Theoretical Foundations

Scholarship focusing on theoretical foundations examines various conceptual frameworks and theories of education through coursework, Ed.D. forums and presentations given the University of Michigan-Dearborn. The following artifacts show the diversity of scholarship in theoretical foundations courses including an examination of school readiness and sensitivity to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's), a field study to test various constructivist techniques with elementary age students and a study about the differences in the language of home verses the language of school. This section also includes an Ed.D. Community Forum poster presentation on a constructivist approach to teaching Social Studies and two presentations given to students in the Multiculturalism in Schools and Society course.

Seminar in Metropolitan Education

The following literature review and presentation examines the challenges of creating a trauma-informed school environment and the roles and responsibilities of school and district administration in supporting students with trauma by preparing teachers and staff through training. One of the key takeaways from the review was understanding how schools are the entry point for mental health services; however, these services are often secondary to the primary focus on academic achievement. What was surprising in reviewing the literature was the excessive burden on the school social worker due to the lack of professional development/training for teachers to best support students who have experienced trauma. I invite you to examine page 12 of the literature review which identifies three paradoxes schools are challenged with when it comes to working with students who experienced trauma. These paradoxes support the argument for a collaborative trauma-informed school community. The process of writing this literature review was significant because it was my first literature review in the program and a considerable amount of time was spent learning how to conduct a literature review. It was also significant because it established an early foundation for my dissertation research in trauma-informed practices and was the first time reading about culturally responsive approaches to establishing trauma-informed/sensitive schools.

Constructivism

A meta-cognitive field work study examining constructivist methods for teaching two children, ages 9 and 10, the science regarding how a shadow works. Through the use of interviews, drawings, manipulatives and exploration, the students successfully constructed new knowledge to obtain a greater understanding how a shadow is formed and changes shape. The final analysis paper details the contribution of each team member, our four phases of research, findings and opportunities for future research. This was my first experience studying constructivist theory and inspired me to examine constructivist theory in more depth. In addition, this course and research study is the origin of my passion for constructivist theory and practice leading to my involvement as a board member for the Association for Constructivist Teaching (ACT).

Language, Culture, Literacy and Power in Education

A critical analysis paper identifying the gap between two language systems, the language of school and the language of home. The paper makes the argument that teachers must be trained to identify and navigate the challenges students face as they attempt to find balance between these two language systems. A surprising finding in this research was identifying how teachers misinterpret code-switching with the lack of skill and ability. Code-switching is often used to create a shared language as people are attempting to navigate and balance between two worlds. The findings in this study were very similar to my experience as a teacher and administrator in Detroit and Hamtramck. Page 4 explains how students in these immigrant communities struggle to find balance between English as the dominant language of academics and the concerns of family elders who believe the English language is a threat to their cultural identity. This is a significant finding because it directly relates to the focus of my dissertation research regarding intergenerational and transgenerational trauma among indigenous students in Michigan who many have grandparents that experienced forced assimilation in Native American boarding schools through the learning of the English language.

Seminar in Educational Leadership

The final analytical paper for this course is a look into the future of leadership in the next 10 years. The paper argues that the skill set of a transformational leader must include knowledge and sensitivity to students with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE's)/trauma. A significant takeaway from this research is the critical level of influence the school leader has on establishing a trauma-informed/sensitive school climate and creating a sense of urgency in preparing staff to work with and support students who experienced trauma. This preparation includes training the staff in trauma informed practices. I invite you to examine page 6 of this paper which discusses the four key characteristics by Hickman (2016) of a trauma-informed/sensitive school leader and includes being a "trauma-informed practitioner" which focuses on leading by example.

Community Forum 1 - October 8, 2018

A poster presentation arguing that the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standard is a constructivist approach to teaching Social Studies and is a paradigm shift from the traditional behaviorist learning theory so often used in Social Studies classrooms. Being the first research poster and presentation done in the Ed.D. program, the constructive feedback provided by faculty, students and guests was very helpful for improving my research and presentation skills going forward. For example, page 9 of the feedback forms indicate the importance of having a methodology section to the poster and to break the conclusion into small and more concise sections of information.

