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Centering the needs of language learners within educators’ professional learning and development: An investigation of teachers’ perceptions and experiences in meeting the needs of language learners
Get PDFThis qualitative study explores K-12 classroom teachers\u27 perceptions and experiences in meeting the needs of language learners, specifically English language learners (ELLs) and dual-language learners (DLLs). Addressing two main research questions, it investigated how teachers\u27 preservice learning and development prepared them for instructing language learners and identified preparatory experiences and professional learning considered beneficial and critical to their development in this area. Through surveys, teacher interviews, and classroom observations, the study highlighted challenges faced by teachers in settings with diverse language populations, including native Japanese, Spanish, and Arabic speakers, as well as native English speakers learning a second language. It exposed gaps in teacher preparation programs, emphasizing deficiencies in coursework, experiences, and fieldwork related to methods and strategies for language learners. The study highlighted the importance of creating supportive and collaborative classroom and school environments for mainstream teachers and ELLs, and advocating for increased professional development opportunities tailored to mainstream teachers\u27 instructional knowledge. Recommendations included revising teacher education programs to ensure comprehensive preparation for working with language learners and implementing induction or mentoring programs to guide inexperienced teachers in meeting these students\u27 needs. Ongoing professional development aligned with teachers\u27 needs and the school\u27s student population is deemed essential for effectively catering to the needs of language learners
Looking for love on a chilly night: The Colorado brown tarantula mating season
Get PDFAphonopelma hentzi is the most widespread and abundant tarantula species in the United States. While a distinct mating season is observed, it has not been well studied and the environmental drivers for the mating season are unknown. By conducting daily surveys on a peripheral population within Southeast Colorado, between August and November 2022, I found that after the first significant temperature drop, the number of mate-seeking males was significantly higher than prior to this temperature event. Mate-seeking males were significantly correlated with a drop in the water vapor pressure gradient, a rarely used biological metric for assessing potential water loss in an organism. Males were also significantly associated with the presence of cacti, and tarantula burrows were significantly clustered within the interior of the Comanche National Grassland, suggesting an association with certain vegetation cover. This study has implications for other edge populations and ectotherms and establishes a foundation for research on this species
Design and implementation of a federal program to engage community partners to reduce disparities in adult COVID-19 immunization uptake, United States, 2021-2022
No full textVaccination disparities are part of a larger system of health inequities among racial and ethnic groups in the United States. To increase vaccine equity of racial and ethnic populations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designed the Partnering for Vaccine Equity program in January 2021, which funded and supported national, state, local, and community organizations in 50 states—which include Indian Health Service Tribal Areas; Washington, DC; and Puerto Rico—to implement culturally tailored activities to improve access to, availability of, and confidence in COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. To increase vaccine uptake at the local level, CDC partnered with national organizations such as the National Urban League and Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum to engage community-based organizations to take action. Lessons learned from the program include the importance of directly supporting and engaging with the community, providing tailored messages and access to vaccines to reach communities where they are, training messengers who are trusted by those in the community, and providing support to funded partners through trainings on program design and implementation that can be institutionalized and sustained beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on these lessons will ensure CDC and other public health partners can continue to advance vaccine equity, increase vaccine uptake, improve health outcomes, and build trust with communities as part of a comprehensive adult immunization infrastructure