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How Can Educators Develop Relationships With Students That Positively Impact a Student’s Academic and Social Well Being?
Get PDFThis capstone project explores how a well-structured and supportive school environment can impact students socially, emotionally and academically. I want to shed light on the importance of inclusion, connection, and community within a school, and the positive ripple effects it has on students as individuals. The literature review provides more information about student relationships, benefits of positive relationships, students\u27 sense of belonging, and positive reinforcement systems. Chapter three provides a description of the project and how I plan to share and implement my project with my colleagues. The focus of my project is to provide teachers with ways to develop and maintain positive relationships. The project concludes in chapter 4 with an overall review of my learning and future questions about the possible impacts of positive relationships in schools. One of my major findings was that it was very apparent that students needed a trusted, supportive place to check in and collaborate with encouraging adults in a school setting. When this type of environment occurs, students can thrive academically, socially and emotionally. This project provides school staff with strategies and ideas to foster positive relationships in classrooms. The project was created in the form of a slideshow presentation with each slide providing materials or activities for teachers to use
Guide to Establishing a Classroom Library - with Racially Representative Considerations
Get PDFThe capstone project came from the educational space of equity in literature. Within the scope of using a new English Language Arts curriculum and a growing classroom diversity, the research question sought was: How can teachers establish a classroom library representative of a racially diverse student population? In order to locate research and educator journal articles within the literature review portion of the capstone, three main topic areas were explored: racial representation, multicultural education, and social justice. Diving deeper into racial representation, these themes emerged: misrepresentation, under-represented and selective inclusion. Considering the research question, the exploration continued with multiculturalism often surfacing. Continuing in the direction of culturally responsive teaching, several learning theories were further investigated, including: neuroscience, representation matters, students of color seeing themselves in books, and in general, the need for more multicultural characters and authors. In regards to the idea of needing more diversity in books, one of the findings was to establish a racially representative classroom library through practicing culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP). When teachers practice CSP and encompass a classroom culture that is safe, then true learning can begin. To that end, if teachers are practicing CSP, most likely the shelves will already contain diverse books. Further, to aid teachers in establishing this practice, it was determined a central location for these materials was needed. A classroom resource guide was created to provide additional resources to teachers. Since education is ever-evolving, so too will the guide
Increasing Diversity in Advanced Placement Classrooms Through Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
Get PDFThis thesis has been designed around the question: How can AP literature teachers use culturally relevant pedagogy to make changes to their curriculum to increase diversity in their classes? Most schools offer advanced classes for students, many of which offer opportunities for them to gain college credit while in school. Yet, these opportunities are not equitably distributed. Students of color are often absent from Advanced Placement (AP) classes. This thesis explores the reasons behind this inequality and considers some changes that can be made to promote equality in schools. The focus of the accompanying project is to create a unit of study that incorporates these classroom changes into the lessons and overall approach to the learning. The project is a series of lessons that prepare students for the AP exam while also providing support and including culturally relevant pedagogy in a practical manner that will allow for any teacher to create a more equitable classroom. The project is designed to center the learning around student ideas and build critical thinking skills in students through carefully structured assignments and activities. A major influence in designing these lessons has been the work of Gloria Ladson-Billings, whose model of the social classroom became my basis for developing content that allows for students to take more control of their learning. The result of the studies and unit creation is a more nuanced understanding of why so few students of color are enrolled in AP classes and a unit plan that allows AP literature teachers to create a classroom that is more inclusive while still maintaining a high degree of rigor
How Can Urban Nature-Based Preschools Partner with Churches to Support Each Other?
