Benefits of physical education programs in elementary schools today

In recent years, physical education has been pushed to the side in many elementary schools throughout the United States in order to allocate more time and resources for academic subjects. This senior capstone examines how physical education programs benefit elementary school students in today’s society. Through the use of interviews with five elementary school teachers from two schools in the Monterey Bay area, the finding reveals that elementary school teachers believe there are many physical, social, emotional, and academic benefits of physical education programs for their students. However, the actual implementation of physical education programs varied from one classroom to another

Return of the Ghosts of Dispersal Past: Historical Spread and Contemporary Gene Flow in the Blue Sea Star Linckia Laevigata

Marine animals inhabiting the Indian and Pacific oceans have some of the most extensive species ranges in the world, sometimes spanning over half the globe. These Indo-Pacific species present a challenge for study with both geographic scope and sampling density as limiting factors. Here, we augment and aggregate phylogeographic sampling of the iconic blue sea star, Linckia laevigata Linnaeus, 1758, and present one of the most geographically comprehensive genetic studies of any Indo-Pacific species to date, sequencing 392 base pairs of mitochondrial COI from 791 individuals from 38 locations spanning over 14,000 km. We first use a permutation based multiple-regression approach to simultaneously evaluate the relative influence of historical and contemporary gene flow together with putative barriers to dispersal. We then use a discrete diffusion model of phylogeography to infer the historical migration and colonization routes most likely used by L. laevigata across the Indo-Pacific. We show that estimates of genetic structure have a stronger correlation to geographic distances than to “oceanographic” distances from a biophysical model of larval dispersal, reminding us that population genetic estimates of gene flow and genetic structure are often shaped by historical processes. While the diffusion model was equivocal about the location of the mitochondrial most recent common ancestor (MRCA), we show that gene flow has generally proceeded in a step-wise manner across the Indian and Pacific oceans. We do not find support for previously described barriers at the Sunda Shelf and within Cenderwasih Bay. Rather, the strongest genetic disjunction is found to the east of Cenderwasih Bay along northern New Guinea. These results underscore the importance of comprehensive range-wide sampling in marine phylogeography

The Effectiveness of the Critical Friends Model for Teacher Collaboration

This study analyzed teacher perceptions regarding the value of modified version of the Critical Friends collaboration model. Fifteen teachers completed an anonymous survey regarding current collaboration practices. The results of the survey indicated that many teachers were unhappy with current methods of administrator lead collaboration and felt teachers should have flexibility and choice for topics of discussion during collaboration time. To research the efficacy of a structured collaboration model, a small focus group of four teachers participated used the Critical Friends Collaboration Model which included strict utilization protocols and norms. Using a modified version of the Critical Friends Consultancy Protocol, the group engaged in a structured discussion of a teacher-presented current classroom issue and then provided critical feedback to the presenter. The participating teachers provided feedback on the process after completing four half-hour sessions. While three of the four teachers found the structure to be more effective than current practices, consensus was not reached on how to disseminate and sustain the process within the school community

Advancing Biodiversity Research in Developing Countries: The Need for Changing Paradigms

The world is in the midst of a biodiversity crisis, threatening essential goods and services on which humanity depends. While there is an urgent need globally for biodiversity research, growing obstacles are severely limiting biodiversity research throughout the developing world, particularly in Southeast Asia. Facilities, funding, and expertise are often limited throughout this region, reducing the capacity for local biodiversity research. Although western scientists generally have more expertise and capacity, international research has sometimes been exploitative “parachute science,” creating a culture of suspicion and mistrust. These issues, combined with misplaced fears of biopiracy, have resulted in severe roadblocks to biodiversity research in the very countries that need it the most. Here, we present an overview of challenges to biodiversity research and case studies that provide productive models for advancing biodiversity research in developing countries. Key to success is integration of research and education, a model that fosters sustained collaboration by focusing on the process of conducting biodiversity research as well as research results. This model simultaneously expands biodiversity research capacity while building trust across national borders. It is critical that developing countries enact policies that protect their biodiversity capital without shutting down international and local biodiversity research that is essential to achieve the long-term sustainability of biodiversity, promoting food security and economic development

Embedding a unit on environmental education into a fourth-grade curriculum

This research project integrated environmental education into the school curriculum so that elementary school students could learn about the responsible use, protection, and enjoyment of the natural environment. This project utilized four learning stations on campus as outdoor classrooms - a native plant garden, an organic vegetable garden, a vermiculture compost site, and the school ground itself - in order to ascertain the efficacy of embedding this approach in a fourth-grade science curriculum. Students\u27 responses on a post-project open-ended questionnaire revealed that students were interested in appreciative interactions with the natural world as sources of joy and understanding. Students were interested in stewardship of natural resources for reasons ranging from helping the earth, helping individual plants and animals, and helping people; to dealing with issues of recycling and littering. Students\u27 responses on a post-project closed-ended questionnaire indicated that: most students agree with preserving and conserving the natural world, and being stewards of the natural world; most students want to have a rewarding and positive relationship with the natural world; most students are in support of recycling and are opposed to littering. Teachers\u27 responses on a post-project open-ended questionnaire revealed that after my project, students are more likely to engage in appreciative interactions with the natural world but only somewhat more likely to engage in stewardship of the natural world. An environmental education specialist\u27s responses on a post-project open-ended questionnaire and my reflective teaching journal provided insights that overall, my project and my teaching were good and beneficial, in relation to my project goals. However, there is need for improvement in the area of professional development as a formal educator. Further, though appreciative interactions with the natural world were stressed in my project, stewardship of natural resources could have been stressed more

