Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Front Matter, Alice G. Brand (Editor)

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Editor's Message

Many of us come out of formal and advanced training in writing. We are at home with the humanities: philosophy, drama, the arts, aesthetics. We connect easily to both the teaching of literature and to literary exegesis. Ideas about literacy come easily to us.

We need to be aware of work being done in the field outside our focus in writing, literature, and language. Connections need to be made between us and other members of our cultural tapestry. Every once in a while someone tells me about the name of a book, an organization, or a journal that …

Jaepl, Vol. 2, Winter 1996-1997, Alice G. Brand (Editor)

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Essays

Jean Trounstine. Sacred Spaces. Drama in the prison classroom teaches that transgression can enhance spirituality.

Irene Papoulis. Spirituality and Composition: One Teacher's Thoughts. The author explores her ambivalence about combining her interest in spirituality and her composition teaching.

George Kalamaras. Meditative Silence and Reciprocity: The Dialogic Implications for 'Spiritual Sites of Composing. Recent studies of silence must focus on the dialogical nature of Eastern meditation, examining the values of meditative awareness and social theories of reciprocity.

Christopher Ferry. When the Distressed Teach the Oppressed: Toward an Understanding of Communion and Commitment. Jane Tompkins' adaptation of Paulo Freire's educational philosophy …

From Writers To Writer/Designers, Margaret Batschelet, Linda Woodson

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Instructors should extend the idea of thought in word only to possibilities offered by the visual.

Back Matter, Alice G. Brand (Editor)

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

No abstract provided.

Break Point: The Challenges Of Teaching Multicultural Education Courses, Arlette Ingram Willis, Shuaib J. Meacham

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Teaching multicultural education courses to preservice teachers exacts an emotional toll as they begin to acknowledge their ethnic awareness.

The Exceptional Educational Needs Child In The Art Room: Teaching Through The Seven Multiple Intelligences, Kathleen M. Hackbarth

Master of Science of Adaptive Education Theses

Inclusion and mainstreaming have left many art teachers unprepared. They have not been trained as adaptive art teachers. There are basic fears among many on how to teach art to special education children. Some art teachers decline a school assignment after finding out they would have an adaptive class with cognitively disabled (CD) or hearing impaired (HI) students. Oftentimes, special needs children are left behind because it takes more time and special training to help them participate in art. The purpose of this study is to gain insight and understanding of the total art experience of students with special needs …

Meditative Silence And Reciprocity: The Dialogic Implications For "Spiritual Sites Of Composing", George Kalamaras

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Recent studies of silence must focus on the dialogical nature of Eastern meditation, examining the values of meditative awareness and social theories of reciprocity.

Reviews, Lisa Langstraat, Linda T. Calendrillo, Judith Bradshaw-Brown, Frances Jo Grossman

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Lisa Langstraat. The Epistemic Music of Rhetoric: Toward the Temporal Dimension of Affect in Reader Response and Writing. (Steven B. Katz, 1996).

Linda T Calendrillo. Images in Language, Media, and Mind. (Roy F. Fox, Ed., 1994).

Judith Bradshaw-Brown. The Tao of Teaching. (Greta Nagel, 1994).

Frances Jo Grossman. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. (Anne Lamott, 1994)

The Impact Of Psychological Trauma On Learning And Functioning In Women Wit Learning Disabilities: Looking At Classroom Trauma, Jane Utley Adelizzi

Educational Studies Dissertations

This study investigates women and learning disabilities and the impact of psychological trauma.

Adolescent Pragmatic Skills: A Comparison Of Latino Students In English As A Second Language And Speech And Language Programs, Alejandro Brice, Judith Montgomery

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

The purpose of this study was to compare the pragmatic performance of students from two adolescent groups-students receiving English as a second language (ESL) instruction versus bilingual students receiving speech-language (BSL) therapy. A pragmatics Screening scale (i.e., the Adolescent Pragmatics Screening Scale, Brice, 1992a) was used to measure pragmatic performance. The findings of this study indicated that the BSL students differed from the ESL students in expressing themselves, establishing greetings, initiating and maintaining conversations, listening to a speaker, and cueing the listener regarding topic changes. Both groups of students had difficulties regulating others through language. Thus, even language-intact students may …

Academic Achievement And Divorce, Christine M. Neilio

Theses and Dissertations

Divorce is a major crisis in the life of a child and can lead to a decline in academic achievement. Numerous studies indicate that children of divorce show lower academic achievement than those from intact families. Studies have shown that children from one parent families score lower on achievement tests but the reasons for the test scores vary based on the individual situation.

