College or Career?

As would-be students weigh one of the most important decisions of their lives, society in general and higher education in particular are sending mixed messages about affordability

Modeling Scenarios of Sea-level Rise and Human Migration: Rita Village, the Republic of the Marshall Islands

This study explores the relationship between sea-level rise and human migration from Rita Village in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). As one of only four low-lying atoll countries at the forefront of risks associated with climate change, examining the extent to which sea level will rise and displace residents in the Marshall Islands is of timely importance. The approach to this research is a scenario-based, case study and it examines loss of home, human displacement and subsequent migration in Rita Village as a result of varying levels of sea level rise. The scenario-based approach is based on the four Representative Concentration Pathways as defined by the International Panel on Climate Change, which range from a best case scenario to a worst case scenario of sea level rise. This research also examines distribution of the migration stream resultant from displacement by sea level rise to key destinations in the United States, including Hawaii, Arkansas and Washington State. The major findings suggest that sea level rise will be a key factor in migration from Rita Village to the year 2100. The best case scenario suggests that at least half of the population will be displaced by sea level rise by the year 2100, while the worst case scenario suggests complete inundation and total displacement of the population of Rita Village by 2100. The findings also suggest Hawaii, followed by Arkansas and then Washington State will experience the highest rates in migration of those displaced by sea level in the Marshall Islands

CAPS teaching time : implications for Grade 3 mathematics education in the foundation phase

Abstract: The study explored how the implementation of the time allocated for teaching mathematics concepts in the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) was understood by Grade 3 teachers. A case study design and phenomenological approach were used to explore how the teachers’ interacted and communicated the concepts to the learners to meet the requirements of the prescribed time. Semi-structured interviews and observations were used for collecting data. Amongst others, the theories (1996), Bernstein (2000) and MacIntyre (1981) were used to frame the study and make sense of the data. The findings indicate that the teachers used mainly ‘carpet’ or group teaching. Translating the allocated time as suggested by the CAPS was challenging. Their teaching strategies were also mainly ineffective and not beneficial to the learners. The conclusion in the study is that teachers need assistance that will enable them to interpret the CAPS as suggested. However, unless they are adequately qualified to teach FP mathematics, the implementation of the CAPS will continue to be compromised.M.A. (Education

Toward Democratic Education: The Importance of Culturally Responsive Leadership in 21st Century Schools

The author defines culturally responsive leadership as essentially a process by which communities create systems that support democratic education. The author explores relevant education scholarship and literary texts to better define democratic freedom, and the essay examines issues related to democratic education and the role of educators and community members in creating democratic schools. The author argues that humanistic, child-centered, democratic schools are not only essential for the development of the sense of self that enables one to experience true freedom, but democratic schools are also necessary to the goal of changing the conditions that create inequities. Davis outlines barriers to the development of culturally responsive leadership. These include education administration priorities; faculty-driven not student-driven curricula in departments of education; K-12 curricula which fail to see the students themselves as important educational resources and which fail to respond to and support student culture; and political agendas surrounding the creation and flow of curriculum and knowledge

A Support Framework for Virtual Learners: A Policy Advocacy Document

The goals of my three-year doctoral program are imbedded in my professional and personal desire to offer students the best possible options for learning. Professionally, I endeavored to improve and advance the quality of online education in my school district. Personally, my goal was to learn about recent advancements in the educational modality I have so passionately embraced for the past nine years. My vision was that my research would directly impact the expansion and improvement process of the virtual education program locally and add to the body of research referencing online and blended learning. Professionally, I have witnessed the impact of my research with the addition of a local kindergarten through fifth grade option for district online learners, instructors providing regular live lessons for their students, increased face-to-face tutorials, and the allocation of lab facilitators to each traditional high school. These transformations were initiated based on the research and analysis I conducted and shared with district leadership

You Best Read It to Me My Dear : Methodological Issues with Marginally Literate Subjects

An analysis of case examples from a study of women\u27s experience of menopause in a New found land fishing village, demonstrates the problems inherent in using questionnaires among marginally literate or illiterate populations. Evidence demonstrates that not only are the questions misunderstood by the respondents but also that questionnaires by themselves may inadvertently generate their own peculiar form of native menopause lore. Special consideration is given to describing the methodological problems of anthropological fieldwork in a small community

Building a More Robust Qualitative Methodology in the Study of Digital Communities in Virtual Worlds: Revisiting the Case Study Approach

This paper addresses methodological challenges of research in the increasingly complex arena of virtual worlds and virtual reality. Case studies can be a valuable research tool, yet traditional approaches do not take into consideration the nuances of virtual experiences. Addressing what appears to be a growing body of evidence that points to a lack of rigor in research methodology in this field, specifically as evidenced by inconsistent research methods and analysis, this paper proposes an adaptation of the traditional multimethod qualitative case study method to address the affordances of virtual worlds and VR. It extends Yin’s (2009) traditional sources of evidence necessary to create a robust case study to virtual environments including digital/virtual forms of: documents, archival records, interviews, direct observation, participantobservation, and physical artifacts

Gender, Power and Household in Revolutionary Grenada

Although broadly supported by Grenada's population, the 1979 revolution exhibited gender variations within certain social categories. This paper examines the dynamics of revolutionary Grenada and the reasons for differential support among men and women. In particular, we examine certain characteristics specific to Grenada and its form of household organization, which we believe is essential to an understanding of gender relations.Bien qu'elle ait reçu l'appui de la population, la révolution de Grenade en 1979 comportait des différences liées au statut sexuel au sein des classes sociales. Cet article analyse cette révolution, en tenant compte des raisons pour lesquelles les hommes et les femmes ne lui ont pas accordé le même soutien. Ce travail met l’accent sur le caractère unique de la Grenade. Plus particulièrement, lesauteur-e-s se penchent sur l’organisation familiale afin d’acquérir une meilleure compréhension des rapports entre les sexes

The Use of Radio Broadcast, Internet, and Podcasting in A Family Life Education Program

This article discusses the use of three technologies in an Extension family life program: a professionally produced radio program, Family Album Radio, available to stations nationwide; an Internet presence through a companion Web site; and a podcasting feature making the program available to subscribers via the Internet. We explain the development of the program through a partnership across several units at a major land-grant institution and provide evidence of the program\u27s success, using data from the program\u27s Web site traffic. We conclude with a discussion of the potential of this multifaceted program for family life education

The Machine as an Extension of the Body: When Identity, Immersion and Interactive Design Serve as Both Resource and Limitation for the Disabled

This research explores how the technological affordances of emerging social virtual environments and VR platforms where individuals from an online disability community are represented in avatar form, correspond to these users’ development of embodied identity, ability, and access to work and social communities. The visual attributes of these avatars, which can realistically reflect the user’s physical self or divert from human form entirely, raise interesting questions regarding the role identity plays in the workplace, be it gender, race, age, weight, or visible disability. Additionally, the technology itself becomes fundamental to identity as the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI), motion capture, and speech-to-text/text-to-speech technologies create digital capabilities that become part of an individual’s identity. This raises further questions about how virtual world technologies can both increase and potentially create barriers to accessibility for individuals who find freedom in their technologically embodied surrogates