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Supporting Multilingualism in Early Childhood Education: The Vital Role of Teacher Development
Full text linkThe expansion of multilingualism, the ability to speak and understand more than one language, has added to a culturally diverse world today. With these abilities, those who are multilingual from diverse backgrounds are often met with resistance against the dominant Westernized culture. Currently, there is not adequate training in the United States for teachers to be able to implement a multilingual curriculum in early childhood settings and classrooms. There are many benefits to providing a diverse classroom environment, which can have a positive impact on the young learners present. The importance of supporting multilingual children, specifically in early childhood, is discussed through the lens of their early development, sociocultural frameworks involving socialization and Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, positive interactions within the learning environment, as well as the utilization of supportive materials and programs. Additionally, an informative and engaging workshop is created around the significance of multilingualism, and resources through materials and interactions will be provided for early childhood educators in classroom settings with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Future recommendations for different policies and strategies to support teachers of multilingual children will also be reviewed
THE UNDERUTILIZATION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AMONGST THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY
Full text linkBackground: Despite the development of mental health services, the Hispanic population within San Bernardino, CA continue to encounter barriers and limitation seeking mental health support. Objective: This exploratory study aimed to identify contributing factors that affect the level of accessibility to mental health services. Method: We propose to collect quantitative data from 25 participants ages 18 to 65 utilizing semi-structured interviews to gather personalized experiences. Recruitment will be collected utilizing interviews conducted in community hospitals. We are going to present open ended questions and collect demographic data to measure the factors of underutilization of mental health in the Hispanic community
DEGRADATION OF MARTIAN GLACIER-LIKE FORMS IN RELATION TO THE OBSERVED EVOLUTION OF EMMONS GLACIER ON MOUNT RAINIER, WA
Full text linkThis study establishes parallels between the observed degradational evolution of debris-covered glaciers on Mount Rainier, WA and select glacier-like forms (GLFs) by studying the time-varying morphologies of the debris cover. Mount Rainier is home to 28 debris-covered valley glaciers, including Emmons Glacier which has a history of orthoimages taken from 1951 to 2023 and high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) coverage of 2008, 2021 and 2022. We can observe the degradational evolution of Emmons Glacier through orthorectified black and white imagery collected from an airborne platform and the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) colored satellite images periodically collected over the last 72 years. GLFs in the Mars mid-latitude areas are indicative of past ice flow based on visual interpretations of their overall forms and from surface textures that are similar to glaciers on Earth. On Mars, GLFs are the smaller flows by area that appear most similar to debris-covered valley glaciers on Earth. Morphological textures discernable in tonal and spatial variation display supraglacial landform evolution of debris-covered glaciers on Earth, including Emmons Glacier on Mount Rainier observable at the meter scale with DEMs. Observations of Emmons Glacier show that these textures—such as crevasses, ridges, and moraines—develop and degrade over time as ice thins and debris accumulates. These evolutionary stages provide a baseline for interpreting similar textural patterns in Martian GLFs, suggesting that these Martian features may represent advanced stages of degradation, potentially analogous to the later stages observed at Mount Rainier
BRIDGING ASSESSMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION A TOOLKIT FOR IMPROVING QUALITY IN PRESCHOOL SETTINGS
No full textHigh-quality early childhood education (ECE) is foundational to children’s development and long-term success, yet ensuring consistent quality across diverse programs remains a persistent challenge. This project examines how assessment data, particularly from the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), 2nd Edition, can be transformed from static evaluations into dynamic tools for professional growth. While CLASS observations provide reliable measures of teacher–child interactions, their greatest potential emerges when these data are translated into actionable guidance that informs daily practice.
To bridge the gap between assessment and implementation, this paper presents a comprehensive Assessment Toolkit composed of three integrated components: assessor-written summary reports, teacher self-evaluations, and collaborative action plans. Together, these tools promote reflective practice, goal setting, and ongoing instructional improvement. The proposed mixed-methods design, incorporating surveys, interviews, and classroom data, explores how teachers engage with the toolkit to enhance reflection, confidence, and classroom quality over time.
By linking assessment, reflection, and planning within a coherent system, this project offers a sustainable model for continuous quality improvement in early learning environments. The toolkit provides a practical and research-informed approach for transforming observation data into equitable, teacher-driven improvement across early childhood education settings
Rethinking the Performance Evaluation
Full text linkThis paper delves into the complexities of performance evaluations within community college settings, aiming to inform a more effective approach specific to the unique characteristics of staff attracted to this work. Grounded in the understanding of validity in psychometric measurement and management theories, it seeks to identify evaluation criteria that prioritize enhancing the working environment which is known to impact overall organizational performance over traditional results-driven metrics to measure individual staff performance. Key theoretical underpinnings include discussions on validity, highlighting that measuring validity against the underlying goal of the performance evaluation (i.e., increased organizational performance) has been largely ignored in previous research (DeNisi & Pritchard, 2006; Dasanayaka, et al., 2021) which has instead primarily focused on reliability and concurrence with existing evaluations (e.g., Cox, et al., 1998; Martin, Bartol, & Kehoe, 2000; Catano, et al., 2007; Kline & Sulsky, 2009).
