Education Commons^™

Addressing The ‘Shift’: Preparing Preservice Secondary Teachers For The Common Core, Stephanie M. Bennett, Steven M. Hart

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Common Core represents a shift in content-area literacy instruction, broadening from a narrow focus on generalizable skills to also include a disciplinary perspective of literacies specific to the specialized language and habits of thinking within particular subjects. This requires teachers to be knowledgeable in their content and possess competence in pedagogical practices that allow them to scaffold their students’ literacy development within these disciplines. We examined how the implementation of a Disciplinary Literacy Project into a content-area literacy course influenced preservice secondary teachers’ disciplinary literacy practice. The findings suggest structured inquiry into disciplinary communities enhances preservice teachers’ understanding of disciplinary …

Reading Horizons Vol. 53 No. 4

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

No abstract provided.

A Formative Study: Inquiry And Informational Text With Fifth-Grade Bilinguals, Lindsey Moses

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article includes the findings from a formative experiment implementing inquiry with informational texts in a fifth-grade bilingual classroom after the completion of state assessments. The pedagogical goals were focused on facilitating engaged reading and writing for native Spanish-speakers and building content knowledge and related academic vocabulary in English. The intervention was designed to emphasize modeling of research, strategies of the inquiry process, self-selected reading, informational text-creation and peer interactions, discussions and feedback regarding inquiry. In this article, the author shares initial instructional plans for implementation as well as modifications that were made based on factors inhibiting and advancing the …

“Do You Have A Brother? I Have Two!”: The Nature Of Questions Asked And Answered In Text-Focused Pen Pal Exchanges, Elizabeth M. Hughes, Lea Evering, Jacquelynn A. Malloy, Linda B. Gambrell

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Authentic learning experiences are those in which students engage with texts as well as the behaviors of reading and writing within contexts of real-world use beyond traditional academic use. This study provides quantitative analysis of how students (n=200) engaged with an adult pen pal in a shared literacy experience. Findings indicate that students actively participated with their adult pen pals asking and answering more personal questions than literature-based questions. Data were disaggregated for reading ability and gender. Students who were considered above-grade level readers asked and answered significantly more questions than students considered below grade level in reading. Girls asked …

Gang Risk Factors And Academic Readiness In A Southern Middle School, James Martinez, Jeremy Tost, Shani Wilfred, Larry Hilgert

Georgia Educational Researcher

The current Georgia study examines middle-school-aged gang and non-gang members regarding the risk factors of gang membership and potential effects of these risk factors on academic achievement. Participants, 406 eighth grade students from a suburban middle-school, completed a 42-item survey assessing an array of demographic and risk factor variables. In addition, students provided self-report information regarding their success on national standardized testing used to measure academics readiness. Of the 28 variables analyzed, lower academic readiness was associated with ethnicity and/or gang membership. Findings are discussed in light of the complexity of the gang issue and the importance of recognizing the …

Editors' Letter To Readers

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

No abstract provided.

Noetic Sanctification: Using Critical Thinking To Facilitate Sanctification Of The Mind, Bryce F. Hantla

Christian Perspectives in Education

This literature review proposes four pillars of critical thinking (CT) that should be applied as the Christian educational discipline of noetic (or cognitive) sanctification: 1) CT is a broad term involving multiple aspects of an approach to life, 2) education brings individuals out of the classroom and into developing CT dispositions, 3) CT necessitates being conversant with multiple perspectives throughout the process of thinking and learning, and 4) CT involves a high self-awareness regarding assumptions, biases, and motivation. Based on these CT pillars, some applications are recommended for Christian educators, regardless of educational setting.

Review Of “The Teacher’S Guide To Media Literacy: Critical Thinking In A Multimedia World” By Cyndy Scheibe And Faith Rogow, Julie Smith

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article reviews “The Teacher’s Guide to Media Literacy: Critical Thinking in a Multimedia World” by Cyndy Scheibe and Faith Rogow

The Hyperreality Of Daniel Boorstin, Stephanie L. Viens

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Early media theorists can help us to link the past and present of media literacy to pose new questions and gain new knowledge. Historian, author and Librarian on Congress Daniel Boorstin (1914 – 2004) played an important role in increasing public awareness of the constructed nature of media representations. Connections are explored between constructed reality, technological advances, media literacy education, and the current work of media scholar Douglas Rushkoff on presentist society. Daniel Boorstin helped recognize the changing nature of knowledge in an image-saturated environment and influenced a new generation of theorists, scholars and educators who have advanced the …

Federal Agency Efforts To Advance Media Literacy In Substance Abuse Prevention, Alan M. Levitt, Robert W. Denniston

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This article describes and reflects upon efforts to generate greater support for media literacy and critical thinking within the strategies and programs of the Federal government, primarily in agencies with an interest in youth substance abuse prevention. Additionally, some of the inherent challenges and obstacles that impacted the ability to expand these efforts are discussed.

