Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons^™

Baby Sign's Developmental Benefits, Alaina Ramstad

Graduate Teacher Education

In the past few decades, the use of intentional gesture to communicate with infants, known as Infant Sign or Baby Sign, has jumped in popularity as a means to get infants communicating earlier in life (Barnes, 2010). Baby Sign has been adopted into many families, care centers, and schools with a strong focus on the potential language benefits to be found in its use (Seal & DePaolis, 2014; Kirk, Howlett, Pine & Fletcher, 2013). This paper sought to discover what, if any, other developmental benefits could be gained for infants through the use of Baby Sign. A synthesis of current …

An Examination Of The Roles Of Classroom Quality And Approaches To Learning On The Early Academic Skills Of Latino Dual Language Learners Enrolled In Head Start, Marcela A. Galicia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examined the relationship between classroom quality, approaches-to-learning, and early academic skills among 384 Latino dual language learners (DLLs) enrolled in Florida Head Start programs. The children were living in low-income homes where Spanish was the primary language spoken by at least one parent. The study analyzed the extent to which approaches-to-learning behaviors moderate early literacy and numeracy skills in Head Start classrooms of varying quality. During the spring of their prek-4 year, the children were administered the English and Spanish Letter-Word Identification and Applied Problems subtests of the WJ-III (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) and the Batería III …

Transforming Professional Development For Today's Educational Environment, Amy L. Geurkink-Coats, Richard A. Regina

Dissertations

Professional development is vital to education. It provides an opportunity for continued growth and learning for educators throughout their career. While teachers earn credentials and certification through a university, professional development is intended to hone skills and help teachers evolve in an ever-changing landscape. The changing landscape may involve technology, generational needs, or broader societal interests. This research is an analysis of the implementation of transformational professional development in one large suburban Midwestern school district and one large Midwestern high school in another district. It analyzes data regarding professional development and examines literature that studies teacher participation, attitudes, and transfer …

Expanding World Views And Supporting Intercultural Competence: A Model For Understanding, Assessment And Growth For Teacher Educators, Shauna M. Adams, Rochonda L. Nenonene, Pamela Cross Young, Novea A. Mcintosh

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Intentional efforts for teacher education candidates to expand their worldview throughout their program of study can lead to growth in their intercultural development as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) (Hammer & Bennett, 1998). This study examines the impact of utilizing the Inter-Cultural Action Plan (ICAP), a results-guided self-designed action plan, on the developmental orientation (Bennett, 2011) of the candidate’s intercultural development as measured by the IDI. Significant impact on a candidate’s developmental orientation is identified when candidates take ownership of their experiences in the form of an action plan that includes coursework and out of class opportunities.

Student And Teacher Perceptions Of Math Workstations In A Third-Grade Classroom, Katie Norwood

Masters of Education in Teaching and Learning

Math workstations can offer teachers an outlet to differentiate instruction in the math classroom in order to better meet student needs. The purpose of this study was to discover how students and the teacher in a third-grade classroom felt about using math workstations. Specifically, the researcher wanted to discover whether or not the students and teacher participants enjoyed using math workstations and whether or not they felt math workstations helped students’ understanding of mathematical concepts. The researcher collected data through student surveys, student and teacher interviews, and observations. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method to help the researcher …

Assessment Of Children As Confident And Involved Learners In Early Childhood Education And Care: Literature Review, Dan Cloney, Jen Jackson, Pru Mitchell

Early Childhood Education

This literature review is one of a series of reviews to support Victorian early childhood professionals to assess children’s learning and development in relation to the five Learning and Development Outcomes in the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). This literature review documents the research that underpins and defines learning for children from birth to eight years, and outlines children’s trajectory as confident and involved learners. The resource aims to equip early childhood professionals with the knowledge to identify and assess children’s progress towards the VEYLDF Outcome: 'Children are confident and involved learners'.

