Public concern over the mathematical incompetence of students and adults is longstanding and justified. The No Child Left Behind act has affected the nation’s teachers, their school systems, and their communities. The act required all classrooms have a “highly-qualified teacher” by June, 2006 (United States Department of Education, 2002). Thus, the purpose of this evaluative case study was to understand if the unique National Board Certification (NBC) focused Educational Specialist (EdS) program was effective in creating change in teacher practice of six high school mathematics teachers in a suburban Georgia county. The learning outcomes of the program and perceptions of self-efficacy were evaluated and used as guidelines for the effectiveness of the program. The study was grounded in theories of metacognition, social constructivism, and self-efficacy. Metacognition provided the basis for “thinking about thinking” (McApline, Weston, et al, 1999) but reflection expanded the thought process to thinking about thinking or actions. Reflections were an integral for each of the constructs of the EdS program and this dissertation. Data for the study included written teacher reflections, action research projects, and mentoring manuals; in addition to interviews three years after the program. Data were coded and analyzed through a process of constant comparison using the NVivo 7 software. The findings at each stage of analysis, which were halfway through the program, end of the program, and three years after the program, indicate the five constructs metacognition, social constructivism, self-efficacy, community of learners, and action research were common across data sets. Four of the five constructs became more prevalent at each stage of analysis with only action research peaking prior to the third stage. The patterns developed during the study indicated long-term change in teacher practice and these constructs solidified as part of their teaching philosophy.

Nesta pesquisa, embasada teoricamente em uma perspectiva crítica em Psicologia Escolar, fundamentada no pensamento marxista, visamos investigar contribuições da Psicologia Escolar para a formação inicial de professores, tendo a disciplina Psicologia da Educação como expressão de discussões relativas ao processo de escolarização, proferidas neste campo do conhecimento. Nesse sentido, indagamos: que contribuições a Psicologia Escolar oferece atualmente para a formação de professores? De que modo reflexões realizadas no campo da Psicologia Escolar, que apresentam como foco de análise o processo de escolarização, estão presentes em discussões realizadas na disciplina Psicologia da Educação? O trabalho de campo envolveu a realização de: a) entrevistas individuais com docentes de duas disciplinas de Psicologia da Educação, ministradas em cursos de Licenciatura em Pedagogia e demais Licenciaturas, oferecidas na Faculdade de Educação em uma universidade pública no Estado de São Paulo, e com os coordenadores destes cursos; b) entrevistas em grupo com estudantes de tais disciplinas; c) observação às aulas destas disciplinas, durante um semestre letivo. Foi possível identificar que as disciplinas investigadas expressam discussões realizadas ao longo do movimento crítico no campo da Psicologia Escolar, ao abordarem temas como: a) fracasso escolar com questionamento de tradicionais teorizações sobre o fracasso e explicitação de elementos sociais, políticos e institucionais que constituem o processo de escolarização; b) queixa escolar com a problematização da atribuição de suas causas a fatores centrados no indivíduo e da patologização da queixa escolar, situando-a no processo de medicalização da Educação; c) relações intersubjetivas que constituem a vida diária escolar atentando para os efeitos de condições objetivas do processo de escolarização na vida dos sujeitos, bem como do reducionismo de questões sociais ao âmbito individual, por meio do qual as dimensões social e política desse processo deixam de ser consideradas, de modo a se culpabilizar os alunos, sua família ou os professores pelos problemas de escolarização. Diante da crítica ao psicologismo na Educação subjacente ao modo como a Psicologia se insere, historicamente, na formação inicial de professores, bem como à primazia do estudo sobre o desenvolvimento humano e a aprendizagem nesta disciplina, identificados hegemonicamente como alicerce das contribuições da Psicologia da Educação para a formação docente, enfatizamos a relevância de se propiciar a discussão de questões proferidas na Psicologia Escolar que expressam o deslocamento de seu foco de análise da centralidade no indivíduo para a reflexão sobre o processo de escolarização, compreendido em sua complexidade, e as relações entre os sujeitos (históricos) que constituem a vida diária escolar. Defendemos, enfim, a proposição de que a disciplina Psicologia da Educação pode consistir em importante aliada na luta pela humanização das relações escolares e pela Educação pública de qualidade , tendo como alicerce discussões no campo da Psicologia Escolar voltadas para a explicitação do caráter ideológico de teorizações psicológicas naturalizantes e a problematização de estereótipos e preconceitos cientificamente legitimados que atravessam as relações escolares, bem como do reducionismo de questões socialmente constituídas ao âmbito individual, propiciando com que estes professores (como essenciais aliados nesta luta) busquem com isso não compactuar / This research, which was based on a critical view of School Psychology, and it was also grounded on the Marxist line of thought. We have the aim of investingating the contribution of School Psychology to early education and to the graduation of teachers, who attended School Psychology classes as an expression of related discussions in the learning process, in this field of knowledge. In this sense, we asked the following questions: What is School Psychologys contribution for teachers graduation? In what way reflections in the School Psychology field, which are the main focus of the analysis of the teaching process, are present in the discussions that take place in School Psychology classes? Our field work included: a) interviewing individuals who were attending two School Psychology classes, which is an integrating part of the teachers graduation course and other teaching courses at the Education Faculty of a public University in the State of São Paulo, together with the coordinators of these courses. B) Interviewing groups of students attending these classes; c) observing these classes during the semester. As we did so, it was possible to identify that the subject matter expresses the discussions that took place throughout the critical movement in the field of School Psychology as the following themes were discussed: a) school failure with the traditional questioning of theorization about school failure and the explanation of the social, political and institutional elements that are part of the learning process; b) educational complaints educational problems and its causes, which are centered in the individual and in the pathology of educational complaints, placing it in the education medicalization process c) inter subjective relations that contribute to school daily life paying attention to the effects of objective conditions in the learning process in the subjects life as well as the reductionism of social matters in an individual scope through which the social dimensions and politics of this process are not being considered, thus making students, their families, or the teachers accountable for educational problems. Facing the criticism of trying to psychologize education which is subjacent to the way psychology is historically inserted in the early graduation process of teachers as well as the primary importance of human development and learning in this subject, which are identified as the foundation of School Psychologys contribution for the graduation of teachers. We would like to emphasize the relevance allowing discussions in the School Psychology field that express its movement from its analysis focus in individual centrality to reflections about the teaching process, to be understood in its complexity, and the relations among individuals (their history) that contribute to school daily life. Here we defend the proposition that the School Psychology discipline can be an important allied in the fight for humanization of school relations and for quality public education, all these grounded on discussions in School Psychology with the focus on the explanation of the ideological character of naturalizing psychological theories and the problematization of stereotypes and biases which are scientifically legitimated throughout all school relations, as well as the reductionism of social questions around the individual scope, thus, making it possible for these teachers (since they are essential allies in this fight) to try not to pact

