Special Education and Teaching Commons^™

Meditation: A Balance Of Human And Social Growth In Education, Edward Cromarty

Journal of Research Initiatives

This best practice article explores meditation as a holistic method of nurturing the balanced integration of human and social development in educational environments. It inquiries into the meaning of meditation and considers a dilemma that exists between the holistic meditation practices of its traditional religious and yogic practitioners, and recent academic studies of meditation in educational contexts which often seek scientific explanations focusing on quantitative studies for utilitarian and institutional purposes. In performing the research, this article examines the writings and Dharma talks of two world-renowned Buddhist monks and meditation experts about the practice and purpose of meditation. The article …

Autism Spectrum Disorders And Positive Familial Effects, Genevieve Weaver

Senior Honors Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have been found to significantly impact familial structures and outcomes in various studies. The majority of the impact, however, has been primarily negative; effects like increased stress, marital discontentment, and stigmatization are commonly expressed by families. In this study data from a questionnaire, interview, and picture presentations were analyzed and triangulated to identify the positive familial effects of having a child or sibling with ASD. Parents and siblings shared that having a child or sibling with ASD has bettered their life through learning to enjoy the identity of the individual with ASD, through personal growth, and …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Home-School Collaboration: Enhancing Learning For Children With Autism, Chana S. Josilowski

The Qualitative Report

This study aimed to explore the relationship between teachers and students’ families and address the deficiencies in the body of research regarding the performance gap between children with autism and their age-equivalent peers. The research question was: How do teachers of children with autism perceive the home-school collaboration and its impact on learning? Ten state-certified special educators with at least 3 years’ experience teaching children with autism, and experience collaborating with their students’ families participated in face-to-face interviews, answering 8 open-ended questions in this generic qualitative study. Inductive thematic analysis yielded 6 themes: (a) collaboration improves learning, (b) communication is …

Interdisciplinary Collaboration In Exemplary Counseling-Enriched High School Programs: Integrating College & Career Readiness And Mental Health Wellness For Students With Emotional Disturbance, Amira S. Mostafa

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods multiple-case study was to describe how interdisciplinary collaborative teams support the college and career readiness and the mental health wellness of adolescents with emotional disturbance. A secondary purpose was to explore how team members describe and rate the importance of their interdisciplinary collaboration using the four essential elements (reflection, flexibility, newly created roles, and interdependence) based on the model established by Mellin (Mellin et al., 2010). Lastly, this study sought recommendations from team members on improved practices supporting adolescents with emotional disturbance.

Methodology: An explanatory sequential mixed methods multiple-case study design explored the …

Chapter 7: Learners With Disabilities And Video-Based Instructional Message Design, Charles Thull

Instructional Message Design, Volume 1

Learners with disabilities are entitled to public education that supports their unique needs, but unfortunately, they experience poor post-secondary outcomes when compared to their peers, including lower rates of post-secondary education engagement and employment. Individuals with low incidence disabilities experience lower employment rates when compared to other individuals with disabilities, due to the impact of difficulties with social/communication, self-determination, and executive functioning skills. Researchers have developed video-based instruction with various message design and technology features to support independence for individuals with disabilities, including basic to complex vocational task completion. This chapter will provide useful information for designers, educators, state and …

Cross-Cultural Considerations: Raising Language Teachers Awareness About The Importance Of Multiculturalism, Abir El Shaban

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

With the worldwide use of English as a second language (ESL) and globalization, teachers are expected to understand, acknowledge and interact with culturally and linguistically diverse students and integrate their linguistic and multicultural backgrounds in classroom settings. Teachers need to be multicultural to be able to successfully impact their students to be multicultural. This paper provides English language teachers with valuable recommendations based on cross-cultural studies and my experience, as an ESL teacher, on how to be responsive to students from different cultures to empower and enhance their language proficiency skills.

