ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Minesweeper and Hypothetical Thinking Action Research &amp; Pilot Study
Author: Walker, Jacob J.
Date: 2010-05-02
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Action Research,Pretests Posttests,Program Effectiveness,Correlation,Computer Literacy,Inferences,Thinking Skills,Computers,Games,Educational Technology,Computer Simulation,Logical Thinking,Educational Strategies,Instructional Effectiveness,Hypothesis Testing,Adult Education,Adult Students,Computer Science Education

This Action Research project and Pilot Study was designed and implemented to improve students' hypothetical thinking abilities by exploring the possibility that learning and playing the computer game Minesweeper may inherently help improve hypothetical thinking. One objective was to use educational tools to make it easier for students to learn the logic of the game Minesweeper. The second objective was to determine if learning Minesweeper would help students to gain the Cognitive Asset of Making inferences and hypothetical thinking. The third objective was to determine if learning Minesweeper would help students to be better computer users. Students were presented a PowerPoint presentation that discussed the thinking involved in the game Minesweeper. Students also participated in an exercise that simulated how Minesweeper determines information presented in the game. Students also went through a simulation program about the game. Further, students played the game Minesweeper, and had one-on-one assistance during part of the process. Participants documented their Minesweeper playing results, were assessed with a pretest and posttest about their logical hypothetical thinking, and were assessed about what they learned in the computer course. The results of participant Minesweeper playing ability were compared with the assessment of logical skills and the assessment of computer knowledge and skills. These comparisons found a potential positive correlation at an alpha of 0.10. Causation could not be determined. Results of the pilot study suggest that further study may lead to results confirming the hypotheses, and as such a future fuller study is being considered by the writer. Educational issues with Minesweeper were discovered, suggesting that it may be better to use a variant of the game in the future study. Methodological problems which prevented the evaluation of causation were discovered, and can be addressed in the future study. It is unknown whether the research is applicable to children, but the methodology of this research may be used with any grade level to determine effectiveness. Seven appendixes are included: (1) Consent Signed by All Participants; (2) Logical Assessments Pretest and Posttest; (3) Computer Final Exam Instructions for Segment 2; (4) Example of Spreadsheet Teaching the Rules of Minesweeper; (5) Metacognitive PowerPoint Presentation about Minesweeper; (6) Deductive Squares Examples; and (7) Supplemental Materials. (Contains 7 figures and 2 tables.)
Straight Privilege: Unpacking the (Still) Invisible Knapsack
Author: Tollefson, Kaia
Date: 2010-05-01
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: Sexual Orientation,Sexual Identity,Homosexuality,Social Bias,Social Discrimination,Violence,Religious Factors,Elementary Secondary Education

Several unearned benefits attending straight privilege are listed, prefaced by two main arguments. First, it is argued that the rampant heterosexism in the U.S. is largely attributable to many Americans' framing of heterosexism as a matter of religious freedom rather than as a form of bigotry. It is further argued that educators' elimination of the struggles and accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people from P-12 curricula is an act of oppression--a clear, sometimes unconscious privileging of heterosexuality that contributes to the alienation and violence routinely endured by the LGBT-identified/perceived/questioning youth in their care. (Contains 11 notes.)
Practicing Democracy in the NCLB Elementary Classroom
Author: Davis, Margaret H.
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Federal Legislation,Democracy,Public School Teachers,Classroom Environment,Democratic Values,Teacher Attitudes,Interviews,Surveys,Elementary School Teachers,Citizenship Education,Teacher Role,Social Justice

