ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Faith-Based Charter Schools: An Idea Whose Time Is Unlikely to Come
Author: Russo, Charles J.
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Charter Schools,Religious Cultural Groups,State Aid,Court Litigation,School Choice,Religious Education,Public Schools,Private Schools,Religious Factors,Financial Support,Constitutional Law

Charter schools, which are public schools of choice, are typically operated as not-for-profit organizations, essentially functioning as independent districts consisting of single schools, by private groups including parents either independently or occasionally in conjunction with public institutions such as universities. In return for being exempted from many state regulations, charter schools are accountable for the academic achievement of their students. Charter schools, although free from many state rules with regard to staff and curricular issues, remain subject to federal and state antidiscrimination laws such as those dealing with students with disabilities and employment. In addition, charter schools typically cannot be operated by religious groups. Of course, significant questions remain over the extent to which faculty and staff in faith-based charter schools may actually teach about the religious beliefs and practices of their sponsors. In light of the legal and educational issues surrounding the status of religious charter schools, this article is divided into two parts. The first section reviews key litigation addressing the parameters of public aid to religiously affiliated nonpublic schools because these cases provide the necessary background should judicial challenges arise to faith-based charter schools. This first part of the paper also briefly reviews Supreme Court cases that forbid prayer and/or religious activities in school, an essential part of daily activities in religiously affiliated nonpublic schools that cannot continue in faith-based charter schools. The second part reviews educational and policy considerations dealing with how publicly funded financial assistance might impact the religious missions and identities of religiously affiliated nonpublic schools that seek to become faith-based charter schools; this section also reviews the constitutionality of both state aid to religious charter schools and the acceptability, if any, of prayer and religious activities in these schools. The article rounds out with a brief conclusion. (Contains 87 notes.)
Making the Grade in Memphis
Author: McCloskey, Patrick J.
Date: 2010-06-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Catholics,Immigrants,Social Change,United States History,Family Environment,Permissive Environment,Demography,Catholic Schools,School Choice,Disadvantaged,Educational Quality,Neighborhoods,School Restructuring,Charter Schools,College Admission,Role of Education

Catholic schools achieved the greatest social transformation in American history, pulling impoverished Irish immigrants out of the underclass and into the working and middle classes, writes Patrick McCloskey, author of The Street Stops Here--an account of a year in the life of a Catholic school in Harlem. These schools now provide a lifeline for disadvantaged, non-Catholic minorities in urban America, boosting graduation and college acceptance rates, and outperforming many equivalent public schools. But they are also disappearing from the very neighborhoods that need them most. McCloskey reports on how one diocese has bucked the trend, what it means to one family, and what it could mean for America. (Contains 14 footnotes.)
Empowering Teachers through Professional Development
Author: Murray, Alice
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Faculty Development,Teaching Methods,Teacher Empowerment,Teacher Motivation,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Language Teachers,Mentors,Peer Relationship,Social Support Groups,Cooperation,Reflective Teaching

Professional development is an ongoing process, one that evolves as teachers assess and reexamine their teaching beliefs and practices. This article highlights some reasons for teachers to pursue professional development. It also suggests techniques that help teachers feel empowered and motivated in their English language classrooms. She includes information about how some teachers actually put these ideas into practice; such information might help teachers decide which strategy or method best suits them and their teaching situation. Some of the approaches described in this article can be pursued individually while others prove to be more beneficial if done collectively. Some activities can be done informally (journals, study groups, etc.) and some follow more traditional formats. It is worth noting that all of the activities described are low-cost options.
Writing for the World: Wikipedia as an Introduction to Academic Writing
Author: Tardy, Christine M.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Higher Education,Writing Instruction,Academic Discourse,Encyclopedias,Collaborative Writing,Writing for Publication,Electronic Publishing,Plagiarism,Second Language Learning,Literacy,Student Research,Student Projects,Reliability,Credibility,Information Sources

