Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Finding Focus: Authentic Inquiry And Composition In The Third Space, Noah Brewer

Dissertations

This research seeks to better understand the attitudes and dispositions of advanced-level English Language Arts students toward the activities of academic research and writing, and to explore the ways that critical pedagogies focused on authentic inquiry and composition interact with these attitudes. The project draws upon research in student motivation, sociocultural definitions of literacy, and theories of hybrid identity in order to discover the potential impact of engaging students in critical reflection on their own meaning-making practices, and of curricular and pedagogical choices aimed at making the lessons of the classroom more relevant to the demands of real-world literacy practices …

How Participation In A Peer-Led Writing Center Impacts Struggling Students’ Self-Efficacy And Motivation, Laura Peterson

Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education Dissertations

Many secondary students struggle with writing, both in terms of skill and confidence. This qualitative case study follows six students who have a history of struggling in English Language Arts class as they undergo a tutoring intervention based on the writing center model of peer tutoring. Students were observed in seven writing sessions which took place at multiple stages of the writing process and with informational, narrative, and analytical writing assignments. Through interview and observation, the researcher examines how students’ self-efficacy and motivation shift over the course of the intervention. Students who began with low self-efficacy and low motivation were …

“I Forget To Enjoy The Book”: A Narrative Analysis Of Adolescents’ Perceptions Of Their Real Selves And Ideal Selves As Readers, Brittany Mcwhorter

Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education Dissertations

In the present study, the researcher sought to understand student perceptions of themselves as readers compared to their ideal selves as readers. This is in response to personal experience with struggling readers, as well as GADOE data showing the magnitude of the issue surrounding struggling readers at Mountain Middle School (MMS). The data collected included student drawings and accompanying interviews. Findings revealed that students placed their perceptions of self within specific classroom situations and settings, which reveals the complexity and contextual nature of perception of self as a reader. Though individual stories and experiences were unique, six major themes emerged …

Improving Students’ Confidence And Competence Using Critical Media Literacy Skills In A Secondary English Language Arts Class, Leeanne Kline

Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education Dissertations

This is a dissertation for a six-week action research study that investigated how self-regulated learning strategies can affect students’ perceived and demonstrated critical abilities in discussing informational media texts in the secondary ELA classroom. This dissertation examines topical research, gaps in the literature, and theoretical frameworks to justify the study. The qualitative action research study implemented a version of the Article of the Week program alongside self-regulated learning (SRL) and student-led discussion strategies to collect data on students’ self-reported levels and observed critical media literacy (CML) skills. The purpose of this study was to build upon existing research on SRL, …

Creating Inclusive Classrooms With Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Melissa Kane

Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education Dissertations

This is a qualitative phenomenographic study that uses the theoretical frameworks of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP) (Paris, 2012), Intergroup Contact Theory (Allport 1954), and Social Constructivism (Smagorinsky, 2007) to evaluate how 7^th grade students at a Title I middle school in the Southeastern United States experience the phenomenon of peer relationships in the context of a CSP writing unit. Students created, peer edited, and shared multimodal “Where I’m From” (Lyon, n.d.) poems in intentionally created groups. The researcher collected data via participant interviews, participant journals, and a researcher reflection journal. Findings indicated that students developed a better understanding of …

High School Student Narratives Of Error Analysis: A Qualitative Investigation Into Literacy For Geometry Learning, Dean Petti

Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education Dissertations

This narrative inquiry aimed to relate student narratives to error analysis of Geometry problems as a form of literacy implementation. Teachers need to develop a deep understanding and application of mathematics content through qualitative research to find connections to practice (Enderson et al., 2010). Geometry is a worthwhile subject to understand our world from various perspectives and to spur our imagination with constructing objects based on properties undergoing dynamic changes. However, teachers and researchers often wonder why most secondary students need help with the significance of learning and applying Geometry concepts. Literacy implementation bridges students' narrative experiences and relevance to …

Rural Voices: A Photographic Journey Of The Intersection Of Place And Reading Identity In Rural Adolescents, Gena Brown

Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education Dissertations

Researchers have long been documenting the decline in reading habits of Americans, particularly adolescents and young adults. Reading for pleasure has been declining for the last three decades. Young people claim that reading is boring and irrelevant to their fast-paced, largely digital lives. In the past two decades, the decline of reading has captured wide attention, but most of that attention has been focused on urban and suburban settings. A gap exists in the research when it comes to rural students and their reading habits. Using photo elicitation, I gained an understanding of reading identity as it relates to rural …

General Education Teacher Challenges With Teaching English Learners In The Mainstream Classroom: A Qualitative Study Of 3rd-5th Grade Elementary General Education And Esol Teachers’ Perceptions, Joanne Gauthier