The practice of teaching democracy in school is diminishing. The implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has forced teachers to teach to the test, and has required some to follow scripted curriculum, leaving little time or incentive for teaching democracy. This study examines the importance of practicing democracy and identifies ways in which it can be done in the NCLB classroom. The literature demonstrates the importance of teaching democracy through practice in schools. Ideas on how to accomplish this in the pre-NCLB classroom are well documented. By surveying public school teachers, this paper endeavors to bring awareness to its importance and to provide ways in which the NCLB classroom teacher can practice democracy. Results indicated that teachers are interested in practicing democracy and believe it is important. The survey and interviews found specific areas of concern and ways for teachers to bring democracy into the NCLB classroom. Two appendixes are included: (1) Survey; and (2) Interview Questions.
A Pilot Study Comparing Total Physical Response Storytelling[TM] with the Grammar-Translation Teaching Strategy to Determine Their Effectiveness in Vocabulary Acquisition among English as a Second Language Adult Learners
Author: Castro, Ruben
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Instructional Effectiveness,Vocabulary Development,Teaching Methods,English (Second Language),Grammar Translation Method,Story Telling,Second Language Instruction,Adult Students,Hispanic American Students,Pilot Projects,Comparative Analysis,Pretests Posttests,Retention (Psychology)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Total Physical Response Storytelling (TPRS[TM]) compared to the Grammar-Translation approach for acquiring and retaining new vocabulary in an English as a Second Language (ESL) class. The subjects were adult Hispanic learners with limited literacy. An experimental design approach was used to gather information on the effect of TPRS[TM] and Grammar-Translation approaches on student vocabulary retention. A total of 25 participants signed the consent to be a research subject. All participants took two written pretests that examined their knowledge of common words. Following each pretest, the instructor taught three classes using the Grammar-Translation approach and three classes using TPRS[TM]. Following the treatments, all adults took the written vocabulary test. Pre-test and post-test results were analyzed to note similarities and differences in vocabulary retention. Results indicated that both Grammar-Translation and TPRS[TM] approaches made an important difference in student retention of vocabulary. The improvements in vocabulary acquisition and retention were 49% using Grammar-Translation and 45% using TPRS[TM].   Additional research is needed on how to work effectively with adult students who need to learn English under challenging circumstances. These students have complex lives and are trying to survive in addition to studying to improve their language ability. Interview is appended. (Contains 2 tables.)
Internet User and Electronic Journals Perception: An Inservice Science Teacher Study
Author: Nuangchalerm, Prasart
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Science Teachers,Inservice Teacher Education,Teacher Attitudes,Internet,Electronic Journals,Access to Information,Influence of Technology,Educational Practices

The growth and diversity of electronic academic journals had been widely distributed. It can be made our beliefs that future electronic scholarly journals will be different from their print antecedents and that both will fill a different niche of user, and will be necessary for the growth of any field knowledge. This study aims to investigate internet user and electronic journals perception of inservice science teachers. Thirty eight of inservice science teachers were asked experiences of internet in use and electronic journals perception. All of them participated in the workshop on implication of ICT for science teaching during September 2009. The results showed that significant implications of internet use and future electronic journals were reported. They had significantly high acceptance of internet for academic purpose, and also possibly expected in electronic journals in terms of future scholarly referenced information. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)
Some Gaps in the Current Studies of Reading in Second/Foreign Language Learning
Author: Fazeli, Seyed Hossein
Date: 2010-04-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Reading Strategies,Reading Comprehension,Reading Ability,Global Approach,Reading Research,Second Language Learning

The ability to read written material is very important in the civilized world. In a society characterized by globalization and technological change, where knowledge is becoming increasingly important, reading ability is a key skill for active participation. The intent of the current study is to set out the nature of reading alongside express importance of reading and reading comprehension. The importance of the present study is to explore the current studies of reading in order to find out some common main gaps in such studies. Such gaps are related to reading, reading comprehension and reading strategies, vocabulary and fluency. A bibliography is included.
Probability-Makers for Student Success: A Multilevel Logistic Regression Model of Meeting the State Learning Standards
Author: Sloan, James E.
Date: 2006-04-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Academic Achievement,Probability,Academic Standards,State Standards,Models,Regression (Statistics),Elementary School Students,Secondary School Students,School Districts,Grade 4,Grade 8,Grade 11,Student Characteristics,Institutional Characteristics,Predictor Variables

The purpose of this study was to determine what, or part of what, makes academic success probable or improbable for a student. The core research question was, Which practices, characteristics, and circumstances of students, families, schools, school districts, and communities tend to give Maine students a higher probability of meeting state learning standards? Similar studies have focused on academic achievement as a matter of degree, using scale scores on standardized exams as a measure of relative success. These studies unquestionably provide valuable information. However, given the goal of having every student meet a particular learning standard, it is also important to have information concerning student success as a dichotomous measure. Decision makers--including students, parents, teachers, administrators, and government officials--are concerned with meeting absolute standards such as the Maine Learning Results, and with not leaving any children behind or, from the student perspective, with not being left behind. This study, due to its focus on the probability of meeting a standard of success, will address these concerns directly. The results of this study add to the understanding of student success and, to the extent that the success of a school reduces to the success of its students, to the understanding of school success. They may help direct Maine citizens toward reforms that will help students meet the learning standards and, perhaps just as importantly, direct them away from potential reforms that, while being perhaps vigorously promoted or intuitively appealing, do not give students a better chance to meet the learning standards. The results may help guide students, families, and educators in the daily educational decisions  they make. (Contains 6 tables.)
Preliminary Analysis: The Cost and Characteristics of Maine's Higher Performing Public Schools
Author: Silvernail, David L.
Date: 2006-02-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Public Schools,School Size,School Effectiveness,Cost Effectiveness,Institutional Characteristics,High Schools,Middle Schools,Elementary Schools,Small Schools,Geographic Isolation,Economically Disadvantaged,Advantaged,Costs,Identification,Expenditure per Student,Criteria,School Culture

