Race to the Bottom: The United State\u27s Early Childhood Education Issue

Since the 1990\u27s there has been a large push for universal early childhood education in the United States as other countries have started to create their own programs. Administrators and policymakers in power have realized the impact of early childhood education on the future lives of children. In my paper I do a historical comparative analysis on Head Start and the push for universal preschool in the states and abroad. I do this by looking at why Head Start was needed the process to make it a staple in American society and the impacts. I move on to look at the emergence of Universal Preschool abroad and in certain states. I argue that while Head Start was an important part of early childhood education history the United States should move away from it and move towards Universal preschool. Head Start has not made the impact that it was supposed to and it doesn\u27t reach every child that needs it. Universal preschool reaches all children regardless of background and has made positive impacts in the states and countries that have it. Through researching the history of Head Start universal preschool in Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, France, England, and Finland I discovered the positive impacts of each program. Each program dealt with hardships to get started but ultimately became recognized and established as a great program. There are positives and negatives to each program and I ultimately came up with a set of recommendations that the United States should implement in the future

Gender Bias in Peer Grading Among Undergraduate Students

Using the observation that people refer to their own genders when talking about an unknown author, one might infer that people might relate to authors of their same sex. If this is true, this could be a gender bias as people could attribute good qualities of an unknown author to their gender. This led to an investigation of gender bias in peer grading where students were thought to attribute better grades on a paper if the author is their same sex. Participants were separated into three groups separated by the knowledge of the author’s gender then asked to grade a paper. The results showed higher scores in the same sex group raising the issue of importance of anonymous peer grading

George Sibley\u27s Convictions Concerning Slavery

Student paper discussing George Champlin Sibley\u27s attitudes on slavery

Universal Design for Learning: Guiding Principles to Reduce Barriers to Digital & Media Literacy Competence

Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework for designing instruction to address the wide range of learner variation in today’s inclusive classrooms, can be applied effectively to broaden access, understanding, and engagement in digital and media literacy learning for ALL. UDL supports constructivist learning principles. UDL strategiesand methods encouragedevelopment of expert learners though personal engagement and motivation. UDL transforms one-size-fits-all instruction into diverse, multiple, and accessible learning opportunities that embrace student variation. UDL principles and guidelines offer a unique way for educators in digital and media literacy fields to ensure that their work will benefit the widest range of learners, including those with learning challenges and disabilities

Communication, Control, and Time: The Lived Experience of Uncertainty in Adolescent Pregnancy

This study qualitatively examined the lived experience of uncertainty among pregnant adolescents. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, long interviews were conducted with 10 pregnant adolescent women between the ages of 15-18 years. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using the process of phenomenological explication. Data, emergent themes, memos, and a detailed audit trail were maintained using the qualitative data analysis package Nvivo 10 for Mac (beta version). Findings can be summarized with eight themes that underlie the essence of uncertainty in adolescent pregnancy: suspicion and denial, disclosure and reactions, controlling the flow of information, relational renegotiation, the emerging reality of pregnancy, information behavior, encounters with doctors and other professionals, and the future. From these themes, it is evident that the lived experience of uncertainty is about loss of control. Also of importance is the lack of uncertainty about life after the birth and how this may contribute to cultural and socioeconomic disparities in adolescent pregnancy. In addition, participants’ sense of control is both threatened by and surrendered to time; time, therefore, both enhances and mitigates uncertainty. Knowing this allows for recognition of where control can be reestablished to promote better self-efficacy among pregnant adolescents. This study has implications for uncertainty in health communication, and makes the argument for further incorporating pregnancy into the health communication research agenda. In addition, this study compels the extension of research on uncertainty into areas like mental health, nutrition, exercise, and hygiene, where time may also play an important role. Implications for communication theory, particularly related to privacy management and relational turbulence, as well as home-visitation interventions in the public health sector are discussed