As students move from writing personal essays to writing formal academic texts in English, they face several new challenges. Writing tasks in higher education often require students to draw upon outside sources and to adopt the styles and genres of academic discourse. They must conduct research, summarize and paraphrase, cite sources, adopt genre conventions that meet audience expectations, and select words and grammatical patterns that are characteristic of less personal and more formal genres of writing. These academic literacy skills can pose challenges when first introduced. To conduct research, students must learn to search for and evaluate sources in terms of credibility and reliability, developing skills of informational literacy. An additional challenge faced in academic writing is the issue of expertise. Academic writing often requires students to write from an expert position, even when they do not consider themselves to be experts on their topics. This article describes an approach to introducing the skills of academic writing for L2 writers through the process of composing an article for the web-based encyclopedia site Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org). After providing a description of Wikipedia, the article outlines stages for carrying out a Wikipedia research project. The author describes an assignment that can be easily scaled to a range of contexts and levels but may be best suited for undergraduate-level writing students. (Contains 3 figures.)
Reconceptualizing Interactional Groups: Grouping Schemes for Maximizing Language Learning
Author: Rance-Roney, Judith A.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Second Language Instruction,English (Second Language),Group Activities,Classroom Techniques,Grouping (Instructional Purposes),Educational Strategies

In the field of English as a Second/Foreign Language (ESL/EFL), it has long been recognized that for second language acquisition to occur learners must use English to construct meaning and interact with others in authentic contexts. The importance of learner interaction in acquiring a second language has made the "teacher-directed student-centered" classroom the standard for effective instruction, in print if not in practice. For many teachers, group activity planning is often based on last-minute decisions or left to chance. When there is forethought, it mostly surrounds putting problem students in the "least-likely-to-cause-trouble" group. Teachers frequently comment that they have not been given clear guidance in the management of groups; in fact, a quick survey of current TESOL education and methods texts reveals little information about how to accomplish this complex classroom management task beyond the recommendations that teachers use interactional groups because of the multiple benefits for English learners, use a variety of groupings tied to the instructional purpose, and make the process for cooperative groups explicit to students. However, drawing together information from a range of educational areas including curriculum, second language acquisition studies, and effective school research, educators can create some reasonable guidelines for reconceptualizing the process of forming groups. An exploration of the types of collaborative tasks and activities that most successfully meet the instructor's objectives will go a long way towards optimizing the effectiveness of groups, and will affect decisions about successful strategies and group size and configuration. In this article, the author discusses the rationale for collaborative interaction and offers examples on how to deal with these group management issues when coordinating collaborative work in the ESL/EFL classroom. (Contains 1 table.)
Developing Voice by Composing Haiku: A Social-Expressivist Approach for Teaching Haiku Writing in EFL Contexts
Author: Iida, Atsushi
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Audience Awareness,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Vocabulary Development,Second Language Learning,Social Environment,Literacy,Writing Instruction,Poetry,Teaching Methods,Communicative Competence (Languages)

Many educators know that studying and composing literature and poetry helps English learners develop their own voice and sense of audience, and to express important social ideas in the process. Poetry, in particular, offers special challenges, but one type of poem that is manageable for the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom is "haiku," a short, three-line Japanese poem with a specific number of syllables in each line. A lesson based on reading and composing haiku naturally encourages students to express their inner feelings to others. Aside from facilitating the development of voice and audience awareness, haiku also helps them learn to write fluently and acquire vocabulary because its form requires close attention to select the appropriate words to communicate specific feelings. As of now, there has been scant reporting on the theoretical framework for teaching haiku in the second language (L2) writing classroom, and little research on how English haiku writing can contribute to literacy development from both theoretical and practical viewpoints. In this article, the author explores how the social-expressivist approach can facilitate EFL university students' development of voice and audience in the L2 writing context. The social-expressivist approach, which is at the heart of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), employs methods that contrast sharply with a grammar-centered curriculum, as it structures learning around communicative contexts where students learn to express their "voice"--the articulation of their personal needs, interests, and ideas--in a social context that presumes an "audience"--the teachers, classmates, and even the community at large. The author discusses how haiku fits in with that approach and presents some activities for use in the university EFL writing classroom.
Intercultural Training with Films
Author: Roell, Christine
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Intercultural Communication,Films,English (Second Language),Teaching Methods,Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,Cultural Awareness,Class Activities,Student Projects

