Education Commons^™

Intensive English Program Design For Minnesota Public School District, Ellen Bialka

Capstone Collection

The recent rise in undocumented immigrants in Minnesota has brought to light significant demographic shifts within the state. Many individuals in this population have limited or no proficiency in English, which highlights the challenges immigrant communities face in adapting to their new linguistic surroundings. As a result, educators have been presented with the challenge of serving a growing number of immigrant children in their schools. To tackle this issue, an intensive English program was developed for a suburban public school district in Minnesota to offer a more targeted approach to improving English proficiency among students before beginning courses required for …

Building On Best Practices And Organizational Expertise: Informing Curriculum Design For Refugee And Asylum-Seeking Youth At Philadelphia Outward Bound School, Emily Della Fera

Capstone Collection

Refugee and asylum-seeking youth experience a variety of barriers within education, social adjustment and inclusion, and mental and physical health when resettling to a new country. These barriers which can be mitigated with outdoor education programs that supplement existing resettlement programs. Outdoor education has proven positive outcomes in youth’s self-perception and confidence, school performance, community and relationship building, and physical and mental health. This course-linked capstone designs curriculum for an outdoor education program that will be proposed to the Philadelphia Outward Bound School. Designed specifically for refugee and asylum-seeking youth, the curriculum fosters environments for participants to build relationships, gain …

Building School Community Amidst Tracking Systems And Social Media, Christina Romero

MA TESOL Collection

Schools have long been the heart of a community. Building up students to feel welcomed, accepted, and safe is a tall order. This task has gotten more difficult as social conflict has seeped its way within school walls. Societies have become more diverse in many ways as of late. Political, economic, and racial differences have widened gaps between individuals. As schools mirror this societal diversity, it has been harder for both societies and public schools to feel more communal. The public high school this case study is set in specifically experiences division through tracking systems and, more recently, social media …

Virtual Free-Writing Journal Portfolios In An Intensive English Program In Iraq, Charles Mckinney

MA TESOL Collection

Middle-Eastern English language learners (ELLs), specifically Iraqi students, are often not well equipped to succeed in university settings where English is the medium of instruction (EMI) for their intended graduate and undergraduate studies. Oftentimes, they are weaker in their academic literacy skills, when compared to listening and speaking, and need extra scaffolding and/or remedial instruction to develop their reading and writing dexterity for overall academic success. One way to support their writing development is to implement free-writing journal projects that will enable them to cultivate an original writer voice, to think quickly and critically in the L2, and to integrate …

Beginning English Literacy Instruction For Adult Refugees And Immigrants: An Attempt To Decolonize The Approach(Es), Xania Bytof

MA TESOL Collection

Although many organizations offer free “beginning” English classes for adult refugees and immigrants in the U.S., most of these classes depend on written worksheets and other print materials – therefore requiring students to be familiar with the English alphabet in order to follow along. The lack of accessible beginning literacy classes for adult refugees and immigrants puts students with limited or interrupted formal education and those whose language(s) don’t use the roman alphabet at a stark disadvantage. Additionally, most literacy coursework is designed from a Western perspective whose historical, political and social foundational structures hold English literacy and Western funds …

Leveraging The Dynamics Of The Mixed Level Classroom: A Materials Collection, Emily Hampston

MA TESOL Collection

A number of studies have noted the rise in student demographic diversity and the heightened significance of the mixed-level classroom; however, a consensus on the appropriate methods and materials to address these developments remains to be reached. Educators are anticipated to address the needs of students with a variety of abilities, backgrounds, and interests in a singular class. Less proficient students face overstimulation whilst more proficient students face understimulation. How can the challenges of the mixed-level classroom be recast into strengths? The mixed-level classroom environment calls for student investment, real language, and familiar processes. Methods such as peer tutoring, cooperative …

Integrating Adult Mentorship Module Within Youth Oriented Programs, Shady Elfaham

Capstone Collection

ABSTRACT

World Learning (WL) is a non-governmental entity focused on the advancement of leaders around the world through educational exchange programs and sustainable development initiatives. Its Youth Exchange Unit comprises an experienced and inventive team designing and implementing cultural exchange programs centered on capacity and skills building in civic engagement, teambuilding, leadership, youth workforce development, and entrepreneurship. Through such experiential learning initiatives, WL staff have recognized the correlation between mentorship and positive youth development.

