Education Commons^™

The Authentic Voice Of Gifted And Talented Black Males Regarding Their Motivation To Engage In Stem (Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics), Adrienne Coleman

Publications & Research

This study explored the factors motivating gifted and talented Black males to engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The specific problem addressed was the lack of motivation among Black males to engage in STEM education and STEM careers. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors motivating Black males engaged in STEM in an effort to inform administrators, educators, and programs seeking to increase Black males in STEM. Qualitative methodology was used to conduct focus groups with 20 gifted and talented Black males who currently attend the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA), as well as …

Is Stem For All? Perspectives Of Black And Latino Students On Stem Motivation, Adrienne Coleman

Publications & Research

This presentation takes an intricate look at the factors that motivate gifted and talented Black and Latino students to engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics(STEM). According to the literature, the U.S. workforce could employ as many as 140,000 additional Black and Latino college graduates in STEM fields annually if the gap in college completion by Blacks and Latinos closed to roughly match that of the White and Asian student graduation rates. Thus, the goal of this presentation is to inform administrators, educators, and programs of a 5-step motivation-based program that encourages Black and Latino students to engage in STEM.

Teaching Tolkien: Language, Scholarship, And Creativity, Adam Kotlarczyk

Faculty Publications & Research

Why Tolkien?

Let us start with the obvious—if cynical—question, almost certain to come from a skeptical administrator or colleague: why would any serious, self-respecting English teacher want to teach an author whose work is about dragons, fairies, and the fantastic? With all the increased attention to standardized testing and with the demand for rigor in read- ings in the average English curriculum, choosing a popular text might raise eyebrows among critics. The question that an English teacher may be asked (or indeed, may ask him- or herself) is: doesn't teaching Tolkien as "serious" literature just fan those flames?

Is Stem For All? Perspectives Of Black And Latino Students On Stem Motivation, Adrienne Coleman, Kayla Ingram '14

Publications & Research

Is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) truly for all? According to the literature, it is rare to find gifted and talented Black and Latino Students who are engaged in STEM (C. G. Wright, 2011; LSA, 2005; Scott, 2010; Speight & Weatherspoon, 2009). They are virtually invisible in these majors and careers. While Caucasians and Asians view STEM careers as a world of opportunities, Blacks and Latinos see them as challenging and inaccessible (The Center on Education and Work, 2008). This results from a lack of exposure to STEM in K - 12 education, mathematics phobias, students’ misperceptions of what …