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Supporting Somali- and Hmong-Speaking English Language Learners’ Acquisition of Morphological Awareness
No full textEducation research has consistently found that supporting students’ understanding of morphology leads to positive literacy outcomes. Students who are English Language Learners may need differentiated support than their English-only peers in this area. Currently, the majority of resources for morphology instruction with ELL students reference Spanish-speakers and rely on cognates between Spanish and English. After Spanish, Somali and Hmong represent the next largest language groups of Minnesota’s ELL population and it is difficult to find resources to support speakers of these languages’ understanding of morphology. Research was conducted to find morphology best practices which do not rely on cognates and which would be appropriate for Somali- and Hmong-speaking students. It was found that when educators increase their own metalinguistic awareness and understand something about the morphology systems of their students’ home languages, they are better prepared to teach morphology effectively
Effective Genre-Based Pedagogy in Co-taught Literacy Classes for Dual-Identified Students
No full textThe research question addressed in this project is : “How can multilingual teachers successfully co-teach with special education teachers in delivering effective genre-based pedagogy in literacy?” This capstone project addresses the critical educational gap facing dual-identified students–English learners (ELs) with significant disabilities–who require specialized support for both language development and disability-related needs. Despite federal mandates requiring both services, over 832,000 dual-identified students enrolled in U.S. public schools often fall through academic gaps due to fragmented services and deficit-based approaches that fail to recognize their intersectionalities. Teachers report feeling underprepared at ensuring these students have equal access to classroom curriculum. The paper and project explores how multilingual and special education teachers can successfully collaborate to deliver effective genre-based instruction that honors students’ intersectional identities. Drawing primarily from Kimberlé Crenshaw\u27s intersectionality framework, which examines how multiple social identities create unique experiences of discrimination and privilege, the study also incorporates Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles for creating accessible curriculum and Michael Halliday\u27s systemic functional linguistics theory. The project integrates genre-based pedagogy with a Federal Setting IV special education classroom’s existing Unique Learning Systems curriculum to develop a procedural genre writing unit that fulfilled twelfth grade standards. It includes accommodations for students with autism spectrum disorder and developmental cognitive delay disorder and has leveled materials for differing ability levels. It is designed as a ready-to-use unit for teachers with limited preparation time. The goal of the project is to demonstrate that dual-identified students can engage in rigorous academic writing when instruction is designed through asset-based, intersectional lenses
Plants, Land, and Ojibwe Nations in the Adult English Language Classroom
No full textAs an English language teacher in Minnesota, I have had many immigrant and refugee learners express a desire to understand the peoples, cultures, and histories of their new homes. As a settler colonist in Minnesota, I have an ethical obligation to counter the erasure of Indigenous peoples within our educational institutions and to grapple with the legacies of settler colonialism. These two threads come together in a project designed to respond to the question: How can land-based education and centering the voices of Native peoples be used to design lessons that foster adult ELLs’ reflection on Ojibwe nations’ unique relationships to plants and land in Minnesota? Motivated by the work of Indigenous scholars on anticolonial frameworks and land-based education and inspired by Nature for New Minnesotans - a Minnesota natural history curriculum for Adult English language learners (ELLs) - I designed a unit for intermediate level adult ELLs exploring the relationships between Ojibwe peoples and their homelands through the stories of manoomin (wild rice). The unit incorporates Native voices, perspectives, and wisdom and consists of four major sections: 1) an introduction to the Ojibwe through their migration story, Seven Grandfather teachings, and treaty-making, 2) an introduction to traditional manoomin harvesting and rice camps, 3) an exploration of the life cycle of manoomin and the gifts of manoomin to human and non-human relatives, and 4) an exploration of major threats to manoomin and Ojibwel nations’ actions to protect and care for manoomin
Examining Disparities in Pre-Conviction Detention: A Race and Gender Analysis of Criminal Charging and Detention Practices in Ramsey Countyention Practices in Ramsey County
Full text linkRace and gender disparities in the U.S. criminal justice system are well documented, primarily in sources of national post-conviction data. However, localized and pre-conviction studies remain limited. This study examined race and gender disparities in pre-conviction detention outcomes and charge severity in Ramsey County, Minnesota, between 2017 and 2019. Using a descriptive, exploratory quantitative design and a retrospective single-cohort analysis, the researcher analyzed trends in arrests, charge severity, and pre-conviction incarceration duration across race and gender groups. Findings indicate disparities in both charge rates and pre-conviction detention durations, with Black men and Native American women experiencing longer periods of incarceration. However, unlike national trends, race does not appear to influence charge severity, suggesting that racial disparities persist in arrest and detention outcomes but not in the charges filed. While most research on justice disparities relies on post-conviction data, this study highlights how disparities emerge at the earliest stages of the criminal justice process. By analyzing pre-conviction jail booking data, the researcher fills a critical gap and establishes a benchmark for future study and intervention. Importantly, in this study, blame is not assigned to any agency or group; instead, the researcher sought to enhance understanding of structural patterns within the pre-conviction justice system. Findings will contribute to ongoing discussions of race, gender, and criminal justice, thereby providing a foundation for future research and policy considerations
Fostering Resilience Through Near Peer Mentorship in Elementary School
