USEWRITE: Useful Writing Techniques to Improve High-School Students`Descriptive Writing

Se analizan y recomiendan algunas técnicas de redacción, para promover la escritura de párrafos descriptivos, entre estudiantes de secundaria o principiantes. El estudio parte de los resultados obtenidos en una investigación llevada a cabo en un colegio del distrito de Pérez Zeledón (Costa Rica). Se propone una secuencia de técnicas fundamentadas en el enfoque de escritura equilibrada, el enfoque de escritura guiada, la redacción como proceso, las estrategias del aprendizaje, los estilos de aprendizaje y la teoría de inteligencias múltiples. Composition techniques designed to promote the writing of descriptive paragraphs by high school students are analyzed and recommended. This study is based on the results gathered from research conducted in a high school located in the district of Pérez Zeledón (Costa Rica). A proposal of a sequence of techniques has been developed, applying the Balanced Approach, the Guided Writing Approach, Process Approach, Leaming Strategies, Leaming Styles, and Multiple Intelligences Theory.

Victorian Fairy Tales to develop the speaking skill for children of sixth level of basic education at Maria Auxiliadora High School

Este trabajo de investigación analiza los resultados de un estudio realizado en el Colegio Privado María Auxiliadora en la ciudad de Cuenca, en el uso de la narración como una estrategia comunicativa para mejorar la habilidad de hablar Inglés de los estudiantes de Inglés como lengua extranjera. En este trabajo se intentará demostrar que la narración es un método pedagógico adecuado para desarrollar las habilidades de hablar en estudiantes de sexto nivel que están inscritos en las clases de inglés como lengua extranjera. Los resultados significativos se reportan usando una Rúbrica dos veces: antes del proceso y después del mismo. La prueba estadística utilizada fue de Wilcoxon y el valor crítico fue 0,05. Los resultados mostraron una mejora en todos los cinco componentes diferentes de la rúbrica. La conclusión más importante es que los cuentos de hadas victorianos pueden ser incluidos dentro de la clase y que motiva a hablar el idioma Inglés.

A Comparison Study of the English III/American Literature Success of African American High School Students and That of Students Whose Home Language is Haitian Creole

The purpose of the study was to compare the English III success of students whose home language is Haitian Creole (SWHLIHC) with that of the more visible African American high school students in the Miami Dade County Public Schools System, in an effort to offer insight that might assist educators in facilitating the educational success of SWHLIHC in American Literature class. The study was guided by two important theories on how students interact with and learn from literature. They are Reader Response Theory which advocates giving students the opportunity to become involved in the literature experience (Rosenblatt, 1995), and Critical Literacy, a theory developed by Paolo Freire and Henry Giroux, which espouses a critical approach to analysis of society that enables people to analyze social problems through lenses that would reveal social inequities and assist in transforming society into a more equitable entity. Data for the study: 10th grade reading FCAT scores, English III/American Literature grades, and Promotion to English IV records for the school year 2010-2011 were retrieved from the records division of the Miami Dade County Public Schools System. The study used a quantitative methods approach, the central feature of which was an ex post facto design with hypotheses (Newman, Newman, Brown, & McNeely, 2006). The ex post facto design with hypotheses was chosen because the researcher postulated hypotheses about the relationships that might exist between the performances of SWHLIHC and those of African American students on the three above mentioned variables. This type of design supported the researcher’s purpose of comparing these performances. One way analysis of variance (ANOVA), two way ANOVAs, and chi square tests were used to examine the two groups’ performances on the 10th grade reading FCAT, their English III grades, and their promotion to English IV. The study findings show that there was a significant difference in the performance of SWHLIHC and African American high school students on all three independent variables. SWHLIHC performed significantly higher on English III success and promotion to English IV. African American high school students performed significantly higher on the reading FCAT.

Report on a special investigation of the girls’ basketball program and the Activities Department at Roosevelt High School within the Des Moines Independent Community School District for the period August 8, 2006 through November 30, 2016

Report on a special investigation of the girls’ basketball program and the Activities Department at Roosevelt High School within the Des Moines Independent Community School District for the period August 8, 2006 through November 30, 2016

High School Task Force report

The Task Force focused on the following questions: 1. What is the current high school experience? 2. How well is the current system preparing students for college and careers? 3. What are the current barriers or system roadblocks? The High School Task Force provided findings and recommendations following an examination and evaluation of the design of the high school experience in South Carolina.

