(2016). The Formative Five: Fostering Grit, Empathy, and Other Success Skills Every Student Needs. ASCD For success in school and in life, students need more than academic proficiency and good test scores. Author Tom Hoerr shows how to foster the "Formative Five" attributes that today's students need: (1) Empathy: learning to see the world through others' perspectives. (2) Self control: cultivating the abilities to focus and delay self gratification. (3) Integrity: recognizing right from wrong and practicing ethical behavior. (4) Embracing diversity: recognizing and appreciating human differences. (5) Grit: persevering in the face of challenge. When students are engaged in understanding and developing these five skills, mindsets change and expectations for student learning are raised. Includes specific suggestions and strategies to help teachers and principals prepare their students for success beyond school…. [Direct]
(2017). Art Education: A Civil Right Denied?. Art Education, v70 n4 p9-11. The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution suggests that all speech is constitutionally protected. The right of free speech has been broadly defined by the court system, legislatures, and stakeholders in the field of education. Speech has been defined in many ways, but it is most commonly agreed on that speech, in its purest sense, is a basic form of communication. The visual arts are a unique language or form of speech and, like all languages and forms of communication, require instruction consisting of the opportunity to learn (OTL) and time to acquire, develop, and master the basic knowledge and skills needed to use this unique language. This article discusses how, as a form of speech, the visual arts and what is said through them are protected by the U.S. Constitution as a right among citizens of the United States. In order for the arts to contribute to understanding of the human condition, students must be given guaranteed access to the highest quality of art education… [Direct]
(2021). Sacred Identity: A Qualitative Study of the African American Classification within the United States and Its Impact on the Education System. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Delaware State University. This qualitative study aims to analyze the definition of the African American/Black racial group and how it affects the United States education system. Document analysis and interviews are the key approaches used. Constructs of social justice, critical race theory, stereotype threat theory, and color-confrontation theory collectively serve as theoretical lenses for data analysis and interpretation. The two major concerns explored in this study are: Can the "legal definitions" assigned to race and ethnicity classifications for United States citizens cause a condition of disparity and injustice for people of the African American/Black racial group? Does the exclusion of the phrase "having origins in the original peoples of" as found on Standard Form 181 negatively or positively impact students? Researched materials presented for this study reviewed the origin of the African American race category and the relationship to social justice, equity, and equality within… [Direct]
(2014). Neural Connectivity Patterns Underlying Symbolic Number Processing Indicate Mathematical Achievement in Children. Developmental Science, v17 n2 p187-202 Mar. In early childhood, humans learn culturally specific symbols for number that allow them entry into the world of complex numerical thinking. Yet little is known about how the brain supports the development of the uniquely human symbolic number system. Here, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging along with an effective connectivity analysis to investigate the neural substrates for symbolic number processing in young children. We hypothesized that, as children solidify the mapping between symbols and underlying magnitudes, important developmental changes occur in the neural communication between the right parietal region, important for the representation of non-symbolic numerical magnitudes, and other brain regions known to be critical for processing numerical symbols. To test this hypothesis, we scanned children between 4 and 6 years of age while they performed a magnitude comparison task with Arabic numerals (numerical, symbolic), dot arrays (numerical, non-symbolic), and lines… [Direct]
(2018). Comparative Analysis of Educational Systems in Japan and Bangladesh. Bulgarian Comparative Education Society, Paper presented at the Annual International Conference of the Bulgarian Comparative Education Society (BCES) (16th, Golden Sands, Varna, Bulgaria, Jun 2018). This paper evaluates the educational systems of Japan and Bangladesh. The educational systems of both countries intend to provide quality education to their students. The Japanese educational system is inclined toward global trends, striving to produce citizens who are aware of current changes around the world. The Bangladeshi system, under the Madrasah education scheme, aims to provide their students with sufficient information to face the world. The similarities of the two educational systems lie in the input of the governments in facilitating the systems that provide education to children who have come of age. The foundations of the systems are rooted in the cultural practices of the respective countries, along with the provision of the staff and government policies that guide the work in the schools. The differences between the two systems are defined by their policy directives. The policy directive in Bangladesh is based on the UN Child Rights Convention which ensures that the… [PDF]
