Education Commons^™

"Building Up": Block Play After September 11, Lisa Edstrom

Occasional Paper Series

Like most people in New York City, the children in Edstrom's class were affected by the events of September 11. However, not until five weeks later did these particular five- and six year-olds begin to make sense of what happened. Through the use of block play, they were able to explore the difficult emotions and questions we all had about the World Trade Center attack

Introduction: Teaching Through A Crisis: September 11 And Beyond, Alison Mckersie

Occasional Paper Series

An introduction to a volume of essays that provided a vehicle through which educators could share their experiences following September 11. This includes how teachers were addressing the troubling questions that the tragedy raised: What kinds of conversations had been sparked among children, teachers, and parents? How had curriculum shifted in response to this heretofore unimaginable event?

The Need To Be Apart In An Inclusive Educational Setting, Zenaida Muslin

Occasional Paper Series

This paper illustrates the need for direct acknowledgement and support of children and faculty of color in inclusive educational settings. Muslin recounts her experiences at many different schools and how each offered a new perspective on diversity. The most profound impacts she has made in her community stem from her work at Bank Street School for Children, where she and her fellow faculty recognized the importance of having separate meetings and focus groups devoted to the concerns of people of color within the institution.

Conversations With Children About Death, Molly Sexton-Reade

Occasional Paper Series

This paper emphasizes the need for conversations around death in the classroom. Today's children are exposed to information about death through a wide variety of media. Teachers have a responsibility to provide opportunities for children to process this information in ways that are developmentally appropriate - acknowledging children's "magical thinking" as well as experiences children may have surrounding death.

Wouldn't It Be Cool If Everyone Turned Out To Be Blue? Building A Curriculum About Sexual Orientation For Nine- And Ten-Year-Olds, Stephanie Nelson

Occasional Paper Series

Nelson draws upon her experiences as an elementary school teacher to discuss ways in which sexual orientation can be addressed through curriculum. Aspects of the curriculum implemented in the Bank Street School for Children included "Gay Talks", read alouds, debates, and discussions about civil rights and how they relate to the LGBTQ community.

Performing Gender In The Elementary Classroom, Gail Masuchika Boldt

Occasional Paper Series

This paper raises questions about teachers’ interventions into children’s exchanges around gender in elementary classrooms. Masuchika Boldt argues that gender is ever-present in the classroom and children are constantly making assertions about the meaning of gender and the authenticity of their own and others’ gender performances. She speaks to the question, “If a teacher does interpret this exchange as being at least in part about gender, what, if any, response is called for?”

Introduction: Talking Tough Topics In The Classroom, Jonathan G. Silin

Occasional Paper Series

An introduction to this Occasional Paper, in which four educators describe their approaches to tough topics in the classroom—gender, sexual identity, death, and diversity. Despite differing subject matter, the essays have much in common from which we can learn. An important commonality is the involvement of at least three kinds of learning— cognitive, emotional, and social.

Learning To Keep My Heart Open, Marika Paez

Occasional Paper Series

Paez's first year of teaching was a great challenge, but she recalls one moment when her second-grade class helped her learn that the job of a teacher requires much more than to be an organized dispenser of curriculum or an efficient manager of individuals. Rather, it requires being a person who can stay in the moment, listen carefully, respond authentically, and thoughtfully guide students closer to becoming their own best selves.

The Power Of More Than One, Jane King

Occasional Paper Series

Jane King reflects on her experiences as a preschool teacher eager to use methods outside of the norm. She resists activities that encourage homogeneity and strives to promote autonomy and free thinking in her students. After transitioning from teacher to parent, she still uses this philosophy to make small changes in her daughter's classroom and encourage her children to engage in acts of resistance and critical thinking both in and out of school.

The Pleasure Of Resistance: Jouissance And Reconceiving "Misbehavior", Peter Taubman

Occasional Paper Series

Taubman offers an alternative to resistance theory through Lacanian psychoanalysis and Lacan's concept of jouissance - a term associated with intense pleasure. Through this perspective, it is important to understand why children resist on an individual level. An appreciation of the jouissance in schools would work against the impulse to domesticate, to control or to appropriate the subjectivities of students and children.