Get PDFNature-based preschools are increasing exponentially across the United States. These preschools combine best practices in early childhood education with place-based environmental education. Nature is the unifying theme of nature-based preschools, with programs spending a significant amount of time outdoors learning in, with, and about the natural world. Many nature-based early childhood educators are seeking to create urban nature-based preschools to reach children and communities with little access to green spaces or natural habitats. Urban nature-based preschools thus require locations that have attached green space or can access public green space easily. In most states of the U.S., these preschools must also have licensable indoor space. Finding these spaces can be difficult. I propose that educators look to urban churches to meet these location needs. Church membership in the United States has been declining in recent decades, causing financial strain on congregations who wish to keep their church operational. Churches are looking more often to community partnerships to meet these needs. The potential partnership between nature-based preschool and church led me to explore my research question, how can urban nature-based preschools partner with churches to support each other? To answer this question, I created a capstone website resource for nature-based early childhood educators looking for urban preschool spaces. The website introduces educators to the rationale behind a nature-based preschool-to-church partnership and provides resources for how to approach, build, and maintain such a partnership. The website also includes a discussion board to enhance topic-related communication and resource sharing among educators. Through the process of investigating my research question and creating the capstone website, I believe I have created a useful resource for the nature-based early childhood education field and have created opportunities for future research around this unique partnershi
Effective Practices for Dual-Identified English Learners in Special Education Using a Quantitative Secondary Data Analysis of ACCESS for ELLs Testing Results and Qualitative Case Studies
Get PDFA student dual-identified to receive English learning and special education services is legally entitled to receive both services. Although there are recommendations for how to provide these services, there is little evidence of what has demonstrated success, despite there being schools which have been able to create such programs. This mixed methods research focused on identifying schools in Minnesota that successfully provided measurable growth in their dual-identified student population. Data were gathered from educators in those schools to understand how they found this success for their dual-identitfied students. This research began with a quantitative secondary data analysis of ACCESS for ELLs results of dual-identified students from 2022 and 2023. Nine total Minnesota schools with a minimum of 100 English learners with the greatest growth were selected as demonstrating success. Three of these schools were Minneapolis-St. Paul (urban) schools, three were seven-county metropolitan area (suburban) schools, and three were greater Minnesota (outstate) schools. Authorization was granted in six of those nine schools to gather data from questionnaires and interviews about the practices educators used with dual-identified students. Those educators included English learning professionals, special educators, school counselors, and school administrators. A total of 64 educators from six different schools completed online questionnaires. Upon completing the questionnaire, the respondents were asked to participate in an online meeting to gain more specific information about their programs. Ten total educators from four different schools provided additional information. Findings suggested that all of the schools in the study used very similar approaches in serving this student population. Educators provided intentional instructional practices that used combinations of both co-taught and sheltered instruction with a combination of special education and English learning teachers using formalized decision-making tools and collaboration and communication between the two departments. Further research might include longitudinal study across multiple school years, other indicators of success in addition to ACCESS for ELLs, as well as gaining information about processes with dual-identified students who have more profound academic needs, such as new-to-country students and students in federal setting three special education programs
Teachers’ Perspectives on the Transition of Dual Language Spanish Immersion Students to Middle School
Get PDFHow do Dual Language Immersion (DLI) educators envision a well-implemented program that supports their students’ transition from elementary DLI to middle school? This research is intended to amplify teachers’ voices in shaping elementary students’ transition to middle school. Results are focused on aligning teachers’ perspectives with the Guided Principles for Dual Language Instruction (Howard et al., 2018). Educators’ visions for a well-implemented immersion program can provide insight into the best ways to support students transitioning from elementary to middle school. This study intends to provide perspective into developing the program for a successful transition. This understanding can help inform policy, curriculum, and professional development initiatives
Elementary Educators’ Beliefs and Practices Regarding Explicit Math Vocabulary and Language Instruction
Get PDFFor the last couple decades, math achievement scores in the United States have remained stagnant or declined. Teachers are searching for ways to improve these scores. Much work has been done on number sense and math talks. But, are these the only tools to consider? What if the very language used to express mathematical knowledge is a key factor in how students gain their learning and ultimately express their thinking? Research has emerged that draws a relationship between explicit math vocabulary instruction and math achievement. While this is well documented, the practice is not commonly seen. Thus, I asked, “What are the beliefs and practices of elementary educators regarding explicit math vocabulary and language instruction? Resources are limited to support this teaching. Furthermore, the work demands of elementary teachers today preclude them from developing their own materials to do this. Thus, implementation of such practice is difficult and has not reached a normalized level from which we can expect cohesion in math teaching throughout an organization. A case study methodology revealed teachers\u27 practical issues in implementing explicit vocabulary instruction. Findings include learning about teacher belief systems, teaching practices, student responses, and curriculum analysis. This research sets a baseline for understanding the authentic issues facing teachers in elementary schools. This dissertation concludes with suggestions for implementing best practices in vocabulary instruction as applied to mathematics. In addition, recommendations for further research promote the continued development of this field so that our schools may realize the potential of this practice
