Education Commons^™

Elt And Empowerment: Questions, Observations, And Reflections For Christian Educators, Michael Lessard-Clouston

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

As a field, English language teaching (ELT) has come under attack from a number of critical practitioners. In the classroom, English language teachers aim to empower our students by helping them improve their English abilities and skills. Yet there are discrepancies in terms of who learns and uses English for various purposes. Are English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) teachers helping, or are we part of the ‘problem’ in ELT, as critics suggest? This article poses four questions in order for readers to consider issues in ELT and empowerment. In doing so, it summarizes observations from both the …

Exploring The Role Of Spirituality In The Ecology Of Language Learning, Teresa Lin

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

With the presence of many Christian missionaries in the field of TESOL, numerous educators have raised concerns about the ethical issues surrounding evangelistic outreach via English language teaching (ELT). Christian English Teachers (CETs) in the field of TESOL have faced criticism for manipulation of student-teacher relationships, unethical religious coercion, and cultural insensitivity. Current positivist views render religious discussions in the classroom as detrimental to ELT. While proselytizing via ELT is a serious ethical issue, the backlash against religion and spiritual beliefs is also quite alarming. Disregard for the spiritual underpinnings motivating and influencing the way students learn limits how complex …

Reviews, R. Michael Medley, Eleanor J. Pease, Kazue Suzuki

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

No abstract provided.

Living Out The Christian Faith In The Writing Classroom, Icy Lee

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

This article addresses three questions from the perspective of a Christian writing teacher educator: (1) How can we live out our Christian faith and values in the teaching of writing? (2) How can we help students become more aware of issues of spirituality and develop God-given abilities through writing? (3) How can we encourage students to write in ways that are pleasing to God? To address the first question, I draw mainly upon my own research on feedback and classroom writing assessment in L2 writing, as well as my experience as a writing teacher educator in Hong Kong, and address …

Entire Issue

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

No abstract provided.

Remembrances Of Earl Stevick: An Appreciation From The Periphery, Herbert C. Purnell

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

No abstract provided.

Editorial: Publishing In Applied Linguistics And Tesol, Michael Lessard-Clouston, Xuesong (Andy) Gao

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

No abstract provided.

Earl W. Stevick: Keeping The Faith In Theory And Practice, Carolyn Kristjánsson

International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching

No abstract provided.

Tradición Y Actualidad En La Enseñanza De La Escritura Académica En El Entorno Europeo (Reseña De Rethinking Academic Writing Pedagogy For The European University), David Sánchez-Jiménez

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Comparing The Receptive Vocabulary Knowledge Of Intermediate-Level Students Of Different Native Languages In An Intensive English Program, Anas Alkhofi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Because most–if not all–intensive English programs (IEP) assign students to specific levels based on a placement test that does not involve any form of explicit vocabulary testing, some degree of variation in lexical knowledge of students within an individual class should not be surprising. However, very little research has ever quantified this variation. The current study fills the gap in this important area of TESOL research by investigating vocabulary variation among intermediate-level students at one IEP. Participants (N=79) were split into two main proficiency groups, high intermediate (N=28) and low intermediate (N=51). The 2K, 3K, and 5K levels from the …

Mentor Texts Squared: Helping Students Explore Voice Through Readings That Promote Critical Consciousness, Sarina Chugani Molina, Mark Manasse

School of Leadership and Education Sciences: Faculty Scholarship

Much research has been conducted documenting the reading and writing challenges students in precollege courses face (Crosby, 2007; Masterson, 2007). Some colleges label these courses “developmental,” “remedial,” or “basic skills” courses. Th ese “developmental” students comprise both US-born and immigrant pupils from culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse backgrounds (Roberge, Siegal, & Harklau, 2009) and are oft en institutionally marginalized (Blumenthal, 2002), leaving them oft en underprepared when matriculating into credit-bearing college-level courses (Roberge, 2009). In this article, we report on a case study where a community college ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) instructor and three faculty members at …

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival, Karen Rowell, The University Of Southern Mississippi, The University Of Southern Mississippi's School Of Library And Information Science

Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival Programs

The program for the forty-eighth annual Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival held on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi in 2015.

