Arts - Buffalo State College

Integrating Non-Traditional Forms of
Literacy Into Content Areas Equals Success
Kelly Bohlen, Melissa Barris, and John McGowan, EDU 609:
Literacy Instruction in the Upper Grades
Faculty Mentor: Professor Ellen Friedland, Elementary Education
and Reading
Students can benefit from the integration of non-traditional
literacy practices and vocabulary strategies into content area
instruction. Literacy strategies and alternative texts appear to
be positive additions to middle and high school content area
instruction. Anecdotal evidence in the literature reviewed indicates
that students can benefit academically and dispositionally when
teachers use alternative texts in social studies, literacy strategies in
math, and vocabulary comprehension strategies in science. However,
this review also revealed that there may be factors preventing
teachers from using alternative texts and literacy strategies within
middle/secondary content area instruction. Furthermore, there is
little empirical evidence showing the impact on the academic success
students may achieve when alternative texts and literacy strategies
are used.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster I
Interactive Strategies To Engage All
Learners
Christine Oehman, Katarina Silvestri, and Clair Carrell,
EDU 609: Literacy Instruction in the Upper Grades
Faculty Mentor: Professor Ellen Friedland, Elementary Education
and Reading
Teachers need to differentiate instruction to meet the unique
needs of all of their students. As academic demands increase there
are effective strategies that can be implemented to help students
reach higher levels of critical thinking. Specifically, students with
learning disabilities often struggle in all areas of literacy and require
explicit instruction in note taking to be successful in content area
classes. Also, strategies involving technology and a focus on “new
literacies” can bring a new level of motivation and understanding of
traditional print literacy to struggling readers and English Language
Learners. In using these strategies, students with learning disabilities
and English Language Learners will become active learners and
gain confidence in their abilities.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster I
Investigating the Impact of Outdoor
Education Activities On Rural Student
Views
Maureen Gardner, SCI 690: Investigating the Impact of Outdoor
Education
Faculty Mentors: Professor Catherine Lange, Earth Sciences and
Science Education and Professor Joseph Zawicki, Earth Sciences
and Science Education
Field trips and outdoor education activities increase student
achievement. Recent budget concerns have limited the number and
the quality of field trips and experiences for many students in New
Education
York State. This project examined the impact of outdoor education
activities on students in rural areas. This projected grew from a study
of urban student learning of science content associated with ecology
of the Great Lakes (Cerny, Miller and Collins, 2012). The program
was created by Buffalo Urban Outdoor Education and includes
four-week modules presented by scientists in the classroom that
are followed by the application of science content on the Spirit of
Buffalo schooner. Preliminary data collected from science students
in grades 5-9 indicate that attitudes about ecology can be modified
through a structured program that combines in class and out of
class teaching. This study assessed the science learning of rural
students using several tools, including the pre-test instrument used
in the initial (urban) study. The current research project included 16
school districts in rural areas surrounding Buffalo. Rural and urban
students have different experiences and interactions with the natural
environment; the attitudes of rural students were compared to their
urban counterparts. The current state of science education in rural
districts, as well as an analysis of the collected data will be presented.
Presentation Type and Session: Oral – Education
Patterns In Kindergarten
Kara Cartwright, EDU 690: Master’s Curriculum and Assessment
Project
Faculty Mentor: Professor Coralee Smith, Elementary Education
and Reading
This interactive web-based curriculum project is done as part
of my master’s project and uses a web-based platform. I have based
my project around the use of patterns in Kindergarten, how to
implement lessons into the classroom and what ways your students
will benefit from learning patterns at an early age. Throughout the
research done on patterning and structures, it is evident that early
developments of these skills are critical to young student’s ability to
create abstract views and generalizations of mathematical concepts,
ideas and relationships (Mitchelmore, Mulligan, Papic, Prescott,
2008, 376). Patterning involves the ability to recognize, extend create
and copy patterns and demonstrates the process of discovering
auditory, visual and motor regularities in young students (Waters,
2004, 27). There is a general consensus that patterning involves
“observing, representing and investigating patterns and relationships
in social and physical phenomena and between mathematical objects
themselves (Mulligan and Papic, 2005, 609).” Thus, patterning and
structure are at the heart of teaching and mastering mathematics
and it allows students to make sense of their everyday world. The
web site address is http://kgeracecurriculum.wordpress.com/.
Presentation Type and Session: Poster II
Personalizing Math
Vincent Barry, EDU 651: Math Instruction
Faculty Mentor: Professor Hibajene Shandomo, Elementary
Education and Reading
Mathematical examples or questions are usually established
from within a book for elementary students. Some questions may
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