ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Bridging a Cultural Divide with Literature about Arabs and Arab Americans
Author: Al-Hazza, Tami Craft
Date: 2010-01-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Students,Arabs,North Americans,Adolescents,Moral Issues,Cultural Differences,School Libraries,Middle School Teachers,Social Networks,Library Services,Minority Groups,Self Concept,Self Esteem,History,Cultural Awareness,Curriculum,Immigrants,Adolescent Development

Middle school is a time of many changes for young adolescents. They are "searching for individual identity, struggling with society's norms, and grappling with moral issues." They are changing and maturing physically, cognitively, socially, and psychologically as they develop their identities; establish, maintain, and end friendships and social networks; develop interpersonal skills; build self-esteem; and critically examine themselves and their physical features. They may explore different behaviors, ideas, and beliefs, and they may undergo crises of identity. Young adolescents are also involved in a series of changes imposed by the structure of the educational system as they transition from elementary school and begin anticipating a transition to high school. While all young adolescents may feel developmental and transitional pressures, minority and immigrant students may feel these pressures more acutely than most majority students. While students who are actively engaged in school may be somewhat protected from transitional problems, many minority students have feelings of detachment from the education system. Another area of concern for minority students involves the development of identity and self-esteem. As young adolescents mature, they begin to develop a sense of cultural and social identity as well as a sense of personal identity and self-esteem. While politics, economics, relationships, and public perceptions affect identity, identity development is also an "interplay with race, ethnicity, (and) religion." These issues may be especially acute for young adolescents of Arab descent who may possess feelings of detachment. Although many Arab Americans have traditionally been successful in school, academic success is not always a predictor of psychosocial adjustment. Students may have high grades that mask feelings of depression and low self-esteem. Schools are key socialization and acculturization agencies, and a student's perception of acceptance in school is a major factor in his or her overall adjustment to a new culture. Because of these factors, teachers must ensure that Arab-American students have positive school experiences, especially during the critical developmental period of young adolescence. In this article, the authors provide information to help middle school teachers understand the Arab immigrant and Arab-American young adolescents in their classrooms. After briefly describing Arab history and culture and discussing specific problems facing Arab American and Arab immigrant students, the authors suggest literature about Arabs and Arab Americans to use in the middle school curriculum and place in the school library media center. (Contains 1 figure.)
Classroom Management Strategies for Difficult Students: Promoting Change through Relationships
Author: Beaty-O'Ferrall, Mary Ellen
Date: 2010-03-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Educational Strategies,Classroom Techniques,Behavior Problems,Student Behavior,Early Adolescents,Classroom Environment,Psychotherapy,Middle School Students,Teacher Student Relationship,Academic Achievement,Counseling,Middle School Teachers

Teachers in middle level schools face overwhelming demands and challenges in their classrooms. They are expected to know content and pedagogy, develop engaging lessons that meet the needs of diverse learners, and use a variety of instructional strategies that will boost student achievement while they simultaneously develop positive relationships with, on average, 125 students each day who are experiencing the personal, social, and cognitive challenges and opportunities of early adolescence. Teaching is complex and cannot be reduced to discrete tasks that can be mastered one at a time. Teachers must "win their students' hearts while getting inside their students' heads." This perspective is supported by research suggesting that teachers who develop such relationships experience fewer classroom behavior problems and better academic performance. How can teachers engage students through enhanced personal interactions while simultaneously managing classroom climate and instruction? This article suggests specific strategies that integrate knowledge and skills from education, counseling, and psychotherapy to help teachers develop a strong management system based on the development of personal relationships with students. These techniques are specifically adapted for use by teachers and more clearly delineate the nature of developing relationships and deepening them for the purpose of making education more effective.
The Politics and Sustainability of Middle Grades Reforms
Author: Friend, Jennifer I.
Date: 2010-05-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Federal Legislation,Adolescents,School Districts,Educational Change,Principals,Middle Schools,Interdisciplinary Approach,Team Teaching,Educational Research,Equal Education,Excellence in Education,Politics of Education,Teacher Attitudes,Administrator Attitudes

