Digital Commons Network^™

Using A Culturally Responsive Approach To Shared Reading, Elizabeth A. Procida

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to investigate and document changes in the motivation and engagement of basic skills students. The specific goal was to determine whether or not the replacement of purchased traditional intervention texts with authentic multicultural texts affected motivation in a basic skills classroom.

The intervention group of students during enrichment period demonstrated motivation to read and enhanced the way they saw themselves as readers. There was a renewed interest in literacy when experienced as an active activity. The implications discussed were for a culturally responsive shared reading environment.

An Exploratory Research On Aesthetic Reading Of A Multicultural Novel In A Book Club Setting Amongst Fifth Grade Students, Kasey Leigh Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to see if the use of a multicultural novel in a book club setting would produce aesthetic reading. The specific aim was to see if this would happen to fifth graders in an after school program club. Conversation recordings, pre and post surveys about aesthetic reading, reader's notebooks, and the teacher's journal have been analyzed. The focus group demonstrated growth in making aesthetic responses. The implications for using the components in a classroom are discussed.

Advocating For Integration: Acculturation In A Non-Profit Serving Immigrants Organization, Daniel Calderon

SPACE: Student Perspectives About Civic Engagement

This paper presents acculturation practices in a non-profit, serving immigrants organization in a Midwestern city in the United States. Although the programs and services offered at this organization become pertinent vis-à-vis the welfare of the immigrants, their expected outcomes seem to foment the Americanization of the organization’s clients.

Through a critical examination, certain services and practices within this organization respond to a unidirectional process of acculturation, in which the immigrants turn out to be the ones who have to acquire certain sociocultural and linguistic repertoires for them to adapt and fit in the U.S. mainstream society.

The utilization of the …

“If Our English Isn’T A Language, What Is It?” Indonesian Efl Student Teachers’ Challenges Speaking English, Mukhlash Abrar, Amirul Mukminin, Akhmad Habibi, Fadhil Asyrafi, Makmur Makmur, Lenny Marzulina

The Qualitative Report

Research on students’ skill speaking English in a non-English speaking country such as Indonesia is limited. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to document Indonesian EFL student teachers’ experiences in speaking English at one public university in Jambi, Indonesia. Data came from demographic questionnaires and semi-structured interviews obtained from eight participants. We organized our analysis and discussion around Indonesian EFL student teachers’ perspectives and the contexts in which experiences they encountered emerge. Our analysis of the text revealed overarching themes and sub-themes including (1) language barriers (vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and fluency); (2) psychological factors (anxiety, attitude, and lack of …

Integrating Multiple Instructional Mediums To Teach Critical Literacy With The Adult Linguistically Diverse Learners, Kaemanje Thomas

Publications and Research

Critical reading is the apex of tertiary education and the chief focus in higher education courses as they prepare adults for the workforce. Without significant improvements in academic preparation and support, many linguistically diverse [LD] students will have higher drop out rates in their first year of college. Developmental reading instruction practices are designed to emphasize moving the first-year LD students from sub-par reading levels towards the application and development of critical reading skills, as demanded by their college courses. Many community colleges across the United States prepare assessments tests in reading and mathematics for most, if not all, newly …

Close Reading Strategies Applied By English Language Learners When Reading Challenging Content Area Texts, Laura Barry

Theses and Dissertations

The study introduced high school English Language Learners to close reading strategies to use when reading difficult content area texts, with a particular focus on discussion, prior knowledge, vocabulary, and self-generating questions. The students participated in multiple measures to see if they developed metacognitive awareness in employing the strategies. Findings revealed that the students adapted quickly to using the strategies with teacher support, and that they began to internalize them. Implications for teacher research are discussed.

The Most Efficient And Effective Ways To Address New Literacies For The 21st Century Classroom, Catherine Elizabeth Mcgowan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to provide an extensive review of literature that focuses on the most efficient and effective ways to implement new literacies in the classroom. It focuses on how to maximize the impact of new literacies instruction on student learning through curriculum, and professional development and discusses the impact of new literacies on student motivation. The thesis provides information on how to define new literacies and discusses the impact they are having on the school environment and learning process. It discusses the importance of new literacies and why they should be integrated into today's classroom. The …

A Conceptual Study On Effective Independent Reading Practices To Foster An Enjoyment Of Reading, Diana Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this conceptual study was to analyze what factors impact students' engagement and motivation to read independently. Further, the study sought to determine effective modifications to independent reading for today's students. Because this study is conceptual in nature, an extensive review of the current qualitative and empirical literature on independent reading was conducted. From there, the data was coded inductively to generate new ideas about what independent reading should entail for students today. Some clear patterns emerged. First, student choice and autonomy were cited as important factors for fostering students' motivation and engagement with reading. Second, simply providing …

