Mexican Dance Group: Breaking Barriers One Tap at a Time (Chapter in Emerging Issues and Trends in Education)

Excerpt: With a growing number of Hispanic students in schools (Díaz-Rico & Weed, 2014; Oregon Department of Education, 2012), many educators wonder how to make the school community more accessible to Hispanic parents (González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005; Gorski & Pothini, 2014; Valdés, 1996; Wink, 2005). The dance group described in this chapter demonstrates a natural way in which one teacher has accomplished Hispanic parental accessibility and, in doing so, positively impacted her school community. Rosa Floyd, the director of Nellie Muir’s Dance Group, has been teaching in Spanish-English bilingual classrooms for more than nineteen years. She came from Mexico as an adult and learned English, becoming an instructional assistant and subsequently a teacher. She has chosen to work with Hispanic students and regards her work as a bridge between Mexican parents and schools. Bilingual and bicultural, Rosa understands the Mexican community as well as the Anglo-dominated school culture. For several years, she has efffectively facilitated cross-cultural relationships between parents and teachers through the use of traditional dance groups. The months of practice preparing for the Cinco de Mayo presentations provide a catalyst for change as the teachers and parents address the invisible barriers that have kept Hispanic parents separated from the school community. Rosa’s effforts have led to a more welcoming and respectful school environment that embraces Mexican parents and reinforces students’ sense of cultural identity and heritage pride

EXPLORING VIRTUAL INFLUENCERS\u27 POTENTIAL TO REDUCE INTERETHNIC INTOLERANCE IN ONLINE YOUTH COMMUNICATION

The purpose of this research in progress is to explore the potential use of virtual influencers (VIs) for social good. The problem of ethnic relations in society has become one of the most controversial and challenging issues of the 21st century, impacting the lives of almost everyone. Our theoretical framework is grounded in parasocial relations and intergroup contact theory. We use an initial exploratory focus group to get more general feedback about the VIs’ potential usefulness and utility in this type of social campaign. Based on preliminary insights, VI appears to be a promising tool for reducing interethnic intolerance in online youth communication, but its success would be highly dependent on the quality and appeal of its content. Our future research endeavors need to improve our understanding and to further clarify how a VI artifact in a particular setting can be utilized for this socially beneficial purpose

Exploring the Impact of Soccer Camp on Social Identity for Youth with Cerebral Palsy

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of an exclusive, residential cerebral palsy (CP) soccer camp on social identity for youth with CP. Using a phenomenological approach, the aim of this study was to explain the six-day CP soccer camp experience from the camper\u27s perspective, guided by the three processes of Social Identity Theory (SIT), to determine if a CP soccer camp setting impacted the development of the participant\u27s social identity. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were collected online through a video software from 13 participants who were purposefully sampled between the ages of 10-18. Qualitative data was initially analyzed through a deductive coding lens, then further analyzed through an inductive coding process. Results: Findings suggest that participation in an exclusive, residential CP soccer camp supported two of the three processes in SIT and provided opportunities for youth with CP to feel connected and similar to others with disabilities. Participants enjoyed being around other individuals with CP in a supportive sport environment. Conclusion: This study indicated that CP soccer camp assisted in the camper\u27s social identity development in two of the three processes of SIT. Future research implications are discussed

Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council, Vol. 17, No. 2 (Fall/Winter 2016) [complete issue]

