Matching Items (5)
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- All Subjects: Early Childhood
- Creators: Dahlstrom, Margo
- Creators: Boozer, April
Description
STEM education stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and is necessary for students to keep up with global competition in the changing job market, technological advancements and challenges of the future. However, American students are lacking STEM achievement at the state, national and global levels. To combat this lack of achievement I propose that STEM instruction should begin in preschool, be integrated into the curriculum and be inquiry based. To support this proposal I created a month-long physics unit for preschoolers in a Head Start classroom. Students investigated the affect of incline, friction and weight on the distance of a rolling object, while developing their pre-math, pre-literacy and social emotional skills.
ContributorsGarrison, Victoria Leigh (Author) / Kelley, Michael (Thesis director) / Dahlstrom, Margo (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Over the past few years, the issue of childhood trauma in the United States has become significant. A growing number of children are experiencing abuse, neglect, or some other form of maltreatment each year. Considering the stressful home lives of maltreated children, the one sure sanctuary is school. However, this idea requires teachers to be actively involved in identifying and caring for the children who need it most. Traumatic childhood experiences leave lasting scars on its victims, so it is helpful if teachers learn how to identify and support children who have lived through them. It is unfortunate that teachers will most likely encounter children throughout their career who have experienced horrendous things, but it is a reality. With this being said, teachers need to develop an understanding of what traumatized children live with, and learn how to address these issues with skilled sensitivity. Schools are not just a place where children learn how to read and write; they build the foundation for a successful life. This project was designed to provide teachers with a necessary resource for helping children who have suffered traumatic experiences. The methodology of this project began with interviews with organizations specializing in working with traumatized children such as Arizonans for Children, Free Arts for Abused Children, The Sojourner Center, and UMOM. The next step was a review of the current literature on the subject of childhood trauma. The findings have all been compiled into one, convenient document for teacher use and distribution. Upon completion of this document, an interactive video presentation will be made available through an online education website, so that distribution will be made simpler. Hopefully, teachers will share the information with people in their networks and create a chain reaction. The goal is to make it available to as many teachers as possible, so that more children will receive the support they need.
ContributorsHanrahan, Katelyn Ann (Author) / Dahlstrom, Margo (Thesis director) / Kelley, Michael (Committee member) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
A look at the benefits of the integration of music in the classroom. This thesis focuses on how music supports brain development and how that affects the ways children learn the classroom. It also highlights how current teachers feel about integrating music in the classroom and the best practices used for integrating music. Lastly, this thesis contains strategies on how to integrate music in the classroom using the Common Core standards as well as personal compositions written using Common Core standards.
ContributorsAnger, Jack Vottero (Author) / Dahlstrom, Margo (Thesis director) / Stahlman, Rebecca (Committee member) / Mann, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
The purpose of this action research study is to examine the effect of an innovation that includes staff coaching, curriculum adaptation, and researcher reflection on increasing staff effectiveness in supporting students with complex communication needs. This study included four participants (two special educators and two speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in Preschool Special Education (PSE) classrooms within a public school district. The study was conducted while navigating a global pandemic and emergency remote learning. Through the use of curricular noticing and an approach inspired by a Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Framework (TPACK) framework, an innovation of a staff coaching model combined with adapted curriculum resources was designed to support staff members using the Big Day for PreK curriculum. Analysis of the data indicates that supporting staff through staff coaching and adapted curriculum materials increased their use and own adaptation of the curriculum. In addition, providing a staff coach with the opportunity to document and reflect on experiences can increase the use of curricula and coaching effectiveness.
ContributorsRoyster, Christina Innice (Author) / Graves Wolf, Leigh (Thesis advisor) / Zellner, Andrea (Committee member) / Boozer, April (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
Students’ motivation is what helps them learn best and as a teacher, it is important to effectively use teaching strategies that enhance their students’ motivation. Strategies include establishing a connection with students that makes the class personal for them because this gives the students a safe space to learn and feel welcome. When students feel welcome and have a connection with their teacher, they are more likely to be excited to learn and their self-efficacy will increase. Their self-efficacy comes from their past experience in school and their level of confidence so ensuring that they are encouraged and have the confidence to learn helps them to be more open when encountering new concepts. Aside from creating a positive environment for students, teachers need to also teach their content in a way that increases their students’ motivation to learn. Establishing learning goals that connect to the students’ personal interests is one of the most effective ways to teach because the students are more likely to be interested in the content if they have a connection with it. Mathematics is a subject that becomes much more difficult to teach because of the bad reputation it receives. However, teachers can help their students learn more effectively and be excited to learn mathematical concepts by using a more conceptual approach. This includes utilizing discussions and visualizations to assist in teaching concepts. Both of these strategies help students understand the content at a deeper level which helps them in their future mathematical courses. Lastly, the student-teacher connection is very important, so the teacher should also establish a connection with their students’ parents. The parents should know about the class their child is taking and by creating this connection, students can learn more effectively.
ContributorsKranstuber, George (Author) / Farrand, Kathleen (Thesis director) / Boozer, April (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor)
Created2022-05