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“Money Is Just a Tool, Not the Goal”: Examining Messages That Parents Tell Their Children About Money
Get PDFParental communication plays a crucial role in a young person\u27s development of financial knowledge and behaviors, such as budgeting, saving, investing, retirement preparation, consumer skills, and avoiding excessive debt. This research focuses on emerging young adults aged 18-25, who are a vulnerable group of spenders. Participants shared memorable messages they received about money and rated the messages for positive or negative affect. Then, they answered questions measuring their financial literacy, perceived financial wellbeing, attitude about the importance of money. Four major themes were represented in the data of memorable messages: daily habits, long-term goals, family finances, and the meaning of money. Message affect was found to be positively correlated with financial wellbeing and financial literacy, but it was not correlated with importance of money. The findings of themes and correlations could help inform future parents, education, and support for emerging young adults. Future research should extend this to examine the relationship between themes and outcomes or the impact of parent-child communication about money among different generations
The Youth Music Institute at the University of Wisconsin, Summer 1969
Get PDFThe purpose of this historical study was to examine the planning, implementation, participants, and activities associated with the Youth Music Institute (YMI) held at the University of Wisconsin from July 7 to August 1, 1969. Organizers hoped this event would bridge the communication gap between society, educational institutions, and youth through a collaborative learning environment involving students, music educators, guidance counselors, and professional recording artists. Participants used the term “youth music” to encompass multiple genres that captured the interest of young people, including various forms of rock, blues, soul, country western, jazz, and ethnic styles. The program consisted of lectures from leading scholars in multiple disciplines; working groups to discuss topics related to youth music, culture, and school curricula; and open rehearsal clinics with professional artists coaching student ensembles. The YMI also sponsored weekly public concerts where professionals and students appeared together, thereby creating authentic performance opportunities for the aspiring young musicians. Research into details surrounding the YMI may provide valuable insights for advocacy and professional development that will enable teachers to advance popular music education today
AsiaConnect newsletter, August 26, 2025
Get PDFhttps://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/asiaconnect/1005/thumbnail.jp
Rebranding Ink: Language, Identity, and the Rise of Tatū in Contemporary Japan
Get PDFIn modern Japan, the shift from the traditional term irezumi (入れ墨) to the English loanword tatū (タトゥー) reflects more than just language change—it reveals deeper cultural and social transformations. Loanwords, or borrowed words from other languages, often enter a language through cultural contact, adapting to fit local linguistic and social norms. As the Linguistic Society of America notes, “Most languages have been influenced at one time or another by contact” (Winford, n.d., p. 1). Since World War II, English has become a major source of loanwords in Japanese, shaping everything from everyday conversation to aesthetic trends.
This thesis explores why tatū has become the preferred term over irezumi, and how this change connects to shifts in identity, gender roles, and cultural stigma. Drawing on research by Kaneko (2006) and Miller (1998), I examine how English loanwords are adapted and why foreign terms are sometimes used to reframe stigmatized practices. Ultimately, tatū serves not just as a borrowed word, but as a symbol of changing cultural perceptions and resistance in contemporary Japan
Predictive Modeling for Healthcare Data Using Nonlinear Bayesian Methods
Get PDFUnplanned hospital readmissions represent a significant challenge for healthcare systems, contributing to substantial financial burdens and highlighting gaps in patient care coordination. In the U.S., approximately 20% of Medicare beneficiaries are readmitted within 30 days, costing billions annually. Social determinants of health, such as income, housing stability, and social support, account for up to 80% of health outcomes, yet their integration into predictive models remains underexplored. This study introduces a novel Bayesian framework for predicting 30-day readmission risk, combining Gaussian Process models with spike-and-slab priors and Bayesian Lasso regression with Laplace priors. Utilizing Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods, the approach captures nonlinear relationships and performs interpretable variable selection, emphasizing both clinical and social determinants of health factors. Applied to simulated and real-world data from OSF Healthcare, the Bayesian Lasso model achieved an area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve of 0.88, identifying key predictors like housing instability and prior emergency department visits, while the Gaussian Process model (area under the curve = 0.752) highlighted clinical malnutrition as a significant risk factor. This dual approach enhances risk stratification, supports targeted interventions, and informs equitable healthcare policies, advancing value- based care and reducing readmissions
Cultivating Counter-Stories to Deficit Narrative of Students: A Literacy Problem of Practice
Get PDFIn urban schools across the United States, literacy outcomes remain inequitable, especially for BIPOC students and those living in poverty. In District 17, the mandate to rigidly implement a purchased curriculum resource reinforces deficit-oriented views of student ability and limits teachers’ professional agency to adjust instruction based on formative data. As a result, instruction becomes disconnected from student needs and identities, further exacerbating literacy inequities.
Guided by Mintrop’s cycle of inquiry, this qualitative study examined how participation in a 90-day inquiry cycle influenced the narratives teachers constructed about their students’ literacy abilities. Kindergarten through third grade teachers collaboratively planned and implemented interactive read aloud units grounded in Muhammad’s five pursuits—Identity, Skills, Intellect, Criticality, and Joy—as a framework for culturally sustaining literacy instruction.
The study sought to elevate counter-stories that challenge deficit thinking and affirm the brilliance of historically marginalized students. Data from focus groups and video reflections suggested some initial shifts in how teachers perceived student learning, including greater recognition of students’ funds of knowledge. However, evidence of persistent deficit thinking remained, indicating that one cycle of inquiry is insufficient for deep change.
