A knowledge server including tools for professional know-how transfer

This paper presents a research in progress on the use of knowledge engineering and knowledge management techniques for the development of a strategic approach for the transfer of professional know-how. This transfer is based on the design of devices for sharing and learning clearly identified knowledge in the oil industry domains. This work is based on a pilot study which was carried out in the PED department (Petroleum Engineering & Development) and it deals with upstream activity of the oil group Sonatrach. After the different phases of knowledge mapping, critical knowledge assessment, and strategic alignment, the KM process focus on knowledge elicitation, sharing, transfer and learning, based on design and implementation of specific tools called Knowledge Server, including Knowledge Books and e-Learning.E-learning, Knowledge management, Knowledge transfer, Knowledge engineering, Knowledge servers, Computer assisted human learning, Case study

The impact of a multi-strategy academic writing handbook on Emergent bilinguals’ cross-curricular writing competences

La escritura académica en una segunda lengua puede ser uno de los requerimientos más complejos en la educación superior debido a los elementos lingüísticos, estratégicos y procedimentales que esta abarca al igual que los procesos cognitivos superiores que involucra. A pesar de su presencia permanente en la academia, los profesores no han encontrado aún una forma apropiada para enseñar y evaluar la escritura que garantice el progreso de los estudiantes y el apoyo continuo a lo largo de su proceso de aprendizaje. De esta manera, este estudio de caso de métodos mixtos apunta a diseñar y evaluar la efectividad de un Manual de Referencia para la Escritura Académica (MREA) que pretende proveer la asistencia constante que los estudiantes necesitan para solidificar su conocimiento de escritura y el material pedagógico apropiado que los docentes requieren para unificar los prácticas de enseñanza y evaluación de la escritura; este manual está fundamentado en los enfoques de la escrita como proceso y basada en el género, análisis de errores y evaluación..

Final Master\u27s Portfolio

Final portfolio for a master\u27s degree in English with a specialization in English teachin

Specific strategy instruction to enhance revising and editing skills for the learning disabled

For years, research and replications of research have supported the findings that grammar taught in isolation is at best ineffective. As a result, some teachers have abandoned grammar instruction altogether. Other teachers are unaware of the findings or simply choose to ignore them. With so many mildly handicapped students being placed in regular education classes, these curricular decisions are having an impact on their success in producing correct written communication. This study compares eleven learning disabled seventh grade students taught in the mainstream with traditional grammar instruction to nine learning disabled peers taught in a resource center with specific strategy instruction. The Test of Written Language-2 (TOWL-2) measures competence using Form A for a fall pretest and Form B for a spring posttest. A comparison of national percentile rankings by percentage of change (increase or decrease) is the basis for comparison. A self-evaluation questionnaire completed on both testing dates measures confidence. The experimental group improved significantly on all subtests of the TOWL-2 related to revising and editing. Neither group showed any improvement in personal confidence with regard to their revising and/or editing skills

Using Literature Circles to Improve Literacy Skills of English Language Learners

The increasing number of English language learners in mainstream classrooms continues to be one of the greatest challenges for educators. English language learners not only must learn the literacy skills necessary to be successful in American society, but they must also learn social and cultural skills. Literature circles are a successful way to improve comprehension skills while also providing English language learners with authentic social interactions. Many educators find literature circles to be an effective way to improve literacy, social, and cultural skills, yet they fail to implement them in their classroom. This research project will consist of a literature circle unit for fourth grade readers at the extending or fluency level of reading. This plan is based on (a) Colorado State Reading and Writing Standards, (b) a review of literature on literacy strategies and literature circles, and (c) personal experience

The Effect of Using Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) Strategy on Writing and Reading Comprehension Ability at MAN 2 Pekanbaru

This research is aimed at finding out the effect of using Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) Strategy on writing and reading comprehension ability of MAN 2 Pekanbaru students. It is a Quasi-Experiment which focuses on Quantitative Research. The subjects of this study are 50 students from two tenth classes, each of which consists of 25 students. Its object is the effect of Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) Strategy on students’ writing and reading comprehension. The students' writing and reading comprehension were analyzed by using SPSS 20 and found that the mean score of reading comprehension of the students taught by using Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) strategy was 80.98, and 78.10 for writing. In other words, the Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) strategy was, to some extent, effective to increase the students’ writing and reading comprehension (81%) (88%) So, Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL) strategy has an effect or influence on students' reading comprehension and writing ability. It proved to provide better results for teaching reading comprehension than for writing. Keywords: contextual teaching and learning (CTL), reading comprehension, writin

