Latin and the Student of English

ABSTRACT

This article describes the development, implementation, and systematic evaluation of a public health pedagogy course for first-time graduate student instructors in a Health Behavior doctoral program at a Midwestern School of Public Health. The pedagogy course focused on intensive pedagogical training in the first 8 weeks of a 16-week semester and then served as a forum for reflection and feedback during the second 8 weeks, when the enrolled graduate students served as either instructors of record or graduate teaching assistants for introductory health courses. Course participants (N = 7) completed anonymous pre-, mid- and post-course online surveys that assessed general teaching skills, discipline-specific teaching skills, and desire to pursue scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) activities. Participants' teaching self-efficacy increased for almost all survey items throughout the semester, particularly related to the instruction of health courses. Participants reported positive perceptions of the course and described it as essential for their teaching practice. This research study contributes to and expands upon the interdisciplinary study of the benefits of graduate level pedagogy courses and offers the first known assessment of a pedagogy course in the public health discipline.     

Intensive Interaction in the inclusive classroom: using interactive pedagogy to connect with students who are hardest to reach

This paper examines the role of Intensive Interaction in interactive pedagogy for students with severe and complex learning difficulties. It begins with an overview of the theoretical context for interactive pedagogy and then goes on to describe how one particular approach, Intensive Interaction, can, within a flexible curriculum, support sociability and communication development for pupils who are hardest to reach because they have not yet learned the fundamentals of early communication. Findings from one case study are drawn upon to illustrate the efficacy of this and to discuss how teamwork can affect optimal outcomes. The paper argues for more pupil‐centred, flexible curricula and the wider adoption of approaches such as Intensive Interaction in inclusive mainstream schools.     

Better serving the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) students in the mainstream classroom: examining the impact of an inquiry‐based hybrid professional development program

In this study, the authors examine the impact of an English as a second language (ESL) professional development offering designed to meet this challenge: the Modular Design for English Language Learners (MODELL) instruction program. The authors were part of a team of faculty that designed and developed this hybrid professional development program to support classroom teachers challenged with assessing and addressing the educational needs of limited English proficient (LEP) students. The authors theorize that observing and describing the trajectory and complexities of the professional development process might offer significant insights for teacher educators regarding ways to prepare teachers for working in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms. What was discovered through this study was that the teachers learned a lot about themselves and what they were capable of doing in the classroom; they learned that their peers struggled with similar issues and that out of this camaraderie, a solid support network could be established; and they learned that the multicultural classroom environment could be an asset to teaching and learning.     

Reclaiming literacies: competing textual practices in a digital higher education

This essay examines the implications of the ubiquitous use of the term ‘digital literacies’ in higher education and its increasing alignment with institutional and organisational imperatives. It suggests that the term has been stripped of its provenance and association with disciplinary knowledge production and textual practice. Instead it is called into service rhetorically in order to promote competency-based agendas both in and outside the academy. The piece also points to a tendency to position teachers in deficit with regard to their technological capabilities and pay scant attention to their own disciplinary and scholarly practices in a digital world. It concludes that there is a case for building on established theoretical and conceptual frameworks from literacy studies if we wish to integrate advantages of the digital landscape with thoughtful teaching practice.     

Support for Engaged Scholars: The Role of Mentoring Networks with Diverse Faculty

As internationalization initiatives on university campuses have increased in the past decade, the practice of mentoring diverse scholars has increased. In an exploratory study conducted at a doctoral/research-extensive university in the Midwest, researchers investigated the nature and functions of mentoring and the role of mentoring networks in nurturing the careers of engaged scholars in the teaching and human service professions. The twelve participants in the study self-identified as engaged scholars who (a) have been mentored within a mentoring network throughout their professional careers, and (b) are currently involved in mentoring diverse engaged scholars within mentoring networks. The study findings suggest the benefits of mentoring networks for diverse, engaged scholars and outline the nature of effective mentoring.     

Theory of mind,attention, and executive function in kindergarten boys

The present study explored the relationship between theory of mind (ToM), attention, and executive function in 66 kindergarten boys drawn from four rural school districts. Three stories designed to test understanding of first and second order mental states were administered. Executive function and attention were assessed, respectively, by scores on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and the Behavior Assessment Scales for Children, Second Edition (BASC‐2). Analyses indicated that children identified by teachers as evidencing attention difficulties scored lower on false belief measures and were more likely to be identified as exhibiting behavioral difficulties associated with executive dysfunction than children identified as evidencing fewer attention difficulties. Attention and executive function were predictive of total ToM scores.     

Re´sume´ in Motion: Sensory self-awareness through movement

This small-scale, qualitative study explores the nature of sex and relationship education (SRE) in two primary schools in England. It investigates the similarities and differences in relation to the pedagogical approach and curriculum content of the SRE programmes from the perspectives of teachers and pupils. An illuminative evaluation methodology was used to investigate the cultural, social, historical and political contexts of those participating in the programme within the two schools. The main findings indicate that there were indeed similarities and differences in the provision of SRE: whilst the pupils involved showed an understanding of sex within a loving relationship, further findings suggest that some teachers were concerned about parental views of SRE content and this affected the scope of provision. A key concept of ‘bravery’ was identified as a highly compelling factor for teachers to create a context of and conditions for creativity in their approach to SRE with a view to capitalising on the inquisitive behaviour of the children. This highlights that effective SRE requires a bold pedagogical approach to curriculum design and content.     

A Research Approach to Information Technology Development in Initial Teacher Education

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the main ideas arising from the preliminary research and development work carried out by the Initial Teacher Education and New Technology project (INTENT) in the United Kingdom (UK). The opening two sections provide a rationale for integrating research with development in this field and describe the project's structure and aims (see also INTENT, 1992). The main body of the paper explores a number of issues including: possible management structures for supporting information technology development; strategies for leading the professional development of colleagues; and the resource implications of a project such as INTENT. The final section explores some questions of broader concern, such as: the possibility of teaching transferable skills for approaching technology; the need to take account of the diversities of ‘culture’ which exist in initial teacher education institutions; and the dilemma posed by the importance of subjecting information technology to critical appraisal while working within a national framework of mandatory criteria for initial teachers’ information technology competence.