Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

The Relationship Between Middle School Cognitive Abilities Test And High School Advanced Placement Exam Scores, Kathy Marie Daniel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Advanced Placement (AP) is a College Board program that offers a college-level curriculum to high school students. AP has expanded dramatically in recent years, and with noted program benefits accruing to successful participants, the issue of equity has become a concern. When identified early, students who have potential to be successful in AP courses could obtain the preparation necessary to excel academically in courses that have an impact on college admissions and outcomes. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine if a relationship exists between 6th grade CogAT composite, verbal, and quantitative battery scores and 12th grade AP …

Master Teachers As Instructional Leaders: An Instrumental Case Study, Deborah Renee Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand the role of the master teacher as an instructional leader in South Carolina schools implementing the System for Teacher and Student Advancement, formerly known as the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP). This qualitative study sought to explain the role of the master teacher, how the master teacher assumes the role of an instructional leader, what support is provided by the master teacher, what issues master teachers face as instructional leaders as well as how the master teacher enhances the school environment. The focal participant in this study was a SC TAP …

Expanding Intersectionality: Fictive Kinship Networks As Supports For The Educational Aspirations Of Black Women, Daniella Ann Cook, Tiffany J. Williams

Faculty Publications

In this article, we use the concepts o f fictive kinship networks (Cook, 2011; Fordham, 1996; Stack, 1974) and intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1991) to explore the deeply embedded attitudes found in certain religious doctrine about the value o f education for Black females and how these beliefs shape the educational aspirations o f Black females. Especially for Black women from more conservative, religious backgrounds, we identify fictive kinship networks as important to creating the vital emotional, spiritual and intellectual spaces necessary to imagine and explore educational possibilities. As an important protective factor, a fundamental function of fictive kin relationships is the …

Training Together: State Policy And Collective Participation In Early Educator Professional Development, Anne Douglass, Alice Carter, Frank Smith, Sherri Killins

New England Journal of Public Policy

This study used one state’s early care and education work-force registry and professional development attendance data to examine early educator patterns of professional development participation and the extent of collective participation. The article presents the concept of collective participation in professional development, discusses its potential benefits, and highlights the utility of statewide digital tracking of early educators’ patterns of professional development for informing policy. Results show that collective participation is uncommon in early education and care but can be increased through professional development policy decisions. The article concludes with implications for research and policy.

Learning To Teach For Social Justice: Context And Progressivism At Bank Street In The 1930’S, Jaime Grinberg, Katia Paz Goldfarb

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

This is a historical case study of the role of contexts in the education of progressive teachers and learning to advance social justice through teaching. The case focuses on how progressive education, progressive schools, and progressive ideas in the US, primarily during the 1930’s influenced a very distinctive program, The Cooperative School for Teachers, which became Bank Street College of Education, in New York City. And in turn how this program came to influence what progressive teacher education could be about. This paper addresses how students at Bank Street developed a sense of relationship between the need to understand and …

Principal Leadership: Communication, Support, Management, And Evaluation In Literacy Education In Michigan Elementary Reward Schools Beating The Odds, Jason Michael Surian

Dissertations

This instrumental case study investigated the instructional leadership role that elementary school principals play in shaping literacy instruction in schools designated as “Reward Schools” through the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) accountability system, explicitly those schools noted as, Beating the Odds; i.e. outperforming predicted student achievement based on school and student demographic variables. The study looks specifically at the principal’s knowledge and application of literacy instruction, his/her mental model for the school’s literacy program, and his or her leadership of the school’s literacy program. The study examined these characteristics of principal leadership in literacy instruction through staff communications, literacy …

Cómo Mejorar Las Clases De Idioma Para Los Estudiantes Introvertidos, Katie Burba

World Languages and Cultures

The intent of this project is to research and observe how current language teaching techniques could be improved to better accommodate introverted students. One third of the population identifies as introverted, yet language classes are obviously designed for extroverted students. Introverted students have unique learning styles that are being overlooked, and this project aims to create options that would improve introvert’s language acquisition.

