Embracing to Creating Curriculum: Levels of Engagement Among Student Teachers

This qualitative study explored the experiences, and specifically the challenges, of white elementary student teachers in an urban setting. One of the most interesting findings from this study involved the varied levels of engagement with the school curriculum. Although every Urban Student Teacher (UST) embraced the curriculum, data showed multiple levels of involvement defined as critiquing, tinkering, and creating. While challenging, USTs who created units of study found ownership of the curriculum satisfying. The aim, then, is for teacher educators to encourage student teachers to embrace challenges that come with teaching and view them as a way to learn.

African American Students, Racism, and Academic Injustice

In effort to align academic achievement for all students, this chapter offers Fostering Urban Student Excellence (FUSE) as an instructional strategy to curtail not-learning and evoke academic improvement among African American students, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition to introducing FUSE, this chapter outlines the achievement gap, along with the factors that impact it, and reveals the academic position imposed upon African American students by social injustices. The chapter also establishes the critical need for FUSE as a specific instructional strategy to combat the impact of racial injustice.

BOOKY BLOGGER AS A TRENDSETTER FOR URBAN STUDENT YOUTH READERS

The paper outlines specifics of a blog which is considered by the authors as a genre on internet communication run by special web services, describes typical content of professional and amateur sectors of Russian booky blogosphere. General composition of a booky blog published in the Russian­language part of the Internet is given, some forms of stimulation of reading activity that are used on authors' web chat platforms dedicated to literature topics are listed. Also, the article explicates the authors' view on a role of a booky blogger who performs functions of a regulator of readers' attitudes and actor of programming of reading behavior of today's student youth.

COVID-19 and Mental Health: A Study of its Impact on Students

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyse the personal, social and psychological impact of COVID - 19 on the mental health of students of age group 16 to 25. A response from N= 351 students (from the most affected state in India), provided a comparative analysis based on the gender, and background to understand the pattern in issues related to mental health during the pandemic. The results show that female students are more concerned about health, and future, and are more prone to psychological issues like feelings of uncertainty, helplessness and outbursts than male students. Urban student population is more mentally affected than their rural counterparts, however time spent on the internet is almost the same despite the difference in infrastructure and resources. Also, there is an increase in need for solitude, being withdrawn and self-harm in male students require attention. A shift in perception from seeing family as a source of support to that of a restriction is indicated, although the benefits of a collectivist society are undisputed. The results indicate that there is overall increased awareness about mental health among the student population and with programs/strategies focusing on background and gender, a significant improvement is attainable.

Costing out Educational Needs for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

This study was undertaken for costing out education needs for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa based on location, gender, district and grade. The sample consisted of 778 schools, including 364 females and 414 males. The study used descriptive statistics for analysis. It was found that rural students get slightly less pocket money than urban students. The cost of average monthly stationery, uniform cost, teacher cost and total cost for urban student was higher than for rural students. District Haripur was found to be the most successful school district. It was further found that better results need good financing. The study also confirmed that the girl student cost is less than a boy student. It was also concluded that the pocket money on average increases with grade. There was no significant difference of stationery cost across grades while grade one and grade four students’ cost on uniform was slightly higher than other grades.

African American Students, Racism, and Academic Injustice

In effort to align academic achievement for all students, this chapter offers Fostering Urban Student Excellence (FUSE) as an instructional strategy to curtail not-learning and evoke academic improvement among African American students, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition to introducing FUSE, this chapter outlines the achievement gap, along with the factors that impact it, and reveals the academic position imposed upon African American students by social injustices. The chapter also establishes the critical need for FUSE as a specific instructional strategy to combat the impact of racial injustice.