Western Connecticut State University
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Jonestown
No full textScreenplayThis screenplay, projected to be between 120-150 pages, chronicles Reverend Jim Jones' life from youth, adulthood, and eventual descent into madness, leading to the murder/suicide of over 900 People's Temple members. The story progressively shows how several sole and composite characters fall prey to Jones' manipulation, abuse, and control by utilizing the weapons of misplaced idealism, sexual assault, and threats of physical violence. As one survivor quipped, the story is essentially about Jim Jones and how he "paved the way to hell with the best intentions.
THE EFFECTS OF VERBAL AND NONVERBAL LEARNING STYLES ON STUDENT ATTITUDE, INTERPRETATION, AND INTEGRATION OF CONTENT WHEN READING GRAPHIC NOVELS
No full textThis study examined the effects of cognitive learning styles on how middle school students internalize and comprehend graphic novels. Using a qualitative approach the multiple case study examined student survey data, class assignments, interview responses, and focus group transcriptions in an effort to describe students’ perceptions of using graphic novels in a social-studies setting. After obtaining a convenience sample of 109 grade-eight students, an examination of the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) scores took place. A purposeful sample of 11 students was drawn to construct three bounded case study groups representing varying verbal, nonverbal, and balanced learning styles as determined by the OLSAT. Upon the completion of all data collection and analysis a smaller sample of three students was chosen for a focus group. Emerging themes facilitated the generation of protocols for both interviews and focus groups and complemented the themes addressed in the PRGNS.
Within and cross-case pattern analysis of data drawn from case study groups and the focus group yielded both similarities and differences. Verbal, nonverbal, and balanced subgroups believed there is potential depth and challenge to graphic novels, an engaging storyline is essential in maintaining focus while reading, prior knowledge impacts their ability to recognize symbols, and images provide focus and prevent mind wandering while reading. When preferences for reading genre were examined it was found that both the verbal and balanced subgroups had an overwhelming preference for fiction while the nonverbal subgroup preferred nonfiction. Finally, the reading attack strategies used by the subgroups differed based on their use of visuals with the reading. The verbal subgroup indicated reading the text of a textbook assignment first and later looking at visuals such as charts and pictures. Nonverbal participants discussed skimming the images and captions before reading the text, and the balanced group generally used bold headings like titles and subtitles to preview the content before reading text.Doctor of Education (EdD)Education & Educational Psycholog
What A MESS
No full textYoung adult fictionThis thesis represents the first eight chapters of what will ultimately become a young adult novel. An outline for the remaining novel appears at the end of this thesis.
What a MESS begins on move-in day of the Fall semester. College is rough as is, but for these five girls, life is about to get even rougher. As different as they may be, Mary, Evan, Jessica, Sara, and Gabrielle have one thing in common, suite 204 in Century Hall, at Westerly Connecticut State University.
As they embark on what they will surely remember as the semester from hell, they each encounter hysterical mishaps, awkward situations and some are forced to make life-altering decisions. Though an extremely unlikely bunch, they'll soon learn that they need one another at some point, for better or for worse
LITERATURE RESPONSE BLOGS AND SUMMER LITERACY: EXPLORING SUMMER READING SETBACK AND READING MOTIVATION OF 3RD GRADE DEVELOPING READERS
No full textThis study investigated the impact of Web 2.0-based literature response blogs on summer reading loss and student reading motivation. There is limited empirical research that connects summer reading and the use of social media as a means of maintaining reading levels of elementary aged students during out-of-school time. This study attempted to explore whether the use of blogging as a means of written response with summer reading curbed summer reading loss and influenced student motivation to read for students identified as developing readers.
