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Creating a Generation of Critical Information Consumers: Critical Literacy Strategies in an Upper Elementary Classroom
Get PDFDue to technology and social media, students now have access to an overwhelming amount of information at the tip of their fingers. It can be difficult for both children and adults to filter through this information and decipher facts from opinions. Elementary teachers should be working to teach their students how to view all media — books, articles, videos, photos, podcasts etc. — through a critical lens. This capstone delves into the research question: How can critical literacy strategies be implemented in an upper elementary classroom to create a generation of more informed citizens? The final website helps to define critical literacy as well as supplies upper elementary teachers with strategies for integrating critical literacy into their classroom instruction using a collection of diverse texts. It also includes frameworks that teachers can use to explicitly teach the critical literacy strategies to their elementary students
Effects of Teaching Collaborative Learning Strategies to Teachers on Student Transferable Skills and Adaptability Development in the High School STEM Classroom
Get PDFEvery student’s understanding of the world is formed from the interactions they experience and observe of which the relationships they build with their peers affect both. The guide created in this project serves as an answer to the question: What are the effects of teaching collaborative learning strategies to teachers in the high school STEM classroom on student adaptability and transferable skills development? The guide itself is oriented towards STEM teachers but includes activities and advice that can be transferred across disciplines. Furthermore, the guide is written informally which allows for the information and activities presented to feel more relatable as opposed to rigid like one might find in a textbook. Outside of encouraging teachers to try new strategies the guide also discusses the effectiveness of the strategies on the development of skills associated with adaptability in the context of academic, social, and professional skills and how they can be transferred outside of the classroom. The goal of the project is to get new teachers and veteran teachers to try strategies that can be considered daunting in the pursuit of providing students with meaningful experiences that can assist them in their development of skills needed in and out of the classroom
Tying Community Science and Social Justice Together in an Urban Biology Class to Foster Environmental Responsibility
Get PDFResearch shows that students who are involved in projects within their communities feel more sense of belonging and connection to their space. This is also true when discussing environmental justice. Students who have been historically marginalized can feel more comfort within navigating science. The unit plan designed for this project addressed the research question: How can community science and social justice be tied together in an urban biology classroom to foster environmental responsibility? The unit plan combined the knowledge of community science which focuses on sense of place with social justice within science or critical pedagogy in order to support the teaching framework of Critical Pedagogy of Place. The unit plan focused on explicitly teaching students about community science first followed by social justice in science before having the students research and design a project themselves within the community. The goal of the project was to foster a sense of environmental responsibility within students
On-Ramps for Refugees: A Workplace Safety IET Curriculum for Low-Proficiency English Learners
Get PDFThis capstone project aims to address the question: “How can current career pathway programs be expanded to create more “on-ramps” for Refugee ELL students at lower English proficiency levels? What role can community-based organizations take in creating “on-ramps”? This paper was inspired by the teacher’s professional experiences working with refugees with lower-level English proficiency seeking to re-enter their chosen career fields. The paper provides an overview of the literature with a specific focus on Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL), the Career Pathway model, Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs, and the need for “on-ramps” to create additional points of entry for lower-level students. The paper also gives an overview of Wisconsin\u27s adult ELL education and IET programs. The paper ends with an introduction of the Rohingya refugee community in Milwaukee. The curriculum is a workplace safety IET course focusing on academic skills development. This curriculum is designed to be the first course in an on-ramp program connecting lower-level ELL students to an existing IET program. The curriculum includes three sample units focused on academic skills, personal protective equipment, and analyzing workplace safety scenarios. Materials include lesson plans with learning objectives, scaffolds and supports, instructional materials, and suggested scope and sequence chart
Building Resilience Through Nature Connection and Storytelling to Face the Climate Crisis and the Ecological Crisis
Get PDFClimate Change is creating more and more severe impacts on our planet. Impacts include more destructive storms, increased temperatures, more wildfires and therefore smoke. Additionally, destruction of habitat is threatening species around the world, who are also struggling to survive the changing climate. Many young people around the world are very worried about the future, and many teachers feel unprepared to teach students about climate change. This project seeks to provide a resource for teachers and students to process the science of climate change by connecting to nature. It asks:
How can educators use digital storytelling tools to develop students’ identities as individuals and members of a global community that includes the whole biosphere, while developing their language abilities?
How can this practice help students connect with nature to become more resilient while taking local action to prepare themselves and their communities for the climate crisis and inspire others to do the same?
