Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of An Inquiry-Based Earth Science Course On The Spatial Thinking Of Pre-Service Elementary Teacher Education Students, Kevin Douglas Weakley

Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of two geography courses at improving student spatial thinking skills. Spatial thinking is an important cognitive skill in the sciences and everyday life. A taxonomy of spatial thinking was constructed by Gersmehl (2008) in geography education which included core modes assessed in this study: comparison, region, transition, analogy, pattern, and association. Two additional modes related to space over time, change and movement, were also assessed. The central research question in this study is: What are the effects of a pre-service teacher education earth science content course (Geography 1900) that is conceptually designed and inquirybased on …

45th International Congress On Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University

International Congress on Medieval Studies Archive

The printed program of the 45th International Congress on Medieval Studies (May 13-16, 2010), including the Corrigenda.

Paths To Citizenship: A Comparative Study Of Japan, Germany And Sweden, Marisha L. Lecea

Masters Theses

This paper examines citizenship policy in Japan, Germany and Sweden in an attempt to explain why some rich, democratic nations have high rates of naturalization and non-restrictive paths to citizenship, while others have negligible rates of naturalization and very restrictive policies. Japan has a very restrictive policy while Sweden has a very open policy. Germany is a mid-level case that has moved from more restrictive to less restrictive over the last several years. In this paper I look at the explanatory potential of internal, institutional, and external variables. I use data from the W orId Values Survey to compare domestic …

Prism #46, April 2010, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Participant/Observer Vol. 3. No. 1 Spring 2010, Anthropology Department

Participant/Observer

A Newsletter for Friends of the Western Michigan University Department of Anthropology

Table of Contents:

• WMU Anthropologist and NSF Awardee, Bilinda Straight is Featured Author at Conference on Global Health and Violence
• Letter from the Chair
• Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project: 2009 Field Season Summary
• Kalamazoo Valley Museum hosts RACE exhibit
• A Magic Field Season in the Eocene of Wyoming
• Mastodon Bones Identified in Biological Anthropology Lab
• In The Spotlight: Brent Metz is the Distinguished Alumni Award winner
• Meet LouAnn Wurst
• News from the Lewis Walker Institute
• Conference Participation
• Faculty News
• Mammoth in Allegan County
• Alumni News

Insider Vol. 10 No. 3 Spring 2010, College Of Arts & Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

No abstract provided.

Social Justice Implications Of The Organism Metaphor, Gerald V. O'Brien

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The denigration of marginalized groups is frequently supported through the widespread employment of metaphors that present a pejorative image of the group in question. The organism metaphor, wherein the target group is portrayed as a threat to the integrity of the social body, is a particularly important metaphoric theme in the advancement of social injustice. Drawing largely from primary source documents, this paper provides an overview of the organism metaphor as it has been employed historically to denigrate various social subgroups. Implications for the social work profession are discussed.

Confronting Oppression Not Enhancing Functioning: The Role Of Social Workers Within Postmodern Practice, Phillip Dybicz

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article represents a philosophical hermeneutic endeavor to explore the meaning of oppression as it expresses itself within social work practices based in both modern and postmodern thought. Practices based within the Modern Discourse, drawing from an authority base of scientific expertise, exhibit a disconnect between the goal of enhancing functioning and social work values and concerns such as confronting oppression; this disconnect must be bridged by the social worker. Practices based within the Postmodern Discourse are founded upon the notion of confronting oppressive narratives as their main goal; social work values are an essential component in this process.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 37, No. 1 (March 2010)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• THE PRESIDENT'S EMERGENCY PLAN FOR AIDS RELIEF (PEPFAR): A SOCIAL WORK ETHICAL ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS - Robert J. Barney, Stephan L. Buckingham, Judith M. Friedrich, Lisa M. Johnson, Michael A. Robinson, and Bibhuti K. Sar
• CONFRONTING OPPRESSION NOT ENHANCING FUNCTIONING: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL WORKERS WITHIN POSTMODERN PRACTICE - Phillip Dybicz
• EXPLORING HOMEOWNER OPPOSITION TO PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS - Joanna Duke
• EVALUATION OF THE HOUSE OF HEALING: AN ALTERNATIVE TO FEMALE INCARCERATION - Sara Lichtenwalter, Maria L. Garase, and David B. Barker 75
• SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPLICATION OF THE ORGANISM METAPHOR - Gerald V O'Brien
• "LIKE A PRISON!": …

Companion And Series Books: Invitations For Many Happy Returns, Terrell A. Young, Barbara A. Ward

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Books from 2009 reviewed: Early Grades: Make way for Dyamonde Daniel by Nikki Grimes; Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O’Connor; Mary Leakey: Archaeologist who really dug her work by Mike Venezia; Pigs make me sneeze! by Mo Willems. Middle Grades: Al Capone shines my shoes by Gennifer Choldenko; The runaway dragon by Kate Coombs; Den of thieves by Julia Golding; Diary of a wimpy kid: Dog days by Jeff Kinney; Everything for a dog by Ann M. Martin; Roman diary: The journal of Iliona of Mytilini, who was captured and sold as a slave in Rome, AD 107 by …

Western Michigan University Graduate Catalog 2010-2011, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Course Catalogs (1904-present)

• General Information
• Colleges
• Course Descriptions (by College)

Western Michigan University Undergraduate Catalog 2010-2011, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Course Catalogs (1904-present)

• General Information
• Colleges
• Course Descriptions (by prefix)

Faculty Senate Yearbook, 2010-11, Wmu Faculty Senate

WMU Faculty Senate Yearbooks

No abstract provided.