Picture Books In High School: How Picture Books Impact Student Understanding Of Revolutionary Literature Curriculum, Larae Drinkhouse

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to document student engagement and understanding of American literature when picture books supplement 11th grade curriculum. The specific aim is to see what happens when 11th graders use picture books to make sense of Revolutionary era literature and persuasive rhetoric found in texts such as Common Sense by Thomas Paine, Speech to the Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry, and The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson. Student questionnaires, interviews, artifacts, and observations were analyzed. The focus group of students demonstrated changes in the overall value of picture book usage in the 11th grade classroom. …

The Simple Math Of Writing Well: Writing For The 21st Century, Jennie A. Harrop

Open Textbooks

Writing guides abound, but The Simple Math of Writing Well is one of a kind. Readers will find its practical approach affirming, encouraging, and informative, and its focus on the basics of linguistic structure releases 21st-century writers to embrace the variety of mediums that define our internet-connected world. As Harrop reminds us in the opening chapters of her book, we write more today than ever before in history: texts, emails, letters, blogs, reports, social media posts, proposals, etc. The Simple Math of Writing Well is the first guide that directly addresses the importance of writing well in the Google age.

The Book Of Thesis Books, Elizabeth Leeper, Jennifer Liese, Center For Arts & Language

Thesis Writing

89 pages : color illustrations ; 18 x 23 cm."This guide is intended to help future thesis writers understand the range of approaches to and content in RISD thesis books, locate some especially strong examples in the Library's vast thesis collection, and imagine and plan their own theses." - from the introduction. "Introduction by Jennifer Liese" - Colophon. Contents: Academic thesis -- Monograph -- Project document -- Mosaic essay -- Artist's book. "Designed by Elizabeth Leeper (MFA Graphic Design 2017). Set in Parry and Parry Grotesque, by Artur Schmal, and printed by Lulu."--Colophon.

A Meaning-Based Approach To The Language Of The Toefl Test And Japanese Efl Textbooks: A Functional Analysis Of Patterns Of Lexico-Grammatical Meanings And Structures, Koshin Fukuyoshi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The primary objective of this research project is to show varying degrees of textual and semantic contributions that semantic density and grammatical metaphors make in the way that TOEFL iBT reading sections and Japanese EFL textbooks are used. This research is conducted from two theoretical perspectives within the theory of Systemic Functional Linguistics. The first analysis is to investigate logical and semantic relationships within clause complexes in order to identify structural variations and their textual distributions. The second analysis focuses on the use of ideational and interpersonal grammatical metaphors and on the way that they further compact or untangle textual …

A Systemic Functional Analysis Of Toefl Sample Writings, Yuki Nakamura

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to investigate the tendency of the structural and lexico-grammatical features between high score writings and low score writings by comparing some sample writings of TOEFL practice text books from the perspectives of Systemic Functional Linguistics. Especially, this study focuses on analyzing clause complex, grammatical metaphor, lexical density, and causality of the sample writings of TOEFL practice books. The analysis shows the tendency to get higher scores with appropriate and effective writing structure of the writing section of TOFL iBT. Actually, most practice textbooks briefly provide only the templates that enable the test takers to …

Literacy Leaders : An Analysis Of West Virginia Secondary School Principals' Self-Reported Literacy Leaderships Perceptions And Practices, Stephanie Adria Burdette

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Sweeping changes, such as those ushered in as a component of contemporary school improvement initiatives, have created an educational culture in which all teachers are now considered to be literacy instructors with principals being placed in the role of instructional leader. Yet, review of research literature reveals a severe lack of funding and adequate professional development necessary to ensure that secondary school teachers and administrators have the training they need to provide such literacy services to students. The purpose of this research study was to examine the literacy perceptions and practices of West Virginia’s secondary school principals to ascertain the …

Tqaj Loi Tyqanh Jyanj Qnej, Michael Robelo, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Qnea, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Nah Ngwac Mihnyiqj Kanqg?, Joseph Waring, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Tsana Ntyqana Renqa Tqwaa Tyqai Tqoe, Miranda Worl, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

French And Spanish Teacher Experiences In Teaching Middle And High School Students In One North Carolina School District: A Mixed-Methods Study, Maguy Techer Yancey

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study examined French and Spanish teacher experiences teaching middle and high school students in one North Carolina school district. The themes derived from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Educator Questionnaire show several areas of concerns world language teachers face in the nation: large class sizes, lack of opportunities to enhance best practices and technology integration, teacher isolation, inadequate instructional material, limited resources, and limited funding.