Everyday Tactics And The Carnavalesque: New Lenses For Viewing Resistance In Preschool, Joseph Tobin

Occasional Paper Series

Tobin builds upon Steve Schultz's argument that young children’s resisting authority in preschool is a rehearsal or training ground for resisting authority later in life. Using this perspective, this article turns to theories of power and resistance to help us understand everyday events in preschools, and to suggest implications for the choices we make as adults who work with young children.

From Resistance To Rebellion, And Rebellion To Revolution: Notes On Transformation In First Grade, Jenna Laslocky

Occasional Paper Series

Laslocky, a first grade teacher, reflects on her experiences with child rebellion and resistance throughout a school year and the methods she implemented to handle conflict. Through the rebellious actions of a new student, the dynamic of the classroom was tested. It was only when the children began appreciating differences and making genuine efforts to be kind that a true revolution occurred.

Building Higher Than We Are Tall: The Power Of Narrative Inquiry In The Life Of A Teacher, Stephanie Bevacqua

Occasional Paper Series

Bevacqua offers two anecdotes from her teaching career that illustrate young children testing the limits of classroom rules and exploring their autonomy and agency. She reflects on her career as a progressive teacher who works to redefine traditional power relations in the classroom by supporting the children’s investigation of community rules and codes of appropriate behavior.

Finding Meaning In The Resistance Of Preschool Children: Critical Theory Takes An Interpretive Look, Steven Schultz

Occasional Paper Series

Offers an analysis to resistant behavior of preschool children that goes beyond lack of socialization. This interpretation focuses upon the social and cultural meanings of individual and group behaviors. The article is concerned with the acts of the children that run contrary to, or simply outside of, the sanctioned school activities. This is an important vantage from which to analyze preschool resistance because some important behaviors can be identified at the point when they are first likely to occur; when young children, as members of a peer group, first meet figures of authority.

Introduction: Rethinking Resistance In Schools, Jonathan G. Silin

Occasional Paper Series

This issue of Occasional Papers began as a Graduate School seminar honoring Steven Schultz, a much beloved and respected faculty member whose untimely death greatly impacted the Bank Street community. In 1989, Steve’s work was on the cutting edge of attempts to see acts of individual and collective resistance in preschool classrooms as potential precursors of political resistance among adults. The essays in Rethinking Resistance reflect a broad range of experiences and perspectives that prompt us to rethink the meaning and importance of resistance.

Design And Evaluation Of A Problem-Based Learning Environment For Teacher Training, Laura Hemker, Claudia Prescher, Susanne Narciss

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

Problem-based learning can have a great impact on the acquisition of practical knowledge, which is a central learning aim in the field of teacher education. Therefore, we implemented a problem-based learning approach in four seminars on educational assessment. In this paper, we outline our didactic design and discuss the results of the first evaluations, which explored acceptance of the approach, learning results, and expected applicability of the acquired knowledge.

The results show benefits of the problem-based learning approach, but also room for improvement. Specifically, the use of problems from multiple contexts (theoretical foundations and direct practical application) and the flexible …

An Examination Of Accessible Hands-On Science Learning Experiences, Self-Confidence In One’S Capacity To Function In The Sciences, And Motivation And Interest In Scientific Studies And Careers., Mick D. Isaacson, Cary Supalo, Michelle Michaels, Alan Roth

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

This study examined the potential relationship of accessible hands-on science learning experiences to the development of positive beliefs concerning one’s capacity to function in the sciences and motivation to consider science as a college major and career. Findings from Likert survey items given before and after engaging in accessible hands-on science laboratories show that students who were blind or had low vision (BLV) were more likely to agree with the following items after engaging in accessible science experiences: 1) I plan on enrolling as a science major in college; 2) My educational experiences, so far, have given me the …

Addressing The Needs Of Young Children And Families:Early Childhood Education And Services In Catholic Schools And Catholic Charities, Sandra Barrueco, Shavaun M. Wall, Lynn M. Mayer, Marcela Blinka

Journal of Catholic Education

Nationally, focus is increasing on the developmental experiences of young children (birth to age 8). Twenty four (arch)dioceses in large metropolitan areas participated in a survey identifying the extent and nature of services provided by Catholic schools and Catholic Charities programs to young children and their families. Six hundred and seventy Catholic schools and 100 Catholic Charities programs completed surveys. Key findings suggest that Catholic schools and Catholic Charities programs are engaged in a plethora of early childhood services and educational activities with young children and families. Both entities provide direct education and services to young children, are engaged in …