Educational systems can play an important role in helping children of divorce deal with their problems. Teachers and counselors are very important to the success or failure of children in coping with problems associated with divorce. Since …

An Investigation Of The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Strategies Applied To Students In Inclusive Education Settings, Theresa Thum Gerber

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop strategies for regular education teachers to use in order to control the behavior/attention problems exhibited by some classified students included in their classrooms.

The study consisted of five regular education teachers, grades three through seven, and twelve classified students from Southampton Township Schools, New Jersey. The teachers were obtained through a letter which asked for teachers to volunteer who had classified students exhibiting behavior problems.

Success of the implemented strategies were measured through a pretest, posttest design using the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale-28 (CTRS-28). Analysis of the pretest results and teacher input …

Specific Strategy Instruction To Enhance Revising And Editing Skills For The Learning Disabled, Barbara J. Stubbs

Theses and Dissertations

For years, research and replications of research have supported the findings that grammar taught in isolation is at best ineffective. As a result, some teachers have abandoned grammar instruction altogether. Other teachers are unaware of the findings or simply choose to ignore them. With so many mildly handicapped students being placed in regular education classes, these curricular decisions are having an impact on their success in producing correct written communication.

This study compares eleven learning disabled seventh grade students taught in the mainstream with traditional grammar instruction to nine learning disabled peers taught in a resource center with specific strategy …

The Efficacy Of An Alternative School, Celeste Wilden

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines a self-contained day school for emotionally disturbed adolescents by evaluating whether changes produced by the intervention result in practical personally and socially worthwhile improvements. Such evaluation, often called social validation (Kazden, 1977) involves determining whether the changes have brought the student's performance within acceptable levels. Social validation deals with how closely the student's functioning fits expectations of appropriate performance in society (Haring & McCormick, 1990). This hypothesis was tested by the results of a questionnaire given to graduates from the program since DYFS withdrew its funding in 1983. Success was defined as having the ability to support …

Kindergarten Curriculum, Kelly-Ann Grossman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to develop a kindergarten curriculum suitable for a rural disadvantaged full-day kindergarten program. This was accomplished by a review of literature including five major theories of curriculum: the enrichment curriculum, the directed teaching curriculum, the cognitive emphasis curriculum, the custodial care curriculum and the combination curriculum. A combination curriculum was decided on and specific curriculums were reviewed for further content and design. Curriculums from nearby schools were reviewed and blended with the textbooks and areas of content felt necessary by the school's kindergarten teachers.

Does Learning Style Instruction Have A Positive Effect On Academic Achievement In The First Grade?, Nancy D. Rosenberg, Pamela M. Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of learning style instruction when implemented in a typical first grade classroom setting. The study was designed to determine if the use of several learning style methodologies would produce an increase in academic achievement.

Two regular first grade classes were used as the Study and Control Groups. Each student in the Study Group was surveyed to discover possible learning styles present within the group. For approximately six months, the Study Group received instruction which was modified, wherever possible, to allow for each student's individual needs. During this period, the Control …

The Impact Of An In-Class Support Program On Regular And Special Education Teachers, Cheryl A. Marino

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an in-class support program on teachers. The subjects of this study were six pairs of teachers consisting of one regular educator and one special educator. To solicit participation, cover letters and a narrative survey instrument were mailed to each of the twelve educators. The responses were analyzed using content analysis. Most responses provided positive feedback on in-class support programs. There are some concerns for future implementation of these programs.

The Effectiveness Of Prereferral Interventions Through Pupil Assistance Committees On Academic And Behavioral Needs Of Students, Barbara G. Fletcher

Theses and Dissertations

The general purpose of the study was to determine if prereferral interventions, through a PAC team, were effective in adding to the ability of a school to respond to a broad range of students' academic and behavioral needs. The population of this study consisted of 31 students. These fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students were referred to their elementary school's PAC team for behavioral and academic needs. PAC records were analyzed for information including the problems and reasons for referral, the goals of the teachers, suggested interventions, the results of each meeting, and the success of the interventions. Both a …

Ada Law: Program And Service Requirements As Applied To Wku, Jaron Blandford

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has had a measurable effect upon education. The area examined in this paper involves programs and services offered at universities and colleges, for students with disabilities have the right to equal opportunities in educational programs. Instructors and administrators at all universities are now legally required to make certain accommodations to meet individual differences and abilities. At Western Kentucky University, professors and students alike are pleased with the ADA law, but there are some differing opinions on how well WKU is complying with it. Financing necessary changes is a major concern. WKU has had …

