When the coronavirus broke out in December 2019, the world changed. Phrases such as “sheltering at home,” “social distancing” and “self-quarantining” entered the lexicon and became part of an everyday, far-reaching “new normal.”
For some, life changed in additional ways. In the spring of 2020, reports of racism, hate crimes and even violence directed at Chinese and Asian Americans surged throughout the United States.
Tucked away from the busy city streets of São Paulo, Brazil, young learners are exploring a colorful garden with spades, magnifying glasses and other tools. They gather around their preschool teacher who is holding a freshly dug worm in her hands. They observe the wriggling creature together. After the excited shrieks subside, the teacher begins to ask them questions.
In a brightly lit classroom in northeast Brazil, kindergarteners and their teachers gather for their daily circle time on the carpet. However, today is different. The children are joined by a group of visitors from Nebraska, many of whom don’t speak Portuguese.
While there are distinct differences between the U.S. and Brazil, there are even more things the two countries have in common. In particular, a desire to ensure all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential guides the work of early childhood educators, researchers and other professionals in both parts of the world.
Michael Hebert, associate professor of special education and communication disorders, led a May 1 virtual presentation in the Spring 2020 Methodology Applications Series. About 40 people attended his presentation via Zoom video conference.
His presentation, “Seeing the Forest Plot for the Trees: Using Meta-Analysis to Synthesize Research,” is now available on video.
In a typical preschool classroom with as many as two-dozen children, there are bound to be times of elevated stress for the teacher — and sometimes the students.
Along with meeting the needs of several children, teachers juggle many emotional and physical demands in their daily work, often with limited resources. Following an early childhood curriculum or philosophy, engaging families, maintaining a safe environment and dealing with interpersonal conflicts are just some of their daily classroom tasks.
Nebraska researchers are exploring ways to better understand how students with visual impairments are being taught to write, and how that instruction can be enhanced and tailored to each individual student’s needs.
Michael Hebert, associate professor of special education and communication disorders, and Mackenzie Savaiano, assistant professor of practice of special education and communication disorders, are the principal investigators in Project VIEW — Visual Impairments Education in Writing. The four-year study focuses on identifying factors that influence teachers’ writing instruction practices in an effort to improve outcomes among visually impaired students.
For centuries, families have served up good conversation around the dinner table.
Sharing advice, planning events and recounting the day’s highs and lows are key mealtime ingredients to connecting families and building support systems — all while cooking up valuable learning opportunities for the youngest family members.
