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The Impact of Restorative Practices on Conflict and Student Perceptions of School in Secondary School Classrooms
Get PDFThis capstone sought to answer the question: How can restorative justice practices reduce conflict and increase positive perceptions of school in secondary school classrooms? The historical background of zero tolerance policies and the school to prison pipeline created a need for an alternative approach to punitive discipline in schools. Restorative practices provide an opportunity for students to actively engage in solutions to wrongdoing alongside those that have been negatively affected. Through affective language, group discussion, and a solution focused approach, restorative practices can have a positive effect on socioemotional growth, improved school environment, and the school to prison pipeline. The research gathered in this capstone informed the creation of a four session professional development series to help secondary educators implement restorative practices. The sessions contain experiences with the history of restorative justice, restorative circles, and an opportunity to plan for implementation in their own classrooms. Through these experiences educators can begin the transformative process of creating a restorative environment in their own practices
Using Geography to Spark Curiosity in Students
Get PDFThis capstone project explores geography and student curiosity, designed to answer the research question: How can teachers use geography to spark curiosity in their students? Geography has been an often overlooked and diminished subject, yet it has great potential to engage students. As student apathy and disengagement continue to be an issue within the contemporary school system, this capstone advocates for using geography as a way to spark interest in the subject, and learning altogether. The research undertaken in this capstone has yielded a unit curriculum designed for fifth grade students that weaves important geographic concepts with strategies to spark student curiosity. The twelve-lesson unit curriculum focuses on the five themes of geography: location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region. The unit culminates with student-centered presentations that give students choice and allows them to apply their understanding of these geographic concepts. The research highlights the importance of student-centered and interactive learning experiences to foster greater curiosity and motivation. This capstone contributes to existing literature and research by providing insight into how geography can be brought back into greater prominence, and does so in a way that combats student apathy. Future research can build on the foundations of this capstone to further explore the underappreciated subject of geography, as well as strategies in fostering greater student curiosity and engagement
When Ballots are Blank: Write-In’s Serving Local Government and the Implications for a Healthy and Vibrant Democracy
Get PDFOur democracy depends on having a supply of candidates running for elected office, but in some instances, no one wants to run. This phenomenological study asks what the effects on a healthy and vibrant democracy are if ballots are blank and the seat is filled through write-in or appointment. Rooted in democratic theory, this study explores small, rural city elections where write-ins won election. Understudied, local governments are responsible for decisions affecting the lives of millions of people each day. Workforce scarcity, the alienation of young Americans from politics, government bashing, nasty campaigns, threats of physical harm, and other barriers that discourage quality candidates from running are explored through interviews and the subsequent thematic analysis. Results identify motivations for serving, barriers to public office, candidate quality, gatekeeping elected officials, perceptions of write-in candidates, the current challenges faced by cities, the loss of the local newspaper, and the city-driven creation of new information environments to inform the public. The study finds abundant learning deficits and opportunities for civics education
Challenges and Opportunities for the Third-Generation Hmong Adolescents in Public Schools: Preparing for the Future
Get PDFTo my dearest husband and son, Andrew and Joseph, my mother-in-law, Pauline, and the rest of my family, thank you for all of your love and support, and for instilling a drive and work ethic in me as I would not be where I am today with you.
To Hamline University’s EDD Cohort 12, the systems thinkers and creators of social capital and community in education, you are my people and in my heart forever.
To my professors, especially Dr. Harvey, thank you for being the best leader and inspiring and encouraging me to persevere as a leader in education.
To all of my students and educator colleagues, past and present, continue to be the best companions that you are as you navigate through the journey of education.
To Mrs. Danijela Duvnjak, my dearest supervisor and friend, thank you for believing in me and being the best leader I have ever had.
To Dr. Lor, one of my committee members, thank you for believing in me and recognizing the value of my study on Hmong culture.
To the teacher and students involved in this study and research, thank you for your hard work and honesty. You will always have a special place in my heart.
