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Accessibility to Infant and Toddler Programming at a Nature-Based Zoo Preschool
Get PDFSettings that differ from the typical four-walled classroom have increased due to the recognition of nature-based learning from educators and researchers. With a strong focus on the rise in nature-based preschools, we see a lack of accessibility to quality experiences in nature-based programming for infants and toddlers. Through this project, I wanted to answer the question: how can an infant/toddler program designed to explore the benefits of nature-based learning reach San Antonio, TX families when created by a nature-based zoo preschool? To answer the research question, I explore resources highlighting key components in infant and toddler development, nature-based learning benefits, accessibility to nature-based learning, and types of nature-based programming. The project is a guidebook to an infant/toddler program at a nature-based zoo preschool that introduces families to four elements of nature-based learning: loose parts, mud play, sand play, and water play. Through an infant and toddler nature-based program, like this project, barriers can be eliminated and family members can understand nature-based learning and best practices for engaging and encouraging their children in nature activities. My goal is that this project can be implemented at the zoo preschool and encourages families to consider and participate in nature-based programs when starting their child’s educational journey
Correlations between Outdoor Recreation and Environmental Awareness in Participants with Various Ages, Cultures, and Abilities
Get PDFIn this project, the focus is on the correlations between outdoor recreation and environmental awareness in participants of various ages, cultures, and abilities. Presenting an opportunity to create a forum through a podcast that shares best practices from experts for people who engage in outdoor recreation as a leisure activity and newcomers to the outdoors. The literature review outlines the Leave No Trace environmental principles as it relates to the question of How can outdoor organizations boost their environmental education outreach using Leave No Trace principles accessible to all ages, cultures, and abilities? This project aims to create accessible information for all types of people to get outdoors responsibly
The Use of Culturally Responsive Strategies in the Classroom
Get PDFThe Use of Culturally Responsive Strategies in the Classroom (2023).
Teachers may understand the importance of using culturally responsive classroom strategies in the classroom. This dissertation study sought to determine what is needed to ensure teachers use culturally responsive strategies in the classroom. This qualitative study utilized grounded theory to answer the primary question of, How does a teacher\u27s belief in culturally responsive classroom strategies correlate to their use of strategies in the classroom? And the secondary question, What needs to be in place to use culturally responsive teaching strategies in the classroom? This study focused on teachers\u27 beliefs in correlation to using strategies using interviews, observations of lessons, self-assessment, and a teacher survey. The study had three significant findings: the need for recognizing bias and understanding cultural differences, belief does not correlate to using strategies, and the necessity of pre-service and ongoing professional development for continued implementation of culturally responsive classroom strategies.
Key Words: educational equity, culturally responsive classroom strategies, culture, cultural bias, culturally responsive pedagogy, racial diversity, underrepresented students
Implementing Equitable and Effective Practices for Dual-Identified Learners
Get PDFWalsh, A. (2023). Implementing Equitable and Effective Practices for Dual-Identified Learners English learners in special education make up approximately 1% of students in the United States. As the overall population of English learners rapidly increases, so does this population of dual-identified learners. Educators often do not receive adequate preparation to support dual-identified learners, and misconceptions that these students do not require services in both areas still persist in American public schools. Additionally, disproportionality of English learners in special education remains an ongoing issue. As a result, dual-identified learners are a misunderstood and underserved population. This capstone seeks to answer the question: How can educators understand and apply educational perspectives, equitable identification practices, and effective support strategies concerning dual-identified students in the classroom? This project includes three professional development workshops meant for all educators who play a role in dual-identified students’ education, be it special education teachers, general education teachers, English language teachers, or education assistants. The sessions draw upon relevant literature to provide educators with knowledge about dual-identified learners and equitable practices. Additionally, the professional development series incorporates opportunities for reflection and collaboration to facilitate educators’ use of resources, frameworks, and strategies in their provision of the high-quality education this population deserves
Supporting Multicultural Mental Health with Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Practices
Get PDFTeaching through the COVID-19 pandemic as an English teacher to elementary school learners highlighted many mental health needs for learners that were amplified even more once everyone was back in school full time. My fellow educators and I have been surviving and reacting to mental health needs and behaviors as they pop up during the school year but that is neither a long term solution nor does it provide the needed support to learners. These experiences in the classroom led to the question: How can elementary educators support multicultural learners with their mental health? After researching culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy and its relation to the current statistics of youth mental health in the United States, I created a website of resources for elementary educators in Minnesota. The website compiles data, resources, and literature options for educators to examine independently and occasionally read with their learners. Elementary educators can support multicultural learners with their mental health by meeting their students where they are at and by taking time to educate themselves further on multicultural education
How Can Educators Implement Nature-Based Learning To Increase The Well-Being Of The Whole Child?
