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Choice Based Directing: Promoting Inclusivity in Middle School Theatre Programs
Get PDFRiggs, B. Choice-Based Directing: Promoting Inclusivity in Middle School Theatre Programs (2021) The research question addressed in this capstone project was, how can implementing Choice-Based Directing promote inclusivity in a middle school theatre program? The capstone documents one theatre teacher/director’s self-created process of directing and teaching middle school theatre students. Choice-Based Directing integrates student voice and choice into learning on stage. The author presents research, personal experience, and the program results of implementing Choice-Based Directing. As an aspect of this work, a professional development for middle school theatre educators was created with the goal of helping teachers and directors learn and master the skills of Choice-Based Directing. An additional goal of the professional development component is to retain theatre programs and develop more inclusive practices within the workings of theatre departments. This study challenges the traditional directing paradigm and replaces it with a model designed to increase student engagement and offer opportunities for more inclusion within theatre productions. The author advances their intimate knowledge of this directing process by creating a coherent system of practices outlined in the professional development project
More Than White Boys And Their Dogs: Diversity In Children’s Literature Professional Development
Get PDFThe creation of this professional development was based upon the research question: What is the best way to decenter whiteness and decolonize elementary literature, while empowering teachers and students to use literature as a tool for social justice? This professional development involves an exploration of the current diversity in children’s literature. It then focuses on developing an understanding of social identities and social justice. Participants will complete a social identity wheel and use their newfound knowledge of social identities to examine their own personal privilege. With this understanding, educators will learn how to assess their classroom library and begin to address the disparity in literary representation. While assessing their classroom library, educators will learn how to evaluate whether a text is representative of true experiences
Microbial Metabolism of Environmentally Relevant Nitrogen-Rich Compounds: Guanidine, Guanylurea and Metformin
No full textIn the past few centuries, advances in modern technology and medicine have enabled production and development of many useful agriculturally-relevant chemicals and pharmaceutically active compounds. However, this has resulted in the generation and entry of significant amounts of industrial, agricultural, and pharmaceutical waste into environmental surface waters. Little is known of the long-term effect of these environmental contaminants, and many have been shown to be biologically active, causing harm to aquatic life and hastening antibiotic resistance. To investigate the end-fate of several environmentally-relevant nitrogen-rich pollutants, this study employed diverse microbial communities originating from activated sludge and soil by combining classical microbiological, molecular biology, biochemical, and bioinformatic techniques. This study examined a microbial consortia capable of degrading metformin, a common drug utilized in the treatment of type II diabetes, to its transformation product, guanylurea. Enrichment cultures led to the isolation and characterization of a strain of Pseudomonas mendocina capable of degrading guanylurea, and provides the first evidence for the biochemical pathway for guanylurea in microbial species resulting in the formation of guanidine. This study also led to the characterization of a strain of Rhodococcus bacteria, furthering the understanding of microbial guanidine metabolism. This study provides insight into the microbial metabolism of metformin, guanylurea, and guanidine, and could contribute to the development of biotechnological applications for water treatment
Best Practices in Science Education and Next Generation Science Standards: A Review of Systems Thinking, Inquiry-based Learning and Culturally Sustainable Practices
Get PDFPublic School science educators are given the task to teach students dynamic, interpretable material based on grade level as well as national and state standards. Science is at the forefront of many jobs and future economic stability and also encompasses a wide range of disciplinary topics. Having educators use the best resources in curriculum development and teaching methodology is crucial to successfully empowering future scientific research and understanding. The Whole Ecosystems in Balance (WEB), A Natural Resource Curriculum, originally created in 1995, was used to support science teaching efforts in Eastern Oregon. In order to continue its relevance, the curriculum needed to be revised and aligned with current standards. In an attempt to use the most pertinent and current resources available in WEB curriculum revision, this capstone puts into practice findings in answer to the research question, How to develop a highquality sixth-grade science curriculum to meet Next Generation Science Standards while incorporating teaching best practices? Inquiry-based learning, Systems Thinking and Culturally Sustainable Practices (CSP) were identified through research as the most effective means by which to encourage student growth and comprehension. The WEB curriculum which was created as an Environmental Education (EE) resource developed for Public School use, incorporated these principles as they are part of founding EE principles. Next Generation Science Standards were developed in 2013 and adopted by the state of Oregon in 2014, were not included in the WEB curriculum. Considering the depth of science education and the constant need for highquality resources, Environmental and Public School education would benefit from a more cohesive bond between curriculum development and classroom incorporation. By so doing will help achieve the consistent use of teaching best practices and science education relevancy. As a result of this capstone, the WEB curriculum was successfully aligned with NGSS and revised to better meet the identified best practices for the sixth grade. It stands as an example of a highquality curriculum resource for teachers in Eastern Oregon and for future curriculum revision