The Perceptions Of Private Special Education School Leaders Regarding Their Role In Promoting Self-Care And Renewal Practices For Themselves And Their Teachers, Theresa Melito-Conners

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the perceptions of private special education school leaders regarding their role in promoting self-care and renewal. There is limited research on self-care and renewal in schools. Data were gathered through surveys and interviews that addressed three guiding research questions: (a) Do school leaders consider self-care and renewal practices to be important for themselves and their teachers? (b) What are the various ways school leaders report they promote self-care and renewal practices for themselves and their teachers? (c) What do school leaders believe to be the factors and conditions that inhibit and foster their efforts to implement …

Persistence Among Emerging Adults With Traumatic Brain Injury In Postsecondary Settings, Ardith A. Clayton-Wright

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal study sought to investigate the demographic and socio-psychological factors associated with predicting persistence in postsecondary education among emerging adults with traumatic brain injury. The predicting variables in this study were: (a) gender (sex), (b) socioeconomic status (SES), (c) employment, (d) years of education; (e) age at onset of injury, (f) existence of familial capital/parental involvement, and (g) hours spent studying for a class.

Data were obtained from a secondary dataset collected by the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center longitudinal database. There were 2436 participants with TBI in the study. Ages ranged from 16 …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Teachers’ Experiences With Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Transitioning And Adjusting To Inclusion: Impacts Of The Home And School Collaboration, Chana S. Josilowski, Wendy Morris

The Qualitative Report

Although inclusive classrooms provide unique opportunities for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), these students face barriers during the initial transition from self-contained classrooms (Sanahuja-Gavaldà, Olmos-Rueda, & Morón-Velasco, 2016). The purpose of this qualitative, generic study was to identify how home and school collaboration impacted the transition and adjustment of students with ASD to an inclusive setting. Using a generic qualitative methodology, we collected data from 16 teachers who responded to a series of open-ended questions about their experiences with parental engagement during the transition to inclusion for students with ASD. Three themes emerged; teachers indicated that when parents and …

Front Matter, Wendy Ryden, Peter H. Khost

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Front Matter

Swamps, Flat Earthers, And Boughs Of Holly: “Encountering” The Natural World And The Poetics Of Environmental Literacy, Wendy Ryden

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

"Encountering” the Natural World and the Poetics of Environmental Literacy

Writing About Wolves: Using Ecocomposition Pedagogy To Teach Social Justice In A Theme-Based Composition Course, Michael S. Geary

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Elements of ecocomposition are employed to construct a course that uses the relationship between wolves and humans as a social justice metaphor. Students explore how mythmaking leads to dire consequences for any population being exploited. This approach to teaching first year composition allows students to acquire new knowledge about conservationism while focusing on developing their critical reading, writing, and researching skills.

Book Reviews, Irene Papoulis, Dan Mrozowski, Jacquelyne Kibler, Christy I. Wenger, Mary Leonard, Sharon Marshall

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Present and Feeling, Irene Papoulis

Newkirk, Thomas. Embarrassment and the Emotional Underlife of Learning. Heinemann, 2017, Dan Mrozowski

Young, Shinzen. The Science of Enlightenment: How Meditation Works. Sounds True, 2016, Jacquelyne Kibler

Peary, Alexandria. Prolific Moment: Theory and Practice of Mindfulness for Writing. Routledge, 2018, Christy I. Wenger

De Luca, Geraldine. Teaching toward Freedom: Supporting Voices and Silence in the English Classroom. Routledge, 2018, Mary Leonard

Cooper, Brittney. Eloquent Rage, A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower, St. Martins, 2018, Sharon Marshall

Back Matter, Wendy Ryden, Peter H. Khost

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Back Matter

Relational Literacy, W. Kurt Stavenhagen

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

In this paper, I propose literacy practices that further shift us from subject-object dichotomies and exclusive language practices to a focus on relationships and multimodality. Based in large part upon Indigenous Scholar Shawn Wilson’s concept of relationality, I define a relational literacy wherein we counter an undue abstraction of the environment by mapping interspecies relationships and placing them within kinship narratives.