This project consists in three parts: first, an observation of identified introverts and extroverts in beginning and intermediate language classes at Cal Poly. I kept an informal journal on what is working and what isn’t working for …

Orchestrating Mathematical Discussions: A Novice Teacher's Implementation Of Five Practices To Develop Discourse Orchestration In A Sixth-Grade Classroom, Jeffrey Stephen Young

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study examined my attempts during a six-lesson unit of instruction to implement five practices developed by Stein, Engle, Smith, and Hughes (2008) to assist novice teachers in orchestrating meaningful mathematical discussions, a component of inquiry-based teaching and learning. These practices are anticipating student responses to a mathematical task, monitoring student responses while they engage with the task, planning which of those responses will be shared, planning the sequence of that sharing, and helping students make connections among student responses. Although my initial anticipations of student responses were broad and resulted in unclear expectations during lesson planning, I …

National Board Certification: The Perceived Value And Renewal Rates Of California National Board Certified Teachers, Beverly Johnson Bricker

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

National Board Certification (NBC) offers the highest certification possible to teachers who can meet the rigorous standards of this process. This certification develops reflective practitioners through a series of components designed to be used in authentic settings with students. Previous research shows the value of employing National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) for raising student achievement, creating teacher leaders, and developing a reflective culture in schools. Increasing the number of NBCTs could have a profound impact in our schools. This study explored the renewal rates and the perceived value of California NBCTs who certified in 2005 & 2006 using a survey …

Essay: "“Never The ‘Twain Shall Meet: Disorienting East And West In Teaching And Scholarship.", James Mark Shields

Other Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

How Instructional Strategies Engaged Fourth Graders In Math Learning, Ryan Wallace Patrie

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of fourth-grade learners in a math classroom, how fourth graders express their interest and desire to learn math, and how different instructional strategies influence that interest and desire. The participants for this study were all fourth graders enrolled at a rural school district in Maine that serves approximately 1,200 learners in grades pre-kindergarten through Grade 6. Fifteen fourth graders provided the data to determine student perceptions on how they engage in math instruction. The findings of this study indicate strong relationships between instructional strategies and the self-determination theory of …

Dyad Reading Experiences Of Second-Grade English Learners With Fiction And Nonfiction Texts, Michelle Lynn Klvacek

Theses and Dissertations

Dyad reading, a modified version of the Neurological Impress Method, does not seem to be widely used, although it appears to have the potential to support students at multiple levels of reading proficiency. Dyad reading was implemented in this study with two second-grade English Learners (ELs) paired with English-proficient partners using both fiction and nonfiction texts. This qualitative study employed an action research method, using the following data sources: video observations, student interviews, weekly dyad observations, anecdotal notes, and weekly written reflections.

This study reveals that implementing dyad reading is complex. Participants needed modeling and practice with dyad reading procedures, …

A Phenomenological Study Of Facebook Messages From Female Friends To Middle School Girls And The Multi-Dimensional Effect On Self-Esteem, Eileen Elizabeth Hegel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study investigated positive and negative Facebook messages from female friends to middle school girls and the multi-dimensional effect on self-esteem. This study also examined what role these messages play in female friendships. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit nine participants, 13 years old, the minimum age to have a Facebook account or 14 years old, in the 7th or 8th grade in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Gilligan's theory of moral development underpinned this study. Data collection included a descriptive survey, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, semi-structured interviews, journals, and site artifacts. The questions framing the …

Best Learning And Study Strategy Predictors Of Gpa For Vocational Adult And Traditional Learners, Lachelle M. Rosenbaum

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Vocational education has gained support and endorsement from the Obama Administration as a way to advance the American public in economic and social prosperity in this coming age. Time and resources are crucial as traditional and adult learners seek the skills they need for competitive employment. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the predictive relationship between learning and study strategies and academic performance (GPA) among first semester vocational adult learners and vocational traditional learners. The participants for this study were selected from a convenience sample of vocational college students at a northwestern, rural, four-year college with an …

Designing For Mistrust, Eric Gossett

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

The 2014 ACM North Central Region programming contest contained a problem about a group of v bandits who want to use multiple locks to seal their treasure and distribute keys in such a way that no group of less than m bandits can open all the locks. The problem asks for an algorithm that will determine the number of locks needed for any set of parameters (v, m). I will present an analytic solution that produces a minimum number of locks, a recurrence relation solution, and a constructive algorithm that can print out a table showing the …

