EDU 690 Spring 2016
Lisa Akers
Project: The Importance of Play in Early Childhood Programs
Link: https://lisa7390.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
Education in the United States is very results driven with a huge focus on academics. However, this Master’s Research Project will be looking at the importance of play in early childhood programs across the country. Upon reviewing the literature for this topic, it has been found that students learn best when they are taught in authentic and meaningful ways. For young children the most meaningful ways which they can learn is through child-centered play.
This curriculum research project will focus on early childhood programs serving preschool aged children. In order to see how students are able to learn through various forms of play, there will be careful observations of students as well as rubrics which outline how students are able to complete numerous play-centered activities or games. Using this Master’s Graduate Research Project will help educators see the benefits of utilizing play as a way to help children learn. The curriculum that has been developed is flexible enough so that teachers can use it in its entirety or choose from it what is relevant to their classroom practices.
The importance of play is something that is not discussed enough and deserves to be recognized for the benefits it provides young children. By finding ways to quantify how children are learning through play, hopefully more preschool and even kindergarten classes will be able to recognize the fact that play really does help students learn valuable life lessons and skills.
Victoria Arthur
Project Title: Helping Elementary Students Read for Information
Link: https://victoriarthur.wordpress.com
Project Introduction
According to the latest Common Core shift in English Language Arts/ Literacy in grades PK-5, Balancing Informational and Literary Texts, students must read a true balance of informational and literary texts. In other words, at least 50% of what students read in the classroom must be informational (“Common Core Shifts”). Therefore, it is critical that primary classroom teachers not only incorporate informational texts within their classrooms and curriculum, but also that they teach their students how to read and comprehend informational texts. This Master’s Curriculum Research Project focuses on answering the question: In what ways can teachers help elementary students read for information? Through research, strategies were identified. Then several were selected, and a nine week third grade curriculum, relating to the Common Core State Standards, was developed. In an attempt to examine the success of this project and to assess students’ knowledge, different forms of assessment were created. Third grade classroom teachers and/or Academic Intervention Service classroom teachers within the 42 states that have adopted the Common Core State Standards can utilize this project. When used accordingly, this project will promote teachers’ awareness of how to teach their students to read for information. This in return will help to develop students’ understandings of informational texts, which will then lead to the production of students that are confident informational text readers. When visiting my poster, you will learn about my project and gain insight into helping elementary students read for information.
Lucy Perry
Project Title: Using Context Clues to Strengthen Comprehension of Nonfiction Text
Link: https://lperry2016.wordpress.com
Project Introduction
It has been found that vocabulary development in young readers is a strong indicator of their reading ability will be as they progress through the grades. One way to strengthen vocabulary acquisition skills is to teach strategies that help students acquire vocabulary independently such as context clues. Context clues are not only part of a Common Core Anchor Standard for acquiring and use of vocabulary, but it is included as a grade level standard for almost each grade in the area of ELA. I may be a great skill to have for building a vocabulary but how does it help students understand what they are reading? This Master’s Graduate Research Project will aim to answer the question: In what ways can using context clues aid in the comprehension of nonfiction text? The method that will be used for this project will be a series of lessons implemented to a small group (5-6) of second grade students. Participants will receive small group instruction relating to comprehension work within nonfiction texts along with context clues instruction. Students will be given pre and post assessments to measure growth and assess instruction. Students will most likely benefit from the instruction and be able to use context clues as a skill they can use independently for their own vocabulary acquisition and comprehension of text. The lessons can be used for small group instruction of students within an intervention group to strengthen their vocabulary and comprehension.
Camille Graczyk
Project Title: Dramatic Play in the Kindergarten Classroom: Social, Emotional and Literacy Benefits
Link: https://camillegraczyk.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
My Master’s Curriculum Research Project will focus on the impacts of dramatic play in the kindergarten classroom. I will look at the social, emotional and literacy impacts that are made while engaging in play (Miller & Almon, 2009), (Hansel, 2015) and (Graue, 2010). Some research questions that will be raised will be, “Do children always benefit from dramatic play socially, emotionally, as well as becoming more literate?” “Does dramatic play help students become better readers and writers?”
The participants of this Master’s Curriculum Research Project will be kindergartners, who will participate in dramatic play centers over 9 weeks (45 days). Weekly they will explore a new topic that enables them to practice dialogue with peers, working together, sharing and they will be doing literacy activities.
I anticipate the results of this Master’s Curriculum Research Project to be that the students will grow socially and emotionally in a positive way (Graue, 2010). Students will also become more literate. While reading and writing during these play centers, students build the foundation toward becoming strong, fluent readers and writers (Lysaker, 2010).
I could use this Master’s Curriculum Research Project in the future by doing this with students and obtaining the positive results that the research supports (Miller & Almon, 2009), (Hansel, 2015), and (Graue, 2010). I could also add new dramatic play centers.
In summation, children learn best by playing; when they are actively engaged in a learning environment through hands-on activities, they will learn. Students benefit from dramatic play socially, emotionally, as well as becoming more literate. These skills will hopefully improve over time.
