Fostering Third Graders\u27 Attributes of Independence During the Literacy Block: A Self-Study

This self-study is my attempt to determine how I can foster attributes of independence such as engagement, motivation, self-regulation, and accountability in students during the literacy block. I conducted this self-study while substitute teaching in a third grade classroom in a suburban elementary school in western New York. During the fifteen-week study, I implemented a reader’s workshop and a writer’s workshop and reflected on the students’ level of independence, their work habits and behaviors, and aspects of my literacy instruction. My findings indicate that students were able to reach levels of independence when they were engaged in active learning, motivated by their interests, had choices in their learning, given resources to guide them, and held to high expectations

MS-289: John D. Rentz Civil War Diary

John D. Rentz’s Civil War diary chronicles the time he spent with the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry between December 26, 1863, and September 6, 1864. The diary details a wide array of information pertaining to his life with the regiment and the progress of the Civil War. Rentz’s pension letter is very simple, merely asking for B. Penrose’s assistance with securing a renewal of his pension. The “Rebel letter” written by Margaret Jones to Joseph King is also simple, providing a few details about the rainy weather, the progress of the crops, and expressing Jones’s desire to see her brother. The 3-page manuscript, written for the Patriotic Order of the Sons of America, an organization once associated with the Know-Nothing Party, conveys a high level of concern about “foreigen competition” (pg. 1). The author is unknown, but the handwriting does resemble John D. Rentz’s handwriting. Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website https://www.gettysburg.edu/special-collections/collections/.https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/findingaidsall/1224/thumbnail.jp

MS-290: WWII Diary of Leslie Wright Jr., U.S. Signal Corps

Leslie Wright Jr. enlisted in the United States Signal Corps on September 15, 1941, serving as a 2nd Lieutenant, until he was honorably discharged on January 9, 1946. He was first stationed in Richmond-Upon-Thames in Southwest London, before being transferred to Grimsby, in North East Lincolnshire. This diary details a wide array of subjects relevant to Wright’s personal life and his service with the United States Signal Corps. References are made to politics and pop culture in the early 1940s. Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website https://www.gettysburg.edu/special-collections/collections/.https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/findingaidsall/1225/thumbnail.jp

MS-287: Whitney Family Civil War Letters

The Whitney Family Civil War Letters collection contains 46 letters from the Civil War Era, 2 Freemason dues notices for Mariner T. Whitney, and four empty letter covers. 37 of the letters, written by Hiram R. Whitney, pertain to his military service and daily life with the 132nd New York Infantry Regiment. Two other letters, written by Henry J. Manning and John Marsh Young relate to their military service with the 11th New York Volunteer Cavalry and the 124th New York Infantry, respectively. John Marsh Young was the nephew of Ruhamah Irwin Whitney, the wife of Mariner T. Whitney. The remaining letters, written by Ann Almira Whitney Manning and Louisa Lennox Whitney Wright to their brother, Mariner, relate to various family concerns. Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website https://www.gettysburg.edu/special-collections/collections/.https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/findingaidsall/1222/thumbnail.jp

Investigating a Framework for Successful Co-teaching to Support Inclusion in an Elementary School Setting

It is estimated that approximately one in ten children in the United States is exceptional. Although public schools within the United States are legally mandated to provide a free and appropriate education to all students, the approaches for providing this appropriate education to individuals with exceptionalities vary greatly. Research has supported that inclusive educational practices are beneficial for students (both with and without disabilities), teachers, as well as communities. Furthermore, research has supported the idea that co-teaching methods of inclusion could provide unique benefits for students and teachers alike. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived benefits and drawbacks of co-teaching from the perspective of both general educators and special educators with co-teaching experience. An additional goal was to determine what elements the participants’ perceived were most vital for successful implementation of co-teaching practices. The intended result of this study is to provide a framework for successful co-teaching. After surveying and interviewing six teachers with experience with co-teaching, the results indicated that most participants felt that co-teaching was beneficial for students and teachers alike, when implemented successfully. That being said, most participants agreed that co-teaching is a very complex model of service delivery, and several variables, such as teaching styles and philosophies, time, and administration, must work together in order to this practice to be successful. Given this information, the researcher created a framework for successful co-teaching methods of inclusion that discusses some of the most vital elements involved in the practice. Implications for the field of education and the limitations of this research were also addressed.Bachelor of Art