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

This qualitative study focused on the challenges that 3rd through 5th grade general education teachers faced while supporting and teaching English Learner (EL) students in the classroom from the perspectives of general education and ESOL teachers, based on their experiences in the classroom. This study took place at an urban Title 1 elementary school in the southeastern United States. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the teacher challenges surrounding EL instruction and its impact on student achievement. The theoretical frameworks that informed this study were culturally responsive teaching and critical teacher leadership. Several data gathering …

Exploring The Effects Of Teachers' Motivation To Read On Students' Motivation To Read, Clarice K. Shuman

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Middle school students often lack the motivation to read, and middle school reading teachers often complain of this lack of motivation. Students’ lack of motivation to read seriously affects students’ ability to achieve in their academic classes at the secondary level. This study was based on surveys and interviews from 310 middle school students and their six ELA teachers to explore the relationship between teacher and student motivation to read at the middle school level as well as surveying how do teachers and students at the middle school level describe their motivation to read. Based on the relationship between teacher …

The Art Of Sketchnoting In A High School Language Arts Classroom, Rachael Bourne

Doctor of Education in Secondary and Middle Grades Education Dissertations

This case study addressed how visual note-taking (sketchnotes) impacted students' learning in an English Language Arts (ELA) classroom. The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyze if sketchnoting was a useful tool that students could use to deepen their understanding of concepts learned in ELA. Data from student examination of their own sketchnotes, teacher/researcher examination of the sketchnotes, and interviews were analyzed by identifying quality of work, themes, and assessment questions. The interview questions focused on student experiences with sketchnotes, test score outcomes, and student emotions towards sketchnotes. The examination was a document analysis of sketchnotes parallel to student …

Valdosta State University's Odum Library & Women's & Gender Studies Program Receive Grant For Women's Suffrage Book Discussion Project, Emily Rogers, Robert Taylor

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

A Structured Literacy Approach To Support Striving Readers In Secondary Grades: Meaningful Transactions Through Morphological Awareness And Fluency Building, Samantha Bart-Addison, Robert A. Griffin

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A high school English teacher and a university literacy professor provide secondary teachers with structured literacy strategies to support striving readers in the middle and high school grades. The authors present strategies that can be utilized with diverse texts across learning contexts. As a structured literacy approach, morphological awareness and prosodic fluency are emphasized to foster deeper, more meaningful transactions between students and texts. An example of a full structured literacy lesson is also provided that includes multiple strategies and is based on a gradual release model with guided and independent reading cycles. Applicable strategies for delivery of these skills …

Connecting A Community Through A Family Literacy Project And Virtual Writing Collaboration: University Students Facilitate Access To Literature During The Pandemic, Anne Katz Ph.D., Alexandria Sledge-Tollerson B.A. In Early Childhood Education

Georgia Journal of Literacy

The importance of accessing and sharing children’s literature took on new meaning as educators pivoted to remote and online learning models over the course of the past school year. In light of the pandemic, College of Education pre-service educators enrolled in a Fall 2020 Language and Literacy Development course (which is usually scheduled to meet face-to-face twice a week) was re-structured as hybrid, where a group of students were scheduled to meet partially face-to-face and partially online on a weekly basis. I planned to adapt my family literacy project collaboration with a local community center, an academic service learning assignment …

Culturally Relevant Teaching For The 21st Century: The Success And Challenges Of Pre-Service Teachers When Using Technology In Critical Ways, Virginie Jackson, Stacy Delacruz, Dominique Harry

Georgia Journal of Literacy

This case study examined pre-service teachers' use of technology as they implemented culturally relevant literacy lessons while tutoring elementary students in their field placement sites. As we enter a new decade, we want our students to be future-ready with technology skills. Here, we present an examination of how pre-service teachers integrated culturally relevant teaching with technology along with a discussion of the tools and devices their students used. Findings provided evidence that as pre-service teachers experienced authentic and engaging learning experiences within a supportive space, they emerged equipped to teach in culturally responsive ways that supported student learning and deeper …

An Interview With Alice Ensley: District Literacy Coordinator At Dalton County Schools, Shannon Tovey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Alice Easley was identified as a top curriculum leader in Georgia for her exceptional work in her role as Curriculum Specialist for Literacy and Social Studies at Dalton Public Schools in creating digital content and methods during the Covid-19 period.

Promoting Bilingualism And Biculturalism In Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Families In South Korea, Jooeun Kim

Symposium of Student Scholars

In 2006, the South Korean government set forth a policy supporting Korean education for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) children, indicating they were incapable of learning “proper” Korean under foreign parents (Hong, 244). Considering how such children continue to be deprived of the right to acquire mother tongue in the South Korea, there have been recent efforts to develop bilingual coaching programs. In the long run, examining how it can be practically implemented and sustained as a helpful program can contribute to CLD children’s bilingual and bicultural development. The current study aims to explore perspectives and experiences of bilingual coaches …

The Light Switch Of Language: Code-Switching, Cierra Johnson

Emerging Writers

Many students are held back from the opportunities life has to offer, simply because of language. This article examines the use of code-switching and argues that it could be the key to pulling all students together, giving them equal chances at success.

