Digital Commons Network^™

Teaching For Social Justice In Middle Grades Mathematics: Lessons From A Field Instructor/Preservice Teacher Partnership, Kelsey L. Benson, Ashley Conlon

Middle Grades Review

This paper discusses the implementation of social justice lessons in middle grades mathematics by a preservice teacher enrolled in a social justice-oriented teacher education program during her practicum placements in 7^th and 8^th grade classrooms in a rural county in the southeastern United States. We begin with an overview of relevant literature on the importance of teaching for social justice in mathematics, particularly with/for young adolescents. Next we describe the social justice Math lessons Ashley designed and taught. We conclude with implications for both teachers and teacher education programs undertaking justice-oriented work in divisive and hostile political contexts.

Developing Proportional Reasoning Via Lego Robotics: Experiences Of A 7th Grade Mathematics Class, Shelli L. Casler-Failing, Leah C. Swann

Middle Grades Review

A qualitatively oriented mixed methods case study was conducted to investigate the effects of incorporating LEGO robotics into a seventh-grade mathematics curriculum. Using the lenses of Social Constructivist Theory and the Five Stages of Technology Integration, this research focused on the development of proportional reasoning skills. The data show students experienced success in developing their proportional reasoning skills as they completed tasks using the robotics. The quantitative data shows evidence of growth in understanding and development of proportional reasoning. The qualitative analysis provides evidence that students developed their understanding through collaborative discussions as they worked through the different technology stages. …

Engaged Pedagogies In The Middle Grades: A Case Study Of Justice-Oriented Teachers In Covid Times, Hilary E. Hughes, Rachel Ranschaert, Kelsey L. Benson

Middle Grades Review

Much of the extant literature regarding middle grades teachers centers on interventions to improve the quality or effectiveness of their teaching: studies that identify a particular instructional strategy, curricular support, or disposition, and conclude with recommendations that teachers improve their practice by adopting said thing. In contrast, the qualitative case study we present here contributes to the rising tide of research illustrating the powerful, transformative work that middle grades teachers oriented toward justice and equity are already doing in the classroom. Specifically, we draw on eight months of data to illuminate how teachers in a Title I middle school located …

A Shared Vision? Exploring The Perceptions Of Principals And Teachers Regarding The Middle School Concept, Shawn A. Faulkner, Chris Cook, Ryan Alverson, Mike Dicicco

Middle Grades Review

From decades of recommendations, middle school advocates have recommended various organizational structures and instructional practices to meet the specific educational needs of young adolescents. Several notable national studies have sought to assess and report the status of implementation of these recommended practices, though largely from the perspective of the building principal. The purpose of this study was to examine both teachers’ and principals’ perceptions concerning the middle school concept. Based on responses of over 1,600 teachers and principals from all 50 states, findings indicate support for components of the middle school concept related to curriculum and instruction as well as …

A Distributed Leadership Perspective For Critical Consciousness In Middle Grades, Kenneth M. Bond, Daniel P. Tulino

Middle Grades Review

In middle-grades settings, students are cultivating critical consciousness to apply general knowledge of equity to their local context(s) (Nojan, 2020). As educators work to foster environments that allow middle-grade students to cultivate critical consciousness, expectations have shifted in the area of leading for equity. We have outlined a leadership framework we believe will advance the collective critical consciousness with examples for middle-grade contexts. Our focus is working toward equitable outcomes through one’s sociopolitical development and creating ways to further the collective critical consciousness of the entire school community through a distributed leadership perspective. Through this lens, our hope is to …

“Always A Place To Start” In Middle Grades Education: Editorial Remarks, Penny A. Bishop, James F. Nagle

Middle Grades Review

No abstract provided.

A Small Forest Owner's Engagement With A Carbon Sequestration Effort In Northeastern U.S., Frederick Pond

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

In 2023, a small forest landowner in central Vermont enrolled 140 acres in the Family Forest Carbon Program[FFCP], engaging his local forestland in combating global warming.

FFCP is a collaboration of The Nature Conservancy and American Forest Foundation, developed to offer small landowners the opportunity to engage their asset in carbon sequestration locally.