The present study explores whether a shift toward criteria that foster organizational effectiveness, such as autonomy, respect, and work-life balance, may serve as better evaluative measures for more direct impact on overall effectiveness. Through research questions and hypotheses, the study aims to investigate unintended consequences of existing performance evaluation processes, which may be perceived as punitive rather than supportive, and examine the moderating effect of the perceived emphasis on performance metrics compared to focusing on supporting staff in their work. The present study explores whether the execution of existing performance evaluations are in contradiction to the organization’s best interests as they overlook the “big picture” organizational context by prioritizing quantitative measures over more qualitative indicators of an engaged and effective workforce that contribute to the college mission. The ultimate goal is to contribute to the ongoing discourse on performance evaluations by proposing a more holistic and tailored approach for community college settings
WRITING THE SCRIPT: SHAPING KOREAN NATIONAL IDENTITY, MEDIA IMPERIALISM AND THE REVOLUTION OF K-DRAMAS
No full textThis thesis explores the role of South Korean television dramas (K-dramas) as cultural artifacts that the Korean creators have created and become agents, which in turn has constructed and projected globally the modern South Korean national identity. Positioned at the crossroads of cultural imperialism, nationalism, resistance and appropriation, K-dramas have become extremely critical to reshaping South Korea’s place in the global media landscape. Through the lens of the Hallyu (The Korean Wave), this study analyzes how K-drama’s navigate an ambiguous cultural space which simultaneously resists Western media dominance while appropriating global forms including platform-based distribution, tailoring original content to assert a uniquely Korean narrative. Drawing from media theory, postcolonial studies, and cultural history, this thesis project situates K-dramas within South Korea’s historical experiences of Japanese colonization, Cold War-era American influence and rapid modernization post-Korean War. The case studies of the individual dramas across the 2000s to the post-COVID-2020s reveal how themes of family, memory, and identity have been mobilized to construct hybridized, yet nationally resonant, cultural products. Through close textual analysis and cultural contextualization, the thesis critically examines narrative structure, character development, and visual aesthetics to uncover how K-dramas encode resistance, hybridity, and identity-making. Ultimately, this thesis argues that K-dramas are more than entertainment . It investigates the complexity of the expression of cultural agency, allowing South Korea to negotiate its past and assert a distinct voice in a globalized media environment
Unintended Consequences: How Direct Cash Payments to Families Experiencing Poverty Lowered Child Poverty Rates in the United States
Full text linkChild poverty has adverse effects for the children who experience it and it has long term social and economic consequences into adulthood. This policy analysis looks at the policy choices America has made in addressing child poverty and what effects, if any, those policies have had. After reviewing traditional in-kind policy options for addressing child poverty, this article focuses on the decreases in the child poverty rate that occurred with the passage of pandemic era legislation that provided direct cash assistance to all Americans. Because the assistance programs only happened in two consecutive years and were terminated at the end of the pandemic, the effects were measurable and impactful in addressing the child poverty rate. There will also be a qualitative survey of families with children who experienced poverty and how the direct cash payments affected the outcomes for their children
The Intricate Dance Between Stars and Words: A Review of Customer Reviews in Tourism
Full text linkTravel and tourism industries rely heavily on customer reviews from past travelers as an invaluable source for informing potential travelers’ decisions. Thanks to the internet, reviews are an invaluable source for both quantitative star ratings as well as qualitative text comments that evaluate travel experiences. In this paper we analyse this complex relationship between text comments and their associated star ratings; using existing literature we highlight their interplay to give an overall picture of customer satisfaction. Factors that influence ratings and comments include both intrinsic (service quality, staff behavior) and extrinsic aspects such as location or price. Sentiment analysis through Natural Language Processing (NLP) helps interpret emotions or opinions expressed through comments to correlate them with star ratings. Review platforms such as TripAdvisor are key resources for travelers; however, they also face issues of biases or fake reviews that require further attention. This review emphasises the significance of taking both quantitative and qualitative aspects of customer reviews into account in tourism, providing valuable insights as well as uncovering gaps that require further exploration - for instance, specific travel styles, deeper qualitative analyses, cultural differences, or language barriers that need further investigation. Future research must extend beyond English reviews into non-English reviews from different travel segments as this could enhance decision-making and customer service in tourism businesses; by filling in gaps this could allow better customer understanding leading to increased satisfaction with services and informed decision-making by businesses. As this review concludes, its significance lies in emphasizing both quantitative and qualitative aspects of customer reviews in the tourism industry is clear. By filling any identified gaps through further research efforts, tourism organizations can deepen their understanding of customer experiences resulting in more informed decision-making processes and enhanced customer satisfaction ratings