Education Commons^™

Extended Book Review: Mathematics In Popular Culture: Essays On Appearances In Film, Fiction, Games, Television And Other Media, Edited By Jessica K. Sklar And Elizabeth S. Sklar; Loving+Hating Mathematics: Challenging The Myths Of Mathematical Life, By Reuben Hersh And Vera John-Steiner; Mathematicians: An Outer View Of The Inner World, By Mariana Cook, Gizem Karaali

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

I was delighted to have the opportunity to review three books on a topic near and dear to my heart. In recent years it has become a passion of mine to think of and speak about the place of mathematics in the real world, in the world of those who are not doing mathematics for a living. I care about the applications and the implications of mathematics, but more than that, I care about the feelings and the impressions attached to it. Often math anxiety or skepticism comes up; the latter may be due to how frequently others (mis)use statistics, …

Is The Black Male College Graduate Becoming An Endangered Species? A Multi-Case Analysis Of The Attrition Of Black Males In Higher Education, Michael Washington

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

The purpose of this study was to examine how some black college students survived the phenomenon of low graduation rates, also known as attrition, occurring among black male students attending colleges in the state of California. Current research indicated that this phenomenon is a nationwide issue. The gap between black male college students and none-minority college students is significant and an indication of either discriminatory practices or inefficiencies within the system. This multiple case study involved a series of semi-structured interviews and field observation over a three month time-frame. The data was coded and triangulated. The findings pointed to several …

Susan Bauer's 2003 Theory Of Well-Educated Mind: Could The Classical Approach To Teaching History Work In Southern California History K12 Classrooms?, Tomasz B. Stanek

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

The main purpose of this research evolved from the publication of S. W. Bauer Well-educated mind, a study of the significance of new methods of teaching history course. Bauer (2003) argues that the grammarian approach of simple recognition and memorization removes students from reading primary sources. This theory suggests a new methodology for the instructors and students through the three-stage process of grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric preparation with aid of primary sources or “great books list”. This paper supports Bauer’s thesis and provides evidence through extensive interviews that indeed this concept of pedagogy is present in Southern California schools.

Off Sunset Boulevard: Students, Homelessness And Disability In Los Angeles- Idea, Mckinney Vento And The Void In Between, Remy Krumpak

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

Homeless youth with a disability must overcome many barriers to receive the meaningful, individualized education they are legally entitled to. Over the last two decades, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the McKinney-Vento Act have begun to acknowledge the challenges that exist for this population. These laws require school districts to identify homeless youth with a disability, allow them immediate enrollment and access to special education services, and free transportation to school. This article examines the Los Angeles Unified School District as a case study for policy implementation. In analyzing the success of the policies as implemented, this article …

An Awareness Of What Is Missing: Four Views On The Consequences Of Secularism, Rachel E. Hunt Steenblik, Heidi Zameni, Debbie Ostorga, Nathan Greeley

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

While the issues regarding widespread secularization in contemporary Western culture are difficult to properly assess, it can be argued that certain prerequisites are necessary for the well-being of any society and, furthermore, that certain of these necessary conditions are only provided by a given civilization's major religious tradition. All societies need to perpetually engage in collective action and decision making, and as any given community faces the challenges of the future, its governing religious worldview is an indispensable source of guidance and time-honored wisdom. With this in mind, it will be argued that Western civilization is dependent upon a Judeo-Christian …

Creativity For Learning Biology In Higher Education, Diki Diki

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

Learning biology is considered difficult, especially in some areas like cell division, genetics, and hormones (Cimer, 2012). On the other hand, there is a connection between student success in learning science with creativity (Son, 2009). As creativity can be defined as the formation of new and useful ways to solve a problem (Sternberg & Kaufmann, 2010), it can be used to help students to learn biology. Meanwhile, according to Guilford (1950), creativity includes divergent and convergent thinking. Research on creativity in learning biology helps to integrate different research findings, formulating ideas, and analogies (Dunbarr, 1997). Analogy is a process to …

My Mathematics, Karen Morgan Ivy

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This poem reflects a personal kaleidoscopic perspective into a world of actively engaging others in teaching and learning mathematics.

