Education Commons^™

Perspectives On Neurodiversity-Affirming Education For Autistic Children, El Alcalá

Psychology Honors Projects

Rates of autism diagnosis have increased dramatically in recent decades, along with efforts to include disabled students in general education classes. However, there are significant barriers to full educational inclusion for autistic children with all levels of support needs. In Chapter 1 of this project, I review literature on common barriers to educational inclusion for autistic students, as well as the strengths and shortcomings of school-based service delivery models frequently provided in an effort to mitigate these barriers. I then propose an innovative, neurodiversity-affirming model of service delivery for autistic elementary school students in general education classrooms. In Chapter 2, …

Predatory Inclusion In Higher Education: Labor And Financial Exploitation At A Predominantly White Institution In The Era Of Neoliberal Multiculturalism, Maia N. Pedrosa

Sociology Honors Projects

In the summer of 2020, racial justice movements that emerged in response to the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin passionately decried the systems and institutions at fault and complicit in still perpetuating racial discrimination towards Black people, as well as Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC). As a response to these racial justice demands, college institutions pushed for diversity in their student body and across college affairs in order to appear like they were effectively responding to student demands. However, this fight against racial inequality and inequity began long before during …

Designed For Life: Unearthing Just And Sustainable Urban Design Through The Daylighting Of Phalen Creek, Corgan R. Archuleta

Geography Honors Projects

This thesis conceptualizes a relational approach to urban design. Often separated from justice, I argue urban design can shape spaces to enable respectful and reciprocal human and more-than- human relationships. Focusing on Phalen Creek in Saint Paul, Minnesota, I illuminate just and sustainable possibilities between ecologically sustainable and socially inclusive design. Phalen Creek was a natural waterway buried in a pipe during 20th century urbanization to be partially reconstructed through daylighting. The Indigenous and Immigrant stories driving restoration expand urban design’s liberatory potential. Combining just sustainabilities with infrastructure theory and Indigenous Knowledges, I contend urban design offers a relational approach …

Sustaining The Digital Liberal Arts: Institutional Challenges In Looking Beyond Grant Funding, Ginny Moran, Aisling Quigley, Brooke Schmolke, Louann Terveer

Digital Liberal Arts Publications

No abstract provided.

Shaping Sustainability In Classroom Curricula In Singapore: Educators And Students As Collaborative Change Agents, Anna Fromson-Ho

International Studies Honors Projects

Climate change is a global crisis, and in Singapore, a low-lying city-state, its geography makes it susceptible to extreme weather events and zoonotic diseases. Singapore's alignment with global commitments like the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development is elevated by its presence as a leader in urban sustainability. Using a mixed-methods approach, this paper explores sustainability as a classroom concept and educators' role in translating curriculum standards into learning that informs, educates, and empowers students to become agents of change. Sharing these perspectives will help develop collaborative learning programs that center educators and students, improving understanding of this important field.

Deconstructing The University: Contemporary Dei, Neoliberal Rationalities, And The Abolition Of The Administrative Apparatus, Jonah Henkle

Media and Cultural Studies Honors Projects

The following chapters attempt to develop some working theories to combat capitalist exploitation and racist and gendered oppression in the university, culminating in a call for the abolition of the university’s administrative apparatus. The project is divided broadly into two parts, which are referential to each other, but maintain slightly different areas of focus. Part 1 details a preliminary critique of the political-economy of the contemporary neoliberal university, drawing influence from Marxian economics and structuralist theories of ideology, critiquing contemporary discourses of diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI). Part 2 focuses more directly on issues pertaining to oppression and difference, maintaining …

Decolonizing And Diversifying French Curriculum In Twin Cities K-12 Schools, Helen Radovic

French Honors Projects

French classes in United States K-12 schools are still largely Paris-Centric and targeted towards a white/upper-class student demographic. The purpose of this study is to examine K-12 French teacher’s strategies in promoting diversity in their classrooms, and what effect this has on student engagement. Participants include eight K-12 French immersion teachers in the Twin Cities (Minnesota). Results from the study are complex and varied, however, they indicate that use of authentic resources and connection to students’ personal interests and culture are major ways in which the French curriculum can be reshaped to promote diversity and engagement.

Time To Play: The Relationship Between Time Spent Playing And Educational Outcomes In Peru, Jasmine Davidson

Economics Honors Projects

Every day, children around the world are playing. There has been plenty of research on the importance of different kinds of play, but very little on the importance of the quantity of play. Understanding the relationship between educational outcomes and the amount of time spent playing would allow parents to better structure their children’s time and would settle the debate between psychologists and economists on whether play has inherent value for a child’s future outcomes. I focus on Peru because conducting this research in a developing country context broadens the current research mostly focused on high-income countries. Using child-level, longitudinal …

Narratives Of Disability Activism At Macalester College, 1907 To The 1990s, Bea Chihak

Award Winning History Papers

This history capstone chronologically details disability activism at Macalester in the context of the national disability rights movement. The paper provides primary source analyses of Macalester publications such as the Mac Weekly and interrogates the narratives in which disability appears. When the activism of people with disabilities at Macalester is rendered invisible, stigma around disability and discrimination of disabled individuals contines. This study emphasizes the importance of increasing the visibility, and raising awareness, of these histories. It finds that through their advocacy and labor, students with disabilities envisioned and brought about the contemporary disability services in a collective and intersectional …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2019-2020, Dewitt Wallace Library, Macalester College

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of Macalester's DeWitt Wallace Library activities for 2019-2020.

