The Trump Effect and the Damage Done: A Mixed Methods Study Exploring Sociopolitical Hostility and Teacher Responses in Language Classrooms

Immediately following the 2016 election, teachers reported a previously-unseen level of animosity from their students mimicking the rhetoric of President Trump, often verbatim. The combination of racial, ethnic, religious, and bias-motivated bullying and language has been referred to as the “Trump Effect” in the media and among educators (Nygreen, Lazdowski, & Bialostok, 2017). While teachers in all subject areas may have the potential to address this dehumanizing rhetoric, this study focused on foreign/world language (FL) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), which are areas that have not been thoroughly explored as a particularly important and relevant site for change in which to address the problem. Following a mixed methods explanatory sequential design (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2017), the first phase employed a nationwide survey of K-12 FL and ESOL teachers from a variety of teaching contexts and demographics. The results show that teachers’ experiences with sociopolitical hostility in their school combined with their beliefs in a social justice pedagogy were significant predictors of taking action in the classroom. Then, qualitative follow-up interviews shed light on the actions that were ultimately taken. These actions were labeled: Classroom permeability and possibility; curricula as safe harbor; and discursive approach to social justice pedagogy. Key implications of the study include the need to dismiss the notion of “neutrality” in teaching and, instead, embrace teaching as a form of resistance

The Incompatibility of a Daily School Pledge with a Democratic and Multicultural Education

The Pledge of Allegiance has become a tradition in schools throughout the United States. The debate on this practice has often been limited due to the ideas of national pride that surround the pledge. This article addresses both the problematic history of the pledge, the protected precedence of teachers and students refusing to state the pledge, the pledge’s international abnormality, and the practical and philosophical concerns of a daily pledge in the public school setting. The article’s contention is that the pledge introduces a shallow view of national loyalty, while simultaneously endangering religious liberty, overlooking the views of marginalized and immigrant students, and promoting nationalism and a more subtle militarism. The article concludes with beneficial alternatives schools could use in place of a daily pledge and the societal benefits of reconsidering this tradition

HyFlex pedagogy: six strategies supported by design-based research

Purpose–This study investigates the following research question: What pedagogical strategies are necessary for the success of the project? The findings to this question are based in new media literacies and help to further pedagogy in an emerging HyFlex model while also grounding in needed theorization. Design/methodology/approach–This study uses design-based research(DBR) across two iterations and four doctoral, higher education courses, using mixed methods of data collection and analysis. Findings–Six pedagogical strategies influential for HyFlex research are presented, each grounded in a new media literacy skill. Originality/value–These six pedagogical strategies help practitioners grappling with the HyFlex or blended learning model merge traditional pedagogy with how this might be tailored for students entrenched in a participatory culture

Clemson University’s Teacher Learning Progression Program: Personalized Advanced Credentials for Teachers

This chapter provides an overview of Clemson University\u27s Teacher Learning Progression program, which offers participating middle school science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics (STEM) teachers with personalized advanced credentials. In contrast to typical professional development (PD) approaches, this program identifies individualized pathways for PD based on teachers\u27 unique interests and needs and offers PD options through the use of a “recommender system”—a system providing context-specific recommendations to guide teachers toward the identification of preferred PD pathways and content. In this chapter, the authors introduce the program and highlight (1) the data collection and instrumentation needed to make personalized PD recommendations, (2) the recommender system, and (3) the personalized advanced credential options. The authors also discuss lessons learned through initial stages of project implementation and consider future directions for the use of recommender systems to support teacher PD, considering both research and applied implications and settings

The Association Between Sedentary Behaviors During Weekdays and Weekend with Change in Body Composition in Young Adults

Background: High sedentary time has been considered an important chronic disease risk factor but there is only limited information on the association of specific sedentary behaviors on weekdays and weekend-days with body composition. The present study examines the prospective association of total sedentary time and specific sedentary behaviors during weekdays and the weekend with body composition in young adults. Methods: A total of 332 adults (50% male; 27.7 ±3.7 years) were followed over a period of 1 year. Time spent sedentary, excluding sleep (SED), and in physical activity (PA) during weekdays and weekend-days was objectively assessed every 3 months with a multisensor device over a period of at least 8 days. In addition, participants reported sitting time, TV time and non-work related time spent at the computer separately for weekdays and the weekend. Fat mass and fat free mass were assessed via dual x-ray absorptiometry and used to calculate percent body fat (%BF). Energy intake was estimated based on TDEE and change in body composition. Results: Cross-sectional analyses showed a significant correlation between SED and body composition (0.18 ≤ r ≤ 0.34). Associations between body weight and specific sedentary behaviors were less pronounced and significant during weekdays only (r ≤ 0.16). Nevertheless, decrease in SED during weekends, rather than during weekdays, was significantly associated with subsequent decrease in %BF (β = 0.06, p \u3c0.01). After adjusting for PA and energy intake, results for SED were no longer significant. Only the association between change in sitting time during weekends and subsequent %BF was independent from change in PA or energy intake (β%BF = 0.04, p = 0.01), while there was no significant association between TV or computer time and subsequent body composition. Conclusions: The stronger AIMS Public Health Volume 3, Issue 2, 375-388. prospective association between sedentary behavior during weekends with subsequent body composition emphasizes the importance of leisure time behavior in weight management

The Association Between Sedentary Behaviors During Weekdays and Weekend with Change in Body Composition in Young Adults

