Education Commons^™

Identifying The Gaps In Resources For Education In Emergencies, Kate Chung

Capstone Collection

When children are thrust into emergencies, either by natural disasters or man-made conflict, education has until recently always taken a backseat. The field of humanitarian aid which focuses on the delivery of material assistance to people in emergency settings, has become more professionalized over the past two decades as conflicts become more complex. Humanitarian aid has always involved the provision of food, shelter and medical care. In the past few decades, however, education for those affected by emergencies that focuses on the practical provision of livelihood skills while also conveying conflict resolution and peace-building skills has become an increasingly important …

English Corner: A Guide For Teachers, Tom Fay

MA TESOL Collection

Throughout China, in both private and public schools, from kindergarten to university, there is a ‘class’ called ‘English Corner.’ In some places, ‘English Corner’ is supposed to be an informal, loose environment for people to communicate in English. In other places, ‘English Corner’ is a monthly event with a stage show, singing, dancing, and even a speech competition. ‘English Corner’ can be held in parks, libraries, university campuses, bars, cafes, or even in private homes. For many teachers in China, this ill-defined class can be their most dreaded lesson of the day, a class where at the worst of times, …

El Otro Mundo Posible En El Horizonte: El Imaginario Político Y La Política Prefigurativa De Lxs Estudiantes De Las Protestas De Otoño 2019, Lorne Carter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

October 2019, mass mobilizations erupted across Chile in a widespread rebellion against the neoliberal system of economic austerity and the current government. In such a powerful historical moment undoubtedly decisive for the direction of the country, this paper seeks to examine how student participants, an increasingly strong voice of radical dissidence in recent years of social movements, imagine a better Chile. Engaging with classic and contemporary theories of social movements, this paper analyzes the methods of organization and action utilized by the protesters and how they are influenced by institutional structures and the political opportunities available. Through interviews and the …

Exigimos Inclusión, No Tolerancia: La Interseccionalidad En Los Movimientos Estudiantiles En Argentina, Angélica Ramos

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Los movimientos estudiantiles en Argentina surgieron en respuesta a las desigualdades y represión dentro del sistema educativo. Los estudiantes intentan luchar para una educación de calidad, igual y gratuita para todos. Lamentablemente, como consecuencia de la historia de genocidio y esclavitud en Argentina, ideas racistas y coloniales existen hoy día en las mentalidades de muchos argentinos. Esta investigación analiza las maneras en que permanece estas mentalidades dentro de los movimientos estudiantiles y como evita la interseccionalidad e inclusión de poblaciones marginalizadas. Porque si continúa la falta de interseccionalidad de parte de estudiantes privilegiados hacia estudiantes y poblaciones femme, trans, indígena …

Como La Mejora De La Educación Especial Depende De La Sociedad, Peyton Locke

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Utilizando la observación participante y no participante, este estudio examina los factores que contribuyen a una educación exhaustiva para los niños y adultos con necesidades especiales. El objetivo de este estudio es investigar los diferentes tipos de educación especial que se ofrecen en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y, por último, descubrir cómo la educación especial puede ser mejor para garantizar un sistema de educación especial igual y fuerte. Después de pasar un mes observando cinco escuelas diferentes dentro de cada escalafón, además de hablar con diferentes directores y docentes de educación especial, los resultados de este estudio llegaron a …

Informing Joyality 4 Kids: Ecopsychology Education To Support Upper Primary Children’S Well-Being Through Environmental And Social Crisis, Cambry Baker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Responding to climate change and the state of the world demands psychological resilience and a transformative shift towards sustainable behavior. Children inheriting our uncertain future require psychological support and tools of well-being to fuel emotionally sustainable activism. In this paper I investigate how best to support upper primary aged children through environmental and social issues with Joyality 4 Kids, an educational ecopsychology program.

