Secondary Education and Teaching Commons^™

Dr. Skateboard’S Action Science: Teaching Physics In Context, William Robertson

Selected Works Temporary Series

Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science, a curriculum supplement which consists of video instruction and classroom activities is an example that focuses on the physical science concepts found in the areas of forces, motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and simple machines. The use of familiar activities, situations and objects, such as skateboarding and bicycle motocross (BMX), around which students can explore and explain scientific concepts can be defined as action science. Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science is an example of transformative education, a student-centered curriculum supplement built around interesting content linked to specific physic knowledge and skills in science. The videos and classroom …

Creating A Rabbitry For A High School Agricultural Program: A Guide For The Approval Process And Materials Required, Anne Marie Katuin

Agricultural Education and Communication

The proposal for a rabbitry to be added to the campus of Liberty High School in Golden Valley Unified School District in the designated agricultural area was proposed to the agricultural teacher and site administration for the high school. A floor plan was designed to fit the needs of a small rabbit breeding operation for the use of the LHS FFA students who wished to have a breeding or meat rabbit SAE.

Guidelines and plans were created in order to help an agricultural teacher or community member go through the previously mentioned approval process if they were to want to …

Dr. Skateboard’S Action Science: Teaching Physics In Context, William Robertson

Departmental Papers (TE)

Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science, a curriculum supplement which consists of video instruction and classroom activities is an example that focuses on the physical science concepts found in the areas of forces, motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and simple machines. The use of familiar activities, situations and objects, such as skateboarding and bicycle motocross (BMX), around which students can explore and explain scientific concepts can be defined as action science. Dr. Skateboard’s Action Science is an example of transformative education, a student-centered curriculum supplement built around interesting content linked to specific physic knowledge and skills in science. The videos and classroom …

Principals Perceptions Of Factors Affecting Teacher Collaboration In Secondary Schools, Lonnie E. Myers

College of Education Dissertations

This qualitative multi-case study examined how various practicing secondary principals in the Northwest Region of Arkansas perceive teacher collaboration within secondary schools. Job-embedded opportunities for teacher collaboration have been cited as successful ways for promoting teacher learning, which in turn will promote increased student learning (Little, 1990). Researchers and theorists cite properly supported collaboration as key to lasting school improvement (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Fullan, 1997; Little, 1990). In order for the practice of collaboration to be embedded in secondary schools, a culture must be created within a supportive environment to support the collaborative efforts. DuFour and Eaker (1998) credit …

Adoption And Integration Of Best Practice Methods In Secondary English Teaching, Gretchen Rumohr-Voskuil

Dissertations

Commencing with a critical examination of the history and rhetorical force of the term "best practice," this dissertation undertakes a qualitative study of three secondary English teachers, considering their adoption and integration of best practice methods. The subjects, represented by urban, suburban and rural secondary schools, were National Writing Project participants identified as "exemplary teachers" by a NWP site director. "Best practice" methods analyzed included the process model for the teaching of writing and literature, student decision-making, and a low-risk writing environment. Factors that were found to influence the adoption of best practice methods included undergraduate and preservice experiences, intern …

The New York City Teaching Fellows Program: A Case Study In Alternative Certification In Mathematics, Brian Evans

NERA Conference Proceedings 2009

The purpose of this study is to understand the mathematical content knowledge new teachers have before and after taking a mathematics methods course in the New York City Teaching Fellows program. Further, the purpose is to understand attitudes toward mathematics Teaching Fellows have over the course of the semester. Findings revealed a significant increase in mathematical content knowledge and positive attitudes toward mathematics. Relationships were found between attitudes and self-efficacy. Finally, Teaching Fellows found that classroom management was the biggest issue in their teaching, and that problem solving and numeracy were the most important topics addressed in the methods course.

It Takes A Village: Educating 21st Century Students For College Success, Ann Marie Smeraldi

Michael Schwartz Library Publications

12-13 Transition . . . 21st Century skills . . . PreK through 20 . . . These buzz words appear in email subject lines and on websites . . . they pop up in articles, but what does it all mean for school library media specialist and academic librarians? Come explore how library media specialists and academic librarians can forge new alliances and collaborate to prepare today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders. Participants will learn about one academic librarian’s experiences serving as a high school liaison and working with college freshmen.