Selling Mathematics: Service & Quality, Jon Jacobsen

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Is there a difference between teaching mathematics and selling mathematics? The author presents his personal experience on the topic and reflects on how this perspective can be used to improve public perception of and engagement with mathematics.

Math Stories: Learning And Doing Mathematics Through Fiction Writing, Frederick Chen, Janna Raley

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this paper, we advocate the writing of mathematical fiction (i) as an aid for students in learning mathematics, and (ii) to engage students in doing mathematics.

Cultural Immersion And Mathematics Teacher Education: Explorations In Morocco And South Africa, Kori L.H. Maxwell, Iman C. Chahine

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

This article examines the first author's personal experiences as a mathematics educator studying ethnomathematics and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) through immersion in indigenous cultures. In describing these encounters, we highlight the importance and impact of cultural immersion experiences on educators' perspectives regarding the nature of mathematical knowledge. We argue that cultural immersion not only builds a well-rounded individual, but also provides educators with the necessary tools to maintain relevance in the diverse and constantly evolving landscape that is the classroom. Insights gained from this study have direct implications in our teaching practices as they remind us to be mindful of …

Dnr-Based Curricula: The Case Of Complex Numbers, Guershon Harel

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

DNR is a research-based framework which seeks to understand fundamental problems of mathematics learning and teaching. This paper discusses DNR with a particular reference to a curricular unit on complex numbers. Originally designed for college-bound high school students, the unit is structured to progress along a path that roughly parallels the development of complex numbers in the history of mathematics. We have tested the unit in three teaching experiments with inservice and prospective secondary mathematics teachers. The results from these experiments demonstrate the ways of thinking afforded and targeted by the unit. The correspondence between these ways of thinking and …

Riding The Wave: Open Access, Digital Publishing, And The Undergraduate Thesis, Char Miller

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

Char Miller, W. M. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis at Pomona College, Claremont, CA., gave the Opening Keynote for the USETDA 2013 Conference, July 24-26, held on the Claremont McKenna College and Scripps College campuses.

In this keynote address, Dr. Miller discusses the importance of building the educational foundation to support students and then incorporate opportunities for undergraduates to share their research.

Dr. Miller draws from his experience collaborating with librarians to integrate information literacy into the curriculum and requiring that all senior theses in the program be posted on the Claremont Colleges' Open Access institutional repository, Scholarship@Claremont.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Integrating An Information Literacy Rubric Into Seven (Very) Different Colleges, Natalie Tagge, Char Booth, Alexandra Chappell, M. Sara Lowe, Sean M. Stone

Library Staff Publications and Research

It is no small feat to develop a replicable, dependable information literacy rubric that is appropriate to an institution’s unique student population. But once the rubric is created, how does it become edited, adopted, and utilized by campus stakeholders to actually improve information literacy learning? And, what happens when you multiply this by a consortial context, wherein one information literacy rubric is presented to five undergraduate colleges and two graduate schools, each with unique governance models, assessment profiles, and relationships with the library they share?
The visual nature of a poster will provide a perfect means to map out the …

Mathematical Knowledge For Teaching And Visualizing Differential Geometry, Nathan Pinsky

HMC Senior Theses

In recent decades, education researchers have recognized the need for teachers to have a nuanced content knowledge in addition to pedagogical knowledge, but very little research was conducted into what this knowledge would entail. Beginning in 2008, math education researchers began to develop a theoretical framework for the mathematical knowledge needed for teaching, but their work focused primarily on elementary schools. I will present an analysis of the mathematical knowledge needed for teaching about the regular curves and surfaces, two important concepts in differential geometry which generalize to the advanced notion of a manifold, both in a college classroom and …