Inteligência emocional, resilência e bem-estar: um estudo comparativo entre alunos do ensino secundário regular e profissional

Esta investigação teve como principal objetivo estudar a relação entre os constructos Inteligência Emocional, Resiliência e Bem-estar Psicológico em jovens de ensino secundário, em vias distintas de ensino. Participaram no estudo 245 jovens, com idades entre 15 e 23 anos, – 155 inseridos no ensino regular e 90 no ensino profissional –, pertencentes ao Agrupamento de Escolas nº 4 de Évora, que responderam a um Questionário Sóciodemográfico, ao Questionário de Inteligência Emocional traço (TEIQue-SF), à Escala de Resiliência de Wagnil e Young (ER) e à Escala de Medida de Manifestação de Bem-Estar Psicológico (EMMBEP). Os principais resultados encontrados sugerem que os jovens do ensino profissional apresentam níveis mais elevados de inteligência emocional traço, resiliência e bemestar psicológico e apontam para a existência de uma relação positiva entre os três constructos; Emotional Intelligence, Resilience and Well-Being: A comparative study between regular high school and vocational route students Abstract: The primary goal of this investigation was to study the relationship between Trait Emotional Intelligence, Resilience and Psychological Well-Being in young people in distinct routes of education. The participants were 245 boys and girls, between the ages of 15 to 23, 155 of which in regular high school and the remain 90 in vocational routes, that responded to a Sociodemographic Questionnaire, to Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue-SF), to Wagnil and Young´s Resilience Scale (ER) and to the Échelle de Mesure des Manifestations de Bien-Être Psychologique. They all belonged to de school’s cluster nº4, in Évora. The main results found suggest that vocational route students present higher levels of trait emotional intelligence, resilience and psychological well-being and point out to the existence of a positive relationship between the three constructs.

The Students’ Perspective of Geometry Teaching and Learning in High School

The purpose of this article is to present the results obtained from a questionnaire applied to Costa Rican high school students, in order to know their perspectives about geometry teaching and learning. The results show that geometry classes in high school education have been based on a traditional system of teaching, where the teacher presents the theory; he presents examples and exercises that should be solved by students, which emphasize in the application and memorization of formulas. As a consequence, visualization processes, argumentation and justification don’t have a preponderant role. Geometry is presented to students like a group of definitions, formulas, and theorems completely far from their reality and, where the examples and exercises don’t possess any relationship with their context. As a result, it is considered not important, because it is not applicable to real life situations. Also, the students consider that, to be successful in geometry, it is necessary to know how to use the calculator, to carry out calculations, to have capacity to memorize definitions, formulas and theorems, to possess capacity to understand the geometric drawings and to carry out clever exercises to develop a practical ability.

Quality of Life Profile, Overweight-Obesity and Sedentary Behavior in Elementary and High School Children of Guanacaste

The purpose of this study was to identify the quality of life profile, overweight-obesity and sedentary behavior in a group of elementary and high school children of Guanacaste. 635 students participated in the study. The participants completed a protocol by which they were anthropometrically evaluated, and also filled up a questionnaire related to sedentary behavior and quality of life. In general, the findings reflected a prevalence of overweight and obesity of 13, 9%. The most important sedentary activities were, in descending order, the small screen (watching TV, video games, computer), and certain social and cultural activities. The self-reported quality of life index was within acceptable limits but not exceeding 80 points on a scale of 1-100. There was no significant relationship between the rate of the overall quality of life, overweight, obesity and some sedentary behaviors, although some anthropometric parameters like percentage of body fat and body weight showed significant correlation with sedentary behavior and specific aspects belonging to quality of life. The study provides valuable information to health authorities, directors of educational institutions and parents about key issues related to child development.

