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- Creator:
- Tennyson, Jo
- Description:
- Handwriting/fine motor difficulties are well documented as serious hindrances to academic learning for kindergarten and elementary school children. Intervention techniques to remediate these problems have been researched by educators and occupational therapists. Effective occupational therapy interventions have been found to include visual motor tasks, kinesthetic and dexterity training and motor planning/strengthening activities. Occupational therapists, mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, work with these students in the school setting to enhance handwriting/fine motor skills to meet classroom curriculum demands. Humboldt County teachers have reported a high incidence of students with these deficits in their classrooms yet reported a low frequency of referral to occupational therapists for intervention. Funding and a lack of general knowledge about the role of therapists’ in the school setting appear to be barriers to implementation of therapy services for students. These same teachers indicated a strong interest in continuing education on remediation techniques. An educational module designed for staff development for teachers in Humboldt County on handwriting/fine motor intervention strategies appears to be needed. Curriculum for students is rigorous with many academic topics to cover. Imbedding fine motor remediation techniques into another discipline seems advantageous. Food related activities naturally lend themselves to fine motor involvement. Staff training encouraging vegetable awareness and handwriting skill acquisition is an effective way to impact student learning in two specialty areas. Linking fine motor intervention with nutrition education will be a cost effective, compelling, and creative solution to meet teacher and ultimately student needs in Humboldt County.
- Resource Type:
- Thesis and Presentation
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Williams, Stephanie McKinney
- Description:
- With the rising demands for improvement and accountability required under the No Child Left Behind Act, schools are beginning to see the value of making data-based decisions to dramatically increase student achievement on high-stakes tests. Unfortunately, the information from these end-of-the-year tests often arrives too late to afford teachers the time to analyze the resultant data and make necessary curricular adjustments, both for specific students and groups as a whole. In an effort to make annual yearly progress, many educational agencies are starting to make data-driven decisions to help struggling students make the necessary academic gains to be successful on high stakes tests. In order to assess the Common Core State Standards and ensure that students are meeting these benchmarks, some schools utilize formative assessments called Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), designed by Northwest Evaluation Association. The disaggregated assessment data provided by Measurement of Academic Progress highlight the strengths and weaknesses of every child and provide teachers with the necessary information to target instruction. The aim of this study was to reveal if and how teachers at a highly successful school used assessment data to make instructional decisions, and what impact, if any, this had on the school’s on-going high performing status.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Schreiber, Nikki M.
- Description:
- Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) encompasses the skills, attitudes, and values that enable children to navigate through the intrapersonal and interpersonal realms of their lives. Research has shown that developing appropriate SEL skills is essential for children to be successful academically. This study examines the teaching practices of K-3rd grade teachers to promote the positive development of SEL of students. Twenty-four teachers completed a survey that identified the extent to which they understood the concepts of SEL as it is defined in the literature, as well as the degree to which they report engaging in recognized practices that foster SEL skills in their classrooms. Results suggest that while K-3rd grade teachers endorse the importance of SEL for school success, they scored relatively low on a measure of concept knowledge. Findings suggest that the teachers who received pre-service training on SEL were significantly more likely to report using strategies in their classrooms consistent with SEL best practices than others with or without in-service trainings. Results from this study have potential implications for Pre-service teacher-training programs regarding the importance of providing effective and systematic SEL instruction for teacher-candidates.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Coleman, Kayla
- Description:
- Having a child on the Autism spectrum can present a variety of challenges for parents. Many children diagnosed on the Autism spectrum experience communication and social struggles; as well as sensory related difficulties. Some children’s inappropriate behaviors are related to specific events, such as mealtime which can be particularly challenging. This study examines the difficulties parents experience during mealtime with their children on the Autism Spectrum and the emotional affect mealtime behaviors have on the parent. In addition, the purpose of this study was to determine whether parents desire additional information that would assist them during mealtimes. Twenty-four participants participated in completing a survey which included various questions surrounding mealtime behaviors and routines, as well as questions pertaining to the emotional effect on the parents. Results revealed verbal protest as the most prominent behavior displayed during mealtime. Additionally, results revealed that although parents experience a high level of stress and frustration during mealtime they do not wish to receive supportive information.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Rigney, Rex Jackson
- Description:
- Only 28% of California students score proficient or higher on their Algebra I STAR test (CDE, 2009). The standards-based movement and the emphasis on enabling all students to score proficient or advanced on the California STAR test have created a high-stakes environment for teachers. Many students enter eighth grade not knowing their multiplication facts and fractions. Statistics also show that many eighth-grade students in California score poorly on the Algebra I STAR test. Though there has been minimal research on the connection between these two phenomena, a strong correlation between not knowing “math basics” and scoring poorly on the Algebra I STAR test would seem plausible. Accordingly, the central research question for this study was: What is the impact of practicing multiplication facts and fractions problems twice a week on a selected group of eighth-grade students’ Algebra I STAR test scores? The author (an eighth-grade math teacher) and another teacher divided the participating students into an experimental group and a control group. The study began on Monday, November 15, 2010, and ended on Friday, February 18, 2011. The control group