Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching Spanish To Beginning Spanish Students, Amy Baldini

World Languages and Cultures

During my time in college and studying abroad, I have developed a passion for languages. As a result, I plan on teaching Spanish in High School. Therefore, my senior project will involve tutoring beginning-level Cal Poly students in Spanish and evaluating the difficulties that students encounter while learning a second language. I will tutor for a minimum of 30 hours and complete a write-up which summarizes my experience. In this write up, I discuss the tutoring sessions and the different obstacles and successes I encounter. I will also discuss what tutors must consider when tutoring students. I will outline my …

A Critical Analysis Of The Identification, Placement, And Assessment Policies For Achieving Educational Parity Of Bilingual Learners, Lilia Rocio Estrada

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study analyzed the process of proper identification, placement, and assessment of Bilingual Learners (BLs) by investigating the perceptions of members in the Texas Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC). The findings focused on LPAC perceptions of their decisions to identify, place, and assess BLs as well as how these compared among members with different positions. Also, the LPAC members’ perceptions from schools that followed a dual language education program were compared to those schools that followed a transitional bilingual education program. It was found that majority of LPAC members lacked the confidence in assessing BLs, LPAC members holding higher positions …

The Effects Of Self-Monitoring On Homework Completion And Accuracy Rates Of Students With Disabilities In An Inclusive General Education Classroom, Carol Ann Falkenberg

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of self-monitoring on the homework completion and accuracy rates of four, fourth-grade students with disabilities in an inclusive general education classroom. A multiple baseline across subjects design was utilized to examine four dependent variables: completion of spelling homework, accuracy of spelling homework, completion of math homework, accuracy of math homework. Data were collected and analyzed during baseline, three phases of intervention, and maintenance. Throughout baseline and all phases, participants followed typical classroom procedures, brought their homework to school each day and gave it to the general education teacher. During Phase I of the intervention, participants …

A Protection Post-Mortem On The "Death" Of Multiculturalism In Germany, Erin Mooney

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Noticeably absent from the recent pronouncements of the “death” of multiculturalism in Germany, including Chancellor Angela Merkel’s own conclusion that the policy had “utterly failed,” has been any interest to seriously examine, let alone address, the reasons for such a failure.

The State Of Latinos And Education In Massachusetts: 2010, Billie Gastic, Melissa Colón, Andrew Flannery Aguilar

Gastón Institute Publications

Schools are critical public institutions for Latino youth in the Commonwealth, who make up 15% of the public school enrollment in the state. Sadly, despite leading the nation in student achievement, Massachusetts is still leaving its Latino students behind. This is evident from several indicators of Latino students’ academic success. School attendance is a significant concern since Latino students lose an average of more than two and a half weeks of school each year due to absences. Latino students are also frequently disciplined for behavioral is- sues at school. Latinos account for 23% of the incidents that result in disciplinary …

Navigating Tensions In The Process Of Change: An English Educator’S Dilemma Management In The Revision And Implementation Of A Diversity-Infused Methods Course, Mileidis Gort, Wendy J. Glenn

Teaching and Learning Articles and Papers

In response to growing concerns among faculty regarding the lack of attention to the bilingual student population in our pre-service teacher education program, the authors engaged in a shared self-study of the process of revising and implementing a secondary English methods course with explicit attention to the special needs of bilingual/bicultural learners. The paper describes how the second author, an English educator, with support from the first author, a mentor/colleague in bilingual education, identified and negotiated tensions and dilemmas that arose in a process of curricular transformation toward culturally and linguistically responsive teacher education practice. The study highlights several points …

A Preliminary Study On Effects Of Graphic Organizers On Reading Comprehension, Trang Phan

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study investigates whether Graphic Organizers (GOs) are effective for various groups of undergraduate students at the University of Texas-Pan American on their reading comprehension. Thirty-five research participants were classified into groups by their language background (NSE, G 1.5 and ESLLs); levels of reading proficiency (low, middle, high); and levels of graphic skills (low, middle, high). The findings are based on between- and within-group comparisons of mean scores in the pretest and the posttest taken by the students. The GO tasks scores helped to consider correlations between students’ levels of graphic skills and their reading comprehension performance. Results revealed GOs …

A Washington State Elementary Teachers’ Guide To Bilingual Education, Maria G. Garcia-Bautista

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this project was to create an elementary teacher's manual which explained the history and laws of bilingual education, first and second language development theories and approaches, bilingual education models and what research says about the various models. Proponents of English only/ Sheltered Instruction programs argue that immigrants and their descendents should assimilate to the customs and cultural norms of the United States as expeditiously as possible. Those same proponents believe that acquiring English is a prerequisite for success in education. Without a doubt English language proficiency can lead to immeasurable success. In this manual Two-Way Dual Language …

Education And Hispanics In Hypergrowth Areas: The Georgia Question In American Schooling, Robert A. Devillar, Binbin Jiang

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

No abstract provided.

Teacher, Researcher, And Agent For Community Change: A South Texas High School Experience, Francisco Guajardo

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

No abstract provided.

A Teacher’S Guide For Increased Parent Involvement In Low Socioeconomic And Highly Diverse Areas., Alyssa Katheryn Newby

All Graduate Projects

Secondary research was performed to obtain an overview of parent involvement in schools with low socioeconomic status and ethnically diverse populations. Within the project, different ethnicities' typical values and perceptions of appropriate involvement in a child's education were presented. These perceptions often contradict educators' perceptions of parent involvement, which generally takes on a white, middle class perspective. The purpose of the project is to better inform educators about the variety of ethnicities. As a result, this project addressed challenges to parent involvement and suggested possible solutions/interventions to bridge the gap between educators and families.

