This study aims to produce efficient and effective group writing workshops for students within the Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University. To balance two opposing theories in writing center pedagogy - the direct instruction theory and the student-led/ collaborative theory - this study also aims to determine whether a balanced combination of these approaches in writing workshops will increase student confidence in their writing abilities. Several writing workshops were held over Zoom utilizing a combination of direct teaching methods and collaborative techniques. Students were then surveyed to determine whether they found the workshops helpful, learned new skills, and/or grew more confident in their abilities. The student responses proved the hypothesis that a combined approach leads to an increase in student confidence.
In 1949, she got her first teaching job in Victorville, CA where she stayed there until January 1961, when she moved to Glendale, California and taught at Toll Junior High School. She became a Fellow and co-director in the UCLA Writing Project. Ms. Hancock taught until she was eighty-eight, when an illness forced her to retire in 2015. Currently, she gets great satisfaction from leading classes for local writers once a week and another one for teachers which meets once a month. Jane is widowed with five grown sons, many grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Teaching is a challenging career that carries various challenges, some of which go beyond the educator’s control and influence their ability to teach. Through the Arizona State University (ASU) Barrett's Honors College, seminars and discussions centered in collaboration and learning, resulted in student's introduction to ideas of what it means to “truly” teach from both a student and educator perspective. Teaching is more than an exchange of information as it requires a human connection. While most educators agree that connection is vital, there are still challenges in the classroom that generationally impact families. Daoism, an ancient Chinese philosophy, discusses concepts such as mindfulness, leadership, and introspection. Educators can use Daoist philosophy as a tool to reflect on and develop their ability to teach with vulnerability, openness, and interconnectedness. From a philosophical standpoint, Lao Tzu (Daoist leader) explains the importance of shifting perspectives to what the individual can control: themselves. Teachers must create a classroom dynamic that is not only engaging but also provides students a sense of autonomy over their education. Shifting the dynamic from teacher centered to student centered places the education in the students’ hands and alleviates some pressure from the teacher. Embedding Daoist philosophy into the classroom can be seamless as it can already be seen through Social Emotional Learning, Culturally Relevant Curriculum, and Deep Learning.
Using two interviews with local Phoenix professional chamber musicians, this document aims to compare their experiences across musical styles to find common ground and understand the value of chamber music as a professional and educational tool.
Innovative teaching methods must be studied and implemented to optimize student learning and prepare future generations for complex challenges. Dr. Keith Hjelmstad, a professor at Arizona State University, developed such an approach, “The Mechanics Project,” and has implemented it in foundational engineering mechanics courses. Although course instructors have used traditional “lecture and read” approaches for generations, the world is changing, requiring a modified policy. In this thesis, I research, discuss, and analyze the positive effects of The Mechanics Project for civil engineering students based on its fundamental principles.