To Blend Or Not To Blend: Online-Only And Blended Learning Environments, Rachel M. B. Collopy, Jackie Marshall Arnold

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Increasing curricular demands and the desire to provide meaningful, engaging instruction have pressed teacher educators to review and revise their programs. Many have viewed the assets of online learning as a potential solution to meet the seemingly ever increasing state- and accreditation-mandated course content and competencies. Universities have explored the inclusion of Web based courses for students for several decades. According to Martyn (2003), over 90% of higher education institutions use some type of electronically enhanced learning or “e-learning” option.

These options vary between courses that are offered completely “online” to those that include a blend of differing amounts of …

Para Mantener La Salud [9th-11th Grade], Maria S. Allen

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Food and nutrition are an integral part in the study of a country’s lifestyle. There are many factors that influence the diet and exercise regimen of a nation and its culture. Some of these factors include diet and exercise. In understanding a region’s culture, one must compare how our own lifestyle is affected by the diversity of cultures here in the United States. To encourage this understanding, students must be aware of the cultural similarities and differences of these lifestyles. Students will be exposed to ideas about nutrition and exercise based on a global comparison of the eating and exercise …

Proyecto Desarrollo: Café Saludable [9th-11th Grade], Susanna Pierce

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

The United Nations Development Program seeks to eliminate poverty by promoting economic growth among underdeveloped and developing nations. Professionals within the organization strive to improve education, health standards, and infrastructure of these nations in order to boost standards of living. Because the majority of Latin America consists of developing nations, equipping the next generation with the basic Spanish language skills and economic knowledge to address the issues of our world’s poorest nations is imperative. Through collaborative efforts, we can address the Millennium Development Goals of alleviating the disease and poverty that pervade these countries. In this interdisciplinary unit, students will …

Vamos De Compras [8th-10th Grade], Merida Elizondo

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

In this unit students will examine the similarities and differences between the shopping experience in the United States and in Spanish speaking countries. They will identify the reasons behind the differences and uncover their cultural significance. This unit will focus on three different shopping experiences which are common in Spanish speaking countries. The Mercado experience, where bargaining is a way of life. The super department store, where customers can find anything they wish from cars to produce. Finally, areas where neighborhood shops line the streets and shopping requires visiting multiple specialty stores in the same area. This unit includes a …

The Nature Of Narratives [10th Grade], Devon Erlich

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

In this unit students will read five narratives (both fiction and nonfiction) that have a common theme of sacrifice. The readings will provide them with the opportunity to uncover the understandings that sacrifices occur on a daily basis in our world, in our lives, and in our literature. Additionally, the students will have the opportunity to understand that authors write narratives with a message in mind, and effectively conveying this message requires a purposeful use of literary elements, organization, and diction. As the unit progresses, students will be able to answer the question, “What is a narrative?” And “How do …

Heroísmo Y Los Medios De Comunicación (Capítulo 5a &5b) [9th-11th Grade], Carol Arnold

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

The unit encourages students to look at media and the portrayal of heroes and consider who is telling the story and why. The goal of this unit is to present grammar (preterite and imperfect tenses) and vocabulary in an authentic context (the news and legends). The unit is infused with real world examples of media including: online media clips, Latin American legends, and other internet news resources. Students are encouraged to pull on previous knowledge and make ties to personal experiences of heroism, media exaggeration, and storytelling.

Why Government?...Why Our Government? [12th Grade], Samuel Dejohn

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit was constructed as an introduction to 12th grade US Government. It is an attempt to provide enduring understandings of the United States Constitution and how it compares with other forms of government. There are many options of governing systems, but through an evolutionary process, the United States Constitution contains sound principles which allowed a republic endure through regional infighting, civil unrest, and infinite political reforms. The unit begins with taxonomy of various governing systems and ideas. After the classification process, students will look at how regional politics play into nation building. While reflecting on the Constitutional Convention and …

Photographic Eye: Capturing The Moment Through Personal Narrative [8th-9th Grade], Amy Anderson

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Students will explore the connections between the writing process, art and memory. Through the lens of photography and art, they will refine and publish a “moment in time” personal narrative. This unit was created for the beginning of the school year, and serves the dual purpose of reviewing the writing process and helping students create meaningful connections with each other. Learning culminates as students produce and present a literary magazine celebrating their work.