Cooking Up A Course: Food Education At Pomona College, Christina A. Cyr

Pomona Senior Theses

Cooking skills are important but declining, with significant health, social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental implications. Food and cooking education can begin to address some of the negative effects of the cooking skills decline. This thesis makes the case for cooking classes in the education system, especially in higher education. The paper begins with a history of cooking education and skills, outlines the implications of the decline in skills, and discusses the potential for cooking education in higher education. The second part consists of a course syllabus, designed for Pomona College. The third section includes a discussion of the implementation …

A Changing In Rural Education In China - Guizhou Forerunner College, Xiameng Xiao

Scripps Senior Theses

The subject of the project will be a short video on my summer volunteer experience at the first non-profit charity college called Guizhou Forerunner College (GFC) in a rural village in China. GFC is located in the rural village called Huishui in Guizhou Province in southern part of China. It is the first non-profit funded college in China, Guizhou Forerunner College aims to support the underserved low income, blind, and minority communities in the Guizhou Province of China by providing education through innovative teaching. The school started its launching process in 2007 and had its first class of 360 students …

Landscapes To Learnscapes: Exploring Schoolyard-Based Education, Emily I. Palena, Caroline T. Spurgin

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis explores schoolyard-based education as a viable and necessary method for rectifying the shortcomings within the American public school system and the Nature-deficit Disorder epidemic. We argue that schoolyard-based education should be fully integrated into the school system, not in the sole form of popularized school gardens, but as a standard teaching method. We show this using extensive research and a case study of three elementary schools in Claremont, California.

School Gardens: Reconnecting Children With Nature And Food, Alyssa M. Boyle

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis discusses the importance of school gardens. First, two current environmental and societal problems are highlighted: the industrialized food system and what Richard Louv has termed, "Nature Deficit Disorder," in children. School gardens are then presented as an effective tool that can address and remedy such issues. Lastly, a how-to manual for implementing such projects in schools is provided as well as a few sample lesson plans to be used in conjunction with the garden in each subject across the curriculum.

Academic Progress: Factors That Affect A Student’S First Year Experience In College, Stephen Ward

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

The transition to higher education can be a journey of life changing experiences. These experiences culminate in factors that affect a student’s academic success. This can lend itself to areas of growth, change, and maturation that cultivate and stimulate the intellectual curiosity which motivate a student to succeed in college. Specifically, this study attempts to measure three factors that affect student success in college; these factors are the formal education of your parents, student work status, and access to the internet.

Chartering The Way To A Free And Appropriate Public Education (Fape): The Challenges For Charter Schools To Provide Fape, Michael J. Seltzer

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

Charter schools are publicly funded schools that are an integral part of the school choice movement, following a market-model of education based on autonomy, competition, and choice. However, charter schools are also mandated to adhere to all laws and regulations in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) when educating students with disabilities. The education of students with disabilities within the charter school environment can result in policy tensions. This paper will examine the salient issues surrounding special education as it pertains to the state, authorizer, and operator in the areas of transparency, processes, and outcomes.

Mobile Learning: Designing A Socio-Technical Model To Empower Learning In Higher Education, Pimpaka Prasertsilp

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

Mobile learning is a rapidly developing mode for teaching and learning to deliver content to learners. Additionally, mobile learning can aid both formal learning in traditional classrooms and informal settings outside classes. This paper explains how the mobility of learners can contribute to the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, and experiences, and further investigates how to design an effective model. This study also explores activities in which students can use mobile devices to facilitate their learning. Additionally, there are many factors that affect students’ learning outcomes. In this paper, researcher investigates how to design an effective socio-technical model by integrating …

Understanding The Role Of Social Capital And School Structure On Latino Academic Success, Jeremiah Gonzalez

