Education Commons^™

Seeing Formative Assessments From A Broad Perspective, Consuelo Marisol Gallardo

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

October 2020 | 194 Seeing Formative Assessments from a Broad Perspective Consuelo M. Gallardo Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education University of Nebraska-Lincoln Abstract Despite the fact that many experts in the assessment field have advocated for the use of formative assessments, little attention has been paid to their thorough elaboration and application in Ecuadorian English as Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms. Some teachers have overlooked the validity of formative assessment as tools to inform instruction and language learning growth, so its application has generated a big debate. Therefore, this paper presents a literature review of perceptions and experiences of …

Culturally Relevant Science Teaching: A Literature Review, Uma Ganesan

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

This educational research literature review paper aims to discuss the rationale, review eight empirical research studies, and identify knowledge gaps in culturally relevant pedagogy in science education. This paper focuses on synthesis, review, and comparison of the findings of the empirical studies, and categorizes them into thematic heads such as similarities and differences between studies under the broad categories of professional development (PD) programs and case studies. Following these reviews, the author summarizes her reflections and thoughts about the literature to understand the big picture of culturally relevant pedagogy in science education. The basis of this literature review are various …

Bilingual Acculturation Assessment: An Overview Of Current Developments, Donna Chen

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

Assessments are often used for decision-making in education, mental health practices, and industry. Consequently, decisions based on these assessments affect multiple aspects of a person’s life. Given the increase of ethnic minorities in the U.S., factors concerning the appropriateness and interpretation of tests based on norms must be reconsidered. The multifaceted effects of culture are just one factor to consider so as to not overlook important cultural components that may negatively impact the decision-making process. Additionally, language, with close ties to culture, must also be considered. Thus, the complexity of culture and language in tandem to assessment-based decision-making necessitates fundamental …

Let's Go ... ¡Juego! Club, Cecilia Ferrer, Alexis Stoffers

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

Afterschool club that plays traditional Spanish games from various countries. Students explore new cultures and learn new vocabulary in an engaging manner.

“It’S Like They Don’T Recognize What I Bring To The Classroom”: African Immigrant Youths’ Multilingual And Multicultural Navigation In United States Schools, Lydiah Kananu Kiramba, Alex Kumi-Yeboah, Anthony Mawuli Sallar

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

Discourses of African immigrant children are rare in educational research. As such, African immigrant educational experiences are often obscured (in part, owing to the model minority myth about Africans based on higher education degrees received by African immigrants), as well as the actual experiences and realities for African immigrant K-12 students. This qualitative study examines cross-cultural educational experiences of 30 Black African immigrant youth in U.S. schools. The findings reveal multiple participants’ struggles with cultural and linguistic differences, stereotypes and marginalization in the school environment, low expectations from teachers, and adjusting to new schooling practices. The African youths’ voices exhibited …

Language And Identity: Multilingual Immigrant Learners In South Africa, Saloshna Vandeyar, Theresa Catalano

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

Increased multilingualism and mobility have witnessed an increased focus on multilingual immigrant learners. This study aims to help educators understand experiences of immigrant students in South Africa that relate to language and identity by comparing such experiences across three different school settings: an urban school with a high (Black) immigrant and indigenous population, a former Indian school, and a former White school. Drawing on semi-structured interviews from a larger case study, this study makes visible the immigrant learner experience in multilingual settings in which xenophobic conditions arise. The findings reveal similarities as well as differences in individual identity construction and …

Post-Program English Language Learners: Successful Learners Or Struggling Learners?, Tianna Bankhead

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As an educator in the field of English Language Development, I have chosen to explore the experience of four participants that have exited their ELL program within the last 1 - 2 years in Lincoln Public Schools. I wanted to capture the first-hand experience of secondary students by exploring where they are finding successes since being formally considered proficient in English and where they are struggling. I interviewed these students and explored their academic world as well as the social world within the school setting. At the conclusion of the study, I found that students are academically achieving success in …