PLACE-BASED EDUCATION, STUDENT WRITING, AND CULTURAL CONTEXTS: A CASE STUDY OF BUILDING COMMUNITY CONSCIOUSNESS IN A RURAL MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM

The idea of place extends beyond just the location where people live. Place is a narrative, a story that involves interactions, characters, conflicts, and the rise and flow of humanity. By understanding the importance of place and the connection to the places from which people originate, the people, their motivations, and their strengths and weaknesses begin to take a shape that inspires transformational ideas and actions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of place-based educational practices on rural middle school students’ identities and their cultural connections as shown through student writing. This study follows the critical pedagogy of place theoretical framework and works to support the best practices in rural education research. A qualitative case study design was used to conduct this study over eight weeks during the winter of 2014. This study took place in a middle school classroom of 25 students where a collaborative relationship was created between teacher and researcher. The school was located in rural North Carolina. Data sources included interviews, observations, and a collection of student writing. The data was analyzed through thematic and content analysis to better understand the influence of place-based writing practices on student identity and cultural connections as evidenced in their writing

The Effect of Speech-to-Text Software on Learning a New Writing Strategy

Handwriting and spelling present elementary students with significant sources of load on working memory as the various writing processes compete for cognitive resources (Kellogg, Whiteford, Turner, Cahill & Mertens, 2013). Several studies have shown that speech-to-text (STT) software can improve students\u27 writing on a specific text (Higgins & Raskind, 1997; MacArthur & Cavalier, 2004; Quinlan, 2004); however, the question of whether STT can be used to teach writing strategies has been neglected. This pretest-post-test between groups study experimentally tested the effects of composition modality on learning a persuasive writing strategy. First, all students (N=45) completed a pretest of persuasive writing. They then, received instruction in Dragon NaturallySpeaking (version 11). Next, students were randomly assigned to participate in four lessons that emphasized dialectical elements of persuasive writing, in one of two modalities: STT or handwriting. Finally, all students completed post-tests of persuasive writing in both modalities (STT and handwriting). Writing samples were evaluated for word count, number of types of rhetorical moves, surface errors, and word errors. Students also completed measures of cognitive load for the pretest, each writing activity, and post-test. Both training conditions resulted in large, statistically significant, pre-to-post-test gains on word count, holistic quality and rhetorical moves. Students in the STT condition reported more effort compared to students in the handwriting condition for both post-tests. Students in both instructional conditions showed a high level of transfer from the trained modality to the untrained modality. Students who learned through handwriting, compared to students who learned through STT, showed more surface errors on the STT post-test. The results suggest that STT could be an equally effective alternative for teaching composition strategies

The Process of Becoming an Expository Writer

This unit examines short non-fiction texts centered on cultural awareness and understanding. Through analyzing model texts students will deduce organizational structures for expository writing and strategies used for effective communication. Through a variety of close reading activities, students will collect a bank of tools to incorporate into their own writing for small open ended writing assignments during the unit and the summative assessment at the end of the unit. The performance task includes an artistic representation of culture and an expository explaining the significance of the images and symbols chosen. Students will learn to introduce an idea and logically explain the background, cultural significance, and impact on their lives and personal identities

Thinking about Grammar in the Middle School: A Study and Recommendations

The study involved 53 sixth graders in a small, rural town in southeastern Massachusetts. Its purpose was to identify some of the grammatical concepts held by these students. The survey is presented. Briefly, these students lack understanding of basic grammatical concepts (such as the subject/verb relationship and subject versus object). These and other misconceptions indicate that students do not understand the role of word function in language. A central finding about students\u27 attitudes toward grammar study is that students do not realize that they have intuitive knowledge of their native language. Although students are not sure what grammar is, most of them believe that grammar should be studies in the middle school. This thesis suggest that teachers strive to identify students\u27 misconceptions about language and devise ways to bring about changes in understanding. New learning ideally should be interactive as opposed to additive. A learner must relate a new idea to what is already known. A series of five lessons on language structure and a series of four lessons on contemporary usage are recommended. All lessons reflect a critical and creative thinking approach to learning. In this thesis, grammar is defined as meaning sentence structure but including usage. Grammar has always been a traditional part of the English language arts curriculum despite the fact that the study of grammar in isolation has been rejected by the National Council of Teachers of English. This thesis agrees with that view. The current literature on the teaching of grammar is reviewed. Grammar studies generally recommend integrating grammar into writing and reading, a whole language approach. Literature on early adolescent learner readiness is also reviewed. Three main issues are identified as being crucial to the well-being of early adolescents and their success in school: social- emotional development, biological development (i.e. brain growth), and cognitive development