Semiótica e ensino: competências e habilidades para a expressão escrita em língua portuguesa

Esta tese desenvolve estudo do ensino de Redação com análise de textos discentes, cujo marco regulatório para a produção das aulas são as Competências e Habilidades inscritas nos PCN. Objetiva-se a correção de redações por meio digital que (1) identifica os problemas do texto produzido pelo redator, (2) fornece instruções para correção do problema apontado, (3) propõe retextualização para nova correção e (4) utiliza os desvios apontados como orientadores das aulas de Gramática. O trabalho final tem por objetivo principal ensinar a redigir no registro padrão por meio da correção comentada de textos produzidos por clientes, que podem ser alunos ou não, uma vez que o trabalho ocorre pela Internet (à distância), com ferramentas do MS Word. A instrução gramatical incidente sobre problemas detectados no texto é subsidiada por instruções semióticas de cunho didático-pedagógico. Testado em turmas regulares do Ensino Médio, em Cursos Preparatórios para processos seletivos, este projeto constatou sua eficácia, pois os redatores (1) compreenderam o quê e por que erraram, (2) assimilaram os mecanismos linguísticos de correção/adequação e (3) praticaram a substituição de estruturas, orientados por princípios da Teoria da Iconicidade Verbal (SIMÕES, [1994], 2009). Assim, os sujeitos foram-se apropriando das regras de estruturação da língua, por meio das quais se tornou possível a produção de textos eficientes, adequados à situação de comunicação. Paralelamente foram-se formando leitores críticos. A negociação de textos, a técnica de correção digital, mediada pela Internet e por isso realizada à distância (mesmo quando combinada com aulas presenciais)e a forma da instrução semiótico-gramatical é o que se pretende demonstrar nesta tese

A FORMAÇÃO DO PEDAGOGO: ESTUDO DE CASO COM ALUNOS EGRESSOS DE UM CURSO DE PEDAGOGIA

A pesquisa elaborada teve por finalidade realizar uma investigação sobre a atuação de docentes das séries iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, relacionando-a ao desenvolvimento das competências e habilidades alcançadas a partir de sua formação realizada em um Curso de Pedagogia. O universo dessa pesquisa foi um Instituto Superior de Educação, na região do grande ABC de São Paulo, tendo como sujeitos alunos egressos do Curso de Pedagogia, formados a partir de 2005, que exercem suas atividades profissionais em espaços escolares. A metodologia utilizada para essa pesquisa foi um estudo de caso realizado a partir da análise da proposta formativa de pedagogos da Instituição pesquisada, relacionada às competências e habilidades desenvolvidas nos alunos egressos. Realizamos também uma análise comparativa entre os sujeitos da pesquisa em relação à formação anterior ao Curso de Pedagogia. A pesquisa de campo foi desenvolvida com 17 alunos egressos que cursaram Pedagogia no Instituto Superior de Educação pesquisado, por meio da aplicação de um questionário encaminhado via e-mail. A partir do retorno dos questionários, foi analisado o nível de satisfação dos alunos egressos em relação à sua formação acadêmica, ficando evidente os aspectos defasados, detectados pelos sujeitos, a partir da prática docente que exercem. Com base nas informações do questionário, selecionamos seis alunos egressos: três que cursaram o ensino médio regular e três que cursaram o 2º grau com Habilitação para o Magistério ou o CEFAM, para a realização de entrevistas, com o objetivo de aprofundar informações sobre a atuação docente relacionada à formação.(AU)

Post-school needs of young people with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study describes the post-school circumstances and service needs of older teenagers and adults with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder, living in Queensland, Australia. The respondents were 95 parents. Results indicated that the majority of the young people lived in the family home and were unemployed. Of those who worked, 56% had unskilled jobs. They were estimated to spend a significant proportion of their time engaged in solitary, technology-based activities, and comparatively little time in employment or socialising. Parents rated employment support as the greatest service priority for their sons and daughters, followed by specialised support to assist with completing post-school education and training, assistance to support the transition from high school to adulthood, and social skills training.

Ensino de Física para alunos com deficiência visual: o processo de ensino-aprendizagem nos ambientes escolares das salas de aula regular e de recursos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