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

This paper investigates the role of social capital and school structure on the academic success of Latino students. A review of the literature on previous explanations of Latino failure, research on academically successful Latinos, and the role of social capital and school structure on Latino academic success are investigated. The research shows that the way students are tracked in school plays an important role in gaining access to school agents and other academically successful peers. These relationships give access to social capital and increase college access. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Is The Sat The Root Of All Evil? Reviewing The Evidence On Admission Policies And Diversity In Higher Education, Loris Fagioli

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

It is imperative to achieve diversity in Higher Education. With affirmative action policies under fire, it is becoming difficult to enroll a diverse student body. Many critics see standardized tests, and the SAT in particular, as contributing to the problem. This paper reviews research on such criticism, about suggested alternative approaches, and regarding recommendations on how to improve the current situation. In general, this review finds little evidence against a judicious use of the SAT. Also, alternative approaches such as percent plans or abolishing the SAT have had little success in increasing diversity. However, most specialists agree that a comprehensive …

International Collaboration Of Distance Learning Universities For Online Learning In Indonesia, Diki Diki

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

Indonesian higher education must improve its enrollment as well as its quality. One possibility for improving the quality of distance learning universities is collaboration with foreign universities. This paper discusses models for international collaboration among distance learning universities. However, there are also several problems that may result from collaboration. As a consequence, the model of collaboration should include joint development of curriculum, quality assurance, and appropriate technology.

The Great Migration: Charter School Satisfaction Among African American Parents, Monica Almond

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

This study addresses the reasons that African American students are disproportionately enrolled in public charter schools by surveying parents of African American charter school students at a small public charter middle school in California. The researcher utilized a quantitative research design by collecting survey data from 71 charter school parents. The findings indicate the following reasons that African American parents remove their students from traditional public schools: their desire for a safer schooling environment, higher expectations for their students, individualized attention, and a college-going atmosphere. Recommendations are made for traditional public school leaders to consider the implementation of these practices.

A Reflection: Art And Science In A Museum Gallery, Kaileena Flores-Emnace

The STEAM Journal

Art education in a public space can be a venue for the blending of art and science. As a Contemporary Art Start educator for the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles, I have experienced the many ways in which transdisciplinary education creates deeper student understanding and engagement. At MOCA we use Visual Thinking Strategies for student tours, a research-based teaching method that invites students to direct gallery discussions. We visit a few artworks for ten to fifteen minutes each to foster critical thinking and encourage students to bring personal knowledge and experience to the conversation.

Full Steam Ahead – A Collaborative Colloquium, Hilary Dito

The STEAM Journal

On February 2, 2012, Contra Costa County Office of Education organized its 2^nd Annual STEAM Colloquium: Full STEAM Ahead. This forum brought together over 150 educators, business leaders and community members to discuss and share best practices in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education

Steam With A Capital A: Learning Frenzy, David Rufo

The STEAM Journal

A student dipped a brush into a bowl of viscous tempera paint and in a few quick strokes formed thick magenta letters on a large display board. Nearby a handful of students were working together to attach string to paper cups and balloons. Across the room a small group of girls were lying on the floor carefully adding multi-colored text to a poster. Two others created characters out of Popsicle sticks for a puppet show...This is how the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math (S.T.E.A.M.) happened with the fourth and fifth graders during the first few weeks of …

Keeping Abreast With Liberal Arts And Science Through Steam, Tanya Rivas, Gregory Knotts

The STEAM Journal

The integrated unit on breast cancer described here includes biological science and visual art standards and was targeted at high school juniors and seniors. The goal was to make a potentially controversial and taboo subject relatable through an art-science approach

Broad Vision: The Art & Science Of Looking, Heather Barnett, John R. A. Smith

The STEAM Journal

Undergraduate students and academic staff from diverse disciplines in the arts and sciences investigated questions of mediated vision through a year-long interdisciplinary research project at the University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom. The Broad Vision project explored the perception and interpretation of microscopic worlds, and investigated the benefits and challenges of working across disciplinary divides in a university setting. This article describes the three-phase model for interdisciplinary learning and research developed through the project, providing a valuable case study for inquiry based art/science education.