The research took place in two small, suburban towns in the Northeast from May 2011 to September 2011. A purposeful sample of convenience comprised of rising third grade students who received literacy intervention instruction during the school year was selected. Through a qualitative method design, data was collected using field notes, a reflexive journal, and examination of student blogs. Additionally two post-study focus groups were held—one with parents and one with students; these focus groups were audio-taped and transcribed, then analyzed, along with other data, for the themes and patterns that emerged. A code/recode method was also used. The Motivation to Read Profile (MRP) and Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) assessment were used for additional information.Doctor of Education (EdD)Education & Educational Psycholog
DAUGHTERS OF CHINA: AN EXAMINATION OF THE HOME, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES OF ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT CHINESE ADOPTEES
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of adolescent and young adult Chinese adoptees raised in the United States. It sought to describe how the adoptees perceived their life experiences in different contexts of their lives and over time. To date, there has been very little research conducted with Chinese adoptees. The studies that had been conducted with this population have predominantly relied upon the parents’ perspectives; simply because most of the children had not been old enough to speak for themselves. As a result, the voices of these young women were missing from previous research.
The intent of this research was, therefore, to give this oldest group of Chinese adoptees a voice by harvesting their personal perceptions in order to describe and illuminate the essence of their lived experiences. The focus was the development of identity, the experiences of academic life, and the quality of family, peer, and community relationships.
Using a multiple case study design, data were gathered from a sample of 11 cases. Each case consisted of three participants—one female Chinese adoptee, one parent, and one educator who worked with the adoptee. The maximum variation sample of volunteers was recruited through networking methods and snowball sampling. The perspectives of parents and educators were included to enhance the credibility and consistency of the findings through triangulation of sources.
Each adoptee completed a demographic survey, semi-structured interview, and a self-concept inventory, which was a self-reporting instrument. Parents and educators also completed demographic surveys and participated in personal semi-structured interviews.
Data from the 33 interview transcripts were qualitatively coded and analyzed for commonly recurring themes and comparisons both within and across cases. Results from the self-concept scale were used as additional data to support and verify the qualitative data obtained from the interviews and questionnaires. The analyses yielded nine overarching themes: good fortune and specialness, family bonding and appreciation, self-confidence, strong work ethic, Asian stereotypes, resilience, a sense of belonging, an interest in a variety of cultures, and a fluctuating appreciation of origins.Doctor of Education (EdD)Education & Educational Psycholog
Public Relations in Today's World: A Guide for PR Professionals in Social Media
No full textThis thesis project will serve as a guide to those who wish to enter the public relations field in today's technological world. Social media plays a large role in the deliverance of news and how the public is reached, which is a shift from the traditional print method PR professionals have used in the past. By gathering and examining examples of successful and failed attempts, this thesis will provide information on how to be successful in using social media to its advantage in public relations work
THE EFFECTS OF THEMATIC SOCIAL STUDIES INSTRUCTION ON EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS’ HISTORICAL REASONING ABILITY AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS SOCIAL STUDIES RELATED TASKS
No full textThis study examined the potential benefits of thematic-based social studies instruction on middle school students’ historical reasoning ability and attitudes towards social studies related tasks. Thematic instruction refers to a curriculum delivery that is based on themes in history, such as: wealth, discovery, and conflict. Using a sample of convenience (n = 211) from two suburban New England middle schools, this quasi-experimental study included a pretest and posttest of student attitudes towards social studies related tasks (Interest in Science, Technology, Writing Tasks, Interest in Social Studies, and Student Perspective Taking) and an analysis of student writing.