During November of 2019 I completed the Joyality Program processes independently, then conducted two focus group interviews with five individuals experienced in the Joyality Program and/or environmental education to develop the processes for an eight-hour Joyality 4 …

Los Proyectos Educativos Alternativos Para Terminar Con La Desigualdad, Samuel Christensen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación se centra en la presencia de pedagogía crítica y educación integral y popular en el sistema educativo en Chile y Argentina y los intentos de establecimientos escolares de usarlas para liberar a sus estudiantes de ciclos de segregación, discriminación y desigualdad. Hay una brecha larga en el sistema educativo actual donde un grupo de estudiantes en alta condición de vulnerabilidad social han sido etiquetado fracasos sin esperanza. Cuatro instituciones escolares fueron estudiadas a través de entrevistas, conversaciones y observaciones participantes. Mientras estos proyectos muestran un gran esfuerzo para crear espacios para cada tipo de estudiante, todavía falta mucho …

How Is Disability Seen? An Auto-Ethnographic Exploration Of Disability In Urban Townships In Ethekwini, South Africa, Connie Chao

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Disability is a topic that is often overlooked and not seen in day to day life. Disability may be visible or invisible to others, and individuals may have varying attitudes and opinions towards people with disabilities. Disability can also be conceptualized in different ways depending on if one takes on a bio-medical model or a social model of disability. In this study, I explored how disability is seen, both literally and metaphorically in urban townships in the eThekwini Municipality in South Africa. I conducted semi-structured interviews with individuals with disabilities and community members at large to understand people’s perspectives on …

Intersections Between Health And Disability: A Case Study At Disha Centre, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Finnian Brokaw

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigated intersections between health and disability by asking the question: how do community perceptions of disability at Disha: A Resource Centre for the Disabled in Jaipur, India relate to health and quality of life for a person with multiple disabilities? This study utilized a case study methodology. The researcher took qualitative interviews from six respondents in the immediate educational and familial support network of a 27-year-old man with multiple disabilities. An interview based, qualitative methodology was important for investigating the complexity of perceptions of multiple disabilities and health as intersecting identities. The responses were analyzed and reflected upon …

Luchando Por El Derecho A La Educación. Un Estudio Sobre Las Relaciones Existentes Entre La Educación Popular Y La Efectivización Del Derecho A La Educación Desde La Perspectiva De Docentes Y Trabajadores De Bachilleratos Populares., Madeline Samson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Las políticas neoliberales basadas en el mercado aplicadas en Argentina y que concluyeron con las devastadora crisis económica de 2001, dejaron una cantidad significativa de jóvenes expulsados y excluidos del sistema educativo secundario. En la búsqueda de una alternativa para que el derecho a la educación se viera efectivizado, muchas organizaciones sociales abrieron escuelas secundarias populares en toda la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, conocidas como bachilleratos populares. Este escrito analiza la conceptualización del derecho a la educación en Argentina y, desde las perspectivas de docentes y trabajadores de dos de estos bachilleratos, se propone conocer la historia y las características …

Los Efectos De La Socialización Política En Las Percepciones Sobre Los Migrantes Centroamericanos, Katherine Fulcher

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since early 2018, xenophobic attitudes towards Central American Migrants have spiked among Mexican adults. However, it is largely unknown if youth in Mexico feel the same way. This research explores xenophobia among university students through the lens of political socialization, which is the process of developing political opinions, attitudes, and behavior. This study sought to discover what agents of socialization (family, social media, traditional media, and a university education) are most prominent among Mexican youth and what effects these agents have on student perceptions of Central American migrants and migration. To address these questions, a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, …

Health And Education: Perspectives On The Role Of Schools In Health Promotion, Miranda Powell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to understand learners’ perceptions of the role schools play in health promotion. Health promotion encompasses health education and can be highly effective in the school setting. Given the high rates of HIV/AIDS, teen pregnancy, early sexual debut, and abuse, health education is highly important in South African schools. All learners are required to take Life Orientation classes, which cover many topics including health education. Comparing the views of what learners expect, experience, and the curriculum, my study addressed the gaps in Life Orientation classes with regards to health promotion education.