The purpose of this study is to determine the value of a master's degree in construction management in southern Idaho. A telephone and Internet survey was employed to determine the value that members of the construction industry in southern Idaho place on construction management (CM) degrees, both graduate and undergraduate. The survey included 27 self-described general contractors who are members of The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) in regions 3 and 4 in the state of Idaho. Regions three and four include Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Ketchum, Burley and surrounding communities. Following the compilation of surveys, it was found that the group of participants 1) knew there was a bachelor's degree in CM; however, some didn't realize there was a master's degree in CM; 2) felt that education is sometimes over rated; 3) perceived no difference in hiring an undergraduate v. a graduate in terms of monetary value. There was a perceived value in a master's degree itself.

Letter to So-and-So from Wherever is a collection of poems, perhaps even a “poem-cycle,” initially inspired by the epistolary poems of Richard Hugo. This dissertation is essentially the author’s second full-length poetry manuscript, and consists of more of a single “project” than the author’s first collection, which was published in 2007. These poems here are rooted in concrete imagery, metaphor, hyperbole, irony, and voice. The style is influenced in part by Beat Generation writers Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, and to some extent Charles Bukowski.

Music and Theatre have always captivated me. As a child, my parents would take me to live performances and cinematic shows and I would sit rapt, watching the theatrical events and emotional moments unfold before my eyes. Movie musicals and live shows that combined music and theatre were my favorite, especially theatrical banter and improvisation or sketch comedy. Some of my favorite youthful memories were my annual family summer trips to Las Vegas to visit my grandparents for six weeks. As a youngster, I got to experience the "old school" Las Vegas, replete with extravaganza, spectacle, cabaret, circus, lounge and nightclub acts, stand-up comedy, intimate revues, and all things marketed under the guise of entertainment, art, or both. Those summers, while not overtly planned as academic or educational in nature, proved, in retrospect, to be the training ground for what was to become my passion: the art of the cabaret genre. As a person who has always loved theatrical diversity, I am drawn to cabaret as an art form. Anything that fuses other forms interests me, and cabaret amalgamates many of the artistic forms I have grown to love. I come from a unique background of classical, jazz, musical theatre and pop styles, and have studied these styles in both the piano and vocal arena. The cabaret genre allows me to realize fully the stylistic variety of performance techniques with which I excel. My mother is a classical singer and my father a jazz pianist; during my youth they would perform at the piano, "meeting in the middle" so to speak in the world of Musical Theatre, through the fusion of cabaret, classical, jazz, and pop. Growing up hearing a song like "Summertime," from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, equally artistically rendered as both a classical aria and a jazz tune in my home was rich fodder for the vital informal education I received by being the offspring of musicians. It is due to this musical legacy that was passed on to me through my parents that I learned to explore the myriad of possibilities one can achieve through artistic musical and theatrical interpretation. Beyond the freedom of stylistic variety, cabaret performance also allows conventions such as direct interaction in the form of the proverbial "lowered fourth wall," allowing me to use my improvisational acting and interactive skill set as well as my musical skills. Cabaret is generally more intimate and personal in nature and I enjoy the camaraderie cabaret affords. Cabaret is interactive and intellectual and I am drawn to those aspects; I like the fusion of interactive banter and intellectual artistry. Also appealing to me is the "insider" sense cabaret not only allows but also encourages. Recalling my youthful memories of the Vegas shows in which the performer spoke directly to audience members, I remember the sense of belonging I felt at the recognition of some of the inside jokes. I knew I wanted to be involved with any aspect of music and theatre that would allow me the freedom to go with the moment, to reach people differently on any given day, to change with the times, and adapt to my audience and to the shifting world around me. I knew I had found a home in this intimate, insular, interactive, and intellectual art form known as cabaret. For these reasons and more I have chosen the genre of cabaret to be my intended thesis research project. I will produce, direct, and perform in a cabaret show, which will be the thesis performance. For the performance aspect of my thesis, in collaboration with my thesis partner, Josephine Leffner, I will perform a one-act chronological, historical, and stylistically varied cabaret show. The show will include material garnered from historical research of the cabaret genre, specifically settling on some of the famous women, songs, stories, lives, and important contributions. The cabaret will cover information, music, and spoken-word art from cabaret's inception in the Paris Montmartre district in 1881 to its height in Germany during the Weimar Republic. The show will culminate with