To dear Luagntxhi Yang, one of my former students, thank you for the great help recruiting the alumni for the interviews which is one way of data collection for this research
Supporting Biliteracy in English Language Classrooms
Get PDFThis project was inspired by a large influx of Spanish-speaking students in the past year. This project is designed to answer the following research question: How can teachers support the Spanish literacy of their Spanish-speaking students in ways that will transfer to English and support their English literacy development? The literature review synthesizes research on different language models and their use of heritage language instruction, foundational literacy skills in English and in Spanish and a comparison of the two languages, followed by a review of the research on what literacy skills transfer across languages. The resulting project is a four-hour professional development course that teaches those topics, and provides participants with opportunities to support the Spanish literacy skills of their students, and to transfer those skills into English literacy development
The Connection Between Depth and Complexity and Culturally Relevant Teaching
Get PDFThis paper is the documentation of an educational coach’s journey to find the most effective small group instructional practices for teaching phonemic awareness and phonics to kindergarten and first grade students. The need to share this research led to the development of four professional development sessions for effective instruction of phonemic awareness and phonics instruction specifically created for teachers of kindergarten and first grade students. The Capstone project began by answering the question, How do kindergarten-first grade teachers use best practices in phonemic awareness and phonics to develop effective small group reading instruction that will increase students reading proficiency? The research led to four topics that teachers must understand in order to provide effective instruction. These topics are: Response to Intervention, using and understanding reading assessment data, best practices in teaching phonemic awareness and best practices in teaching phonics. This project includes: a narrative of the writer’s journey through the Capstone project, a review of associated literature, the four sessions of professional development complete with slides and an instructional guide, and an explanation of the framework used to create the professional development
Co-Teaching Secondary Dual Eligible Students
Get PDFStudents who qualify for both English Language services and Special Education services tend to be underserved and have high failure rates in secondary schools. This project investigates the details related to dual eligible students’ underachievement and strives to create a curriculum that appropriately integrates language learning into topics such as identity and mental health. Research relates to methods of assessment that lead to qualification for both English language services and Special Education services. It also evaluates the complicated nature of co-teaching and the many methods for co-teaching that have been developed through research. In addition, this research shows that dual eligible students learn best when language objectives and vocabulary are explicitly taught. The curriculum created has been partially utilized in a 9-12 grade dual eligible Academic Language Development class in which the results showed that students were more engaged and achieved mastery of language objectives
An Examination of the Effects of Mindfulness Practices on Self-Regulation and Social-Emotional Skills Among Students in the Early Elementary Grades
Get PDFThe research question addressed in this study was: What are the effects of mindfulness practices on students\u27 self-regulation and social-emotional skills in early elementary grades? The literature topics that were researched and analyzed included the benefits and challenges of mindfulness practices, main categories of mindfulness practices, and steps to implementation in school settings. The five-week mindfulness curriculum I designed for this project includes mindful breathing, movement, and listening activities that can be implemented in kindergarten through second-grade classrooms. The curriculum comprises 25 lessons with discussion prompts and writing responses, a printable parent letter, and pre/post assessments. The lessons are designed to be implemented by the general education classroom teacher and performed as large group learning activities. Upon completing the five-week curriculum, students will have learned various techniques and activities they can utilize independently when needed throughout their day-to-day lives to support relaxation, emotional regulation, and develop focus
Pen Pal Programs as an Effective Tool for Elementary Writing and Intercultural Learning
Get PDFResearch has demonstrated how writing can be a challenge for young students. Motivation, authentic use, and low stakes environments are beneficial methods to build student writing confidence. Pen pal programs are an effective way to provide those benefits to student writing. These programs can also assist in students’ ability to build intercultural connections, which holds important skills in the modern world. However, research on pen pal programs is limited, and teachers often lack the time and resources to begin such a program for their students. The project involved creating a website resource for teachers who are interested in developing pen pal programs. The project is for elementary teachers but is accessible for other teachers to adjust and use for their grade and environments. The goal of the project is to provide information, tips, and resources to make establishing and maintaining these programs easier for teachers so that students may grow in their writing and intercultural learning
The Integration of iPads in Secondary Schools: Improving Students’ Writing Proficiency and Learning Achievement During the Note-Taking Process
Get PDFThe research question addressed in this study was: To what extent does the integration of iPads in secondary school classrooms impact students’ writing proficiency and learning achievement, especially during the note-taking process? The topics reviewed in the literature include the difficulties students face with writing, how poor writing skills impact overall proficiency as well as learning achievement, and the various methods of note-taking, starting with the pen-and-paper method leading to digital note-taking. The website created for the project focuses on informing teachers about different writing strategies and note-taking methods to help students increase their writing skills during the note-taking process. The website includes a facilitation guide for teaching three different note-taking methods, graphic organizers for download, an interactive notebook for download via Google Slides, and an open discussion board for teachers to converse about more strategies. The website aims to help teachers effectively integrate iPads into their classrooms and teach students explicit strategies that actively engage them in the learning process. Thus, it hopes to increase students\u27 writing skills and overall learning achievement