This poster presents the experience of a small forest owner's process in entering a twenty year contract to manage a small woodlot under the direction of FFCP while enrolled with the state UVA program, also known as Current Use.

Challenges to the process, advantages/downsides, future perspectives are …

#Blackatcmo: Challenging Charter Schools Through Youth Instagram Counterstories, Madhu Narayanan, Matthew S. Mccluskey

College of Education and Social Services Faculty Publications

As protests flared in 2020, BIPOC students took to Instagram to voice their experiences at “no-excuses” Charter Management Organizations (CMOs). Such schools have presented a discourse of high achievement and social justice. Yet, in the span of a few weeks, hundreds of posts on Instagram offered rarely-heard counter-narratives of the experience of being BIPOC at such schools. This paper analyzes how social media posts combine online discourse and youth culture to provide insight into the racialized experience of schooling. We argue this social movement challenges the legitimacy of CMOs and their authority to teach children of color.

Ai Tools For Summarizing Research Articles: Transforming Information Access, Gary S. Atwood

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Considering Middle School Organizational Structures Through A Lens Of Equity And Justice, Kristie Smith

Middle Grades Review

No abstract provided.

Growing Culturally Responsive Advisory In Your Context., Matt Moulton

Middle Grades Review

No abstract provided.

Students Deserve More Than Equity Conversations: Middle Level Structures That Promote Equity, Dave Brown

Middle Grades Review

No abstract provided.

Re-Examining School Structures Of People, Place, And Time To Promote Equity At The Middle Level, Katherine M. Main, Dana Pomykal Franz, Kristina N. Falbe, Cheryl Ellerbrock

Middle Grades Review

In 2018 we published a chapter entitled “Middle Grades Schools and Structures” (Ellerbrock et al., 2018a) in Literature Reviews in Support of the Middle Level Education Research Agenda (Mertens et al., 2013). Building on the earlier work of Ellerbrock et al. (2018a), this chapter reviewed literature between 2000 and 2018 that reported on the organizational structures of middle level education settings in the United States of America and Australia. Though the findings highlighted the dearth of research specifically examining the organizational structures of middle level education, the literature examined supported the original three key interconnected themes of people, place …

Equity & Middle Grades Organizational Structures: Echoes Of The Past, Influences On The Present, Hopes For The Future, Gayle Andrews

Middle Grades Review

Fostering a sense of belonging is fundamental to recommended organizational structures in middle grades schools including interdisciplinary teams, advisory relationships, flexible instructional schedules, and heterogeneous grouping. Middle grades educators must ensure that organizational structures support a sense of belonging and also problematize the very idea of “belonging,” actively countering and disrupting white supremacy culture and colonizing forces that can make “belonging” conditional and available only for those who accept systemic oppressive forces without question or complaint. This essay contends that key organizational structures in middle grades schools can be designed and enacted to infuse equity orientations and culturally sustaining approaches …

Organizing For Equity In The Middle Grades: Editorial Remarks, James F. Nagle, Penny A. Bishop

Middle Grades Review

No abstract provided.

Deicing Facility Mapping Final Report Appendix C, Stephanie E. Hurley, Dana Allen

Lake Champlain Sea Grant Institute

This Appendix is part of the August 2023 Report “Potential drinking water impacts from road salt storage facilities in Vermont’s Lake Champlain Basin” by the University of Vermont and FluidState Consulting. Maps of the location(s) of deicing materials storage facilities in Vermont municipalities within the Lake Champlain Basin are shown in alphabetical order. Drinking water wells in proximity to the facilities are labeled; in some municipalities there are no wells within the distances selected for mapping for the purpose of this project. Locations have not been field-verified and proximity of water sources to deicing material storage facility is not an …

Potential Drinking Water Impacts From Road Salt Storage Facilities In Vermont’S Lake Champlain Basin, Stephanie E. Hurley, Dana Allen

Lake Champlain Sea Grant Institute

Use of deicing materials (road salt) in Vermont has increased in the past decades. Chemical constituents associated with deicing materials can potentially pose a risk to drinking water quality. While deicing materials applied to roads represent a distributed, ephemeral source of salts, deicing material storage facilities are a potential year-round source of materials that can impact drinking water wells. Prior to this project there was no existing spatial database of these facilities in Vermont’s Lake Champlain Basin. A database of deicing material storage facilities was created for this project, with the aim to make it publicly available in order to …

