Northwestern College - Iowa
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Continued Care in Female Patients with Tetralogy of Fallot into Adulthood and Pregnancy
Full text linkTetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is a congenital heart disease with four distinct characteristics: pulmonary valve stenosis, overriding aorta, right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), and ventral septal defect (VSD). Surgical correction is now an option with 98% survival rate. Patients with repaired TOF (rTOF) often reach adulthood and can transition out of pediatric care. Unfortunately, providers trained to care for adults with congenital heart defects are not readily available. This has caused a lapse in care for many individuals with TOF. Additionally, providers trained to care for patients with congenital heart defects are needed to monitor patients with pre-pregnancy counseling and throughout pregnancy. Maternal cardiac complications occur in 7% to 10% of pregnancies in patients with rTOF, the most common complications being arrhythmia and symptomatic heart failure. With a pregnancy and delivery plan in place, along with close monitoring of both mother and fetus, pregnancy is well tolerated in women with rTOF. Equipping providers to manage adults with congenital heart defects, along with patient education and access to care, are key factors in lifelong management of TOF
The Use of Visuals in Preschool Settings to Improve Student Engagement and Student Participation at Group Timet
No full textEngagement are participation in early childhood are essential for social growth and child development. Distractions at group time are a barrier to student engagement and participation. These distractions lead to less instructional time. Research shows higher levels of engagement and participation increase academic success. This inquiry-based research study aims to determine if the visual support of Give Me 5 increases student engagement and participation at group time. The study utilized a qualitative approach, using classroom observations and teacher questionnaires for a preschool classroom. The findings revealed that implementing visual support at group time increased student participation with a slight increase in student engagement. Further research is needed to explore engagement in preschool. Researcher should involve more in-depth observation with a longer observation period to strengthen the results
Improve Mentor Communication and Listening by Implementing Jim Knight’s Impact Cycle with Preservice Teachers
No full textEarly childhood education preservice teachers encounter a variety of mentors throughout their education journey with a varying degree of success. The problem is that early childhood education (ECE) students completing preservice teaching experiences within a community college lab school are not provided with equitable mentoring experiences, resulting from using inconsistent techniques across all classrooms and mentors. The purpose of the inquiry-based research is to explore the use of Jim Knight’s (2022) Impact Cycle to support the mentoring process for early childhood education preservice teachers. Consistent, high-quality coaching and mentoring are vital to the success of preservice teachers. This belief has prompted the following inquiry questions: 1. How can Jim Knight’s Impact Cycle support the mentoring process for early childhood education students completing their pre-teaching experiences in a community college lab school, ensuring consistency and quality across all classrooms and mentors? 2. How can communication and listening skills foster high-quality mentorship relationships with early childhood education students completing pre-teaching experiences in a community college lab school? The literature review supports the need for mentors to have professional development, training, and explore coaching interventions to support preservice teachers. Analysis of the data reveals a lack of constructive feedback, insufficient detail on evaluation forms, and limited opportunities for skill development within the classroom. On this basis, it is recommended that the mentors provide consistent experience for the preservice teachers. Future research is needed to assess the application of the Impact Cycle and the effectiveness of the preservice teachers
Home Away From Home
Full text linkA story 10,000 Blocks away from the overworld, exploring a galaxy of new ideas and a journey of restoring a broken sci-fi-ridden world. Home Away from Home is a story of triumph in hardship, about tenacity all wrapped into a tasteful and family-oriented package. This book blends the classic sci-fi feeling with Minecraft\u27s exciting world, perfect for those unfamiliar and for those who have read much sci-fi before. This book is a springboard for the Curious and a love letter to Isaac Fergusons\u27 imagination of his younger days in Minecraft.
This story is a must-read story in our current time; it covers the real issue of loneliness. It explores a broken world yet encourages those who read to be brave in times of struggle. Uncertainty and confusion rule the world today, and Home Away from Home speaks into that struggle boldly. Although the story was written for a younger audience, it’s written from the perspective of a dad. The reason for this is to show kids a glimpse into a parent\u27s mind and to show that parents aren\u27t just absent nowadays; they care for their kids.
This story was made not just to tell an adventure but also to teach a more and more disrespectful society the value of loving those around you. Isaac wrote this story for people who are curious and adventurous, and Home Away from Home invites the reader to take in a new perspective and become a member of the family
Hats: Communication through Various Creative Modes
Full text linkThis project began as a single word: trend.
Hats, a children’s story, attempts to reveal the negative impact of trends by creating a world where each day brings a new trend in the hottest accessory—hats. As new hats are donned, the hats of yesterday are quickly discarded. The story highlights, alternately, the value of unique personal expression.
