Professional Development as Your Responsibility: A Mixed Method Reflection

This study examines the impact of professional development on enhancing social studies instruction through two professional development sessions: Making Time for Elementary Social Studies by lnquirED and Teaching Global Issues in a Controversial Election Year by the Council of Foreign Relations via edWeb. Using both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, the research assesses the applicability and effectiveness of these sessions in fostering inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and effective classroom discussions. Findings highlight the value of structured pacing guides, inquiry-driven strategies, and non-partisan resources in supporting educators\u27 professional learning and improving social studies pedagogy. This endeavor was a beneficial practice for pre-service teachers as they will be in charge of their continuing education after joining the teacher workforce. This project provided a replicable framework for that continued development

Maximizing Chances for Profit when Marketing Cattle in Livestock Auctions

The objective of this study is to supply producers with data that will help to ensure that they are marketing their calf crop at proper times to ensure higher levels of profit. The information produced in this study is intended to be used with other management tools

SFA Art Day: Button Design and Lesson Execution

For my research project, I designed a logo for the Art Education program. Then, on the November 8th Art Day I assisted Professor Denise Davis in presenting a multi-media lesson. This lesson included forms of book-making and button creation. The high school participants were given two options, cutting out one of the premade circle logos I designed or creating a unique design for their buttons. This project required me to learn new computer programs and interact with a student population that was unfamiliar to me

Learning Theories Within Classrooms

Questions •What learning theories are most beneficial to teacher candidates? • Are learning theories being utilized in classrooms? •Should theories be taught in college classes

Integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) in Academic Research: Perceptions of Aspiring Educational Leaders

As aspiring educational leaders, principal candidates must understand the widespread impact of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) in education. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceptions of aspiring educational leaders regarding Gen AI in academic research, highlighting the ethical concerns and challenges they perceive, revealing potential opportunities for AI integration in education, and assessing how these perceptions may influence their future leadership practices. The theory guiding this study was the distributed cognition theory, as it shows the dynamics of human cognition and AI cognition, making it possible to understand the perceptions of aspiring educational leaders regarding Gen AI integration in academic research. By examining these aspects, the research provided insights into how aspiring educational leaders might approach and implement AI technologies in academic research and education contexts. The research was conducted through a reflection assignment at the end of an introductory research course. The reflection prompts included demographic and background information, perceptions of the ethical use of Gen AI tools, the role of Gen AI tools as research assistants, the effectiveness and challenges related to using Gen AI tools and leveraging Gen AI\u27s potential in education as an aspiring educational leader. The archived reflection data were analyzed using a qualitative phenomenological design method. The study sought to provide insights that could inform professional development, strategies for technological integration, and institutional approaches to Gen AI adoption in academic research courses. The research highlighted how emerging educational leaders perceive Gen AI\u27s role in academic research and educational settings, moving beyond surface-level assessments to understand the complex interplay of technological, pedagogical, and personal factors

Neotropical catfish diversity in rivers of the Guiana Shield: A Combined Approach Using Taxonomic, Functional, and Isotopic Tools

Rivers of the Guiana Shield in South America are very heterogenous, containing a mosaic of habitats and environmental characteristics ideal for maintaining high freshwater biodiversity. The connection between the Essequibo and Amazon rivers via the Rupununi River during the wet season plays an important role for the great diversity of Neotropical ichthyofauna. Neotropical catfishes (Siluriformes) are the second most diverse group of freshwater fishes, after the Characiformes. They span a wide range of body sizes and exhibit diverse trophic specializations, making them ideal organisms for studying the influence of body size variation on community organization and ecosystem function. We explored the taxonomic, functional, and feeding ecology among neotropical catfishes in two rivers in Guyana to examine overall feeding diversity and relationships between body size and trophic position of catfish species in these rivers