Transformación de una comunidad educativa en Guatemala utilizando el ciclo Planificar, Estudiar y Actuar

This case study with educators from a school in an urban low socioeconomic neighborhood near Guatemala City, Guatemala, explored the effectiveness of the Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle (PDSA) to guide teachers’ professional development at a Pre-K-K public school (Langley, 2009). This three-year study focused on developing teacher leaders and researchers through self-reflective accountability. Findings documented institutional problems requiring immediate and long-term attention and ways to involve families in extending literacy instruction at school to the home front. Study results highlight the need for effective and empowering literacy methods to be used in Guatemala and suggest the country’s teachers wish to support students’ critical thinking and create democratic classrooms.  Este artículo documenta un plan de desarrollo profesional ofrecido a docentes de una escuela en Guatemala de niveles pre-K al K. Este estudio apoyó la contabilidad individual del docente que interpreta el currículo considerando el contexto social. El ciclo Planear, Experimentar, Estudiar y Actuar, involucró a los participantes a colaborar. Los resultados señalaron problemas institucionales y sociales que requieren atención. Se identificaron metas para involucrar a familias a enlazar los temas del currículo a los de la vida cotidiana. Familias reconocieron su rol en el aprendizaje de sus hijos. Los docentes adaptaron los estándares del Ministerio de Educación para crear aulas democráticas y apoyar el pensamiento crítico

El Arte como Medio para Facilitar el Bilingüismo y Biculturalismo: Sugerencias desde una Revisión de la Literatura

This review of the literature critically explores the avenues to learning that visual art offers teachers and especially those with second language learners in their classrooms. The article is divided into seven sections in which the authors present research findings supporting the premise that learners’ cognitive processes are facilitated by images. Research cited strongly suggests visual art in instructional design helps students learn about world cultures, is an effective pre-writing activity, facilitates second language acquisition, and promotes biliteracy.Esta revisión de la literatura explora críticamente los caminos al aprendizaje que el arte visual provee a  los maestros,  especialmente a  los que tienen estudiantes que están aprendiendo  un segundo idioma en sus aulas. El artículo está dividido en siete secciones, en las cuales el autor presenta resultados de investigaciones previas que apoyan la premisa de que las imágenes visuales facilitan los procesos cognitivos de los estudiantes.  Las investigaciones citadas indican claramente que a los estudiantes les beneficia  dibujar e involucrarse en actividades visuales antes de redactar,  lo cual facilita la adquisición de un segundo idioma y  promueve  la alfabetización en la primera y segunda lengua

Exploring New Paths to Academic Literacy for English Language Learners

This article discusses a revised paradigm for understanding the role of technology in learning in today’s 21st century’s digital world. We propose that the digital literacy that is an integral part of learners’ daily lives requires a concentrated examination. We argue that appropriate selection and incorporation of current technologies in instruction can improve today’s schoolhouse and raise the academic achievement of English language learners. This commentary addresses the ways teachers prepare to use technology effectively in literacy education for collaborative learning, for multi-modal authoring, and for the virtual classroom. Specific applications are considered and recommended for classrooms with English learners

Una Exploración con 108 Docentes Guatemaltecos de los Fondos de Conocimientos

Using a reflective exercise designed for this study, Guatemalan educators explored their students’ and their own cultural capital. The cultural capsule exercise served as a vehicle to bring delicate issues that are difficult to discuss, but that are essential to effective schooling, to reflective conversations. A total of 108 teachers went beyond identifying problems and detailing frustrations, to exploring possibilities for action. Participants converged in sharing perspectives that Guatemala is a culture of silence, and used examples to illustrate how this perpetuates the limitations of the country’s schoolhouse. Findings reveal the teachers were challenged to focus on what can be accomplished. Qualitative data analyzes, conducted using symbolic convergence theory to establish recurrent and idea generation, suggest a need for further examination of how the sociocultural educational mandates delimit teachers’ ability to adjust the curriculum in consideration of learners’ funds of knowledge. Keywords: teachers’ voices, cultural capital, funds of knowledge, reflective educators, diverse indigenous cultures of Guatemala Resumen Docentes de una comunidad de Guatemala examinaron el capital cultural de sus estudiantes y de si mismos, usando un ejercicio desarrollado para este estudio. El ejercicio de la cápsula cultural sirvió de vehículo para aportar a la conversación temas que, aunque delicados y difíciles de aproximar, son esenciales para establecer sistemas escolares efectivos. Un total de 108 maestros compartieron y detallaron sus frustraciones, y comenzaron a explorar cambios que ellos mismos podrían llevar a cabo. Los participantes convergieron en sus ideas para verificar sus puntos de vista que Guatemala es una cultura de silencio. Ellos ofrecieron ejemplos que detallaron el por qué, este silencio perpetúa y limita la escolarización. Datos cualitativos, documentados usando la teoría de la convergencia simbólica, se usaron para establecer temas que se repitieron y generaron ideas. Investigaciones futuras han de examinar el contexto educacional y sociocultural que evidentemente delimita cómo en Guatemala los maestros y sus estudiantes se desenvuelven en las escuelas, y consideran sus fondos de conocimientos. Palabras Claves: voces de los maestros, el capital cultural, educación liberatoria, culturas indígenas de Guatemala  Docentes de una comunidad de Guatemala examinaron el capital cultural de sus estudiantes y de si mismos, usando un ejercicio desarrollado para este estudio. El ejercicio de la cápsula cultural sirvió de vehículo para aportar a la conversación temas que, aunque delicados y difíciles de aproximar, son esenciales para establecer sistemas escolares efectivos. Un total de 108 maestros compartieron y detallaron sus frustraciones, y comenzaron a explorar cambios que ellos mismos podrían llevar a cabo. Los participantes convergieron en sus ideas para verificar sus puntos de vista que Guatemala es una cultura de silencio. Ellos ofrecieron ejemplos que detallaron el por qué, este silencio perpetúa y limita la escolarización. Datos cualitativos, documentados usando la teoría de la convergencia simbólica, se usaron para establecer temas que se repitieron y generaron ideas. Investigaciones futuras han de examinar el contexto educacional y sociocultural que evidentemente delimita cómo en Guatemala los maestros y sus estudiantes se desenvuelven en las escuelas, y consideran sus fondos de conocimientos

