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A Lack of Social Emotional Learning Skills May Hinder Student Achievement
No full textDue to the increasing amounts of behaviors such as aggression, elopement, hitting, throwing items/toys, etc. in education students need tools and strategies for when various situations arise. A lack of social emotional learning skills and challenging behaviors may hinder student achievement. By implementing social emotional learning into the classroom, this can help students build their tools boxes when these challenge behaviors arise. Implementing evidence-based strategies students will become better learners and have improved social, behavioral, and emotional learning as life-long learners. By building up students confidence, fostering a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment, building relationships with students, teachers, and families, interventions, and teacher supports can build that foundation for little minds
Impacts of pumpkins (\u3cem\u3eCucurbita pepo\u3c/em\u3e) as an organic fertilizer on nutrient, heavy metal, and \u3cem\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/em\u3e (\u3cem\u3eE. coli\u3c/em\u3e) concentrations on the soils of a West Michigan farm.
No full textSoil is the largest natural resource on Earth, providing habitat for many organisms and supplying others with food. However, increased anthropogenic activities have led to decreased soil quality due to increased erosion of topsoil or loss of soil structure from agricultural practices and the introduction of pollutants from industrial activities. To improve soil fertility and crop yield, some producers have shifted to using organic fertilizers to increase organic matter and nutrients in the soil, aiding in plant growth. However, there is the potential of introducing heavy metals, such as arsenic and cadmium, and harmful bacteria, like Escherichia coli (E. coli). This thesis focused on using pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) as an organic fertilizer and how applying them to fields in Michigan affected nitrate, phosphate, potassium, arsenic, cadmium, and E. coli concentrations in soils. Samples were collected from a farm in Oceana County, Michigan, and tested for all parameters using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods for nutrients, metals, and E. coli, with an additional method of imaging flow cytometry (IFCM) for E. coli. Results from this study indicate that soil nitrate levels had the most significant changes after organic pumpkin fertilizer (OPF) application in all fields. Phosphate and potassium concentrations were unchanged. All nutrient content was significantly higher in the topsoil compared to lower depths, suggesting that OPF provided more nutrients to the upper horizon. Arsenic and cadmium concentrations were not significantly different when comparing soil before and after OPF application. This suggests that current concentrations are from natural sources. Concentrations of E. coli were relatively low after OPF application; however, contamination occurred in areas where OPF was applied in dense layers, providing an ideal habitat for bacterial growth and reproduction. Overall, this thesis provides agricultural producers information about pumpkins, their use as an organic fertilizer, and the possible risks and rewards they may have to the soil if used as a fertilizer. Producers can use this information to aid decision-making and improve their agricultural techniques
Student Teacher Relationships
No full textAbstract This study explores the impact of student-teacher relationships on literacy development, with a focus on student engagement and academic achievement in K–12 education. Grounded in a review of current literature and supported by educational psychology and culturally responsive teaching frameworks, this research investigates how positive, supportive interactions between teachers and students influence literacy outcomes. Specifically, the study examines how relational factors such as trust, empathy, and consistency contribute to increased motivation, participation, and performance in reading and writing tasks. A mixed methods approach is proposed, combining quantitative measures of academic progress with qualitative insights from student and teacher interviews. Findings from the literature suggest that strong student teacher relationships are significantly associated with higher levels of classroom engagement, improved reading comprehension, and overall academic success. This thesis aims to provide educators with evidence-based strategies to foster meaningful connections that support literacy growth and student engagement, especially among students who are struggling or historically marginalized. Implications for instructional practices and professional development are discussed
10 Things We Love/Hate About AI for Writing Instruction
No full textAs artificial intelligence continues to reshape the educational landscape, its role in writing instruction elicits both enthusiasm and apprehension among educators. This article, “10 Things We Love/Hate About AI for Writing Instruction,” explores the complex dynamics of integrating AI tools into the teaching of writing. Drawing from classroom experiences, educator reflections, and student interactions, it highlights the benefits of AI—including personalized feedback, increased writing fluency, and support for diverse learners—while also acknowledging concerns such as diminished student agency, ethical implications of authorship, and overreliance on automated systems. By presenting a balanced perspective, the article invites educators to critically examine how AI can serve as both a catalyst for innovation and a source of pedagogical tension, ultimately advocating for mindful, equity-focused implementation in writing instruction
Abundance and Demography of the Wood Turtle (\u3cem\u3eGlyptemys insculpta\u3c/em\u3e) across Two River Systems in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula
No full textTurtles worldwide are declining from habitat loss and fragmentation, predation, and illegal collection, and their slow life histories and sensitivity to environmental change make reliable abundance and demographic data critical for conservation. Wood turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) are declining across much of their range, yet baseline information is lacking in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. To fill that gap, we performed standardized visual mark–recapture surveys at 27 one-kilometer river reaches in two distinct watershed systems during springs of 2022 and 2023. Using hierarchical N-mixture models with negative binomial mixtures to account for imperfect detection, we estimated site-level latent abundance and evaluated how survey effort and habitat variables influenced detectability and abundance. We also characterized population composition via sex ratios and age-class structure. Per-survey detection probability was low (~5– 6%) but improved with increased effort. Northern river sites consistently hosted higher abundances than southern ones, and juvenile‐to‐adult representation was markedly greater in the north both years (2022: 1:0.5 north vs. 1:0.4 south; 2023: 1:0.6 north vs. 1:0.1 south), suggesting stronger recent recruitment or more persistent demographic stability, likely reflecting higher habitat quality, greater nesting habitat availability, and lower disturbance, while southern sites occur at the species’ range margin where populations often face additional environmental stressors and reduced resilience. Site-level latent abundance estimates were highly variable within and between watersheds—ranging from roughly 4–50 turtles per site in 2022 (mean ≈17, northern ≈23 vs. southern ≈9) and 2–40 in 2023 (mean ≈14, northern ≈20 vs. southern ≈6)— indicating concentrated, relatively robust populations in the north alongside much lower and potentially more vulnerable abundances in the south. This pattern highlights the need to prioritize protection of northern strongholds while closely monitoring and supporting recruitment in southern reaches. Relative abundance rankings of sites, evaluated using Pearson’s correlation, were largely maintained between consecutive springs, indicating short-term temporal consistency. These results provide a geographically resolved baseline and demographic context for wood turtle populations in the region. By pairing detection-corrected abundance estimation with demographic indicators, this study offers practical guidance for allocating monitoring effort, maintaining population viability, and directing targeted interventions in more vulnerable areas
Designing an Interactive Exit Ticket System to Enhance Learning in Engineering Education
No full textWithin Grand Valley State University\u27s (GVSU) Padnos College of Engineering, many first-year Engineering courses consistently see pass rates below 70%, signaling a need for stronger academic support. This is an issue across many universities; students are underprepared and face a lot of challenges with workload, pace, and independence due to the transition from high school to college (Flanigan, 2024). For this project, I designed and developed a website-based exit ticket system to support student reflection and instructor feedback. Using UX design principles, the platform offers a weekly self-reflection form that recommends resources like tutoring, office hours, or study groups. Gamification elements such as progress tracking and reflection streaks help motivate students. At the end of the project, a high-fidelity prototype was complete and tested with students for usability. The goal of the design is to strengthen communication between students and instructors, foster successful academic behaviors, and ultimately improve retention in engineering programs. Future work will collect feedback from instructors and refine the system. This work addresses a critical gap in engineering education by integrating self-reflection, timely support, and instructor feedback into a single, user-centered platform
Beyond WEIRDs – How We Advanced Theories Of Gender Beliefs – Insights From Towards Gender Harmony Project.
No full textUsing insights from cross-cultural multination analyses performed on data collected from over 33,000 participants in 62 countries during the four-year Towards Gender Harmony project, I will present five main reasons why sampling beyond WEIRD nations advances theories of gender beliefs, helps us meet “good science” criteria, and is doable, but yet full of challenges
From the Field to the Future: How Experiential Learning Supports Student Success
No full textField Experiences are often considered extracurricular, and not always a part of traditional college programs. However, these experiences can provide unique opportunities for learning, increase student confidence, broaden student perspectives of their chosen profession, and connect students with their environments, professors, and classmates. Because these programs often require a deep commitment from faculty, administrators, and the students, it is sometimes difficult to justify the resources required to successfully implement these courses. This project sought to identify several of the impacts that a field course may have on students, and to summarize these findings into sharable data for potential college and university administrators, interested faculty, and other stakeholders.
Data was collected via an online survey administered shortly after completion of a five-day field experience. Information was gathered on student concerns prior to the trip, satisfaction of experiences during the trip, and lasting impacts on students from the field experience. Students indicated the highest concerns preceding the field learning experience were being able to complete their academic project, and balancing living and learning while on the trip. After the field experience students reported the highest impacts as helped me to better understand my academic goals, and created a sense of accomplishment. Overall, students were highly satisfied with all aspects of the field experience, though travel to/from the site was rated lowest