Education Commons^™

Immigrants And Educational Institutions: Family And Student Perspectives Toward School And Education, Paul Naso, Kimberly Joyce-Bernard, Marcelo Juica, Frank Rothwell

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

The purpose of this session is to bring together insights from three research studies (one completed and two ongoing) concerned with documenting the experiences of immigrant populations as they interact with U.S. educational institutions. The session is an opportunity to consider the common and distinct aspects of three qualitative research studies: an inquiry into native Spanish-speaking parents’ experiences regarding their children education; a narrative analysis of Francophone African-born adult family members’ accounts of their children’s language and literacy development at home and in early childhood programs; and a study to identify the obstacles and challenges of undocumented students enrolled in …

The Right To Dream: Educators Supporting Undocumented Students In Boston Public Schools, Heidi K. Rausch, Claudia Martinez

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

Undocumented youth are among the most vulnerable groups in the United States. Their achievements are many and the obstacles they face sometimes seem unsurmountable. There are a few immigration policies that assist these students, but not nearly enough. Despite the challenges they face (financial, lack of information, institutional, anxiety, increased responsibility) and the invisibility that comes from silence regarding their immigration status, many are indeed able to achieve personal and academic success. Key to that success are the families, teachers, counselors and other adults in their lives. This presentation highlights the work of Unafraid Educators, a committee of the Boston …

The Multidimensional Connection Between Second Language Acquisition And Neuroscience, Carolyn Peterson

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

The purpose of this poster is to present and analyze research that answers the question: What does the current body of research say about the impact of neuroscience on second language acquisition for adolescent and adult learners between 2009-2017? The studies provide detailed neurological information about the specific structures in the brain that are involved in second language (L2) development and the impact on language processing in adolescent and adult learners whose first language (L1) is not English. The foundational design of the studies is based on neurological imaging: functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electromyography (EMG) …

Global Perspectives In The Us Social Justice Classes: Impact On Identity, Alexandra (Sasha) Watkins, Corliss Brown Thompson

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

This paper is based on the experiences and reflections of the instructor and the student in the social justice doctoral-level course. Graduate-level social justice classes provide students with valuable knowledge on how power, privilege, and oppression operate in the society and its impact on individuals and communities (Boutain, 2008; Garii & Appova, 2013; Mohammed, Cooke, Ezeonwu, & Stevens, 2014; Motulsky, Gere, Saleem, & Trantham, 2014). At the same time, the scholarly material covered in the social justice classes can serve as a powerful catalyst for examining one’s personal identity (Farnsworth, 2010), thus contributing to students’ identity development (Izadinia, 2013; Trent, …

Examining Opportunities For Dialogic Talk In A Kindergarten English Language Development Classroom, Margaret Burns

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

Purpose and Background

Dialogic talk, in which students are engaged in authentic, extended discourse where meaning is co-constructed and conceptual understanding is incrementally built, is an important aspect of English Language Development instruction (Gersten et al., 2007; Harper & de Jong, 2004; O’Connor & Michaels, 2007; Saunders & Goldenberg, 2010; Snow & Katz, 2010; Gibbons, 2015; Mercer, Dawes, & Staarman, 2009). Supported by Russell and Faculty Development Grants, this study examines how teacher language use in an inquiry-based science unit both facilitated and constrained dialogic talk in a Kindergarten ELD classroom in a Two-Way Dual Language context.

Specifically, I ask: …

Privileged Leadership: Teaching English Learners With Fixed Mindsets, Alexandra Lituchy

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

Research was conducted over a hundred hours at a nearby public school to observe the growth or fixed mindset language of English learners as compared to native English speakers in the second grade. Observations were also made of the English learner’s teacher’s mindset language. Existing research proves that any student with a fixed mindset have poorer academic performances. Yet, very little research has been done on if the same is true for English learners specifically. Based on the research conducted, English learners are more likely to use fixed mindset language than native English speakers. English learners also demonstrate a fixed …