Education Commons^™

Elucidation Of Effective Professional Development Experiences: Addressing Inclusion For Students With Autism, Jennifer Lee Suppo

Journal of Research Initiatives

Open interviews were conducted with a special education teacher and a general education teacher. The overall guiding question was to provide elucidation of what is needed in a professional development program to meet the needs of both the general and special education teachers who teach children with a diagnosis of autism in an inclusive setting. Overall, the themes of diversity, knowledge and collaboration emerged as important variables for professional development experiences. Furthermore, in-depth knowledge and flexibility arose as important qualities of the facilitator of a professional development experience. Implications are a set forth for the expansion of the study and …

Triple Identity Theory: Conceptualizing The Lived Experiences Of A Gifted Black Male With Dyslexia., Shawn A. Robinson

Journal of Research Initiatives

Though overrepresented in special education, Black males are seldom given attention in scholarly literature addressing Twice-Exceptional (2e), and existing research has failed to systematically examine the intersectionality of race, dyslexia and giftedness. The article begins with definitions of key terms discussed throughout the paper. Second, the literature review synthesis relevant literature on the intersectionality that includes: race and misidentification, and my lived experience. Third, the article calls attention to a proposed cultural lens for understanding 2e Black males, its implications, and my interpretation. Finally, in the discussion section I offer PreK-12 educators with necessary information about the proper identification process, …

“This Is Not What I Expected”: Knowledge Reconfiguration In Preservice Teachers, Franco Zengaro, Sally A. Zengaro

Journal of Research Initiatives

The aim of this qualitative case study was to investigate how two preservice teachers reconfigured their role as teachers during their practicum. We collected data through interviews, field observations, and documentary notes gathered at an urban school across four months. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The results revealed three themes: (1) Blaming vs. Connecting, (2) Idealism vs. Realism, and (3) Retreating vs. Reconfiguring. The findings of this study indicated that placement was influential for the two preservice teachers. This case study shares valuable information regarding the importance of connecting preservice teachers with quality teaching practicum experiences aimed …

How Cinema Excerpts Enhance A Culturally Relevant Responsive-Value Driven Pedagogy, Sunni Ali

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

Most certainly “good styles of teaching” match the needs of students. As technology distractions within society grow more and more tearing students away from a classroom’s pedagogy, it becomes even more important today for teachers to find effective ways to engage students. Cinema clips is one-way educators can apply a cultural value driven pedagogy to connect students to lessons. For one, the use of cinema clips allows teachers to use multi-media resources to translate or deconstruct a lesson through video and auditory mechanism. Furthermore, it offers a differentiated style of teaching for students. What makes the use of …

The Looking Glass Effect: A Phenomenological Study Of Graduate Asian Students’ English Writing Challenges, Papia Bawa, Sunnie L. Watson

Journal of Research Initiatives

Increasingly more students from China are looking to the USA for learning opportunities. Despite being beneficial for both stakeholders, this phenomenon has some deep-rooted issues pertaining to cross cultural language acquisition barriers that may be preventing such learners from reaching their full potential in academic accomplishments. This phenomenological study of five Chinese students in the USA, engaged in the process of English language communication, is a step towards understanding this phenomenon. The study’s findings led to the development of a new metaphorical paradigm (Looking Glass Effect Paradigm) to explain the key issues faced by such learners, a new pedagogical approach …