(1986). Human Dignity, Three Human Rights, and Pedagogy. Educational Theory, v36 n1 p33-42 Win. A general theory of value is outlined to show that moral agency is necessary to human dignity and that liberty, equality, and fraternity are necessary to moral agency. These ideals can be implemented in schools and human dignity can be at the core of the professional ethics of teaching. (MT)…
(2019). Associations between Fetal Testosterone and Pro-Social Tendencies, Anxiety and Autistic Symptoms in Williams Syndrome: A Preliminary Study. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, v65 n2 p82-88. Objective: Fetal testosterone (fT) has organizational effects on the developing human nervous system and can be reliably estimated by the ratio between the length of the second and fourth digits — 2D:4D. Previous studies reported altered patterns of fT in some developmental disabilities (e.g. ASD) relative to typically developing individuals (TD). Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by exacerbated empathy and social approach and heightened anxiety. Recent reports also highlight the co-occurrence of significant levels of autistic symptoms. Despite constituting an interesting model to study androgenic contributions to social behavior, no studies have sought to explore fT in WS. The main aims of this preliminary study were two-fold: (a) to compare 2D:4D in WS and TD; (b) to analyze the pattern of associations between 2D:4D and hypersociability, affective and cognitive empathy, anxiety and autistic symptoms in WS. Methods: 2D:4D were measured from digital… [Direct]
(2019). Moralizing Meat Consumption: Bringing Food and Feeling into Education for Sustainable Development. Policy Futures in Education, v17 n7 p785-804 Oct. This article critiques the way the topic of meat and its consumption is addressed in geography education within the remit of education for sustainable development (ESD). We argue that current approaches perpetuate normative food discourse by: (a) framing participation in the food system solely in terms of consumption; (b) simplifying and moralizing food systems as 'good' or 'bad'; and (c) largely omitting animals from a discussion of meat and agriculture. As a result, students learn that their role is to consume 'good' not 'bad' meat, but are ill-equipped to analyse the political-economic, cultural and affective dimensions of food. Meat and consumption topics, although rarely addressed, fall under the broader pedagogy of ESD. Although emancipatory approaches to ESD explore contradictions inherent in and personal aspects of sustainability, ESD in practice often leads to binary schemata of 'right' and 'wrong'. Based on our qualitative review of geography curricula in Austria and… [Direct]
(2014). Teaching Women's Rights and the Imperialist Agenda. Feminist Teacher: A Journal of the Practices, Theories, and Scholarship of Feminist Teaching, v24 n3 p234-241. The author is a graduate student studying English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and recently concluded co-teaching a course called The Human Experience of War. The course consisted of reading various works of British literature that spanned World Wars I and II. Through the experience of teaching this course, one recurring theme that struck as significant was the ever-present need of people to have a cause to justify their actions. It seems that people have a limitless supply of explanations and reasons for systematically destroying one another. The author also found that the professed reasons for going to war or promoting imperialism often had little to do with the actual motivation for such actions. Over the last few decades, the growing concern with women's rights–domestically and across the globe–has made it the newest target of exploitation to further American imperialism, much to the detriment of women's rights movements around the world. It is important for… [Direct]
(2016). Want to Improve Low-Performing Schools? Focus on the Adults. Education Policy Center at American Institutes for Research The Issue: School improvement policy for the past few decades has been characterized by mandated lists of activities–both well intended and research based–designed to stimulate a dramatic turnaround in student achievement. However, this prescriptive approach to policy, particularly federal policy, has not resulted in the systemic changes needed to get the right teachers and leaders into low-performing schools to support school improvement. In the long run, this policy approach did not engender the school-level changes necessary to create learning organizations that support teachers and leaders. The Research: One key lesson from the past decades of school improvement research is that an explicit focus on improving the capacity and stability of teachers and leaders in low-performing schools would benefit these schools more than another mandated checklist of improvement activities. Schools can never be any stronger or more effective than the adults who work in them–doubly true for… [PDF]