Chemistry Spanish Supplemental Resources For English Language Learners In A 9th Grade Bilingual Physical Science Class, Rebecca Minerva Guerrero

All Graduate Projects

Minority high school students in the state of Washington find themselves under a variety of intense pressures: the pressure to learn English quickly, the pressure to pass the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE) in order to graduate, and lastly the pressure to be an academic leader for that minority. In 2013, the state will add the science portion to the HSPE. The challenges that teachers face when working with English language learners (ELL) is having the adequate training, necessary tools, and resources needed to increase student achievement. This project is designed to provide Spanish supplemental resources for ELL students in …

Spanish Science Resources For A Kindergarten Dual Language Classroom, Carmen Lorena Yanez

All Graduate Projects

The high population of English Language Learners (ELL) in the United States has impacted the educational system. Accountability for meeting high stakes tests and state standards has been a constant pressure for many schools that have a high concentration of ELL. School districts have adopted different programs to meet the needs of ELL. These programs focus on making academic content more relevant and comprehensible so students can meet state standards. One of the programs that has proven to be successful in meeting ELL needs is dual language. However, a challenge for many dual language programs that target English and Spanish …

Impact Of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol On Students Spanish Vocabulary Development, Janelle J. Hoff

All Graduate Projects

The purpose of this research project was to determine if the use of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model would impact native Spanish speaking first grade student's Spanish vocabulary. To accomplish this purpose, a review of selected literature was accomplished. Additionally, essential data was obtained and analyzed from which related generalizations, conclusions, and recommendations were formed. Forty-one native Spanish speaking students in a bilingual Spanish classroom attending the Marlow School District participated in this study. These students were both male and female children between the ages of six and seven years old. In the treatment group the teacher instructed …

Coping Strategies Of L2 Writers During The Writing Process: Case Studies Of Non-English Dominant Students In Mainstream English Composition Courses, Petra Jakulin Baruca

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This paper sheds light on the strategies L2 students use to overcome their difficulties with writing assignments in a mainstream composition class. The findings are based on the composite of data gathered by interviews with students, teachers, students' written reflections on their writing, and surveys. The first part of the findings presents the strategies L2 students employed and the in-depth analysis of each case study reveals students’ rationale. It is concluded that L2 students are, in order to be successful, prepared to put a lot of effort in their writing assignments and that they develop a variety of strategies with …

We Must Begin To View The World Differently: Only Then Perhaps We Can Change It!, Nicos Trimikliniotis

Nicos Trimikliniotis

This is an interview with Ana Esther Ceceña, researcher/professor in geopolitics, National Autonomous University of México, Director of the Geopolitics Latinamerican Observatory, in Lisbon, Portugal. She presented her paper for the Project on Polarisation in the last 500 years led by Immanuel Wallerstein, where she examines ecology, indigenous peoples and movements in March 2010.

“We Lost Our Culture With Civilization” – A Critical Analysis Of The Internalization Of The Development Discourse Vis-À-Vis Systems Of Knowledge In Senegal, Karla Giuliano Sarr

Master's Capstone Projects

Critical analysis of the complex interplay between development ideals and local conceptualizations of knowledge forms and education methods are essential if we are to promote holistic, responsive, and culturally appropriate development efforts. Since the end of World War II, and the independence movements that greatly changed geopolitics in the 1960s and 1970s, development prevails as the dominant paradigm in current relations between countries of the North and South (Escobar, 1995; Rahnema & Bawtree, 1997). Development, intrinsically linked with neo-liberal policies and globalization (Peet, 1999), defines not only how Northerners perceive the South, but also, how Southerners perceive themselves, their ways …

Learning To Belong, Chang Yau Hoon, Lyn Parker, Raihani

Chang Yau HOON

No abstract provided.

The Interface Of Neoliberal Globalization, Science Education And Indigenous African Knowledges In Africa, Edward Shizha

Edward Shizha

In a globalized neo-colonial world, an insidious and often debilitating crisis of knowledge construction and legitimation does not only continue to undermine the local and indigenous knowledge systems, but it also perpetuates a neo-colonial and oppressive socio-cultural science educational system that debilitates the social and cultural identity of the indigenous African student. As Schissel and Wotherspoon (2003: vii) argue, "Educational relations are critical elements of our humanity and sociability." This paper explores the homogenizing effects of globalization and the oppressive forces of neo-colonialism that continue to work together to privilege "western-based scientific knowledge" at the expense of indigenous knowledge systems. …

Education In The New Latino Diaspora, Edmund T. Hamann, Linda Harklau

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

In 2002 Hamann, Wortham, and Murillo noted that many U.S. states were hosting significant and often rapidly growing Latino populations for the first time and that these changes had multiple implications for formal schooling as well as out-of-school learning processes. They speculated about whether Latinos were encountering the same, often disappointing, educational fates in communities where their presence was unprecedented as in areas with a longstanding Latino presence. Only tentative conclusions could be provided at that time since the dynamics referenced were frequently novel and in flux.

In this chapter we revisit their inquiry in light of six subsequent years …

Affirming Difference, Chang Yau Hoon

Dr Chang Yau HOON

No abstract provided.