Rhetoric In The Real World [11th Grade], Sarah Berce

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit is designed to help students think critically about the world. Students, especially with the increasing role of technology in our world, are exposed to persuasive messages in various capacities everyday. The class will read, analyze, and respond to several real world sources including persuasive speeches, position papers, advertisements, commercials, political campaigns, newspaper articles, and pictures. Through these sources and accompanying activities, students will discover the effects of advertising and the means to effectively persuade. After reading, exploring, and analyzing various sources, students will work creatively to design a shoe and an accompanying advertisement campaign. Then, they will critically …

The Play Is A Mirror: Looking At Human Nature In Romeo And Juliet [9th Grade], Melissa Manny

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

Since reading Shakespeare for the first time often causes students to doubt themselves or quit from frustration, the purpose of this unit is to support students throughout the reading process so that they learn to appreciate drama as a means for better understanding themselves, rather than letting it defeat them from the beginning. Through an examination of character motivations, in addition to the language and dramatic conventions Shakespeare uses to bring their stories to life on stage, students will experience theatre as a mirror that reflects their own struggles and desires back to them. The relationship between the audience’s reaction …

Foundations Of Forensics: The Role Of Debate Throughout History [9th-12th Grade], Lori Ingersoll

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit will focus on both the history and significance of debate as a communication tool utilized to resolve conflict and discover truth. By addressing the prevalence of controversy in everyday life, students will consider the various actions that individuals and groups employ in an effort to advocate change and call for justice. As these actions are examined, students will focus on the role of communication in controversial issues, both past and present. (i.e. civil rights, human rights, connections to personal life) With the foundational knowledge of communication as a key element to resolve conflict and discover truth, the focus …

¿Qué Ropa Compraste? (Realidades Tema 2: Un Evento Especial) [9th-12th Grade], Daris Z. Valdez

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

In this unit students will learn new vocabulary on clothing and shopping. The unit will provide them with the opportunity to uncover the understanding that culture influences the clothes people choose to wear. Students will engage in oral and written exchanges of learned material to socialize and to provide and obtain information. Students will answer the question, “Why does clothing matter” as they learn new vocabulary to help them talk about shopping, to describe what clothing is made of, the colors, and to discuss paying for purchases. Students will uncover the understanding that that our clothing choices can influence the …

Math And Me [9th Grade], Mckinley Rich

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

The purpose of this unit is to have students question and analyze their opinions about mathematics. Students, particularly in math, have very strong perceptions of themselves as a learner. These self-perceptions have many different roots, and in this unit students will analyze the origin and perpetuation of such perceptions. Through a series of articles and some moments of self-reflection, students will look for answers to the questions: “What perceptions do I have about math?” and “What has shaped and will continue to shape my perceptions about math?”. While this is unlike 99% of math units, I believe that in order …

Assessing Problem-Solving Dispositions: Likelihood-To-Act Survey, Kien Lim, Osvaldo Morera, Mourat Tchoshanov

Selected Works Temporary Series

This paper reports an ongoing study that is aimed at developing an instrument for measuring two particular problem-solving dispositions: (a) impulsive disposition refers to students’ proclivity to spontaneously proceed with an action that comes to mind, and (b) analytic disposition refers to the tendency to analyze the problem situation. The instrument is under development and consists of likelihood-to-act items in which participants indicate on a scale of 1 to 5 how likely they are to take a particular action in a given situation. The instrument was administered to 318 college students, mainly pre-service teachers. Statistical analysis indicates that likelihood-to-act items …

Mathematical Habits Of Mind, Kien Lim, Annie Selden

Selected Works Temporary Series

The idea of “mathematical habits of mind” has been introduced to emphasize the need to help students think about mathematics “the way mathematicians do.” There seems to be considerable interest among mathematics educators and mathematicians in helping students develop mathematical habits of mind. The objectives of this working group are: (a) to discuss various views and aspects of mathematical habits of mind, (b) to explore avenues for research, (c) to encourage research collaborations, and (d) to interest doctoral students in this topic. To facilitate the discussion during the working group meetings, we provide an overview of mathematical habits of mind, …

Assessing Problem-Solving Dispositions: Likelihood-To-Act Survey, Kien Lim, Osvaldo Morera, Mourat Tchoshanov