(2013). An Integrated Perspective of Humanism and Supernaturalism for Education: C. S. Lewis's Version of Education. Interchange: A Quarterly Review of Education, v43 n2 p95-111 May. This paper explores some theoretical reflections on the connection between C. S. Lewis's thoughts on the purpose and process of education and his understanding of supernatural human nature which has been relatively little explored. An introduction about Lewis's career as a college teacher blends into the background of this paper. It is followed by Lewis' argument on the purpose of education which is: To produce a \good man\ (\human\) who pursues knowledge for the sake of learning and makes the right emotional and behavioural responses, affirming truly objective and universal values (\Tao\). Intertwined with this argument is the dual reality of the human condition straddling this world and the other one with the latter taking precedence over the former. In order to produce educated men and women, Lewis argues for making the most of literary experiences and liberal studies as a main avenue toward the transformation of the inner self of each student. These literary experiences need to… [Direct]
(2024). Hopelessly AroAce: An Exploration in the Margins. International Journal of Human Rights Education, v8 n1 Article 10. Individuals identifying as aromantic asexual face challenges living in predominantly heteronormative societies. This essay explains the challenges encountered living in India, a society known for its unique cultural and social structures. The authors use the oral history story-telling technique to understand the lived experiences of being an asexual aromantic. An analysis of the oral history highlights four key themes: liberation from structures, solidarity in the community, the perils of Amato normativity, and awareness of self. The authors call for increased access to mental health support systems in schools and beyond…. [PDF]
(2024). Learning Stories and Children's Rights: Reimagining Assessment in Early Childhood Education. International Journal of Human Rights Education, v8 n1 Article 11. The essay explores the role of Learning Stories in early childhood education and the connection to the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989). The paper highlights the use of Learning Stories in a teacher preparation program and student perspectives on the value of narrative assessment in their work with children, their mentors, and families…. [PDF]
(1996). Bayous and Jungle Rivers: Cross Cultural Perspectives on Children's Moral and Ecological Reasoning. Two studies evaluated cross cultural perspectives of children's moral and ecological reasoning as well as values about nature. The first study was conducted in Houston, Texas, with an inner city black community. Subjects were 72 children from impoverished families. The results suggested that the serious constraints of living in an inner-city community cannot easily squelch black children's diverse and rich appreciation for nature, and moral responsiveness to its preservation. The second study, conducted in the Brazilian Amazon, is a modification of the Houston study. Subjects were 44 Portuguese fifth-grade children. The results suggested that Brazilian children do not exercise more biocentric reasoning than those in the Houston study. The two studies extend recent research in the moral developmental literature which suggests that, in important ways, individuals' moral reasoning across cultures is similarly structured by concerns for human welfare, fairness, and rights. Inadequate… [PDF]
(1964). PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION. THE SCHOOL WAS CONFRONTED WITH THE NECESSITY OF TEACHING ABOUT PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION AS FACTS OF LIFE, AS CONDITIONS WHICH PREVENT THE FULL DEVELOPMENT OF EVERY PERSON, AS PROBLEMS THAT SHOULD BE SOLVED, IF DEMOCRACY WAS TO FUNCTION. ONE OF THE APPROACHES TO A UNIT THAT STUDIED PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION CONSISTED OF THE DISCUSSION OF A SPECIFIC INCIDENT OF SCAPEGOATING OR DISCRIMINATION WHICH HAD OCCURRED IN THE SCHOOL OR THE COMMUNITY. A MAGAZINE ARTICLE OR A NEWSPAPER STORY COULD ALSO BE USED. THE BASIC OBJECTIVE OF CURRICULUM IN INTERGROUP RELATION WAS DEVELOPMENT OF THE KIND OF PERSON WHO COULD LIVE EFFECTIVELY IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY. THE BASIC PRINCIPLES AND VALUES OF THE CURRICULUM INCLUDED RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE WORTH AND INTEGRITY OF EVERY HUMAN BEING. ALSO ALL PERSONS IN A DEMOCRACY HAD THE RIGHT TO SHARE IN POLICY-MAKING, AS WELL AS HAVING THE RIGHT TO BECOME SOMETHING OF HIS OWN CHOICE. THE CONTENT OF CURRICULUM INCLUDED THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NATURE…