Jennifer's first years as a middle school principal occurred during a time of transformation initiated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act and further intensified by demographic changes within her Midwest suburban district of 25,000 students. In the context of national educational reform during this time period, Tom Erb asked, &quot;Who will advocate for the best interests of young adolescents?&quot;. This question held particular significance in the Sunflower School District (a pseudonym), as the superintendent and board of education decided to dismantle certain middle grades structures and practices that had been sustained for 20 years. Schools returned to a departmentalized schedule with stratified academic classes and, during this same academic year, advisory programs were discontinued in favor of a study hall period. In this article, the authors describe how the Sunflower School District fell prey to the &quot;pendulum model&quot; of educational reform efforts, dismantling the interdisciplinary teaming structure despite findings from relevant research studies that suggest teaming is necessary to meet the needs of young adolescents and to achieve academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, and social equity. (Contains 1 figure.)
Student Views of Diversity through a Multicultural Mathematics Activity: Viewing Transformation during the Middle School Years
Author: Riskowski, Jody L.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Multicultural Education,Cultural Awareness,Metacognition,Student Attitudes,Student Participation,Mathematics Instruction,Middle School Students,Gender Differences,Race,Ethnicity,Socioeconomic Status,Culturally Relevant Education,Teaching Methods

The purpose of this research was twofold: to explore students' thoughts of diversity in the U.S. and to determine how participation in a mathematics multicultural education activity affects student metacognition. The specific research questions for this study were: (1) How does participation in a multicultural education activity change middle students' metacognition and their view of diversity? (2) How do middle school students' conceptual understandings of diversity differ by gender, race/ethnicity, and socio-economic class following their participation in multicultural education activity? A sample population of 81 students drawn from five 6th to 8th grade mathematics classes (total population of approximately 150 students) in a rural middle school in Indiana participated in this study. The study provides support for the inclusion of a multicultural activity in middle school mathematics and promotes culturally-responsive pedagogies. The work shows that students involved in a mathematics based multicultural activity were able to develop metacognition and diversity awareness, and through the activity, students developed a greater appreciation for working with others from a different background. From this data, the authors conclude that the use of mathematics multicultural activities enhances the confidence of the student, while developing greater cultural awareness. (Contains 4 tables and 3 figures.)
White Students at the Historically Black University: Toward Developing a Critical Consciousness
Author: Henry, Wilma J.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Information Analyses
Subjects: Black Colleges,White Students,Philosophy,Critical Theory,College Role,Racial Identification,Consciousness Raising,Enrollment,Educational Experience,African American Students,School Desegregation

The purpose of this article is to examine the potential of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to facilitate the development of a critical consciousness among their White students. It discusses philosophical views regarding the process of unveiling "Whiteness," including White critical studies and White identity development theories. A review of the literature is presented on the role of HBCUs, particularly in relation to their function of raising Black consciousness. Additionally, desegregation enrollment outcomes are discussed, including the experiences of Black students at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) and HBCUs and White students at HBCUs. Questions are raised regarding the potential role of HBCUs in raising White critical consciousness.
Uncommon Teaching in Commonsense Times: A Case Study of a Critical Multicultural Educator and the Academic Success of Diverse Student Populations
Author: Camp, Emilie M.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Justice,Multicultural Education,Teacher Education,Biographies,Grade 5,Case Studies,Student Diversity,Elementary School Teachers,Teaching Methods,Student Empowerment,Academic Achievement,Critical Theory,Power Structure,Teacher Student Relationship

In an effort to explore the complexity of how teachers develop and sustain the ability to teach uncommonly in commonsense times, the authors conducted a life history case study of Rae, a fifth grade teacher at a local elementary school in the Southwest United States who has practiced and sustained uncommon teaching for four years. Combining observational and life history methods, the authors gathered data to illuminate her life experiences that led to her commitment to multicultural education, the current "strategies" she uses to resist the scripted, test-driven curriculum, how her past and present allows her to maintain her empowering pedagogy, and what support, if any, she receives from colleagues and administration. The authors highlight how her uncommon teaching emerges from the intertwining of her past and present life experiences and are further shaped and actualized by the structures and practices in teacher preparation and her social justice orientation. Implications of Rae's story for education are discussed.
How a Sustainable Campus-Wide Diversity Curriculum Fosters Academic Success
Author: Ukpokodu, Omiunota Nelly
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Cultural Pluralism,Multicultural Education,Academic Achievement,College Faculty,Teacher Empowerment,Educational Change,Teaching Methods,Cooperation,Workshops,Program Descriptions,Universities