In Spring 2005 the Maine Legislature passed legislation establishing an isolated small school adjustment in the Essential Programs and Services (EPS) funding formula. The adjustment for isolated small high schools (i.e. under 200 pupils) was a reduction in student-teacher ratios in the formula calculations, and in the case of isolated elementary schools (i.e. fewer than 15 pupils per grade level), the adjustment amounted to a 10% transition adjustment for the 2005-06 EPS per pupil rate. Island schools received an additional adjustment for operating and maintenance costs, and transportation costs. A more complete description of the adjustments appears in Appendix A. In approving these adjustments, the Legislature directed the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) to conduct a review of high  performing, cost-effective small schools. A four phase study was conducted to fulfill this Legislative directive. These included: (1) An examination of the applicability to Maine of some fairly widely held assumptions about the benefits of small schools; (2) The identification of higher performing Maine schools, of all sizes; (3) A calculation of the cost of different size higher performing schools in Maine; and (4) An analysis of characteristics of higher performing Maine schools. Based on the results of these analyses, a proposed adjustment to the cost components of EPS has been developed and is presented in the final section of  this report. Appendices include: (1) Isolated Small School Adjustment; (2) Selected References; (3) Calculating Cost of Four-Year High School Graduate; (4) Four-Year Cost Per Graduate for Maine Public High Schools; (5) MEA Score Analysis by Economically Disadvantaged and Advantaged Youth; (6) Characteristics of Middle and High Schools of Different Sizes; and (7) Criteria for Higher and Lower Performing Maine School. (Contains 13 tables and 1 figure.) [This report was prepared for the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs Maine State Legislature.]
Great Schools: Identifying Higher-Performing Schools
Author: Gritter, Aaron
Date: 2006-04-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Effective Schools Research,Best Practices,Educational Assessment,Rural Schools,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Models,Academic Achievement,Accountability

As rural states nationwide struggle with cuts in education funding, declining enrollments and increased costs it becomes crucial to examine those schools that are successful in educating their students. These higher performing schools can then be used as models for education excellence throughout the state. Defining higher-performing is not an easy venture and there are as many opinions of what constitutes higher-performing as there are organizations reporting on higher-performing schools. Why all this focus on  school performance? One major factor has been PL 107-110 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation requiring a higher level of accountability for schools than ever before from a federal standpoint. Schools and School Districts are given a report card each year and States are required to disseminate information on school and district performance to parents each year. With the increase in focus on school level accountability and the ability of the internet to disseminate information with ease, several organizations are beginning to study what variables influence school  performance. This paper compares the higher performing school studies of Just For The Kids (part of the National Center for Educational Accountability), and The Center for Education Policy Applied Research and Evaluation (at the University of Southern Maine) in order to open a discourse on what exactly determines higher-performing and what high schools in Maine truly are models of academic achievement. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)
The Identification of Higher and Lower Performing Maine Schools: School Profiles and Characteristics
Author: Silvernail, David L.
Date: 2007-05-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Profiles,Institutional Characteristics,School Effectiveness,Academic Achievement,Identification,Criteria,Resources,Outcomes of Education,Elementary Schools,Middle Schools,High Schools

Identifying Maine's higher and lower performing schools may be useful for many purposes, but two are particularly important. Identifying these schools is important for developing and refining Maine's new funding formula. Maine's Essential Programs and Services (EPS) school funding formula is what is known nationally as a cost-based adequacy model. The underlying premise of the formula is that all schools should have adequate resources to ensure that all children may achieve high standards of learning. In the case of Maine, these high standards are the Learning Results. What are adequate levels of resources needed to achieve the Learning Results? From the very beginning of the development of the new funding model, the goal has been to define adequate levels of resources as those resources found in higher achieving Maine schools. To that end, and for the last two years, the Maine Education Policy Research Institute, at the request of the Joint Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs of the Maine Legislature, has been analyzing achievement results for Maine's schools. The Joint Committee has received and reviewed these analyses, and has requested that the findings be more widely disseminated for a second purpose; that is, to help schools begin to examine themselves more closely and learn from each other strategies for improving student achievement. Appended are (1) Higher Performing Maine Public Schools; and (2) instructions on how to access individual school performance profiles at the CEPARE website.  (Contains 4 tables and 4 figures.)
Does Maine's Middle School Laptop Program Improve Learning? A Review of Evidence to Date. Occasional Brief
Author: Silvernail, David L.
Date: 2005-07-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Middle Schools,Standardized Tests,Laptop Computers,Computer Uses in Education,Access to Computers,Program Effectiveness,Educational Technology,Computer Literacy,Student Behavior,Achievement Gains,Learning Strategies