Racial Literacy Is Literacy: Locating Racial Literacy In The College Composition Classroom, Mara Lee Grayson

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

In order to develop pedagogies around racial literacy, we must first define the goals and bounds of racial literacy as praxis. In this paper, I synthesize the findings of a year-long teacher research project to explore the significance of racial literacy in the college composition classroom. Drawing from existing scholarship and my own research into racial literacy instruction, I offer four visions of racial literacy in the English classroom, the last of which is Racial Literacy as Literacy. I conclude by arguing that a racial literacy curriculum can teach students foundational concepts of textual analysis, audience awareness, authorial choice and …

Containing The Jeremiad: Understanding Paradigms Of Anxiety In Global Climate Change Experience, Brian Glaser

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

This essay uses Bion’s concept of “containing” to read the psychological dynamics of jeremiads about global climate change, arguing that their structure reveals a strategy of communication that may be useful for more broadly raising awareness about this challenging state of the planet. More specifically, I argue that contemporary global climate change jeremiads have a structure that first elicits alarm and then moves to discuss solutions, and that this structure may be beneficial to those who are awakening to the reality of global climate change by rendering anxiety bearable and therefore open to purposive and creative response.

Connecting, Christy I. Wenger, Monica Mische, Kristina Fennelly, Laurence Musgrove, Lindsey Allgood

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

Finding Meaning in our Work and Writing, Christy I. Wenger

Response from Beyond, Monica Mische

Reflecting on Arguing and Listening in Digital Spaces, Kristina Fennelly

Sunday Morning Before Midterms, Laurence Musgrove

Honoring Impulse, Attending to Gesture, Lindsey All-good

“Be A Liberation Whatever”: Social Justice Literacy In A Living-Learning Community, Faith Kurtyka

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

This article describes an assessment of a living-learning community— part residence life, part community service, and part academics—to understand how students learn “social justice literacy.”

Teaching Animals In The Post-Anthropocene: Zoopedagogy As A Challenge To Logocentrism, Anastassiya Andrianova

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

This essay examines a theory and practice of zoopedagogy that encourages exploring non-logocentric mode(l)s of communication while promoting environmentalism, critical thinking, and empathy.

Seeking A Language That Heals: Teaching And Writing From A Ruined Landscape, Amy Nolan

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

I first heard Iowa referred to as a "ruined landscape" when I was riding a shuttle bus from an airport to a conference... The statement led me to wonder... what does "ruined" mean?

Jaepl, Vol. 24, 2018-2019, Wendy Ryden, Peter H. Khost

The Journal of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning

ESSAYS

“Be a Liberation Whatever”: Social Justice Literacy in a Living-Learning Community, Faith Kurtyka

Racial Literacy Is Literacy: Locating Racial Literacy in the College Composition Classroom, Mara Lee Grayson

SPECIAL SECTION: ENCOUNTERING THE NATURAL WORLD: ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES

Swamps, Flat Earthers, and Boughs of Holly: “Encountering” the Natural World and the Poetics of Environmental Literacy, Wendy Ryden

Containing the Jeremiad: Understanding Paradigms of Anxiety in Global Climate Change Experience, Brian Glaser

Seeking a Language that Heals: Teaching and Writing from a Ruined Landscape, Amy Nolan

Teaching Animals in the Post-Anthropocene: Zoopedagogy as a Challenge to Logocentrism, …

Writing Underachievement: How To Support Students With Learning Disabilities And/Or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Through Self-Regulation Strategy Development, Katie Ludin

Education | Master's Theses

Writing underachievement is a national dilemma, especially among students with LDs and/or ADHD. Difficulties with written expression create negative social and emotional consequences for students since writing is critical to academic and professional success. Despite this, few studies have explored the impact of writing underachievement. The purpose of this research was to better understand the experiences of struggling writers within the elementary school setting, especially students who receive special education services. Part of this research included an intervention group. Self-Regulation Strategy Development was taught to a group of students with LDs and/or ADHD. This research was conducted in an effort …

