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568 research outputs found
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Improving writing instruction
No full textUselman, Margaret
The aim of this classroom research project is to find writing instruction strategies that support my students to improve their creation and support of main ideas. The current body of literature emphasizes several instructional approaches that have been shown to improve the writing of high school students. I focused on using three specific approaches: explicit strategy instruction, beginning with the fundamentals, and explicit content instruction. Using class assignments and a specific rubric as the measurement for student success, I concluded that these strategies had a positive impact on my students’ writing skills. Although data was limited for this project due to factors outside of my control, my efforts were ultimately successful with my small sample size of students. In future research, I would like to extend the length of the research to increase the amount of analyzable data and include the effects of reading strategy instruction on social studies content knowledge and writing ability. My recommendations include using the strategies that were used in this project, as well as for educators to engage in their own classroom research
The impact of student choice on student engagement : Putting students in charge of their learning
No full textPizano, Brandy
This study evaluates the impact that student choice has on student engagement within the classroom. “Student choice is known as one of the most engaging strategies a teacher can allow in the classroom” (Wolpert-Gawron, 2018). Giving students choice allows them to share their voice and displays their learning in a way that best represents their academic progress. It is a great way to incorporate differentiation to meet the needs of all students within the classroom. “With student voice and choice, teachers are managing the work of students not controlling it (Bently, 2016). Student choice creates a way for teachers to transition into a role of guiding the learning for students instead of being teacher lead. The purpose of the study is to determine if student choice impacts student engagement in a positive way. Observations were conducted in the classroom, virtually. It was determined that there is a positive impact on student engagement when students are given choice within the classroom. This brings awareness to student engagement and what factors impact learning in the classroom
Letter learning with littles : The importance of and problems surrounding letter recognition in early childhood and how to increase it
No full textRuet, Maggi
The power of online learning and online learning programs
No full textVang, Cheng
With the rise of Covid-19 in 2020, my school and so many other schools around the world jumped into virtual teaching/learning. “Online enrollments have continued to grow at rates far in excess of the total higher education student population, albeit at slower rates than for the previous years.” (Allen, 2007) Although the quote talks about the enrollment going up in higher education, I have seen schools that were originally only teaching in person and then virtual have started to take on a hybrid model for virtual learning. Due to Covid-19, schools saw that some part of virtual learning can still be implemented in the classroom. Virtual learning has always been around but in these last few months, it has been more and more prevalent due to Covid-19. Many of the things that we did virtually will continue to stay as we continue to teach in a hybrid model, but with schools going back into in-person learning, we as a school system must remember what we can do virtually to continue to help students gain progress in their education. Many educators have figured out ways to teach in the middle of a pandemic virtually, but they have also utilized online learning programs to help supplement what they are doing in their class virtually. I first and foremost have done everything possible to help my students gain more and more math skills, being a math teacher myself, I conducted my research on how online learning programs such as Reflex and Freckle can continue to help students get better in their fluency and math skills. This research project focuses on how online learning programs help several of my students become more confident in their math skills with continued practice on their online learning programs. I have taken data from several of the different cohorts and analyzed this information to show growth when they are utilizing their online learning programs. While learning virtually we utilized zoom meetings to help communicate and teach our lesson for our virtual classroom. Students also used online programs such as clever to log into any online learning programs that they were using to obtain their weekly goals
The impact of the SRSD method on middle school writers
No full textQuinn, Maggie
Writing is a rigorous task that is essential for a student's success, both inside and outside the classroom. Due to the fact that writing is a challenging, multi-dimensional skill it is essential that students master the foundational skills during their middle school years, before preparing to move on to high school, where writing assignments will become more arduous and require high levels of critical thinking. For this reason, it is important for middle school English teachers to ensure that they utilize evidence-based writing instructional practices in their classroom to aid students in becoming skilled writers. One such strategy is the self-regulated strategy development, which was developed in 1982 by Karen R. Harris and Steve Graham. SRSD is a highly effective approach to teaching writing in the classroom that yields positive results for both developing and developed students alike. Through the implementation of the SRSD approach in my 6th grade English classroom, I hope to see growth in my students’ confidence in their writing abilities and improvements in their overall writing outcomes
The power of words in diabetes care
No full textArcher, Joanne
Words/language have the power to instill hope, comfort, and engagement or create the opposite effect of fear and doubt. Language plays a key part in the way relationships develop. The language movement in diabetes care is a campaign intended to change attitudes about diabetes and raise awareness of the impact of language on persons managing the disease (Dickinson et al., 2017). This scholarly project adds to the language movement in diabetes care with the creation of a communication guide for health care providers. The guide increases awareness of language used and provides education on this important aspect of patient care. The Donabedian quality improvement framework of Structure, Process and Outcome guided the project along with the middle range Theory of Self-Efficacy by Barbara Resnick. The framework guided the assessment of required care, the patient-provider relationship and socioeconomic and environmental conditions. The theory provided a basis for understanding behavior and guided the development of interventions presented in the communication guide to change behavior and improve health outcomes for persons living with diabetes. The project also included a questionnaire inquiring about how a person feels when certain words/phrases are used in a health care encounter. The questionnaire data collected added to the science surrounding the language movement within diabetes care by supporting the premise that the words/language used by healthcare providers and others does impact the patient-provider relationship. The results showed that people with diabetes are affected positively by positive communication and negatively by negative communication techniques
Narrowing the achievement gap through culturally responsive teaching : A case study of an urban catholic school
No full textCordova, Nilda
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers’ understanding and implementation of culturally responsive teaching when working with marginalized students, especially low-socioeconomic and students of Color, in an urban Catholic school. The central question that guided this study was: “What does culturally responsive teaching look like in an urban Catholic school as a means for narrowing the achievement gap between minority students and their White counterparts?”