For this study I …

Disability And Migration: How Systems Of Violence Intersect With The Production And Experience Of Disability For Migrants In Morocco, Frances Condon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project investigates the perspectives and experiences of physically disabled, chronically ill, or bodily-impaired migrants from south of the Sahara living in Rabat, Morocco. Increasing interest in disabled migrants’ rights from international organizations risks erasing those being ‘protected’ if it does not attend to the intersections of race, class, citizenship, and gender as they relate to the production and experience of disability for migrants. Produced by and for the (white) global North, I argue that traditional Euro-American disability studies scholarship is ill-equipped to address the issues faced by disabled migrants in post-colonial contexts. In addition to being ineffective, the uncritical …

Robotics In Japan: A Program Design For The Experiment In International Living, Allison Barnes

Capstone Collection

“Robotics in Japan” is a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) based program design for The Experiment in International Living (The Experiment). This design is for a four-week program for high school students. It is grounded in The Experiment’s mission and basic program structure. The purpose of Robotics in Japan is to add a STEM-based program to The Experiment’s portfolio in one of The Experiment’s most popular and marketable countries. In addition, this design adds a computer and technology theme, an area within STEM that has even less representation in The Experiment’s portfolio. In this paper, all necessary aspects to …

Creating Global Citizens Through Returnee Programming, Kristen Foos

Capstone Collection

The purpose of study abroad is to facilitate students’ journey to global citizenship and a large part in doing this is having effective returnee programming. This research focused on what type of program models best facilitate this goal and are of interest to students at Washington State University (WSU). To answer this question, 12 WSU peer advisors, 4 global learning advisors at WSU, and 5 global learning advisors at other institutions were all interviewed. Along with that, a survey was sent out to all WSU student who had studied abroad within the past year. The results demonstrated that when WSU …

Meeting The Training Needs Of Des Moines-Area Adult Esl Teachers, Elyse Pate

Capstone Collection

The population of immigrants and refugees in Des Moines, Iowa, has grown rapidly in recent years, leading to an increased demand for adult English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. As ESL programs turn more and more to volunteer instructors to meet the demand, it is important that teachers, both volunteer and professional, are prepared and equipped to deliver quality instruction.

This study seeks to better understand the training and professional development needs of Des Moines-area ESL instructors in order to make recommendations for adult ESL programs. Data was collected through surveys of 32 ESL instructors from a variety of …

Designing An Integrated Education And Training Program For English Language Learners At A Community-Based Literacy Organization, Courtney J. Lord

MA TESOL Collection

Since the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014, adult education programs across the country began to plan and implement integrated education and training (IET) programs. IET programs combine adult basic education or ESL instruction with workforce preparation activities and training to not only help participants improve their basic skills or English language proficiency, but also help them advance in their educational or career paths. This model has been particularly challenging for community-based literacy organizations (CBLOs) to adopt, as IETs require additional funding streams, collaborative partnerships, and significant support services. In addition, literature regarding how to …

An Academic Writing Curriculum And Materials For A1-B2-Level Learners In A Turkish University’S English Language Preparatory Program, Matthew Champlin

MA TESOL Collection

This IPP combines a literature review and a materials development project. The literature review outlines and supports the approach taken throughout the curriculum and the materials that were developed. First, it lays out the nature of Turkish universities’ ELPP’s; then, it deals with the basic philosophy of the curriculum including individualization and standardization, the role of joy in education, the necessity for an integration of skills in teaching academic writing, the use of models, and the necessity and purpose of feedback. In the second half of the literature review, the key features of academic writing are discussed in advance of …

Promoting Pro-Environmental Behavior Through Engaging Cultural Diversity In The English As A Second Language Classroom, Pia T. Adler

