Al-Noor School College Readiness & Career Exposure Program

Maiyadah Kased, Verrazzano Class of 2026, completed major in SLS

Working on this capstone project has been one of the most meaningful experiences for me, both academically and personally. Going into it, I knew I wanted to create something that would help students, especially because I had once been in their position, feeling unsure and unprepared for what comes after high school. Through the process of developing, implementing, and analyzing this program, I realized that its impact went far beyond what I originally expected.

One of the biggest things I learned is how powerful structured support and exposure can be. At the beginning of the program, many students felt overwhelmed, confused, and unsure about college and their future. Seeing the data shift from students feeling “unprepared” to “prepared and confident” showed me that these feelings weren’t permanent, they were the result of a lack of guidance and opportunities. Once students were given access to information, mentorship, and real experiences like college visits and guest speakers, their mindset completely changed. This made me understand that sometimes students don’t lack ability, they just lack access and support.

Another major takeaway for me was the importance of relationships. I initially thought the most impactful parts of the program would be things like college fairs or presentations, but what stood out the most was the connection students built with counselors and alumni. Hearing from guest speakers who were once in their exact position made success feel more real and achievable. More personally, I learned how important it is for students to feel heard. There were moments during interviews that really stayed with me, especially when I saw students begin to open up and express themselves in ways they hadn’t before. That showed me that being a counselor is not just about giving advice, but about creating a space where students feel safe, understood, and supported.

I also learned a lot about research itself. Since I was both the program coordinator and the researcher, it challenged me to step back and look at my work more objectively.  Analyzing surveys, interviews, and field notes helped me see patterns and themes I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. It made me realize how important it is to listen to student voices and use their feedback to improve programs. At the same time, I became more aware of the limitations of my study, especially since it focused on one group of students. This pushed me to think more critically about how research can be expanded and strengthened.

If I were to continue developing this project, there are several ways I would want to build on it. First, I would expand the program to include more interactive and hands-on experiences, such as career simulations or workshops that allow students to actively engage with different fields. I would also want to include a wider variety of career paths so that more students feel represented and can explore options beyond the most commonly discussed professions. In terms of research, I would expand the sample size by including multiple grade levels or even partnering other schools to see if similar results occur in different settings.

Additionally, I would place an even stronger emphasis on one-on-one support and reflection. The data showed that students benefited not just from exposure, but from having time to process what they learned and talk through their thoughts. Creating more structured opportunities for reflection could help deepen the impact of the program even further.

Overall, this project changed how I see both education and my role within it. What started as an effort to improve college readiness turned into something much bigger, a support system that helps students grow academically and emotionally. It showed me that when students are given the right tools, guidance, and environment, they can build confidence and find clarity in their future. This is something I will carry with me moving forward, and it continues to shape how I think about supporting students in meaningful ways.

 

Can Art Integration Enhance Student Engagement in the Classroom?

Jaclyn Regina, Verrazzano Class of 2024, completed major in SLS (1-6)

For my research project, I wanted to focus on a topic that I was both passionate and knowledgeable about. As an SLS major with a special interest in art, I thought that researching information on the connection between art integration and student engagement would be interesting. I completed a literature review, analyzing texts that supported the question at hand. With the assistance of my mentor, Professor Cabral, I was able to learn a lot about art integration and its many connections to increased student engagement.

This assignment taught me a lot about both my specific topic and the process of creating an effective capstone. I learned a lot about how to properly research and where to find appropriate sources. Almost every source I used was from the CSI library. The education databases provided me with so much significant information that was very beneficial when researching and writing this essay. I was also able to improve my ability to cite sources and to defend claims. The ability to answer a research question by providing strong peer-reviewed sources is a very important skill to have.

Being able to expand my knowledge on a topic that is important to me has also been very impactful. As a future educator, I want to ensure that my students are supported and have a reason to come to school every single day. With the information I learned through the literature reviewed, I now know so many different aspects of teaching, as they connect to art integration and student engagement.

My essay follows 6 key themes including hands-on learning, social-emotional learning, use of new materials, different art forms, culture, and identity. Each of these themes work together to support how art integration can enhance student engagement in the general education elementary classroom. I was able to learn a lot through this experience and it was exciting to present my findings at the Undergraduate Research conference.

