Abstract/Notes: With the passing of NCLB in 2001, pedagogy in the kindergarten classroom has changed exponentially. The requirement for a rigorous academic curriculum has replaced the play-based learning that used to be synonymous with the kindergarten classroom. Since the beginning of kindergarten, researchers have worked to prove the importance of play in the classroom and the role of the educator in these play-based learning scenarios. Many studies have found a correlation between play and child development, but this has not been enough to change the minds of educators and school districts across the United States. This qualitative case study explored teachers’ perceptions and classroom interactions during play through a triangulation of data including video recordings, interviews, and observations to explore the effect play might have on the social, emotional, and oral language development of kindergarten students in a district that is already implementing free play centers in the classroom. Varying beliefs among the educators and multiple scenarios of social, emotional, and oral language development skills being used by students during these free play sessions were explored. Key themes that emerged from the data included a range of understanding amongst the teachers, the need for regular professional development on how to implement play in the classroom, and the importance dramatic play has on social, emotional, and oral language development for kindergarten students.

Language: English

Published: Springfield, Missouri, 2022

Abstract/Notes: In Appalachian Ohio, a grassroots group of citizens across industry sectors have convened to use community assets to create solutions impacting multiple parts of the community system, thus attempting to solve complex rural problems in innovative ways. One intermediary organization, Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C), has implemented community and career connected learning programs as a way to solve problems threatening rural community viability through engaging multiple community stakeholders including the community’s youth. Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach, this study investigated the contributions of stakeholders and the impact to community systems of one community and career connected learning program: high school internships. This study conceptualizes the place-based, cross-sector, bidirectional interactions facilitated by community and career connected learning as a learning ecosystem. Further, this study uses Social Return on Investment (SROI) to quantify impact within the learning ecosystem to communicate and maximize change. This study found for every $1 invested in high school internships, between $13.07–$15.37 of value to social and economic systems is created. The ability to explore career fields through experience in order to eliminate career paths not of interest to them and then to be able to clearly define next steps in career paths that were of interest to them were outcomes valued most by students as stakeholders. Host site stakeholders reported the most valuable impacts to economic and social systems were, respectively, development of a workforce with basic skills and the personal satisfaction of being able to watch a young person in their community grow and develop through the internship period and beyond. For community supporting stakeholders, the most valuable impacts were the increased connection between schools and businesses in the community as well as the potential to reduce outmigration. Repeatedly, participants drew attention to long- term impacts of their contributions to the learning ecosystem as “an investment in the future” of the community, a perspective which matches this study’s SROI measurement framework.

Language: English

Published: Athens, Ohio, 2022

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study is to discover the impact a social-emotional learning program may have on an Upper Elementary Montessori Classroom. The study was motivated by the researcher’s experience of seeing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, online schooling and of local community unrest on the students. The design included first asking participants to take a survey for the purpose of obtaining baseline data on their emotion management and problemsolving skills. Next, the researcher implemented eight weeks of a social emotional established curriculum called, Second Step in an Upper Elementary Montessori classroom. Throughout the study, the researcher collected data on students’ struggles with solving problems independently with a basic quantitative instrument and using a qualitative narrative instrument. Finally at the close of the eight-week study, the students took a post-survey to determine if the program had an impact on the students’ ability to problem solve and manage their emotions. However, due to limitations of the study, the researcher could not draw specific conclusions yet the study did yield other benefits.

Language: English

Published: River Falls, Wisconsin, 2022

Language: English

ISSN: 0277-9064

Language: English

ISSN: 0277-9064

Language: English

ISSN: 0277-9064

Language: English

ISSN: 0002-7049

Language: English

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: This action research project investigated how to establish effective instruction and learning tools, specifically, Google Slides within Google Classroom, in an online Montessori Teacher Training Center. Effective instruction includes ways to simulate the positive experiences found in an inperson model, such as community building and collaborative learning. This study investigated training modules, surveys, document collection, and interviews of enrolled adult learners and program instructors. Students and instructors had similar previous experience with Gmail and Google Docs, and less experience with Google Slides. Following the intervention, students reported that Google Slides worked well as an asynchronous learning tool, and the positivity of the impact changed depending on how Google Slides was used. Based on these results, I recommend that instructors incorporate multi-media into Google Slides for both shared and individual use. It is important to consider ways to incorporate group participation in shared Google Slides. Overall, Google Slides is an effective way to engage students in an online setting.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020