Estudio exploratorio de la comprensión de los docentes ecuatorianos sobre el aprendizaje socioemocional: un análisis de los docentes de la escuela primaria

Direct instruction of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has been suggested for improving academic performance and reducing behavioral issues in classrooms (CASEL, 2020). This exploratory study provides insight into how a group of Ecuadorian elementary school teachers define and understand SEL. It examined changes in teachers’ perspectives and beliefs about their role in SEL integration in elementary school classrooms, after a full-day workshop focused on SEL integration. Quantitative and qualitative data collected before, during and after the SEL workshop indicated a positive change in the teachers’ foundational knowledge of SEL after participation in the workshop; however, there was no observed change in the teachers’ perceptions of their role in the actual implementation of SEL. Challenges and future implications for an effective integration of SEL are discussed in this research article.Se ha sugerido que la instrucción directa del aprendizaje socioemocional (SEL) puede mejorar el rendimiento académico y puede reducir los problemas de conducta en las aulas (CASEL, 2020). Este estudio exploratorio proporciona información sobre cómo un grupo de maestros ecuatorianos de una escuela primaria definen y comprenden SEL. Este estudio examinó los cambios en las perspectivas y creencias de los maestros sobre su papel en la integración de SEL en las aulas de la escuela primaria, después de un taller de un día completo centrado en la integración de SEL. Los datos cuantitativos y cualitativos recopilados antes, durante y después del taller de SEL indicaron un cambio positivo en el conocimiento esencial de los maestros sobre el SEL después de la participación en el taller; sin embargo, no se observaron cambios en las percepciones de los maestros sobre su rol en la implementación de SEL. En este artículo de investigación se discuten los desafíos y las implicaciones futuras para una integración efectiva de SEL

Ecuadorian and Uruguayan Teachers’ Perceptions and Experiences of Teaching Online during COVID

This author accepted manuscript is deposited under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC) license. This means that anyone may distribute, adapt, and build upon the work for non-commercial purposes, subject to full attribution. If you wish to use this manuscript for commercial purposes, please contact [email protected]: The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique event that forced K-12 schools to rethink the delivery of instruction to protect the well-being of school system stakeholders. Teachers, school administrators, and parents had to adapt to and embrace new ways of teaching and learning by utilizing available technology. The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges encountered by in-service teachers when moving from face-to-face to online teaching. Design/methodology/approach: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological research methodology to examine Ecuadorian and Uruguayan teachers’ perceptions and experiences transitioning from face-to-face to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. This comparative study used convenience sampling to include 12 K-12 teachers from Ecuador and Uruguay. Findings: The results of this study produced two themes that evidenced the demands placed on educators. The first theme was job demands, relating to teachers’ perceptions about workload, preparation time, and curriculum issues. The second theme related to available support provided by the school administrators and technology issues faced by teachers and students. Even though the teachers demonstrated adaptability for educating students during the pandemic, the experiences from both countries should be considered by teacher training programs and in postgraduate professional development. Originality: This article examined how COVID-19 affected teachers in Uruguay and Ecuador. Data analysis documented the challenges encountered by teachers transitioning to online learning during the pandemic. Findings inform a larger audience about the needs of teachers working online

Understanding and Improving Outcomes for Students in an Underserved Secondary School in Kenya: A School-Community-University Partnership

Although universities are positioned to lead change, specifically by improving educational systems, there is no evidence of universities in Kenya engaging with schools. Concurrently, the quality of education in Kenya is declining. This article explores the problem of disparities, poor educational outcomes, and ways to improve education at an underserved secondary school over the course of a threeyear participatory action research project. Qualitative design was used to gather data through interviews, focus group discussions, and document analyses. Data were analyzed utilizing constant comparison technique and ecological and sociocultural theories. Emerging themes included: disparities and poor academic outcomes; focus on external rather than internal locus of control; absolute power and authority; isolation that is breaking systems and institutional thinking; and partnership infused new knowledge for improvement

Lineage-specific dynamic and pre-established enhancer–promoter contacts cooperate in terminal differentiation

Chromosome conformation is an important feature of metazoan gene regulation; however, enhancer–promoter contact remodeling during cellular differentiation remains poorly understood. To address this, genome-wide promoter capture Hi-C (CHi-C) was performed during epidermal differentiation. Two classes of enhancer–promoter contacts associated with differentiation-induced genes were identified. The first class ('gained') increased in contact strength during differentiation in concert with enhancer acquisition of the H3K27ac activation mark. The second class ('stable') were pre-established in undifferentiated cells, with enhancers constitutively marked by H3K27ac. The stable class was associated with the canonical conformation regulator cohesin, whereas the gained class was not, implying distinct mechanisms of contact formation and regulation. Analysis of stable enhancers identified a new, essential role for a constitutively expressed, lineage-restricted ETS-family transcription factor, EHF, in epidermal differentiation. Furthermore, neither class of contacts was observed in pluripotent cells, suggesting that lineage-specific chromatin structure is established in tissue progenitor cells and is further remodeled in terminal differentiation