Recognizing the short- and long-term benefits that quality mentorship can generate for youth, this capstone project integrates a tailored adult mentorship module within upcoming WL youth-oriented …

Approaches To Narrative Instruction For Second Language Learners, Mathew Peters

MA TESOL Collection

Narratives have reemerged as a dominant form of rhetoric over the last fifty years. This dominant use of narrative discourse has only increased with the rise of social media. Walther Fisher (1987) proposed the narrative paradigm as a unifying theory of human communication. His major claim is that people are inherently storytellers and that people use a narrative rationality and a logic of good reasons to inform their beliefs, values, and actions. This paper utilizes his theories, along with recent findings in neuroscience, to establish an argument for greater inclusion of narratives into second language teaching. Narratives can have a …

Diversity And Worldliness At The Compass School, Luiz A. Batista

Capstone Collection

This paper demonstrates how the application of International Education principles and practices to curricula at the Compass School of Westminster, Vermont would augment worldliness and diversity as well as improve the overall quality of education offered at this secondary school. This research identifies deficiencies in areas pertaining to internationalization and diversity and provides recommendations to remedy these deficiencies. The realization of these recommendations would help to increase students’ preparedness for participation in a globalized society and would provide an enhanced educational experience for all. This research is intended to support faculty and staff at the Compass School by providing an …

Rethinking Language Teaching Methods And Materials, Matthew Barge

MA TESOL Collection

With a vast number of people speaking and learning English all over the world, the English language has shifted from being a national language to an international language and finally into a global language. However, English is often taught in a very exclusive way in which English language learners are often times only introduced and exposed to the language practices of speakers who have historically held the most power and prestige in the English-speaking world. One result of this teaching methodology is that many English learners are being taught language practices that are not reflective of how various English speaking …

L'Enracinement Et L'Ouverture: A Relevant Global Citizenship Education In Senegal, Alanna Margaret Ross

Capstone Collection

As the international community strives to work together to respond to globalization implications in education, global citizenship education (GCE) has become more prominent in the educational agenda of the international community. While much literature has critiqued GCE’s potential neo-imperialist effects in postcolonial context, there have been very few studies that have sought out the voices of key stakeholders, such as students, parents, teachers, and school leaders. A total of nineteen school leaders, teachers, parents, and students were interviewed to examine whether they found global citizenship education relevant to students in Senegal. The study found that global citizenship education was perceived …

Global Citizenship Education In Homeschooling Practices And Experiences In Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, And Pennsylvania, Bethany Shackelford

Capstone Collection

Global citizenship education (GCED) has moved to the forefront of U.S. education policy. The core tenets of GCED are knowledge, skills, behaviors, actions, attitudes, and values. Through these tenets, GCED strives to prepare students to be contributing members of society through making positive change. In this study, I examined the extent to which GCED was integrated in homeschooling education in eight families located in four Northeastern states, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

The findings derived from individual interviews and surveys with homeschooling parents and their adult children as well as document analysis demonstrate that seven of the eight …

Winter Travel For Cold Weather Novices; Methods For Making Challenging Outdoor Experiences More Inclusive, Anders Fristedt

Capstone Collection

Cold Weather for Winter Novices is a weeklong experiential education trip developed for students, between the ages of 17 and 21, from the Armand Hammer United World College of the American West (UWC-USA), an international boarding school in Montezuma, New Mexico. This trip is an opportunity to examine multicultural perspectives of adventure and wilderness. Specifically, the research question focuses on if the concepts of adventure and wilderness present inherent hurdles for diverse populations.