Background: High sedentary time has been considered an important chronic disease risk factor but there is only limited information on the association of specific sedentary behaviors on weekdays and weekend-days with body composition. The present study examines the prospective association of total sedentary time and specific sedentary behaviors during weekdays and the weekend with body composition in young adults. Methods: A total of 332 adults (50% male; 27.7 ±3.7 years) were followed over a period of 1 year. Time spent sedentary, excluding sleep (SED), and in physical activity (PA) during weekdays and weekend-days was objectively assessed every 3 months with a multisensor device over a period of at least 8 days. In addition, participants reported sitting time, TV time and non-work related time spent at the computer separately for weekdays and the weekend. Fat mass and fat free mass were assessed via dual x-ray absorptiometry and used to calculate percent body fat (%BF). Energy intake was estimated based on TDEE and change in body composition. Results: Cross-sectional analyses showed a significant correlation between SED and body composition (0.18 ≤ r ≤ 0.34). Associations between body weight and specific sedentary behaviors were less pronounced and significant during weekdays only (r ≤ 0.16). Nevertheless, decrease in SED during weekends, rather than during weekdays, was significantly associated with subsequent decrease in %BF (β = 0.06, p \u3c0.01). After adjusting for PA and energy intake, results for SED were no longer significant. Only the association between change in sitting time during weekends and subsequent %BF was independent from change in PA or energy intake (β%BF = 0.04, p = 0.01), while there was no significant association between TV or computer time and subsequent body composition. Conclusions: The stronger AIMS Public Health Volume 3, Issue 2, 375-388. prospective association between sedentary behavior during weekends with subsequent body composition emphasizes the importance of leisure time behavior in weight management

Annotated Bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English

Since 2003, RTE has published the annual “Annotated Bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English,” a list of curated and annotated works reviewed and selected by a large group of dedicated educator-scholars in our field. The goal of the annual bibliography is to offer a synthesis of the research published in the area of English language arts within the past year for RTE readers’ consideration. Abstracted citations and those featured in the “Other Related Research” sections were published, either in print or online, between June 2020 and June 2021. The bibliography is divided into nine sections, with some changes to the categories this year in response to the ever-evolving nature of research in the field. Small teams of scholars with diverse research interests and background experiences in preK–16 educational settings reviewed and selected the manuscripts for each section using library databases and leading scholarly journals. Each team abstracted significant contributions to the body of peer-reviewed studies that addressed the current research questions and concerns in their topic area

Annotated Bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English

Since 2003, RTE has published the annual “Annotated Bibliography of Research in the Teaching of English,” and we are proud to share these curated and annotated citations once again. The goal of the annual bibliography is to offer a synthesis of the research published in the area of English language arts within the past year that may be of interest to RTE readers. Abstracted citations and those featured in the “Other Related Research” sections were published, either in print or online, between June 2019 and June 2020. The bibliography is divided into nine subject area sections. A three-person team of scholars with diverse research interests and background experiences in preK–16 educational settings reviewed and selected the manuscripts for each section using library databases and leading empirical journals. Each team abstracted significant contributions to the body of peer-reviewed studies that addressed the current research questions and concerns in their topic area

Characteristics and Predictive Value of Blood Transcriptome Signature in Males with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a spectrum of highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorders in which known mutations contribute to disease risk in 20% of cases. Here, we report the results of the largest blood transcriptome study to date that aims to identify differences in 170 ASD cases and 115 age/sex-matched controls and to evaluate the utility of gene expression profiling as a tool to aid in the diagnosis of ASD. The differentially expressed genes were enriched for the neurotrophin signaling, long-term potentiation/depression, and notch signaling pathways. We developed a 55-gene prediction model, using a cross-validation strategy, on a sample cohort of 66 male ASD cases and 33 age-matched male controls (P1). Subsequently, 104 ASD cases and 82 controls were recruited and used as a validation set (P2). This 55-gene expression signature achieved 68% classification accuracy with the validation cohort (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC): 0.70 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.62–0.77]). Not surprisingly, our prediction model that was built and trained with male samples performed well for males (AUC 0.73, 95% CI 0.65–0.82), but not for female samples (AUC 0.51, 95% CI 0.36–0.67). The 55-gene signature also performed robustly when the prediction model was trained with P2 male samples to classify P1 samples (AUC 0.69, 95% CI 0.58–0.80). Our result suggests that the use of blood expression profiling for ASD detection may be feasible. Further study is required to determine the age at which such a test should be deployed, and what genetic characteristics of ASD can be identified

Tumor-Resident Lactobacillus iners Confer Chemoradiation Resistance Through Lactate-Induced Metabolic Rewiring

Tumor microbiota can produce active metabolites that affect cancer and immune cell signaling, metabolism, and proliferation. Here, we explore tumor and gut microbiome features that affect chemoradiation response in patients with cervical cancer using a combined approach of deep microbiome sequencing, targeted bacterial culture, and in vitro assays. We identify that an obligate L-lactate-producing lactic acid bacterium found in tumors, Lactobacillus iners, is associated with decreased survival in patients, induces chemotherapy and radiation resistance in cervical cancer cells, and leads to metabolic rewiring, or alterations in multiple metabolic pathways, in tumors. Genomically similar L-lactate-producing lactic acid bacteria commensal to other body sites are also significantly associated with survival in colorectal, lung, head and neck, and skin cancers. Our findings demonstrate that lactic acid bacteria in the tumor microenvironment can alter tumor metabolism and lactate signaling pathways, causing therapeutic resistance. Lactic acid bacteria could be promising therapeutic targets across cancer types