cabaret's insurgence into American culture up to and including the state of American cabaret today. While my performance will focus mainly on American cabaret, a portion of the show will explore cabaret's European roots. Creating and performing this show will educate me further on the genre itself, as well as expand my performing skills through the varied styles in which I will perform within the realm of a single evening's entertainment. Creating and performing the show will also challenge me as a producer, director, promotional and administrative coordinator, music director, arranger, vocal director, collaborator, vocalist, pianist, actor, and writer. The show is intended as a kind of "Cabaret 101," in that the intended audience is treated to a night of variety entertainment with some historical background on the genre of cabaret. The audience is not expected to have any prior academic or experiential knowledge of cabaret in order to understand or enjoy the show. The cabaret intellectual will also be able to enjoy the show, as the songs, poems, skits, and sketches are intended to amuse and delight both the novice and the experienced cabaretist. For the research and analysis portion of my thesis monograph document I will provide information on cabaret's roots in France and Germany, as well as include informative research on American cabaret, its history and its current trends. I will have several chapters dedicated to the historical research and to other items such as the formatted libretto, documentation of a performance report from my thesis committee head, and a list of references used throughout the research and libretto chapters. I will include a structural and role analysis of the show itself and my contributions to it as outlined by the parameters of my graduate studies program. Several chapters of appendices will be included as information pertinent to the show such as costume, props, lighting lists as well as band and technical needs for the show itself. An introduction and conclusion will be created to bookend my document solidly and reveal myself as a person as well as a performer. This section will include reflective information on my intentions, triumphs, and tribulations, and will be codified through the opening and concluding perspectives. Through the process of writing the thesis monograph document I will create a public and personal record of the process, research, performance challenges, and decisions made throughout this journey. This document will be used as historical help to me should I need to refer to my thesis for later personal or professional use. The document will also be on record for the UCF theatre department, as I apply not only my performance training (as exhibited through the show itself) but also the research and critical thinking skills required of a masters degree candidate at a conservatory training program such as this one. Beyond its use for myself or for the department, I write this monograph document for others whose love and interest in studying the genre of cabaret match my own.

Cabaret as a genre has influenced and is influenced by musical theatre. As cabaret has evolved throughout history, musical theatre has often paralleled its journey. Cabaret thrived before the term "musical theatre" was coined and suffered hard times during the Golden Age of Musical Theatre. The correlation of the two genres cannot be denied, and exploring cabaret history will reveal how deeply the connection lies. My collaborator Debbie Tedrick and I will attempt to define cabaret through a two-woman cabaret show we will write, produce, and perform together. The show, Black Cats, Berlin, Broadway and Beyond, will be a one-act historical look at the genre of cabaret. It will include material garnered from historical research of the cabaret genre, specifically focusing on some of the famous women, songs, stories, lives, and important contributions. The cabaret show will cover information and art from cabaret's inception in the Paris Montmartre district in 1881 to its height in Germany during the Weimar Republic and will culminate with cabaret's insurgence into American culture up to, and including, the state of American cabaret today. American cabaret will be emphasized, but a portion of the show will explore American cabaret's European roots. My thesis will explore the triumphs and tribulations of putting together the show. As the culmination of my UCF studies, this project will test my abilities as a librettist, performer, creative artist, director, and collaborator. This thesis will include the actual show performances as well as a written monograph document recording the project's journey from its inception to conclusion.

Walter M. Miller, Jr.’s A Canticle for Leibowitz is a timeless story about apocalyptic cycles, conflicts and similarities between religion and science, religious ethics and secular ethics, sin and redemption, myth and preternatural innocence. Canticle is a very religious story about a monastery dedicated to preserving scientific knowledge from the time before nuclear war which devastated the world and reduced humanity to a pre-technological civilization. The Catholic Church and this monastery are portrayed as a bastion of civilization amidst barbarians and a light of faith amidst atheism. Unfortunately, humanity destroys the Earth once again, but Miller ends with two beacons of hope: a starship headed for the unknown to help humanity begin again and the preternaturally innocent Rachel who portends a future for similarly innocent human beings repopulating the Earth. Thus, faith ultimately triumphs over atheism even in the midst of almost total catastrophe.