This program was developed trough a detailed literature review and needs assessment that involved both outdoor education professionals and potential students. The literature review looked at the …

Creating Global Citizens Through Returnee Programming, Kristen Foos

Capstone Collection

The purpose of study abroad is to facilitate students’ journey to global citizenship and a large part in doing this is having effective returnee programming. This research focused on what type of program models best facilitate this goal and are of interest to students at Washington State University (WSU). To answer this question, 12 WSU peer advisors, 4 global learning advisors at WSU, and 5 global learning advisors at other institutions were all interviewed. Along with that, a survey was sent out to all WSU student who had studied abroad within the past year. The results demonstrated that when WSU …

Designing An Integrated Education And Training Program For English Language Learners At A Community-Based Literacy Organization, Courtney J. Lord

MA TESOL Collection

Since the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014, adult education programs across the country began to plan and implement integrated education and training (IET) programs. IET programs combine adult basic education or ESL instruction with workforce preparation activities and training to not only help participants improve their basic skills or English language proficiency, but also help them advance in their educational or career paths. This model has been particularly challenging for community-based literacy organizations (CBLOs) to adopt, as IETs require additional funding streams, collaborative partnerships, and significant support services. In addition, literature regarding how to …

An Academic Writing Curriculum And Materials For A1-B2-Level Learners In A Turkish University’S English Language Preparatory Program, Matthew Champlin

MA TESOL Collection

This IPP combines a literature review and a materials development project. The literature review outlines and supports the approach taken throughout the curriculum and the materials that were developed. First, it lays out the nature of Turkish universities’ ELPP’s; then, it deals with the basic philosophy of the curriculum including individualization and standardization, the role of joy in education, the necessity for an integration of skills in teaching academic writing, the use of models, and the necessity and purpose of feedback. In the second half of the literature review, the key features of academic writing are discussed in advance of …

Online Learning As An Alternative Form Of Education For Individuals Impacted By Conflict, Wynter Oshiberu

MA TESOL Collection

Through a small case study, this paper investigates one on-line learning organization devoted to providing ESL education to persons affected by conflict. Through interviews with administrators and tutors, and through survey data collected from participants, the paper will explore how administrators and tutors:

1) determine suitability of material when deciding what to teach in this virtual classroom format

2) foster reflection skills in this format

3) assess language acquisition

4) measure the benefits of technology in one on one instruction

Paper Airplanes consists of about five hundred to eight hundred students and around 800 hundred tutors (Wimer, 2018). It is …

Accent Modification Program: A Program For Foreign-Born Employees At St. Jude Children’S Research Hospital, Lisa Gaddy

Capstone Collection

Some foreign national employees lack English proficiency, have poor pronunciation skills, and find it difficult to be understood due to their strong native accent when speaking English. The Accent Modification Program (AMP) is designed to provide an opportunity for non-native English-speaking employees at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, primarily postdoctoral research associates, to advance their English-speaking skills especially as it relates to oral presentation proficiency. The program design is informed by the needs assessment based on data collection via personal interviews, professional observations and experience of the author. AMP will provide regularly scheduled group sessions with a native-English speaking facilitator. …

Language Matters: What Are The Primary School Teachers' Perspectives And Lived Experiences Of Burundi's Language Policy?, Leah Passauer

Capstone Collection

Burundi is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Burundian language policy dictates that four languages, Kirundi, French, English, and Kiswahili, must be taught starting in the second trimester of grade one. The language policy decision is not an obvious one since the country is linguistically homogenous, meaning that almost the entire population speaks Kirundi as their first language. Primary school teachers in the public education system typically receive training in a vocational setting that may not fully prepare them for the complex multilingual classroom environment they are expected to cultivate. The aim of this small-scale mixed-methods …

The Short-Term Youth Exchange Program, Kristia Grandison

Capstone Collection

The study abroad world is constantly changing and adapting to the diverse needs of the global market. One current trend in France is the demand for students to begin studying abroad at a younger age, when many people believe it is easier to learn new languages and develop intercultural skills. Informed by needs assessment with members of the community at Saint-Denis International School, located in Loches France, I designed the short-term French youth exchange program. This three-week program will take place during the academic year and was designed for preadolescent students in 6^th and 7^th grade (ages 10 …

