Education Commons^™

Dialogue Between Israelis And Palestinians: Obsolete Approach Or Still Viable Technique In The Middle East Conflict Transformation Toolkit?, Laurie Millman

Capstone Collection

During the last thirty years of the 20^th century, there was a proliferation of dialogues between Palestinians and Israelis. Participants in early unofficial dialogues sometimes became negotiators for official dialogues, or articulated positions which were later presented in public Track II negotiations such as the Geneva Accords. Nevertheless, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has not been transformed, and seems more intractable now than in many years. Given the optimism, effort, and analysis which have been invested in dialogue, this paper considers the question of whether dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians represents an obsolete approach or a still valuable technique in the …

Thinking Beyond Borders: Critical Pedagogy In A Neoliberal Economy, Sarah E. White

Capstone Collection

The aim of the capstone is to explore the role of critical pedagogy as a transformative philosophy for critical consciousness by examining the Freireian methodologies of the organization Thinking Beyond Borders. TBB is a ‘gap-year’ program designed for youth to study international development in 8 countries over 8 months with the goal of questioning assumptions. With the ideological hegemony of classical neoliberal economics increasing inequality through globalization, alternative educational paradigms that promote critical and creative thinking are needed. What can be done within education to cultivate citizens capable of mitigating and transcending the homogenizing tendencies of globalization, nurturing a ‘global …

American Ways: A Course In Contemporary U.S. Culture For International Students, Christopher D. Fitch

Capstone Collection

International student populations are increasing in large proportions at universities across the United States. The onset of culture shock and difficulty communicating and relating with their new peers compounds an already difficult situation. Universities and colleges need a method to accommodate these students and help facilitate their transitions into a completely new academic and social environment.

“American Ways: A course on Contemporary American Culture for International Students” is a semester-long university level course designed to give knowledge and understanding of “American” culture to international students attending U.S. higher education institutions. It will cover topics surrounding U.S. culture that …

The Journey Home From Ecuador: A Reentry Guide For Tandana Foundation Volunteers, Heidi Bohn

Capstone Collection

The Tandana Foundation is a small, non-profit organization that works with communities nestled in the Andes of northern Ecuador, providing service-learning opportunities for students and professionals in the Otavalo region. The Journey Home from Ecuador: A Reentry Guide for Tandana Foundation Volunteers (The Journey Home) is a self-directed guide that serves to prepare interns and volunteers with the Tandana Foundation (Tandana) in Ecuador for reentry after their work abroad with the organization. In addition, it introduces the concept of reverse culture shock and provides tools and resources for a successful transition home. Living in rural Ecuador generally between …

A World Englishes Study Of Korean University Students: Effects Of Pedagogy On Language Attitudes, Patrick Rousseau

MA TESOL Collection

I examine the impact of raising awareness of World English varieties on the language attitudes of Korean university students. This study triangulated direct attitudinal measurements through the use of a 6-point Likert scale survey with indirect attitudinal measurements by employing a verbal guise test. The verbal guise test used recordings of representative speakers from six varieties of English: American, Chinese, Japanese, British, Saudi, and Korean English. Attitudinal measurements were taken pre and post a series of four 1½-hour practical English classes designed to raise awareness of world varieties, along with global trends in language use that highlight the importance of …

“Teach To The Middle”: A Double Case Study Of Two Multilevel Efl Classes In The Middle East, Teresa Hernandez

MA TESOL Collection

The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive understanding of multilevel classes. It examines the pedagogical challenges that teachers often face in this teaching context, but it also considers the implications for what multilevel classes indicate about access to education in the EFL teaching field. The author has opted to examine two distinct cases of multilevel classes in the Middle East that she taught from 2010-2011 and in 2012. The first was a remedial 7^th grade English class called 7F in an international school in Erbil, the capital city of the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The second …

Enhancing Road Scholar Cuba Programs Through Group Leader Training, Desiree N. Shrode

Capstone Collection

In response to the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the United States imposed several embargos and restrictions against Cuba. The stipulations of these embargos have included prohibitions on not only the importation and trade of cigars, rum, and coffee, but also travel between the U.S. and Cuba. However, in 2011, President Barack Obama decided to ease these travel restrictions for educational travel that is not related in pursuant to an academic degree, also known as a People-to-People license. Due to Obama’s change in policy, many organizations have been sponsoring travel to Cuba on these People-to-People licenses, granted by the Office of …

Exploring Sydney: An Onsite Orientation Program For Students Studying In Australia, Meaghan Murphy

Capstone Collection

Exploring Sydney: An Onsite Orientation Program for Students Studying in Australia is a four-day onsite orientation program designed for students spending the semester in Australia. In this program design, the students explore Sydney and learn about the country’s history and local culture. The onsite orientation is run by CISabroad, a third party provider based in Northampton, Massachusetts which offers college students affordable study abroad programs.