Exploration Of Lived Experiences Of Science Teachers Of English Language Learners: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Uma Maheshwari Ganesan

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

English language learners (ELLs) are a talented pool of culturally and linguistically diverse students who are persistently increasing both in absolute size and percentage in the U.S. school population; however, they are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in college as well as in the workforce (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018). Although educational leaders, policy makers, and researchers have emphasized the importance of STEM for the country’s continued prosperity, both education and scientific communities have found it challenging to improve students’ participation in STEM fields (Martinez et al., 2011). Exploring science teachers’ experiences could …

The Downfall: Listening To Non-Urban Communities And Their Language Ideologies, Jessica Sierk, Theresa Catalano

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

Increased mobility due to globalization and other geopolitical shifts has changed school demographics worldwide. In the Midwest, much of this new immigrant population is Spanishspeaking and in need of language support. Consequently, schools play an important role in responding to the New Latino Diaspora. In this paper, we describe how unconscious language ideologies inhibited social change that could improve conditions for new student populations in two non-urban high schools in Nebraska (Stockbridge and Springvale, pseudonyms). This critical discourse analysis draws on ethnographic data from a larger study, including participant observations and semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal language ideologies that use language …

Identity And Technology Integration In An Efl Context: A Study Of Egyptian Teachers And Adult Learners, Alia Emara

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Globalization and the advent of technology have compelled many Egyptians to master the English language to participate in an increasingly competitive knowledge-centered global economy. Therefore, the demand for English language classes has been increasing in Egypt in recent years. However, English language classes alone may not guarantee that learners become technologically competent to master 21^st century skills. Therefore, one purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine how Egyptian EFL teachers and Egyptian EFL adult learners utilize technology and digital resources in teaching and learning English to promote autonomous learning and 21^st century skills. The study also …

Early Language And Literacy Skills Of Spanish-Speaking Dual Language Learners, Alejandro Rodriguez, Marc Goodrich, Maggie Harms, Lisa Fitton

UCARE Research Products

The purpose of this study is to examine the early language measures that are the best predictors of English reading achievement and to determine whether assessing DLLs’ Spanish language skills contributes to the prediction of English reading achievement. Preschool and kindergarten often represent DLLs’ first significant exposure to English, and development of English language proficiency is strongly linked to English reading achievement (Storch & Whitehurst, 2002). Because DLLs may not be exposed to English consistently prior to preschool or kindergarten, they often enter kindergarten with lower levels of English proficiency than their monolingual peers. This makes it difficult to identify …

Fathers’ Perceived Co-Parenting And Children’S Academic Readiness Among Chinese Preschoolers: Longitudinal Pathways Through Parenting And Behavioral Regulation, Lixin Ren, Rebecca Y.M. Cheung, Courtney Boise, Xuan Li, Jieqiong Fan

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Co-parenting quality has frequently been linked to young children’s social–emotional functioning, but limited research has focused on the relationship between co-parenting and children’s early academic skills, or the underlying mechanisms through which co-parenting influences children’s development. Using data collected from urban China, the present study examined how fathers’ perceptions of co-parenting quality was related to their preschool-aged children’s academic readiness (i.e., receptive vocabulary, reading, early math; N = 336), and whether father’s parenting practices and children’s behavioral regulation mediated the link between co-parenting quality and child outcomes. Findings suggested that the relation between co-parenting quality and children’s academic readiness was …

French Club, Brett Foster, Madisen Bell

Honors Expanded Learning Clubs

Afterschool club that introduces French Language and Culture to young elementary students. Through hands-on activities and discussions, students will learn the basics of French Language and complete a French Journal full of everything they learned that semester to take home.