Findings point to the need to revise the theory of action and engage in additional inquiry cycles to support more sustained shifts in teacher beliefs and practices. This study offers early insights for educators, leaders, and curriculum developers committed to equity in literacy through culturally sustaining instruction and assessment
The Path from Acceptance to Adoption for Linguistic Innovations Dealing with Gender in the Language Classroom
Get PDFThis dissertation investigates the factors influencing the acceptance, rejection, or adoption of gender inclusive and gender-non-identifying forms among language users. The study draws on responses from 25 students in a linguistic class to evaluate innovations in English and from 23 instructors of Spanish to evaluate innovations in Spanish. Participants took part in a survey designed to evaluate existing forms endorsed by the United Nations, and gender-non-identifying forms, such as the -e morpheme in Spanish or singular they in English, promoted by community-generated guides. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed side by side to better understand the participants’ reasoning regarding these innovations. The results suggest that while participants generally expressed openness to traditional gender-inclusive language aligned with prescriptive norms, there was greater skepticism toward gender-non-identifying forms. The findings suggest that individual beliefs, institutional affiliations, and demographic variables (e.g., gender identity, age) play a nuanced role in shaping willingness to engage with inclusive and gender-non-identifying forms
Language Ideologies in Coloniality Contexts: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of EFL Teachers’ Experiences and Perceptions on the Use of Learners’ Language Repertoire as Assets for Teaching and Learning
Get PDFIn this dissertation, I examined how dominant language ideologies in language politics and policy shape the professional identity development and pedagogical practices of five English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in Burkina Faso. The study sought to understand how these ideologies influence teachers’ beliefs and perceptions of multilingual pedagogical approaches, as well as possible pathways for deconstructing them to promote student-centered practices. The participants’ accounts revealed that their academic and professional identities were largely shaped by the belief that home languages hinder proficiency in French and English. They recalled with remorse their elementary school experiences, where speaking native languages in class led to humiliation, punishment, and even physical abuse. Yet, while interpreting these negative policies, they acknowledged a paradox: French and English, despite being tools of exclusion, had provided them with professional opportunities that their native languages could not. Overall, their perspectives remained deeply influenced by pro-European language ideologies embedded in politics and education, even after exposure to multilingual pedagogical experimentation. To advance the integration of national languages in classrooms in contexts like Burkina Faso, it appears essential to dismantle inherited colonial ideologies and establish equal academic and professional opportunities for literacy in English, French, and national languages. Achieving this requires comprehensive national and sectoral language policy reforms. In education specifically, revising teacher training curricula and professional development programs is necessary to deconstruct dominant language ideologies
Defining The Role of Uncharacterized MSH Genes in Vibrio Cholerae
No full textThe aquatic bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, causes the gastrointestinal disease cholera, resulting in ~3-5 million reported cases and ~100,000-140,000 deaths annually. The ability to form multicellular biofilms is associated with its environmental survival and persistence. Current circulating pandemic strains of V. cholerae, attach to surfaces using the type IV mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) pilus. Loss of MSHA pili attenuates surface colonization and biofilm formation. Components of the MSHA pilus are encoded within two predicted genetic operons; msh-I (mshHIJKLMNEGF) and msh-II (mshBACDOPQ). However, the function of most msh genes remains to be characterized. Understanding the mechanisms of MSHA pilus biogenesis is key to deciphering the environmental survival of V. cholerae. To this end, I have generated deletions of each msh gene, along with corresponding complementation plasmids. Analysis of MSHA pilus production for each deletion strain via hemagglutinin (HA) assay, demonstrated that msh-I genes mshIJKLEG, and msh-II genes mshACDOP are vital for pilus production. Genes mshH, mshM, mshN, mshF, mshB, and mshQ were observed to still support pilus production either partially or fully, and might play an accessory role in assembly/function. Analysis of major pilin subunit (MshA) protein production via immunoblot, demonstrated similar MshA levels among each deletion mutant (except ΔmshA), suggesting that pilus components are produced but not assembled among the mutants. Currently, studies are underway to directly visualize MSHA pilus production, and biofilm formation utilizing an established flow-cell model amongst these msh deletion strains. These studies will identify genes crucial for MSHA pilus production, aiming to develop strategies to reduce V. cholerae survival in the environment
The Role of Teacher Efficacy and School Climate in Parent-Teacher Relationship Quality and Congruence for Autistic Students
Get PDFParent-teacher relationships are critical for Autistic student success. The purpose of the current project was to better understand parent-teacher relationships for Autistic students. This project was unique in its use of dyadic data from parents and teachers and its mixed methods design to explore parent-teacher relationship quality and congruence for Autistic students. In Wave 1, 37 parents and 37 teachers of Autistic students completed surveys measuring teacher self-efficacy, school climate, and parent-teacher relationship quality. Teacher efficacy was significantly positively associated with teacher reports of parent-teacher relationship quality. School climate was significantly positively associated with parent reports of parent-teacher relationship quality. Wave 2 included individual interviews of seven parents and six teachers from Wave 1. Qualitative analysis (i.e., grounded theory and thematic analysis) revealed key components of positive parent-teacher relationships and relationship congruence (e.g., collaboration), barriers to positive parent-teacher relationships and relationship congruence (e.g., adversarial attitudes), and additional contextual themes (e.g., positive communication). Implications for practitioners include equipping teachers to implement effective two-way communication with parents and families; providing professional development regarding neurodiversity to build knowledge, affirmation, and advocacy; providing consistency and support for transitions for Autistic students and families; and inviting family involvement in culturally sensitivity ways