Education Classrooms (education + classroom)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


"How Come Nobody Told Me?"

LEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 1 2002
Fostering Self-Realization Through a High School English Curriculum
Through collaboratively designed qualitative inquiry, we investigated the responses of high school students with learning disabilities to a teacher's intervention intended to promote self-realization, a fundamental component of self-determination. Activities were embedded within the general English curriculum and delivered in a special education classroom over the course of an academic year. Several themes emerged from analysis of student interviews, student responses to writing prompts and surveys, a teacher journal, and student portfolio pieces. Silence and misconceptions were prevalent in student experiences. However, through the intervention students acquired information that helped them make sense of their school experiences, redefine themselves in positive ways, and take small steps toward greater self-advocacy within their current school setting. The mediating influence of positive adult voices and concerns about social stigma were evident in students' responses, which prompted us to question teachers' and families' responsibilities for engaging young people in dialogue about special education and disability. [source]


Engaging spirituality in the transformative higher education classroom

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT & CONTINUING EDUCATION, Issue 109 2006
Derise E. Tolliver
This chapter discusses the challenges of fostering spirituality in the higher education classroom and its relationship to the practice of transformative learning. [source]


Class in the classroom

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR ADULT & CONTINUING EDUCATION, Issue 106 2005
Janice Malcolm
This chapter considers how class helps to construct the identity and ultimately the teaching of certain groups of educators, and it explores ways of making class explicit in the teacher education classroom. [source]


Complementary and alternative medicine use in families of children with cerebral palsy

DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 6 2003
Edward A Hurvitz MD
In order to assess patterns of usage of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in families of children with cerebral palsy (CP), 213 families with a child (0 to 18 years) with CP were recruited at the university medical center in Ann Arbor, MI, USA as part of a descriptive survey. Two hundred and thirty-five surveys were distributed. Mean age of the child was 8 years 6 months (SD 4y: 9mo) and 56% of the sample was male with 35% full-time independent ambulators, while the rest used an assistive device or a wheelchair. Fifty-four percent were in special education classrooms. Families were given a survey on functional status of the child with CP, CAM usage of the child and the parent, factors influencing the decision to use CAM, demographics, and clinical information. Of the families, 56%, used one or more CAM techniques. Massage therapy (25%) and aquatherapy (25%) were the most common. Children of families that used CAM were significantly younger (7y: 9mo, SD 4y: 7mo) than non-users (9y: 6mo, SD 4y: 6mo: t -test p < 0.01 two-tailed). Children with quadriplegic CP, with spasticity, and those who could not walk independently were more commonly exposed to CAM (Pearson's X2 [PX2] p=0.01 two-tailed; for mobility, odds ratio [OR] of 2.5 with regression). Mothers with a college degree had a greater tendency to use CAM for their child than those without (PX2p=0.01 two-tailed). Fathers of children who used CAM were older than fathers of those who did not (37y: 9mo versus 33y: 2mo, p=0.04 two-tailed). There was no significant difference between groups for mother's age, father's education, income, or for population of home town. Parents who used CAM for themselves were more likely to try CAM for their child (70% versus 47%, OR 2.1), and were much more likely to be pleased with the outcome (71% versus 42%, OR 3.5). Child's age (younger), lack of independent mobility, and parental use of CAM were the most significant predictive factors identified via logistic regression. [source]


Using Quality Circles to Enhance Student Involvement and Course Quality in a Large Undergraduate Food Science and Human Nutrition Course

JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 1 2005
S.J. Schmidt
ABSTRACT: Large undergraduate classes are a challenge to manage, to engage, and to assess, yet such formidable classes can flourish when student participation is facilitated. One method of generating authentic student involvement is implementation of quality circles by means of a Student Feedback Committee (SFC), which is a volunteer problem-solving and decision-making group that communicates student-generated input to the teaching team for the purpose of improving the course content, structure, and environment in the present and redesigning it for the future. Our objective was to implement a SFC in a large introductory Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN 101) course to enhance student involvement and course quality. Overall, the SFC provided a continuous and dynamic feedback mechanism for the teaching team, a beneficial experience for the SFC members, and an opportunity for class members to confidentially share their input to enhance the quality of the course throughout the semester. This article includes a brief introduction of the use of quality circles in higher education classrooms, as well as our methods of implementation and assessment after using the SFC for 3 semesters (Spring 2003, Fall 2003, and Spring 2004). [source]