The Q-Back Task: A Student-Managed Tool To Improve Reading Comprehension In Students With Low Working Memory, Chelsie Lynn Thielen

Theses and Graduate Projects

This paper focuses on developing a student-managed tool to improve reading comprehension across the curriculum in students with low working memory. Chapter One includes a summary of the issue and presents a possible solution. A review of the literature in Chapter Two explores the link research has established between working rnemory and reading comprehension, existing interventions for each, as well as indirect and direct assessments. Chapter Three describes the developed product. Chapter Four outlines the development process and proposes avenues for a pilot study and future research.

Teacher Perspectives On Reading Instruction In The Primary Grades, Emily K. Crook

Theses and Graduate Projects

Research shows that teachers have both a passion and desire to teach reading feel conflicted by their pedagogical education, the district in which they teach, and government policies. Research suggests political agendas drive reading programs, reading curriculum, and teacher evaluations. The objective of this qualitative action research paper is to gain insight into primary grade teachers' perspectives on their reading instruction. The teacher participants in the study feel ready and eager to teach reading. However, they routinely feel they are not supported by their individual school district, including the state and local governments, to teach reading effectively. The data collected …

Language Stimulation Techniques For Three-Year-Old And Four-Year-Old Children: Patterns Of Language Development, Hope Elisabeth Wilson, Jannah Walters Nerren, Carolyn D. Abel

Faculty Publications

One in 4 children in America ages 0-5 live in poverty (Federal Statistics, 2012); this group is far more likely to enter school as linguistically disadvantaged and the gap increases as they progress through school. This study investigates the effect of indirect language stimulation techniques on preschool children enrolled in Head Start programs in rural east Texas. The results from this study indicate differing patterns of language development between 3- and 4-year-old children, in response to their teacher’s use of indirect language stimulation techniques in normal day-to-day teaching. Specifically, the intervention using SPEAK techniques had a positive effect on the …

El Libro De Texto Escolar Como Herramienta De Inclusión Educativa: Nivel Procesos Básicos Área De Lenguaje, Bibiana Gordillo Díaz, Luz Dayana Martínez Scarpetta

Maestría en Docencia

No abstract provided.

Tareas Propuestas En Los Textos Escolares De Lengua Castellana De Grado Noveno Que Favorecen El Desarrollo Metacognitivo, Leidy Constanza Mendoza Puerto, Anllela Rodríguez Cedeño

Maestría en Docencia

En los procesos inmersos en el aula la relación de enseñanza y aprendizaje se ha abordado desde variadas posturas, allí confluyen sujetos y objetos con diferentes propósitos e intereses que inciden en el proceso cognitivo de los estudiantes, haciendo necesario reflexionar alrededor de cómo las tareas de los textos escolares favorecen el desarrollo metacognitivo en los estudiantes, dentro de lo cual se reconoce que la mediación realizada por el maestro, a través del texto escolar en el aula, interviene en el planteamiento de estrategias de los estudiantes para autorregular sus procesos cognitivos. Para lograr dichos propósitos se planteó una investigación …

Aprendizaje Y Evaluación Auténtica De La Argumentación Oral A Través Del Debate Escolar, Jorge Ricardo Cortés Roncancio, Alexandra Franco Vargas, Carolina Franco Vargas

Maestría en Docencia

Nuestro proceso investigativo hizo parte del macroproyecto Aprendizaje y Evaluación Auténtica de la Maestría en Docencia de la Universidad de la Salle, orientado por la tutora Luz Helena Pastrana Armírola. Para su desarrollo se empleó el método de Investigación Acción que por su carácter cualitativo, permitió una permanente interacción dialógica y reflexiva de los investigadores frente a la teoría y la realidad. El proyecto surge de la necesidad de mejorar el proceso de aprendizaje de la argumentación oral en estudiantes de quinto grado y cómo éste contribuye a potenciar la comunicación. En nuestras prácticas como docentes podemos evidenciar diferentes dificultades …