Films are a great medium to use not only to practice English, but also to facilitate intercultural learning. Today English is a global language spoken by people from many countries and cultural backgrounds. Since culture greatly impacts communication, it is helpful for teachers to introduce lessons and activities that reveal how different dialects, forms of address, customs, taboos, and other cultural elements influence interaction among different groups. Numerous films contain excellent examples of intercultural communication and are highly useful resources for teachers. In this article, the author discusses the importance of teaching intercultural communication and suggests films that match specific cultural categories. Then she describes some activities to use when showing a film in the classroom and presents a task-based project involving the use of films.
Towards Better Group Work: Seeing the Difference between Cooperation and Collaboration
Author: Kozar, Olga
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cooperative Learning,Group Activities,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Teaching Methods

The author argues that being unaware of the differences between cooperation and collaboration impedes teachers from organizing group work as effectively as possible. True collaboration is simply too valuable not to take advantage of because it provides students with a significant opportunity to learn from one another, negotiate meaning, and improve their social skills. The purpose of this article is twofold: the author highlights the difference between cooperative work and collaborative work in general; she also suggests practical activities that serve as stepping stones to promote collaboration in English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms.
Consciousness-Raising and Prepositions
Author: Hendricks, Monica
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,English,Grammar,English (Second Language),Barriers,Second Language Learning,Form Classes (Languages),African Languages,Teaching Methods,Secondary School Teachers,Learning Activities

For a variety of reasons, learning English prepositions is notoriously difficult and a slow, gradual process for English as a Second Language (ESL) students. To begin, English prepositions typically are short, single-syllable or two-syllable words that are seldom stressed when speaking and therefore often not articulated clearly or heard distinctly. Another problem is that prepositions are often conceptually different from one language to the next, and direct translation cannot be relied on. The nature of prepositions obliges ESL students to rely on wide reading, memorization, and dictionaries to learn them. One way to help students is to introduce &quot;consciousness-raising,&quot; a technique that focuses attention on correct grammatical forms by highlighting or emphasizing them in some way. According to Ellis (1997), noticing a grammatical feature is a necessary and fundamental pre-condition for learning it. Unlike formal grammar instruction, consciousness-raising does not require the learner &quot;to verbalize the rules he has learnt&quot; (Ellis 1985, 244), but instead alerts learners to a particular grammatical feature. In this article, the author discusses the need for consciousness-raising activities for prepositions and describes how she used the technique to promote correct usage of English prepositions in an Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) course for secondary school ESL teachers in South Africa. (Contains 2 figures.)
From Passive Learners to Critical Thinkers: Preparing EFL Students for University Success
Author: Shaila, Mahmuda Yasmin
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Textbooks,Reading Comprehension,Critical Thinking,Language Skills,English (Second Language),Second Language Learning,Second Language Instruction,College Attendance,College Preparation,Language of Instruction,Academic Achievement,Skill Development,Program Descriptions,Teaching Methods,Student Evaluation,Alternative Assessment

Many English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students who seek admittance to a university where English is the medium of instruction do not have sufficient language skills to understand lectures, comprehend textbooks, participate in class discussions, or generate satisfactory written work. Oftentimes, they have only experienced teacher-centered instruction, where they were passive learners or mere memorizers of rules. Critical thinking was not a part of the curriculum, and they did not have the opportunity to develop meta-cognitive strategies to help them organize, plan, and make decisions about their learning. For these reasons, some universities offer foundation or pre-university programs to help students improve their language skills; however, students need support in more than just language skills because in the university environment they are expected to think, to reason, to communicate, and to continue their learning outside the classroom. After reviewing its own pre-university program, the Centre for Languages (CfL) at BRAC University realized that the program needed a stronger focus on the academic challenges of university study. In response, the centre identified and implemented methods to strengthen the pre-university program to better prepare students for higher education. This article describes how a group of teachers thoroughly revised the pre-university curriculum to create lessons and activities that now equip students with the critical thinking ability and English language skills required for regular university classes.
How to Set up Oral Homework: A Case of Limited Technology
Author: Mendez, Elba
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Homework,Assignments,Audio Equipment,Technology Uses in Education,Handheld Devices,Telecommunications,Access to Computers,Media Adaptation,Feedback (Response)