Leave Like A Champion: Teacher Embeddedness And Turnover At An Urban “No-Excuses” Charter Management Organization, Matthew S. Mccluskey

College of Education and Social Services Faculty Publications

Teacher turnover remains considerably higher at Charter Management Organizations (CMOs), despite initially high perceptions of fit at the time of hire. Grounded in an emerging branch-off of job embeddedness theory—teacher embeddedness—this multi-site case study of one urban CMO used interviews of departed teachers and principals and focus groups of new and veteran teachers to determine the predominating factors of reduced feelings of embeddedness and, ultimately, turnover. Findings indicate that teacher embeddedness is threatened by methods the CMO has proliferated as “best practice” and factors researchers have empirically correlated with turnover.

2021 Northeast Maple Business Benchmark, Mark Cannella, Christopher Lindgren

UVM Extension Faculty Publications

The 2021 production season left many producers disappointed. While sap flow volume was reported as average to normal in many instances, pervasive low sap sugar content influenced the lower syrup production totals.

The 2021 Northeast Maple Business Benchmark report documents the ninth year of financial record analysis for commercial syrup producers. The project includes maple producers in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Tap counts for this year’s participant businesses ranged from 7,000 taps to 65,000 taps.

This report demonstrates key management and financial metrics including: yield statistics, land use, operating costs, investment requirements, total cost of production, marketing strategy …

A Field Trip That’S Not About The Destination But The Journey, Vanessa Scanfeld, Eric James, Vincent Dotoli

Middle Grades Review

This Practitioner Perspective presents a middle school unit focused on designing a day-long field trip as an effective project-based initiative for advancing social and emotional learning (SEL). It considers the social and emotional competencies students develop as they navigate the complexities of this project: researching options, planning an itinerary that meets various parameters, and ultimately taking the trip. It also offers practical guidance to schools for successfully adopting this program.

Who Will They Turn To? The Perspectives Of Middle School Girls Regarding Trustworthy Traits In Adults, Burcu Ozturk, Christina R. Miller, David A. Mcleod, David Dickerson

Middle Grades Review

Early adolescence is a time marked by upheaval and change. Youth are navigating increased social pressures from constant connection with peers. Youth have access to 24 hours of social connection via technology, but they increasingly report feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression (Keles et al., 2020). They are also entering a world with increased political division, climate disasters, and decreases in public safety from events like mass shootings (Coronese et al., 2019; Follman et al., 2022). As youth navigate these new challenges, adults are seeking ways to understand better how to build meaningful connections with youth that may help mitigate …

Detecting A Possible Correlation Between Hands-On Experimentation And Scientific Data Analysis In 8th Grade Students, Breana Dobesh, Phu Vu

Middle Grades Review

This Practitioner Perspective reports on action research that examined the impact of integrating hands-on experimentation on eighth- grade students skills of scientific data analysis and interpretation in a science middle school class. The intervention given to the treatment group was tasking students with completing scientific experiments during their daily lessons, along with collecting and analyzing data from those experiments. Collected data through both control and treatment groups indicated that there was no significant difference in mean test scores between the two groups. Discussions and suggestions for future studies were included.

Observing Enables Deeper Learning For Disaffected Learners, Fiona J. Mcdonnell, Eric Crivac

Middle Grades Review

Post-Covid, upon returning to the classroom, many students, but most especially those from among our more vulnerable populations, have difficulty collaborating and communicating with each other and reconnecting with their learning. We describe how a learning exploration that positioned struggling rising sixth-graders as cricket explorers, who would become cricket experts by observing the habits and behaviors of crickets in their care, nurtured their capacities for collaboration and communication and created a community of deeper learning, for both the students and teacher. That all students have opportunities for deeper learning is a matter of social justice. The exploration took place as …

Three Rs For Middle Level Education: The 2022 Ncpomle John Vanhoose Lecture, David C. Virtue

Middle Grades Review

The author contends the most prominent challenges and conditions facing middle level education now and in the near future point to three imperatives for the field: middle level education must be relevant, resilient, and robust. After conceptualizing the field of middle level education as an interdisciplinary, applied field of study concerned with the formal education of young adolescent learners in school settings, the author discusses each of the three imperatives and provides recommendations for scholars to move forward alongside professionals in middle level schools and classrooms to achieve a bright educational future for young adolescents.