Full text linkNear-peer mentoring involves pairing students with peers who are close in age but slightly more advanced in experience ensures the students\u27 needs are met in ways that feel supportive and accessible. This capstone project explores how peer mentoring fosters social-emotional resilience in elementary students. The project is designed for a ten-week curriculum using the Minnesota SEL standard, which uses CASEL’s five competencies to be integrated into the classroom. Frameworks that carry this project include Bandura\u27s social learning theory and self-efficacy, Vygotsky\u27s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), Identity-Based Motivation (IBM), along with Masten’s ordinary magic. Research on resilience highlights that resilience is fluid and can be nurtured through consistent practice and relational support. Although this project does not create empirical results, it provides a structural foundation for support. Concluding that near-peer mentoring, when aligned with the SEL framework, has the potential to strengthen student emotional regulation, social relationships, and academic resilience
Developing Growth Mindsets in the Math Classroom
Full text linkThis capstone seeks to answer the question, How can students develop growth mindsets while learning math? The research was inspired by the belief that learning mathematics could help students develop a growth mindset, which could have a positive impact on both their academic achievement and their overall well-being outside of school. A literature review was conducted focusing on the value of a growth mindset, specific strategies for its development, and the effects of a growth mindset on underrepresented populations. The research confirmed the importance of growth mindsets, identifying both academic and social-emotional benefits. Additionally, multiple strategies for developing growth mindsets were identified. Among these, teacher language emerged as the most significant and actionable strategy. As a result of this learning, adjustments were made to pedagogical practices to align more closely with growth mindset principles and create a more motivating learning environment
Lessons from a Life in Transition: An Autoethnography of Regional Attitudes Toward Transgender Educators
Full text linkThis study explores the lived experiences of a transgender educator navigating public school systems in Mississippi and Minnesota. The purpose of this research is to illuminate how systemic discrimination, lack of institutional support, and cultural attitudes toward gender identity affect both the personal and professional lives of transgender teachers. Using an autoethnographic approach, I analyzed weekly journal entries written over multiple school years across three distinct school settings. These reflections were thematically examined to identify patterns related to identity negotiation, resilience, workplace discrimination, and moments of resistance.
The findings reveal the emotional toll of teaching in environments where safety and affirmation are not guaranteed. They also highlight acts of advocacy, community building, and growth as a queer educator. This research contributes to the understanding of queer pedagogy and the ways in which educators’ identities shape and are shaped by their teaching contexts. The study underscores the urgent need for policies, practices, and school cultures that affirm LGBTQ+ educators. It also offers insight into how reflective narratives can serve as tools for both healing and systemic change
Centering Adult Basic Education Students as Learners and Creators With Class Websites
Full text linkAn adult basic education (ABE) class website can integrate educational theories and technology to center students as learners and creators. This research explored educational theories that include andragogy, other adult-specific learning theories, heutagogy, constructivism, culturally relevant theories, and traditional teacher-centered learning models and methods. This project integrated those learning theories with the online modality of a tool-rich class website to promote digital literacy and center students as learners and creators actively participating in their own learning. The project is a Google Sites class website that can be used as a model or template for ABE teachers to copy, modify, and use in a variety of learning contexts and content areas within ABE. It features class and school resources, online journals, portfolios, wikis, discussion areas, and more. The website is intended to be a flexible tool used by teachers to lead and facilitate student learning and creating and used by students to practice digital skills, showcase their backgrounds, and learn in a hands-on and interactive way
Combating Burnout: Science Curriculum that Decreases Teacher Workload
Full text linkThis project produced five days of lesson plans, a document to help assess lessons, and a reminder list which all promote the successful adoption of inquiry-based learning (IBL) into a classroom. The adoption of IBL ideally functions to allow teachers to decrease the overall “workload” or amount of prep time needed to teach traditionally content-heavy courses by way of empowering students to become the center of the learning process. Current research indicates there are noted barriers to widespread IBL adoption, such as lack of administrative support, lack of appropriate teacher training, and commonplace reliance on traditional learning styles. When implemented and supported with care, a classroom based on IBL principles has the potential to promote equity among students, increase student proficiency with communication and collaboration, and allow students to experience a process much closer to professional science practices, all which better prepare them for future science literacy or vocational options when compared to traditional science education
Social Emotional Development in Spanish Debate: Curriculum for New Debaters
Full text linkSocial emotional learning (SEL) is a critical aspect of ensuring growth and development of the whole student, especially in Dual Language (DL) programming. After-school programs provide a unique environment for fostering social emotional growth on top of academic and behavioral goals. Namely, Spanish debate is an academic after-school program that requires considerable self-management and relationship skills for student success, providing an opportunity for SEL. Thus, through an Understanding by Design (UdB) unit of Spanish debate and extensive literature review, this capstone project aims to answer the following research question: How can effective debate curriculum effectuate belonging and social emotional learning in the after-school classroom? Through five weeks of Spanish debate instruction that implements activities and reflection on SEL and academic growth, this project provides an exemplar for curriculum developers in DL and after-school communities