Attitudes of Alaskan distance education students toward media and instruction

Abstract

This article reports the results of a study to assess the attitudes of distance higher education students in various units of the College of Rural Alaska, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Emphasis was given to media preferences, the convenience of various media, and overall attitudes toward distance instruction. Results of a mail survey indicated acceptance of a wide variety of media as well as strong general support for distance instruction. Additionally, a large majority of respondents rated distance instruction as equal to or better than face‐to‐face instruction.     

Preparing teachers for multicultural classrooms

This article examines issues involved in teaching culturally diverse students and questions current practice in multicultural teacher education. An alternative approach to preparing teachers for multicultural classrooms, illustrated by the Teachers for Alaska program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, focuses prospective teachers on (a) attending to multicultural classroom and community contexts, (b) designing instruction to make connections between academic subject matter and diverse students' backgrounds, and (c) learning how to learn from students, communities, and practical experience. The authors argue that radical departures from traditional teacher education are possible and that breaks from standard practice are both desirable and effective in preparing teachers for multicultural classrooms.     

Speaking Personally—With Ken Udas

Abstract

The context of rural Alaska provides many challenges for the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in the delivery of education via distance technologies. Audioconference courses have been and continue to be the backbone of the University's distance delivery system. This paper discusses the potential of a FirstClass^® Server using telecommunications, e‐mail, student‐to‐student interaction, submission of assignments, timely instructor feedback, and the transfer of files and multimedia documents in an asynchronous manner. Survey data were collected from students who received instruction using this system, as well as the traditional audioconference delivery method. Analysis of the data indicated some positive aspects of the FirstClass system that enhance the distance‐delivered instruction.     

ABC “Survival Plan” for teachers and working parents

Parents often find life to be demanding and exhausting as they attempt to run a home and meet the diverse needs of others (family members, employers, co-workers, neighbors, and friends)! Providing support to these families is an important role for all early childhood teachers. Share understanding support, and a smile with your parents; share the ABC Survival Plan!Jo Kuykendall is Visiting Assistant Professor of Early Childhood at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She has directed early childhood programs for 15 years and conducted research about the preparation of early childhood program directors.     

论大学英语中的词汇教学

词汇是影响英语水平提高的一个重要因素,不具备一定的词汇量,听说读写译各项技能都无法发展。词汇教学一直是大学英语教学中的重点和难点,为找到最佳的词汇讲授方式,老师们已进行了大量的探讨。本文是在《新编大学英语》教程对词汇处理方式的启发下,结合Stahl & Fairbanks两位语言学家的词汇教学理论,分析了词汇教学的制约因素和它们在实际教学中的可行性,提出了五种词汇教学方式。     

How might Native science inform “informal science learning”?

This article examines the literature on Native science in order to address the presumed binaries between formal and informal science learning and between Western and Native science. We situate this discussion within a larger discussion of culturally responsive schooling for Indigenous youth and the importance of Indigenous epistemologies and contextualized knowledges within Indigenous communities.

Enhancing cancer education through the arts: building connections with Alaska Native people,cultures and communities

Building upon the dynamic traditions of Alaska Native people, which include the arts as a viable way of knowing, the expressive arts were woven into a five-day cancer education course for Alaska village-based Community Health Workers (CHWs). Cancer is the leading cause of mortality for Alaska Native people. Course learning modalities included moving, drawing, sculpting and storytelling. A total of six cancer education courses were provided for 57 CHWs. During extended-interval post-course interviews, CHWs described the arts as a culturally traditional way of knowing and talked about how the arts expanded their perspectives, sparked creativity and imagination, freed/transformed emotions, made learning more memorable/more meaningful, infused learning with laughter, created community and broke the silence that often surrounds the topic of cancer in Alaska rural communities. The expressive arts empowered adult learners to explore new dimensions of knowledge, create deeper understandings and expand their perceptions of possibilities.     