The Effects of COVID-19 on K-12 Education

Nicholas Marino, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Psychology

While thinking about what to research for my Capstone Project, I knew I wanted to make it about something that was current and relevant. I wanted it to be something that I experienced, connected with, and related to. After I set those standards for myself, the research topic became abundantly clear. Myself, my graduating class, my friends, and family all experienced the pandemic, and all had to adapt to the unfortunate circumstances. However, at that time I was in my second year of college and wasn’t quite aware of the effects that COVID-19 had on students in grades K-12. The change from in-person learning to remote learning changed how education had to be given to students. Taking everything into account; my interest in this topic, and my personal connection to it, it was an awesome experience being able to depict the specific effects of the pandemic on education.

To perfectly capture the long-term effects on education, I had to categorize and separate each role individually. For example, in my research I had sections dividing students, teachers, and faculty. Each role had their own breakdown of the negative effects that COVID-19 had on them, ranging from performance to mental health. Essentially, I learned that the pandemic had only negative long-term effects on these groups. Students experienced an alarming decrease in grades, paired with an increase in mental health issues like depression and anxiety. Teachers experienced a change in their motivation and dedication towards their job, with an increase in mental health issues.

My capstone project allowed to me understand the importance of the education system and what the implications would be if the normal routine is changed. Switching from in-person learning to remote learning has an long lasting impact on society. Students will be expected to carry on to the next grade without being prepared, creating a domino effect that will roll over in their future education. However, with proper attention and providing essential services to students, it is possible to give every student a chance to get back on track with their curriculum. Without a doubt, further research will be needed in the following years to evaluate how students who withstood the pandemic are tackling their future education or careers.

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.

Incorporating Dewey's Law in the Classroom

Gianna Cerbone, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in SLS (1-6), and minor in ASL

While developing my capstone project, I researched philosopher John Dewey’s theories on education and how to incorporate them into the classroom. Many teachers have struggled with getting their students excited and eager to learn or even show up to school. Using these theories, teachers can follow his ideas to achieve high success rates in the classroom and positive learning environment.

John Dewey’s theories can be put into simpler terms by creating a “formula” known as Dewey’s Law. This formula is made up of variables that allow teachers to measure what was successful in their teaching methods as well as what failed. Each variable describes the efficiency of teaching techniques, each affecting the overall outcome. This allows teachers to monitor and self-regulate their own learning in order to improve themselves for their students. The goal is to achieve a high score in all variables to achieve a successfully run class with excited students.

The first variable in this formula is interaction. When the students are engaged in conversations about their learning or clearly focusing on what the teacher or their peers are communicating, interaction is high. I learned about techniques to improve interaction within the class: movement breaks, ​​partner or group activities such as turn and talk, using fun attention grabbers to refocus the students, and playing objective driven games to teach and reinforce the lessons. By using various techniques and teaching strategies, teachers can ensure their students are actively engaged in their learning which results in a high score for the variable interaction.

The next variable I learned about is generative stocks of knowledge. This variable measures how well the lesson correlates with the students’ level of imaginative development. In order to keep the students’ imaginations flowing, the lessons they learn need to match their level of imaginative development. By focusing on the level of each student, it allows the educator to place themselves in their students' shoes and make the lesson memorable and relatable. These levels are based on age. By matching the students' generative knowledge and how they make meaning of what they learn, generative stocks of knowledge will be high.

Another variable is propositional stocks of knowledge. This will be high when the terms used in the lesson match the students’ understanding. I learned that if the vocabulary and terms used are too advanced, the students lose focus because their understanding of the topic progressively declines. This section includes vocabulary as well as all types of language used.

The next variables are internal and external curriculum coherence. I learned that internal curriculum coherence relates to how well the pieces of the curriculum fit together and support one another. This variable determines how well the learning is structured and if there are levels of support provided in the lesson to ensure success. This variable will be high if the teacher ensures the students know the background knowledge to certain topics before moving on, otherwise known as scaffolding. High external curriculum coherence relates to how well the lesson relates to the students’ lives outside of school. I learned that connecting curriculum to the student's lives allows them to understand the purpose of what they are learning and why they are learning it. Students are more motivated to be engaged in the lesson when they know it is relevant to their lives and it could be useful to them.

