The Impact of Play-based Teacher Education Courses on Pre-service ECE Teachers

Sydney Saulino, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in SLS (Birth-2) 

Through developing and completing my research project, I learned about the academic research process and gained a deeper understanding of my topic, which is the Play-Based Approach (PBA) in the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE).

PBA is the learning and teaching that takes place through play. As stated by educational thinker John Dewey, “Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results.” This quote applies directly to my research, as I acquired practical experience in the ECE field which in turn, deepened my understanding of play in ECE. I engaged in play-based activities, which were facilitated by my professors, to learn the involved steps.

I investigated how pre-service ECE teachers' understanding of PBA was impacted by their participation in a play-based teacher education course. I also learned how to evaluate data, formulate justified opinions about the data, analyze academic articles, and combine this information to write an academic research paper.

The skills I developed from the research process (e.g., time management, research, data collection, and writing concisely) will be extremely beneficial in my personal and professional life. Writing my research paper and analyzing the data was a complex process, but it helped me grow as a writer, student, researcher, and future ECE teacher.

After completing this project, I plan to publish my research and continue researching. I envision that the project could be developed further by analyzing how PBA affects student learning in comparison to other teaching methods in ECE settings. After taking the play-based teacher education course and learning the advantages of PBA, I was inspired to incorporate this pedagogical approach into my future classroom to meet the learning needs of my students.

The Art of Mathematics Education

Kristiana Nicotra, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Mathematics Education (7-12)

When I first discussed my capstone idea with my advisor, I was thrilled to hear that I could incorporate artwork into my project. It was a welcome opportunity to weave one of my passions into a project which revolved around my college studies over the past four years.

Professor Alanna Gibbons gave me so much guidance over the years as I sought to learn more about what it takes to become a caring and effective math teacher, and I was grateful to have her as a mentor for my capstone. I chose to focus upon several of the pedagogical methods used by educators to counter “math anxiety” in the classroom: differentiation, purposeful planning, and academic equity.

In the process of developing and completing my project I was also working as a student teacher in a middle school on Staten Island. Delving more deeply into the methodologies that mathematics teachers utilize helped me to create a more positive learning environment for my own students as well.

For instance, I found intriguing ways to differentiate lessons for my students, such as highlighting the main points of lengthy word problems for those who may struggle a bit more with the content, while providing higher level questions for students who finish working more quickly to challenge themselves with.

As for purposeful practice, I always try to incorporate group work time so that students can talk through new ideas and work out problems with one another. They may gain a better understanding of the material, but they may also come to think more deeply about it, as well.

I have also been putting mathematics into meaningful contexts for the class as well, whether it be incorporating students into realistic mathematical scenarios within word problems or with popular video game characters. I have been receiving input from my classes about things to include in my lessons, and I am happy to carry out their requests so as to make the lessons more personal to them.

With regard to academic equity, I have made note of the diverse backgrounds of my students and incorporated information about their different cultures into lessons. Indeed, sharing a survey with my students about their backgrounds and interests helped me very much in learning more about them as individuals. Taking into account their situations and any struggles they may be having, I tailor my lessons and interventions so that I may best uphold all students to high expectations and help them to achieve these goals with strong support.

I feel that if I continued this research, my project could indeed be developed further through extended studies of different techniques used in teaching mathematics. For instance, there are a number of theories on the way in which students learn, including behaviorism, cognitive, constructivism, connectivism, and humanism. Delving deeper into these theories would certainly be enlightening for educators and learners alike, as they allow us to better understand and apply the ways that we as people learn best, whether we are helping others learn or learning something new ourselves.

I would also be interested in perhaps extending my research into how art can be used to help teach mathematics, as the two subjects share significant connections than may first meet the eye. Indeed, there are a number of potential routes my project could take if I were to branch out my research on mathematics education.

This project has definitely embodied the culmination of my academic and intellectual experience over my past four years in the Verrazzano Honors Program. It was wonderful getting to contribute my artistic interpretations of my research, as well. Not only did I have the opportunity to reflect on my learning as a mathematics education student, but to do so in a way that also incorporates a bit of myself into the project through my art.

Utilizing the Process of Heuristic Education for Research Project

Meiyuan Lin, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed majors in Business Finances, Economics, and minor in Chinese

The process of my capstone cultivated ideas of meaningful research, compiling subjects’ significant concepts and theories into one paper. Some of the components came from previous courses which included economics, accounting, finance, and psychology. It was an advantage to be able to build my ideas over a period of time.

