Thesis (PH.D.) -- Syracuse University, 2008. / "Publication number AAT 3319287"

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-83).

Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Teachers College, Columbia University, 1989. / Typescript; issued also on microfilm. Sponsor: David W. Baker. Dissertation Committee: Irving Kaufman. Bibliography: leaves 208-222.

abstract: The poems in To Name a Cat intend to capture certain abstractions—grief, love, betrayal, wonder, relativity, and, of course, expectation—in approachable anecdotes that, when brought together, create a narrative about loss that is, nevertheless, laced with hope. The work often relies on an animal, particularly the cat, as a vehicle to, and arbiter between the abstractions. Animals tend to illicit a certain innocence that is, perhaps, present in humans, but altogether tougher to find. Still, it is a noble errand to search, which is, at its heart, what To Name a Cat strives to do. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Creative Writing 2015

<p> Writing is a vital skill for demonstrating academic knowledge and facilitating communication. Writing is required in most occupations and academic fields and is used to express and communicate with family and friends. To succeed, students need direct, clear, step-by-step writing instruction. Consequently, this study investigated the impact of a structured intervention package consisting of technology supported self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) and peer-mediated instruction (PMI) on the expository writing of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Using a single-case, multiple probe across multiple baseline design, intervention effects were explored across six students with ASD. The hypothesis was that SRSD supported with iPads and peer engagement would improve writing skills of target students. Findings indicated students with ASD improved their expository writing skills by increasing the number of words written as well as the quality of their writing. Results contribute to the extensive evidence base on SRSD and suggest that the use of iPads and peer assistance may extend these benefits to students with ASD. Recommendations for future research and practice are provided.</p><p>

Child maltreatment is an issue that affects approximately three million children, the consequences of which have been documented in numerous empirical studies. Books are of vital influence in children's lives and they can either help or hinder the ways children deal with problems. Although research exists on the portrayal of persons with disabilities, stepfamilies, gay families, adoption, and foster care, a critical analysis of the portrayal of child abuse in children's literature has not been located in book, dissertation, or research form. This study examines children's literature dealing with child abuse themes using criteria developed by Masha Rudman (1995), based on the work of psychologists, social workers and educators. It analyzes how well the books adhere to the criteria as well as the thematic effectiveness of the books. It looks into who is taking part in the abuse and who is interrupting it. The methodology employed here is a critical multicultural analysis (Botelho, 2004) where personal and societal power are examined as well as how the books handle issues of culture and class. This study provides a foundation for further research in this field as well as providing a resource for teachers, librarians, counselors and families on this topic. I examined in depth eighteen books in which child abuse took a prominent part. The books ranged in age of intended readership from preschool through junior high, with the majority of the books aimed at readers eleven years old and above. My methodology included multiple readings of the eighteen selected texts (originally I read thirty books and culled those that either were not compelling reading, did not address the issue of abuse in a satisfactory manner, or had the potential to broadcast negative elements and harm precisely those children whom we are trying to help). After an intensive analysis of each of the eighteen books sorted into categories of sexual and physical abuse I note patterns of resilience, childhood as a social construction and children's agency. I provide conclusions based on the analyses of the literature, and suggest recommendations for further research. I also include an annotated bibliography of 45 books containing abuse. It is my hope that this study will provide a model for examining any books on abuse for potential use with children.

This study analyzes the sociocultural and psychological processes involved in the Spanish speaking Puerto Rican child's construction of abstract meaning in the English language and examines how these processes relate to the child's native language reality. Of major interest was the influence of second language learning on both native language memory processes and lexical/semantic relations at differing points in the acquisition process. A sample of fifty-four Puerto Rican (representative of our English language ability levels) and thirteen Anglo fourth-grade students from an urban Massachusetts school district were given oral word association tasks in two different treatment modes. In Treatment I, Puerto Rican subjects responded with either a synonymous or defining response to twenty-four Spanish nouns and twenty-four possible English translation equivalents across two intralanguage and two interlanguage conditions. In Treatment II, six Spanish adjectives and their translation equivalents were orally presented to the same subjects in the context of a sentence. Pictures portraying either a home or school setting were paired with the adjectives and presented simultaneously. Again, there were four conditions. Anglo students received only an English-English condition. Results demonstrate that the influence of native language meaning is especially strong with regard to culturally salient words and occurs regardless of level of English language proficiency. English meaning was also found to affect Spanish words, especially among mainstreamed students. Interlanguage conditions produced more semantic interference than intralanguage conditions yet, for those subjects in an intermediate stage of English proficiency, meaning for words in all conditions was often confused. In the associations to adjectives and pictures, all subjects were more apt to produce Spanish-type responses. The findings suggest that both social context and culture play a dominant role in language acquisition and in semantic organization. A semantic shift accompanies English proficiency; words in the mother tongue take on English meaning. The psychological, sociocultural, and linguistic worlds of the Puerto Rican child appear to be in constant contradiction.

The study explores the experience of teaching English as a second language (ESL) from the teacher's vantage point. Twenty-two participants were selected from four levels of Massachusetts educational institution: elementary school, middle and secondary school, community college and four-year college or university. Three tape-recorded interviews, each lasting ninety minutes, were conducted with each participant and later transcribed. Material was presented in the form of profiles composed in the words of the participants and thematic chapters. The study revealed sources of strength that participants found in their work and obstacles that confronted them. They gained strength from their ability to respond to the needs of their students and from drawing on a variety of resources in order to do this. The participants' programs were peripheral to their institutions. Problems centered on meshing with the mainstream, scheduling, employment conditions and credit for ESL courses. The participants had conflicting attitudes of support toward their sponsoring programs. Many study participants combined the work of ESL teaching with administrative and programmatic responsibilities. Within the classroom they faced specific problems such as the teaching of disparate student groups and the need to enable students to meet institutional standards in writing. The ESL classroom provided a protected environment. ESL teaching is done predominantly by women. Gender was a factor in classroom roles. Issues of gender affected both participants and their students. Male perspectives were briefly explored, including those of a teacher who was gay. Conclusions were that professionalism for ESL teachers will be enhanced by the encouragement of certification standards, teacher education, and scholarly work. Traditional notions of professionalism need to be broadened, however, to incorporate elements of caregiving in language teaching and wholistic view of experience that were apparent in the participants' stories. Professionalism will be hindered by societal unwillingness to grant that status to work done primarily by women. Material support and the involvement of mainstream teachers are important to the success of ESL teaching in educational institutions.

No description available.

No description available.