Exploring the Effect of Cultural and Linguistic Features on the Academic Writing of College-Level English Learners
Get PDFThis capstone project explores the research question: “What factors contribute to the struggle of nonnative writers with academic writing in English? Knowledge of North American writing conventions is essential in U.S. colleges and universities. College students who are native speakers of the English language are familiar with these conventions from elementary education. However, international or English Learners (ELs) do not have enough exposure to these conventions as they enroll and attend colleges and universities in the U.S. These ELs struggle in academic writing classes with issues beyond grammar and syntactic structure. This struggle is partially attributable to cultural and linguistic differences between the first language of ELs and North American English. Ulla Connor (1996) suggests that writing is embedded in culture. And Robert Kaplan (1967) states that “rhetoric is culturally determined.” To investigate this question, the findings draw mainly from two research areas: Robert Kaplan’s contrastive rhetoric and Malcom Knowles’ andragogy. Attention is given to the salient intercultural and linguistic factors that are at play in the writings of ELs as well as teaching approaches and best practices that would lead to the success of ELs with academic writing. This capstone project is followed by a professional development consisting of three sessions: The Foundation, The Application: 1- Syntax level and 2 - Discourse level. The PD is intended to guide college writing center tutors working to ELs and leans toward explicit instruction
The Power of Translanguaging in American Schools
Get PDFThe concept of teaching English as a second language or multilingualism is something that the country has grappled with since the time of colonization. As we have become more aware of the globalization in our world, it has become quite evident that the basis of many of the theories and research conducted has a level of monolingual bias and is geared towards a system that is more fitting to what is known as monolingual norms. As more understanding is gained, the American education system is learning about translanguaging, an asset-based concept that is a heteroglossic ideology holding bilingualism to high esteem. The work of Ofelia Garcia has had a great influence on introducing the concept of translanguaging to the TESOL community. Translanguaging is a relatively new concept and schools are still trying to figure out the benefits and implementation in the classroom. This has led to my research question, How can a general education teacher effectively use translanguaging in the classroom in order to promote English language acquisition for multilingual learners? This capstone project evolved into a website, serving as a resource for general education teachers who will incorporate translanguaging into their classrooms. This capstone project will be a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test professional development series that will guide the website. The website will contain information and resources on translanguaging and be a place where teachers work collaboratively to culminate further translanguaging resources. Staff in district 279 in Osseo, Minnesota, will have gained a sound understanding of translanguaging and feel prepared to implement the newly learned skills in their classrooms, with the support of multilingual teaching staff and equity leaders
Differentiating the Integration of the Four Skills in Multi-Level Adult ESL Writing Classes
Get PDFThis capstone project addresses the following research question: How can open-ended activities that integrate the four language skills support differentiation in multi-level (low-intermediate to advanced-level) adult general ESL writing classes? In literature grounding this project, several researchers have dealt with the importance of integrating different language skills in lessons and the role of differentiated instruction in meeting the needs of multi-level students. They also studied the benefits of using different open-ended activities from communicative to project-based activities. However, concrete examples on the integration of the four language skills and differentiating activities to accommodate low-intermediate to advanced-level adult students in general ESL writing classes are lacking. To fill this gap, this instructional guide provides different communicative and project-based learning activities with different examples of language skills integration and differentiating different activity types to meet the needs of low-intermediate to advanced-level students. These activities are accompanied with the appropriate teaching modalities, and a variety of active, cooperative and independent teaching/learning strategies. The development of the handbook was based on Knowles’ (1984) and Mezirow’s (1990; 1991; 2000) adult learning theories that promote the students’ consciousness of their learning and designing activities that promote critical thinking and student collaboration. An adaptation of Tomlinson and Imbeau’s (2010) differentiation framework of content, process and product was used to highlight the possibilities of differentiating the various activities presented in the instructional guide. The guide further includes multiple formative and summative assessment examples along with suggested sample lessons to be applied in multi-level adult general ESL writing classes