Culturally Relevant Science Teaching: A Literature Review, Uma Maheshwari Ganesan

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This educational research literature review paper aims to discuss the rationale, review eight empirical research studies, and identify knowledge gaps in culturally relevant pedagogy in science education. This paper focuses on synthesis, review, and comparison of the findings of the empirical studies, and categorizes them into thematic heads such as similarities and differences between studies under the broad categories of professional development (PD) programs and case studies. Following these reviews, the author summarizes her reflections and thoughts about the literature to understand the big picture of culturally relevant pedagogy in science education. The basis of this literature review are various …

The Visual Representation Of Dual Language Education, Theresa Catalano

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

Despite well documented benefits of dual language (DL) programs which deliver educational content in two languages, there are still few DL programs in the United States. As such, there is a need to understand how to effectively persuade more states/districts to adopt the programs. In addition, more critical research is needed that focuses on how the programs are represented visually, as well as how this visual representation reflects wider discourses about DL education that could impede the programs from reaching those who need them most. In this article, the author explores ideologies behind DL program discourse by looking at photojournalism …

Paths To The Baccalaureate At A Hispanic-Serving Institution: The Lived Experiences Of Latinos Who Entered Higher Education At The Community College, Brent D. Cejda

Contemporary Issues in Educational Leadership

The U.S. Census indicates that Hispanic participation in postsecondary education tripled between 1996 and 2016. If the traditional outcome measure of the six-year graduation rate is used, however, increased participation has not resulted in an increased number of Latinos who complete a bachelor’s degree. Further, typical examinations of baccalaureate completion have focused on the starting point—beginning at a community college or beginning at a four-year college or university and compare percentages of completion by race or ethnicity. Findings of such studies point to the disparity in bachelor’s degree completion rates between Latinos and other racial and ethnic groups and that …

Kinder – 1st Grade: Spring Activity Packet #1, Jessica Mitchell-Mccollough, Tricia Gray, Alexa Yunes-Koch

ICMEE Learning Packets: Level 1-2 of English Proficiency (K-5)

These packets are self-contained. Everything a child will need to be successful with the activities is provided in the packet. Students will only need a writing utensil. Additional tools like crayons or scissors can be used, but do not have to be.

My Plan for the Week

Day 1 • Design and name your buddy • Seasons in Nebraska • Read and Write Spring Worksheet • Seasons vocabulary cards • Math: Count the caterpillars • Read Spring, Spring, What Do You See?

Day 2 •Check the weather and dress your buddy • Draw a picture of Spring • Animal vocabulary …

2nd-3rd Grades, Level 1-2. Summer Packet #3 • Theme: Community, Tianna Bankhead, Molly Heeren, Jessica Spencer, Samantha Stuefer, Alexa Yunes-Koch

ICMEE Learning Packets: Level 1-2 of English Proficiency (K-5)

This packet theme is Community. You will be working on water conservation, clouds and storm safety. There will be activities provided to help you know how to save water and stay safe during a storm. The math part of the activities will focus on know how to measure objects and liquids. It will also have a short activity on telling time on an analog clock. Please remember this packet is to continue to support learning. This is not a tool for frustration. Please have fun while working on the activities!

Este paquete es sobre la comunidad. Los estudiantes trabajarán sobre …

Kinder – 1st Grade: Summer Packet #2 • Theme: Differences, Tricia Gray, Jessica Mitchell-Mccollough, Alexa Yunes-Koch

ICMEE Learning Packets: Level 1-2 of English Proficiency (K-5)

These packets are self-contained. Everything a child will need to be successful with the activities is provided in the packet. Students will only need a writing utensil. Additional tools like crayons or scissors can be used, but do not have to be.

Day 1 • My Buddy • Check the Weather • Let’s Write! • What will you wear? • Body Parts #1 • Body Parts #2 • Let’s Move! • Build a Creature • Let’s Count!

Day 2 • Check the Weather What will you wear? • Review • Read the story: All Bodies Are Strong and Beautiful • …

2nd-3rd Grades, Level 1-2: Summer Packet #2, Theme: Differences, Tianna Bankhead, Molly Heeren, Jessica Spencer, Samantha Stuefer, Alexa Yunes-Koch

ICMEE Learning Packets: Level 1-2 of English Proficiency (K-5)

This packet will focus on the importance of differences. We are all different and it is okay to be different from one another, it is what makes us strong and unique. This packet will also review shapes and measuring in math. It also reviews the water cycle in science. Have as much fun with this packet as you can!