杰克·伦敦北方小说中的“北方准则”

阿拉斯加之旅是杰克·伦敦生命中很重要的一件事。在以此为背景创作的北方小说中,北方准则既是一套理想的行为和道德准则,也是强调适者生存的审美价值体系,既具有特定的内涵,也具有更宽泛的意义。     

奠基在金矿上的城市--淘金热与阿拉斯加城市的兴起

淘金热是阿拉斯加 (Alaska)城市兴起的最主要的原因。第一批欧洲人到达阿拉斯加前 ,此地的原住民仍然处于原始社会阶段。 1 741年 ,俄国人来到了这片土地。他们建立起星星点点的狩猎站和贸易站。 1 867年 ,美国从俄国手中购买了阿拉斯加。随后的几年间 ,这里并没有出现多少变化。不过 ,淘金热给阿拉斯加的命运带来了转机。 1 880年人们在朱诺(Juneau)发现了黄金 ,从而揭开了淘金热的序幕。分布广、产量大的金矿给这里带来了勃勃生机。城市在一夜之间兴起了。总之 ,淘金热点燃了阿拉斯加现代文明的火种。     

Joining two social institutions to counter rural Alaskan child abuse

Change in social customs and institutions is usually a slow process. This seems particularly true in attitudes about child abuse. Two key elements for change are being utilized for child protection in a rural area of Alaska with a predominantly Caucasian population. First, application of an old church custom of "constructive gossip" by volunteers is changing this rural community attitude about children. Second, use of an innovative federal government health care delivery program has established this community's first obstetric and pediatric service. With the oil boom in Alaska, widespread family disruption with frequent child abuse and neglect has become commonplace. Despite the oil tax wealth, State of Alaska Child Protection Services are strained to keep up with family and community violence. Deliberate cooperation with local community, church and service organization leaders is helping keep up with child protection needs. The obstetric and pediatric specialists of the National Health Service Corps non-profit practice were co-leaders, along with community leaders, in starting a lay volunteer service called "Friends of Families." Working cooperatively with the state child protection office, 24 families have received assistance from parent aides of Friends of Families. The influence of these two key elements of change on rural community attitudes and institutions are described.     

The effect of Alaska's home visitation program for high-risk families on trends in abuse and neglect

OBJECTIVES: At 6 sites serving 21 communities, Alaska implemented Healthy Families Alaska, a home visitation program using paraprofessionals designed to decrease child abuse and neglect. The primary study objective was to compare changes over time in Child Protective Services outcomes by Healthy Families Alaska enrollment status. METHODS: Enrollment status was linked to birth certificates for birth years 1996-2002 which in turn was linked to the Alaska Child Protective Services database for outcome years 1996-2004. All children were followed through the study databases until age 2 years. RESULTS: There were 40,099 children born during 1996-2002 to residents of Healthy Families Alaska communities and 985 were enrolled in the program. Physical abuse referrals among enrolled children decreased from 73 to 42 per 1000 child-years of follow-up from 1996-1998 to 2000-2002 (p=.005); all of this decrease occurred among children who received 20 or more home visitations. This decrease may have been unrelated to program impact as a similar decrease in referral was seen among unenrolled high-risk children. Compared to unenrolled high-risk children, enrolled children had a modest decrease in the proportion with substantiated neglect but no difference in the proportion with neglect referral or physical abuse referral or substantiation. CONCLUSIONS: Little evidence exists that Alaska's home visitation program had a measurable impact on child maltreatment outcomes. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Within Alaskan communities that had a home visitation program targeting families at high risk for child abuse, changes in Child Protective Services outcomes among children less than 2 years of age were followed over time by program enrollment status. Enrollment was associated with a substantial decrease in physical abuse referrals, but a similar decrease was seen among unenrolled high-risk children. No improvement was seen in physical abuse substantiation. A greater number of home visitations was not associated with fewer abuse outcomes. This work supports most of the recent literature, which questions the field effectiveness of home visitation programs. In combination with other studies, the current work may lead decision-makers and funding agencies to re-examine the usefulness of home visitation programs, particularly those using a methodology similar to that implemented in Alaska.     