The impact of school year work on adolescent *development

In recent decades, work has become an increasingly common feature of adolescent life in the United States. Once assumed to be an inherently positive experience for youth, school year work has recently been associated with several adverse effects, especially as the number of hours of weekly work increases. The purpose of this dissertation was to describe the impact of school year work on adolescent development in a sample of high school students from rural South Texas, an area where economically-disadvantaged and Hispanic students are heavily represented.^ The first study described the prevalence and work circumstances of 3,565 10$\rm\sp{th}$ and 12$\rm\sp{th}$ grade students who responded to anonymous surveys conducted in regular classrooms. The overall prevalence of current work was 53%. Prevalence differed by grade, college-noncollege-bound status, and parent education. Fifty percent of employed students worked to support consumer spending.^ The second study examined the effects of four levels of work intensity on the academic, behavioral, social, mental and physical health of students. The following negative effects of intense work were reported: (1) decreased engagement in school, satisfaction with leisure time, and hours of weeknight and weekend sleep, and (2) increased health risk behaviors and psychological stress. The negative effects of intense work differed by gender, grade, ethnicity, but not by parent education.^ The third study described the prevalence of injury in the study population. A dose response effect was observed where increasing hours of weekly work were significantly related to work-related injury. The likelihood of being injured while employed in restaurant, farm/ranch, and construction work was greater than the probability of being injured while working in factory/office/skilled, yard, or retail work when compared to babysitting. Cuts, shocks/burns and sprains were the most common injuries in working teens.^ Students, parents, educators, health professionals and policymakers should continue to monitor the number of weekly hours that students work during the school year. ^

Breakfast skipping is associated with cyberbullying and school bullying victimization:a school-based cross-sectional study

Breakfast skipping is a health concern that has well-known negative consequences physically and psychologically. It is therefore important to understand why children skip breakfast. The purpose of this study was to establish whether the experience of bullying and cyberbullying impacts upon breakfast skipping and to further evaluate whether the inability for youths to cope with bullying victimization affects their mental health (depression), and in turn predicts breakfast skipping. Data were obtained from the Eastern Ontario 2011 Youth Risk Behaviour Survey, a cross-sectional regional school-based survey of middle and high school students (11-20 years old) across the five counties of Eastern Ontario, Canada (N = 3035). Self-reported data about children's experiences of bullying victimization, breakfast eating habits, socio-economical status, depression, and other risk behaviours were analysed. Approximately half of the participants (50.4%) reported not eating breakfast on a regular basis: 26.3% and 24.1% reported often (usually eat breakfast three times or more per week) and frequent (usually eat breakfast twice a week or less) breakfast skipping behaviour, respectively. Victims of both cyberbullying and school bullying presented greater likelihood of often (adjusted relative risk ratio (RR) = 1.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17-2.06) and frequent (RR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.28-3.03) breakfast skipping. Mediation analysis further showed that depression fully mediated the relationship between school bullying victimization and frequent breakfast skipping. Moreover, depression partially mediated the associations between both cyberbullying and school bullying with frequent breakfast skipping. These findings highlight the potential interrelationships between cyberbullying, school bullying and depression in predicting unhealthy breakfast skipping behaviour in children. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

A comparative analysis of school satisfaction and dropout risk of middle school students attending programs for students with emotional handicaps, severe emotional disturbance and general education students attending center schools and satellite schools

This study evaluated school satisfaction as an indicator of dropout risk of students with Emotional Handicaps (EH) and students with Severe Emotional Disturbance (SED). The students attended two different kinds of middle schools in a largely urban school district in South Florida. One hundred eight students in grade 8 (ages 13-16) participated in this study. Participants were administered the National Dropout Prevention Assessment (NDPA). Forty participants with EH and SED attended a special center school. Thirty-one participants with EH and SED attended satellite programs in a regular middle school. Thirty-seven general education participants attended the same regular middle school. Overall school satisfaction scores were generated, as well as three primary factors (school, environment and personal) and 16 subscales (school atmosphere, future income, difficulty level of classwork, teacher relationships, peer relationships, intrinsic interest in classwork, school hours, classwork stress, general attitude towards school, family influence, perceived opportunity for career, future goals, travel distance, leisure time, self-appraisal of performance, and self-esteem).^ Comparison of students with EH and SED revealed that both groups of students were rated at "low risk" of becoming dropouts on the Environmental factor and the Difficulty of Schoolwork subscale. Students with EH were rated at "caution risk" risk on the Travel Distance subscale. Students with SED were rated at "high risk" on this subscale.^ There were no significant differences in school satisfaction and dropout risk between different program delivery models. There were also no significant differences for category of students (EH, SED) by school type (center school, satellite program). All students were rated at "low risk" of dropping out of school.^ There were significant differences between general education students and students with EH and SED attending satellite programs. Students with EH and SED were rated at "caution risk" for dropping out on the Travel Distance and the Leisure Time subscales. Discussion of results, implications for practice and recommendations for further research are included. ^