Homework usually consists of the learners' written account of how they interpreted a task set by the teacher, and is generally defined as out-of-class assignments that are handed in for the instructor to grade. Learners may work individually or with partners to answer simple or challenging linguistic exercises, sketch out a mind map, or develop a highly creative piece of writing. This article discusses the little used but important option of assigning oral homework activities as a way to give more attention to a critical skill that demands a lot of exposure and serious practice to master. Oral homework, just like regular homework, should have a deadline, be easily collected, and occur regularly throughout the course. As with regular homework, learners are asked to (1) complete it individually or with peers; (2) turn it in by email, uploading, or bringing it to class; and (3) offer and accept feedback. Oral homework is not without challenges, as some students may be more used to handing in a paper assignment, or instructors and supervisors may be used to keeping track of how much visible work students produce. In this article, the author aims to outline the procedures she implemented during a two-year period in a limited technology context where oral homework was completed and collected mostly without access to the Internet.
Twenty Ideas for Using Mobile Phones in the Language Classroom
Author: Reinders, Hayo
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Telecommunications,Handheld Devices,Technology Uses in Education,Second Language Learning,Second Languages,Educational Technology,Information Technology

These days it seems mobile phones are used everywhere by everyone, which leads to the obvious question: How can mobile phone technology support learning in the second language classroom? The answer is "in a number of ways" because mobile phones come with ever-increasing functions that most students are adept at using. In this article the author describes 20 practical ways to use mobile phones to support second language learning, both inside and outside the classroom. Most of the activities will work with most mobile phones and do not require special knowledge or additional software or hardware. The author also discusses drawbacks such as cost, increased workload, and other problems that might impact the use of phones in the classroom, and suggests ways of mitigating them.
The Trans-Cultural Comparative Literature Method: Using Grammar Translation Techniques Effectively
Author: Sapargul, Destan
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Literature,Cross Cultural Studies,Teaching Methods,Grammar Translation Method,Poetry,Literary Genres,Learning Activities,Foreign Countries

This article describes the Trans-Cultural Comparative Literature Method, an innovative way to use literature to teach advanced English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. This method originated from the authors' discovery of common themes and points of view as they compared Turkmen and English literary texts. While the method employs activities associated with Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), it also borrows from techniques associated with the Grammar Translation Method (GT) by focusing on grammar, vocabulary, and limited translation exercises during cultural comparisons of literary texts. The authors explain how their method combines GT and CLT techniques in a lesson plan that engages students with activities that compare and contrast themes and cultural aspects found in two literary texts: one text (already translated into English) from the country where EFL is being taught and another from a country where English is spoken.
Teach for America and the Politics of Progressive Neoliberalism
Author: Lahann, Randall
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Teacher Education,Rural Schools,Organizational Culture,College Graduates,Educational Change,State Agencies,Public Education,Nonprofit Organizations,Urban Schools,Criticism,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Placement,Political Attitudes,Language Usage,Business,Corporations,Educational Philosophy

Teach for America (TFA), a non-profit organization designed to recruit recent college graduates to commit two years to teach in understaffed urban and rural schools across the country, has been heralded by private organizations and state agencies as a poster child for alternative pathways to teaching. However, at the same time, TFA has also been criticized for its conceptions of teaching and teacher education and for its impact on student learning in urban and rural schools across the country. Although numerous studies have examined the effectiveness of TFA teachers on student learning, conclusions as to the program's efficacy remain contested. The purpose of this article is to problematize TFA's intentions by situating its political philosophy in the larger context of neoliberal educational reform. To do so, the authors analyze TFA's explicit use of the language of business and appropriation of corporate culture in its pursuit of more equitable public education. They begin this article with a discussion of neoliberal education reform, focusing in particular on the field of teacher education. Next, they examine the criticisms of neoliberalism as a suitable political philosophy for education. They then investigate the often uneasy alliances among a diverse set of actors, all of whom have agendas that benefit from neoliberal policy to some degree; in particular, they explore a political space that exists for neoliberals who challenge some elements of conservatism and align themselves with progressive goals. They identify this space as "progressive neoliberalism," and chart the concept in terms of five shared assumptions. They examine TFA's policies and practices, classifying it as a progressive neoliberal organization and critiquing it in terms of its potential to further neoliberal policy in public education. Finally, they provide implications for TFA and the field of teacher education. (Contains 2 tables and 5 notes.)