20世纪80年代以来美国少数民族高等教育发展实证分析

美国是多民族、多种族的移民国家,美国少数民族主要包括黑人、拉美裔人、亚太裔入、印第安人／阿拉斯加土著人。美国教育统计数据显示：20世纪80年代以来,美国少数民族高等教育的发展主要是拉美裔人和亚太裔人等移民少数民族高等教育的发展。尽管黑人和印第安人／阿拉斯加土著人等美国少数民族高等教育也得到了一定发展,但无论是从入学率、学业完成率,还是从学位获得及教师队伍等方面来看,他们在高等教育领域并没有真正取得均等的竞争能力和教育机会。     

Cross-Cultural Field Experiences in Alaska Native Villages: Implications for Culturally Responsive Teacher Education

The purpose of this article was to examine a cross-cultural field experience initiative that placed preservice teacher candidates in Alaska Native Village schools. The qualitative study explored 53 candidates' experiences and perceptions of schooling to construct a portrait of the sociocultural context of education in Alaska Native Villages and consider implications for designing a culturally responsive teacher education program. Findings revealed two major themes: (1) schools were spaces for teaching Alaska Native cultural traditions and languages and (2) schools were sites of separation where many White teachers were separated from the communities, applied a deficit orientation to student learning, and implemented curriculum disconnected from the local culture. Based on these findings, three key components for designing a culturally responsive teacher education curriculum were identified: (1) culturally responsive conceptual framework, (2) critical sociocultural consciousness, and (3) engagement with culturally relevant epistemology and knowledge.     

Trajectories of child protective services contact among Alaska Native/American Indian and non-Native children

BackgroundContact with child protective services (CPS) functions as an independent marker of child vulnerability. Alaska children are an important population for understanding patterns of CPS contact given high rates of contact overall and among specific demographic groups.ObjectiveWe aimed to identify longitudinal trajectory classes of CPS contact among Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI) and non-Native children and examine preconception and prenatal risk factors associated with identified classes.Participants and settingWe used data from the Alaska Longitudinal Child Abuse and Neglect Linkage (ALCANLink) project, a linkage of 2009–2011 Alaska Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) births with administrative data including CPS records.MethodsWe conducted growth mixture modeling to identify trajectory classes of CPS contact from birth to age five years. We used Vermunt’s three-step approach to examine associations with preconception and prenatal risk factors.ResultsAmong AN/AI children, we identified three classes: 1) no/low CPS contact (75.4%); 2) continuous CPS contact (19.6%), and 3) early, decreasing CPS contact (5.0%). Among non-Native children, we identified four classes: 1) no CPS contact (81.3%); 2) low, increasing CPS contact (9.5%); 3) early, rapid decline CPS contact (5.8%); and 4) high, decreasing CPS contact (3.3%). Maternal substance use had the largest impact on probabilities of class membership, increasing the probability of membership in classes characterized by CPS contact, among both AN/AI and non-Native children.ConclusionsResults reveal heterogeneity in longitudinal patterns CPS contact across early childhood among Alaska children and identify maternal substance use as an important target for primary prevention.     

Using time-to-event analysis to identify preconception and prenatal predictors of child protective services contact

We examined preconception and prenatal predictors of time to first child protective services (CPS) contact among Alaska children. Data were from the Alaska Longitudinal Child Abuse and Neglect Linkage (ALCANLink) project, a population-representative data source linking 2009–2011 Alaska Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data with administrative data sources through 2015. We examined the incidence CPS contact using the Kaplan-Meier method and predictors of CPS contact using Cox proportional hazards regression. Using data from the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend and Child Death Review, we censored children who emigrated out-of-state or died during the study period. Significant predictors included low socioeconomic status (HR = 2.23, 95% CI 1.68, 2.96), maternal smoking during pregnancy (HR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.55, 2.24), unmarried maternal marital status (HR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.31, 1.99), urban residence (HR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.32, 1.92), lower maternal education (HR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.24, 1.92), maternal experience of intimate partner violence in the 12 months before childbirth(HR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.01, 1.74), Alaska Native/American Indian race (HR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.15, 1.71), a greater number of living children (HR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.13, 1.29), a greater number of stressful life eventsin the 12 months before childbirth (HR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.11, 1.21), and younger maternal age at childbirth (HR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.93, 0.97). Use of multiple linked data sources and time-to-event analysis methods adds to the growing literature regarding predictors of CPS contact. Results suggest that assessing for and addressing clinical, social, and environmental indicators during the prenatal period may aid prevention efforts in mitigating family need for involvement with CPS.     