Escribir Es Un Cuento: El Aprendizaje De La Escritura A Partir De La Producción Del Cuento Breve, Cecilia Bustamante, Mery Clementina García Betancur, Norha Elena Herrera Torres, Sandy Yubely Ortiz Urquijo

Maestría en Docencia

“Escribir es un cuento: El aprendizaje de la escritura a partir de la producción del cuento breve”, fue un proyecto en el cual se investigó acerca de la problemática que surgió a partir de las dificultades encontradas en los estudiantes del colegio Instituto Técnico Internacional, en términos de producción escrita. De acuerdo con lo anterior, la intencionalidad de la investigación giró en torno a la pregunta: ¿De qué manera la producción del cuento breve facilita el aprendizaje de la escritura en los estudiantes del grado 3° de primaria en el colegio Instituto Técnico Internacional? El objetivo general consistió en caracterizar …

Book Review: Biliteracy From The Start: Biliteracy Squared In Action, Allison Briceño

Faculty Publications

A review of Kathy Escamilla, Susan Hopewell, Sandra Butvilofsky, Wendy Sparrow, Lucinda Soltero-González, Olivia Ruiz-Figueroa, and Manuel Escamilla. (2014). Biliteracy from the Start: Literacy Squared in Action. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon Publishing. 224 pp.

Motivating Reluctant Middle School Males To Read: The Perspectives Of Middle School Teachers, Angela Watters

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose for conducting this study was to find ways to motivate reluctant middle school males to read. To do this qualitative research methods were used. Data was collected through participant interviews. Four teachers who teach English, Language Arts, or Communications were interviewed to find out what strategies they have used to change the attitudes of their male middle school aged students have about reading. The problem is that many middle school males struggle to be motivated to read. The three major themes that emerged from the research data were book choice, promotion of books, and knowledge of books.

The Effects Of Fluency And Close Reading Upon Comprehension, Victoria A. Lee

Theses and Graduate Projects

The purpose of this study was to discover how focused instruction on fluency and close reading influence student comprehension. The study used qualitative methods to observe eight eighth grade students as they developed fluency through repeated readings and learned close reading strategies in order to evaluate what impact these skills had on their comprehension. Direct participant observation, passive observation, and teacher field notes were utilized in data collection. The frndings suggest that, despite the use of close reading strategies, students need the building of background knowledge prior to reading a complex text, as well as explicit instruction in vocabulary considered …

The Role Of Passage Topic Knowledge In Typical And Poor Comprehenders' Recall, Chelsea E. Meenan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of topic knowledge (TK) in comprehension among typical readers and those with Specifically Poor Comprehension (SPC), i.e., those who demonstrate deficits in understanding what they read despite adequate decoding. Previous studies of poor comprehension have focused on weaknesses in specific skills, such as word decoding and inferencing ability, but this dissertation examined a different factor: whether deficits in availability and use of TK underlie poor comprehension. It is well known that TK tends to facilitate comprehension among typical readers, but its interaction with working memory and word decoding is unclear, particularly among participants with deficits …

Orchestrating Literacies:Print Literacy Learning Opportunities Within Multimodal Intergenerational Ensembles, Lori Mckee, Rachel Heydon

Education Publications

This exploratory case study considered the opportunities for print literacy learning within multimodal ensembles that featured art, singing, and digital media within the context of an intergenerational program that brought together 13 kindergarten children (4 and 5 years) with 7 elder companions. Study questions concerned how reading and writing were practiced within multimodal ensembles and what learning opportunities were afforded the children while the participants worked through a chain of multimodal projects. Data were collected through ethnographic tools in the Rest Home where the projects were completed and in the children’s classroom where project content and tools were introduced and …