Letter From The Editor, Shannon Tovey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Editorial by Shannon Tovey, Editor-in-Chief

Immigration Picture Books By #Ownvoices Authors, Sanjuana C. Rodriguez, Karina Gonzalez, Carolina Rojas

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Reviews of Latinx immigration picture books

Seeking Calm Among The Chaos: A Letter From The Editor, Shannon Tovey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A letter from the Editor of the Georgia Journal of Literacy

Student Experiences, Attitudes, And Perceptions Toward Online Collaborative Tools: A Case Study, Jeremy Easley

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Abstract

This case study (Merriam, 1998) describes the experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of four twelfth-grade students at Bob Jones High School (pseudonym) with literacy deficiencies as they used collaborative technology tools in an online after-school tutoring program that focused on reading and writing skills. Leveraging the sociocultural theory of reading (Freebod & Luke, 1990), participants worked collaboratively to strengthen skills while completing tasks. In addition, students used online collaborative tools, based on the principles of the New Literacies Studies (Gee, 2010), to construct and share meaning. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, participant observation and student artifacts. The data from these …

Letter From The Editor

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A Letter from the Editor

A Balanced Approach To Literacy Instruction And Support For Diverse Learners, Bonnie Mondesir, Robert A. Griffin

Georgia Journal of Literacy

In this article, the authors explore various theories to inform educators and educational leaders who are looking for ways to better meet the literacy needs of all of their diverse students, including striving readers, culturally and linguistically diverse readers, and proficient and excelling readers. They call on educators to embrace a balanced approach that is informed by multiple bottom-up and top-down theories to better meet the needs of all their students. Focus is first given to Gough’s and LaBerge and Samuels’ information processing models (bottom-up models) followed by the psycholinguistic, schema, and transactional reader response top-down theories. Discussion of both …

About The Authors

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Read this to learn more about this issue's authors.

A Book Review Of The Writing Strategies Book, Dale Suzanne Ioannides

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Instructional Coach Dale Ioannides shares a review of Jennifer Sarravallo's The Writing Strategies book.

Educator Researched Methods And Interventions That Increase Below Level Readers’ Fluency And Comprehension, Shawnee Knott, Shannon Tovey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

A student walks into a classroom multiple grades below grade level and already on day one that student is behind and will most likely be behind their entire school year. Many teachers are faced with this scenario year after year. Students entering their classrooms unprepared for the on-level content they need to be on. Reading below grade level is just the beginning of the learning gap that exists in today’s classrooms. Teachers work hard to close that gap, but by upper elementary is it too late? What can teachers do to help these students grow and become successful learners?

This …

What’S Next For Literacy Education In Georgia? An Interview With Dr. Caitlin Dooley, Deputy Superintendent, Georgia Department Of Education, Shannon Tovey Howrey

Georgia Journal of Literacy

An interview with Dr. Caitlin Dooley

In Memory Of Dr. Ronald Reigner, Dawn Owens

Georgia Journal of Literacy

Leaders and members of Georgia Association of Literacy Advocates (GALA), formerly Georgia Reading Association (GRA), were deeply saddened by the recent passing of a revered friend, Dr. Ronald Reigner. The association extends sincere appreciation for the contributions of Dr. Reigner, a Georgia Reading Association (GRA) Past President. Dr. Reigner served the organization faithfully in numerous positions during the past twenty years, including GRA President, GRA Executive Committee member, GRA Board of Directors member, GRA committee chair, local council president, and student council sponsor/liaison.

A Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Computer-Assisted Instruction On The Reading Achievement Of First Graders, Tracy Renae Hudson, Linda Reeves, Rebecca M. Giles, Lauren R. Brannan

Georgia Journal of Literacy

With reading proficiently by the end of third grade as a common goal, many school districts are exploring options to enhance early reading instruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the supplemental, computer-assisted reading program i-Ready would significantly affect first grade students’ reading achievement. Participants (n=159) were first graders at two elementary schools - treatment (n= 82) and comparison n= 77). An independent samples t-test was used to compare the mid-year reading achievement scores of the treatment and comparison groups and found no statistically significant differences between groups. Following 10 weeks of twice-weekly 45-minute sessions of …

Dyslexia And Georgia Senate Bill 48, Nora W. Schlesinger

Georgia Journal of Literacy

The interest in and understanding of dyslexia has become increasingly important in educational fields and the legislative process in the United States. This article provides information on what dyslexia is, the history of research on dyslexia, dyslexia laws across the US, and Georgia’s Dyslexia Law: Senate Bill 48 and its impact on educational entities.