College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Browsing College of Social and Behavioral Sciences by Author "LaCour, Misty"
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Item The Classroom Management Experience of Educators in Diverse Classrooms: Informing Teacher Education(Arkansas Association of Teacher Educators, 2018-03) Dees, Laura; LaCour, MistyThe purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the phenomenological nature of seventy two education professionals and to report findings to express the cognitive strategies employed regarding classroom management. The research questions sought to determine participant’s perceptions of classroom management strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners in the classroom. The research study findings suggest that in any classroom with management strategies, students respond to caring teachers. Therefore, a culturally responsive classroom that provides differentiation of classroom strategies appears to be the best for students with diverse needs. These results can inform teacher educators as to the strategies identified by current teachers as most effective in providing classroom management for diverse classrooms.Item Closing the Excellence Gap for English Learners and Students of Color(2018-05-29) Nyberg, Julia; LaCour, Misty; Dees, Laura; Hansen, LaurieCurrently, a gap exists in which English Learners (ELs) “are persistently underrepresented in advanced classes and in programs for students identified as gifted” (Coronado & Lewis, 2017, p. 238). While the number of ELs has increased in classrooms across the nation, the “excellence gap” has widened over recent years due to the underrepresentation of students of color in gifted programs. One strategy that school districts can implement to close the excellence gap and open the opportunity to support gifted programs for ELs and students of color is by providing a family engagement workshop which addresses the needs of underrepresented gifted students.Item Constructing Student Knowledge in the Online Classroom: The Effectiveness of Focal Prompts(Project Innovation, 2017-01) Howell, Ginger; LaCour, Misty; McGlawn, PennyThe purpose of this study was to examine the effect of three Structured Divergent discussion board prompt designs on knowledge construction in a graduate online course. According to Andrews (1980), the form of the question affects the extent of the response within a discussion. The Playground prompt, the Brainstorming prompt, and the Focal prompt were implemented in an online classroom to determine impact on student knowledge construction. The Interaction Analysis Model (1AM) tool was used to investigate the online discussion posts. Concept maps were also developed representing the concepts learned. The Focal Prompt design proved most effective in encouraging knowledge construction among online graduate students. The Focal Prompt design requires students to choose an argument and support the view point with a rationale. By doing so, students were better able to construct knowledge as related to course content. The results of this study can be used by instructors and curriculum designers to create a more effective online experience which furthers student knowledge and learning in the online classroom.Item Creating a Positive Classroom Environment to Meet the Needs of the Foster Child(Project Innovation, 2016) LaCour, Misty; McGlawn, Penny; Dees, LauraFoster children often struggle socially, emotionally, and academically in the school setting leading to school failure. By establishing a positive classroom environment, teachers can provide for the needs of the foster child while encouraging academic achievement. This study seeks to determine teacher best practices for meeting the needs of foster children to ensure success in the classroom. Themes emerged from the research indicating teachers’ best practices for incorporating proactive disciplinary techniques, praise and encouragement into the daily routine, and effective homework strategies. These best practices can be implemented by the classroom teacher to ensure the success of the foster children.Item The Disillusion of Victorian Youth: Oliver Twist's Descent into Gang Life(The Journal of International Social Research, 2018) LaCour, MistyWith the inability to secure adequate employment to sustain life, individuals in the Victorian Era developed street gangs as a substitution for jobs. During this era, novelists published writings depicting this rise of street gangs in London. As some of these novelists met harsh consequences due to their realistic representation of these events, Charles Dickens masterfully depicted the disillusion of Victorian youth by embedding the issue of street gangs within his works. Oliver Twist represents street gang activity prominent in the Victorian Era through the characters of Sikes, Fagin, and their adolescent gang members. As a street gang leader, Fagin substitutes as an authoritarian father-figure for homeless adolescents, using methods of psychological abuse as a means to manipulate,coerce, and control the gang members, leading to Oliver’s inclusion in the gang. Oliver’s experiences in Fagin’s gang depict the events of the street gangs during the era as well as the psychological impacts of gang involvement on youth.Item Exploring Teachers' Use of Tablets in the Classroom: Tools for Engaging At-Risk Learners(Common Ground Research Networks, 2017) Dees, Laura; LaCour, Misty; Lockwood, RobertThis research study utilized a mixed-methods approach to explore how teachers typically use tablets in the classroom and how the use of this technology meets the needs of at-risk learners. The participants of the study were forty-one in-field P-12 educators in the southeastern United States. The results of this study indicated the frequency by which teachers use tablets to support classroom instruction as well as the specific uses of tablet technology in the classroom. The study results also indicated teachers’ specific applications for effectively implementing tablets in their classrooms. In addition, teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of tablets in supporting the learning for at-risk students in the classroom was explored.Item Homework Tips that Encourage a Trauma-Sensitive Environment: Homework Choice Board to Encourage a Trauma-Sensitive Environment(ASCD EDAdvantage, 2019-06-10) LaCour, Misty; Nyberg, Julia; McGlawn, Penny; Dees, LauraProviding choices to students experiencing trauma gives them a sense of control and empowerment in their learning. Consider implementing these strategies in your classroom.Item How Can Educators Leverage Diversity Within Schools?(ASCD, 2016-03-28) LaCour, MistyLeveraging diversity in schools is about honoring, celebrating, and respecting our differences across cultures. Teachers must engage in culturally responsive teaching in order to leverage diversity within schools. In order to do this, we must have open conversations about diversity, both with other educators and with our students (Cruz, 2015). “When we learn more about who we are—and who students are—culturally, we’ll become more conscious of how we influence students” (Ginsberg, 2015).Item Improving Literacy Development in Foster Children: Best Practices for the K-6 Classroom(Common Ground Research Networks, 2016) LaCour, Misty; McGlawn, Penny; Dees, LauraFoster children who have experienced abuse or neglect often struggle academically, particularly in the area of literacy development. This research study explored current teachers’ best practices for improving literacy development in foster children in the K-6 classroom. Themes emerged indicating the teachers’ perceptions of meeting the needs of foster children, especially as related to improving literacy skills and encouraging literacy development. These best practices can be implemented by K-6 teachers to assist in preventing school failure for foster children.Item Meeting the Needs of the Foster Child: Perceptions of the K-6 Teacher(Common Ground Research Networks, 2018) McGlawn, Penny; LaCour, MistyA growing number of children are entering the foster-care system every year. The trauma experienced by these children negatively impacts them. This current study sought to determine the perceptions of foster children by thirty-six teacher participants. The results indicate a need to increase teacher’s awareness of foster children and the unique challenges they face. This study has brought a heightened awareness of the teachers’ perceptions toward this growing population of students relative to the challenges facing foster children. Teachers must be aware of the issues these students face while providing adequate interventions to meet the needs of these students.