How Has It Changed?

My project has not really changed, however you can say the research idea has expanded. When I first began the research for my thesis, I only had a general idea of what I wanted to do. As the semester went on, I decided to hone in more on my research and create a specific idea for my research. I know now I want to focus on Mental Health in New York-based schools specifically.

I see it evolving to maybe focusing on a specific grade in the school, based on curriculum already written by New York. I hope to create a lesson plan based around a specific mental health issue and be able to create awareness for students in the school. I know I still want to connect with schools in the Rochester area and be sure to work with them and know what they are already doing now for the mental health of their students.

Revision Be Like !

Research Question: 

What can the education system implement into their curriculum to educate students on mental health?

My thesis will focus primarily on New York’s Education system, and take data from Rochester based school districts. 

My research will see what resources if any, schools have in place for their students to use when it comes to their mental health. I will include focus areas on; what is required by New York State’s Board of Education when it comes to teaching about mental health, when schools implement these requirements into their curriculum and where/how they go about it, see how access to resources, funding, and location of the school affects how they tackle this problem and ways the state can improve this.

I will take data from the school district on what students think of what the school is doing by surveying classes in multiple schools about the topic of mental health and see the baseline of what they know, what the school has taught them, and if the school itself helps them in a way they feel is adequate.

The point of my research-based thesis is to find ways to improve the curriculum on mental health in secondary education based upon research in psychology, and medical-based facts.

Sources:

1. Board of Education, New York State. “Mental Health Education Literacy In Schools: LINKING TO A CONTINUUM OF WELL-BEING,” July 2018, 1–78. http://www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/programs/curriculum-instruction/educationliteracyinschoolsfinal.11.2018.pdf.

2. Reinke, Wendy M., Melissa Stormont, Keith C. Herman, Rohini Puri, and Nidhi Goel. 2011. "Supporting Children's Mental Health in Schools: Teacher Perceptions of Needs, Roles, and Barriers." School Psychology Quarterly 26 (1): 1. https://ezproxy.rit.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/862146515?accountid=108.

3. Atkins, Marc S., Kimberly E. Hoagwood, Krista Kutash, and Edward Seidman. 2010. "Toward the Integration of Education and Mental Health in Schools." Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research37 (1-2): 40-47. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10488-010-0299-7. https://ezproxy.rit.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/742995414?accountid=108.
4. Specht, Jacqueline A. 2013. "Mental Health in Schools: Lessons Learned from Exclusion." Canadian Journal of School Psychology 28 (1): 43-55. https://ezproxy.rit.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1449795363?accountid=108.

It's a Topic!

Research Question: 

How can the education system improve their programs surrounding the mental health of their students? 

Changing the stigma surrounding mental illness is a very important issue that our society is facing today. I believe it is important to start the conversation anywhere you can. 

            So, for my thesis, I will be focusing on the programs that the secondary education system, specifically in New York state, has in motion now to improve the mental health of their students. 

My research will see what resources if any, schools have in place for their students to use when it comes to their mental health. I will also focus on what is required by New York State’s Board of Education when it comes to teaching about mental health. I want to know when schools implement these requirements into their curriculum, and how they go about it. I think it’d be interesting to see if the schools do the bare minimum of what is required or if they go above and beyond. However, I think it will also be important to see how access to resources, funding, and location of the school affects how they tackle this problem and ways the state can improve this.

            I also would like to research what students think of what the school is doing by surveying classes in multiple schools about the topic of mental health and see the baseline of what they know, what the school has taught them, and if the school itself helps them in a way they feel is adequate. I do not think my research would be complete without student’s opinions who actually attend New York schools and experience what they have to offer. What they have to say about how they believe their school could improve is extremely significant to my research because the point of my work is to succor them. 
          At the end of my research, I hope to create a curriculum or public program that can be implemented in schools or other educational institutions aimed at these students that help educate on mental illness, and ways to improve how schools handle the conversation and education on mental health. 

Who...knows?

Hello all!

Picking a thesis idea has been haunting me since freshman year. Since starting my journey in the museum studies field, I could not pinpoint an area where I was die-hard interested in. This alone made me nervous when it came to thesis, because I wanted to be sure I was passionate about whatever I was writing about. Over the last four years my interests have changed and evolved, and I decided I wanted to move past the museum field after graduation and focus my professional journey in education. 

So for my thesis project, I’m going to take the public history route to focus on the education system and their relationship to mental health initiatives. I’d focus on grades 9-12 for this thesis. I do not know whether or not I want to do a project-based thesis, or solely focus on the research.

If I were to a more project-based thesis, I’d want to focus on maybe creating a curriculum / program schools could follow to help improve their mental health initiatives for their students. If I did research, I’d mostly write about what their doing and how they could improve upon it. 

Not only do I have to research about what they are doing now in schools, I also have to research a lot about psychology and mental health disorders that affect people around the world.

I know I want to at least start by surveying highschools in the area of Rochester to see what they are doing, and what they think they can improve in regards to their mental health and wellness programs they have in place

This is it!

Hello, my name is Grace Gallagher. I’m a fourth year Museum Studies major, however, I plan on going into secondary education with a focus in history after I graduate. My interests really focus in on education and history, but when it comes to museums I do enjoy learning about visitor engagement. I spent my summer as a Camp Leader in a Summer Recreation Camp aimed at pre-kindergarten students. I also currently work at before and after school programs for K-5th graders. In my free-time I like to read books in all different genres, binge Netflix, spend way too much time with my friends, and collect as many postcards as possible. 

When it comes to my experience in museums, I’ve only ever experienced them as a visitor. Recently I went to the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, experiencing the various exhibitions they had. When it comes to my visitor type in museums it is not what you expect from a museum studies major. I am one of those people that just like to walk through and learn by just looking and enjoying the space and people around me, I am definitely not one to read the labels. Eventually I hope to get an internship in a public history based setting! 

Source: TimeOut