Self-Recording Of Attention And Its Effects On Achievement, Harvey N. Gross

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if self-recording of attention to task after cueing improves the performance of learning disabled students. Subjects were fifty-two students in two eighth grade American History classes. The experimental group (n=25) of students had within it a subgroup of thirteen students classified perceptually impaired with moderate to severe attention disorder. Another subgroup of twelve non-learning disabled students within the same class received intervention. The control group (n=27) were all regular education students. Both groups were taught the same lessons using similar formats. A serious limitation of this study is that a small convenience …

Effect Of Computer Assisted Instruction On Written Expressive Language Of Mildly Mentally Retarded Students, Vicki R. Newman

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of computer assisted instruction on the written expressive language of mildly mentally retarded students was investigated. The quality of written work samples produced using paper and pencil was determined and compared to the quality of the expressive language samples produced on the computer after computer assisted instruction was implemented. Attitude toward writing with both modes of expression was measured. The results indicated that computer assisted instruction improved the quality of written expressive language in the areas of product length, legibility and mechanical construction. It did not significantly improve the content, complexity or thematic maturity of ideas produced on …

A Study Of Characteristics In Learning Disabled Dropouts Who Have Returned To Adult Education Programs, Deborah A. Ciapanna

Theses and Dissertations

The first purpose of this study is to identify common characteristics in a sample population of learning disabled dropouts who have returned to an adult basic education program. The second purpose is to identify characteristics of this same population which are attributed to their success in an adult education program. If we examine the information as reported by those learning disabled individuals who have been unsuccessful in completing their education, warning signals may be identified for other potential dropouts. Intervention strategies could also be created to encourage learning disabled students to stay in school. In addition, strategies may be developed …

Cognitive Apprenticeship: Authentic Problem-Solving Experiences Challenges Traditional Isolated Learning Outcomes, Nancy R. Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to determine if seventh grade basic skills and special education students who experienced different teaching styles would demonstrate an increased ability to solve problems on a criterion-referenced test. Pre and posttesting requiring multiple choice responses were given to a sample of 27 seventh grade students. The Control group consisted of 11 BSI students while the experimental group of sixteen students contained 6 classified, 2 ESL students, and 8 borderline BSI students.

A task performance project, Games-Recycled Math, in which students of the experimental group planned, designed, and constructed a mathematical game, was designed and implemented …

Impact Of "Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder" On Educational Placement And Service Delivery, Marsha L. Groves

Masters Theses

Children with "Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder" face many changes within the school environment. Teachers strive to help these students meet those changes by providing for special learning and behavior needs. This study obtained teacher responses to examine demographic data, disability categories, placement, and educational treatment of children clinically diagnosed and/or suspected of having "Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders". Of the 76 teacher surveys returned, 107 students were reported to have or were suspected of having "Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder". Forty-five were identified as learning disabled, seven were considered behavior disordered, seven were receiving speech services, seven others were health impaired, three …

Gender Differences In Cognitive Ability Of Children With Hearing Impairment On The Wechsler Intelligence Scale For Children-3rd Edition, Damian D. Jones

Masters Theses

This research thesis investigates possible gender differences of deaf children on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (3rd ed.). The Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) in Jacksonville, Illinois collated the standard scores of the five standard WISC-III Performance scale subtests and the Performance IQ of 25 students attending ISD. To examine gender differences on the Performance scale subtests and the Performance IQ's, a series of oneway-analyses of variance was calculated. No significant differences were noted on any comparison. A hypothesis that gender differences would occur was not confirmed. The results are discussed with respect to the intellectual assessment of …

Front Matter, Alice G. Brand (Editor)

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Editor's Message

The prospect of bringing off a new journal is character building, I have come to believe—particularly when it is published only once a year and by a fledging organization. The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning (JAEPL) had to be good, very good, especially the inaugural issue. That this was the first issue also meant, I hoped, that readers would tolerate mistakes. Surely, mistakes could be corrected with the next issue. But on second thought, that was a long year away.

Nonetheless, I celebrate the occasion of the inaugural issue of JAEPL. …

Strictly Ballroom? Dancing Along The Borders Of Movement And Writing, Tim Doherty

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Multiple intelligences are exercised when movement and writing intersect in the composition curriculum.

Emotional Implication: Performing Within Emotional Gaps, Kristie S. Fleckenstein

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

The role of emotional implication is a process by which writers leave and fill emotional gaps within a text, thus creating their readers, text worlds, and themselves.

Mental Imagery, Psychology, And Rhetoric: An Examination Of Recurring Problems, Linda T. Calendrillo

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

The parallel debates on mental imagery in contemporary psychology and classical rhetoric have led to its marginal status in composition studies.

Mastery: Or, Where Does True Wisdom Lie?, Martha Goff Stoner

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Zen philosophy and contemporary physics heighten awareness of wisdom as a process not a product.