(1981). Standards for Evaluations of Educational Programs, Projects, and Materials. Thirty specific standards developed as guiding principles to maintain the utility, feasibility, propriety and accuracy of evaluations in educational programs, projects and materials are presented. Utility Standards include Audience Identification, Evaluator Credibility, Information Scope and Selection, Valuational Interpretation, Report Clarity, Report Dissemination, Report Timeliness, and Evaluation Impact. Feasibility Standards include Practical Procedures, Political Viability, and Cost Effectiveness. Propriety standards include Formal Obligation, Conflict of Interest, Full and Frank Disclosure, Public's Right to Know, Rights of Human Subjects, Human Interactions, Balanced Reporting, and Fiscal Responsibility. Accuracy Standards include Object Identification, Context Analysis, Described Purposes and Procedures, Defensible Information Sources, Valid Measurement, Reliable Measurement, Systematic Data Control, Analysis of Quantitative Information, Analysis of Qualitative Information,…
(2020). The Literary Works of Fran√ßois F√©nelon on the Achievement of Child Well-Being. Pedagogical Research, v5 n2 Article em0061. The French Archbishop of Cambrai and pedagogue Fran√ßois F√©nelon (1651-1715), was the tutor of the grandson of Louis XIV. Based on his classical education, he wrote the pedagogical books "Education of Girls" and "The Adventures of Telemachus," "The Son of Ulysses." This paper seeks to examine, according to the historical method of analysis, how the moral value and didactic spirit of these literary pieces influenced the European philosophical and pedagogical thinking, they contributed to the cultivation of moral values among young people and they are classical references for the achievement of children's well-being. Being both priest and pedagogue, F√©nelon considered that education is key to welfare and he encouraged the cultivation of moral virtue. His contribution to the philosophy of education is worthwhile, since, in his book "Education of Girls," he suggested the need to educate all children, irrespective of gender or social status, in order… [PDF]
(2015). Slaves, Women, and War! Engaging Middle School Students in Historical Empathy for Enduring Understanding. Social Studies, v106 n1 p1-7. Research has demonstrated the benefits of using historical empathy in history classrooms to encourage historical inquiry and understanding. This article chronicles the experiences of one middle school teacher as she integrates an updated theoretical and practical model of historical empathy into an existing instructional unit on Ancient Athens to help her students develop enduring understandings of social control. Students investigate primary sources, take part in group activities, and engage in Socratic dialogue to unpack the historical context, perspectives, and affective considerations of Athenian citizens who faced propositions revolving around slavery, the rights of women, and the prospect of war with Sparta. The culmination of their efforts is a simulated debate in the Athenian Assembly in which students display their newfound understanding of Ancient Athens and the human phenomena of social control gained through historical empathy…. [Direct]
(2022). Making Printed Documents Accessible for People with Visual Impairments. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, State University of New York at Stony Brook. Filling out printed forms (e.g., checks) independently is currently impossible for blind people, since they cannot pinpoint the locations of the form fields, and quite often, they cannot even figure out what fields (e.g., name) are present in the form. Hence, they always depend on sighted people to write on their behalf, and help them affix their signatures. Extant assistive technologies have exclusively focused on reading, with no support for writing. In this thesis, I present a first-of-its-kind accessible writing aid for blind people that leverages advances of computer vision and human-computer interaction. Firstly, this thesis presents WiYG, a Write-it-Yourself guide that works on a desk and directs a blind user to the different form fields, so that she can independently fill out form fields without seeking assistance from a sighted person. A user study with 13 blind participants showed that with WiYG, users could correctly fill out the form fields at the right locations…. [Direct]
(2017). Playing the Game and Speaking the Right Language: Language Policy and Materiality in a Bilingual Preschool Activity. Multilingua: Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, v36 n4 p477-499 Jul. What are the material-semiotic relationships between a language policy and a table game activity in a bilingual preschool? Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the aim of this article is to explore this question, working with both human and nonhuman aspects of the activity, symmetrically, at the same level. The game playing activity takes place at a bilingual, Spanish-Swedish preschool in Sweden, which adopts a 50-50 approach in daily interaction. In interplay with video recordings, field notes and Actor-Network Theory, four different actor-network scenes of the activity are produced. Children, teacher, game pieces, die, cards, linguistic and other elements are described in the same language, as well as symmetrically drawn together in material-semiotic relations. The results indicate that the activity revolves mainly around two different, multilayered, and sometimes conflicting interests: to play the game and to speak the right language. The article describes the interrelatedness… [Direct]