A little bit of HELP

Helpful Resources 

- This page lists some useful books and websites for writing a thesis

-Becker, Howard S. (with a chapter by Pamela Richards). Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article. 1986.

-Bolker, Joan. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis. 1998
-Booth, Wayne C., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research.

-Cone, John D., and Sharon L. Foster. Dissertations and Theses from Start to Finish: Psychology and Related Fields. 1993.

-Gillis, Christina M. Scholarly Arguments: Strategies for Writing Persuasive Proposals in the Humanities. 1993.

-Locke, Lawrence F., Waneen Wyrick Spirdoso, and Stephen J. Silverman. Proposals That Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals. 4th ed., 2000.

-Meloy, Judith M. Writing the Qualitative Dissertation: Understanding by Doing. 1994.

-Peters, Robert L. Getting What You Came For: the Smart Student's Guide to Earning a Master's or -Ph.D. Rev. ed., 1997.

-Przeworski, Adam, and Frank Salomon. "The Art of Writing Proposals." New York: Social Science Research Council, 1995. 25 Feb. 2002<http://weber.ucsd.edu/~proeder/Proposals.pdf>

-Rudestam, Kjell Erik, and Rae R. Newton. Surviving Your Dissertation: A Comprehensive Guide to Content and Process. 1992.

-Simon, Marilyn K., and J. Bruce Francis. The Dissertation Cookbook: From Soup to Nuts, A Practical Guide to Start and Complete Your Dissertation. 2nd ed., 1998.

-Sternberg, David. How to Complete and Survive a Doctoral Dissertation. 1981.

-Zerubavel, Eviatar. The Clockwork Muse: A Practical Guide to Writing Theses, Dissertations, and Books (Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1999).

Formatting HORROR!

BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT:
As my actual research is winding down and so is my search for literature, I wanted to share a few things.  As I am in the process of piecing together my thesis paper I am starting to understanding that formatting is a HUGE weakness of mine.  I feel like I am constantly second guessing myself and maybe in part because I always seem to have a million questions running through my head.  I wanted to share some useful sources I have stumbled upon that may help put your mind at ease if anyone is having any of the same struggles as myself.....I hope this helps!

Great for Formatting:
http://www.apastyle.org/manual/related/sample-experiment-paper-1.pdf

Great for help with citations:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090212013008_560.pdf

Great Video on Formatting and Style
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDdqjAabQXg
http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/templates

THE ODDS

Article:

Changing the Odds for Children at Risk: Seven Essential Principles of Educational Programs that Break the Cycle of Poverty.

Abstract: 

This book discusses many of the challenges and disadvantages that children face when growing up poor. S. Neuman (2010) explains seven key factors that will help break these odds, which are:

1. The critical years for changing the odds

2. Changing odds by funding that works

3. The seven essentials to changing the odds

4. Changing odds by helping strengthen families

5. Changing the odds through high-quality early care and education

6. Changing the odds through community-based programs

7. Changing the odds through after-school programs

Reflection:

I really enjoyed this article because it talks about many of the concepts that the organization I teach for stands by.  The seven factors discussed are all very much a part of our program and they have very much become a part of my teaching.  Much of Susan Neuman's research targets low-income families/students, as well as English language learners, which make up the majority of the students I teach.  Not only will this article help in supporting my thesis but it has connected me to an author who has researched a great amount in areas similar to what I am interested in, I'm excited to learn more.

Reference:

Neuman, Susan B.. Changing the Odds for Children at Risk. Santa Barbara, CA, USA: ABC-CLIO, 2008. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 24 March 2015.

BLOOM!

Article Title:

Closing Achievement Gaps:
Revisiting Benjamin S. Bloom’s “Learning for Mastery” 

Summary:
Guskey (2007) reflects back on the many great discoveries and findings of Benjamin Bloom within his article, Closing Achievement Gaps: Revisiting Benjamin S. Bloom’s “Learning for Mastery.” The article discusses the concerns of the achievement gap that exists among various groups of minority students.  Bloom discusses his ideas that in order for educators to increase student achievement instruction must be modified in order to better fit the needs of individual students. This is often accomplished through the incorporation of differentiated instruction or small group instruction.   In order to for teachers to successfully modify instruction, a clear understanding of students knowledge and learning must be understood.  