It is interdisciplinary in nature, looking at theories and research on Identity, Language, Digital Media, and Climate Science. The climate crisis is global in scope and will require global cooperation to address. Using theories such as Critical Race Theory and Sociolinguistics can help educators reflect on the diverse identities of students in the US and around the world as they design curriculum to encourage collaboration. Honoring each individual and their intersecting identities makes schools more welcoming. Supporting linguistically diverse students is critically important, and building online networks of language communities can help do so. Advances in technology have allowed for more creation and sharing of multimedia content across the world. Helping students find their voice and tell their own stories can empower them to make change in their communities and globally. Involving children in local action and telling stories of children taking action can help inspire young people to stay hopeful and involved in the greatest problem of their time
A Framework for Incorporating Best Practices to Provide Foundational Literacy Skills to English Learners for Sustained Academic Success
Get PDFEnglish Learners (ELs) have experienced a lack of sustained academic success for generations, especially compared to their non-EL peers. The cause of this experience is multifaceted and the importance of making its history visible cannot be stressed enough. This capstone aims to empower individuals with the knowledge of this topic and create empathy for the EL community so that awareness becomes actionable and change is demanded for the way foundational literacy skills are taught in public schools. Knowledge for this topic includes a historical context of language policies, theories of learning, literacy instruction, and misconceptions stemming from these facets that have hindered early reading proficiency for all students, especially ELs. Additionally, these misconceptions and the unique needs of ELs are analyzed to highlight the social barriers that have been created that impact the academic experience and success of these students. Finally, academic success and its evaluative impact on the educational process are discussed before presenting the current research on best practices for ELs. In order for the academic success of ELs to be sustained, we must provide foundational literacy instruction that meets the unique needs of ELs and is systematic, sequential, and specific, beginning with phonemic awareness instruction throughout elementary school. While the focus of this capstone is to change the way foundational literacy skills are taught in public schools for the sake of ELs, the reformation and its positive outcomes will permeate to non-ELs as well
Supporting Social-Emotional Learning with Diversely Representative Children’s Literature: Toolbox Supplementary Read Aloud Lesson Plans
Get PDFRead aloud texts play an essential role in shaping social-emotional learning skills, implementing routines, and bolstering early literacy skills in the early elementary classroom. Yet, despite the increasing racial and cultural diversity of the United States student population, children’s literature often lacks meaningful, intersectional representations of diversity. This capstone project pairs diverse children’s literature with the Toolbox social-emotional learning curriculum to explore the question, How can early elementary students\u27 social-emotional skills develop through the intentional reading and conversation about children\u27s literature featuring characters, authors, and themes of diverse and intersectional identities? The research concludes that the representational children’s literature can support the development of social-emotional skills like feeling identification, self-regulation, and stress management
How Can Culturally-responsive Instruction Help Middle and High School Teachers Address Muslim Students\u27 Needs?
Get PDFThis capstone project explores how middle and high school teachers can create positive relationships with Muslim students by using culturally responsive instruction. Educators must understand that Muslim students have unique cultural identities based on their religious beliefs. Regardless of nationality, language, skin color, or cultural background, all Muslims are bound by these Islamic cultural practices. These practices directly impact students’ academic progress, social life, and self-esteem. By familiarizing themselves with these cultural and religious practices, teachers can better relate to Muslim students and address their social and academic needs. I seek answers to this research question by discussing four main subtopics: First, I discuss the history of Islam and Muslims in America, the importance of knowledge-seeking in Islam, Islamophobia; and the influence of the media on Muslims worldwide. Second, I discuss some significant challenges Muslim students face in U.S. schools. These challenges include school curricula, hidden curriculums, teachers’ ethnocentrism, home-school relations, and instruction methods. Third, I define culturally-sustaining pedagogies from different perspectives and highlight the impact they can have on Muslim students’ education. Finally, I address some critical aspects regarding Muslim students\u27 cultural and religious needs. These include accommodating the daily prayers and Friday prayers, fasting in Ramadan, Islamic holidays, dietary needs, modesty in Islam and wearing the Hijab, and gender separation. As my final product, I developed a one-week professional development for non-Muslim educators interacting with Muslim students throughout the school year. This capstone project was intended to serve as a mirror for non-Muslim educators to examine their biases and prejudices, as well as to use the wealth of knowledge and experience Muslim students bring to their classrooms rather than pressuring them to assimilate with White students through a White-centered curriculum. I built my professional development on the accommodations mentioned in Chapter Two. The literature covered in my professional development offers practical solutions and serves as an academic resource for stakeholders with similar concerns
Nature’s Classroom: Designing a Practical Environmental Education Curriculum
Get PDFThe world is currently facing a plethora of environmental catastrophes, and environmental education is a crucial tool for addressing this crisis. Environmental education (EE) programs, when included in formal primary schools, have been shown to create positive environmental changes and improve students’ academic performance, social-emotional learning, and physical health. However, teachers often face various barriers that impede their ability to implement EE programs in schools. This capstone combines three models for EE - place-based education, nature journaling, and community partnerships to address these barriers. The research question driving this project is: What factors do informal educators need to consider when developing environmental education curricula for use in formal primary education settings? Using the Understanding by Design framework (McTighe & Wiggins, 2004), a curriculum has been created to manifest the benefits and address the barriers. This project is a significant step towards developing practical environmental education programs for school implementation