In This Issue Forum Articles AP, Dual Enrollment, and the Survival of Honors Education •Annmarie Guzy Rethinking Honors Curriculum in Light of the AP/IB/Dual Enrollment Challenge: Innovation and Curricular Flexibility •David Coleman and Katie Patton Using Hybrid Courses to Enhance Honors Offerings in the Disciplines •Karen D. Youmans A Dual Perspective on AP, Dual Enrollment, and Honors •Heather C. Camp and Giovanna E. Walters Got AP? •Joan Digby AP: Not a Replacement for Challenging College Coursework •Margaret Walsh Research Essays The ICSS and the Development of Black Collegiate Honors Education in the U.S. •Traci L. M. Dula Reading Place, Reading Landscape: A Consideration of City as Text™ and Geography •Ellen Hostetter Demography of Honors: Comparing NCHC Members and Non-Members •Patricia J. Smith and Richard I. Scott The Effect of Honors Courses on Grade Point Averages •Art L. Spisak and Suzanne Carter Squires Honors Thesis Preparation: Evidence of the Benefits of Structured Curricula •Steven Engel A Digital Literacy Initiative in Honors: Perceptions of Students and Instructors about its Impact on Learning and Pedagogy • Jacob Alan English Helping the Me Generation Decenter: Service Learning with Refugees •LouAnne B. Hawkins and Leslie G. Kaplan The Honors College Experience Reconsidered: Exploring the Student Perspective •James H. Young, III, Lachel Story, Samantha Tarver, Ellen Weinauer, Julia Keeler, and Allison McQuirte

Effectiveness of Intergenerational Exchange Programs Between Adolescents and Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Communities are aging and becoming more segregated, leading to fractured relationships between generations. Intergenerational exchange has improved cohesion, particularly when different generations engage as equal partners. This paper presents a systematic review of intergenerational studies between adolescents and older adults. Thirteen papers were reviewed using PRISMA guidelines, and outcomes, methodological quality, facilitators, and barriers identified, to better understand effectiveness and inform recommendations for future practice. The framework informed quality assessment, and the papers were rated moderate or high quality. Unfortunately, heterogeneity across studies rendered comparison challenging. Further attention is required to elucidate guidelines for implementing and reporting intergenerational studies.Contribution to the Field  This review demonstrated how non-familial intergenerational programs involving adolescents and older adults provided benefits to both. Benefits for older adults included improved wellbeing, cognitive, and social engagement.Benefits for adolescents were identity formation and skill development. Shared outcomes for both generations were improved attitudes and stereotypes, reduced generational gap, and solidarity.High variability in program design, methodology, and sample size was evident across studies. However, it highlighted the suitability of IG engagement across differing contexts.Future recommendations included facilitator training, diverse samples, and longitudinal methodological designs

How can morning meeting and character education foster a community of respect in a second grade classroom?

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to determine how Morning Meeting and the integration of character education values in a second grade classroom can lead to a respectful classroom community. As the United States becomes increasingly diverse, teachers need to learn ways in which they can create a positive learning environment where all students feel accepted and respected. Participants of this study include 13 second grade students; seven boys and six girls. Participants took part in daily Morning Meetings for approximately 20 minutes a day for a period of six and a half weeks. Data was analyzed and interpreted through the coding and categorizing of student surveys, Student Response Journals, and recordings. Findings and conclusions are discussed

The Technological Factors of Reddit: Communication and Identity on Relational Networks

The relational network reddit is one of the most popular and visited websites on a global and national (United States) level. Communication on reddit lends itself to intergroup communication in that reddit users engage with audiences from ingroup, outgroup, and mixed audience compositions. Reddit’s voting system allows for negative and positive feedback to enhance or impede on one’s message. I examine how these technological factors influence a number of communicative and identity processes: (a) identity salience, (b), identity gaps, (c) group and interpersonal evaluation, and (d) accommodative language. Drawn out of intergroup contact literature and theories about group processes and technology, I hypothesize and question how each technological factor maps onto each of the aforementioned outcomes. By analyzing each technological factor, I am able to understand how audience composition, valence of content, and nature of feedback have varying impacts on communication. I created an online experimental interface that simulated reddit’s user interface and technological affordances. A total of 316 participants entered into the online discussion board and contributed a comment to an ongoing discussion about their thoughts and beliefs on 4th of July. Two time segments were used in the study, revealing a 3 (audience composition: ingroup, outgroup, mixed) X 2 (valence of content: hostile, neutral) X 2 (feedback: negative, positive) between-groups design. Results revealed that audience composition influenced the enacted-communal identity gap in that users had a lower enacted-identity gap with ingroup and mixed audiences compared to outgroup audiences. Similarly, the enacted-communal identity gap, interpersonal evaluation, and group evaluation measures were dependent on the valence of the conversation. However, identity salience and the personal-enacted identity gap did not fluctuate based on any of the technological factors. Accommodative language was higher in ingroup conditions and when the valence was neutral. Time 2 results revealed that negative feedback influenced a perception of change in the enacted-communal identity gap and in the group evaluation measures. These results add to existing knowledge on the influence of reddit’s primary technological factors on group and identity processes and is informing of how social recommendations can change a user’s perception of their message. Advisor: Jordan Soli