Christine Kling
Title: Technology Integration in Elementary Education: A Cross-Curricular Approach
Link: https://klingchristine.wordpress.com
Project Introduction
This Master's Curriculum Research Project, investigates issues associated with technology integration in Elementary Education and examines the best practices corresponding to classroom use. The method used is this investigation was to conduct a literature review addressing current issues with technology integration and ways technology has been effectively incorporated into the classroom. The following questions were addressed: 1) What factors influence teachers' success in technology integration? 2) What evidence do we have that technology can enhance teaching and learning? 3) What are the best practices that incorporate technology in Elementary Education? Major findings report teachers as the greatest factor in technology integration and that technology does enhance student performance. Best practices include student collaborations that integrate problem solving and critical thinking strategies.
Anticipated participants include elementary students and teachers who are interested in integrating technology into the curriculum. Anticipated results from this Master's Curriculum Research Project is to come away with a new understanding of issues related to technology integration and to uncover ways in which those obstacles have been overcome. Future use includes reflecting on past and present integration issues and bypassing them for future practices. Reflecting on these issues will help current and future educators determine the best practices for technology integration. Lesson plans created for this research project reflect practices that have been effective with technology integration in elementary classrooms while meeting local, state, and national standards. Recommendations stemming from this Master's Curriculum Research Project would be to use a cross-curricular approach for successful technology integration.
Megan Grandits-Mahan
Title: Supporting Play in an Academic World Comparing Academic and Play-based Curricula
Link: http://megangranditsmahan.wordpress.com
Project Introduction
Formal education often begins between three to five years of age when children enter preschool. Research indicates that developmentally appropriate instruction supports the social, physical, cognitive, and emotional needs necessary for future school success (Bodrova, 2007; Bodrova and Leong, 2003; Dalton and Trostle Brand, 2012; Gestwicki, 2012; Lynch, 2015; Marcon, 2002; and Tsai, 2015). However, preschool teachers are often pressured to focus on academic work, and discouraged from providing developmentally appropriate play opportunities for their students (Bodrova and Leong, 2003; Lynch, 2015; and Marcon, 2012). This study explores the differences between academic and play-based curricula and addresses the question of how teachers can effectively implement play-based learning to support the development of preschool children. The research reported here will be utilized to design a curriculum for four and five year old students who attend a Universal Preschool in Western New York, and aims to support teachers as they transition from an academic to a play-centered curriculum. It is anticipated that once the shift from academic to play-based learning has occurred, students will maintain current skills, and will make additional social, emotional physical, and cognitive gains. It is also anticipated that, as teachers become familiar with research and how to support quality play, they will become more confident in the use of this new curriculum, thus allowing them to become more effective when implementing it with their students. This study is intended to be a starting point for teachers transitioning from an academic curriculum to a play-based curriculum.
Casey Konieczka
Title: Observe, Critique, and Create: Visual Arts Across the Curriculum
Link: https://caseykonieczka.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
The reality that art is undervalued in schools is unfortunate in many ways, but especially because visual art has the potential to inspire students and make their learning more meaningful (Bryce, 2012). This Master’s Curriculum Research Project answers how the integration of visual art across the curriculum can be beneficial to students in terms of meaning-making, content retention and socialization. Since it is often up to classroom teachers to keep the visual arts alive, this project also focuses on how visual art can be used to effectively teach literacy along with content in science, social studies and math.
Over a period of ten weeks, twenty-five first graders and twenty-five fifth graders are taught several lessons from each content area involving some use of visual art. However, every topic taught with visual art elements is also taught without them. Lesson assessments and detailed observation notes are collected, compared and analyzed to determine the impacts of visual art on student learning and socialization.
Through the use of this Curriculum Project, students improve both academically and socially by learning about, with and through visual art. Teachers become more comfortable with visual art because they have more knowledge of the many ways that it can be used to teach topics in every discipline. Ultimately, this project suggests that visual art can and should be used to strengthen literacy skills, learn about people and places from the past, clarify scientific processes, and even create mathematical masterpieces.
Shirley Drew
Title: Families and Their Ability to Develop Pre Literacy Skills in Preschool Students
Link: https://drew935blog.wordpress.com
Project Introduction
The questions I will be exploring for my Master’s Curriculum Research Project will be: How can a parent influence the development of their child’s pre literacy skills? How can teachers help influence that parental role in their young child’s literacy education? What tools can the teacher give to the parent to positively influence the parental role in the education of their child?
These questions are paramount because educators need to empower parents with the tools that will positively benefit their children. If schools can harness the enormous influence parents have with their children, and support that parental influence, I believe the entire school community will change exponentially in a positive direction.
I will present multiple lessons to families on ways in which they can aid their children when it comes to school. The lessons will include strategies which have been studied in research and have been proven successful. Lessons can be tailored to parents of all age groups, but have the most influence with parents of young children, specifically in preschool.
This research project will be successful because any time teachers can bridge the gap between school and home, to lift families up, it can only influence a child’s educational experience in a positive way.