Baltic National Bibliographies Without The Book Chambers, Maira Bundza

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

The responsibilities of the Soviet era book chambers in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have almost all been incorporated into the national libraries of the three Baltic States, since they regained independence in 1991. This article will summarize the work with legal deposit copies, current and retrospective national bibliographies, indexes, publishing statistics, ISSN, ISBN and ISMN agencies, and online databases in each country. All three Baltic States have made tremendous progress in making their materials available to researchers worldwide, though full text access is still very limited.

How To Be A Man, Though Female: Changing Sex In Medieval Romance, Angela Jane Weisl

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Disruptive Disguises: The Problem Of Transvestite Saints For Medieval Art, Identity, And Identification, Saisha Grayson

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Rhetoric Of The Anchorhold: Space, Place And Body Within The Discourses Of Enclosure, Ed. Liz Herbert Mcavoy. University Of Wales Press, 2008., Sally Livingston

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

25 Year Club: 28th Annual Gala, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

25 Year Club: 28th Annual Gala

December 8, 2009

• New Inductees
• Posthumous Inductees
• Members
• Retirees

Adoption And Integration Of Best Practice Methods In Secondary English Teaching, Gretchen Rumohr-Voskuil

Dissertations

Commencing with a critical examination of the history and rhetorical force of the term "best practice," this dissertation undertakes a qualitative study of three secondary English teachers, considering their adoption and integration of best practice methods. The subjects, represented by urban, suburban and rural secondary schools, were National Writing Project participants identified as "exemplary teachers" by a NWP site director. "Best practice" methods analyzed included the process model for the teaching of writing and literature, student decision-making, and a low-risk writing environment. Factors that were found to influence the adoption of best practice methods included undergraduate and preservice experiences, intern …

The Collective Voices Of Asian International Doctoral Students In Counseling Psychology In The U.S.: Recommendations For Faculty And Training Programs, Miki Koyama

Dissertations

There is growing interest among scholars to understand the training experiences of international students in applied psychology. Few empirical studies have specifically investigated international doctoral students in counseling psychology. The purpose of the present study was to create an opportunity for the voices of Asian international students in U.S. doctoral counseling psychology programs could be expressed, and to convey their collective voices.

Twelve Asian international students, predominately women from East Asia, participated in two phone interviews. Participants were asked to illustrate their overall training experiences, share helpful and unhelpful aspects of their training, and identify recommendations for faculty and training …

The Ethnic Identity Of Returning Immigrants To A Pueblo In Yucatan, David Piacenti

Dissertations

This study seeks to understand: 1) motivations for leaving and, if applicable, racialized, segregated environment, which is represented by the returned cholo, whose "urban gangbanger" mentality confronts the traditional, rural ethnic identity. San Francisco also affects the overall perception of immigration and desire for permanent U.S. residence. Of the San Francisco cohort, 42% say immigration is "positive overall." Conversely, 62% of the Kalamazoo cohort says that immigration is "positive overall." Only 29% of the San Francisco cohort desire permanent residence in the U.S. while 54% of the Kalamazoo cohort desire permanent U.S. residence. Therefore, the suburban context of Kalamazoo may …

Child Care Centers On Higher Education Campuses: Director Perceptions Of Internal And External Roles And Director Leadership, Kerisa A. Myers

Dissertations

An increasing focus on early childhood education and brain research offers a prime opportunity for higher education institutions to research and formulate thought concerning quality child care. Currently, there is limited research examining the impact and roles of child care centers on university campuses. To add to the base of knowledge, this nationally-focused study examined the following broad question: "what value do campus child care centers offer to a given higher education institution and its surrounding community, especially from a center director's perspective?"

An on-line survey was sent to over 400 campus child care directors at two- and four-year public …

Writers And Speakers Should Be More Careful About Their Grammar, Diether Haenicke

WMU President Diether Haenicke

This column was first published Feb. 14, 2001 and reprinted Nov. 4, 2009 in the Kalamazoo Gazette mlive.com/kalamazoo

Reading Horizons Vol. 49 No. 4

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 49, issue 4.

Understanding The Cultural-Linguistic Divide In American Classrooms: Language Learning Strategies For A Diverse Student Population, Kerry P. Holmes, Susan Rutledge, Lane Roy Gauthier

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article addresses critical factors that impact learning for a growing population of students in American classrooms, the English Language Learner (ELL). Even in the smallest school districts, it is common for teachers to have one or more students with limited or no command of the English language in their classrooms. Many students in schools with specialized ELL programs spend the majority of their day in regular classrooms trying to fit in with their peers as they struggle to learn a new language. This article focuses on the five stages of language acquisition and proficiency along with corresponding research-based strategies …

Article Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Index to articles in volume 49.

Ethnosymbolism And The Dismemberment Of The State In The Horn Of Africa: The Ethiopian Case Of Ethnic Federalism, Assefa Mehretu

International Conference on African Development Archives

The paper has three major objectives. The first is to do a critical review of the current largely antagonistic narratives of ethnic instrumentalism in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa that have ultimately led to the balkanization of the state and caused serious political instability and fratricidal conflicts with traumatic and costly consequences in the region. The second is to do a critical review of the policy of the current Ethiopian government to implement ethno-territorial formations under the rubric of killils (Amharic for territorial enclosures), and to demonstrate how this may seriously vitiate national integration along compatible cultural and economic …

Review Of Elisabeth Vavra, Ed. Der Wald Im Mittelalter, Richard Utz

Medieval Institute Affiliated Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Western News, Oct. 8, 2009 , Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: WMU schedules seasonal flu, meningitis vaccination clinics; Volunteers kick off 2009 campus United Way campaign; Service anniversaries for October; On Campus with Guy Barks.

Thomas Friedman Introduction World Affairs Council Of West Michigan Dinner, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.