Browsing by Author "Fortune, Donna J."
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- Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in VT's School of EducationWeaver-Hightower, Marcus; Fortune, Donna J. (2022-01-11)
- Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: A First-Year Teacher's ExperienceMotley, Kenya Mahogany (Virginia Tech, 2023-05-23)The increase in cultural diversity within the K-12 U.S. student population has resulted in a greater focus on preparing future teachers to enact culturally responsive pedagogy (Villegas and Lucas, 2002). Over the past two decades, various scholars have studied the perceptions and dispositions of teachers in regard to topics of multiculturalism, diversity, and social justice education. However, there remains a limited number of studies which address beginning teachers' transitions from the conceptualization to the implementation of culturally responsive teaching. This study employs a qualitative approach to examining one first-year teacher's understandings of culturally responsive pedagogy and her experiences with implementing a culturally responsive curriculum unit. The researcher took on the role of a participant-observer to engage in-depth data collection and analysis through the use of a variety of data sources including: interviews, lesson planning sessions, classroom observations, field notes, analytic memos, and reflective journal entries. The findings of the study reveal the importance of coursework on culturally responsive pedagogy during teacher education and the need for increased support, through mentoring and modeling, to assist preservice and novice teachers in their efforts to translate culturally responsive theory into practice. Longitudinal studies which begin in teacher education and follow participants into their first year of teaching are needed to contribute further insight regarding the challenges faced by, and needs of, novice teachers who attempt to teach in culturally responsive ways.
- Emerging Readers and Inferential Comprehension with Wordless Narrative Picturebooks: An intervention studyKambach, Anna Elizabeth (Virginia Tech, 2023-05-26)Inference generation is a process that is key to successful reading (e.g., Bowyer- Crane and Snowling, 2005; Oakhill and Cain, 2012) and that begins to develop early in the reading acquisition process, through listening comprehension (e.g., Kendeou et al., 2009). Despite being able to generate inferences, such as cause and effect, as early as four years old (Lynch and van den Broek, 2007) inference generation is a skill not explicitly taught to many emergent readers. This study looked at wordless picturebooks and how they could be used with linguistic prompting to develop inferential thinking in young readers, building on the work of Grolig et al. (2020). The study involved a a quasi-experimental, 2-between subjects (wordless/worded picturebooks) and 2-within subjects (pre/post-assessment) design examining the impact of a reading intervention on emergent readers' inferential narrative comprehension. One group's intervention utilized wordless picturebooks, while the second group used a worded picturebook. The gains from pre- to post-assessment suggested that wordless picturebooks, alongside the planned prompts, did have an impact on the inferential narrative comprehension of the students (t (35) = 4.99, d = 1.63, p<.001) and that the intervention as a whole positively impacts members of both groups.
- Feedback in Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL): Influencing Students' Self-Efficacy and MotivationEngelhardt, Mason Robert (Virginia Tech, 2024-03-28)As a teaching approach, digital game-based learning (DGBL) has grown in popularity and can positively influence students' motivational perceptions in difficult subjects, such as mathematics. DGBL has the capability to provide immediate feedback to students that can impact their results and experiences during gameplay; specifically, research studies have supported the conclusion that immediate feedback featured in DGBL can positively influence elementary students' self-efficacy and motivation related to DGBL gameplay. However, few studies have investigated the specific types of immediate feedback featured in DGBL within elementary mathematics. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how different types of immediate feedback (i.e., destination, corrective, and explanatory) featured during DGBL use in mathematics influence elementary students' self-efficacy and motivation for gameplay. This study involved fifth grade students interacting with a digital game and being interviewed individually to elaborate on their perceptions regarding how feedback featured in DGBL influenced their self-efficacy and motivation. Findings from this study suggest the importance of DGBL immediate feedback as results indicated a positive change in both self-efficacy and motivation among students.
- Opening doors to empathy: Using picture books as pathways to compassionFortune, Donna J. (Iowa Council of the Social Studies, 2024-07-20)Sensory figures are one strategy that can be implemented by teachers to cultivate and promote empathy with and for others. Teachers who implement picture book read alouds that include strong and well-developed characters promote sensory and evocative imagery through diverse texts and give students a pathway for understanding and building compassion for others. Many children’s books are designed specifically to promote empathy by exploring diverse perspectives, emotions, and experiences and, when coupled with the development of a sensory figure, actively engage students in stepping into the shoes/lives of another person/character. This teaching strategy provides teachers with a bridge to give students an entrance for exploring a more empathetic stance on the road to becoming a more informed global citizen.
- Putting Things Into Focus: Using a Focus Inquiry Design Model (IDM) to Cultivate Cross-Disciplinary Connections in the Elementary ClassroomTackett, Mary; Pennington, Lisa K.; Fortune, Donna J. (Journal of the Virginia State Literacy Association, 2022-12)“I don’t have time to teach Social Studies!” In today’s classrooms, this lament is all too familiar. As teachers, finding time to address all required and necessary content in a single school day can be challenging. With a greater testing emphasis on language arts and math, ancillary subjects like science and social studies are often squeezed into the final minutes of the day, put into alternative rotation, or disregarded (Fitchett, et al., 2014; McGuire, 2007). The Inquiry Design Model (IDM), provides a cross-disciplinary solution for infusing social studies concepts into language arts instruction so that history can become an asset rather than an afterthought. In this article, we introduce the IDM and provide two concrete examples of how this model can be used in lower (K-2) and upper (3-5) elementary school settings. These examples provide a case for how teachers can implement this engaging instructional tool in their own classrooms to integrate social studies into language arts instruction.
- Using Virtual Book Clubs to Elevate Discussion and Diverse VoicesFortune, Donna J.; Horst, Paige; Kessler, Meghan A.; Tackett, Mary E.; Pennington, Lisa K. (IGI Global, 2021)Preservice teachers in educator preparation programs (EPPs) are rarely cognizant of programmatic structures outside their own EPP. This lack of awareness isolates preservice teachers within their own programs and university cultures. As teacher educators, the authors wondered: How might interacting with peers in other EPPs bolster our preservice teachers' disciplinary literacies, praxis, and cultural competency? How might cross-institutional virtual interaction expand preservice teachers' pre-professional networking opportunities? Virtual book clubs offer a structured way for preservice teachers to experience peer interaction across institutions and cultural contexts. These book clubs provide opportunities for preservice teachers to explore a diverse array of cultural, societal, and professional perspectives as they prepare to enter teaching as young professionals.
- Windows, mirrors, and doors into Mexico: Children’s literature reflecting Mexican and Mexican-American VoicesPennington, Lisa K.; Fortune, Donna J. (Texas Council for Social Studies, 2021-07-01)