The Core Concepts: Fundamental To Media Literacy Yesterday, Today And Tomorrow, Tessa Jolls, Carolyn Wilson

Journal of Media Literacy Education

“New media” does not change the essence of what media literacy is, nor does it affect its ongoing importance in society. Len Masterman, a UK-based professor, published his ground-breaking books in the 1980’s and laid the foundation for media literacy to be taught to elementary and secondary students in a systematic way that is consistent, replicable, measurable and scalable on a global basis – and thus, timeless. Masterman’s key insight was that the central unifying concept of media education is that of representation: media are symbolic sign systems that must be decoded. This paper explores the development and the application …

Teaching About Propaganda: An Examination Of The Historical Roots Of Media Literacy, Renee Hobbs, Sandra Mcgee

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Contemporary propaganda is ubiquitous in our culture today as public relations and marketing efforts have become core dimensions of the contemporary communication system, affecting all forms of personal, social and public expression. To examine the origins of teaching and learning about propaganda, we examine some instructional materials produced in the 1930s by the Institute for Propaganda Analysis (IPA), which popularized an early form of media literacy that promoted critical analysis in responding to propaganda in mass communication, including in radio, film and newspapers. They developed study guides and distributed them widely, popularizing concepts from classical rhetoric and expressing them in …

Media Now: A Historical Review Of A Media Literacy Curriculum, Yonty Friesem, Diane Quaglia Beltran, Ed Crane

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The Elizabeth Thoman Archive at the Harrington School of Communication and Media, University of Rhode Island, has the last complete kit of one of the milestones in the early chronology of media literacy, the 1972 Media Now curriculum. This curriculum was the first of its kind, using self-contained lesson modules that were part of a larger series of kits, text references, and accompanying workbook. Its self-directed learning model gave students the opportunity to learn about the media, by doing, responding to, and reflecting on core concepts of media production. Using physical artifacts from the Media Now kit, historical documents, promotional …

Why History Matters For Media Literacy Education, Michael Robbgrieco

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The ways people have publicly discussed and written about media literacy in the past have great bearing on how citizens, educators and learners are able to think about and practice their own media literacy. Our concepts of media literacy have evolved over time in response to changing contexts of media studies and educational discourses as well as changes in communication technologies, media industries, politics, and popular culture. My research on the history of Media&Values magazine 1977-1993, made possible by the Elizabeth Thoman Media Literacy Archive, illustrates how tracing developments of media literacy concepts over time can give us much needed …

Introduction To Media Literacy History, Sarah Bordac

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Why is it important for us to consider the history of media literacy? Beyond forging connections of the past to the present, exploring the history of the field can deepen intellectual curiosity and understanding for those who work in media literacy education, ignite interest in others, and drive investigation into understanding the relationships of the facets and fundamentals of media literacy from past to present and into the future. The theme of leadership emerges from questions such as: How do people build programs? How does information get disseminated? What were the challenges? Who were the learners? Who were the teachers? …

Creating Critical Viewers, Renee Cherow-O'Leary

Journal of Media Literacy Education

This essay is a personal reflection on the implementation of Creating Critical Viewers, a national media literacy program sponsored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), an industry association, in 1995. The television industry’s decision to develop a media literacy curriculum in the 1990s was a powerful statement by certain broadcasters to take seriously the ethical and social questions being raised about the impact of their work and to learn how to address those questions through education.

Cinekyd: Exploring The Origins Of Youth Media Production, Renee Hobbs, David Cooper Moore

Journal of Media Literacy Education

No abstract provided.

Grounding Student Affairs In A Catholic Charism: The Journey Of One Faculty Member In Connecting Curriculum With Mission, Rich Whitney Phd, Mark Laboe

Journal of Catholic Education

The institutional mission of a university guides interactions among faculty, staff, students, and others and is instrumental in shaping the campus culture. As such, it is important that all members of a campus community not only understand the mission, but also have a sense of agency in determining how to live the mission through their work. This article presents a case study of one faculty member’s journey to deeper mission understanding, identification, and agency. The article explores commonalities between Vincentian Personalism and the basic tenets of the field of Student Affairs and highlights experiences and formation needed by lay faculty …

Aquinas On Inclusion: Using The Good Doctor And Catholic Social Teaching To Build A Moral Case For Inclusion In Catholic Schools For Children With Special Needs, Mary Carlson

Journal of Catholic Education

This article discusses the present status of students with disabilities in Catholic schools. It then builds the case, based upon the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and Catholic Social Teaching, that Catholic Schools, to remain true to Church teachings, must offer special educational services. The article concludes with recommendations for research and practice related to inclusion in Catholic schools.