Communicating Across the Divide: Using Critical Communication Pedagogy as a Lens to Reimagine the Mediated Basic Communication Course as a Space of Activism
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic profoundly influenced teaching and learning in mediated spaces, highlighting the challenges many historically excluded learners face in virtual environments. While previous research suggests that well-designed online courses can effectively support these students, communication education as a field has been slow to adopt virtual learning. This resistance has left many educators underprepared to develop equitable and impactful online coursework. Previous work has demonstrated the success of critical communication pedagogy (CCP) - which centers the experiences of traditionally underserved students and promotes collaborative learning - within face-to-face communication coursework (Fassett & Warren, 2007). As such, this dissertation investigates how instructors integrate CCP commitments to design and facilitate inclusive online basic communication courses and considers students’ perceptions of how these elements influence their ability to learn from the experiences of their peers to co-create understanding. Employing a multiple case study design, this research conducted an inductive analysis of interviews with instructors and students, alongside an examination of course syllabi. The eleven findings emerging from this analysis were then compared against the ten commitments of CCP. Overall, findings revealed that both students and instructors found that building community, intentionally framing discussions, and meaningfully facilitating reflexion were key in inspiring students to engage in praxis beyond the course. This work provides four practical recommendations educators may use to intentionally design and facilitate equitable, transformative learning experiences. This dissertation closes with a call to action, asking educators to reimagine online communication courses as brave spaces (Arao & Clemens, 2013) that challenge students to engage in deep reflection and transformative dialogue. In doing so, educators empower students to act as agents of change in their day-to-day lives. This work not only contributes to the field of communication education but also provides valuable insights for designing inclusive online learning experiences in a post-pandemic world
Math Educators, Positive Student Mindsets, and Math Centers
Get PDFIt is a math educator’s job to help each student develop academic, emotional, behavioral, and social skills in a supportive and rigorous instructional environment. Reinforcing a growth mindset is the pinnacle of successful teaching and learning. However, there are always experiences that deter students from feeling like they can become successful in an area or multiple areas. Instructional time can become feared and mindsets can become fixed. It could even potentially become a lifelong source of trauma. Math is perhaps one of the most notorious content areas that induce feelings of fear, failure, and perpetual condemnation. Teaching strategies play an important role in the impact of a student\u27s self-efficacy regarding math. Conducting instruction through math centers has research-based advantages that are shown to increase student performance holistically because of the potential to differentiate learning experiences for each student. This capstone explores how math educators can build positive student mindsets while teaching in math centers? The literature reviewed in this capstone examines student identities with mathematics, their development of mindset for learning math and the math educator’s role in developing positive mindsets and experiences for learning mathematics while investigating the benefits of adapting and differentiating math centers towards unique student learning differences
Egan-Inspired Year-long LiD project for an ELA Secondary Classroom
Get PDFThis capstone project is a curricular exploration of the educational philosophy of Kieran Egan. Egan\u27s LiD project proposes a student learning project centered on his theory of the development of understanding which posits children as mimicking the process through which society has used language tools in order to develop new forms of thought. The author drew on descriptions of LiD projects to meet a desire to make education a more engaging and natural process. The research question In what ways can teacher instruction support Learning in Depth in a secondary English and Language Arts classroom? uses LiD as the magnifying glass in order to explore a way out of personal and societal educational impasse. Drawing on the significant amount of literature written by Egan, the author seeks to describe a curriculum to inspire learning through ideas remiss from contemporary schools and education processes. The methodology of this curriculum describes materials to organize a LiD project into a condensed year-long fashion. The organization materials in turn help to envision how note sheets can incorporate the development of understanding into an ELA classroom. The findings highlight the efficacy of the modified LiD approach in fostering student engagement, ownership of learning, and interdisciplinary exploration and prompt a transformative educational experience that transcends traditional boundaries. Readers will either be introduced into a paradigmatically-shifting theory around a research project, or will explore how the author sought to use LiD and Egan\u27s ideas to foster a processual understanding of how education can match the awareness and recognition that comes with genuine learning