At the start of ENG176, this project simply aimed to define the word ‘trend’ through story. Throughout the remainder of the class further layers were added. The visual, auditory, gestural, spatial, and material modes were used to supplement the linguistic mode. These modes were incorporated in the design of a book cover, sample illustrations, a book trailer, and an immersive children’s museum created in an online VR program. Each of these elements harnessed relevant modes of communication to intentionally engage audiences
Taking Photographs: Settler Aesthetics in 20th Century Hawaiian Postcards
Full text linkDue to colonization, Hawaii’s economic, political, and societal structure were changed to fit the white American standard. Colonization also caused a shift in their aesthetics, including the exclusion from participation in the creation of art, and poor visual representations of Hawaiian culture in settler art, which is known as “settler aesthetics.” Settler Aesthetics is a term and theory that seeks to define how a culture’s art and beauty has been influenced by settler colonialism. Many historians have analyzed this theory in Hawaiian literature, music, and visual art, but have left untouched the field of deltiology; the study of postcards. Though postcards are rarely seen as art, they serve a valuable purpose in determining how a culture is presented to the world. Therefore, postcards are a window to understanding how Hawaiian aesthetic has been racialized and commodified due to settler colonialism. This project focuses on photographers and postcards and how they were used to colonize and commodify Hawaiian culture in the early 20th century
The Beacon, February 14, 2025
Full text linkLove stories of NW faculty; The expense of convenience; Teddy Swims\u27 album on honest love; Brave the Dark has cookie-cutter plot; The rundown on New York Fashion Week; The story of an unplanned art double major; The Reformed Church of America at NW; Happy Valentines Day from NW faculty; Pancakes with PGC and RED101; Convenience cost at NW; Should books ever be banned; The truth about faith; Esports makes history at GPAC Tournament; Investigating the home team advantage; The history of Northwestern mascots; Painting with Irene: celebrating BHM; String of plane crashes across U.S.
Why Kindergarteners Need to Have Daily Social-Emotional Instruction
Full text linkThere has been a rise in disruptive behaviors across the nation, negatively impacting teachers, students, and academic performance. Research suggests that daily social-emotional learning (SEL) instruction can enhance the quality of education by addressing these challenges. When educators adopt a whole-child approach, focusing not only on literacy and mathematics but also on emotional development, students are better equipped to navigate stressful situations and build resilience. This inquiry-based research explores the impact of daily SEL in the kindergarten classroom, specifically examining how ten minutes of daily SEL instruction affects executive functioning and the overall classroom environment. Results from this study indicated a decrease in off-task behaviors and an increase of students encouraging peers to self-regulate. Additionally, the classroom environment became more supportive as students developed empathy and compassion, strengthening teacher-student relationships and fostering a safe space for learning. Further research is needed to examine the broader impact of SEL across multiple classrooms and grade levels
The Impact of Gamification on Student Motivation
Full text linkMany middle school students struggle with low motivation and disengagement, particularly in STEAM classrooms where creativity, persistence, and collaboration are essential. Gamification using game design elements like challenges, points, and badges in a learning context has emerged as a promising strategy to increase student motivation and academic engagement. This action research project explored how intentional gamified instruction impacts student motivation, engagement, and performance in a middle school STEAM class. Using a mixed-methods approach, the teacher-researcher collected data through pre- and post-surveys, student work samples, classroom observations, and weekly reflective journal entries. The results indicated a positive correlation between gamification and increased assignment completion, creativity, and student participation. Survey data showed a 14% increase in students who “strongly agreed” that games made them more motivated to participate. In addition, 67% of students reported preferring collaborative over competitive tasks. Journal reflections documented increased student autonomy, peer collaboration, and a more joyful learning atmosphere. These findings suggest that gamified learning environments that emphasize student voice, effort-based rewards, and teamwork can foster both intrinsic motivation and improved academic performance. Further research is recommended to examine long-term impacts and broader application across other subject areas
The Effects of Technology Use in the Classroom Relating to Student Achievement and Engagement
Full text linkTechnology has made vast improvements in recent years which in turn has trickled into the education system making classrooms switch from traditional learning to learning with the use of technology. Research has shown that there are both advantages and disadvantages to using technology in the classroom. This study aims to find the right balance for technology use with both students and teachers while focusing on student achievement and engagement during their school careers. The researcher read through various scholarly journal articles relating to the topic of the effects of technology on student achievement and engagement. Based on the research, a five-question online survey was emailed to fifteen anticipated participants who currently teach in a Preschool through twelfth grade classroom at Wayne Community School District in Iowa; eleven participants completed the survey. Analysis of the responses demonstrated a mixed response of both positives and negatives. Technology must be used responsibly by both students and teachers for this to be successful; teachers must monitor continuously, and students must stay on task. However, technology in the classroom is vital to ensure that students are prepared for their future outside of school. Future research is needed to determine how to monitor student use of technology, so students stay on task and are engaged in the content assigned