Building Teachers’ Emotional Competence: A Transactional Training Model, Caroline Fulton

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Classrooms are complex entities, where the emotions of students and teachers interact to influence learning, relationships, and students’ social emotional development. Teachers’ understanding of emotional processes within the classroom is critical to effective teaching, promotion of healthy child development, and attaining desired learning outcomes. Further, emotions have powerful consequences for teachers themselves. They affect teachers’ well-being, self-efficacy, and ultimately whether teachers remain in the profession or not. Therefore, teachers need skills to recognize and respond to emotional experiences in the classroom. In the present research project a set of emotional competences relevant to educational practices were developed. These competencies include …

Exploratory Application Of A Sensory Activity Schedule In Head Start Preschool, Marian Perez, Elaine Wong, Michelle Perryman

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Objective: The objective of this research is to determine whether the implementation of sensory activity schedule in a preschool classroom can increase the on-task behaviors of the students.

Methods: Three students were recruited to participate in a quantitative multiple single subject design with qualitative follow-up study. The participants performed sensorimotor activities before circle time and were monitored for frequency of their off-task behavior using a time sampling frequency data collection. Afterwards, the head teacher was interviewed to discuss the experience.

Results: Off-task behavior decreased from baseline on all three children, which supports the efficacy of sensory activity schedule in reducing …

Teaching Basic Cryptography Concepts Using Braille And Large Print Manipulatives, Jason Martin

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The scope of this article is to describe the creation and implementation of specialized adaptations used in teaching the subject of basic cryptography to students who are visually impaired or blind. Included is an overview of events held for visually impaired and blind transition age youth in Alabama and the methods used to engage this population in the subject of computer science. Teaching strategies utilized for this unique demographic of students are discussed as they relate to the sample cryptography lessons used during the transition day events. The construction of three forms of adapted ciphers are described in addition to …

Making 3d Laser Cut Stratigraphic Audio-Responsive Tactile Templates, Michael A. Kolitsky

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

The geologic method of stratigraphy which studies the structure of the earth by making layers was employed with 3D laser cutting techniques to make more easily defined tactile regions in templates of cells, tissues and anatomic regions containing muscles and bones. Templates were made audio responsive by hand-drilling a small hole in a template and filling that hole with conductive electric paint. A finger touch to the template top side now carries a charge similar to an electric circuit to the template bottom side resting on the surface of an iPad or iPad Pro where an audio button produces audio …

Teacher-Parent Relationship Building, Alana R. Bray

Honors College Theses

Problems can develop when clashes with culture or daily schedules occur and when communication skills breakdown. In order to build relationships with parents/guardians, teachers must develop the necessary skills to overcome those possible challenges. Teacher education programs should design more successful models to prepare future teachers for relationship building.

Effects Of A Spanish Phonological Awareness Intervention On Latino Preschoolers' Dual Language Emergent Literacy Skills, Xigrid T. Soto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Young children’s emergent literacy skills, particularly phonological awareness (PA) and alphabet knowledge (AK), are two of the strongest predictors of future reading skill. There is limited research evaluating the effectiveness of emergent literacy interventions on the dual language PA and AK skills of at-risk Latino preschoolers who are Dual Language Learners (DLLs). The bulk of existing interventions are conducted only in English. There is preliminary evidence supporting that DLL Latino children benefit from Spanish PA and AK instruction; however, few studies include preschool-aged children.

This study applied a multiple probe design across units of instruction to evaluate the effects of …

Language Matters: What Are The Primary School Teachers' Perspectives And Lived Experiences Of Burundi's Language Policy?, Leah Passauer

Capstone Collection

Burundi is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Burundian language policy dictates that four languages, Kirundi, French, English, and Kiswahili, must be taught starting in the second trimester of grade one. The language policy decision is not an obvious one since the country is linguistically homogenous, meaning that almost the entire population speaks Kirundi as their first language. Primary school teachers in the public education system typically receive training in a vocational setting that may not fully prepare them for the complex multilingual classroom environment they are expected to cultivate. The aim of this small-scale mixed-methods …

When Crayons Meet Tibetan Living Room Walls: Early Childhood In Exile, Emma Hart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study aims to understand early childhood caregiving among Tibetan refugees living in Nepal. Due to the brain’s enormous developmental plasticity from ages zero to three, children’s experiences during this period are extremely important to explaining their future learnings in school, interactions with people, and engagements with their surroundings. Through interviews and observations, Tibetan parents shared their conceptions of early childhood, parent-child interaction norms, dreams for their children, and how their status as refugees in Nepal affects these. Research was conducted in two Pokhara district Tibetan settlements and one settlement in Mustang. Connected by the flow of children and adults …