Lifewide learning in the city: novel big data approaches to exploring learning with large-scale surveys, GPS, and social media

Despite UNESCO’s Learning Cities agenda, which argues for the mobilisation of resources to promote education across all sectors and environments, there is little evaluative research on learning city engagement which is both naturalistic and empirically rigorous. The research on informal adult learning in urban contexts is particularly sparse. This paper provides a case study of informal learning and lifewide literacies amongst Glaswegian adults using three distinct approaches to data collection: a household survey capturing rich data on learning attitudes, behaviours, and literacies; GPS trails that track mobility around the city; and the capture of naturally occurring social media. The work operationalises learning city indicators, and explores domains beyond education, some of which have not previously been considered in surveys of adult learning, for example, physical mobilities and transportation patterns. We use the theoretical concepts of Social Identity and Social Capital to situate social inclusion within explanatory frameworks which interpret marginalisation in groups, places and the less tangible domain of informal learning in order to interpret our multi-strand dataset. A triangulated analysis of city-wide participation in lifewide learning reveals a demographic picture of groups marginalised from learning opportunities and practices. Examples of this include older adults in areas of deprivation and households in precarity. We conclude with a call for new approaches to exploring learning participation which offer novel methods to evidence informal learning and lifewide literacies

Hiring People with Disabilities from an Employer’s Perspective and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

When employers hire people with disabilities, collective behavioral change occurs within organizations. Specifically, attitudes towards people with disabilities improve through professional interventions and encourage organizational citizenship behavior. Previous studies have demonstrated the economic and client-focused impact of hiring people with disabilities — resulting in a tested model of competitive integrated employment. This study indicates that — when organizations employ best practices when integrating people with disabilities into the workplace — there is a performance-based behavioral change in non-disabled employees. This study uses intergroup contact theory and social exchange theory to develop a model and a corresponding survey instrument that measures how several factors impact co-worker attitudes toward people with disabilities. Most importantly, this allows the assessment of behavioral changes from those attitudes. This quantitative research study incorporates eight constructs with the non-disabled employee as the unit of analysis: employee knowledge, workplace contact, supported employment, employer openness, attitude towards an employee with a disability, job satisfaction, personality, and organizational citizenship behavior. To develop the survey instrument and refine the model, three pilot studies - with 187 participants - were conducted. The main study included 211 participants spread across many different organizations, covering at least 17 industries. To test the effects of two independent variables, four moderators, and a mediator on a behavioral outcome variable - hierarchical linear regressions were performed. The results show that employee knowledge and workplace contact positively affect attitudes towards people with disabilities. In addition, employer openness moderated knowledge and workplace contact regarding attitudes; the effect was positive and significant. Correspondingly, attitudes have a positive direct effect on organizational citizenship behavior. Finally, job satisfaction and personality (for two of the five factors considered) moderated attitudes positively and significantly. Overall, this study demonstrates that employers benefit from hiring people with disabilities. As a result, employers must realize the importance of employee attitudes in shaping structured interventions. This study’s findings justify additional resource allocation for training non-disabled employees by utilizing existing opportunities — such as supportive employment