Theme: Your Library, Wherever You Are

How Does An Increase In The Minimum Wage Affect High School Enrollment?, Esther Swehla

Economics Honors Projects

In this paper, I explore how the probability of a student being in different combinations of enrolled/not enrolled and employed/unemployed/not in the labor force is affected by an increase in the minimum wage. I use binomial logistic regression, and experiment with both state and county level of observation and fixed effects. I also use year fixed effects. I find that when either the nominal or real minimum wage increases, the probability of a student being employed and enrolled increases, while the probability of being in any of the other groups decreases. However, these changes are not substantial. I determine that …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2018-2019, Teresa Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Christina Buckles, Trisha Burr, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Beth Hillemann, Katy Gabrio, Ellen Holt-Werle, Connie Karlen, Virginia Moran, Louann Terveer, Michael Vieaux

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of Macalester's DeWitt Wallace Library activities for 2018-2019.

Theme: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Class And The Classroom: The Role Of Individual- And School-Level Socioeconomic Factors In Predicting College Students’ Academic Behaviors, Cari Gillen-O'Neel, Emily Roebuck, Joan Ostrove

Faculty Publications

This study examines how, for emerging adults attending residential colleges, family incomes and the SES composition of high schools are jointly associated with academic behaviors in college. Using a one-time survey, daily surveys, and additional data collection on high school SES composition, this study measured 221 college students’ (17-25 years old) SES backgrounds and academic behaviors. Findings indicated that three academic behaviors (study time, in-class engagement, and help-seeking) were predicted by an interaction between family income and high school context. Among students who attended high schools that serve many low-income students, higher family income was significantly associated with more beneficial …

How To Be The Perfect Asian Wife!, Sophia Hill

Art and Art History Honors Projects

“How to be the Perfect Asian Wife” critiques exploitative power systems that assault female bodies of color in intersectional ways. This work explores strategies of healing and resistance through inserting one’s own narrative of flourishing rather than surviving, while reflecting violent realities. Three large drawings mimic pervasive advertisement language and presentation reflecting the oppressive strategies used to contain women of color. Created with charcoal, watercolor, and ink, these 'advertisements' contrast with an interactive rice bag filled with comics of my everyday experiences. These documentations compel viewers to reflect on their own participation in systems of power.

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2017-2018, Terri Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacki Betsworth, Trisha Burr, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Beth Hillemann, Katy Gabrio, Ellen Holt-Werle, Ron Joslin, Connie Karlen, Alexis Logsdon, Ginny Moran, Chris Schommer, Michael Vieaux

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library and media services activities for 2017-2018

A Material Education: The Art & Science Of Stanton Sears - Intersections Series By The Dewitt Wallace Library, Laura Billings Coleman

Books

Interactive version of A Material Education: The Art & Science of Stanton Sears

Edited by Beth Hillemann
Digital Book Design by Magdalena Panetta

This series of e-books, entitled Intersections, will serve to highlight the interdisciplinary approaches of our faculty and students. Each e-book will feature Macalester faculty members who embody the interdisciplinary nature of the liberal arts in their teaching and scholarship.

A Material Education: The Art and Science of Stanton Sears is the exciting inaugural book of the series. The studio of Stan Sears gives us the ideal start to our exploration of the critical connections between arts and …

Teaching Stats For Data Science, Daniel Kaplan

Faculty Publications

“Data science” is a useful catchword for methods and concepts original to the field of statistics, but typically being applied to large, multivariate, observational records. Such datasets call for techniques not often part of an introduction to statistics: modeling, consideration of covariates, sophisticated visualization, and causal reasoning. This article re-imagines introductory statistics as an introduction to data science and proposes a sequence of 10 blocks that together compose a suitable course for extracting information from contemporary data. Recent extensions to the mosaic packages for R together with tools from the “tidyverse” provide a concise and readable notation for wrangling, visualization, …

Building Research Skills In The Macalester Economics Major, J. Peter Ferderer, Gary Krueger

Faculty Publications

Economics majors at Macalester College have won numerous awards for their research papers, and this success has helped them land jobs in finance, consulting, and the nonprofit sector, as well as gain admission to top graduate programs. This article describes how the Economics Department at Macalester promotes economic research among its students.