All of these variables will help teachers achieve the dependent variable known as a high educational energy classroom. Educational energy represents the entire lesson as a whole and how well the students understood, engaged in, and enjoyed the lesson. This is what the students take from the lessons they learn in school. This variable should be considered as an epistemic emotion. This means that emotion plays a strong role in learning which is once again supported by Dewey. I learned that because both teachers and students have feelings towards the material, if students have multiple times where they experience positive short-term feelings about school and what they learned, those short-term feelings will turn into positive long term feelings about school.

This project could have been developed further by researching more about how educational energy could be considered an epistemic emotion. This also could have been further researched by focusing on how cognitive and emotional neural systems are connected and the implications that has on learning. This topic could then develop further by supporting social emotional learning that is taught in some schools.

This research project allowed me to learn more about my career and learn ways to better myself as an aspiring teacher. I now have various techniques and methods to ensure my students are excited to learn and would want to come to class. I can use this knowledge of Dewey’s Law to measure what goes successful and what fails in my own classroom. By using Dewey’s theories of education, I can better myself as a teacher not only for myself, but for my students as well.

Effects of Online Learning for Students During COVID

 Madison Baialardo, Verrazzano Class of 2022, completed major in Mathematics and minor in Education

Becoming an educator is something I have dreamed of since I was in grade school. Due to the pandemic being an educator has become a challenging job. With students learning remotely it has been very hard for teachers to keep them engaged. As a future educator, I  can only imagine how hard it has been to keep students focused while they are at home.

There are pros and cons to remote learning that are different for each age group. Remote learning may be more of a challenge for elementary school students, but older students  may find the flexibility, time management, recording, technology, and money are all a huge part  of online learning.

I’m a very outgoing person and I did not realize that some students like online learning better. Some students do not like to interact and do group work, therefore being remote is a positive lens for these students. However, being remote is also hurting the mentality of students. Depression has increased among students since remote learning has begun.

As a college student, I felt that the flexibility, time management, and money saving aspect were  huge assets to online learning. Being remote allowed me to study longer and work more. I did not have to drive to campus, which saved time. I also managed my time better with assignments and saved money by not needing to pay for parking or gas. These pros were very helpful to many college students all across the country.

Although I feel that remote learning was a huge advantage for myself, I now realize that other students struggled. I was also able  to observe classes online so I was able to see the teacher's perspective as well. I can see many blank screens and the same students participating which I feel hurts the class. I asked the teacher what she thought of the blank screens and she replied, “I have no idea if they are paying attention. But I will continue to try to pull everyone in.”

Researching Adolescent Cognitive Development (ACD)

 Susan Albarano, Verrazzano Class of 2021, completed major in English Literature (7-12) with a minor in Psychology 

Completing the Verrazzano Capstone is NOT impossible. When I joined Verrazzano Honors in my sophomore year and learned about the requirement, I put it on the back burner until senior year. As an education major, it is a requirement to student teach in the spring semester. I realized that I would not have much time to write a research paper and teach at the same time. Panicking, I emailed Cheryl with my concerns and thankfully, she was able to calm me down. With the help of an amazing mentor, I finally completed my paper.

I took a class about Adolescent Cognitive Development as part of my major earlier in my college career. When it ended, I wanted to learn more about the topic. I contacted the professor and we worked together to complete my research and capstone.

The process of the capstone was different than I imagined. I have written many research papers, so I assumed it would be easy. However, I quickly realized how much work I would need to put into it to make it a good paper. I worked with my mentor closely and we would meet on Zoom at least once every two weeks to discuss my progress. The actual research took more time then writing the capstone. One night I sat at my kitchen table and read at least twelve different sources for at least five hours. My eyes felt like they were going to fall out, but I wanted to get it done. I have a terrible habit of rushing and try to read everything quickly because I think it will speed up the process. However, I found myself needing to re-read everything again. BIG MISTAKE!

I gained a lot of knowledge from my research. As an education major, I will be teaching adolescents. My capstone helped me gain more knowledge on how an adolescent develops and how I can better assist them in the classroom. One important takeaway that I had from completing my capstone is the ability to keep learning. Although I knew most of the information, I was able to find new material and gain more knowledge on the topic. I was able to connect it to my career and find ways that I could implement support to my students when student teaching and when I have a classroom of my own in the future.