Overview Of The 2018 Inclusion In Science, Learning A New Direction, Conference On Disability (Island), Cary A. Supalo, Jasodhara Bhattacharya, Daniel Steinberg

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Creating Communities Of Learning: Engaging Through Project-Based Learning, Monica Nudd, Thomas Huntress

Andrews University Teaching and Learning Conference

Join us for a hands-on session designed for K-8th grade educators where you will practice methods and receive tools that will help you facilitate project-based learning in your classroom. Learn how to connect your learners through engaging them in collaborative activities that meet the standards. Assessment will be part of this engaging session and resources will be available with ready-to-go lessons.

Parent And Teacher Perceptions About What Leads To Mastery In Reading At Classical Charter Schools In Texas, Brittany Kretz

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Throughout the United States and in the State of Texas there are high percentages of students who are not reading at grade level. This study looked at the activities done at home by families of students who scored above grade level on the Third Grade Reading STAAR from classical charter schools. In this quantitative study, a survey was given to the parents of fourth-grade students and the teachers of elementary students. The families used in the study were from classical charter schools located in Texas. The literature review discusses the curriculum used in classical schools and how reading is taught. …

From The Co-Editors..., Todd Pagano, Sami Kahn

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Power To Change: Math As A Social-Emotional Language In A Classroom Of 4 And 5 Year Olds, Elinor J. Albin, Gretchen Vice

Occasional Paper Series

Tells the story of how mathematics influenced a long term investigation around feeling powerful within an early childhood classroom. Written by Early Childhood Teacher, Elinor J. Albin, and Dean of Faculty, Gretchen Vice, this essay outlines the guiding questions by which teachers at The Advent School in Boston, MA connect mathematics to overarching themes and social-emotional learning. “Power to Change” concludes with observations about how and why mathematics provided a language for building social-emotional intelligence in four and five year olds.

A Comparison Of High-Tech And Low-Tech Response Modalities To Improve Student Performance And Classroom Behavior, Thomas J. Schulz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the effects of high-tech (e.g., clickers) and low-tech (e.g., response cards) active responding strategies during whole-group English language arts in two first-grade classrooms serving students with and without disabilities. The authors combined an ABAB reversal design with an alternating treatments design to compare the impact of using high-tech (clickers) and low-tech (response cards and hand raising) modalities on academic engagement, accuracy of responding, and disruptive behavior across four teacher-nominated students in two first-grade classrooms. During baseline, the teacher conducted her lesson as planned by having the students raise his/her hand to answer questions. In the intervention phase, …

Using Class Pass Intervention (Cpi) To Decrease Disruptive Behavior In Children, Andrea N. Zuniga

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Finding of previous research has shown that disruptive behavior can impair students’ academic success (Pierce, Reid, & Epstein, 2004), as well as increase teacher’s stress level (Westling, 2010). Class Pass Intervention (CPI) is a Tier 2 intervention designed to decrease disruptive behavior and increase academic engagement, however, thus far research on the effects of CPI has been limited to typically developing elementary and high school students with escape and attention-maintained problem behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to replicate and extend previous research on the effects of CPI on problem behavior and academic engagement however with students whose …

Unveiling The Mask:Sexual Trauma's Impact On Academic Achievement, Behavior, And Self-Identity, Teshaunda Hannor-Walker, Sarah Kitchens, Lacey Ricks

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Sexual trauma is an unfortunate but a common and often masked experience for many students in America. While sexual trauma in itself is not a mental health disorder, it can become a risk factor for many academic and mental health problems. Trauma-informed schools can play an important role in helping students deal with the aftercare of a traumatic experience.

Stop, Look, And Listen To What Your Data Is Telling You!, Simone Danielson, Jeffrey Harris, Jeff Barnett

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Join us for a ride on the Data Train where you will STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN to what your data is telling you and use the information to develop a process of continuous improvement in your after-school program to be an effective co-collaborator of closing the achievement gap. This workshop will provide information and strategies to be used in K – 12.