(2015). History and Civility. NAMTA Journal, v40 n1 p103-111 Win. Larry Schaefer's history of civility is a succinct summary of the implicit and evolving definitions of civility over 2500 years of civilization. Beginning with the Romans and the root word "civitas," meaning the rights and duties of citizenship, civility appears in classical literature as integral to the roots of democracy in the context of assembly. In the middle ages, civility referred to proper conduct and later became a courtly term then moved into the Renaissance as a focus on communities and the social celebration of human achievement. This researched overview of the history of civility constructs a broad definition of the term through historical phases and establishes civility as a universal human characteristic. [This talk was presented at the NAMTA conference titled "Grace, Courtesy, and Civility Across the Planes," Portland, OR, March 13-16, 2014.]… [PDF]
(2009). Collaborative Education Leadership in Times of Education Renewal: What Every New Teacher Should Know. Planning and Changing, v40 n3-4 p207-223. Teachers encounter countless obstacles to ensure their needs are met when represented by the traditional union-administration working relationship. Unions hold established opinions and ideas on school policy about matters in the public school arena. The tradition of unions and district officials keeping one another placated in an adversarial relationship is accepted and expected (Kerchner, Koppich, & Weeres, 1997, 1998). This article reports on a study of a successful leadership style that can be adapted and used by teachers and educational leaders in promoting positive school changes. Ellston (pseudonym), the main participant of the study, accepted the leadership of the union during a time of negotiation and bargaining of a new contract for teachers in the district. Her father was a teacher and a union representative; her mother was trained to be a teacher, as were two of her sisters. Her grandfather was an administrator and a member of the New York Teachers Guild. She taught… [Direct]
(2024). Resistance to Change in the Romanian Educational System: Challenges and Opportunities. Journal of Educational Sciences, v25 n1(49) p179-191. The traditional perspective on education, teaching, and learning is no longer sufficient in fluid societies exposed to dramatic and rapid changes. The need for continuous educational reform is evident. However, recent paradigmatic societal shifts, extreme events, and extraordinary scientific and technological advances underscore the urgency of these changes. These developments highlight the necessity for innovation and the reduction of intergenerational gaps in educating new generations. By embracing these changes, we can create a more inclusive, adaptable, and innovative educational environment for all. While the Romanian educational system, like many traditional systems, is extensive in its spatial coverage, material resources, human resources, and the number of beneficiaries served, it also presents an opportunity for positive change. Its highly centralized, over-normative, and strictly structured nature, with a top-down control approach, has fostered systemic inertia and… [PDF]
(2015). National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Strategy 2015. Education Council Despite determined effort much more needs to be done to close the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education outcomes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the first Australians with the oldest continuing cultures in human history. Governments across Australia affirm the right of Aboriginal and Torres Islander people to maintain languages and cultures and acknowledge their deep cultural associations with the land and water. This strategy will guide the education of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people from birth through to further education and employment pathways…. [PDF]
(2018). Eliciting In-Service Teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge for 21st-Century Skills in Tanzania. Journal of Learning for Development, v5 n3 p263-279. The Tanzania Vision 2025 articulates the country's aspiration of becoming an industrialized and middle-income country by 2025. The education sector, which is the main driving force towards realizing this goal, is expected to bring about the right mix of high-quality skills for the rapid development of quality and adequate human resources. The kind of revolution needed is nevertheless impossible if teachers are not equipped with the necessary skills to bring in the desirable changes. This study adapted Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for 21st-Century skills to investigate teachers' competence levels of 21st-Century skills using self-reported survey and classroom observations from a sample of 132 teachers in 20 schools in Pwani and Morogoro regions. The study found out that many teachers have moderate self-reported confidence in all TPACK elements with technology. Conversely, teachers self-reported confidence levels in content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and… [PDF]