Reflection:

When attempting to better understand students' learning and knowledge, it makes sense that educators provide students with assessments in order to better gauge their learnings.  I agree with Bloom's ideas that assessments are valuable learning tools, both for students and educators.  Where I see the importance in assessments, I see equal importance with what is done with the results.  My goal as an educator is to never administer assessments just for the sake of wrapping up a unit or learning concept.  I have used many of these suggested concepts to help drive my research. As I always strive to use my assessment results to provide students with corrective feedback as well as provide myself with valuable information in regards to student learning.  Through creating a foundation for understanding of student’s academic abilities and by providing insight on how to better accommodate each student through assessing their strengths and weakness I am able to create more focused and meaningful instruction.

References:

Guskey, T. R. (2007). Closing the achievement gap: Revisiting Benjamin S. Bloom’s “learning for mastery.” Journal of Advanced Academics, 19, 8–31. Retrieved from
http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ786608 

X2

Reflection:

    As I am constantly stumbling upon literature that supports my research I often find myself analyzing not only the validity of the information but also how it applies to my current teaching situation.  I have recently found valuable information withing the Harvard Education Letter Spotlight Series,  Teaching Immigrant and Second-Language Students that I hope to share with the parents of all of my students. Wiltz (2004) states the following:

BENEFITS OF DUAL-LANGUAGE CLASSES

In promoting English-language learning, AVANCE emphasizes a dual-language approach so that Spanish speaers develop skills in their native language and in English. "We support the bilingual philosophy," says Mathur. "But someties people think of literacy as only English literacy. I think that's narrow. Research has shown that children who develop a high level of literacy in their home language are subsequently more adept at transferring that literacy to English."

This approach is especially helpful in fostering home school connections with immigrant families. Immigrant students often grow up in a split world, encountering a vastly different culture at school than they do at home. If they are foreigners in English-only classes at school, they may also begin to feel estranged at home, where their culture and language are different from what they encounter each day at school.

     This research provides support to one of the current topics of discussion among the parents at Teton Literacy Center, which is the dual immersion program. When students enter into kindergarten within the public school district they have the option to enroll their child in the dual program. However,  because it is a highly sought after program a lottery is used to determine who will be able to participate in the program.  
     The common point I find myself, along with my co-teacher attempting to convey to parents is the importance of continuing to support their child's native language at home. The passage above not only describes the benefits of developing their native language but it also talks about the importance of helping their child to maintain a connection to their own language and culture.

Reference
Harvard Education Publishing Group, 8 Story Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. 

Factors That Contribute to Achievement Gaps:

Article 8 REFLECTION 

       

Due to a comment on Article 8, I wanted to provide a list of factors that contribute to achievement gaps among English language learners (ELLs) and non-ELLs.  With so many factors to consider, it has become evident that there is no one answer to solve this problem. Throughout my research, I have been able to gain an understanding of what issues come into play with my current teaching situation and what factors appear to have the greatest impact on my students' learning and achievement.

Taken from the National Education Association (NEA) website: 

Identifying Factors that Contribute to Achievement Gaps

Discussion Guide 2

The causes of achievement gaps are multiple and complexly interrelated, and they vary from school to school, district to district, and community to community. As a starting point, consider factors that have been identified in various studies as contributing to achievement gaps.

Within Schools' Control	Outside Schools' Control
Schoolwide Factors Low expectations for student achievement; Lack of rigor in the curriculum; Large class size; Tracking groups of students into a less demanding curriculum; Unsafe schools; Culturally unfriendly environments; and Poor, or no, instructional leadership.	Factors in the Local Community Economic opportunity for students' families; Access to health and social services; Community safety; Access to libraries, museums, and other institutions that support students' development; and Access to child care and after-school programs and facilities.
Teacher- and Teaching-Related Factors Uncertified and inexperienced teachers; Insensitivity to different cultures; Poor teacher preparation; Low expectations of students; and Inadequate materials, equipment, and resources, including technology-based resources.	Students' Background Families' income level; Students' birth weight; Students' diet and nutrition at home; Students' mobility; and Students' primary language (if other than English).
Student-Related Factors Students' interest in school; Students' level of effort; Students' feeling that they are, in part, responsible for their learning.	Education Funding Shortfalls State budget deficits; Unfunded federal mandates; and Inequities in funding among school districts.
Families' Support of Students' Learning Families' participation in school activities; Families' skills to support and reinforce learning; and Students' TV watching and at-home reading.	Families' Support of Students' Learning Time family members are able to devote to support and reinforce learning. Other Factors Societal bias (racial, ethnic, poverty and class)

Retrieved from:

http://www.nea.org/home/17413.htm

References:
Center on Education Policy, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 619, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-822-8065; Fax: 202-822-6008; e-mail: ctredpol@ctredpol.org; Web site: http://www.ctredpol.org.