Peacebuilding And Community Development, A Civic Engagement Program For Vietnamese Undergraduate Students In Cambodia, Thuy Nguyen

Capstone Collection

This proposal presents a program design for the Peace Building and Community Development program, a ten-week civic engagement program for undergraduate Vietnamese students in Cambodia during the summer break. This is a new program model proposed to Sarus, a leadership and peace education organization, which has run its programs mostly in the form of short-term exchange programs. The program will be executed by Sarus in partnership with higher education institutions in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and community partner organizations in Cambodia. The program aims to give students exposure to a multicultural environment, opportunities for holistic development, as well as …

Using Principles Of Inclusion And Sustainability For Designing And Facilitating Inclusive And Sustainable Development Workshops, Sai Aung Thein

Capstone Collection

This Training Course-Linked Capstone (CLC) is an analysis of the reflective practitioner’s design on inclusive and sustainable development workshops for World Learning. The analysis focuses on integrating the pedagogical approaches of experiential learning, engaged pedagogy and social justice frameworks. The reflective practitioner asks: With his/her participants, how can a trainer/facilitator co-create an inclusive and sustainable learning environment for an inclusive and sustainable development workshop? How can a trainer/facilitator embrace principles of inclusion and sustainability and make sure from the beginning that the process of designing and facilitating the workshop is experiential, democratic, participatory, engaged, and dialectically based education and adult …

La Implementación De La Ley De Educación Sexual Integral (Ley 26.150): Una Comparación Entre Escuelas Secundarias Públicas Y Escuelas Secundarias Privadas Católicas En Caba / The Implementacion Of The Law Of Comprehensive Sexual Education (Law 26.150): A Comparison Between Public And Private Catholic High Schools In Caba, Eve Gertzman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La promulgación de la ley 26.150, también conocida como la Ley de Educación Sexual Integral (ESI) en 2006, dio a todos los docentes de Argentina no sólo la oportunidad, sino también la responsabilidad de enseñar educación sexual sexual de una manera integral en sus aulas. Aunque han transcurrido más de doce años desde su aprobación, la ley no se ha implementado adecuadamente en las distintas regiones del país, incluyendo a la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Recopilando las opiniones y experiencias de tres docentes de escuelas secundarias públicas y privadas católicas en Buenos Aires, este estudio …

Enseñando Desobediencia: La Pedagogía Del Cuerpo Y El Libre Desarrollo De La Identidad De Género De Las Estudiantes Transgénero Y Travesti En El Bachillerato Popular Mocha Celis / Teaching Disobedience: Pedagogies Of The Body And Transgender And Tranvestite Students’ Free Development Of Their Gender Identities In Bachillerato Popular Mocha Celis, Joaquín Labio

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Después de años y años de la militancia transgénero, travesti, y transexual, se aprobó la Ley de Identidad de Género en 2012, que reconoce el derecho de todas personas a la identidad de género. Sin embargo, uno de los desafíos más grande a su implementación es la escuela. Desde el nacimiento de la estado-nación argentina, la escuela ha reproducido el binario de género y ha disciplinado los cuerpos de la población transgénero y travesti. Como resultado, seis en cada diez mujeres trans no han completado su secundaria (“Situación de los derechos humanos”, 2016, p. 15). En respuesta, el Bachillerato Popular …

From Theory To Curriculum: A Best Practices Model For A New International Student Cultural Acclimation Course, Denise Leinonen

Capstone Collection

This course-linked capstone (CLC) is inspired by the current international student cultural acclimation course at State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta. Surprisingly, there are few cultural acclimation courses offered in the United States and there is lack of academic research evaluating the effectiveness of such courses. This course model will incorporate the successful aspects of the few current cultural acclimation courses offered, including the Oneonta course, and integrate learning, cultural adjustment, and student development theories into the curriculum to provide a basis for the content and structure of the course. Qualitative research through surveys and interviews with international …

