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How Can Personalized Learning In The Environmental Classroom Inspire Student-Led Environmental Action And Advocacy?
Get PDFEnvironmental education plays a major role in developing environmentally literate citizens who are prepared as future leaders and problem solvers in the environmental field. A personalized learning model supports the goals of environmental education by allowing students to determine individual goals, providing students autonomy to make their own choices, and giving students learner agency to use their voice and take action in their communities (Rickabaugh, 2016). This capstone project addresses the question: How can personalized learning in the environmental classroom inspire student-led environmental action and advocacy? The project includes a personalized learning curriculum to be utilized in a sixth grade environmental science classroom with a unit outline, linked lesson plans, and other resources to support educators. Students complete an environmental journal, where they reflect on their connections to nature and impact on the environment. The unit also includes an individual environmental research project in which students choose an environmental topic that is meaningful to them and create an action or advocacy plan to contribute towards positive environmental change. The goal of this unit is to provide educators with tools that encourage students to utilize their individual strengths and backgrounds to make positive changes in their local and global communities
Fostering Students’ Sense of Belonging and Inclusion Through Community Involvement
Get PDFThis paper examines resource availability and allocation within schools and, through its investigation, identifies the greater community system as an underutilized source of talent. To better understand and use the greater community as a resource, this paper will consider the impact on students’ social-emotional growth. More specifically, how does community involvement in the classroom, specifically through the use of community-based learning practices, impact a student’s sense of belonging and inclusion? Community-based learning practices are rooted in authentic learning experiences where students collaborate with community partners to address community needs and objectives. Students, educators, and members of the greater community all benefit from the application of these practices. To assist in this initiative, the accompanying project takes the form of a professional development opportunity that will encourage and enable practicing educators and their administrators in implementing community-based learning practices. As educators are better equipped to identify and utilize community resources in their classroom practices, students can develop their skills as actively engaged members of current and future communitie
Implementing The Next Generation Science And Engine
Get PDFThis capstone project aims to answer the research question, How can teachers best implement the Next Generation Science and Engineering Practices to facilitate engaging and effective science instruction in an 8th grade classroom? This project was influenced by the shift in science teaching brought on by the 2019 Minnesota Science Standards. As an eighth grade science teacher in Minnesota, I wanted to learn more about the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and how they relate to the 2019 Minnesota Science Standards. My research in this capstone project focuses on best practices for implementation of the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs). The literature review portion of this work focuses on each of the individual SEPs, while the project provides an example on how to implement the practices. More specifically, my capstone project is a curricular unit aligned to three of the 2019 Minnesota Science Standards. The project focuses on using the SEPs to facilitate student learning of the science concepts being studied. The goal of this project is to help teachers in Minnesota as they begin to implement the new 2019 Minnesota Science Standards
Can Providing an Outdoor Education Activity Booklet that Meets State Standards of Learning Increase Environmental Education in the Classroom?
Get PDFFor this capstone project an outdoor activity booklet was created to help bridge the gap between formal and informal education. In order to accomplish that, the guiding question was: Can providing an outdoor education activity booklet that meets state standards of learning increase environmental education in the classroom? This booklet is meant for students in grades kindergarten to second grade to be used at school or at home, to explore their environment while meeting Virginia standards of learning. This booklet focuses on place-based learning and goes through the five regions of Virginia using activities to guide students\u27 learning. The booklet can be used to meet Virginia standards of learning in science, physical education, mathematics, music, history and social sciences, and health, while allowing students to be outside and enjoy the natural environment at school or at home. Cultural considerations were applied to the creation of this booklet, as well as other considerations to make it as equitable as possible for all students. Research has shown that early exposure to nature can lead to connections, which can develop into environmental stewardship.The goal in creating this booklet is for all students to be able to create a connection to nature, learn more about their environment, and understand their place in their ecosystem
Effective Consequences
Get PDFThe aim of this project is to explore the question: What are the most vital elements of effective consequences? What allows consequences to change student behavior? How can you reduce or eliminate the negative side effects of consequences? My research on the topic, reading studies and scholarly reports, shows that there are multiple strategies, but a few common elements can be distilled from the various techniques. The most vital of these elements are: clarity, teamwork, warmness, and reflection. The resulting project consists of a 4-part professional development workshop for teachers. Each workshop session focuses on one vital element of effective consequences: clarity, teamwork, warmness, and reflection. The workshops are designed to take place over four months, with one session each month. Between sessions, participants can reflect on the goals that they have set for themselves
Joy In Choice: Cultivating A Choice-Centric Literacy Classroom In Upper Elementary