(2014). Achieving Flourishing City Schools and Communities–Corporate Reform, Neoliberal Urbanism, and the Right to the City. Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education, v6 n1 p1-17. This essay critiques the ideological assertions of corporate school reform and discusses how these logics perpetuate failure in urban education. Drawing on theories of neoliberal urbanism, the right to the city, and the commons, the essay argues that educational researchers and advocates need to reframe the values of urban education in line with a conception of human flourishing and democratic potentiality…. [PDF]
(2019). Evaluation of a Training Aimed at Building Capacity for Outreaching to Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Indonesia. Health Education Research, v34 n2 p223-233 Apr. Implementers of outreach program in Indonesia often provide formal training for their outreach workers (OWs) only at the startup. We believe continuous training can be provided by experienced OWs at any time if an appropriate training package is available. Using a one-group pre-test-post-test study design; we developed, implemented and evaluated an OW-informed training program aimed at increasing OWs' knowledge and skills for outreaching to men who have sex with men and transgender women. We analyzed longitudinal data from 75 OWs from 7 Indonesian cities using one-way within-subjects ANOVA to examine the effects of the training program on participants' knowledge and perceived skills over time Average overall knowledge among participants increased from pre-test to immediate post-test (P < 0.001) and from pre-test to 2-month post-test (P < 0.001), especially in basic human immunodeficiency virus and sexual transmitted infections; condoms and lubricants; sexual and reproductive… [Direct]
(1974). Human Relations Program II: A Technical Report. Research Memorandum No. 101. In response to a state regulation calling for a Human Relations Training Program as part of the recertification of teachers, four guidelines were formulated. They are designed to help trainees to: (1) understand contributions and life styles of various racial, cultural, and economic groups in our society; (2) recognize and deal with dehumanizing biases, discrimination, and prejudice; (3) create learning environments which contribute to the self esteem of all persons and to positive interpersonal relations; and (4) respect human diversity and personal rights. This document offers an hour-by-hour description of the program which incorporates the guidelines into a single, reasonably cohesive package. The program was designed to effect cognitive changes in participants; it was, therefore, the effects of the program on trainees which were measured in pencil instruments, samples of which are included. (Author/CJ)… [PDF]
(2016). The Relations between Islam and Secularism: The Impact on Social Behavior in Turkey. International Education Studies, v9 n8 p66-74. Secularism as central to society and human life may bring undesired negative consequences in Muslim societies. Increasing social problems among juveniles in Turkey raised questions regarding the right personality development and education of young people. In extending further analysis, we conducted semi-structured interview with experts to assess the level of Turkish personality and impact of Said Nursi, who is a very influential Islamic scholar in Turkish society and to the Islamic movement in general. This study implies that education integrated with Islamic belief and practice will be more influential to educate Turkish Muslims, rather than secular based teaching. This result will be a guideline for educationists and counselors. In future study, developing a personality scale integrated with belief and practice will be beneficial to Muslim communities…. [PDF]
(2017). A Theory of Creative Thinking: Construction and Verification of the Dual Circulation Model. Lecture Notes in Educational Technology. Lecture Notes in Educational Technology This book examines research on creative thinking, both current and historical. It explores two dimensions of human thought (time and space) and two modes of thinking (conscious and unconscious) as well as both left and right brain functions and artistic and scientific creative activities. The book proposes a "Double Circulation" model of creative thinking and argues that imagery thinking, intuitive thinking and logical thinking are main parts of creative thinking and that dialectical thinking and horizontal-vertical thinking are the guides for highly complex problem-solving thoughts and strategies. The book focuses on education and psychology and also covers how to use ICT to promote students' creative thinking skills. Researchers will benefit from the "Double Circulation" model, which provides a new perspective on conducting creative thinking research. The book is also a valuable resource for graduate students in the fields of educational technology and… [Direct]