Technology, math, and the early learner: Models for learning

As today’s preschoolers become the school-age children of tomorrow, early learning educators are faced with a unique and exciting challenge of integrating technology into mathematics instruction. This article examines theory, standards, guidelines, and rationale that supports technology in the preschool environment. Examining practices at 12 diverse preschool sites, four designs emerge as the “typical” models that enable early learners to engage and experience technology within a developmentally appropriate learning environment. The designs outlined are viewed through the lens of preschool mathematics instruction and provide early learning educators as well as parents with models for replication.     

Language and culture learning in higher education via telecollaboration

This article focuses on the ways of researching the process of designing, developing, and using telecollaboration (also known as online intercultural exchange) to facilitate the learning of both linguistic and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in higher education courses in different educational contexts in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Although telecollaboration would intuitively seem to be an ideal medium for learning another language and about another culture, extensive research has shown that this learning process takes years and faces many challenges. This paper situates the research on language and culture learning within the broader scope of language and intercultural education (see Pedagogies, 8(2), for a report of an interview with Michael Byram, one of the originators of the concept of ICC). A multinational example of the integration of telecollaborative networks in European university language classes collaborating online, the INTENT project, is described. In addition, a telling case, the Cultura model, implemented in the United States, Europe, and Asia, demonstrates a successful approach (with accompanying research) to telecollaboration for language and culture learning. However, there are also invisible factors and unanticipated challenges that teachers and learners need to understand in order to benefit from these telecollaborative environments; these are examined at the end of the article.     

Discovering ethnic root behavior patterns: Towards an applied Canadian ethnic studies

This paper reports a method used with six groups of either students or community professionals, since 1977, to experiment with inductive ways of identifying “ethnic root” behavior patterns. Such patterns are hypothesized to develop beyond the immigrant generation as ethno-culturat patterns and are passed on in the context of socialization. An acculturative framework is proposed to denote benchmarks in the cultural accomodation of individuals and families, through several generations. Along with this framework, the evolution of an ethnic behavior pattern is graphically depicted.A method is developed to identify the pattern beyond the level of conscious remembrance; (it is assumed that adult immigrants will remember the patterns from the country of origin). Although the method is interesting as an avenue of investigation in its own right, it was developed primarily as a conceptual tool to assist community professionals to understand ethnic-related material in their daily work. Three uses of the framework are outlined. First, it draws attention, in the counselling situation, to the level of integration into Canadian society that the client displays. Second, by getting in touch with the personal ethnic pattern that they own, the practitioner him/herself begins to understand the nature of ethno-culture, and thereby appreciate the presence of it in others. Third, the method permits the practitioner to identify personal values of an ethno-cultural sort that can interfere with practice.     

A Component Analysis of Metacognition in Reading Comprehension: The Contributions of Awareness and Self‐Regulation

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative effects of awareness of purpose and self‐regulated strategies in metacomprehension training. Thirty‐six students identified as having reading difficulties were either trained to cue themselves to the purpose of reading (awareness of purpose alone) or to employ an underlining strategy (awareness of purpose and a self‐regulated strategy) to enhance reading comprehension. Training was conducted during four, 30‐minute training sessions with follow‐up probes taken 7 to 10 days later. Students trained to underline key words and phrases as they read a passage answered more comprehension questions on an acquisition probe and recalled more propositions on acquisition and generalization probes. Although cueing students to the purpose of reading was beneficial, the combination of awareness of purpose and employment of a self‐regulated strategy generated better comprehension performance.     

Caring Behavior in Children of Clinically Depressed and Well Mothers

Young children's sensitivity and responsiveness to mothers' needs were investigated under conditions of high and low parenting risk (depressed and nondepressed mothers, SADS-L). Child characteristics of gender, affect, and impulse control problems and the mother-child attachment relationship were examined as they related to children's caring actions. Children's caring behavior was observed in an experimental situation in which their mothers simulated sadness and in a naturalistic setting. Attachment alone and child's problems alone were not predictors, and maternal diagnosis alone was not a strong predictor. Girls were significantly more caring than boys. Severe maternal depression was necessary to bring out high levels of responding in boys. Highest frequencies of caring were from children with severely depressed mothers, problems of affect regulation, and secure attachment. The importance of recognizing interacting influences and diverse underlying processes in the development of children's caring behavior is discussed.     

Social support,academic adversity and academic buoyancy: a person-centred analysis and implications for academic outcomes

The present study employed person-centred analyses that enabled identification of groups of students separated on the basis of their perceptions of social support (home and community), academic support, academic adversity and academic buoyancy. Among a sample of 249 young people, including many from high-needs communities, cluster analysis revealed three distinct groups of students: the thriver, supported struggler and at-risk struggler. We compared the three groups on their academic motivation. Analyses revealed significant differences between groups in adaptive motivation outcomes, but no differences in impeding or maladaptive motivation outcomes. Combined, the results speak to the importance of support and academic buoyancy for positive student outcomes.