The teaching of reading in New Zealand special classes : a thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Arts in education

All too frequently the standard work on reading disability dismisses the problem of the slow-learning child in a few lines. Few authorities on reading have attempted to trace, systematically, the implications of their reading research for the child of low intelligence. As a teacher of special class children I feel that one is only free to experiment with the practical and social aspects of special education when a systematic programme, adapted to the needs of low intelligence children, has minimised the difficulties of academic instruction.

The teaching of reading in New Zealand special classes

All too frequently the standard work on reading disability dismisses the problem of the slow-learning child in a few lines. Few authorities on reading have attempted to trace, systematically, the implications of their reading research for the child of low intelligence. As a teacher of special class children I feel that one is only free to experiment with the practical and social aspects of special education when a systematic programme, adapted to the needs of low intelligence children, has minimised the difficulties of academic instruction.

The teaching of reading in New Zealand special classes

All too frequently the standard work on reading disability dismisses the problem of the slow-learning child in a few lines. Few authorities on reading have attempted to trace, systematically, the implications of their reading research for the child of low intelligence. As a teacher of special class children I feel that one is only free to experiment with the practical and social aspects of special education when a systematic programme, adapted to the needs of low intelligence children, has minimised the difficulties of academic instruction.

The impact of online technical education on schooling outcomes: Evidence from Brazil

This paper studies the impact of online technical education offered to complement regular academic instruction in high school on student schooling outcomes. Using a regression discontinuity design with an oversubscribed large-scale online technical course in Brazil, we find that students who score above the cutoff on the online technical education admission exam are less likely to drop out of high school, while their performance on standardized tests in math and Portuguese is similar to that of students just below the admission exam cutoff. Overall, we provide evidence that complementing high school regular instruction with technical education in an online format can be an effective public policy to increase students work readiness as it reduces the dropout rate from secondary education without negatively affecting students academic proficiency.

'True direction': Aspects of aestheticism in New Zealand (1880-1913)

<p>This thesis examines aspects of Aestheticism in New Zealand. Despite the paucity of literature written on Aestheticism in colonial contexts, there is evidence that Aesthetic tendencies flourished in the art and literature of the ‘South Seas’. Aestheticism in Australia and New Zealand has been categorised as ‘insignificant’ within national art histories, overlooking the complex ways whereby aspects of Aestheticism arrived in the antipodes through international exhibitions, touring theatre productions, academically trained artists from Europe, and dispersal through literature. It is a moment in our national art history that should be recognised. My research is the first comprehensive study of Aestheticism and its impact on applied art and the general lifestyles of artists and patrons in New Zealand. With particular focus on James McLauchlan Nairn and Charles Frederick Goldie, this study revises the status of two New Zealand artists who have been viewed as representative of opposing artistic camps—Nairn, a bohemian promoting Impressionist and open air landscape practice, and Goldie, a painter of the ‘Old World’ tradition of academic instruction. I suggest the oppositional status that has been applied to these painters in New Zealand’s art history is no more than a polemical device. By contrast, Aestheticism allows us to understand how both artists are not too dissimilar in certain aspects of their artistic ambition. They were both educated in Paris and this alone provided them with a sense of authority to dictate art and fashion when advising their upper-class clientele in New Zealand. My research has revealed how Nairn and Goldie inhabited similar social circles, in Wellington and Auckland respectively, and integrated aspects of the ‘cult of beauty’ into their art and living environments. Based on this research, I argue for a more nuanced understanding of how local and international tendencies interacted within New Zealand’s art.</p>

'True direction': Aspects of aestheticism in New Zealand (1880-1913)

<p>This thesis examines aspects of Aestheticism in New Zealand. Despite the paucity of literature written on Aestheticism in colonial contexts, there is evidence that Aesthetic tendencies flourished in the art and literature of the ‘South Seas’. Aestheticism in Australia and New Zealand has been categorised as ‘insignificant’ within national art histories, overlooking the complex ways whereby aspects of Aestheticism arrived in the antipodes through international exhibitions, touring theatre productions, academically trained artists from Europe, and dispersal through literature. It is a moment in our national art history that should be recognised. My research is the first comprehensive study of Aestheticism and its impact on applied art and the general lifestyles of artists and patrons in New Zealand. With particular focus on James McLauchlan Nairn and Charles Frederick Goldie, this study revises the status of two New Zealand artists who have been viewed as representative of opposing artistic camps—Nairn, a bohemian promoting Impressionist and open air landscape practice, and Goldie, a painter of the ‘Old World’ tradition of academic instruction. I suggest the oppositional status that has been applied to these painters in New Zealand’s art history is no more than a polemical device. By contrast, Aestheticism allows us to understand how both artists are not too dissimilar in certain aspects of their artistic ambition. They were both educated in Paris and this alone provided them with a sense of authority to dictate art and fashion when advising their upper-class clientele in New Zealand. My research has revealed how Nairn and Goldie inhabited similar social circles, in Wellington and Auckland respectively, and integrated aspects of the ‘cult of beauty’ into their art and living environments. Based on this research, I argue for a more nuanced understanding of how local and international tendencies interacted within New Zealand’s art.</p>

Approaches to Identification and Instruction for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities Who Are English Learners

Research is needed to better understand the academic instruction needs of students with significant cognitive disabilities who are English learners and the classroom practices of their teachers. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 10 teachers to learn how they identify and meet the unique needs of this student subpopulation. Our findings suggest that teachers generally do not view disability- and language-related needs as separate and that approaches to instruction tend to follow those perceptions. Some expressed a desire for more support from language professionals in the classroom, whereas others thought their special education classrooms adequately meet student language development needs. Finally, although the teachers we interviewed went to great lengths to engage families in supporting instruction, some reported dissatisfaction with and barriers to those relationships. We discuss our findings in light of the current literature, the study’s limitations, and implications for future research and practice.

Understanding the Effect Size of Peer-Mediated Academic Instruction: A Meta-Analysis

A deficit in social skills often makes teaching academics a second thought when instructing students with autism. Peer-mediated instruction has been well studied for increasing academic skills across various disabilities and social skills for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect size of peer-mediated academic instruction (PMAI) to increase academic skills for students with ASD. Results indicate studies demonstrate a weak to moderate effect when using PMAI to teach students with ASD. These results validate PMAI can be effective when teaching academic skills to students with ASD; however, more studies are needed to better understand for whom and under what conditions PMAI is most effective.

Emergency Remote Library Instruction and Tech Tools

During spring 2020, emergency remote teaching became the norm for hundreds of higher education institutions in the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Librarians were suddenly tasked with moving in-person services and resources online. For librarians with instruction responsibilities, this online mandate meant deciding between synchronous and asynchronous sessions, learning new technologies and tools for active learning, and vetting these same tools for security issues and ADA compliance. In an effort to understand our shared and unique experiences with emergency remote teaching, the authors surveyed 202 academic instruction librarians in order to answer the following questions: (1) What technology tools are academic librarians using to deliver content and engage student participation in emergency remote library sessions during COVID-19? (2) What do instruction librarians perceive as the strengths and weaknesses of these tools? (3) What digital literacy gaps are instruction librarians identifying right now that may prevent access to equitable information literacy instruction online? This study will deliver and discuss findings from the survey as well as make recommendations toward best practices for utilizing technology tools and assessing them for equity and student engagement.