Este paquete se centrará en la importancia de las diferencias. Todos somos diferentes y está bien serlo los unos de los otros, es lo que nos hace fuertes y únicos. Este paquete repasará las formas y las medidas en matemáticas, además, …

Preventing Teen Relationship Abuse And Sexual Assault Through Bystander Training: Intervention Outcomes For School Personnel, Katie M. Edwards, Stephanie N. Sessarego, Kimberly J. Mitchell, Hong Chang, Emily A. Waterman, Victoria L. Banyard

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of exposure to Bringing in the Bystander—High School Curriculum (BITB-HSC) on school personnel, which included a seven session classroom curriculum for ninth through twelfth graders (student curriculum), a bystander training workshop for school personnel (school personnel workshop), and reading materials (handout). We examined how exposure to these various BITB-HSC intervention components was associated with school personnel’s knowledge and bystander efficacy, intentions, and barriers specific to student relationship abuse (RA) and sexual assault (SA). Participants were 488 school personnel from 12 high schools in upper New England who completed the …

A Longitudinal Examination Of Peer Victimization On Depressive Symptoms Among Asian American School‑Aged Youth, Prerna G. Arora, Lorey A. Wheeler, Sycarah Fisher, Marymilt Restituyo, Jessica Barnes‑Najor

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The current study sought to examine the prospective relationship of peer victimization on changes in Asian American youth’s depressive symptoms during early adolescence, a crucial period for the development of depression and engagement in peer victimization among youth. Further, as guided by cultural–ecological frameworks, the current study also sought to examine the role of school-based peer support and gender as moderators on the relationship between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among this understudied population. Participants included Asian American youth (N = 232; M age = 12.96, SD = 1.40; 51% girls) who completed questionnaires in the school context. Data …

Culture Moderates The Relationship Between Family Obligation Values And The Outcomes Of Korean And European American College Students, Haein Oh, Toni Falbo, Kejin Lee

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Family obligation values have been described as an important element of collectivistic cultures that are related to the development of positive emotional well-being and motivation in high school and college students. The present study tested the hypothesis that culture moderates the relationship between family obligation values and the outcomes of Korean (n = 249) and European American (n = 251) college students. The results provided support for this hypothesis. Specifically, for Koreans, family obligation values were significantly and positively correlated with descriptions of parents as being more supportive of the self-determination of their children, which was found to …

The Distal Role Of Adolescents’ Awareness Of And Perceived Discrimination On Young Adults’ Socioeconomic Attainment Among Mexican-Origin Immigrant Families, Lorey Wheeler, Prerna G. Arora, Melissa Y. Delgado

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

Cultural-ecological frameworks posit that there are harmful effects of social stratification on developmental outcomes. In particular, awareness of aspects of social stratification in society and interpersonal experiences of discrimination, more generally and within specific contexts, may differentially influence outcomes across life stages; yet, few studies have examined the distal effects during adolescence on early adult developmental outcomes. The current study fills this gap by examining distal mechanisms linking adolescents’ (Time 1: ages 13–15) awareness of and perceived general and school discrimination to young adults’ (Time 3: ages 23–25) socioeconomic attainment (i.e., educational attainment, occupational prestige, earned income) through adolescents’ (Time …

Statewide Policies To Improve Early Intervention Services: Promising Practices And Preliminary Results, Miriam Kuhn, Courtney Boise, Sue Bainter, Cindy Hankey

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The State of Nebraska Co-Lead agencies, who are responsible for developing statewide early intervention policies, rolled out professional development for two evidence-based strategies across several pilot sites. Implications of these strategies for child/family assessment, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) development, and Early Intervention service delivery were examined utilizing family (n=30) and professional interviews (n=50), and analyses of IFSPs (n=30). The results of this mixed method study indicate widespread strategy implementation with fidelity fosters early working relationships with families and enables teams to generate, using family members’ own words, a robust group of high-quality child …