The orientation takes place prior to the start of the five Australia semester programs. The Australian site director leads the onsite orientation and is with the students for the entire program. The program takes place …

Movement In Learning: Revitalizing The Classroom, Marcus Van

MA TESOL Collection

Movement is a vital part of our every day lives, and it is also important for a healthy brain. The following paper examines the shift from movement based learning to a more restrictive rote format, which often has adverse effects on learning. This work discusses the ways in which teachers are under pressure to “teach to the test” instead of creating student-centered classrooms. Some of the side effects of a test-centered approach are low self-esteem (from not meeting strict academic requirements) and behavioral problems in students.

Adding more movement to lessons can provide variation and relief from the rote-only system. …

Narrative Inquiry In The Language Classroom: An Incubator Of Identity And Growth Exploration, Olga Culver

MA TESOL Collection

The paper examines narrative inquiry within the precepts of socio-cultural and ecological theories. The work touches upon constructivist learning ideologies and examines social approaches to learning with an emphasis on biographical narratives. The author makes a case for self-discovery, holistic learning, and creating collaborative learning environments. The study also presents a methodology with practical applications for implementing a narrative praxis in a second language learning environment.

Teaching As A Reflective Practice: Orgasmial Theory And Its Refutation, William Culver

MA TESOL Collection

An interdisciplinary study examining teaching as a reflective practice with special emphasis on expanding the underlying factors of constructing and maintaining an empowering learning environment, as well as the need for and development of “transformative integrity” as part of a proactive teaching praxis.

La Disciplina Y Los Procesos De La Enseñanza Y El Aprendizaje: Una Visión De Los Enfoques Hacia La Disciplina, La Enseñanza Y El Aprendizaje Basada En Las Observaciones De Una Escuela Concertada En Granada, Andalucía, Anna Lau

Spain: Language, Community, and Social Change

For my community service project, I worked as an English teacher at the Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, a charter school in the neighborhood of Realejo in Granada. My primary contact at the school was a professor, José Guerrero, who is also head of the school’s English department, among many of his other roles. He assigned me to work with a group of 16-year-olds one day per week, and 7-year olds on another. With the older students, I presented a different aspect of American culture at each meeting, after which I asked them to share their own traditions. With …

Los Beneficios De La Educación Cultural Para La Rehabilitación, Samantha Thoma

Spain: Language, Community, and Social Change

In Fall of 2012, during my participation in the Spain: Language, Community and Social Change program, I volunteered at El Centro de Inserción Social “Matilde Canto Fernandez”, a center for inmates in the advanced stages of their reintegration. It is located in the center of urban Granada in order to make the reintegration into the social life of Granada easier. The center plays a residential role and offers intervention and treatment of activities, and social work.

The initial idea for my service was to conduct a “Cine-fórum” in which I would show a movie and lead a discussion where …

Alliances Et Cultures Nord, Emily Taft

France: Language, Community and Social Change

Alliances et Cultures est un centre social à Toulouse qui « apporte, par des actions collectives, une réponse à des problèmes d'intégration sociale. » L’association, qui a été officiellement créée en 1987, réalise cette mission par trois axes principaux: l’insertion social et les liens sociales, l’accompagnement à la parentalité, et l’accompagnement aux personnes âgées. L’Alliances et Cultures a trois endroits différents : Sept-Deniers, Mirail, et Nord. Pour ma présentation, je vais parler de l’association en générale, ses missions, ses activités, etc. Je pense qu’il est important de montrer tous les fonctionnes de l’association pour mieux voir comment elles travaillent ensemble …

La Enseñanza Informal Y Los Impactos Por La Influencia De La Educación Formal En La Comunidad De Santa Rosa De Huacaria, Veronica Puente

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación analiza la educación informal o la educación que los padres proporcionan a sus hijos sobre los valores culturales presente en la comunidad de Santa Rosa de Huacaria y explora como han sido afectados por la educación formal. Esta investigación surgió de las comunicadas brechas dentro de la literatura existente sobre la educación en pueblos indígena. La cual viene de la reforma la Educación Intercultural Bilingüe la cual tiene como objetivo incorporar el lenguaje y la cultura en la educación de comunidades indígenas. Sin embargo, no se ha podido realizar este objetivo. La metodología usada para este proyecto incluye …

Folktales And Philanthropy: Using Folktales As A Bridge To Community Service, Anne Michelle Myrick

MA TESOL Collection

Using folktales in an ESL/EFL classroom is not a new concept. Many teachers have found these ancient stories to be useful for language learning. In this paper I will explore some rationale for utilizing a student’s culture, folklore and folktales in particular in order to increase reading and writing skills, as well as other academic skills. In addition I will draw a correlation between folktales and philanthropy and show how folktales may be used as a bridge to community service task-based projects.

