Environmental Issues and Future Zoonotic Diseases

Christian Puccio, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Biology Health Science

Over the past 2 years, we have lived through the most devastating pandemic that humanity has witnessed in over a century since the 1918 Spanish Flu. During this time, we have seen the incredible progress and speed at which medicine is being developed and provided to the public. The COVID-19 vaccines were available to the public less than a year after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was found in the United States. The pharmaceutical companies Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna used brand new technology in using messenger RNA to elicit an immune response in their vaccines.
The achievements in medicine that occurred during the last 2 years have saved countless lives and it is nothing short of being remarkable. However, even with this progress and growth in medicine, millions of lives were still lost. This gruesome fact is what made me decide the topic of my capstone project: Preventing Future Zoonotic Diseases and Pandemics by Correcting Environmental Issues.
Currently, the emphasis in most media has been primarily on post emergence pandemic control. However, as the pandemic seems to be coming to an end, it is evident that more proactive approaches in prohibiting zoonotic diseases from emerging in the future is of utmost importance. After performing ample research, it was apparent that the environmental issues we are currently faced with are a major factor in increasing the incidence of zoonotic diseases. With the help of my mentor, Dr. Esposito, I was able to produce a 32-page research paper on how environmental issues caused by human activity, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, unplanned urbanization, deforestation, wildlife trafficking, and anthropogenic factors, were contributing to the emergence and reemergence of zoonoses.
As I look back at my college career and all the courses I have taken as a biology major, I feel my capstone project was a perfect way to culminate much of what I learned throughout college into an informative and educational presentation that could potentially be used to save lives.

 

A Look at Anti-Semitism Within Italy Before WWII

 Michael Bruno, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in History and minor in Psychology

As a student of history, the work that I completed for my capstone project has allowed me to extend my appreciation for this field. The attainment of historical knowledge is a necessary component in understanding the world that we inherit.

For me personally, my capstone project taught me to dedicate myself to the mastery of understanding such a minuscule aspect of history in regard to its limitless range of possible exploration. The area of research for my capstone focused on anti-Semitism within Italy before and during the events of the Second World War.

I have always had a liking for history since I was a child. What particularly interested me was the history behind the Second World War and how the landscape of that war truly laid out the foundations of today’s society. We were always taught that during World War II the axis powers included Italy, but this was usually the only time their involvement in the war was mentioned and it seemed as if their role in the war was left hidden in the background. I wanted to understand their involvement in this anti-Semitic sentiment that has plagued Europe for nearly two thousand years.

During my research I discovered that the Italian state had already developed anti-Semitic rhetoric within its political agenda before Nazism, which permitted Italy’s collaboration in the Holocaust. I also learned that previous waves of anti-Semitism throughout European history had permitted many Italians to be complacent with policies against their fellow Jewish neighbors.

From the standpoint of a researcher, I was burdened with the fact that there was a limited amount of Italian-Jewish primary sources that I was able to discover. My mentor Dr. Catherine Lavender directed me toward Primo Levi, an Italian Jew who had survived captivity in the notorious concentration camp, Auschwitz. It was comforting to know that although this capstone delved into the worse of human nature, beyond all of this hate is the story of perseverance and survival.

Once my work was completed I was satisfied with my conclusion that Italy should be held accountable for its crimes against humanity and its complacency towards this extreme wave of anti-Semitism.

If I was given the opportunity, I would have extended my research by further investigating the European phenomenon of anti-Semitism on a larger scale that led to the Holocaust. I could have also explored the role of the Catholic Church more closely in regard to them supporting a fascist and anti-Semitic state.

My capstone project allowed me to understand how much research and dedication is involved in creating a historical story. To those that have dedicated their lives to deciphering historical events and texts, I give you my respect and gratitude.

Trust the Process!

Christian Giaimo, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in Corporate Communications and minor in Business Marketing 

Throughout the process of orchestrating and cultivating my final capstone, “Social Media’s Effect on Sports Journalism”, I learned many things. One of the most pivotal things that I grasped was the importance of understanding a process. This process doesn’t necessarily have to be specific to the writing or research/communication process, rather it has to do with the significance of allowing yourself to build upon your ideas over time. Any substantial work needs to be constructed over time, like a complex puzzle. You must allow yourself to make mistakes and then, in turn, use them to aid in growth.

During my development and completion of my capstone, I have done just that. This comes from a place of accepting the task at hand and trusting the process. In more specific terms, this experience allowed me to deep dive into something I am extremely passionate about: sports media. I was able to gain a well-rounded in-depth understanding of the media landscape as a whole, while also focusing on how the past has led to this modern mold of sports journalism through social media.

This project could definitely be developed further if I continued to pursue this research. In theory, I can attack sports media from a larger scale and study how it compares or competes with other industries within the same medium. It would be key to grasping an even more widespread understanding of what exactly goes into the umbrella of social media as a whole.

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.

Importance of Teaching Proper Grammar in Schools

Kayla Forminio, Verrazzano Class of 2023, completed major in SLS (1-6) and minor in Psychology

When I was trying to decide on a topic for my capstone, I was very conflicted so I turned to my advisor for advice. She asked me if there was something I felt strongly about in the field of education. During this time, I was also taking an English course with Professor Rosenberg, who constantly stressed the importance of grammar as an educator. Immediately, I knew what I needed to write about. I chose to write an argumentative essay on why grammar should be taught in public schools and how the removal of it is detrimental to students’ learning.

I researched why grammar is no longer prioritized in schools and found that this stems back to 1985, when the National Councils of Teachers of English released a statement urging educators to discontinue grammar practices and to place a greater focus on language arts instead. While some schools teach grammar as part of their curriculum, some have removed it completely. I argued that grammar needs to be taught because it serves as the foundation for clear and coherent writing and successful reading comprehension.

When writing, incorrect spelling and lack of punctuation can create confusion for readers and lead them to misunderstand the work. This can be problematic when students try to apply for jobs, because if an applicant’s résumé contains grammatical errors, employers may assume that the applicant does not proofread his/her work or does not pay attention to detail.

I was shocked to find a study conducted by Career Builder in 2013, which found that employers automatically dismissed fifty-eight percent of résumés with typos, despite an applicants’ experience and qualifications.

I continued to research the impact that grammar has on reading and was pleased to find connections to my own experience as a student teacher. I learned through my research that students are first taught how to read by decoding words in phonics and then asking themselves the following three questions, “Does it look right?” “Does it sound right?” and “Does it make sense?” At the same time, my cooperating teachers were implementing these questions as a fun song into their lessons for their first graders. It was amazing to see strategies that I had researched online utilized in real life.

As I continued my research, I became aware that students turn to technology for help when writing their papers, since they were never taught proper grammar. They use autocorrect services through Microsoft Word and Google Docs, as well as free digital writing assistants, such as Grammarly, to proofread their word. Many teachers expressed concern towards this, as it does not provide students with opportunities to fix their mistakes, which prevents their learning.

This project allowed me to dive deeper into the field that I am pursuing and learn how to benefit my future students. As I discuss my project with fellow teachers, I have found that they feel the same way as me. A family member, who is also a foreign language teacher, expressed that she strongly agrees with my thesis, as she sees students struggling to learn Italian, since they have not first mastered the foundations of the English language. Therefore, if I were to further develop this project, I would research how knowledge in English grammar affects students’ abilities to learn new languages.