Toward Racially-Just Multilingual Classroom Pedagogy

Creating equitable multilingual classrooms grounded in explicitly anti-racist teaching practices requires transformation of practice preceded by transformation of thinking. Classroom learning centers can provide the context for truly transformational, anti-racist teaching, but equitable implementation requires a deliberately humanizing approach toward teaching multilingual learners. The chapter outlines the process of operationalizing learning centers in such a way, through pedagogy grounded in the enduring principles of learning and critical sociocultural theory. Based on over 50 years of teaching across five countries and conducting international research in the field of multilingual education, the authors provide research-based, practical steps for learning center design and implementation. Educators will gain a practical pathway for implementation, as well as a model for the self-reflective work that is essential for any meaningful transformation toward racially just classrooms.

Exploring Perceptions of Age Friendliness Across Different Campus Constituent Groups

College campuses are typically considered as environments for adults ages 18-24, even though campuses are comprised of faculty, staff, students, and lifelong learners of all ages. Each group may experience the campus environment differently due to their differing roles. Faculty, staff and students from 21 participating designated Age Friendly Universities across the country answered survey questions on age friendliness, AFU awareness, and on campus practice items. Crosstab analyses show that constituent groups are equally aware of their university as an AFU (6% of each group). Students perceived their university as more age friendly (M=3.47, SD=0.73) compared to faculty and staff, the latter having the lowest perceived friendliness (M=3.27, SD=0.63). Specific age friendly practices show that staff members had markedly different perceptions of the institution’s age friendly practices. AFUs need to consider higher education environments as workplaces as well as learning centers to make policies age friendly for all groups.

The role of federal and state policy in addressing early childhood achievement gaps: parent perceptions and student outcomes related to 21st Century Learning Centers programming in the United States

As policymakers and school communities work to address underlying causes of achievement gaps and access to quality early childhood education, this study considers the use of 21st Century Community Learning Centers to address early childhood education needs on western U.S. state, Idaho. The study sought to understand the relationship between federal and state policies related to out-of-school opportunities to enhance early childhood education. Utilizing data from a statewide evaluation of Idaho’s 21st Century Learning Centers, the study examined 92 centers providing after school, before school, or summer programs in grades preschool through the third grade to predominately at-risk children. Data collection included quantitative data from a survey given to parents (n = 183), as well as qualitative data collected through site-based interviews, focus groups and observations. Data included a review of historical and current data on participation rates; attendance rates; standardized test scores for program participants in grades PK-3 (n = 3258). Data were analyzed for themes and transfer. The study findings provide further insight into understanding possible relationships between U.S. federal and state policy regarding 21st Century Community Learning Centers on both students’ outcomes and parent satisfaction. The findings further support the role of out-of-school time (OST) experiences in the larger ecosystem of learning and provides insight into understanding how the OST activities are carried over into family life.

Practices of poverty alleviation by open and distance education: a case report from the Open University of China

PurposeThe purpose of this report is to demonstrate open and distance education (ODE) can support poverty alleviation. Taking the practices of the Open University of China (the OUC) as an example, this paper aims to reveal how open universities make contributions to local residents in rural and remote areas.Design/methodology/approachFocusing on 25 poverty-stricken counties, the OUC had invested 58 million RMB to its learning centers in these counties from 2017 to 2020. The first one is to improve ICT and educational facilities in these learning centers. The second approach is to cultivate local residents with degree programs through ODE so as to promote local economic development. The third one is to design and develop training programs according to local context to meet the specific needs of local villagers.FindingsAfter 3 years working, cloud-based classrooms and computer rooms have been set up. Bookstores have been founded and printed books have been donated. Hundreds of thousands of digital micro lectures have been supplied to these learning centers which have been improved and fully played their functions. Nearly 50,000 local residents have been directly benefited. Village leaders have helped lift local residents out of poverty. Poverty-stricken villagers have been financed to study on either undergraduate or diploma programs. Local residents have improved their skills by learning with the training programs offered by the OUC.Originality/valueODE is proved to be an effective way to eradicate poverty. Open universities are proved to be able to make contributions to social justice. By fulfilling its commitments to eliminate poverty within the national strategy framework, the OUC has built its brand nationwide.

PENGINTEGRASIAN NILAI-NILAI AGAMA ISLAM PADA PEMBELAJARAN DI SEKOLAH

Integration according to Sanusi is a unified whole, not divided and scattered. Integration includes the needs or completeness of the members who form a unit with a close, harmonious and intimate relationship between the members of the unit. Whereas what is meant by value education integration is the process of integrating certain values into another concept so that it becomes a coherent and inseparable whole or the process of assimilation to become a unified whole and unified. In the world of education, the term integration is usually associated with a movement for democratic education that focuses on actual issues as the core curriculum. Integration learning centers on organizing important issues in the school curriculum with the wider world. This integration will connect problems with one another, so that a unity of knowledge is built. A knowledge that represents the parts to the whole (part whole relationships)

The Greek life-long learning centers in the post-debt crisis era: evaluation of the effectiveness of mentoring in adult trainers training

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the views of Greek Life-Long Learning Centers (LLLCs) trainers, who worked as educational managers and took on informal mentoring roles in the context of counseling guidance and their trainees (who are adults’ trainers), on the effectiveness of mentoring in the post-Greek Debt Crisis era. Design/methodology/approach The authors performed a quantitative analysis using the SPSS software package’s simple random sampling. The bibliographic review, the identification and specialization of the research objectives, as well as the study of the participants’ unique characteristics, were used in the construction of a research tool. Findings The majority of participants confirmed the importance of mentoring as a human resource strategy. Regarding its effectiveness in the field of the Greek LLLCs, there were several discrepancies in the perceptions of trainers and trainees, as well as specific malfunctions in its implementation. Research limitations/implications The research omitted certain qualitative features and was conducted in a relatively limited geographical context. Originality/value Given the lack of similar studies in the field of the Greek LLLCs, this study illustrates the reality of the mentoring function in the training field of adult trainers, after the onset of the Greek economic crisis, while also highlighting realistic ways to improve the effectiveness of these organizations and conduct future, larger-scale research.

College English Learning Center Planning Based on Language Learning

Objectives: Planning for English learning centers for college students can meet the needs of students’ independent learning and achieve the purpose of enhancing students’ comprehensive English practice and application ability. Methods: This study proposed the characteristics and functions of the English learning center, as well as the resources and facilities of the learning center when planning the university English learning center, and explained the construction of the English learning center’s learning materials and the division of functional areas. The influencing factors of the construction of learning center materials mainly include students’ language level, learning needs, authority and applicability of learning materials. Results: On this basis, taking the English learning center plan of a university library as an example, the functional areas are divided into four functional areas: English listening, speaking, reading and writing. Conclusion: It is hoped that this research will provide some reference and reference for the planning study of university English learning center based on language learning.