This dissertation was designed to analyze the experiences of middle and high school teachers of French, Spanish, and Spanish for Native Speakers.

The researcher conducted a digital survey using …

The Use Of Response To Intervention With English Learners, Anna Burnley

ECTESOL Review

RTIs assist teachers in adjusting instruction to support ELs in acquiring English and content-area knowledge and learning behaviors. The use of RTIs with ELs can supplement support for ELs as an integrated concept of the sheltered instruction (SI) commonly provided for this student population.

Connecting North And South: Engaging Latin American English Learners, Kenyan Intercultural Communications And American Undergraduate Students Through Reciprocal Service Learning, Laureen Fregeau, Ukaiko A. Bitrus-Ojiambo, Suhana Chikatla, William Cornejo

ECTESOL Review

Reciprocal Service Learning through videoconferencing is an efficient tool for connecting native English speakers of various world Englishes and ELs in other nations for the benefit of all. The authors of this study recognize the reciprocal nature of teaching and learning and the social justice of equalizing power structures through the inclusion of participants and researchers from both North and South as members of a project and research team. Through participant observation and document review the authors examine the experiences of educators and learners in the phenomenon of reciprocal service learning through videoconferencing focused on cultural competence and English language …

Qnea, Tyqanh Qoe Ntkwaj Renqe, Skyler Kuczaboski, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Employing Word Study With Spanish-Speaking Els, Timothy Rodriquez

ECTESOL Review

Phonics Instruction has had a controversial history. How to teach phonics to Spanish-speaking ELs is also controversial. Understanding the differences between Spanish and English and how phonics instruction occurs in each language would be insightful. Also, knowing how the nature of the two languages affects instruction would be beneficial. Furthermore, exploiting similarities between English and Spanish and examining differences will bolster instruction. This paper will discuss the reasons for word study and how it may be utilized to teach spelling and decoding to Spanish-speaking ELLs.

Context-Focused Grammar Teaching: A Comparison Between English Present Perfect And Past Tenses And Affects On Korean English Learning, Seungheui (Ellie) Lee

ECTESOL Review

Despite massive amounts of time Korean English Learners (KLL) study English grammar, they continue to have problems becoming proficient in verb tenses, especially the present perfect. This study examines this problem through a linguistic comparative analysis of Korean and English present perfect and past tenses. Two possible reasons for KLL difficulty with verb tenses could be mode of instruction and L1 interference.

La Variedad De Los Cráneos, Michael Wheeler

Open Access Books

La variedad de los cráneos was written and illustrated in 2018 by Michael Wheeler. The original text was edited and translated by Mackensy Asbell and Madeline Strelec. New, original illustrations were created by Rina Sato.

Un Cumpleaños Colorido, Tejas Kandharkar

Open Access Books

Un cumpleaños colorido was written and illustrated in 2018 by Tejas Kandharkar. The original text was edited and translated by Mackensy Asbell and Madeline Strelec. New, original illustrations were created by Rina Sato.

Agindaasodaa!, Skyler Kuczaboski, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Qoe Jic Tae Qae Yaqf Nteqi Riqc Qine, Muriel Ammon, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Nalmiwh Miky'iwyul, Muriel Ammon, Michaela Artavia-High, Hilaria Cruz

Mother Language: Chatino, Ojibwe and Hupa Children’s Books

Originally produced by students in the Winter 2018 "Language Revitalization" course at Dartmouth College, taught by Hilaria Cruz, Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Creating An Interactive Virtual Community Of Linguistically And Culturally Responsive Content Teaching For English Learners In A Tesol Program, Sujin Kim, Kim Song, Sarah Coppersmith

Educator Preparation & Leadership Faculty Works

This qualitative case study was framed by an experiential learning approachorganized around video resources and linguistically and culturally responsivecontent teaching. The study explored an overarching research question: How didteacher-learners in a grant project interact with a multimedia learning platformthat combined teaching video and VoiceThread presentation, called VT project,designed to enhance their linguistically and culturally responsive content teaching(LCRCT) for English learners (ELs)? Data included participants’ VT projects,online and face-to-face class discussions, survey results, and final reflective papersin two TESOL courses as part of a National Professional Development grantprogram in a Midwestern University. Analyses demonstrated that the technologyassistedcourse design generally promoted a …