Tursi Featured in Journal of Counseling and Development
Michael M. Tursi, a student studying childhood development, co-authored “Cognitive-Behavioral Tasks Accomplished in a Person-Centered Relational Framework” with Jeff L. Cochran. The paper, which was published in the fall 2006 Journal of Counseling and Development, focuses on a person-centered relational framework and how the framework relates to therapeutic change and cognitive-behavioral work.

Cassata Presents in Costa Rica
Amy Cassata, a doctoral student in human development, co-presented “Using Concept Mapping to Facilitate Metacognitive Control in Preschool Children” with Professor Lucia French at the Second International Conference on Concept Mapping in Costa Rica. The presentation provided evidence of a direct correlation between children’s metacognitive talk and behavior by teachers that promotes and provides opportunities for children to engage in and practice planning, error detection, and correction skills, thus enhancing their educational experience.

King Presents at NCTE Conference
Doctoral student Jennifer King co-presented “Multimedia Poetry: Challenging Patterns in the English Classroom” with Meg Callahan, assistant professor, at the 2006 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention in Nashville, Tenn. The presentation analyzed multimodal interpretations of poetry in light of traditional academic expectations in English classrooms by looking at classroom participation patterns, student productions, and teacher perceptions using PowerPoint poetry in high school creative writing classes.

Razvi Presents at the AMSS Conference
Maryam Razvi, a doctoral student in teaching and curriculum, presented her initial research, “Creating a New Heuristic: Examining Textbook Representations of Islam and Muslims,” at the Association of Muslim Social Scientists Conference in Toronto, Canada.

Schademan Presents “Playing Spades”
Al Schademan, doctoral student, and Nancy Ares, assistant professor, presented “Playing Spades: The Rich Social and Cultural Practices of African American Youth” at the meeting of the American Educational Studies Association in Spokane, Wash. The presentation explored how the everyday practice of playing Spades, a highly valued practice in many African American communities, can be connected to scientific forms of reasoning. The authors used modeling, a common practice in mathematics and science involving constructing, testing, evaluating, and revisiting models that represent complex natural systems and phenomena, as an analytical framework to collect information. The data will contribute to math and science pedagogy, curriculum, and classroom contexts to be more culturally relevant for African American students.