SOUNDS OF EMERGENCE: THE PEDAGOGY OF LANGUAGE AND LITERACY CON-CEPTS AND STRATEGIES IN AN EARLY LEARNING PROGRAM

The purpose of this research study was to examine language and literacy (L&L) concepts and strategies in a state-funded, early learning program. Within this context, the study focused on the pedagogy of early learning educators (ELEs) regarding phonological awareness (PhAw) and phonics as L&L concepts and the integration of performance arts (i.e., music, dance, lyricism, and theater) as L&L strategies. In addition, ELEs’ motivations to teach and students’ engagement in L&L lessons were also of interest in this study. Regarding methodology, the study utilized content and thematic analyses within a qualitative design and four different data sources were collected: ELE interviews (primary), The Creative Curriculum – Literacy (Heroman & Jones, 2010) used by the early learning program, ELE lesson plans, and state early learning standards. Much of the research literature supports phonological awareness, phonics, and performance arts in L&L instruction. However, this study focused on the ELEs’ experiences with and impressions of L&L concepts and strategies along with their motivations to teach and their students’ engagement with L&L content and strategies. The aim of this study was to find if there was a bridge between L&L theories and L&L practices; that is to say, were the notions of L&L theorists and researchers operationalized by L&L practitioners (i.e., ELEs)? From content and thematic analyses, seven themes were found, which included: the PhAw, phonics, and rhyme as important pedagogical content; the power of using student names; confusing and unsurety regarding language and literacy concepts; the need for more phonics and/or PhAw training for teachers; performing arts (music, dance, lyricism, and theater) as pedagogical strategies; multimodal, comprehensive literacy experience; multi-causal catalyzation of teacher motivation. I found that while there is room for improvement regarding the participant ELEs’ understanding and implementation of L&L concepts and strategies, they were in fact utilizing a substantial amount of theoretically proven L&L practices. In addition, the ELEs were highly motivated to teach L&L principles and their students were equally engaged in their L&L lessons. There were a few implications that resulted from the study. First, rich L&L training programs and resources should be encouraged and implemented, particularly in the areas of the PhAw, phonics, and performing arts. Second, richer pedagogical provisions in the form of resources should be offered to early learning educators regarding the PhAw, phonics, performing arts. The study concluded that a balance should be struck between two assumed dichotomous notions in relation to L&L: theory and practice as well as art and science. In addition, the value of fun and excitement in early learning pedagogy cannot have been overstated and must be fostered

Laterality and perceptual-motor skills in elite Australian Football

This thesis is a study of how within-individual and between-individual lateral preference affects the performance of perceptual-motor skills in Australian football (AF). Results in study 1 demonstrated that whereas AF players executed handballs using both their preferred and non-preferred side during professional games, kicks were performed by predominantly using the preferred side. Study 2 found that when sport-specific hand preference was considered, there were more mixed-hand preference players in the AF population compared to the expert basketball players, with a smaller proportion of mixed-footed and a higher proportion of right-footed players in AF compared to soccer. Study 3 demonstrated that participants were less accurate and had slower RTs when identifying the kicking foot of opposing team players, relative to their speed and accuracy at identifying teammates. Significantly lower discrimination accuracy was also evident in participants’ capability to identify left-footed opponents. Using a ‘snap-kick’ for goal, study 4 found that accuracy was greater with the preferred than the non-preferred foot and greater for easy than difficult kick angles, but there were no accuracy differences due to player footedness. In study 5.1, a set shot goal-kicking task revealed that left-footed AF players were more accurate than right-footed players from a more acute angle relative to the goal. Results in study 5.2 showed that the accuracy cost of ‘look away’ handball passes with the preferred hand was lower for left-handers compared to right-handers. Study 5.3 found reaction time to be faster when players used the preferred hand for handballing. Together, this series of studies indicated that AF skills on the non-preferred side were less developed than the preferred side, although player beliefs and patterns of handedness in games support a more dynamic view of laterality, potentially arising from evolution of the AF competition’s rules and team strategies

Who was John Gergen?: Unraveling the Identity of an Early Twentieth-Century Immigrant

Issue about John Gergen includes the article Who was John Gergen?: Unraveling the Identity of an Early Twentieth-Century Immigrant by Ben Moore.https://griffinshare.fontbonne.edu/faculty-books/1016/thumbnail.jp