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2016-2017, Teresa Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Katy Gabrio, Ellen Holt-Werle, Connie Karlen, Beth Hillemann, Ron A. Joslin, Virginia Moran, Michael Vieaux

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library and media services activities for 2016-2017

Book Review: David W. Lewis. Reimagining The Academic Library. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2016., Teresa A. Fishel

Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2015-2016, Teresa A. Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Katy Gabrio, Beth Hillemann, Ellen Holt-Werle, Ron A. Joslin, Connie Karlen, Alexis Logsdon, Brian Longley, John Meyerhofer, Virginia Moran, Jesse A. Sawyer, Laura Secord, Katie Witzig

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library and media services activities for 2015-2016

Integrating 3d Printing Across The Liberal Arts Curriculum, Adam Konczewski, Jonathan Carlson, Aaron Utke

Oberlin Digital Scholarship Conference

3D modeling technology is a great way to approach a broad range of educational pedagogies. Participants learned how to integrate 3D technology into your classroom. This presentation focused on the pedagogical applications of 3D printing and design in the classroom that we have implemented with chemistry, art and environmental studies faculty and students. During this intensive workshop participants learned how 3D printing and design can be used as a tool for creative problem solving.

PLEASE NOTE: Participants installed the following software before attending the workshop: Sketchup (free trial version) from http://www.sketchup.com/ iPad app for Makerbot PrintShop https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/makerbot-printshop/id884304128?mt=8 (the presenters also …

Perceived School Style And Academic Outcomes Among Ethnically Diverse College Students, Rowan Hilty, Cari Gillen-O'Neel

Psychology Honors Projects

Students’ perceptions of their schools play an important role in achievement. One framework for measuring students’ perceptions is an adaptation of Baumrind’s parenting typology, which measures perceived “school style” (Pellerin, 2005) along two dimensions of responsiveness (warmth) and demandingness (high academic expectations). Although research suggests that perceptions of authoritative styles (both responsive and demanding) correlate with better student outcomes (Dornbusch et al., 1987), no existing research has considered whether these findings apply to ethnically diverse samples. We surveyed 301 students from five Midwestern colleges who completed measures of perceived school style, perceived discrimination, and several academic outcomes. Academically stigmatized students …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2014-2015, Teresa A. Fishel, Beth Hillemann, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Aaron Albertson, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Katy Gabrio, Virginia Moran, Ellen Holt-Werle, Connie Karlen, Alexis Logsdon, Jesse A. Sawyer, Chris Schommer, Laura Secord, Katie Witzig

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library and media services activities for 2014-2015

The Preschool Puzzle: Exploring Variations In Early Childhood Education Teacher Quality Across States, Alice Rockswold

Political Science Honors Projects

There is a growing consensus in the early childhood education community that it is necessary to raise the qualifications of preschool teachers. Yet, little is known about why rigorous degree and training standards have advanced further in some states than others. In this analysis, I explore various political and demographic factors that might account for the uneven support for such standards, with special attention to the role of Head Start as a driver of quality, given its presence and variation in strength across states. Using longitudinal data from the National Institute of Early Childhood Education, I find weak evidence that …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report 2013-2014, Teresa Fishel, Aaron Albertson, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Dave Collins, Angi Faiks, Katy Gabrio, Virginia M. Heinrich, Beth Hillemann, Ron A. Joslin, Jesse A. Sawyer

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library and media services activities for 2013-2014

Dewitt Wallace Library Biennial Report 2011-2013, Teresa Fishel, Beth Hillemann, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth, Virginia M. Heinrich, Katharine M. Gabrio, Johan Oberg, Ellen Holt-Werle, John H. Davidsen, Laura J. Secord, Aaron S. Albertson, Danielle Maestretti

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library activities for 2011-2013

Perspectivas Contradictorias: La Necesidad De Reconfigurar La Educación Bilingüe En Estados Unidos En El Siglo Xxi, Margaret Hutchison

Hispanic Studies Honors Projects

The current-day field of Bilingual Education in the US finds itself at a critical juncture. While some proponents of Bilingual Education emphasize its ability to form multilingual students for academic and economic success on a global stage, a contrasting perspective within the field emphasizes the importance of Bilingual Education to best support the achievement of language-minority students in particular. Interviews with three employees of St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minnesota, who are each involved with the implementation of a Bilingual Education program indicate the existence of this ideological split within the local context of St. Paul. This division …

Dewitt Wallace Library Annual Report, 2010-11, Teresa Fishel, Jacquelyn F. Betsworth

Annual Report - DeWitt Wallace Library

Summary of library activities for 2010-2011

Locating Rousseau's Legislator In The Social Contract, Courtney C. Nussbaumer

The Macalester Review

It is challenging to define precisely what role the legislator plays in Rousseau’s Social Contract; however, when viewed in light of the ancient guardians, the role of the legislator becomes less obscure. This paper pursues the similarities between Rousseau’s concept of the legislator and Plato’s concept of the guardian while also exploring the poignant differences between the two. One cannot help but notice their fundamental similarities such as the superior character and intelligence of the legislator and how each communicates with the people. Their ultimate purpose and legitimacy differs, however, in that the legislator plays a more esoteric role in …