This paper also contains materials for a Folklore and Philanthropy course that I developed for my current teaching …

Utilizing The Interactive Reading Model In A Continuing Education Course, Shawn Mcrae

MA TESOL Collection

This paper seeks to provide an alternative method of reading instruction to female Saudi Arabian university students enrolled in a continuing education class for banking. Rather than a teacher-centered approach that relies on textbooks for materials development, a student-centered approach has been utilized in order to encourage participation, allowing the learners to have more input in the learning process. The use of student-generated materials allows for an authentic medium of communication, enabling students to practice their language learning skills using topics of social and personal relevance. From a teaching perspective, this is extremely important; it can increase students’ motivation, stepping …

La Educacion Chilena: ¿Derecho Humano O Bien De Consumo?, Simone Nicole Henry

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El tema de este proyecto es el sistema educativo chileno, en términos de los Derechos Humanos y, particularmente, el derecho a la educación del niño. Se busca información sobre el sistema educativo chileno por su historia, su evolución, sus métodos actuales, sus fortaleces y sus debilidades para encontrar el origen de la desigualdad profunda que el sistema sufre y también perpetua. Para obtener esa información, se usaron fuentes primarias y secundarias además de entrevistas de varias personas que participan, directamente o indirectamente, en la educación chilena primaria. Aunque la educación superior en Chile es también un desafío actual, como un …

Engendering The Classroom: A Look At Constructions Of ‘Gender’ And Empowerment Within Teachers’ Trainings In Northern India, Martha Snow

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Education for girls in India has been a crucial area of study for the past 20 years; however, the main focus of attention has been on issues of girls’ access to school only. This study moves beyond this, seeking to gain critical insight into how ‘gender’ is being understood within the classroom via teachers. Teachers’ trainings conducted by the government and by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) were examined through interviews with teachers and coordinators of teachers’ trainings, along with experts on gender and feminism in Delhi and Jaipur, Rajasthan. These interviews focused on the content and quality of teachers’ trainings, and …

The Costs Of Class: Private Schooling, Parental Choice, And Class Aspirations Among Kathmandu’S Working Poor, Andrew Chen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the last two decades, the ‘de facto’ privatization of educational services has emerged as a significant policy trend in Nepal’s educational sector; however, unlike earlier decades when private schools catered exclusively to the privileged classes, the expansion of low-cost ‘budget’ private institutions have begun to serve lower socioeconomic and marginalized classes of the population. This project examines parental perceptions and decisional contexts surrounding the choice of private school for children f the working poor in Kathmandu. Specifically, the study uses the lens of class to explore the rationale, anxieties, and aspirations of working poor parents as they navigate the …

Educando Para El Futuro Mapuche: Un Estudio De Caso De La Enseñanza Intercultural En Nivel Media En La Ix Región De Chile, Henry Edelstein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este estudio se trata de la educación intercultural en un liceo técnico de la novena región de Chile. Analiza la educación como una herramienta de la preservación y revitalización de la cultura mapuche. El proyecto intenta buscar una respuesta a la pregunta de si se puede educar a los jóvenes para que adquieran una identidad clara mapuche con que puedan vivir en el mundo globalizado. Se usa métodos de observación, y los hallazgos muestran mucho sobre los éxitos, desafíos, y métodos utilizados en el liceo. Además ofrecen opiniones variadas sobre las posibilidades de aplicación del modelo de este liceo a …

Educación Intercultural Y Bilingüe Para Todos: Espoleando Para Un Quiebre Potencial En Las Normas De La Sociedad Chilena, Elizabeth Bickley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este trabajo aborda la interrogante sobre a quien está dirigida la educación intercultural y bilingüe (EIB) puesto que la sociedad chilena es multicultural y por lo tanto el desafío de rescatar las lenguas originarias y reconocer identidades culturales originarias son importantes. Para abordar esta cuestión, este estudio se enfoca en la población Mapuche, en tanto sujetos representativos de la población indígena en Chile. Se investiga en la ciudad de Santiago debido a que es la ciudad que agrupa a la mayor cantidad de población descendiente de pueblos originarios y en consecuencia expresa una mayor diversidad de fenómenos culturales, sociales y …