MA TESOL Collection

Recent scientific environmental data are pushing people throughout the world to recognize and take action on the dire circumstances that the human race and all other species are currently confronting. This paper explores the factors that can influence and potentially empower people to re-examine their place in the natural world, and to orient their behavior in a pro-environmental direction. The premise of this project is that the topic of the humans’ relationship to nature is relevant and particularly well suited for the culturally diverse audience that is found in the English as a Second Language classroom. By using tools like …

Online Learning As An Alternative Form Of Education For Individuals Impacted By Conflict, Wynter Oshiberu

MA TESOL Collection

Through a small case study, this paper investigates one on-line learning organization devoted to providing ESL education to persons affected by conflict. Through interviews with administrators and tutors, and through survey data collected from participants, the paper will explore how administrators and tutors:

1) determine suitability of material when deciding what to teach in this virtual classroom format

2) foster reflection skills in this format

3) assess language acquisition

4) measure the benefits of technology in one on one instruction

Paper Airplanes consists of about five hundred to eight hundred students and around 800 hundred tutors (Wimer, 2018). It is …

¡Reparación Ahora!: La Lucha Del Colegio De Profesores De Chile Y Los Profesores Jubilados Para Reparar La “Deuda Histórica” Y El Legado De La Dictadura Militar En La Profesión Docente Chilena., Olivia Keane

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación se trata de la deuda histórica que debe el Estado de Chile a los profesores que fueron municipalizados durante la dictadura y el trabajo del Colegio de Profesores de Chile y los profesores jubilados en la lucha para reparar la deuda. La investigación fue efectuada en Santiago de Chile y la autora recopiló información a través de entrevistas con profesores jubilados y, activos y empleados del Colegio de Profesores. La autora también observó cómo se manifestaron los docentes jubilados para la reparación de la deuda y la comunidad que ha formado como resultado de esta causa compartida. La …

¿Quién Compone La Historia?: Un Estudio Creativo De La Enseñanza Y Memoria De La Dictadura Cívico Militar Chilena A Través De Las Artes Y Trabajos Originales, Emily Beuter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación analiza la enseñanza de la dictadura cívico-militar de una manera no-tradicional en Santiago, Chile. La investigación consiste en entrevistas con personas que ocupan roles relacionados a la educación; en una práctica implementada por la investigadora en tres escuelas y en una actividad que incluye los trabajos originales de los estudiantes y los poemas originales de la autora. La historia, el arte, la creatividad son principios clave de la investigación. La investigación da importancia a la enseñanza de historia, específicamente a la de la dictadura cívico-militar en Chile y al uso del arte como una herramienta pedagógica en la …

Basque Nationalism And Education: The Influence Of Euskara On Student Achievement In The Basque Country, Amanda Flores

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Between 2012 and 2015, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test scores in the Basque Country have dropped significantly. In reading, the average score dropped 7 points and in math, scores fell by 13 points. Most notably however, science proficiency plummeted 23 points between 2012 and 2015. With 2018 PISA data yet to be published, this downturn in the educational success of the Basque Country is drawing significant concern from educators, parents, and policymakers alike.

These concerns are bolstered by the fact that Basque public schools spend €3,712 more per pupil than average expenditure of Spain, yet perform slightly lower …

“Existen Tantos Géneros Como Personas Hay En El Mundo”: Un Estudio De Las Visiones De La Inclusión De Géneros Diversos En Una Escuela Alternativa De Santiago, Chile, Sarah Mele

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación se trata de las visiones de la educación inclusiva con respecto a identidades de género diversas según les actores escolares de la Escuela Amaranta Gómez, un proyecto educativo alternativo ubicado en la ciudad de Santiago. Guiado por las teorías de Bethy Leonardi, Elizabeth L. Meyer, y sj Miller, se enfoca en definiciones de seguridad física y emocional en ambientes escolares. A través de las experiencias y opiniones de personas que tienen experiencia personal con la educación de estudiantes trans, se exploran los temas de la aceptación al nivel individual y societal. Ambas, las condiciones de las escuelas y …