Article 10

Summary:

Below is data reflecting the achievement rates of ELLs and Non-ELLs among reading and math; this information is taken from the Wyoming Department of Education.

Retrieved from:

http://fusion.edu.wyoming.gov/MySites/Data_Reporting/data_reporting_assessment_reports.aspx

Reflection: 

The data above shows an evident achievement gap among ELLs and their English speaking peers.  Integrated throughout my research I will reflect on statistics from nation wide, state wide, and district wide reports to assist in supporting the idea and need for my research.

Article 9

Title:

The Impact of a Collaborative Family Involvement Program on Latino Families and Children's Education Performance

Link: 

http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1032271

Abstract:

Latino families often reflect a large commitment to their children's education, however, research has shown that these students often experience lower achievement when compared to their English speaking peers.  These gaps are shown to appear due  to numerous factors such as:  language barriers,  disconnect from culture, inefficient teaching strategies, etc. When looking at solutions to these problems it has been shown that family involvement programs can students, families and schools. The two-year study explored in this article discusses how family involvement along with the offerings of family workshops can help with learning and achievement; the study showed that significant improvements were found among it participants. O'Donnell (2014) stated that, At the end of two years, level of participation significantly predicted student effort, social skills and work habit grades, and standardized English Language Arts test scores and was somewhat predictive of achievement grades. Implications for practice are discussed.

Reflection:

I found this article to be very interesting as I am currently working at a family literacy center where beside being a pre-school teacher a huge component of the program is with family literacy and the many components involved such as: home visits, parent/student together time, workshops, etc.  For me research this not only provided information on another factor that can increase achievement but also provided me with some insight for other ideas on how to incorporate family's into my students achievement.

References: 

Donnell, J. O., & Kirkner, S. L. (2014). The Impact of a Collaborative Family Involvement Program on Latino Families and Children's Educational Performance. School Community Journal, 24(1), 211-234.

Article 8

Title:

The Relations of Observed Pre-K Classroom Quality Profiles to Children's Achievement and Social Competence

Link: 

http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&id=doi:10.1080/10409280802581284

Abstract:

This research discusses the benefits for 4 and 5-year olds that participate in pre-k programs.  The data suggests that students will not only benefit academically but socially as well.  In order to analyze the effect of teacher/child interactions, various profiles were created to better document student growth.  More specifically, the data collected focuses on the positive outcomes and the benefits that emotional support, organizational support, and Instructional support has in regards to student achievement.

Reflection:

Because I am an early literacy instructor, I found this journal inspiring in the fact that it supports the benefits of pre-k programs.  The data provided not only made me assess many components that contribute to increased student achievement, but it also gave me some great ideas on aspects I need to be directed more attention. 

References: 

Timothy W. Curby, J. L.-C. (2009). The relations of observed pre-k classroom quality profiles to children’s achievement and social competence . Early Education and Development , 346-372.

Article 7

Title:

Achievement Gaps: An Examination of Differences in Student Achievement and Growth. The Full Report

 Link: 
https://ezproxy.western.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED498429&site=eds-live

Abstract:

This article explores the many variables that may come into play when looking at student growth and achievement.  It not only examines the gap amongst students of varying ethnicities, but it also looks at other contributing factors such as economic standing and time frames. The report brings to light that reducing the achievement gap will be no easy feat and while the research may elaborate on the cause of the gap it does not directly provide solutions. It suggests that the focus should be dispersed among all students, not just the low performers and as the gap may be reduced it seems in order to close the gap a public backing may be necessary.

Reflection:

        This report opened my eyes to the varying aspects one must consider when looking at achievement gaps. It gave me not only a better understanding of achievement levels, but also how growth and progress come into play. It was interesting to see that it not only addresses lower performing students but it also talks about how higher achieving students may be affected by certain contributing factors as well. 

References: 

McCall, M. S., Hauser, C., Cronin, J., Kingsbury, G. G., Houser, R., & Northwest Evaluation Association, O. (2006). Achievement gaps: An examination of differences in student achievement and growth. The Full Report.Northwest Evaluation Association,