Graphing as a Means to Improve Middle School Science Learning and Mathematics-Related Affective Domains

Research in Science Education - This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Mathematics Infusion into Science Project (MiSP), which integrated science and mathematics in an engaging middle school...     

Connecting the Classroom and the Community: Exploring the Collective Impact of One District–Community Partnership

This study explored how one district–community partnership, comprised of seven nonprofit community partners that serve five elementary schools in a single urban school district, improved community literacy. This collective case study used semi-structured interviews to investigate the perspectives of 17 partners and analyzed student assessment data. Results revealed greatest benefits for first grade students and a need for consistent district leadership. This research is viewed through Hanleybrown, Kania, and Kramer’s (2012) collective impact framework.     

In practice: Ball State University's faculty mentorship program: Enhancing the first‐year experience for students with disabilities

Students with disabilities at Ball State University have a unique mentorship opportunity—those who take advantage of it gain considerable benefits.     

Culture and early social interactions. The example of mother-infant object play in African and native French Families

Data from cross-cultural studies on parental behaviour during early social interaction suggest that structural and universal features should be differentiated from culturally specific ones. No direct relations can be assumed to exist between specific forms of child rearing and development of skills in the child. However child rearing practices can have long term effects and affect social behaviours. As an illustration, we compare interactive styles of 40 French and African mothers living in Paris in an object play situation, with their 10 and 15 month-olds. French mothers’ interactions with their children are illustrative of tight connections between verbal and non-verbal behaviour. Action is the basis or anchor point for verbal exchange; and this repetition or verbal redundnacy yields discourse-on-actions which to a certain extent distances the action and allows for a generalization process to take place. In contrast, African mothers’ interactions with their infants present less verbal scaffolding of non-verbal behaviour. This type of interaction allows for a greater «disjunction» or separation of non-verbal and verbal communication. African cultures do not assign the spoken word with the educational function of structuring and planning activities. However, the models generated by the school system correspond to other types of obligations which are strongly affected by temporal perspectives.     

Why Diversity Matters in Rural America: Women Faculty of Color Challenging Whiteness

Using critical race theory as an analytical framework to examine White privilege and institutional racism, two teacher educators, in a rural predominantly White university tell counterstories about teaching for social justice in literacy and mathematics education courses. In sharing our counterstories in this paper, we, women faculty of color, challenge Whiteness and institutional racism with the hopes of: (1) promoting social justice teaching in order to globally prepare (pre-and-in-service) teachers and educational leaders to motivate and empower ALL students to learn; (2) dismantling racism to promote better wellbeing for women faculty of color; and (3) moving educational communities at large closer toward equitable education, which is a fundamental civil right. After analyzing the counterstories, we suggest that university leaders establish policies and practices to support (recruit, retain, and promote) faculty/leaders of color, not just mainstream academics. Working toward equity and justice, we strive to form alliances between Whites and Others.     

Covert and overt forms of maltreatment in the preschools

This paper examines the preschool environment, finding within it forms and patterns of maltreatment. The preschool is defined as an educational facility for children 2$\text{1}\text{2}$ to 5 years. Described are the major models of preschools, public and private, conservatively estimated at 50.000 in the United States. The study is based on data from observations by the author of 60–70 preschools in the New York City metropolitan area, 1976–1981. This five-year period witnessed a substantial increase in the preschool movement. Explored are factors related to this increase, one significant factor being the idea that early childhood education can never be too early. Demand for early academic competence in young children when combined with longer time periods spent in preschools creates difficulties for children Societal pressure upon preschool teachers to produce cognitively and emotionally competent young children while assuring their health and safety needs leads to outcomes which are cause for concern. Covert forms of maltreatment lie predominantly in staff (directors, teachers, assistants) attitudes toward young children. These include: insistence that children learn to be independent while reinforcing dependent behavior: overemphasis on the acquisition of academic skills, irrespective of age; excessive reliance on packaged “educational” materials; non-use of materials that have intrinsic interest for children; lack of enthusiasm for working with young children; rigid adherence to routine for convenience; dislike of particular children. Overt forms of maltreatment to gain compliance or obedience from young children range from direct verbal attack (insult, sarcasm, ridicule, threats, name calling, humiliation) through emotional abuse (withholding of affection or compassion) to clear physical coercion (pulling, pushing, shoving, yanking, expulsion from class, isolation in class). Such patterns are not limited to a particular model but can occur in each preschool category. Their significance suggests that caring for and educating young children in group settings may not be the panacea society wants it to be. Special preparation for early childhood educators with well supervised internships is certainly a forward step, among many others, which are cooperatively needed at this juncture to improve the preschool environment for all children.     

Optimizing Word Learning via Links to Perceptual and Motoric Experience

The aim of this review is to consider how current vocabulary training methods could be optimized by considering recent scientific insights in how the brain represents conceptual knowledge. We outline the findings from several methods of vocabulary training. In each case, we consider how taking an embodied cognition perspective could impact word learning. The evidence we review suggests that vocabulary training methods can be optimized by making a congruent link between the words to learn and one’s own perceptual and motoric experiences. In particular, we suggest that motoric information about the meaning of a word could be incorporated into more standard vocabulary training methods. Finally, we consider the impact an embodied cognitive perspective may have on other characteristics of word learning, such as individual differences in learning and variations in learning different types of words, for example words from different word classes and words in different contexts.     

Generalization of the CS- preexposure effect transfers to taste- aversion learning

Rats repeatedly exposed to a maple, vanilla, banana, or water solution were subsequently poisoned with lithium chloride after drinking the maple solution. Subjects preexposed to water showed the strongest aversions to maple, followed, in descending order, by rats preexposed to banana, vanilla, and maple. These results suggest that the effects of prepoisoning experience with a novel flavor generalized to the maple CS and interfered with the development of the maple aversion. The technique reported here is potentially applicable to study of gustatory discrimination processes.     

Archaeology in the classroom: An intra-university continuing education workshop for K-12 teachers

In this article the authors describe an innovative program in continuing education for teachers at the University of Georgia. The program, developed by the Museum of Natural History, the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, and the Department of Anthropology within the university and an independent research institute, offered teachers an opportunity to do archaeological field work as they learned about new discoveries in archaeology and Native American history and culture. The workshop design incorporated principles of adult and experiential learning. With the help of the workshop leaders, teachers developed their own materials for presenting integrated thematic units in their classrooms. Teachers responded enthusiastically to the workshops in a two-stage evaluation process. The authors conclude that intrauniversity cooperation is necessary if teachers are to benefit from all the resources of the university.Jacqueline J. Saindon obtained her M.A. in Anthropology at Hunter College, CUNY. She is Associate Director of the Multicultural Population and Resources Project at Georgia State University. Her special area of interest is in developing continuing education workshops and curriculum for teachers on anthropology, archaeology and ecology. Carol M. Downs obtained her M.A. and Ed.D. in Adult Education, and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, at the University of Georgia. She is Program Director of the Office of Continuing Education and Public Service at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her special area of interest includes continuing education in the arts, humanities, education and historic preservation.