Mirroring Ourselves: Teacher Educators Of Color Reading Multicultural Texts, Yonghee Suh, Kaavonia Hinton

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

During the last few decades, U.S. classrooms have experienced dramatic demographic changes. This article is based on the results of a larger self-study in which four teacher educators of color participated in a book club designed to discuss the pedagogical possibilities of Yoko Kawashima Watkins' "So Far from the Bamboo Grove" (1986) and its sequel, "My Brother, My Sister, and I" (1994), in their teacher education courses. Filling the gap in research, the authors focused on responding to the following questions: (1) What happens when teacher educators of color talk about a multicultural text? How do they read the multicultural …

Caught In The Tractor Beam Of Larger Influences: The Filtration Of Innovation In Education Technology Design, Justin Olmanson, Fitsum Abebe, Valerie Jones, Eric Kyle, Lyrica Lucas, Katie Robbins, Guieswende Rouamba, Xianquan Liu

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

While emerging technologies continue to emerge, research into their use in learning contexts often focuses on a subset of educational practices and ways of using technologies. In this study we begin to explore the extent to which educational designs are influenced by larger societal and education-related factors not usually explicitly considered when designing or identifying technology-supported education experiences for research study. We examine patterns within and between factors via a content analysis across ten years and 19 different journals of published peer-reviewed research on technology-supported writing. Our findings have implications for how researchers, designers, and educators approach technology-supported educational design …

The Techno-Pedagogical Pivot: Designing And Implementing A Digital Writing Tool, Justin Olmanson, Katrina Kennett, Bill Cope

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

In educational technology, the idea of innovation is usually tethered to contemporary technological inventions and emerging technologies. Yet, using long-known technologies in ways that are pedagogically or experientially new can reposition them as emerging educational technologies. In this study we explore how a subtle pivot in pedagogical thinking led to an innovative education technology. We describe the design and implementation of an online writing tool that scaffolds students in the evaluation of their own informational texts. We think about how pathways to innovation can emerge from pivots, namely a leveraging of longstanding practices in novel ways has the potential to …

Learn Languages, Explore Cultures, Transform Lives, Aleidine Kramer Moeller

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

Selected Papers from the 2015 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

Aleidine J. Moeller, Editor

1. Creating a Culture-driven Classroom One Activity at a Time — Sharon Wilkinson, Patricia Calkins, & Tracy Dinesen

2. The Flipped German Classroom — Theresa R. Bell

3. Engaging Learners in Culturally Authentic Virtual Interactions —Diane Ceo-Francesco

4. Jouney to Global Competence: Learning Languages, Exploring Cultures, Transforming Lives — J. S. Orozco-Domoe

5. Strangers in a Strange Land: Perceptions of Culture in a First-year French Class — Rebecca L. Chism

6. 21st Century World Language Classrooms: Technology to Support Cultural Competence — …

Leadership And Its Ripple Effect On Research, Aleidine Kramer Moeller, Sheri Hurlbut

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

In this chapter we would like to address the impact visionary leadership can have on a field of research. Through forward-looking ideas and projects, an organizational leader’s influence on those who test, research, and inquire into issues that build and deepen the knowledge base in second language acquisition and foreign language education is illustrated through an innovative professional development program that was developed during Helene Zimmer-Loew’s tenure as executive director of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG). The ripple effect of progressive leadership that inspires others to contribute actively to the well-being of a profession, or an organization, …

Teacher Librarians & Literacy Coaches: Their Roles In Reading Support, Nicole N. Ruthaivilavan

Graduate Research Papers

According to AASL (2010), multiple research studies have confirmed that there is a correlation between school library programs staffed by certified school librarians and increased student achievement; yet, many schools are also beginning to employ literacy coaches to improve reading achievement. With the teacher librarian being a well-established part of the school system, and playing a vital role in supporting students’ reading achievement, a clear definition of roles is needed. The purpose of this case study was to analyze roles and responsibilities of teacher librarians and literacy coaches and to determine how schools can utilize one or both of these …