Research has shown that when schools and families work together, it can have a huge positive impact on a child’s education. I believe that this research project will help with addressing this important relationship
Ashley Austin
Title: Multisensory Teaching
Link: https://edu690mastersprojectaustinaj01.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
Multi-sensory teaching is a way for teachers and students to be using hands on experiences. Instruction allows students to be engaged; having fun with their learning. The instruction is important within classrooms because students learn at different rates. Reading requires different techniques, abilities, and skills. Multi-sensory teaching allows students to continue working on these abilities and skills. While continuing to increase their reading abilities. In researching multi-sensory teaching, questions that arise: what are the benefits of multisensory teaching? What are some multisensory techniques or materials for teaching? How does multisensory teaching affect a child’s reading?
Through researching multi-sensory teaching, results found were students can increase decoding skills, phonological skills, and spelling. Students are stimulated to be involved in learning. Students are able to review and practice their skills and abilities; then apply what they have learned. Applying what they have learned students can achieve stepping stones towards reading.
Participants in the first grade will be taught through multi-sensory teaching approaches and techniques; that are tactile, auditory, and kinesthetic. First grade teachers, reading specialists, special education teachers, administrators and parents can use this research. Outcomes are increased phonological skills, spelling, and reading skills. By creating individualized instruction educators can get parents involved in the future. Multi-sensory teaching gets children involved and having fun in learning. With increased skills and abilities students can also increase confidence.
Casey Orth
Title: Using LEGOS to Teach Mathematics
Link: https://orthcm01.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
The purpose of this Master’s Curriculum Project is to explore the benefits of integrating LEGOS into Common Core mathematics instruction. LEGO bricks are naturally captivating and motivating to students in elementary school. Children are more likely to perform mathematical activities with conviction if they feel personally connected to the materials being used. This project aims to find how to incorporate LEGOS into daily mathematics instruction, and also explore the effect it has on student’s confidence in their abilities to solve math problems. The anticipated participants that this project will focus on are third grade students; 12 males and 12 females. All foreseen students are either eight or nine years old who attend a rural school district in New York State. They will tentatively use LEGOS to meaningfully understand the following topics: Partitioning a whole into equal parts, comparing unit fractions and their connection to the whole, fractions on the number line, and equivalent fractions. The anticipated results of this project are that LEGOS will increase students’ confidence in their mathematical abilities, become more engaged in the classroom, and perform better on mathematical performances. In the future, teachers can use the research and lesson plans provided to inspire their students to accomplish challenging mathematical problems while using a familiar, attention consuming manipulative. This curriculum project will provide research-based advantages of using LEGOS in the classroom, and a unique set of lesson plans that embrace authentic means of mathematics instruction.
Audrey Agas
Title: Sine of the Problem
Link: https://sineoftheproblem.wordpress.com/
Project Introduction
Math anxiety is a factor that can affect both male and female students, but female students are more exacerbated by it. Even when male and female students achieve similar performance on mathematics assessments, female students exhibit less positive feelings about their performance. The research question of this project is: What can be done to reduce math anxiety in students, in particular upper elementary female students?
Action research will be used to assess the effectiveness of goal oriented, all-inclusive mathematics instruction. The anticipated participants of this project are a diverse set male and female upper elementary students in a large, suburban school district.
Math anxiety in female students is linked to two major factors: gender stereotyping and stereotype internalization. The idea that “boys are good at math, and girls are not,” is a huge obstacle to math performance in female students. The first step to help alleviate math anxiety can be to further educate teachers on mathematics, and mathematics teaching. Another suggestion is to change the goal mindset within the classroom. Rather than focusing on rote memorization of math facts, teachers can emphasize the goal of understanding and improvement.
Math anxiety is a problem for all students, but female students are far more negatively influenced by it when compared to their male peers. Math achievement is an important part of overall academic and career performance. In order to help all students achieve higher rates of mathematics achievement, changes in instructional goals, teacher mindset, and instructional practice can be made.
Ariana March
Title: Incorporating ELA in After School Programs to Impact Student Achievement
Link: https://arianamarchblog.wordpress.com/
“For every one of us that succeeds, it’s because there’s somebody there to show you the way out. The light doesn’t always necessarily have to be in your family; for me it was teachers and school,” said Oprah Winfrey. Education is not restricted only to the hours allotted to the normal school day; education comes in many forms at different times for each of us. Most of what we learn in school is important to be successful but not everything we need to learn through our lives can be taught through a lesson in school. Many important things are not taught in a class. I grew up hearing my Grandfather tell me, “Education is one thing no one can ever take away from you.” He valued education above all else and instilled that value in me. I believe children from all walks of life can learn equally but that all children are not given equal opportunities and resources.
There is a major achievement gap in education and to level the playing field and shrink the gap, more opportunities need to be made available to children on the faltering side of the gap. By bringing after school programs to schools, children who lack resources and learning opportunities at home, are given more time and opportunities for learning at school. This Masters Research Curriculum Project explores how ELA can be used in after school programs to impact student achievement