Get PDFThe research question addressed in this project is: How do teachers initiate and nurture joyful, personally meaningful opportunities for reading in the classroom? This project is an introductory website detailing how and why teachers can shift their reading block to make it a time in the day when students are making choices for themselves. In so doing, student motivation and joy for reading is at the forefront of the classroom (Gambrell, 2015). The intended audience is any upper elementary teacher looking to decenter the teacher’s voice during independent reading, but is of particular importance for teachers who already have an independent reading portion of their day upon which they would like to improve. The website is divided into five major parts: the rationale behind moving to a choice-driven model, initial set-up, implementation, maintenance, and blog. The design of the website draws upon the understandings of how learners intake multimedia information from the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer, 2001). The overarching goal of the website is to empower teachers to recenter their literacy block around student book choice and teach through shared language rather than shared texts
The Best Way to Utilize MakerSpace in a 6th Grade Science Classroom
Get PDFThe research question addressed in this capstone project is: “How can the MakerSpace model be implemented in a sixth grade science classroom successfully?” This paper follows a sixth grade science teacher\u27s journey into learning more about MakerSpace and how to implement the MakerSpace model in a science classroom. This paper also follows how this learning influenced the creation of a MakerSpace guide intended for educators that are interested in implementing a MakerSpace in their classroom, specifically a sixth grade science classroom. The topics of focus are: what is MakerSpace, what makes it different from other science programs, research behind MakerSpace, benefits and pitfalls of implementation, and what a successful MakerSpace needs. The project includes: teacher materials, a variety of classroom materials - including posters with project ideas, vocabulary and QR codes for student resources, and a design journal for students
Project Based Learning for Chronically Absent Students
Get PDFResearch has shown that students who are chronically absent from school in the elementary years are far more likely to underperform academically, struggle socially and drop out of high school. Project based learning (PBL) is a process in which students and teachers engage in creation, discussion, and reflection. Teachers guide while students inquire independently and with peers. Learning is acquired through questioning, choice and action (Helle et al., 2006). Project based learning provides the opportunity for teachers to integrate social studies, science, reading, writing, math, and social and emotional skills over several weeks, ultimately creating a project that represents the learning. This project is an 11-lesson unit for second grade social studies developed under Duke’s 2015 eight gold standard elements of project based learning. The unit offers a solution for my capstone question, “How can students with chronic absence learn through Project Based Learning”? This unit engages chronically absent students through oral reflection before each new lesson and the unit offers logical entry points for engaging chronically absent students with the project. The goal of this capstone is to offer absent students a glance at the previous learning through other students’ artifacts and to offer highly engaging work, enticing absent students to attend school more often
How Can Informal Environmental Education Curriculum and Pedagogy Be More Inclusive for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Students?
Get PDFIt is becoming common for teachers of all subjects to gain training or take courses that specifically help them integrate environmental education (EE) into their core subject (Dada et al., 2018). At times, formal educators will team up with informal environmental educators to offer such opportunities. Informal educators, while well-versed in environmental activities, topics and issues, may not have an understanding of how to teach. This means that those who do not learn well in a traditional classroom may struggle to take part in EE. Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are an example of individuals that learn in a different style compared to neurodivergent classmates. This project provides the information needed for informal environmental educators to include ASD students in their programming. Through an extensive literature review of ASD, traditional classroom education and EE, a professional development presentation was formed to show informal environmental educators how to consider different methods to convey their knowledge to students of unique learning styles
Cultural Relevance In Art Matters: An Accessible Curriculum
Get PDFResearch shows that allowing students room for their artistic voice is empowering and can help them explore their racial identity. In addition to supporting cultural identities, art can enhance one’s mood. Multiple studies show how visual art can build positive mental health and reduce anxiety. There has been a troubling rise in statistics for teenagers with poor mental health and suicide attempts, particularly in the LGBTQIA+ populations. When these students feel welcome at school their mental health is markedly improved. As the No Child Left Behind Policies grew, access to the visual arts decreased. Art does not test well therefore does not have a place in the core subjects. As art education continues to be limited, it is important to stress that art can be taught in a variety of other subjects and not just in the art classroom. There is room in the curriculum for art and allows a differentiated education that reflects the student\u27s cultural heritage. Between 2010 and 2018 the minority populations of Minnesota have significantly increased. It is important for educators to be prepared with an art curriculum that features local artists and works that are compatible with their students\u27 demographics. In the white population it is equally important to provide examples of minority artists to combat the idea that only white people make art. The goal of the project is to build an inclusive, diverse list of artists and accompanying lesson plans for Minnesota educators to be access free and relevant art lessons in their classroom. These lessons will correlate with The Minnesota State Standards for Visual Art. There are online resources for materials, grants, museums and galleries. There is a feedback form and place for other educators to submit lessons to grow this educational tool. All students deserve an art education with lessons that celebrate their diversity with examples from successful artists that reflect their identities