From this central research question, the study examined the following five sub-questions:
1. How do teachers define and understand culturally responsive teaching?
2. How do teachers understand and conceptualize the implementation of culturally responsive teaching for the purpose of addressing the academic disparities of marginalized students, especially low-socioeconomic and students of Color, in an urban Catholic school?
3. What are barriers/obstacles that teachers encounter with the implementation of culturally responsive teaching when working with marginalized students, especially lowsocioeconomic and students of Color, in an urban Catholic school?
4. How do teachers overcome barriers/obstacles with the implementation of culturally responsive teaching to help marginalized students, especially low-socioeconomic and students of Color, in an urban Catholic school?
5. What beliefs and teaching practices do teachers employ when working in a diverse setting with marginalized students, especially low-socioeconomic and students of Color, in an urban Catholic school?
This study used a qualitative research design within a single case study. Data were collected utilizing interviews in a one-on-one format. A selected literature review was conducted on culturally responsive teaching and its impact on narrowing the achievement gap. The findings revealed how teachers conceptualized culturally responsive teaching as a means to narrow the achievement for low-socioeconomic, marginalized, and students of Color
What Strategies Are Needed and Can Be Utilized Virtually To Promote Student Engagement and Motivation?
No full textKimbrough, Shelby
This research study is a capstone project completed by a special education teacher. In this study I used instructional technology to analyze student data in the regular education setting and special education setting. This study was conducted in a virtual classroom space
Mindfulness in the high school virtual classroom setting
No full textCima, Lauren
Ghandi said “Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness is a quality that every human being already possesses, it’s not something you have to conjure up, you just have to learn how to access it”. When we’re mindful, we reduce stress, enhance performance, gain insight and awareness through observing our own mind, and increase our attention to others’ well-being. Mindfulness meditation gives us a time in our lives when we can suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experience with warmth and kindness—to ourselves and others.
My question about mindfulness is, will bringing mindfulness into the classroom improve students' social/emotional cognitive skills and positively reflect in their academics and/or behavior in a virtual setting? This study examined the effects of mindfulness practice in nine days in a month to reduce anxiety and increase engagement in a virtual setting before one of their classes twice a week. Previous research suggests that mindfulness may be beneficial for reducing anxiety and stress, promote focus and being aware of the moment, limit distractions from thoughts and environment, strength attention span, support during stress situations or conflict, and promote social and emotional growth. Mindfulness can be many things and can be practiced in different methods that best suit the person. Examples of mindfulness activities such as: seated, walking, standing, lying and moving; short moments in the day where you take a pause and focus on yourself (even if it is only 2 minutes); merging meditation practice with other activities, such as yoga, sports, coloring, or math.
The mindfulness activities in class were completed as the Do Now in the beginning of class. For the first couple sessions it could take 10 minutes to complete the activity, afterward discussion, and questionnaire. After the first couple sessions, the activity should have lasted no more than 5 minutes, but ended up being longer. There will be a Pre, Mid,and Post survey and responses in the Pear deck during the activity to collect data on the students. All sessions will be conducted in a virtual setting due to COVID-19 criteria. I will conduct all sessions with support from the general education teacher to have students participate and get actively involved in the sessions (especially the surveys and discussions)