The Mathematics Of Evolution, Steven R. Lay

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

Like many universities, Lee University has a non-major’s course for liberal arts students. The course typically includes a potpourri of topics: logical thinking, scientific notation, linear functions, estimation, and probability. At Lee, we have found a way to conclude the course that applies these varied topics to an issue designed to engage student interest and promote critical thinking. We have developed a series of three lessons on “The Mathematics of Evolution.” The first lesson is on radiometric dating. The second lesson is on the origin and progression of life. And the third lesson deals with the nature of the DNA …

A Triune Philosophy Of Mathematics, Dusty Wilson

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

What is mathematics and is it discovered or invented? The Humanist, Platonist, and Foundationalist each provide answers. But are the options within the philosophy of mathematics so limited? Rather than viewing and describing mathematics in a mutually exclusive manner, each of these approaches includes components of truth from a greater triune philosophy of mathematics. This talk will introduce this inclusive triune paradigm through which to explore fundamental questions about mathematics.

Software Engineering I: Teaching Challenges, Paul C. Grabow

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

The term software engineering can be traced to the late 1960s in response to large-scale, software development problems. Since then it has evolved as a discipline, both within industry and the academy. There have been distinct educational successes: “Standard practice” has matured (and found its way into more textbooks),the ACM and IEEE Computer Society have published curriculum guidelines, computer science programs commonly offer at least one software engineering course, and software engineering degrees (undergraduate or graduate) are more common. However, software engineering still presents a challenge. The term itself has become contorted by companies (and society in general); software has …

Mystery Of The Infinite: Developing A Mathematically Based Summer Scholars Program, Christopher Micklewright

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

For the past two years, the Templeton Honors College, at Eastern University, has been conducting a Summer Scholars Program for high school students. The program, which has offered courses in a variety of topics, brings students to campus for an intensive residential program, coupled with pre-program and post-program work, for which students can earn college credit. In summer 2014, I helped to develop a mathematically based course, to include rigorous study of discrete mathematics, as well as a variety of lectures and extracurricular activities integrating faith and philosophy with mathematics. In this presentation, I will give an overview of the …

The Best Religious Calendar, Andrew Simoson

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

Many religions have deep roots in the rhythms of the moon. And ever since at least the fifth century BC man has known that the moon repeats itself every n = 19 years. Is this integer valuen the best of all choices?Easter follows such a calendar. We briefly show that 19 is second best. And then we run time backwards, and give a rationale as to why a certain species of cicada has a life cycle of 17 years. The answer involves the moon, the Farey series, and Kepler’s laws of motion.

Math, God And Politics—A Fight Over Geometry In 19th Century Italy, Donna Pierce

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

In 1839 a polemic, reminiscent of the Renaissance public challenges over mathematical problems, was issued by the leader of the synthetic school of geometry, Vincent Flauti, to the analytical school, headed by Fortunato Padula. Three geometric problems were proposed, all carefully chosen to guarantee a victory for the synthetic school. The judges were from the Royal Academy of Sciences, men also favorable to the synthetic method. Why then did the analytics take up this challenge, and who were the real victors? This was not just a fight over the ‘correct’ way to do geometry, it was a fight over politics, …

Experiencing A Paradigm Shift: Teaching Statistics Through Simulation-Based Inference, Dave Klanderman, Mandi Maxwell, Nathan Tintle

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

For decades, statistics has been taught as an application of formulas, making use of normal and other distributions, and relying heavily on algebraic skills of students, in short, emphasizing mathematical thinking. More recently, several textbook author teams have published statistics books that place an increased emphasis on simulation and randomization methods, and a corresponding decreased emphasis on the algebraic manipulation in formulas (e.g., Lock et al., 2012; Tintle et al., 2015) as a way to encourage better statistical thinking.This session describes simulation-based inference curricula more fully, reports on the necessary steps towards implementation of such an approach, and provides both …

On Random Numbers And God’S Nature, James Bradley

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

I start with mathematical Platonism, an ancient stream of thought that views numbers as transcending physical reality. I join this to recent insights into mathematical randomness from theoretical computer science. Joining these streams – one ancient, one recent – yields the surprising conclusion that randomness, defined in a particular way, is part of the nature of God. I then explore some of the implications of this conclusion for our understanding of the doctrine of God’s infinitude.