The impact of behavior-specific praise on student engagement

Behavior-specific praise (BSP) is one motivational tool that has the potential to increase student engagement and eagerness to learn. In this study, the use of BSP was explored. Over a one- month study, third-grade students were given BSP during math instruction. Student nonverbal cues (i.e., eye contact, completing seatwork), peer interaction, and class participation were observed and tracked to determine if the use of BSP increased student engagement. Key findings in students’ responses to BSP included: 1) acquired perseverance and confidence to complete a given task; 2) increased student initiative to exceed teacher expectations as demonstrated by their use of strategies; and 3) strengthened peer communication during group work. Reflecting on my teaching practice, the study findings also indicated that increasing the amount of praise I gave to my students influenced the learning environment allowing for students to facilitate their own learning and giving BSP resulted in valuable student feedback necessary in order for me to implement this process long term

Field of dreams : sports equality for children with special needs

Currently, there is a lack of equal opportunity for children with disabilities to participate or succeed in both school and club athletics. These programs have a positive effect on the development of children, especially those with disabilities, giving all a chance to socialize and exercise. Society forgets that children, regardless of their ability, deserve the right to grow in an athletic community with their peers. After speaking with parents, faculty, and the children themselves, a conclusion was made that physical activity is an extremely positive experience for the children so that they too can realize they are capable of playing and having fun. To address this issue, an adaptive soccer clinic was run through California State University, Monterey Bay Athletics to provide exposure to sports and share the love of the game with all children. Children with disabilities have the right to participate and it is important to raise awareness that everyone can be a part of sports

Meiofauna community composition at three whale-fall sites in Monterey Bay, California

There are localized deep-seafloor habitats where there is a much greater input of nutrients than most of the seafloor. These include hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, and sunken whale skeletons called whale-falls. Meiofauna, a taxonomically diverse group of microscopic invertebrates, has been studied in many habitats, though there have been no published studies on meiofauna at whale-falls. The purpose of this study was to test whether the increased energy resources at a whale-fall affected the meiofauna community. To test this hypothesis, I characterized the community of meiofauna living under and around whale-fall at three locations in the Monterey Bay, in terms of biomass (µg carbon per cm2) and diversity. Nematodes were the most abundant organism, although annelids accounted for the greatest share of biomass in some samples due to their larger body size. More meiofaunal organisms were found near the carcass than far from it and the greatest meiofaunal biomass occurred three to seven meters from the carcass. The greater biomass nearer the bones was probably due to nutrient enrichment from the whale. The lesser numbers under the carcass compared with 3 – 7 m away may be due to toxic chemical gradients in the sediment around the bones, grazing by larger organisms living near the bones, or competitive dominance. These findings are a necessary first step towards a thorough understanding of how the meiofauna at whale-falls differ from meiofauna communities in other habitats

Understanding guitar amplifiers

Guitar amplification has changed and evolved with modern music across the decades. It has created culture and has shaped new sounds, genre’s and etc. The amplifier is as important as the guitar however it is long due for a deeper inspection. With this capstone I plan to look at both the history and the mechanics of the amplifier. I also plan to go into depth about amp specifics and what amplifiers players should invest in while looking for distinct sounds

A Course-Based Research Experience: How Benefits Change with Increased Investment in Instructional Time

There is widespread agreement that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs should provide undergraduates with research experience. Practical issues and limited resources, however, make this a challenge. We have developed a bioinformatics project that provides a course-based research experience for students at a diverse group of schools and offers the opportunity to tailor this experience to local curriculum and institution-specific student needs. We assessed both attitude and knowledge gains, looking for insights into how students respond given this wide range of curricular and institutional variables. While different approaches all appear to result in learning gains, we find that a significant investment of course time is required to enable students to show gains commensurate to a summer research experience. An alumni survey revealed that time spent on a research project is also a significant factor in the value former students assign to the experience one or more years later. We conclude: 1) implementation of a bioinformatics project within the biology curriculum provides a mechanism for successfully engaging large numbers of students in undergraduate research; 2) benefits to students are achievable at a wide variety of academic institutions; and 3) successful implementation of course-based research experiences requires significant investment of instructional time for students to gain full benefit