Exploring 21st Century Skills And Learning Environments For Middle School Youth, Annahita Ball, Hillary D. Joyce, Dawn Anderson-Butcher

International Journal of School Social Work

Resiliency research and strengths-based perspectives highlight the importance of understanding the protective factors that aid youth in overcoming adversity. Likewise, current research identifies the characteristics and skills youth need to be successful in post-secondary education and the workforce. These growing bodies of research emphasize cognitive and noncognitive skills that support youth development and academic success. This exploratory study sought to develop two distinct measurement instruments: (1) the 21^st Century Life & Career Skills scale (21C-LCS); and (2) the 21^st Century Skills Classroom Environment scale (21C-CE). We also examined students’ perceptions of their own skills in these areas. The …

Differences Between Students With And Without Adhd On Task Vigilance Under Conditions Of Distraction, Peter Ross, Justus Randolph

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Distraction is a typical component of any classroom environment. For effective instruction and learning to take place, it is critical for students to eventually return to task and maintain task vigilance (i.e., returning to the task at hand) when a distraction occurs. Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by definition, are more distractible than students without ADHD. However, studies showing specific variability of task vigilance between students with and without ADHD are limited. This correlational study examined the differences in distractibility on task vigilance between students with and without ADHD under conditions of distraction. Two groups of participants, ranging …

Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy An Effective Treatment For Autism? A Review, Daniel Dunleavy, Bruce A. Thyer

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

Objectives: We review outcome studies regarding the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Method: Studies were identified through electronic bibliographic databases and manual searches of article reference lists. Results: A total of 8 studies met eligibility criteria, consisting of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs), one quasi-experimental study involving a comparison group, two pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest studies, and two single-system designs. Studies reviewed did not offer credible evidence to suggest that HBOT is an effective treatment for autism. Conclusion: It is premature to call HBOT an effective treatment for Autism and ASD. Individuals clinically treated with …

College Mission Alignment: Lessons For Laboratory Schools, Sharon L. Carnahan Ph.D., Diane Terorde Doyle Ma

NALS Journal

This paper concerns the content, role, and purpose of mission statements in higher education and the the advisability of aligning the mission and activities of a laboratory school with the overall aims of the sponsoring college. We review strategic planning for alignment and share mission-driven activities that we have developed. We end with ideas about receiving recognition for doing the important job of a laboratory school, through disseminating and displaying examples of excellence.

Educare: A Catalyst For Change, Lauren Sterling, Sheryl Peavey, Michael Burke

Maine Policy Review

Educare is a national model for providing center-based early childhood care and education, focused on improving student achievement for children growing up in poverty. The authors of this commentary describe development of Educare Central Maine in Waterville, scheduled to open in September 2010.

Imaginary Stories In School: First Steps Toward Literacy, Gillian Dowley Mcnamee

Occasional Paper Series

This essay holds that to forgo opportunities for children's pretend play and conversation around storytelling in school is to distort the very nature of language development and literacy.

Presidential Fellow: Progress At Marc: Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center At Bridgewater State College, Elizabeth Englander

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

School Phobia: A Review Of Some Issues, M. W. Boyce

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

It is now quite well established that children, usually said to be suffering from school phobia (Johnson et al, 1941). or school refusal (Morgan, 1959). have great difficulty in attending school as a result of a neurotic disturbance, and that this is quite distinct from truancy, which is more often part of an anti-social or conduct disorder (Warren, 1948; Hersov, 1960a). School phobia is a condition which involves more than a simple fear of school. Johnson et al (1941) claimed that the essential problem lay in an unresolved mutual dependency relationship between mother and child, with arousal of intense separation …

Toys For Tinies And Gifts For Children, O. Evans Scott

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Special care is needed in selecting toys for young children. Well-chosen toys can aid mental and physical development and give many hours of safe, satisfying play; ill-chosen toys can cause anxiety and frustration and may even be dangerous.

This article gives hints on selecting toys for various age groups and suggests some suitable options.