Western Connecticut State University
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Becoming a Journalist: Experiences & Stories
No full textThis thesis project centers on the author's experience of reporting a small collection of news stories about the Greater Danbury area. The reporter sought stories that are not being told in the local newspaper, The News Times. Accompanying the stories is a narrative of the author's experience as a local journalist and some of the challenges she had to face in the reporting process, challenges journalists face every day
THE EFFECT OF REFLECTIVE PORTFOLIO USE ON STUDENT SELF-REGULATION SKILLS IN SCIENCE
No full textThis study investigated the use of reflective portfolios in science as a means to provide students a medium to develop a repertoire of study and self-regulation strategies. These self-regulation strategies can be accessed and utilized by students to engage in independent study and help to manage workloads from multiple teachers. The use of a reflective portfolio addresses the theoretical framework laid out by Pintrich which organized regulatory processes according to four phases (a) planning, (b) self-monitoring, (c) control, and (d) evaluation. The reflective portfolio included student work samples, revisions of work, reflections, and goal statements. Construction of the portfolio gave students the opportunity to engage in a cyclical process of self-regulation facilitating an on-going assessment dialogue between themselves and their teacher.
The focus of this study was a convenience sample of students from a public high school in a suburban community (population of 24,000) in the Northeast. The study used a quasi-experimental research design. Participants in the study included 158 (n=158) students in a nonrandomized control-group, pretest-posttest design. Two different situations were compared; (a) reflective portfolio use and (b) no use of reflective portfolios.
Research question 1 asked: Is there a significant difference in the self-regulatory skills of high school science students who produce reflective portfolios for their science assignments and those who do not? The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) subscales of Metacognition Self-Regulation, Effort Regulation, Time and Study Environment, Rehearsal, Elaboration, and Organization were used to assess student self-regulatory skills. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was applied where the six subscales served as the multiple dependant variables. The isolation of which specific self-regulatory learning strategies (Metacognition Self-Regulation, Effort Regulation, Time and Study Environment, Rehearsal, Elaboration, and Organization) were affected by reflective portfolio use in science was statistically insignificant.
Research question 2 asked: Is there change over time in the Portfolio Rubric scores within the group of students who produce reflective portfolios? The student generated reflective portfolios produced in the treatment group were assessed using the Portfolio Rubric. Four one-way repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedures were used to ascertain if the rubric scores varied depending on the time interval. Statistically significant gains in students’ rubric scores over time suggest students do benefit from structured goal setting, revision, and reflection. The findings of this study support the use of reflective portfolios to provide students the necessary mastery goal orientation to reflect upon their current progress towards meeting their academic goals. Additionally, this study suggests reflective portfolio use allows students to consider behavioral changes necessary to meet their goals and provides a framework for a dialogue about self-regulation and performance between teachers and students.Doctor of Education (EdD)Education & Educational Psycholog
Exposing the Cyberbully
No full textThis thesis takes a close look at the dynamics that make school-aged
bullies not only dangerous, but too often deadly. Today's bullies have a new
"playground" called cyberspace, where they can harass, humiliate and threaten
their victims: They are called cyberbullies. In the United States as many as 35-45
percent of teens admit to being victims or engaging in online bullying. As a result
of advancing technology and internet accessibility combined with over two
hundred social websites, cyberbullying is escalating
One and Done
No full textAmong the many freshman that have entered the draft, a few players stand out that prove there is no reason why they should have to go to college and are NBA ready. The group of player's analyzed in this section have mixed results and situations that have set precedence in their own ways. In retrospect, the college game has also benefited from these players because if not for the rule, the college game never would have had these guys on college campuses. These players among others are Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose
Fostering Critical Thinking Through Critical Pedagogy in the High School English Classroom
No full textThis project is a teaching guide to help high school English teachers use the strategy called "Critical Pedagogy" linking the students' actual experience with curriculum texts to foster critical thinking in the adolescent classroom. The thesis outlines the philosophy of Critical Pedagogy and offers insight into using it to teach classic novels in literature as a way to connect student, teacher, and the outside community as one answer to overcoming the achievement gap. Included are lesson plans that focus on issues of race, language, social class and employ students' personal experiences and conflicts to create an alternative to traditional teaching instruction
Girls and Horses
No full textGirls and Horses is a collection of short stories exploring the bond shared by a girl and her horse. "Breaking In" introduces a young girl waiting expectantly to meet her first horse, but she faces disappointment when the horse barely acknowledges her presence. "Warming Up" tells the story of the self-conscious teenager's first horse show with a horse she is still learning to trust. In "Flying Changes," the reader watches a young woman say goodbye to her best friend when he becomes a comfort she can no longer afford
Press Conference
No full textDirector of Library Services director, Ed O'Hara speaks with University President, Jim Schmotter at the press conference
THE EFFECTS OF AN ANTI-CYBERBULLYING PROGRAM ON DECREASING THE NUMBER OF AGGRESSIVE EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS WHILE USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
No full textThis study examined the effect of an anti-bullying program, Cyberbullying: A Prevention Curriculum for Grades 6 – 12 (Limber, Kowalski & Agatston, 2008). A quasi-experimental post-test design was used to investigate (a) whether or not participation in the program was related to the frequency of aggressive on-line experiences for victims and/or offenders, or cyberbullying, and (b) whether the mode of program delivery (student–led versus teacher-led) had an effect on frequency of aggressive on-line experiences for victims and/or offenders, or cyberbullying. The student led experimental group, as well as the teacher led experimental group, received Cyberbullying: A Prevention Curriculum, while a control group completed team building activities not related to the topic of bullying. The sample population consisted of 154 students in middle school from a middle to upper middle class school district in the Northeast. At the conclusion of the study, all participants were administered the Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Survey Instrument (Hinduja & Patchin, 2007) to measure their experiences with on-line aggressive victim and offender experiences. Data were analyzed using four chi-square tests of independence analyses. Results showed that, overall, participation in the program was associated with fewer than expected on-line victim and /or offender experiences when an anti-cyberbullying program was implemented. However, when expected and observed frequencies for student-led and teacher-led groups were compared, participation in the program led by a student leader was only associated with fewer than expected on-line victim and/or offender experiences on the offending subscale.Doctor of Education (EdD)Education & Educational Psycholog
Only the Wounded
No full textScience Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Stigmata, BleedinatingOnly the Wounded is the beginning portion of a novel about a young woman in modern America who develops the Catholic stigmata. A series of supernatural abilities accompany the physical manifestation, and her curiosity is piqued. She makes new friends, discovers other planes, and begins to live a whole new way of life in her quest for answers