Stress Management: A Group Curriculum For Female Adolescents, Taylor Schaible

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

In recent years, research has found that adolescents are experiencing stress at an astounding rate, even compared to adults. With a thorough review of the literature, it has been found that schools in the United States are experiencing an adolescent stress epidemic. Furthermore, students are experiencing stress in ways beyond an academic arena. With that being said, there seems to be a connection between stress leading to anxiety, as well as stress having a profound affect for students who have experienced traumatic experiences. Additionally, the research has shown that there are structural differences within a developing brain that may cause …

What Participants Say About The San Bernardino Usd’S Restorative Youth Court Program, John M. Winslade

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

Interviews were conducted with eighteen graduates of the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s Restorative Youth Court. These interviews yielded a view of how participants in the Youth Court program viewed their experience. In their view, the Youth Court was nearly always transformative and its dispositions fair. They were affected by the presence of their parents for their hearings but the main thing that seemed to lead to the transformation was being judged by their peers. They also took their responsibility seriously when they became the jurors for other respondents and doing so affected their thinking about their own case.

The Experience Of Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder During The Transition To Middle School, Hannah M. Berry

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The transition to the middle school setting from elementary school has been the subject of research for decades as data shows a decline in academic success, socio-emotional health and motivation for students. There is a lack of research based transitional programs to support the needs of students at this time, specifically those with special needs. Though the name and specific criteria for students with ADHD has shifted, the impact this neurological disability has on students and learning is comprehensive. Symptoms of this disorder reach and affect each part of the student and their school experience, as well as those around …

Examining Self-Contained And Integrated Physical Education Experiences Among Individuals With Visual Impairments, Rebecca Coffey

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Introduction. While research to date has examined the views of individuals with visual impairments toward integrated public-school physical education, little attention has been given to examining perspectives toward experiences at residential schools for those with visual impairments. By understanding the perspectives of those who attended physical education in both contexts, researchers can gain valuable information about particularities that can make experiences meaningful or challenging. The purpose of this study was to examine how individuals who experienced physical education in both integrated and residential school settings viewed their physical education class experiences. Methods. This study utilized a retrospective interpretative phenomenological approach …

Stress Among Public School Teachers, Jollie Alson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study measured different stressors experienced by teachers in a public national high school and their coping mechanisms. The study is anchored on the Person-Environment Fit or Mis-fit Model (PEFM) (Astroff & Yunjie, 2011; Caplan, 1987) and the Conceptualization of Emotions in coping with stress (Lazarus, 2005). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the work-related, emotional, and personal stressors and coping mechanisms of teachers. The teachers experienced stress that was brought on by hazardous working conditions, a lack of materials, and resources to do their tasks effectively. There was a feeling of excessive monitoring and demands for …

Hidden Curriculum In A Special Education Context: The Case Of Individuals With Autism, Mona F. Sulaimani, Dianne M. Gut

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This article examines the issue of hidden curriculum as it pertains to the experiences of individuals with disabilities, primarily those diagnosed with autism disorders. Examining the assumptions regarding the hidden curriculum, this article explores the challenges these assumptions create for individuals with autism. We provide suggestions for how these challenges could be overcome through the use of specific strategies.

Outcomes Of The Boss Classroom Management Program Among Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Mick Needham, Peter Ross, Karen Slonski, Steven Wells, Andrew W. Wood

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

There is a current and growing need for evidence-based practices aimed at improving the social skills of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). Despite an abundance of research on strategies to improve the social skills of young children with ID, there is limited research on interventions aimed at improving prosocial behaviors of adults with ID. A behavioral skills training approach was used to teach frontline, direct support professionals (DSPs) to implement a classroom management strategy called the Behavioral Opportunities for Social Skills (BOSS) program with adults with ID who lived in the community. The results showed that DSPs’ delivery of behavior-specific …