This brief describes how Maine's introduction of its ubiquitous 1-to-1 laptop program has been beneficial to learning, if one looks in the right places. There is growing positive evidence from teachers, parents, classroom assignments and tests, and even in one case, on a standardized test, all pointing toward a similar conclusion. Students are learning more, better, and quicker with the laptops. The collection of additional evidence needs to continue in order to determine how widespread the impacts are for learning, and to determine the accumulative effects of this new level of learning on high school student performances. But these &quot;pointer readings&quot; are very promising, and bode well for the future achievement of Maine's middle school students. (Contains 4 tables.)
Transforming and Improving American Education: A Memo to President-elect Obama. No. 7
Author: Lips, Dan
Date: 2008-12-09
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Educational Change,Elementary Secondary Education,Federal Programs,School Choice,Early Childhood Education,Parent Student Relationship,Program Effectiveness,Program Termination,Federal State Relationship

The authors of this memo to President-elect Barack Obama state that many in Congress are now proposing that the federal government intervene to address a range of problems in education by creating new programs and federal subsidies, including public school infrastructure and construction, funding for runaway college tuition costs, and the costs of early childhood education. Rather than repeating the mistakes of the past, the authors suggest to the President-elect that he can exercise leadership and deliver on his campaign promises by embracing a new approach for federal policy to improve American education. Any new efforts should recognize the limits of federal intervention and empower those who are able to make a difference in children's education, especially parents. Specifically, the authors argue that his Administration should pursue the following actions: (1) Reform federal K-12 education programs to encourage state and local reform and facilitate greater parental choice; (2) End ineffective, wasteful, or duplicative education programs; (3) Protect and expand school choice in Washington, D.C.; (4) Fix ineffective federal early childhood education programs rather than adding new ones; and (5) Call attention to the real engines of reform: the power of parents and successful reform models at the state and local levels.   (Contains 1 chart and 20 footnotes.)
How Online Learning Is Revolutionizing K-12 Education and Benefiting Students. Backgrounder. No. 2356
Author: Lips, Dan
Date: 2010-01-12
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Electronic Learning,Online Courses,Educational Change,Educational Opportunities,Educational Technology,Computer Uses in Education,Virtual Classrooms,Educational Policy,Teaching Methods,Access to Education,Teacher Qualifications,Productivity,Cost Effectiveness,Blended Learning,Policy Formation,Charter Schools,Educational Finance,American Indian Education

Virtual or online learning is revolutionizing American education. It has the potential to dramatically expand the educational opportunities of American students, largely overcoming the geographic and demographic restrictions. Virtual learning also has the potential to improve the quality of instruction, while increasing productivity and lowering costs, ultimately reducing the burden on taxpayers. Local, state, and federal policymakers should reform education policies and funding to facilitate online learning, particularly by allowing funding to follow the students to their learning institutions of choice. (Contains 28 footnotes.)
Evidence on the Effectiveness of Abstinence Education: An Update. No. 2372
Author: Kim, Christine C.
Date: 2010-02-19
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Prevention,Adolescents,Sexuality,Program Effectiveness,Well Being,Health Promotion,Moral Values,Values Education,Literature Reviews,Behavior Change,Health Behavior,Sexually Transmitted Diseases,Program Evaluation

Teen sexual activity is costly, not just for teens, but also for society. Teens who engage in sexual activity risk a host of negative outcomes including STD infection, emotional and psychological harm, and out-of-wedlock childbearing. Genuine abstinence education is therefore crucial to the physical and psycho-emotional well-being of the nation's youth. In addition to teaching the benefits of abstaining from sexual activity until marriage, abstinence programs focus on developing character traits that prepare youths for future-oriented goals. When considering effective prevention program aimed at changing teen sexual behavior, lawmakers should consider all of the available empirical evidence and restore funding for abstinence education. (Contains 66 notes and an appended chart showing Studies Reporting Significant Results.)