Learning Freedom: A Journey In Training, Nick Brzezinski

Capstone Collection

This Training Course-linked Capstone (CLC) integrates learning related to experiential learning theory, engaged pedagogy, emergent learning, and the nature of consciousness, with relevant experience gained throughout my reflective practice phases at SIT Graduate Institute, toward my development as a trainer. This CLC is intended to serve as an exploratory window into the fundamental grounding for my approach to training, and the journey of my growth in applying theoretical principles in practice. It is rooted in my personal experiences with self-oppression and liberation, which I investigate in order to better understand the relationship between those two concepts, as well as their …

Critical Embodied Praxis For Social Justice And Peace Educators: A Story Of Personal Transformation Through Analysis Of My Jewish And Settler Identities, Cara Michelle Silverberg

Capstone Collection

In this paper, I examine definitions of and relationships between violence, oppression, peace, liberation, and embodiment in the context of critical pedagogy in order to construct a theory of critical embodied praxis for social justice and peace educators. Considering the body to be a tangible vessel through which narratives and mechanisms of violence are expressed and maintained, I explore the potential of the body to be a vessel through which liberatory narratives may be generated and shared. After constructing a theory of critical embodied praxis, I illustrate this framework in action through a personal narrative that explores the intersections …

The If Men Project – The Design And Implementation Of A Healthy Masculinity Curriculum For Young Men, Scott Kaltenbaugh

Capstone Collection

This paper examines the creation of the If Men Project, a healthy masculinity training curriculum aimed at young men. The If Men Projectseeks to create a better world by helping young men find a stronger sense of their own identity in a way that creates positive relationships with everyone around them. In short, it helps young men be good men.

The paper will track the creation process from my own social justice journey, through the conception of the project, the design of the training, multiple implementations of it, and finally to the reflections and learnings that came from …

Accent Modification Program: A Program For Foreign-Born Employees At St. Jude Children’S Research Hospital, Lisa Gaddy

Capstone Collection

Some foreign national employees lack English proficiency, have poor pronunciation skills, and find it difficult to be understood due to their strong native accent when speaking English. The Accent Modification Program (AMP) is designed to provide an opportunity for non-native English-speaking employees at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, primarily postdoctoral research associates, to advance their English-speaking skills especially as it relates to oral presentation proficiency. The program design is informed by the needs assessment based on data collection via personal interviews, professional observations and experience of the author. AMP will provide regularly scheduled group sessions with a native-English speaking facilitator. …

Music As A Cultural Gateway: A Short-Term Folk Music Program In Albania, Catherine Pierattini

Capstone Collection

Folk songs have been described as a musical representation of a society’s entire culture. The field of ethnomusicology combines aspects of music and anthropology, and the study of folk music can give considerable insight into worldviews, histories, and traditions. Yet there are few study abroad program providers using this discipline as an approach to cultural analysis and exploration.

The proposed Middlebury Music Studies in Albania program would introduce diverse folk music traditions in three distinct cities, giving students the chance to learn the basics of the Albanian language, understand the historical, geographical, and social influences on the music in the …

Reimagining The College As A Safe Haven: The Marlboro Community Asylum Seekers Project, Emma Huse

Capstone Collection

This paper introduces a program design for Marlboro College in Marlboro, Vermont that combines a credit-bearing course on asylum, displacement, and community-engaged learning with a collaborative initiative to host asylum seekers who might otherwise be held indefinitely in immigration detention at the college. Inspiration for the Marlboro Community Asylum Seekers Project arose from a campus-community partnership working to bring asylum seekers to Marlboro in 2019 and the acknowledgement by many stakeholders of the learning potential for all parties, including students at the college. The program curriculum is grounded in experiential and critical service learning theory and reflects a preliminary needs …