Parables To A Mathematician, Melvin Royer

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

Jesus frequently used parables in His ministry, usually short narratives illustrating the outcomes of people’s choices. In John 3:12 and Matthew 13:10-15, He explained that one reason was to be sure that people who genuinely wanted to understand His message would be able to do so. Since most of His audience was familiar with an agrarian economy, Jesus spoke extensively of wheat, fish, trees, wine, debt, tenants, lamps, etc. Many people have speculated on parables Jesus might have used had He lived in a different society. This non-scholarly (but hopefully thought-provoking) talk will propose parables targeted toward groups of mathematicians …

God: One, Daniel Kiteck

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

I see the most mathematically significant verse as Deut. 6:4 where God says He is ONE. (And I don’t believe that it is an accident that the greatest commandment to love God with all we are immediately follows.) What is the concept of “one” in relationship to God? Is God dependent on the concept of “one?” What if “one” is ultimately always a comparison going back to God? God is also commonly viewed as infinite. How is this connected to our understanding of the mathematical continuum? Could this help us see how God is foundational both to discrete and continuous …

The Math Olympian, By Richard Hoshino. A Review, Moriah Magcalas, Kyle Spyksma

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

This presentation will be a review of the novel The Math Olympian written by ACMS member Richard Hoshino.

Mathematics Without Apologies: A Portrait Of A Problematic Vocation By Michael Harris. A Review, Jeremy Case

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

The subtitle of Mathematics without Apologies by Michael Harris is a “Portrait of a Problematic Vocation,”and that problematic vocation involves pure mathematics. What do pure mathematicians do, and why should they do it? Harris critiques the usual answers of truth, beauty, and potential applications as he gives a contemporary revision of G.H. Hardys’ A Mathematicians Apology. Described as a post-post-modern book, Mathematics without Apologies provides a cultural, sociological, philosophical and psychological landscape of the profession and the life of a mathematician. We will explore whether a romantic view of the profession satisfactorily answers the questions and how it might …

The Remarkable Mrs. Somerville, Richard Stout

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

As a woman growing up in the late eighteenth century, Mary Somerville (1780-1872) was denied access to most formal education and getting a university education was completely out of the question. Yet her interests in nature, science, and mathematics, coupled with an intense curiosity and tenacious desire to learn led her to eventually be known and respected by scientists, mathematicians, and intellectuals in both Britain and France. She is one of the important woman in the history of mathematics, even though she did not publish original work. However, she was a talented writer, producing several significant works, including Mechanism of …

Ten Mathematicians Who Recognized God’S Hand In Their Work, Dale L. Mcintyre

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

Scottish philosopher David Hume (1711-1776) once observed that

“Whoever is moved by faith to assent to [the Christian religion], is conscious of a continued miracle in his own person, which subverts all the principles of his understanding, and gives him a determination to believe what is most contrary to custom and experience.” [Hume]

Evidently Humes cynical pronouncement did not apply to Euler, Cauchy, Cantor, and other profound thinkers who believed God had commissioned and equipped them to glorify Him in their pursuit of truth through mathematics And based on their extraordinary achievements the principles of their understanding do not appear …

Home Primes And Foreign Primes, Nicholas Zoller

ACMS Conference Proceedings 2015

Home primes and foreign primes are produced by a simple recipe that blends prime factorizations with recursion. The home prime of a positive integer n is formed by concatenating the prime factors of n in non-decreasing order. If the resulting integer is prime, then we have found the home prime of n. If not, then we repeat the process as many times as needed to obtain a prime. For instance, 35 = 5·7. After concatenation, we have 57 = 3·19, which is followed by 319 = 11·29, which is followed by 1129, which is prime. Thus, the home prime …