6th–8th Grade: English Level 1, Learning Packet #1 • Theme: Introductions [Students With Interrupted Formal Learning], Jessica Millen, Brooke David, Lydiah Kananu Kiramba, Kara Mitchell Viesca, Alexa Yunes

ICMEE Learning Packets: Level 1 of English Proficiency (K-12)

Day 1 • Introduce yourself, Introduce someone else, Say and write letters: the English alphabet

Day 2 • Talking to a friend reading, Talking to a friend writing, Talking to a friend speaking

Day 3 • I am poem

Day 4 • New vocabulary, Say, Write, Categorize likes and dislikes

Day 5 • All about me

My Packet Journal

Reference Sheet

K–2nd Grade: English Level 1, Learning Packet #1 • Theme: Back To School, Dennise Torres, Lydiah Kananu Kiramba, Alexa Yunes

ICMEE Learning Packets: Level 1 of English Proficiency (K-12)

My Plan for the Week

Day 1 • Design and name your Buddy, Back to school words, All about me, Trace numbers 1-12, Count the pencils

Day 2 • Sentences with school words, Letter Aa, What goes inside?, Label the pictures, How many pencils?, Connect the dots

Day 3 • Memory game, Letter A book, Scavenger hunt - A, Let's add and color, Let's move

Day 4 • Letter Bb, Draw yourself at school, Dictionary, Matching numbers and words, How many books?

Day 5 • Scavenger hunt - Bb, Number line, Get up and dance

K–2nd Grade: English Level 1, Learning Packet #4 • Theme: Shapes And Feelings, Dennise Torres, Lydiah Kananu Kiramba, Alexa Yunes

ICMEE Learning Packets: Level 1 of English Proficiency (K-12)

Day 1 • Design and name your Buddy, Check the weather, Weekly words - feelings and shapes, Let's move, Letter of the day - M

Day 2 • Check the weather, Feelings, Shapes around the house, Letter of the day - N

Day 3 • Check the weather, Matching feelings, Feelings change, Calm down yoga, Ordering objects, Letter of the day - O

Day 4 • Check the weather, Helping others feel better, Nouns, Sides and corners, Letter of the day - P

Day 5 • Check the weather, Sorting shapes, My weekly assignments, Letter of the day - Q, …

6th–8th Grade: English Level 1, Learning Packet #4 • Theme: My Home, Tricia Ramaekers, Mary Royers, Claudia T. Yunes, Kara Mitchell Viesca, Alexa Yunes

ICMEE Learning Packets: Level 1 of English Proficiency (K-12)

Rooms and chores in a house vocabulary cards

Vocabulary practice

Furniture and appliances vocabulary cards

Home objects vocabulary cards

Vocabulary Go Fish

Parts of an address

Writing a letter

How I feel about chores

Prepositions: where in the home?

Where in your home?

Phone numbers

Find the family member

Find the room

Who lives in your home?

What are they doing?

Draw and write: what are you doing?

Rooms in a house

Welcome to Sam's house!

Compare

Design a paper house

Vocabulary dictionary

Essential question

Where am I? What is a home?

My Packet Journal

Reference Sheet

6th–8th Grade: English Level 1, Learning Packet #7 • Theme: Staying Active [Students With Interrupted Formal Schooling], Jessica Millen, Brooke David, Lydiah Kananu Kiramba, Kara Mitchell Viesca, Alexa Yunes

ICMEE Learning Packets: Level 1 of English Proficiency (K-12)

Day 1 • Staying active, Staying active bingo, Are you thirsty?, Do you drink enough water every day?

Day 2 • Exercise reading and sorting, Exercise past tense activity

Day 3 • After school activities, Let's move!

Day 4 • What can you do to stay healthy?, I am healthy, Comparing healthy habits

Day 5 • Eating healthy food, Sort the words, What makes a good friend?, Adjectives, All about me

My Packet Journal

Reference Sheet