The English Language: Exploring Its Educational, Economic, And Social Market Value In New Delhi, Andrea Asai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As English continues to solidify itself as the global language, the idea that proficiency in English is the key to upward mobility is spreading. This trend is especially present throughout India, yet the quality of English education continues to vary drastically. Unequal prospects from a young age greatly impact future opportunities and while many are using English to soar up, still a large percentage of Indians are being left behind. In many cases, English is still viewed as the language of the elite, but underprivileged groups are also using it to positively change their lives. By using semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, …

“A Place For The Grassroots”: Examining The Role Of Community Participation And Local Governance In Providing Mid-Day Meals In Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh, Anderson Tuggle

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)—the world’s largest school lunch program—was launched by India’s central government in August 1995 with the lofty goals of “enhancing enrollment, retention, and attendance while simultaneously improving nutritional levels among children.”[1] 17 years later, particularly following prominent Supreme Court orders in November 2001 and April 2004, MDMS has become a key program for the government, now serving about 105 million primary and upper-primary schoolchildren in 1.2 million schools.[2] When implemented properly, MDMS has had a noticeable positive impact on student attendance and enrollment, alongside a reduction in teacher absenteeism. Yet grave disparities in application …

Actores Secundarios En El Movimiento Estudiantil Chileno En 2011 Y 2012: Un Análisis Comparativo De La Asamblea Coordinadora De Estudiantes Secundarios Y La Coordinadora Nacional De Estudiantes Secundarios., Carly Brook

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Chilean student movement, intermittently present in Chile since the beginning of the 20th Through the conduction of personal interviews, utilization of student proposals for a new system of education, occupation of the concepts of social movements of Alain Touraine and concepts of student movements of Manuel Garretón, revision of current news sources, and participant observation, this investigation concludes the dynamic between the ACES and the CONES to be an antagonistic one characteristic of two social actors in competition over control of the definition of the same social resource, a new education system for Chile. It then identifies this antagonism …

Embracing The Opposition: Normative Culture And Candid Communication At The Buffalo Mountain School, Christian Mccrory

MA TESOL Collection

This paper examines the relationship between two approaches to disruptive behavior used at the Buffalo Mountain School, where the author works as a Special Education Provider for behaviorally and developmentally challenged students. These are the Normative Approach, established by the Northeastern Family Institute, and the Candid Approach, which is defined by the author based on his observations of practitioners at Buffalo Mountain. Each of these are used in an alternative school setting to redirect anti-social or disruptive behavior. The purpose of this paper is to determine the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches along with the parameters of their efficacy. …

Creating Imagined And Real Communities Through Classroom Activities, Bruna Tadross Ferrari

Sandanona

Young learners have strong negative associations with formal learning and uninteresting content. Furthermore, it is challenging for students to speak English outside the classroom in a TL removed context. To rectify this situation, the presenter will demonstrate some engaging and interesting activities to encourage student participation and make learning fun!

The Culture Boundary: How Awareness Informs Teaching Practice, Angela Richardson

MA TESOL Collection

In this paper I discuss the value of exploring student culture through ongoing reflective processes for effective and responsible language teaching. I reflect on my own experience of teaching in a foreign language context for the first time, and discuss how developing cultural awareness helped me move from a place of frustration to understanding, and how a change in attitude and teaching approach impacted my relationships and significantly improved the quality of teaching and learning in my classroom. Using Pat Moran’s ‘Cultural Knowings’ framework as a guide, I reflect on my personal transformation while working in South Korea and report …

Not You/Like You, With You: Toward A Praxis Of Love, Learning, And Liberation In Teaching Efl Writing — On Zombies, De-Colonial Feminisms, And Freire In Efl Contact Zones, Jessmaya Morales

MA TESOL Collection

This paper explores EFL writing as a critical contact zone in which identity and subjectivity are found, denied, contested, de/constructed and occupied. The author opens with an account of a dream, utilized as a metaphor to examine EFL learning through the analytical lens of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The paper’s first section is a self-reflexive discussion of Freire’s pedagogy and why his unambiguous analyses of power, subjectivity, and the “banking system of education” are vital to the field of ELT. In the second section, the author discusses subjectivity, identity, and intersectionality as rooted in the work of …

Cuisenaire Rods: Pedagogical And Relational Instruments For Language Learning, Sevilay Akarcay

MA TESOL Collection

Cuisenaire Rods are pedagogical and relational instruments with great potential for exploring the way a language works. With their flexibility and simplicity, they allow the students to focus on the process of learning; helping them notice patterns, make associations, and engage in a social and personal relation with the language and deepening their awareness of themselves as learners. The Cuisenaire Rods’ potential for creating simplicity within complexity enables a way of working with language that engages the playful and creative powers of the users. In the introductory part of the paper, the author explores Caleb Gattegno’s approach to learning and …