The study utilized a mixed-methods approach, where students from a thematic-based social studies program (n = 98) were compared to those in nonthematic-based program (n = 113). During the course of the research three writing prompts were given and scored via a rubric to measure students’ historical reasoning ability. A focus group of students was created from each condition to define the attitudes and perceptions of students in the two different programs. The results indicated that students in the thematic-based social studies program had significantly higher attitudes towards social studies as compared to their peers in the nonthematic-based program (Pillai’s trace = .118, F(6,203) = 4.541, p < .001). There were no significant differences between groups regarding historical reasoning skills. Student comments about the program were related to the themes of: (a) Attitudes Towards Social Studies, (b) Curriculum Strategies, Organization and Procedures, and (c) Higher Level Thinking Skills. Educational implications include insights into classroom activities that promote historical reasoning and writing in relation to assessment in social studies.Doctor of Education (EdD)Education & Educational Psycholog
Johnny Boy
No full textMy story is a long short story about a young bartender and his struggle with guilt. He deals with relationships with his family, friends, temptress and fiancée.Johnny Boy is a long short story about a young bartender, who works at a restaurant called Big Bob's, and his relationships with his father, his friend Rich, his fiancée, and his temptress. John, the main character, was raised by a strict father, who is too hard on him. Because of his upbringing, he has trouble between acting how he believes is the right way to act and his urges about how he wants to act. This causes John to deal with a lot of inner guilt. This guilt is most prevalent in his feelings towards Amanda. She is the temptress in my story. John is engaged to Kelly, who he sees as the perfect young woman, because of her sweet personality, education, and looks, but despite this view, he can't help how strongly he is attracted to Amanda. This is the main example of his inner struggle of how he believes he should act and how he wants to act. Rich is another significant character in the story. He is a coworker and friend of John, and his view is that John should not be faithful to Kelly. Rich urges John to have some fun before John is actually married. Crack is a bar regular in my story, and he tells John not to get married. These close people in his life add to the difficulty John feels in his own mind. He continuously tells himself that he loves Kelly, but with all the exterior influences that he shouldn't be with her, it makes him question this idea over and over again. Johnny Boy is a tragic story that focuses on the choices John makes in his own life, specifically involving his fiancée. The ending of the story is a reflection of a life-lesson John believes in that he learned as a child. He has been taught that no matter what, one should keep a promise, as this is the basis to any credibility one has in life
THE EFFECTS OF USING INTERACTIVE STUDENT NOTEBOOKS AND SPECIFIC WRITTEN FEEDBACK ON SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS’ SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS
No full textThe purpose of this study was to determine whether the consistent use of metacognitive strategies embedded in an Interactive Student Notebook (ISN) would impact the science process skills of 7th-grade students. In addition, this study explored whether specific teacher written feedback, provided to students in the ISN, further enhanced the use of ISNs and resulted in greater gains in students’ science process skills.
A sample of convenience, 7th-grade students (n = 194) in two suburban middle schools in the northeastern United States, was utilized for this study. Students participated for 15 weeks in one of three instructional programs: (a) a science instructional program using ISNs embedded with metacognitive strategies and specific written feedback (treatment), (b) a science instructional program using ISNs embedded with metacognitive strategies only (comparison), and (c) a traditional science program using regular classroom instructional practices (control). Students’ science process skills were measured using Form A (pretest) and Form B (posttest) of the Diet Cola Test, and data were analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a multiple linear regression. In addition, this study employed qualitative methods in the form of surveys to explore teachers’ and students’ perceptions of using the ISN and incorporating specific written feedback.
Results revealed a significant main effect for type of instruction. Students in the comparison group (n = 67, M = 10.75, SD = 3.53) scored significantly higher (p = .026, d = .47, moderate) than students in the control group (n = 66, M = 9.10, SD = 3.50) on mean posttest scores of Science Process Skills. There were no significant differences between the remaining groups. In addition, regression analysis suggested that the type of feedback that students received (task-specific, process-specific, or metacogntively-specific) did not predict students’ science process posttest scores. Qualitative analyses indicated that students in the treatment group believed that using the ISN and receiving specific written teacher feedback on the task to be helpful to their learning. In contrast, teachers believed that the ISN could be useful in certain settings but that a variety of feedback, especially verbal feedback, was more effective than written feedback.Doctor of Education (EdD)Education & Educational Psycholog
Movements and the Media
No full textJournalism, Investigative Journalism, Creative JournalismThis thesis, Movements and the Media, is a journalistic account of the ways in which the news media has influenced the destinies of cultural movement throughout American History. The impact of news headlines and the information shared by major networks, on shaping public opinion has played a large role in both the legitimization and discretization of the most recognized revolutionary activities in America, including the anti-war and counter culture movements of the 20th century and recent Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011. This piece begins with a comprehensive look into the history of how the news media took shape in America and moves chronologically, discovering how the news media has in the past, and continues to, shape the lives we live and perceptions we form daily