图腾的告白

Inside the Alaska Indian Arts center in Haines,Alaska,thesmell of cedar hangs heaw in the air.Clunks,whacks,and scraping noises punctuate the redolence.Cedarchips litter the floor.Here,in the rain-forest environ-ment of the Tongass National Forest.where more than 140inches of precipitation fall each year,choice red cedar treesgrow.They make the best totem poles."The wood from Yellow cedar tends to crack when it'sdrying,"says Lee Heinmiller,the center's director.“Red cedargives while it's drying."The nonprofit center.devoted to the preservation of tra-ditional crafts and culture of the northwest-coast native tribes,houses a handful of artists who make authentic totem polesand other Alaskan crafts,such as masks,jewelry,and canoes.The center features an apprentice program and workshops onthe art of the northwest coast.While a couple of visitors watch,Mr.Heinmiller workson a totem pole commissioned by actor James Earl Jones.     

A Model for Recruiting and Retaining Teachers in Alaska's Rural K–12 Schools

The Alaska Statewide Mentor Project (ASMP) is a joint effort of the University of Alaska and the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development to address the persistently low teacher retention rates in the state, especially in rural districts that predominantly serve Alaska Native (AN) students. Over six years, teacher retention in rural districts, measured from year to year, has increased from an average of 67% to an average of 77% among new teachers who receive ASMP mentoring (Adams & Jordan, 2012). We conducted a midcareer teacher study to determine whether ASMP also affects long-term retention and, if so, to identify contributing factors. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, we first calculated longitudinal retention rates and then interviewed midcareer teachers to identify factors supporting teacher efficacy connected to teacher retention. Interview data were coded using a framework from community psychology that employs a strengths-based perspective grounded, in this case, by the orienting concepts of “stress” and “coping.” The data produced a model of strengths contributing to teacher efficacy related to typical stressors in Alaska's public K–12 schools, a model that includes factors specific to teacher background, professionalism, socializing in the community, and being student-focused. In this paper, we compare and contrast these results to findings by others in northern rural remote areas in order to present practical implications for teacher recruitment, professional development, mentoring and support, and school environment.     

Patterns of Risk and Protective Factors Among Alaska Children: Association With Maternal and Child Well-Being

This study used population-representative data to examine associations of risk and protective factor patterns among Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI; N = 592) and non-Native (N = 1,018) children with maternal and child outcomes at age 3 years. Among AN/AI children, a high risk/moderate protection class was associated with child developmental risk and mothers being less likely to feel comfortable asking for help or knowing where to go for parenting information compared to a low socioeconomic status/high protection class. Among non-Native children, a moderate risk/high protection class was associated with child developmental risk and mothers being less likely to feel comfortable asking for help compared to a low risk/high protection class. Results provide insight on the intersection of risk and protective factors among Alaska families.     

Greetings from the Editor

The eight early childhood educators who participated in this study were admitted into a 60-credit statewide distance-delivered Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree program at the University of Alaska. All eight educators were women of Alaska Native ancestry who lived and worked in remote and rural Native communities. Seven of these teachers were employed by Head Start programs and one taught preschool for a rural school district. A major goal of the statewide distance-delivered AAS program is that participants will become skilled observers of children and learn to use observation to make decisions that foster developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive services. All the course work in our AAS degree program involves actively doing and using observations of children. This study is based on a principle that intrinsic changes can occur in program management, curriculum development, and teacher practice when teachers learn how to use observation of children rather than external evaluation to make decisions about their programs.     

“Wearing a mask” vs. connecting identity with learning

Contemporary insights regarding identity emphasize its situated, negotiated nature (i.e., identity is shaped by – and shapes in response – the contexts in which it is formed;  and ) Recent work also suggests that this identity/context intersection holds powerful implications regarding engagement in learning (Brophy, 2008). This pair of qualitative studies drew from contemporary models connecting learning with identity (Study 1: cultural modeling, Lee, 2007 and third-space/hybrid-identities, Gutiérrez, 2008; Study 2: Kids’ business inquiry projects, Fairbanks, 2000) to explore the nature and impact of such connections among disaffected ninth-grade English students at a high-needs school. Results demonstrate evidence of: (1) a significant connection between identity and learning; (2) students’ negotiation of engaged patterns of participation; (3) the relevance of student voice to this process; and (4) the impact of connections between identity and learning on students’ participation in, and affective response to, learning.