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The Role of Teacher Self-Evaluation Within the Existing Evaluation System in Shaping Teacher Effectiveness and Student Outcomes: Pilot Study
No full textThis pilot study investigates the effectiveness of integrating teacher self-evaluation within the existing teacher evaluation system to drive teacher improvement and subsequently enhance student achievement. By examining the influence of self-evaluation, peer feedback, and instructional coaching on pedagogy and curriculum, the study addresses current debates over teacher quality, incentives and promotes the use of best practices in teacher evaluation and professional development. The findings of this study will contribute to the advancement of pedagogy, curriculum, and teacher quality, providing valuable insights for policy decisions, certification preparation, and advocacy in education. (Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Amanda Hurlbut
The Aftermath, 2024
No full textThe intention of this piece is to make the viewer feel the aloneness and detachment from reality, while fighting a losing battle. The enlarged diagram of the pancreas is used to educate the mass with a visual of what it actually looks like and what organs are attached, while simultaneously color coordinating with the patient's hospital gown with where the pancreas is located (behind the stomach). The family is suggested, showing that they are there for the patient, but cannot fully be there with them since they cannot stay overnight past visiting hours, and the patient is alone in the procedures and with treatments. The purple ribbons and the flower bouquets relate to the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Ribbon color, showing support in their uphill battle. The patient themselves is smaller, as chemo and dietary restrictions take its toll. While working on this, my friend’s young niece was undergoing chemotherapy for her pancreatic cancer, so I was able to talk to a direct family member about the feelings and emotions felt while seeing their family go through the struggle that is pancreatic cancer.
Medium: watercolor on paper
Format: 11 x 14
Social support and loneliness in Black women experiencing COVID-19 food insecurity
No full textHistorically, poverty and racial discrimination have been linked to food insecurity among the Black population, especially among older Black women. Food insecurity also has been linked to social support and loneliness, the latter of which has been exacerbated by conditions experienced during the COVID 19 pandemic. A lack of research about the relationship between social support, loneliness, and food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic among Black women who are food insecure prompted this study. The purpose of this study was to fill that gap in the literature. The two research questions developed for this study were focused on the relationships between the independent variables social support (emotional and instrumental), loneliness, and age and the dependent variable food insecurity and the capacity of the independent variables to predict the dependent variable. The data showed that instrumental support was a negative predictor of food insecurity whereas higher degrees of instrumental support were predictive of higher rates of food insecurity. The data also showed a significant negative correlation between age and food insecurity. Specifically, senior women reported less food insecurity than younger, nonsenior women. The introduction of a food insecurity screening protocol is indicated for Black women ages 45–64 living in Houston, Texas who are at various points along the food security/insecurity continuum
Mindfulness and dance improvisation practices for high school contemporary dance in a studio setting
No full textThis paper outlines the teacher self-study utilized to explore and create dance improvisation practices that support mindfulness for a contemporary dance class in the studio setting for high school students. After examining published literature on mindfulness, dance improvisation in dance education, and meditation, the author then considers their personal experience that a mind-body connection helps dancers appreciate, understand, and comprehend their unique movement style. The practices and activities developed are centered around this goal and take into account the author's teaching experience and the relationship between how teaching practices inform pedagogy. Activities created integrate poems, art images, and descriptive words for a high school-level contemporary dance class that can be utilized by dance teachers for dance classes in various settings and age groups
Caring for a family member with Alzheimer's disease: the lived experiences of African American caregivers
No full textAlzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and is a significant health problem for the person with Alzheimer’s and for their caregiver. African Americans have at least double the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease compared to European Americans. Additionally, African American caregivers provide up to 40 more hours of care per week than White caregivers. Despite these disparities, there is limited research on the experiences of African Americans providing care for family members with Alzheimer’s. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how African American family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease manage caregiving. Descriptive phenomenology was the method used to understand the lived experiences of African American family caregivers. Data collection consisted of demographic information to describe the sample and semi-structured interviews to address the research question. Based on participant preference, 15 individual semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted by the researcher via telephone or videoconference. Guided by Swanson’s theory of caring, the data transcribed from the audio-recorded interviews were analyzed by the researcher using Colaizzi’s methodology. Eight themes emerged from the data: (a) Parenting All Over Again, (b) Self-Sacrifice, (c) Caring for the Caregiver, (d) Connecting to God, (e) Responsibility to Care, (f) Trapped, (g) Beyond Exhaustion, and (h) Loss of Self. Based on these findings, there is a considerable need for greater support, health promotion, and development of appropriate interventions to alleviate the challenges experienced by African American caregivers of family members with Alzheimer’s disease
Enhancing photocatalytic redox activity of polymeric carbon nitride for valuable fluorinated heterocycles through fast-track electron highways