simply took a pretest at the beginning of the study and then a posttest 11 academic weeks (weeks that each school was in session) later. The experimental group took the same pretest and posttest, but also practiced multiplication facts and fraction problems during the intervening 11-week period. The experimental group took timed multiplication fact and fraction problem quizzes twice per week, each of them lasting 2.5 minutes. These quizzes counted toward the students’ overall math grade as well. There are many ways to improve students’ Algebra I STAR test scores. Practicing multiplication facts and fractions is an already-known, specific strategy to help students better understand math basics. Researchers agree that practicing multiplication facts and fractions is good math pedagogy, but it has not been isolated as a particular practice to help students score higher on problems similar to those on the eighth-grade Algebra I STAR test. Analysis of the results suggests that practicing multiplication facts and fractions problems twice per week helps students score better on problems similar to those on the eighth-grade Algebra I STAR test, although longer-term effects have yet to be studied. I do not know if this practice is effective as a year-round remediation activity.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Altic, Kimberly May
- Description:
- A combination of a reversal and multi-element design was used to examine the impact of stimuli that produces sensory consequences that are similar (matched) and dissimilar (unmatched) to those produced by visual stereotypy in three children with autism. A functional analysis was conducted with all three participants to determine if their stereotypy was maintained by automatic reinforcement and not social consequences. Preference assessments were performed at the beginning of each session in order to discover toys that the participants favored in two categories: those that produce visual stimulation and those that are not meant to do so. Baseline was followed by an alternation of noncontingent access to matched and unmatched stimuli. Environmental enrichment did decrease the participants’ stereotypic behavior. However, results from the matched and unmatched conditions varied across participants.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Warner, Timothy David
- Description:
- Due to the sometimes contentious nature of church and state relations in the United States of America, teachers often hesitate to address the subject in the public school classroom. Yet, the relationship between religion and government is an important subject frequently discussed in the media and relevant to the lives of students. This project includes a three week curriculum for secondary students which examines the issues involved in the separation of church and state by utilizing critical thinking skills in the analysis of primary documents. Working through each lesson, students will achieve a balanced understanding of the influence of religion on lawmaking and enforcement in both an historical and a present context, understand the origins of the wall of separation metaphor and how the phrase is applied to the church and state relationship, and investigate historical and current controversies regarding these important matters. To provide context for the analysis of church and state disputes, the project examines the development of Calvinist theocracy—the concept that God is the supreme ruler of a government—in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and compares it to a modern-day counterpart. In reaction to the perceived secularization of society and lawmaking, from the founders of the U.S. wrestling with religion’s role in the new government to recent Supreme Court decisions, Christian Reconstructionists are iv working to reestablish a theocracy in North America. The curriculum provides an opportunity for students to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate the issues involved when religion and government intersect.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Moitoso, Amanda Marie
- Description:
- Today, students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder are often included in general education settings; however, it is difficult for teachers to support them best when they lack an understanding of successful interventions that they can use. This project examines the best practices involved in implementing a Story-based Intervention, specifically Social Stories, to promote socially appropriate behaviors in children with autism at school. For teachers to be able to access this information to utilize in their classrooms, a manual based on Carol Gray’s criteria for creating a well balanced Social Story was created for teachers to use when developing Social Stories for their students. Included in the manual are descriptions of the criteria for creating a well balanced Social Story, a template to use when collecting information to develop a Social Story from, and examples of Social Stories that were developed by following the included template.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Education
9. An experiential kindergarten science curriculum engaging students in the scientific inquiry process
- Creator:
- Gervasi-Geist, Victoria M.
- Description:
- In order to develop curiosity about the world around them, children need to be frequently and actively involved in exploring the environment when learning science. This kindergarten science curriculum incorporates experiential opportunities in a science curriculum based on insect metamorphosis and engages students in the scientific inquiry process. The curriculum is a six-week unit and explores the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. The main focus is science; however mathematics, language arts, and the fine arts are also incorporated. The curriculum is aligned to both state and national standards and consists of experientially based lessons.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Northern, Jeffry Edward
- Description:
- This qualitative research study examines similar traits and characteristics found among academically successful at-risk elementary students in a rural elementary school setting. A sample population of fourteen 4th grade students who are all considered to be academically and socially at-risk, but nonetheless have succeeded in achieving academic success, were interviewed to identify common factors that helped them succeed in school. A researcher-made questionnaire consisting of fifteen questions was administered individually to each identified student. It was discovered that four common traits or factors were present for these academically successful at-risk elementary students. These factors included a fervent desire to devote all of their attention to learning while in the classroom setting, clear and high expectations for academic success set at home and school including specific expectations for classroom behavior and interaction, strong parental or family involvement with the subjects and their schoolwork, and having supportive teachers, school staff, and family members who help lead students into making their own discoveries about learning.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Education