The Relationship Between Assistive Technology State Standards for Teachers, Assistive Technology Implementation, and Student Performance in the Context of Evidence-Based Practice

Purpose: Consideration of assistive technology (AT) for special education students has been federally mandated since 1997. Since the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), rigorous evidence-based educational practices are also mandated. While national technology standards for teachers in general education exist to guide educational technology (ET), it is not clear if AT standards exist for U.S. teachers, or on what evidence standards are based. The purposes of this study, therefore , were to 1) describe three state-level regulatory elements related to AT: i) presence of formally adopted AT standards , ii) level of scientific evidence supporting those standards and iii) extent to which states offer support for teachers\u27 implementation of AT, and 2) examine the relationship between these regulatory elements and academic performance of students in Special Education. Method: Data were collected in two ways. First, 110 literature documents were reviewed for type of standard and the nature and rigor of evidence. Secondly, data on the three regulatory elements were collected via telephone and email from the 50 State Departments of Education plus Washington DC. Multiple regression analyses compared the regulatory elements as predictor variables with national reading and math performance of special education students. Analysis/Results: Literature analysis results reveal 81% ET and 80.5% AT literature based on survey ·or expert opinion evidence, with standards the primary focus of 10% of AT literature. Descriptive analyses revealed nine states with state approved AT standards for teachers and five states with evidence supporting their standards; the rigor for this evidence was low. Forty-seven states provide information to teachers on AT, 17 states recommend professional development in AT with three having AT endorsement or certification. Multiple regression analyses found no significant relationship between the three regulatory elements and student performance in either reading or math. Discussion: Literature and study results indicate a general lack of AT standards either documented or officially in use in education, with supporting evidence not highly rigorous or not evident. Considering NCLB, lack of evidence-based standards makes AT vulnerable to reduced priority and funding. Research documenting impact of existing AT standards and rigorous evidence of related student performance is recommended

Independent and relative effects of stress, depressive symptoms, and affect on college students' daily health behaviors.

Stress and depressive symptoms are associated with maladaptive health behavior practices such as unhealthy eating, sedentary behavior, insufficient sleep, and substance use. The relative and interactive effects of stress and depressive symptoms on health behavior practices are less well understood. The present study examined these processes in a daily diary study of 127 college students. Results from hierarchical generalized linear models indicated that depressive symptoms, and chronic and daily stress, but not acute stressful life events, were significantly associated with a composite score of daily maladaptive health behavior engagement (depressive symptoms b = .01, SE= .00, p < .01; chronic stress, b = .03, SE= .01, p < .01; daily stress, b = .01, SE= .01, p = .02); unexpectedly, the effect of stress on health behaviors was not moderated by depressive symptoms. Additionally, results demonstrated that the effect of depressive symptoms on health behaviors was mediated by fluctuations in daily negative affect. These results bear implications for intervention during a crucial period in the development of mental and physical health

Universal design for learning in inclusive education policy in South Africa

Background: South Africa has undertaken the implementation of inclusive education as a vehicle for achieving enhanced educational outcomes and equity. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an instructional design framework that takes into account the wide range of variations in skills and abilities that exist across all learners, and provides a research-based set of principles and guidelines for inclusive curriculum development and delivery. Objectives: To locate UDL within the specific inclusive education policy context of South Africa and consider how this approach can support policy implementation. We have argued that UDL could serve as a strategy to link policy imperatives with classroom practice, enabling effective communication between the different actors. Method: We reviewed fundamental inclusive education policies in South Africa and research relating to their implementation, and how they configure support and curriculum differentiation. We then compared this understanding with that proposed by UDL and considered what could be gained in adopting a UDL framework. Results: We noted that UDL has several advantages in that it allows for a common language between education stakeholders and gives new meaning to the interpretation of levels of support. Conclusion: The implementation of inclusive education in South Africa could be enhanced by introducing the concepts of UDL into policy, research and teaching practice as a common language and vehicle for packaging support systems