Résumé
St Thomas d’Aquin sur l’inclusion scolaire : Montrer le bien-fondé moral de l’inclusion des enfants handicapés dans les écoles catholiques en utilisant l’enseignement du docteur de la foi et de la doctrine sociale catholique

Cet article évoque le statut actuel …

Motivation And Job Satisfaction Of Catholic School Teachers, John J. Convey

Journal of Catholic Education

This article examines the relationship between Catholic school teachers’ motivation and job satisfaction. The data are derived from a survey of 716 teachers in Catholic elementary and secondary schools in three dioceses in the US (Atlanta, GA; Biloxi, MS; and Cheyenne, WY). The school’s academic philosophy and its environment were important predictors of the teachers’ satisfaction with their work with students and with their relationships with administrators and other teachers. The motivation to teach in the school because it was a Catholic school was an important predictor of the teachers’ satisfaction with the school. The results of the study confirm …

Stepping Into Science Fiction: Understanding The Genre, Diane Barone, Rebecca Barone

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This manuscript focuses on fifth graders’ understanding of science fiction. It is argued that it is necessary for students to understand both reading strategies and the key elements of a genre for comprehension. Students read The Giver within literature circles and conversation and written responses about the book were used for analysis. It was found that students often focused on the same aspects of text and noticed several elements of science fiction.

Letter To Readers

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

No abstract provided.

Grades Five And Six Students’ Representation Of Meaning In Collaborative Wiki Writing, Shelley Stagg Peterson, Christine Portier

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This paper examined grades 5 and 6 students’ participation in wikis while writing reports on social studies topics. An analysis of eight wikis showed that students represented meanings they had constructed about their topics by engaging in knowledge telling practices (e.g., introducing, stating, or repeating information or an idea and developing previous ideas with examples, statistics or other information) more frequently than they engaged in knowledge transforming processes, such as drawing conclusions, identifying cause-effect relationships, or making inferences or judgements. Our research shows that Bereiter and Scardamalia’s model (1987) is useful to inform the development of tools for assessing students’ …

Understanding Literacy Teacher Educators’ Use Of Scaffolding, Joyce E. Many, Eudes Aoulou

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This inquiry examined four literacy teacher educators’ perspectives and practices as related to scaffolding by using document analysis (i.e. syllabus), observations, and interviews. Findings indicated these teacher educators used scaffolding to develop preservice teachers’ dispositions, strategies, and conceptual understandings. Faculty used scaffolding processes such as modeling, feedback, purposeful structured assignments, discussions, and reflective pieces. Participants’ use of scaffolding varied; with the participant with more years of teacher education experience exhibiting a richer and larger repertoire of scaffolding strategies. Findings also suggested some faculty might be unsure of how to monitor preservice teachers’ growth in order to provide subsequent scaffolding.

Editors' Introduction, Mary K. Mccullough, Ph.D., Martin Scanlan, Karen Huchting

Journal of Catholic Education

Introduction to the new issue.

Reflections Of A Capacity Builder: An Autoethnographic Perspective Of Capacity Building Methods With A Youth Livelihoods Organization In Vanuatu, Sandra Moore

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

Abstract

This autoethnographic narrative explores the author’s capacity building experiences, observances, insights, and reflections over a two year period working with a youth livelihoods nongovernmental organization in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. Autoethnographies explore the author’s own personal insight and reflection of their own experiences, which in turn may encourage readers to reflect on their own beliefs and practices. The author will define autoethnography and capacity building, briefly outline the historical context of Vanuatu, discuss the successes and challenges of facilitating capacity building, and reflect on her own values, assumptions, and learning within the social context of an international …

Teaching Us Healthcare Organization And Delivery: Two Models Of Instruction, Juan Leon Phd, Laura T. Pizzi Pharmd, Mph, Deon Steele Mph

Population Health Matters (Formerly Health Policy Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Providing The Fuel (And Passing The Flame), Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

At the risk of opening with a cliché statement- at the heart of the most effective mentor is a burning passion. The fuel for this passion is a desire to convince, not just try to, but actually convince your mentee that you care about their success (be it in the classroom, career, or personal life). I am guilty of believing in, and living by, this cliché. However, despite passion being my primary motivator, I am not unwilling to admit that rationale for mentoring can sometimes transcend this ethically normative line of thinking. I believe that there are also sometimes quantitative, …

Three Poems From "The Elder Project," Vernon School District 22, Brian Antoine, Yetko Brooke Bearshirt-Robins, John (Wilke) Louis, Lindsy Oppenheimer, Vicky Raphael, Lenaya Sampson

The Goose

Poetry by Vernon School District secondary students and their elders, in collaboration with The Elder Project organized by Wendy Morton and Sandra Lynxleg.

Rebecca M. Callahan And Chandra Muller. Coming Of Political Age: American Schools And The Civic Development Of Immigrant Youth, Ellen Bigler

Journal of Interdisciplinary Feminist Thought

No abstract provided.