Elementary Teacher Perceptions of Eureka Math

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of elementary teachers teaching the Eureka Math program using a mixed methods approach. The participants were Grades K-5 elementary teachers from 10 elementary schools within the same school district located in the southwestern region of North Carolina. Quantitative data were collected via a 4-point Likert scale survey distributed via Google Forms. Qualitative data were collected via an open-ended question from the survey and an interview group. The data were collected to answer the research question, “How do elementary teachers experience teaching mathematics using the Eureka Math program?” The researcher designed the survey around the four components of the elementary Eureka Math lesson plan. Interview group questions were developed following an analysis of data from the survey and open-ended responses to gain a deeper understanding of teacher experiences and confidence to teach the Eureka Math components. Data analysis of the interview group responses entailed the researcher identifying meta-themes, themes, and patterns, which further validated survey responses. The researcher found participants in this study confident to teach all four components of the Eureka Math lesson plan. Recommendations for future research included conducting a study with students and parents to further determine their confidence levels regarding the four components of the Eureka Math program

Two weddings: an examination of the design process as applied to Blood Wedding and Vernasz

The objective of this study was to examine the design process, and how it was affected when applied to the different forms of opera and theatre, using two specific examples as test subjects. To ensure homogeny between these subjects I chose Federico Garcia Lorca's play, Blood Wedding, and an operatic adaptation, Sandor Szokolay's Vernasz. Using my personal design process as a basis for study, I developed preliminary and final scenography, including scenery and costumes, for both pieces concurrently. These theoretical productions were designed for the Shaw Festival Court House Theatre and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, respectively. The results revealed that, although scenographic decisions were influenced by factors exclusive to opera, theatre, and the selected theatres; the design process itself was unaffected

The Nightingale of Austerlitz

The Nightingale of Austerlitz employs poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to articulate the theme of (mis)communication. A pliable, multi-genre approach was necessary to convey the urgency of two central characters’ desire to connect despite the impossibility of doing so. Prose interrupts and challenges the set precision of poetry in order to embody the stops and starts—the literal and figurative breakdowns—of communication. The juxtaposition of genres dramatizes dialogue, silence, affective distance, and desire. Song, sound, repetition (using lullaby, referencing music, thematizing the ear) further assert the power of language as performance and aesthetics as consolation, and provoke a particular kind of attention to communication—how we speak and hear, who listens, and how silence signifies. The collection is accompanied by a critical preface

Empowering Caregivers of Persons With Alzheimer\u27s Disease Through Psychoeducation of Community Services

This qualitative study examined the ways social workers empower caregivers of persons with Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD), through psychoeducational interventions of community services. Social workers in the field of aging may be the only informant of available support services for persons facing AD, so caregivers should not be overlooked while providing resources. Data was collected through nine semi-structured interviews to analyze the personal experience of social workers currently working with caregivers of persons with AD. This study interpreted the findings through deductive analysis of common themes from the interviews. The four themes from this study were: causes of caregiver burden, the need for psychoeducation, caregiver strengths to provide care, and social work support to caregivers. Three subthemes emerged including caregiver role identity, resiliency, and empowering caregivers. The results from this study provide strong indication for the role of social workers to provide support for caregivers in order to continue providing quality care. Implications suggest need for a caregiver assessment tool to allow social workers to further explore and discuss caregiver service expectations, awareness, and knowledge of various community-based services to encourage the caregiver to be involved in the plan of care for persons with AD

Empowering Caregivers of Persons With Alzheimer’s Disease Through Psychoeducation of Community Services

This qualitative study examined the ways social workers empower caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), through psychoeducational interventions of community services. Social workers in the field of aging may be the only informant of available support services for persons facing AD, so caregivers should not be overlooked while providing resources. Data was collected through nine semi-structured interviews to analyze the personal experience of social workers currently working with caregivers of persons with AD. This study interpreted the findings through deductive analysis of common themes from the interviews. The four themes from this study were: causes of caregiver burden, the need for psychoeducation, caregiver strengths to provide care, and social work support to caregivers. Three subthemes emerged including caregiver role identity, resiliency, and empowering caregivers. The results from this study provide strong indication for the role of social workers to provide support for caregivers in order to continue providing quality care. Implications suggest need for a caregiver assessment tool to allow social workers to further explore and discuss caregiver service expectations, awareness, and knowledge of various community-based services to encourage the caregiver to be involved in the plan of care for persons with AD