution would result, one could expect, in painstaking record keeping, the lionization of great leaders, consistent investment in the building, and attention given to problems encountered or created over the years. And yet, the life of Morris High School remains elusive. Key figures in its story are lost to obscurity like …

Comparing The College Persistence Of Dual-Enrolled 11th And 12th Grade High School Students Based On Gender And Mode Of Course Delivery, Joseph Lawrence Depenhart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine if a statistically significant relationship exists between the level of postsecondary persistence (DV) of dual-enrolled students based on student gender (IV) and the mode of course delivery (IV). This study used Tinto’s and Bean’s Student Integration Theories to explain how gender and participation in the different modes of course delivery in a dual-enrollment program affects the college persistence of 11th and 12th grade high school students as measured using the College Persistence Questionnaire (CPQ). This study examined the relationship between a student’s gender and mode of course delivery and the …

Guilty By Association: A Critical Analysis Of How Imprisonment Affects The Children Of Those Behind Bars, Whitney Q. Hollins

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As 2.2 million individuals in the United States are currently incarcerated and an additional 5 million are under some form of correctional surveillance, the push for prison reform has reached new heights. Intimately and inextricably connected to mass incarceration and the push for its reform (and in some cases abolition) are the children have been impacted by incarceration. About half of the individuals currently incarcerated are parents to at least one child under the age of 18. Current estimates suggest that 2.7 million children currently have an incarcerated parent and that 10 million children in the United States have experienced …

Rural Adolescent Education Reframed: Can Social Justice, Lewin’S Topology, And Aesthetics Aid Reform Efforts?, Judith F. Upjohn

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The aim of this thesis is to describe and analyze how changes in classroom-level conditions can help underperforming students thrive despite established school structures that discriminate against and exclude those students from learning opportunities.

Every year, millions of US public school students fail to graduate high school (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2018), despite numerous ongoing education reform efforts (Berkshire & Schneider, n.d.; Strauss, 2017). A large percentage of these students attend rural schools (Arnold, Newman, Gaddy, & Dean, 2005; Status of Rural Education, 2018). The rural conditions of adolescent students adversely affect their educational performance and achievement (Howley …

The Challenge Of Teaching In Urban Schools: A Dialogue With New York City Mathematics Teachers, Martin S. Wilson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation I seek to examine and expose the world of teaching, and particularly the world of teaching mathematics in public middle schools and high schools in New York City. These schools are administered by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) which each year is responsible for the education of over one million students. In this research I aim to help participants and connected others better understand the work that teachers do in these schools. I also intend to make meaning from watching, working with, and listening to the people who work there. I examine what teachers …

Examining Science Learning And Attitude By At-Risk Students After They Used A Multimedia-Enriched Problem-Based Learning Environment, Min Liu, Sa Liu, Zilong Pan, Wenting Zou, Chenglu Li

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Most of the previous problem-based learning (PBL) studies have been conducted with gifted or regular education students and have shown successes. However, little research on PBL exists for disadvantaged middle school students, especially students who are considered to be at risk of failing academically. In this study, we examined the use of a multimedia-enriched PBL science environment by at-risk middle school students. The results, using a mixed-methods design, showed that these students significantly improved their science knowledge and attitude toward science after they engaged in PBL learning. While there were no differences in the scores between the genders, the gain …

Climate Change Within A Biome, Tyone Kruse, Lisa Forcier, Madhav P. Nepal, Larry B. Browning, Matthew L. Miller, P. Troy White

iLEARN Teaching Resources

In this iLEARN lesson, students will investigate impacts of climate change on the native plants and animals, as well as the fisheries, agriculture, and forestry, within a biome of their choosing, and then develop and refine a solution for one of the impacts resulting from the climate change.

Implementing New Strategies In Flan 312: Pedagogies In Foreign Language Teaching, Valerie Morgan

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

FLAN 312 is a pedagogy course that will be offered during the semester system as WLL 3112. The ACUE course provided evidence-based teaching practices which were examined to improve on FLAN 312 as the campus transitions to a semester system. Several strategies were tested in class or developed for subsequent classes. They include aligning assignments with learning objectives and creating transparent assignments, developing rubrics and checklists, and using large group activities to encourage collaboration and discussions.

Teacher Learning And Continuous Professional Development., Fiona Faulkner, John Kenny, Coral Campbell, Cosette Crisan

Books/Book Chapters

This chapter discusses teacher learning and professional development of out-of-field teachers from the point of view of the literature. It examines what makes this kind of learning and development effective and explores the ideas surrounding the varying rationale for the introduction of such teacher learning and professional development opportunities. Classical approaches to professional development are discussed in addition to several emerging international models of professional development that are currently being employed in the Republic of Ireland, England and Australia for in-service out-of-field teachers of mathematics predominantly but also a range of other subject disciplines (in the case of South Korea). …

Fast Track To Excellence: Impact Of English I Acceleration On Gifted Learners' Academic Achievement And Course Selection At The Secondary Level, Camey Whitt

Education Dissertations and Projects

Academic acceleration, sometimes referred to as “appropriate developmental placement” (Lubinski & Benbow, 2000, p. 138), is a differentiation practice providing academically gifted students with opportunities to learn curriculum more quickly. The research study was a mixed method experimental design where the evaluator examined two dependent variables in the study: academic performance and scheduling choices of academically gifted students. The independent variable was the intervention put into place for academically gifted students at the middle school: accelerated English I. The study compared AIG students who accelerated the English I class with those who did not in order to isolate whether or …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Mindfulness Practice Through The Lived Experiences Of Secondary Educators, Karen H. Styers

Education Dissertations and Projects

Teacher burnout and stress are at an all-time high. The teaching profession is reported to be one of the most stressful occupations, especially in 21st century learning environments. The researcher discovered mindfulness and was amazed how this practice allowed her to “breathe” through the difficult and challenging moments. Inspired by her own mindfulness practice, the researcher wanted to discover if mindfulness was as powerful a tool to other mindfulness teachers and educators. This phenomenological investigation explored the lived experiences of 11 secondary educators who self-identify as mindfulness practitioners. Through carefully constructed open-ended questions, the researcher was able to delve into …

Parental Involvement And Access: A Phenomenological Study Of Urban High School Communities, Jared Thompson

Education Dissertations and Projects

In an urban school district, four high schools were studied in an effort to assess how Epstein’s (2001) six types of involvement were currently being experienced by parents. In a phenomenological study, this research gathered data on how parents of secondary students are currently experiencing their involvement with the high school. The research gathered quantitative and qualitative data from 443 parents through the use of a survey and focus group sessions over the course of 4 weeks. Parents expressed their current experiences with how they engage with the school concerning parenting practices, communication, learning at home, volunteering, decision-making, and collaborating …

The Perceived Impact Of Relational Care On The Psychological Growth Of African-American Males In An Alternative Educational Program In South Carolina, Robert Smalls

Education Dissertations and Projects

Alternative schools/programs are prevalent throughout this country; however, some struggle to meet the holistic needs of the students. Many alternative schools in this country are disproportionately populated by children of color. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how alternative education teachers in an urban school district in South Carolina embody the ethics of care to support the psychological growth of the students. Second, the study sought to understand the perceived influence of caring on student motivation and behavior. Using criterion sampling, the student population consisted of five African-American males who received their education in an alternative school …