Many faculty and college instructors continue to be complacent with monocultural curricula, while interacting with students from diverse racial, ethnic, gender, social, and linguistic backgrounds. To assist these faculty to embrace diversity curriculum infusion, it is critical to scaffold the process for them. This article describes one institution's sustained program that empowers its faculty across units, departments, and disciplines, to successfully engage in curricular and pedagogical transformation in a non-threatening, synergetic, collegial, and collaborative environment.
The Power of Film to Educate and Miseducate Pre-Service Teachers: A Phenomenological Analysis of "Hidalgo" and Cultural Representation of Muslims Post 9/11
Author: Fontaine, Haroldo A.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Films,Teaching Methods,Preservice Teachers,Preservice Teacher Education,Terrorism,Muslims,Interviews,Student Attitudes,Social Bias,Ethnicity,Minority Groups,Phenomenology,Cultural Traits,Cultural Awareness

In this article, the author considers three of today's pre-service teachers who have each watched the World Trade Center towers collapse on broadcast television, viewed the film "Hidalgo," and participated in subsequent interviews regarding the movie. Specifically, the author wants to examine the extent to which the pre-service teachers in this study interpreted Hidalgo as a proposal for how the post-9/11 American "nation" and the Muslims within and without it should be imagined, and whether and the extent to which the pre-service teachers agreed with that proposal. This analysis is important for teacher educators who are looking for unique ways to identify their students' biases and prejudices against cultural and ethnic minorities, and who want to dissolve those prejudices so as to ensure that their students-as-teachers-in-the-making will provide equal educational opportunity to all students, including Muslim children. (Contains 22 notes.)
Language Proficiency, Reading, and the Chinese-Speaking English Language Learner: Facilitating the L1-L2 Connection
Author: Palmer, Barbara C.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Grade 2,English (Second Language),Language Proficiency,Second Language Learning,Case Studies,Instructional Effectiveness,Intervention,Reading Skills,Chinese,Native Speakers,Metropolitan Areas,Language Acquisition,Tutors,Pretests Posttests

This article presents a case study investigating the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve second language and reading proficiency of a seven-year-old Chinese-speaking ELL, Xin Wei, who completed second grade at a diverse metropolitan elementary school in the U.S. While a single case study cannot answer all the questions that arise as a young English language learner attempts to build proficiency in a second language and reading in English, this study can aid in delineating the nature of the questions to be asked, thus enabling researchers to move on to better questions.
Teaching India with Popular Feature Films: A Guide for High School and College Teachers
Author: Parameswaran, Gowri
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: High School Students,Foreign Countries,Films,Teaching Methods,Cultural Awareness,College Students,Information Sources

Popular films say a lot about the culture where they are seen and enjoyed even though they may not reflect &quot;reality&quot; in the way that academics may want to portray a country. Popular films get at the deepest longings and fears of their viewership and their biggest hopes for the future. Teaching India through popular films is particularly important because that country is the largest producer of films in the world and claims some of the largest markets for films. This article lists and describes some popular feature films that teachers can use to talk about India and their general themes. All of the films are quite appropriate for a high school or higher education audience, and all but one of them has been made in India by Indian directors. This article includes an additional list of sources that explore Indian cinema from historical, cultural, economic, and sociological perspectives.
Teaching Graduate Students about Social Class: Using a Classifying Activity with an Inductive Approach
Author: Chennault, Ronald E.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Human Services,Graduate Students,Social Class,Teaching Methods,Classification,Logical Thinking,School Role,Social Differences,Social Systems

Teaching about social class holds special significance for students who will work in the fields of education and human services. In this article, the author describes how he teaches graduate students about social class using a classifying activity with an inductive approach. He follows this activity with a discussion of course readings that take a more institutional perspective by focusing on stratification in society, the role that schooling plays in this stratification, and the influence of capitalism on schooling. (Contains 1 figure and 4 notes.)
An Organizational Perspective of Distributed Leadership: A Portrait of a Middle School
Author: Angelle, Pamela S.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Organizational Culture,Interviews,Student Records,Case Studies,Organizational Climate,Leadership Effectiveness,Participative Decision Making,Transformational Leadership,Academic Achievement,Educational Practices,Effective Schools Research,Administrator Attitudes,Teacher Attitudes,Administrative Organization