Making Middle Grades Education Relevant, Resilient, And Robust: Editorial Remarks, James F. Nagle, Penny A. Bishop

Middle Grades Review

No abstract provided.

Can Gpt-3 Tools Accurately Find And Analyze Articles For Systematic Reviews? A (Very) Preliminary Assessment, Gary S. Atwood

University Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

Introduction: GPT-3 is a large language model that uses artificial intelligence to generate textual responses to prompts and questions. GPT-3 technology has been used to create several interesting tools including the widely reported chatbot ChatGPT-3, which was released in November 2022. Inspired by the initial success of GPT-3, several organizations have started to build tools designed to assist with tasks associated with the systematic review research process. This project will analyze how successful these tools are in completing two specific tasks: searching for research articles and analyzing individual articles.

Methods/Description: This project consists of two parts. In part one, …

Moving Towards An Anti-Colonial Definition For Regenerative Agriculture, Bryony Sands, Mario Machado, Alissa White, Eglee Zent, Rachelle K. Gould

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Regenerative agriculture refers to a suite of principles, practices, or outcomes which seek to improve soil health, biodiversity, climate, ecosystem function, and socioeconomic outcomes. However, recent reviews highlight wide heterogeneity in how it is defined. This impedes our ability to understand what regenerative agriculture is and has left the movement open to strategic repurposing by diverse stakeholders. Furthermore, the conceptual franchising of the regenerative agriculture debate by Western culture has omitted discussions surrounding social justice, relational values, and the contribution of Indigenous and local knowledge that does not align with Western-centric producer-consumer frameworks. This is a continuation of injustice by …

Advancing Agroecological Agroforestry: A Vermont Participatory Storytelling And Story Mapping Project, Sydney Blume

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

Agroforestry is the intentional integration of trees into agricultural landscapes. Advancing agroforestry has the potential to support just food system transition, but it must take direction from traditional approaches (culturally-embedded, millennia-old agroforestry practices in forest ecosystems) and agroecology (the movement, science, and practice for just and sustainable food and agricultural systems). An agroecological approach to agroforestry is essential to avoid agroforestry replicating the logics and harms of industrial agriculture and to encourage learning from traditional agroforestry practices, and likewise, traditional approaches to agroforestry can support a transformative agroecological transition through redesign of agroecosystems and shifting perspectives and ethics. This paper …

Traffic Safety Toolbox - Addressing Speeds: Final Report, James Sullivan, Dana Rowangould

University of Vermont Transportation Research Center

Reducing speeding and aggressive driving is one of seven critical emphasis areas identified in the Vermont Highway Safety Plan, which targets reductions in major crashes on Vermont highways. Vermont towns recognize the need to discourage speeding and implement countermeasures that will bring speeds down to posted speed limits, especially in transition zones from high-speed rural highways to low-speed village streets. Vermont’s villages and towns often lack the resources and capacity needed to select and implement speeding countermeasures that will be effective and appropriate for a particular context. There is a need for targeted, digestible guidance to assist these municipalities. This …

Seed & Story Conservation: A Rooted Historical Documentation And Analysis Of Living Seed Stories In The Us Northeast, Celia Luanna Nesbitt

Food Systems Master's Project Reports

Often a neglected item in our current industrialized food system, seed is now typically seen as a commodity. Agrobiodiversity is in decline with diverse crop varieties being lost from cultivation and memory, further threatening levels of biodiversity. Research indicates that seed systems are crucial for the conservation of crop diversity and local adaption of cultivars. Globally, people are working to grow and share seeds that support seed production based around the premises of community-based production and (agro)biodiversity. This project and paper draw attention to the regional seed work in the US Northeast. Through a participatory approach, and an active participation …