Strategies for supporting schools and teachers in order to foster social inclusion: UK interim report

The focus in this report is on those strategies used to address the disadvantages experienced by minority background students in schools within the United Kingdom (UK) and the wider policy context in which these operate. More specifically, the focus is on four groups of students: ethnic minority students including refugee and asylum seekers’ children; Gypsy/traveller students; Students in care (Looked After Children – LAC); and, linguistic minorities e.g. Gaelic, Welsh

Interactions with Queensland show children: enhancing knowledge of educational contexts

This paper analyses one element of Shulman's (1987) categories of the teacher knowledge base - knowledge of educational contexts - in relation to the education of Queensland travelling show children. This knowledge includes three sets of interactions: the children's relationships on and off the show circuits, the children's interactions with their teachers, and the teachers' interactions with the children's parents and home tutors. The concepts of 'border crossing' (Giroux, 1990) and 'boundary maintenance' (Barth, 1969) underscore the importance of show children and their teachers being able to cross the boundaries between show life and formal schooling

Developing a Supportive Communication Climate for Virtual Task Groups

This class activity places students in virtual teams to assess Gibb’s (1961) defensive or supportive behaviors as a means of reinforcing trust among virtual task-group members. A worksheet offering a fictitious online chat transcript is provided for group analysis; student directions for creating unique team names are also given. This activity helps students to establish positive climates for virtual task groups

Impact of international office's role in teaching English in an ESL/EFL context

The purpose of this study is an evaluation of International Office services at the university level considering potential improvement for English proficiency and integration in the American community for second/foreign language learners. These programs consist of activities that actively involve students in the practice of English targeting different aspects of one’s life in an American university, such as involvement in the community, engagement with peers, and socialization with the overall campus. Students who participated in these and other similar programs commented on how activities have been relevant for their learning process and integration in the American community. The methodology consists of surveys given to international students. The goal is to examine how these activities positively influence students in their linguistic and social learning experience. The results describe the bigger picture of the inclusiveness of linguistic and cross-cultural opportunities within the international office services relevant to an international student’s personal and social growth.Thesis (M.A.

Inclusion and education in European countries

The focus in this report is strategies that address the disadvantages experienced byminority background students in schools within the United Kingdom (UK) and the wider policy context in which these operate. More specifically, the focus is on four groups ofstudents:• Ethnic minority students including refugee and asylum seekers' children;• Gypsy/traveller students;• Students in care (Looked After Children - LAC); and,• Linguistic minorities e.g. Gaelic, Welsh.The devolved nature of government in the UK means that while some broad principlesare common across the four nations that constitute the UK (England, Northern Ireland,Scotland and Wales), the particular emphases adopted and the strategies developed tofoster social inclusion vary from one to another. In addition, there is no integrated policyfor social inclusion but rather separate policy statements for each of the categories ofdisadvantage identified in the study. All four countries within the UK have a combinationof private and state-funded schooling. In much, if not all, of this report the emphasis ison the state-funded sector

Inclusion and education in the United Kingdom

Paper describes inclusion and education in the United Kingdom

Thriving in the 21st century: Learning Literacies for the Digital Age (LLiDA project): Executive Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

LLiDA set out to: review the evidence of change in the contexts of learning, including the nature of work,nknowledge, social life and citizenship, communications media and other technologies review current responses to these challenges from the further and higher education sectors, in terms of: a) the kinds of capabilities valued, taught for and assessed (especially as revealed through competence frameworks); b) the ways in which capabilities are supported ('provision') c) the value placed on staff and student 'literacies of the digital' collect original data concerning current practice in literacies provision in UK FE and HE, including 15 institutional audits and over 40 examples of forward thinking practice offer conclusions and recommendations, in terms of the same issues reviewed in

A Case Study of Using Online Communities and Virtual Environment in Massively Multiplayer Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) as a Learning and Teaching Tool for Second Language Learners

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) create large virtual communities. Online gaming shows potential not just for entertaining, but also in education. This research investigates the use of commercial MMORPGs to support second language teaching. MMORPGs offer virtual safe spaces in which students can communicate by using their target second language with global players. Using a mix of ethnography and action research, this study explores the students’ experiences of language learning and performing while playing MMORPGs. The results show that the use of MMORPGs can facilitate language development by offering fun, informal, individualised and secure virtual spaces for students to practise their language with native and other second language speakers

Addressing the needs of international postgraduate students: the role of social capital

Self-evidently, international students are likely to have considerable informational and social needs when coming to study in the UK. This paper reports the findings of a small study of such needs among international postgraduate students in the School of Health Sciences. It was an interview study, with twelve students participating. Though the study was designed to support the creation of an online resource, the findings suggest that meeting those needs satisfactorily requires a multi-faceted approach. Both face-to-face and online processes are needed to help students to develop the social capital necessary to success in undertaking the course, getting to know the university, and adjusting to life in England

PENINGKATAN KETERAMPILAN BERBICARA MELALUI METODE STORYTELLING BERBANTUAN BIG BOOK

Keterampilan berbicara merupakan salah satu keterampilan berbahasa yang dipergunakan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Keterampilan berbicara terdiri dari dua aspek yang meliputi aspek bahasa dan aspek nonkebahasaan. Namun, tidak semua orang mempunyai keterampilan berbicara yang baik ketika menghadapi situasi tertentu. Hal ini juga berlaku bagi siswa dalam pembelajaran berbahasa. Setiap siswa memiliki kendala yang berbeda ketika berbicara, yang meliputi kurang aktif saat diminta mengemukakan pendapat, tidak mau maju ke depan kelas saat diminta bercerita, dan nilai kompetensi berbicara yang banyak di bawah KKM. Sementara keterampilan berbicara mempunyai peranan yang sangat penting dalam kehidupan dan masa depan siswa. Untuk meningkatkan keterampilan berbicara siswa perlu diterapkan metode dan media pembelajaran yang tepat, salah satunya dengan penerapan metode storytelling berbantuan big book. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian tindakan kelas. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kolaboratif dan melalui tiga siklus yang meliputi perencanaan, pelaksanaan, observasi, dan refleksi. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan tes, wawancara, dokumentasi dan catatan lapangan. Partisipan dalam penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas III A SDN 012 Lipatkain kabupaten Kampar provinsi Riau. Validitas dan reliabilitas pada penelitian ini dilakukan melalui tiga cara yaitu triangulasi, member checking, dan refleksivitas. Validitas konten dilakukan oleh ahli atau memperoleh expert judgement. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa keterampilan berbicara siswa meningkat secara bertahap. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa metode storytelling berbantuan big book dapat meningkatkan keterampilan berbicara siswa sekolah dasar.;---Speaking skill is one language skill used in daily life. Speaking skill consist of two aspects which comprise linguistic aspect and non linguistic aspect. But, not everyone have good speaking skill when facing certain situation. Similarly with students in language learning. Each student has different obstacle when speaking, which includes less active when asked to express opinions, do not want to move forward when asked to speak, and the value of speaking competence that is still below KKM. While speaking skills have avery important role in the lives and future of students. The design of this research use classroom action research. This research is collaborative research and pass through three cycles which comprise planning, implementation, observation and reflection. Data collection technique use test, interview, documentation and field note. Participants in this research are students of class III A SDN 012 Lipatkain Kampar Regency, Riau Province. Validity and reliability in this study is done through three methods namely triangulation, member checking and reflectivity. Content validity is done by experts and get expert judgment. The research result shows that students’ speaking ability is enhanced gradually. Based on the result, it can be concluded that storytelling method can enhance speaking skill of elementary school students