Interest in the concept of distributed leadership has increased as evidenced in the recent literature. While there has been much discussion, there has been scant empirical evidence of distributed leadership in practice. This research study examines one middle school where educators practiced distributed leadership daily. Approached from an organizational perspective, the researcher gathered data from administrator and teacher interviews, organization context, and student outcome records. Findings from this qualitative case study form the basis for a model of distributed leadership. Organizational pre-conditions include: (a) leadership practice as support for organizational structure, (b) trust as strengthening organizational culture, and (c) relationships as the foundation for organizational affiliation. Organizational constructs of organizational structure, organizational culture, and organizational affiliation, in turn, lead to the organizational outcomes of (a) efficacy, (b) increased trust, (c) job satisfaction, and (d) teacher intent to stay. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)
"I Wish I Had Known the Truth Sooner": Middle School Teacher Candidates' Sexuality Education Experiences
Author: Klein, Nicole Aydt
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Preservice Teacher Education,Sentences,Sexuality,Sex Education,Middle School Teachers,Role Models,Student Attitudes,Intimacy,Interpersonal Relationship,Educational Experience

While many general education classroom teachers encounter issues of sexuality in the middle school classroom, few teacher candidates feel prepared to address them. One source of information for teacher candidates is the role modeling provided by their own teachers when they were elementary and secondary students. In this study, 107 teacher candidates enrolled in a middle level preparation course completed five stem sentences describing their experience of being educated about sexuality when they were younger. The results revealed that 69% of the teacher candidates described poor role modeling. Most commonly, these teacher candidates detailed wanting "more" from their teachers--more depth and breadth, more honesty, and more commitment to providing sexuality information. They indicated that they would have liked to have teachers who were more comfortable with the subject matter and who covered topics such as love and relationships. Without preparation to address these topics, teacher candidates may have the impression that sexuality education is intimidating and uncomfortable and can be handled by a book, video, or outside consultant. Because of the likelihood that non-health teachers will be required to address sexuality, teacher preparation programs need to provide opportunities for teacher candidates to develop confidence and competence relative to sexuality education.
Disaggregated Outcomes of Gender, Ethnicity, and Poverty on Fifth Grade Science Performance
Author: Kohlhaas, Kay
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Ethnicity,Poverty,Academic Achievement,Outcomes of Education,Grade 5,Science Achievement,Longitudinal Studies,Statistical Analysis,Scores,Gender Differences,Item Response Theory,White Students,African American Students,Asian American Students,Hispanic American Students

This nationwide study examined the relationships among gender, ethnicity, and poverty with fifth graders' (n = 8,741) science performance. Extant fifth grade data files (2003-2004), from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K), were used. An ANOVA test revealed that males performed significantly better than females on science assessments, and this difference was maintained across ethnic groups. The science scores, in order of ethnicity from the highest to lowest scores, were White, Asian, Hispanic, and African American. Asian fifth graders showed the largest ethnic discrepancy between students above and below poverty. The unique features of this study were the depth of the disaggregation of the data and statistical analyses. Disaggregation of data by all three   variables revealed compounding consequences for students at the extremes. White &quot;at/above poverty&quot; males had the highest mean science IRT scale score, while African American &quot;below poverty&quot; females had the lowest mean score. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)
Impact of Literacy Influences and Perceived Reading Ability on Self-Rated Health of Public Middle School Students
Author: Zullig, Keith J.
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Middle School Students,Public Libraries,Effect Size,Reading Ability,Health,Self Evaluation (Individuals),Surveys,Reading Attitudes,Socioeconomic Status,Reading Habits,Parent Influence

This study investigated the impact of literacy influences and perceived reading ability on the self-rated health (SRH) of 244 middle school students. Five literacy influences and reading ability independent variables resulted in moderate to substantial test-retest reliability [Kappas 46.6 to 63.8] over a two-week period. SRH served as the dependent variable. Students were significantly more likely to report poorer SRH (effect sizes ranged from 0.26 to 0.78) if they reported difficulty reading the survey, did not like reading, did not or were not sure if they saw a parent or caregiver reading during the past two days, or had not visited a public library or bookstore during the past year (p less than 0.05), even after adjustment for socioeconomic status. Preliminary results help to quantify how early in life literacy influences and perceived reading ability may be associated with SRH. (Contains 2 tables.)