“Solo Está Derrotado Quien Deja De Soñar” Un Estudio De La Generación Y Apoyo De Motivación Estudiantil En Escuelas De Reingreso De Santiago, Chile Y Buenos Aires, Argentina Y Su Aplicación A Un Proyecto Material / "Only Those Who Stop Dreaming Are Defeated" A Study Of The Generation And Support Of Student Motivation In Re-Entry Schools Of Santiago, Chile And Buenos Aires, Argentina And Their Application To A Material Project, Emily Beyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este ensayo es parte de un proyecto que examina generación y apoyo de motivación estudiantil en escuelas de reingreso en Santiago, Chile y Buenos Aires, Argentina. El proyecto propuso crear un mural que refleje los resultados de la investigación y en su construcción, crea una representación física de lo que piensan los estudiantes, profesores, y directores sobre la importancia de la educación y luego tener un trabajo escrito que contextualiza el mural dentro de la investigación. La investigación fue hecha a través de entrevistas y observación participativa y examina las razones para motivación y los desafíos que enfrentan en tres …

La Escuela Chilena En Disputa: Las Perspectivas De Educadores Chilenos Sobre El Aporte De La Educación Popular En Un Contexto De Una Educación Bancaria / The Chilean School In Dispute: The Perspectives Of Chilean Educators On The Contribution Of Popular Education In A Context Of A Banking Education, Brooke Porter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El enfoque pedagógico dominante del sistema educativo chileno es una educación de tipo “bancaria” como diría Paulo Freire en su libro Pedagogía del Oprimido. Bajo este sistema, los estudiantes son depositarios de información, que está apartado de su realidad, que solo están orientados a la preparación de pruebas estandarizadas. Esto lleva a que los estudiantes salen del sistema educativo sin pensamiento crítico. A pesar del predominio de esta visión, hay proyectos educativos y profesores que apoyan e implementan una pedagogía alternativa, la educación popular (EP). La EP es una pedagogía latinoamericana y problematizadora que enfatiza el pensamiento crítico, la concientización …

The Earth Sciences Field Camp: A Short-Term Study Abroad Program Design, Catherine Tartaglia

Capstone Collection

For earth science students, a field camp is the culmination of years of dedicated study: an opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge they have gleaned in the classroom, to develop personally and professionally, and to travel with intention. Although short-term, these programs are nevertheless impactful and academically demanding. They require students to synthesize and employ the entirety of their scientific knowledge as well as collaborate with a team to achieve their learning goals.

Their experiential nature makes field camps the perfect opportunity for earth sciences students - who may, due to the nature of their curricula, be excluded from an …

Closing The Circle: Comprehensive Study Abroad Reentry Programming In A Small Liberal Arts College, Dora Musini

Capstone Collection

In an increasingly globalized world, study abroad is growing in popularity. As a rising number of students study, work, research or simply move abroad, research by experts and practitioners has been focused on finding ways to maximize learning. An effective and wildly popular strategy adopted by most institutions is pre-departure orientation. However its counterpart, study abroad reentry, while also potentially transformative, isn’t equally widespread.

This paper describes an effort to fill this gap through the creation of a reentry program for Marlboro College, a small, liberal arts college in Marlboro, Vermont. In order to tailor the program to Marlboro students’ …

Student Engagement Curriculum For The Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus, Michael Angelo Caban

Capstone Collection

This paper is a guide for a student engagement curriculum for the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus(PGMC). Included are the theoretical frameworks for youth empowerment and development, Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and more (LGBTQ+) empowerment, and intercultural training design and facilitation that are at the center and the considerations an intercultural trainer and youth programmer and facilitator should constantly regard. The main purpose of this is to put forth a document that PGMC, as well as any group or organization, can use to empower LGBTQ+ young people, as well as their straight allies, and to develop leaders in their schools …