Departmental Papers (Math)

This paper reports an ongoing study that is aimed at developing an instrument for measuring two particular problem-solving dispositions: (a) impulsive disposition refers to students’ proclivity to spontaneously proceed with an action that comes to mind, and (b) analytic disposition refers to the tendency to analyze the problem situation. The instrument is under development and consists of likelihood-to-act items in which participants indicate on a scale of 1 to 5 how likely they are to take a particular action in a given situation. The instrument was administered to 318 college students, mainly pre-service teachers. Statistical analysis indicates that likelihood-to-act items …

What's In A Choice? A Study In How Choice In Assignment Affects Student Completion Of Assignments, Christopher J. Croge

Theses and Dissertations

In this action research project, the effects of giving students a choice in their assignments on students' intrinsic motivation were measured. This was done by giving the students an increasing amount of choices for their summative assessment following the end of each of five units studied in World History. Analysis of the data showed that there was some positive correlation between the amount of choices and the likelihood that students completed the assignments. While this correlation was present, it may be possible that other factors influenced this increase in student completion of assignments. These factors include when during the grading …

Manipulatives In Mathematics Instruction, Jessica Strom

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper is a review of research pertaining to the use of manipulatives in middle and secondary school mathematics instruction. It covers the research on the rationale for using manipulatives, the psychology behind learning with manipulatives, the common mistakes when teaching with manipulatives, and the suggested process to follow when using manipulatives in the classroom. There is a large amount of research and information on manipulatives in the classroom. One of the most prevalent topics addresses that the concrete characteristics of manipulatives allow students to progress through a natural learning process on their way to an abstract understanding of mathematical …

Teacher Effectiveness In Urban High Schools, Richard Buddin, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

This research examines whether teacher licensure test scores and other teacher qualifications affect high school student achievement. The results are based on longitudinal student-level data from Los Angeles. The achievement analysis uses a value-added approach that adjusts for both student and teacher fixed effects. The results show little relationship between traditional measures of teacher quality (e.g., experience and education level) and student achievement in English Language Arts (ELA) or math. Similarly, teacher aptitude and subject-matter knowledge, as measured on state licensure tests, have no significant effects on student achievement. Achievement outcomes differ substantially from teacher to teacher, however, and the …

Getting Boys To Read: A Look At The Research And The Books They Love, Carrie Lynn Cooper, Kathy Cox Watson

Library Faculty and Staff Papers and Presentations

This session focuses on what the research says about males as readers and introduces the audience to great boy books and other types of text that appeals to male readers. The presenters have chosen titles from the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards program that are of interest to young male readers. Presenters also introduce and promote Kentucky’s children’s choice reading program, the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards. To misquote George Ella Lyon, the presenters would like to get boys to "shake hands with a book."

Active Student Engagement By Using Cooperative Learning Strategies, Austin Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore possible solutions to student interaction and product quality in a ninth grade English class by using strategies in cooperative learning. Reciprocal learning, jigsaw, and skills practice were used to promote student interaction and cooperation during a lesson on William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." The data reveals that the three student participants have the skills necessary to succeed and excel in cooperative learning strategies, and previous student achievements may not necessarily indicate an ability or inability to master a cooperative learning activity. Implications for using cooperative learning strategies in the classroom are discussed.

Exploring The Complexities Of Learning Motivation In Pre-Service Teacher Education Students: A Grounded Theory Approach, Kristin K. Grosskopf

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative, grounded-theory study investigated learning motivation differences among three achievement groupings of undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Nine students participated in in-depth interviews that explored their reasons for pursuing their degree, their learning experiences in a university setting, their perceptions about meaningful learning experiences, and the nature of factors that both enhance and challenge their learning motivation. Participant responses conveyed strategies and conditions that were coded and analyzed, and a theoretical model was developed describing causal conditions that underlie students’ motivation to learn, phenomena that arose from those …

Building On The Cultural And Linguistic Capital Of English Learner (El) Students, K Brooks, Katya A. Karathanos

Faculty Publications

Approaches and strategies that value and build upon the cultural and linguistic capital of English learner students are described. Through implementing such strategies, teachers can impress upon students and families that multiculturalism and multilingualism are highly beneficial to the classroom, school, and community.