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Teaching the Art of Writing as an Artist
Get PDFand almost never given the skills they need to do so. Research shows this discouragement is often tied in with race and class issues in our schools and society. This capstone project sets out to answer the question: How specifically can we teach high school students interested in the arts important skills such as grant writing, and artist biography and statement writing, and why should we be teaching those skills? The project set out to create an accessible website for both instructors and students to help them teach and learn the skills of grant, artist biography, and artist statement writing. It includes a series of standardized lesson plans for instructors, accessible how-to pages for individuals, and a series of Q&A’s from experienced grant writers. The lesson plans and how-to pages are heavily scaffolded, encourage personalization and code-switching, and focus on student choice and motivation. They can be used in formal or informal settings, and are created to be easily customized for a wide range of needs
Sustainable Agriculture Curriculum For 9th-12th Graders
Get PDFAccording to the research conducted by Ziska, L. H. climate change and the agricultural industry’s fates are tightly tied. As the effects of climate change continue to worsen, food production will become more challenging. Inorder to help address these issues, this curriculum will introduce student to the causes of climate change, how climate change and agriculture impact each other, evaluate agricultural technologies that could help diminish the effects of climate change, and finally have students propose solutions to agricultural and climate related issues in their communities. The pedagogical practices used in this curriculum is a combination of traditional teaching styles, and hands-on inquiry based projects. Research shows that inquiry based education engages students and promotes intrinsic interest in the subject. This curriculum is designed to be used in a traditional classroom setting with 9-12th grade students. Instructors using this curriculum should have a moderate understanding of science and agriculture. The overall goal of this curriculum is to educate students about how the food system could be impacted by climate change, motivating them to address these issues in their own communities
Adult Educator Views On Impact And Learner Fit In Integrated Digital English Acceleration (I-Dea) Classrooms
Get PDFThe Integrated Digital English Acceleration (I-DEA) teaching method uses a Flipped Classroom (FC) design to fast-track the English Language Acquisition (ELA) and digital literacy skills development of adults enrolled at Community and Technical Colleges (CTCs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in the United States. I-DEA projects and programs are in various stages of implementation throughout the U.S., but few accounts of the method’s impact on teaching and learning and fit for adult English language learners (ELLs) have been published. I-DEA is a “flipped” (blended) instructional delivery method for Adult Basic Education (ABE). Evaluation of its impact and fit contributes to the literature on Flipped Classrooms, Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL), and Integrated Education and Training (IET). To evaluate the I-DEA method’s impact and fit, an online questionnaire was administered to current and former I-DEA instructors in the United States. Respondents (n=8) provided Likert scale ratings of agreement or disagreement, along with written responses to explain their rating selections. Instructors overwhelmingly agreed that the I-DEA method’s FC design has helped students acquire English at a faster pace than they would in non-I-DEA classes. Support for the method’s learner fit was not as robust: Fifty percent of the sample group voiced concerns about the linguistic complexity of its lessons for beginners (NRS 1 & 2). The results of this small-scale, mixed-methods study provide evidence to support claims about the I-DEA method’s impact, while raising new questions about its fit for adult ELL beginners. Our findings suggest that the Flipped Classroom may be most impactful and suitable for English learners in High Beginner (NRS 3) classrooms. Modifications to IDEA lessons are recommended for classrooms with NRS 1 and 2 level students. Further study, including action research in I-DEA classrooms, is recommended
English Writing Through Content and Language Integrated Learning for Korean University Students
Get PDFThe purpose of this project was to discover how to adapt Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) classes to serve the learning needs of Korean university students who want to learn content and English communication skills, particularly writing. The project outlines a goal focused curriculum unit. The curriculum unit includes a content portion focused on discussing current news events, and a portion for teaching writing using those same readings as authentic examples. The writing portion includes strategies to teach basic writing organization such as topic introduction paragraphs, body paragraphs, topic sentences, through process writing, as well as strategies to teach writing styles that fit certain genres. The project includes both detailed lesson plans for teachers as well as handouts for students. The author concludes that while the project is largely a success, in the future the writing portion could be expanded upon
Differentiation And Online Learning
Get PDFThe research question investigated in this project was, how can digital teachers utilize differentiation strategies to best meet the needs of their learners in an online environment? It describes the process of creating a standards based literacy unit which utilizes online resources. This project builds on the work of Tomlinson’s approach to differentiation in a traditional in person classroom setting and the community of inquiry (COI) model of online learning. The unit is differentiated according to student academic level, method of content delivery (synchronous or asynchronous), and student sharing. The document shares how the project was created to meet the needs of fourth grade students. The author discusses the challenge and benefits of collecting and utilizing online and technology based resources that evolve and change over time and the advantages of organizing digital curriculum resources for students and teachers
An Antiracist Education: A Curricular Unit Design