Middletown High School: Equal Opportunity for Academic Achievement

LEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 3 2006
Cynthia Mata Aguilar
Middletown High School is a comprehensive high school with 1,970 students, located in the environs of Washington, DC. It is distinguished by an open enrollment policy for all courses; a strong emphasis on inclusion of students with learning disabilities (LD) in general education classrooms; block scheduling that allows for more in-depth and meaningful study of important concepts and ideas; and team teaching in English, mathematics, science, and social studies. In a schoolwide 30-minute daily Learning Seminar, all students learn study skills, do homework, take tests, or go to the library, and teachers have opportunities for departmental meetings and problem solving. A visual representation of a "percolator" frames the school's system of opportunities and supports. Through case studies of two students with LD and analyses of 55 transcripts of recent graduates, we describe the academic and social opportunities, support structures, and strategies that make Middletown a "good high school" for students with disabilities. [source]


Effects of Instruction in an Assignment Completion Strategy on the Homework Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities in General Education Classes

LEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 1 2002
Charles A. Hughes
Homework is an important activity in the lives of school-aged children, including students with learning disabilities (LD). Characteristics often associated with LD (e.g., poor organizational skills) may adversely impact the rate and quality of homework completion. In this study, a multiple-probe across-students design (Horner & Baer, 1978) was used to evaluate the effects of instruction in a comprehensive, independent assignment completion strategy with regard to homework completion rates and the quality of products completed in response to assignments given in general education classrooms. Eight of nine students mastered use of the strategy, and their homework completion rates and the quality of their homework products improved. Associated with these improvements were increases in quarterly grades and teacher ratings of the quality of the assignments. Thus, direct instruction in a comprehensive strategy comprised of organizational behaviors can result in independent completion of more homework by students with LD. Nevertheless, instruction in organizational skills alone appears insufficient to produce a 100 percent submission rate: student motivation to complete assignments and mastery of the skills required, as well as the appropriateness of assignments for students, need to be addressed. [source]


Cross-language relationship between Spanish and English oral reading fluency among Spanish-speaking English language learners in bilingual education classrooms

PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 8 2007
Romilia Domínguez De Ramírez
This study examined whether oral reading fluency in a child's first language (Spanish) as assessed by Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) was related to oral reading fluency in a second language (English) and whether Spanish oral reading fluency probes administered in the fall were predictive of English oral reading fluency outcomes for spring of the same academic year. A total of 68 bilingual education students across grades 1 through 5 were assessed in Spanish and English during the fall, winter, and spring. Results showed that reading in Spanish and English across grades and time periods correlated moderately high with the exception of fourth grade. In addition, Spanish oral reading fluency at the beginning of the year significantly predicted English reading outcomes at the end of the year. These findings suggest that CBM can be a valuable tool for evaluating the relationship between oral reading fluency in both the first and second language. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 795,806, 2007. [source]


Positive Support Strategies for Students with Behavioral Disorders in General Education Settings

PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS, Issue 8 2005
Meme Hieneman
Although it has been argued that students with behavioral disorders benefit most from placement in general education classrooms, careful and systematic support is required to insure that their placement is successful. In this article, we review supports and interventions provided at multiple levels that together are known as "positive behavior support" (PBS). The levels include school-wide PBS, which involves the full student body; classroom-based PBS, focusing on the individual class as the unit of analysis; and individualized PBS, addressing the individualized needs of specific students. When relatively intense and chronic behavior problems exist, individualized PBS involves the use of functional behavioral assessments and proactive, educative interventions. In this article, we describe each of these levels with reference to the empirical literature and with an emphasis on practical applications. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 779,794, 2005. [source]