Get PDFThis project is a collection of materials presented in a website format that dives deep into the benefits of nature-based learning, specifically answering the question: How can educators implement nature-based learning to increase the well-being of the whole child? This website is intended to be used as a resource for teachers, caregivers, and anyone seeking nature-based content for kids. High quality materials have been curated in a central repository for easy access. The sections on Nature-based Social Justice Resources, Art-based Environmental Education and Environmental Justice Resources can influence policy change by bringing awareness to social justice issues and providing concrete action steps to encourage educational transformation
LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity in the Outdoors
Get PDFLGBTQIA+ individuals face barriers, inequities, and discrimination while accessing outdoor spaces and participating in outdoor education and recreation. This project focused on creating an online, asynchronous toolkit with learning activities designed for individuals and organizations within the fields of outdoor education and outdoor recreation to become aware of barriers the LGTBQIA+ community faces to accessing the outdoors and begin implementing LGBTQIA+ inclusion initiatives. The activities are intended to be completed in order, but can be adapted to best meet individual and organizational needs. Each learning activity was influenced by the research conducted for the capstone project and by examining inclusivity toolkits designed by the CDC and UNESCO. There are numerous activists and organizations focused on LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the outdoors, but formal research on this topic is limited. The goal of the project is to expose the barriers the LGBTQIA+ community faces to accessing the outdoors, examine personal and organizational biases towards LGBTQIA+ individuals, and provide resources for outdoor organizations and professionals to implement active and visible inclusion to meet the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community
Using Written Self-Assessment to Improve Student Motivation in the Social Studies Classroom
Get PDFThe main research question addressed in this study was: How do written self-assessment reflections affect student motivation in a social studies classroom? To answer this question, this study reviewed the student motivation literature to explore the causes of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation. Based on the existing research, this study then examined the self-assessment literature as one way to improve student motivation in linguistically diverse classrooms. To test the impact of short self-assessment writing prompts at the end of each class on student motivation, a pre-experimental design of eight students (four English learners (ELs) and four non-ELs) in three sections of high school world history was conducted. Prior to the start of the self-assessment treatment, participants took the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) - High School questionnaire to measure their baseline level motivation. Then the participants were given guidelines on how to answer the prompts and were shown exemplary responses. Next, over a five-week period participants were given written self-assessment prompts twice a week and content-based exit tickets as a control the other two days a week. After the treatment period, participants took the AMS questionnaire again as one way to measure how much the participants’ motivation changed. Work completion rates and quarterly grades from before and after the treatment period were also used as proxy variables to measure motivation. Comparisons of the mean changes in motivation among the participants suggest that the self-assessment prompts had no impact on motivation, suggesting that teachers need to do more than just include self-assessment prompts to improve student motivation. A single factor ANOVA test comparing the results of EL and non-EL participants also found that there was no statistically significant difference between these two groups of participants. Ultimately, even though self-assessments alone may not improve student motivation, they did not decrease motivation, work completion rates or quarterly grades. As a result, self-assessments can still be an effective informal assessment tool for teachers, especially in linguistically diverse classrooms
My Work is Wild — Promoting Career Literacy of Conservation and STEM Vocations in Secondary School Students
Get PDFAs the climate crisis heightens and we tread ever further into the Anthropocene epoch, it becomes imperative environmental educators help recruit young adults to the conservation career force. However, studies show that career literacy education is a complex subject that is often misrepresented in traditional K-12 education. The goal of this project was to create an inclusive and influential curriculum for informal after-school programming for secondary students to supplement the career literacy of conservation professions garnered in the traditional school day. The lesson plans focus on relating conservation professions to our communities and students’ daily lives, as well as the recruitment and inclusion of diverse cultures and peoples. Curation included pedagogical theories supported by academic literature including the use of Science as Identity, Achievement Motivation Theory, Constructivist Theoretical Frameworks, Project and Inquiry-Based Learning, and Cultural-Historical Frameworks. This curriculum also employs knowledge and experiences from conservation professionals of diverse intersectionalities to further help students correlate these professions with their own identities and envision conservation as a feasible career pathway. While creation was focused on the after-school timeframe for students in the midwestern United States, lesson plans are transferable to other educational environments
How does Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, and Phone Addiction affect Elementary Student Learning?
Get PDFBallis, M. (2023). How does Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, and Phone Addiction affect Elementary Student Learning? The research question addressed in this capstone is “How can elementary schools foster learning through the awareness of healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as nutrition, exercise, sleep, and healthy phone use in low-income students and families?” This paper follows the research of me, Madeline Ballis, a fourth grade teacher, as I discover the importance of healthy lifestyle behaviors for elementary students, specifically those from low socioeconomic status (SES) families. The research was inspired by my past experience in studying psychology and personal experience with each of the lifestyle behaviors. Through my research, I found that student learning is affected by all of the lifestyle behaviors studied: nutrition, exercise, sleep, and phone addiction (Jirout, et al., 2019). Students from low SES families are especially vulnerable to the negative effects from inadequate nutrition, exercise, sleep, and phone addiction (Bellisle, 2004; Bosch, & Duch, 2017; Fang, 2020). It is essential to change lifestyle behaviors for students who are elementary school aged, because they are starting to form patterns and habits that may last them a lifetime (Olson, et al., 2011). With my learnings about lifestyle behaviors, I created a podcast for elementary students and families to listen to together, which includes information from my research, an interview with topic experts as well as biblical perspectives on each lifestyle behavior, and some discussion questions that will help promote conversations about changing lifestyle behaviors to become healthier. This podcast will benefit students and families, especially those who fit in the categories of: elementary aged, low SES, and having a Christian faith. Students and families can use what they have learned from the podcast to develop healthy lifestyle behaviors in their lives to be the best possible learners. Project Type Podcast Keywords Socioeconomic status (SES), Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Phone Addictio