Project Based Learning as a Teaching and Learning Method for Middle School ELLs
Get PDFThe rise in immigration to the United States in recent years has led to an increase in linguistic and racial diversity in schools. As a result, students with lower levels of English proficiency are often neglected in the classroom. I learned in my studies at Hamline University that the result of this is what Gloria Ladson-Billings (2006) calls the “opportunity gap.” Teaching in India for many years, I incorporated various projects to make content comprehensible. Project based learning increases participation and understanding. Through my capstone project, I wanted to create the possibility of a more active learning environment for my ELLs in the United States. This capstone project paper is called Project Based Learning as a Teaching and Learning Method for Middle School ELLs. I also created an Understanding by Design (UbD) PBL Curriculum for Middle School ELLs which addresses the question: How effective is Project Based Learning (PBL) for improving the achievement and engagement of Middle School English Language Learners (ELLs) over the traditional teaching and learning methods? The projects I created increase ELL engagement, and provide foundations for the development of academic language. The project includes three UbD unit plans aligned to MN state standards and follows best practices for PBL. Additionally, the project focuses on best practices for ELLs, with the success of all students in mind. A key influence for my project was the Buck Institute for Education (n.d.), which states that real-world and personally meaningful projects engage students most in learning. PBL is helpful for all students to deepen their understanding through authentic, hands-on projects. Another key influence was Boss and Krauss (2014), who define PBL as a strategy which turns traditional classrooms “upside down.” In PBL, teachers’ roles shift away from content-experts and towards facilitators, and students pursue their own questions to solve problems, make meaning, and increase higher-order thinking
Rewilding Students To Establish A Slow Pedagogy In Short Term Environmental Education Settings
Get PDFof connecting individuals with nature: what does it mean for students to actually connect with nature? Many organizations strive to connect their users with nature using “fast pedagogy” that usually takes the form of adventurous outdoor activities, such as canoeing, rock climbing, and going through high ropes courses. However, these activities allow little time for users to dwell in their natural surroundings, preventing them from learning via “slow pedagogy,” which involves making novel observations about nature and connecting to their surroundings through these observations. The same issue rings true for residential environmental learning centers that host grade school students for short-term trips. A corresponding issue on these trips is students having to adjust to the new environment they find themselves in, especially students from underserved/marginalized populations, resulting in less efficient learning. This project set out to quell these two issues through the creation of a rewilding class curriculum. The curriculum consists of various activities that allow students to create a positive sense of place in their new surroundings, connect with each other through group activities and connect with themselves and nature through the utilization of creative thinking and sensory experiences to help students observe nature in a novel fashion. Although the class was created for 4th-8th students learning at informal environmental learning centers, it can be adapted to fit various settings and student needs
The Benefits Of Advancing The Next Generation Science Standards In The Elementary Grades
Get PDFThroughout the twentieth century and into the new millennium, the public and private sectors within the United States have attempted to buttress its economic, defense and educational achievement postures by implementing several educational initiatives and curricular changes. Around 2010 the National Resource Council began to initiate the latest science curriculum titled The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). A redesign in curricular approach, focused on student-centered inquiry and its foundations in cross-cutting concepts, science and engineering practices and disciplinary core ideas. This curriculum is in the process of adoption and adaptation by the states. Additional initiatives in the form of modifying a proposed Minnesota state curriculum map may be required to truly invigorate the scientific mind of an elementary school student. A literature review of curriculum maps of other nations, hurdles to curriculum implementation along with past policy initiatives such as the National Defense Education Act , A Nation at Risk and Project Lead The Way support such a move. A curriculum shift of this nature would lead to standards being taught by the fourth grade and leaving a learner\u27s fifth grade open to a year of inquiry, free from additional new curriculum to be taught. This year could be an open opportunity for educators to activate and engage the scientific mind and foster desires and passions for scientific learning as the students prepared for their secondary years of public education