A Sibling’s Sense of Self

Background: It is commonly viewed that siblings of those with disabilities are positioned as caregivers and tasked to support their sibling with a disability. Family members of those with disabilities are particularly viewed as impacted heavily by the burden of care placed on them. However, truth be told, there are many influential and positive attributes that are acquired by one’s upbringing and living with a family member who has a disability. Typically overlooked by researchers in the field, there are dismissed perceptions of family members that should be accounted for. Further, individuals who have grown up alongside of members of their family with a disability have unique perceptions that influence their self-perceptions and ways of living. This study found that an individual with a sibling with a disability has experienced in childhood up to current time circumstantial practices relative to their family position which influence the way they currently carry and perceive themselves. Further indicated in this study is the importance of family relationships, dynamics and stability in support of the care to the sibling with a disability. Particular qualities and characteristics are highlighted in this study to showcase the intricate yet complex lives of individuals with siblings who have disabilities. Proven is the need for augmented initiatives and enhanced supports to address gaps and needs among individual family members who are related to someone with a disability. Specific Aim: The objective of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how individuals perceive themselves based on their experiences growing up with a family member who identifies as having a disability. The aim was to investigate the perceived experiences of these individuals and their reflections on their personal identities and sense of perception. Method: A total of 10 individuals over the age of 18 who have siblings with disabilities from across Ontario, Canada completed virtual or in-person interviews. Findings: To reflect participants' upbringing, current experiences, and anticipated future roles within their families, themes naturally surfaced and were identified as means to represent consistent data responses. In general, the findings revealed a range of experiences that impact their sense of self and family responsibilities. Many unique and positive perceptions of self were conveyed by participants in reference to their lived experiences. Discussion: This study fills gaps in disability studies by highlighting the positive outcomes of sibling relationships and the unique lived experiences of individuals who have siblings with disabilities. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing an individuals’ experiences and stories relative to having a sibling with a disability. Keywords: Disability, Sibling, Sibship, Family, Relationships, Experiences

Synthesis of Functionalized Tolanes for Release of Rose Scent

The long-term objective of this research is to synthesize and develop a set of functionalized hexaphenylbenzenes capable of the controlled release of volatile fragrant molecules, otherwise known as “pro-fragrances”. The focus of current work is on the synthesis of original appropriately substituted 4,4’-diphenylacetylenes (tolanes). These tolanes may be capable of scent release and can be cyclized with catalytic amounts of cobalt octacarbonyl to form hexaphenylbenzene molecules. Efforts have focused on optimizing the conditions and yields for the production of two tolane molecules substituted in the 4,4’ positions with phenethyl ester groups. Upon hydrolysis, these ester groups will release the rose-scented 2-phenylethanol molecule. Synthesis of one tolane was accomplished through multiple steps culminating in the sequential modification of the Sonogashira coupling reaction. The required conditions (temperature, pH, time.) for the controlled hydrolysis of the tolane molecules were investigated via preliminary GC/headspace analysis and are strongly dependent on the stability of the tolane molecule

The challenges of open data sharing for qualitative researchers

‘Open Science’ advocates for open access to scientific research, as well as sharing data, analysis plans and code in order to enable replication of results. However, these requirements typically fail to account for methodological differences between quantitative and qualitative research, and serious ethical problems are raised by the suggestion that full qualitative datasets can or should be published alongside qualitative research papers. Aside from important ethical concerns, the idea of sharing qualitative data in order to enable replication is conceptually at odds with the underpinnings on most qualitative methodologies, which highlight the importance of the unique interpretative function of the researcher. The question of whether secondary analysis of qualitative data is acceptable is key, and in this commentary we argue that there are good conceptual, ethical and economic reasons to consider how funders, researchers and publishers can make better use of existing data