No full textThe ionic structure of poly(heptazine imides) has a strong implication in photocatalytic hydrogen generation. From numerous reports, it is evident that these materials are also superior to covalent carbon nitrides in various organic transformations. However, the reason has been remaining vague. Herein, we report the design of a molten-salt carbon nitride (MCN) featuring ionic structure represented by negatively charged organic polymeric scaffold and K+ counterions and application of this material as the photocatalyst in synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant fluorinated heterocycles under visible light under the redox neutral conditions. K+ ions serve as the sites for sorption of ethyl bromodifluoroacetate, while the electronically excited state of MCN acts as the single electron transfer agent, enabling generation of difluoroalkyl radicals from the substrate. Combination of these two features endows a material that outperforms homogeneous photocatalysts and covalent carbon nitrides. Our protocol expands the application of carbon nitrides in synthesis of organic compounds with complex structure and provides fresh perspectives on the factors contributing to the enhanced photocatalytic efficiency of poly(heptazine imides)
A COVID-19 memoir: Using the co-occupation of crafting and spirituality to promote health and wellness in the United States
No full textThe occupational therapist authors explored the evolution of co-occupation during their experiences of social distancing related to the COVID-19 pandemic and times of ongoing civil unrest. The research method used is auto-ethnography to describe and analyze their personal experiences juxtaposed with their cultural experiences. The authors, one white and one African American shared a desire to promote emotional and spiritual wellness during isolation, healthcare disparities, and social unrest. This collaboration led to a creative partnership aimed at promoting health and wellness for both themselves and sectors of their local African American spiritual community. Through designing, creating, giving, and receiving cycles, they worked cooperatively to interweave craftwork with social ministry. Intrigued by the traditions of African kente cloth, they designed and carried out a handwoven kente-style liturgical stole ministry focused on encouraging African American pastors who experienced difficulty engaging in their usual worship and fellowship, which serves as their respite from civil unrest and providing comfort during illness and death
Feminist pedagogy and student collaboration in open educational practices in the art history classroom
No full text**This article is under a two-year publisher-required embargo. The file will be released in June 2026**
This article examines undergraduate students' experiences in creating open educational resources (OERs) in a contemporary art history course. The construction of OERs reflects an interest in feminist pedagogy and open educational practices, which aim to create a learner-centred classroom that values accessibility, equity, and cultural responsiveness. The article discusses the scaffolded assignment that guided students in researching and writing open access lesson plans. The students' work was subsequently published on the OERTX Repository website. Student-generated materials give learners the opportunity to focus on topics that interest them the most. Such a move is especially valuable since the student demographics represent a high number of women of colour and first-generation students. Given the historical marginalisation of women's and people of colours' voices in art history, the inclusion of women students of colours' research is valuable to art history pedagogy. The results of an anonymous student survey indicate that students felt that coauthoring an OER offered opportunities to communicate their interests and create more meaningful work, while at the same time, they asked for additional support in navigating group work challenges and research needs
Transformative subjects: Discussions of nahualismo in Mylan Nguyễn’s visual art and Gloria Anzaldúa’s writings
No full textMylan Nguyễn is a Dallas-based artist of Mexican and Vietnamese descent, who uses her multimedia practice, inclusive of ceramics, risograph printing, and illustration, to create whimsical worlds that are infused with symbolism and characterized by transformation. Inspired by the concepts of Nahualismo, a Nahuatl cultural practice that involves human to animal shapeshifting, Nguyễn’s works are populated by shape-shifting humans, animals, and nature. Drawing on a Nahualismo perspective that emphasizes healing and interconnectivity, Nguyễn’s understanding of the concept aligns with Gloria Anzaldúa’s discussion of nagualismo. Coupling Nahualismo and creativity, both Nguyễn and Anzaldúa invite audiences to bridge the divide between humans and nature by locating interconnections across species. Nguyễn’s art and Anzaldúa’s writing unsettles hierarchical thinking that places humans above other-than-humans to offer audiences transformative models for human/other-than-human relations. To draw connections between these two creators, I analyze Nguyễn’s artwork and Anzaldúa’s published and unpublished writings to explore the questions “In what ways does Nguyễn depict transformation in her artwork,” “How does pairing Nguyễn’s and Anzaldúa’s works illuminate the relationship between human and other-than-human subjects involved in these transformations?,” and “How can audiences learn from Nguyễn’s and Anzaldúa’s discussion of transformation?” As such, I identify commonalities between their visual and written works as well as the additional considerations Nguyễn’s art offers to Anzaldúan theory
Vulnerability and resilience across different populations during COVID-19: A research reflection
No full textDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, distinct insights were brought forth by university students globally, intimate partner violence service providers, and pregnant women, despite the scarcity of research focusing on these groups. This review article synthesizes insights from our four qualitative research on these demographics, highlighting shared vulnerabilities and resilience mechanisms encountered amidst the pandemic. In our conducted studies, data was collected using qualitative method containing some quantitative questions. In-depth interviews with 60 participants and six focus groups consisting of 60 participants total took place. In all, data was gathered from 123 participants. Five vulnerability and resilience commonalities during COVID-19 emerged across these populations: (1) health challenges, (2) interpersonal difficulties, (3) issues with technology, (4) unexpected benefits, and (5) coping and resilience strategies. Also, two subthemes, mental health and physical health, were identified under health challenges. This review study underscores the importance of enhancing community support systems, improving the availability of resources, bolstering online educational methods, and delivering essential services during crises. Our findings highlight crucial considerations for both practice and policy modifications