Community Forum 3 - October 7, 2019

A panel discussion with Jerry Tait and Jon Servoss focusing on curriculum, instruction and leadership practices in online learning environments from the elementary, secondary and post-secondary perspectives. My portion of the presentation and discussion was online learning's impact at the secondary education level. At the 17:10 time of the forum video and on slide 7 of the presentation, I make a key argument that online learning provides more access to curriculum and creates a "responsive curriculum" by taking the societal factors that influence education into consideration. The preparation for the presentation was challenging because we had to synthesize our three different areas of research. We began preparing the panel presentation before working with the discussant Dr. Mesut Duran but had great difficulty with organizing the information in a way that seemed cohesive. The original format was organized as if it was three separate presentations. Dr. Duran guided us in restructuring our information by answering the same set of questions but from three levels of education: elementary, secondary and post-secondary. The process of reorganize the information in this logical way improved the design of my presentations following the Ed.D. panel.

Association for Constructivist Teaching Annual Conference - Ann Arbor, MI

October 19, 2019

The following artifact is a presentation conducted at the 2019 Association for Constructivist Teaching annual conference. The focus of the session was how I established the Holocaust Memorial Center's award-winning education outreach program in Michigan by taking a constructivist approach using the C3 Social Studies Framework and the Inquiry Design Model. Slide 17 of the presentation is a painting called The Refugee which was used to conduct a small group art analysis activity using Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) which is used extensively with our community partner the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). This activity was a significant moment during the workshop because participants were able to see how the education program of the HMC truly uses constructivist practices. Participants also were very interested in slide 10 which shows a side-by-side comparison of our original teacher training agenda and our new agenda which takes a more thematic approach to teacher education therefore allowing more flexibility for teachers to learn from each other through various collaborative activities.

November 10, 2018 presentation at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

This presentation was for Dr. Julie Taylor's Multiculturalism in School and Society course. The focus of the presentation was to define antisemitism by examining its history and how it transformed from classical antisemitism to new forms based on old ideas to new/contemporary expressions of antisemitism. The presentation is significant because there is a rise in antisemitic activity in Michigan as tracked by the Anti-Defamation League; therefore, it is critical for teachers to discuss this rise with students in a safe and appropriate way. The presentation is also significant because it provided a foundation for the expansion of the Holocaust Memorial Center's education outreach program from a focus solely on the professional development of in-service teachers to an expanded focus which includes pre-service teachers. A key component of the presentation was introducing to students the instructional materials from Echoes and Reflections, a leading Holocaust education resource, and one of its fundamental resources for teaching the Holocaust, the Pyramid of Hate, which is located on slide 17 and 48.

April 26, 2019 presentation at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

A presentation for Dr. Julie Taylor's Multiculturalism in School and Society course which provided pre-service teachers information on Dr. Gregory Stanton's 10 stages of genocide and various instructional methods for each stage. The session used examples from a variety of genocides including the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, Rwanda and Cambodia. Gathering resources and organizing the information for this presentation was a valuable and important learning experience . Teachers frequently requested learning about the Armenian genocide in my workshops prior to this presentation and preparation for this event assisted me with planning instruction for future teacher trainings. A key focus of the presentation was the stage of denial and I recommend viewing slides 22 and 23 for more information about this stage. I also recommend viewing slide 23 which introduces participants to the Early Warning Project, an important resource for teachers connecting the Holocaust and Armenian genocide to current issues in certain countries that may lead to a genocide. The presentation was also important because it was the foundation for work I did with the newly formed curriculum development team at the River Raisin National Battle Field in Monroe, Michigan who are tasked with writing curriculum and classroom lessons for their newly created museum.