Even though it didn’t require specific writing, a topic popped up in my mind when I learned about the capstone requirement. “How to Value Securities and Mitigating Risks” relates to the realm of security investment or financial management.

The research process functioned on heuristic education; giving a mission with clearing goals but not intrusion, which drove me to review and summarize class work, and compose my project in a free frame of restriction. From time to time, I accumulated outlines from research and amalgamated concepts into the classroom. I deep dived into financial statements analysis and studied how to interpret a firm’s management discussions and disclosures to review business conditions. I attended investment practitioner meetings to learn strategies from senior analysts.

I learned many things from my research. Most of all, the project stimulated to me to grasp pivotal concepts from classes and research. I jotted notes with incentives, and I collected terminologies to organize phrases. To elaborate on my capstone project, I read many books and textbooks including the "Interpretation of Financial Statements", which was written by the famous value investor Benjamin Graham, who was the teacher of Warren Buffett, the successful value investor and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.

This project was helpful for me as it constituted learning skills and clarified theories in classrooms. Although it was a complicated project, the process benefitted me to finish the work over time. Phrase by phrase, paragraph by paragraph, I finally smoothed the discussions to be a condensed security investment research paper, which I believe will be beneficial to learners who are interested in the securities investment area.

What a great process! The heuristic model is a technique not only for learning and teaching, but also for cooperation and management. I will elaborate on the model if there is another opportunity.

Oysters: How Nature-Based Infrastructure May Be the Answer to Staten Island's Eroding Coastline

Nancy McKeown, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Biology 7-12

Staten Island is often referred to as “the forgotten borough.” However, with historic changes on the horizon, it will soon be known for its innovative approach to nature-based infrastructure. Over the past decade, the topic of climate change and historic environmental events has become prevalent in conversation nationally and internationally. This is especially true for Staten Island residents following Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The immediate devastation to families could be seen through photos of decimated homes and recounts of escaping rising waters during the storm’s surging waters. In recent years, researchers have been able to document the aftereffects to the Staten Island coastline and the increased rate of erosion facing communities residing in the area.

After learning about the Billion Oyster Project in 2015, I was fascinated by their work. Their goal was to restore oyster reefs to the New York Harbor and bring ecological solutions to Staten Island through their project, Living Breakwaters. Combined with my love for science and educating the next generation, their mission of “restoration without education is temporary” stuck with me. This led me to develop my Capstone, “Oysters: How Nature-Based Infrastructure May Be the Answer to Staten Island's Eroding Coastline.” Through my research, I investigated how Staten Island’s urban livability is affected by the eroding coastline and how we can address the importance of student involvement in solving ecological issues within their community.

During the process of completing my Capstone, I investigated how nature-based infrastructure offers benefits ecologically and societally. I discovered the “Room for the River” initiative that began in 2007 in Nijmegen, Netherlands. This project described a city similar to Staten Island where more than half of the population resided in flood-prone areas. Upon understanding how they utilized nature-based infrastructure to assist with restoring the main river’s natural flood plains, I found the initiative offered long-term community benefits.

As a combined portion of my research, I explored how students could become directly involved in solving local ecological issues while also learning about how oysters played a critical role in Staten Island’s history. This led me to delve into the vast history of Sandy Ground, the first free Black community in New York and the oldest continuously inhabited free black community in the country. I was amazed by the deep-rooted history Sandy Ground encompassed including how their local church served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Their community prided themselves on their involvement in the oyster industry and self-sufficiency ranging from basket weaving for the oystermen to self-taught blacksmiths. After learning the crucial role Sandy Ground played in the socio-ecological landscape of oysters in New York Harbor, I knew students should be given the opportunity to learn about these initiatives in a cross-curricular manner.

If I had the opportunity in the future, I would extend my research to develop Aquaculture classes available to students in urban public schools on Staten Island. Through this class, students would be able to dive deeper into environmental science, water chemistry, and marine biology in the classroom directly related to their community. Additionally, the class would offer students the opportunity to participate in a career and technical education program (CTE) where they could extend their knowledge into work-related fields.

Growing up on Staten Island, I realized several years ago that I never had the opportunity to learn about the history encompassing the borough. This project allowed me to dive deeper into the ecological initiatives on the horizon while also examining the history of Sandy Ground in correlation to the oyster trade. By utilizing the scientific information I’ve obtained from my research, I will continue to encourage students to connect with their community and fall in love with the environment around them.