Get PDFThe research question addressed in this capstone project is: “How does one implement antiracist curriculum in a classroom that emphasizes storytelling?” This project documents one teacher’s odyssey in creating a curriculum that represents the core principles of an antiracist pedagogy focused on storytelling while using technology in a responsible manner. The core influence of this unit is the work of George Dei; Dei emphasizes the importance of shifting toward an antiracist framework compared to a multicultural framework. This project provides educators with a full unit of detailed lesson plans for a tenth grade English Language Arts classroom. Also, the project includes the outline of the unit plan and different texts associated with this teacher’s take on an antiracist framework that uses texts of the Indigenous Peoples of Minnesota. This curricular unit embodies the principles of an antiracist framework by emphasizing the intersectionality of students and bringing these intersectionalities explicitly into the classroom instruction and classroom activities. Students will analyze and reflect about their life experience with the focus of writing a personal narrative. The personal narrative will demonstrate the cultural values of the students and the importance of those values to the student’s life. The driving principle of this project is to assist in the development of critical thinking and self-reflective skills. Ultimately, the students will understand their positionality in their school, communities, and their families
Implementing Cultural Sustaining Literacy: Curriculum Unit Plans
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The research question that is being addressed in this capstone project is: How can we create curriculums and environments that integrate equitably and culturally sustaining literacy practices in high school Social Studies settings that intentionally consider all learners? This paper discusses the creation of curriculums rooted in the approaches of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Equitable Literacy Practices. Additionally, this document discusses the creation of a 12th Grade US Government curriculum that seeks to respond to the work of Muhammed (2020), Hammond (2015) and Paris & Alim (2014). Historically Responsive Literacy Framework from the book Cultivating Genius is one of the anchoring approaches to how this is constructed. The topics focused on equitable literacy practice, culturally sustaining pedagogy and meeting the needs of all learners. Included with the project are a literature review of research, a curriculum unit plan, materials and resources used for this curriculum. Finally, it concludes with limitations, recommendations and suggestions around both future usage of the curriculum and further exploration around themes culturally sustaining literacy in a social studies setting
Muslim Parents’ Expectations in the Public High School Education System
Get PDFThe research question addressed in this capstone project is, what are the expectations of some Muslim parents of high-school-age students. These expectations include prayer, Ramadan, observation of Islamic holidays, school schedule, school meals, school curriculum, gender separation in physical education classes, and teacher insensitivity. In a humble effort to set my fellow educators up for success and expand their knowledge base, a professional development plan is designed as a source that would mainly include high school administrators, teachers, staff members, community members, and anyone invested in the welfare and success of a school with any number of high school Muslim students. This professional development will help stakeholders create an inclusive and safe learning environment for high school Muslim students through a deepened understanding of familial expectations
An Investigation of the Best Practices to Develop Oral Proficiency in Adult English Learners That Are Engaging and Minimize Anxiety
Get PDFOral language proficiency requires more than simply knowing a language’s linguistic structure; learners must be able to quickly retrieve the relevant information to speak in a comparatively short amount of time. Speaking is the most fundamental language skill, and according to many researchers, the most complex as well, especially for adult learners. While many, perhaps most, adult ESL students rate the ability to speak fluently as the primary reason they are in class, practicing the skill can invoke considerable anxiety, which may stall or block learning. Reticence to speak typically results from anxiety, low self-confidence, or cultural expectations that discourage students from speaking unless spoken to. In addition, educational requirements and training for teachers of adult “non-academic” or “life-skills” ESL vary widely across the country, with many states not even requiring a bachelor’s degree. These factors led to the research question for this capstone project: Which are the best instructional practices teachers can use to build oral proficiency while minimizing anxiety and maximizing engagement? In response, a 10-hour professional development workshop was created for instructors of adult ESL, based on Malcolm Knowles’ principles of andragogy and Wiggin\u27s and McTighe\u27s Understanding by Design. Participants understand how anxiety can impede oral language development and discover pedagogical techniques for developing accuracy, fluency, and intelligibility that are engaging and confidence-boosting. Workshop participants are assessed to determine if learning objectives were met. The results of the assessments, as well as general feedback from participants, will inform future trainings
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in the Online Elementary Classroom
Get PDFCulturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) is a critical component of ensuring equity and contributes to creating a safe, nurturing, and supportive learning environment for all students (Ladson-Billings, 1995). With the increase of students of color entering the online learning sphere (U.S. Department of Education, 2021), it is critical that teachers are equipped with knowledge of best practices in CRP practices. Additionally, with the increase in creation of elementary online learning programs throughout the country, it is important that teachers are equipped with knowledge of best practices for online teaching and learning. The research question addressed in this capstone project is: How can online elementary school teachers incorporate culturally relevant pedagogy into best practices for digital learning? Current research is slim on the successful implementation of CRP principles in elementary digital learning environments, especially since there has been a recent increase in elementary online learning options (Archambault, 2018). The three-part professional development series seeks to highlight themes and common threads in best practices that emerged from the literature review on the topics of CRP and Online Learning; it is designed for online elementary school teachers and those who support and administrate their programming. Session one focuses on best practices in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy; session two focuses on best practices in online learning; and session three combines the goals, learnings, and themes from sessions one and two in an integrative approach toward a unit, lesson, or classroom practice