1. Participants will learn the importance of data analysis in afterschool.
2. Participants will learn how to work with regular day school professionals in determining what data sources to use.
3. Participants will be able to analyze sample data and develop …

You Must Know Them Before You Can Grow Them, Beatrice "Bea" Lewis

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

It is an inescapable truth that schools must learn as much about their students and their experiences in order to create a culture built on relationships, which is the cornerstone to student learning. The dynamics and complexities of building positive relationships with students are impacted when teachers’ attitudes, values, and biases conflict with school culture. In this interactive “real talk” session, participants will examine their own biases and attitudes that may be hindering the cultivation of positive relationships. Participants will be introduced to a variety of approaches that can be used to evaluate the values, beliefs, and attitudes that are …

Perceptions Of District Curriculum Administrators Regarding K-12 Engineering Education, Derrick A. Nero

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The state of Nebraska recently adopted and implemented a set of Science standards that aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards which include engineering practices such as engineering design and the use of technology. Curriculum administrators throughout the state are responsible for the implementation of these standards including training for engineering teaching and learning. This exploratory study investigated curriculum administrators’ (n = 43) perceptions of Engineering Education in four areas: Importance of Engineering Education, District Familiarity with Engineering Education, Characteristics of Engineering, and Barriers to Integrating Engineering Education. This exploratory study used one instrument to collect data: a modified Design, …

The Lived Experiences Of Parenting Children With Food Allergies: A Phenomenological Study, Anne Zavell

Dissertations

This phenomenological study focuses on five mothers' experiences of the phenomenon of living with a diagnosed food allergy in the family. Attention is given to the contexts or situations that have typically influenced or affected their experiences, including the impact of the diagnoses, travel and restaurants, friendships, sibling relationships, and anxiety. There is a major emphasis on these mothers' experiences advocating for the needs of their children in schools, including their strategies, concerns, and frustrations. Policies related to food allergies are reviewed from the contemporary and historical perspectives, with recommendations for policy change. The lived experiences of food allergy mothers …

An Evaluation Of Mississippi Public School Websites, Lindon J. Ratliff 8911034

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

Websites are well-established forms of digital communication in use by both the public and private sector. An effective website is an educational tool public school districts can utilize in their efforts to communicate with stakeholders. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of website utilization and the components of websites used by public school districts in Mississippi. To determine the components in use by public schools in the State, a search of 143 school district websites occurred September 2017. To assess the quality of the websites, we used a checklist to evaluate content and design features that, …

Representation Of The Titanic In Children's Literature, Charity R. Huwe

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

State and national education initiatives are the driving force behind increased exploration of diverse texts, namely informational texts. Trade books offer opportunity for interdisciplinary units to develop through the rise of informational text use in both English/language arts and history/social studies. Primary source documents serve as a liaison to filing gaps in the information left out from textbooks and trade books. A more thorough understanding of historical figures and events are a result of such analysis. The initiatives do not dictate specific curricular material; teachers use their discretion when choosing available trade books, primary documents, and other curricular resources. In …

Fifth Grade Students’ Disciplinary Literacy Using Diverse Primary And Secondary Sources, Tara L. Richeson

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This study analyzed students’ use of diverse sources for a history-based writing assignment on Abraham Lincoln. Participants includes 41 students in a fifth grade self-contained classroom in rural Illinois. The study was conducted during students’ 30-minute writing period, every day for six weeks. During this time period, students close-read trade books and primary sources to collect research on Lincoln. Students also gathered additional information during their field trip to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Students synthesized their information from the various sources and organized the notes to write an informational, history-based writing piece on Lincoln. Students were required …

Assessing History Students’ Historical Skills In The Cape Coast Metropolis Of Ghana, Charles Adabo Oppong

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

This study assesses history students’ historical skills in the Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. The specific skills assessed were document literacy and evaluative skills. In assessing these skills, two instruments were employed: the use of a test and a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guide. Students were tested to examine their skills in using historical documents under sourcing, contextualisation and corroboration. FGD was used to investigate how students evaluate historical evidence. The data analysis of the students’ test consisted of three stages. The first stage involved marking the responses while making notes on them, the second stage included writing a single …