Education

Action Researches (18 points)

Choose three of the following to write research papers (1250-1500 words, double space, 12cpi, Times New Roman is good).

1. What assistance is available to people with disabilities in your area? Locate a local, state, or federal agency that provides protection, advocacy, and care or employment to children, youth, or adults with disabilities (3 points). Learn extensively about that organization, and arrange for a field or virtual site visit; the outcome should be a better understanding of how American societal infrastructure supports identified needs (3 points). 
2. In our media, are all races and ethnicities portrayed similarly? Are disabled persons featured proportionally to their numbers? Are both men and women featured and are their images treated equally? Conduct a mini-research project in which you select a number of weeks of a daily publication, such as your regional newspaper; a number of months of a specific magazine; or a number of hours of a single channel of television programming. From the advertisements presented, tally ratios of able to disabled persons featured, men vs. women, how many different ethnic groups, and/or how many races you see regularly. Chart your information as specifically as possible (4 points). Develop a final page in which you draw conclusions regarding the equality of representation in our media of people with disabilities, men and women, major ethnic groups, and races (2 points). 
3. What are the costs of living in your area? Investigate what dollar amount is considered poverty level in your state. Add $1,000. Collect data from reliable, experience sources to establish a monthly budge to meet costs of living for a family of four. Include accurate monthly costs for one year; include housing, utilities, food, clothing, school attendance (1 child), childcare (1 baby/toddler), medical expenses, insurance and licenses, and entertainment. Adjust amounts to meet available funds (4 points). Consider what other expenses should be included that funds cannot accommodate (2 points). 
4. How do immigrants to America learn English and the mainstream culture? Conduct your own research into how many ways immigrants to your community or region can learn to master the English language or customs. Discover if any area communities or local school districts conduct programs for the benefit of people newly arrived to the United States. Consider investigating into the following aspects of the selected 2-3 local ESOL language programs: 1) The history and missions of the organizations offering the language programs to immigrants (Who founded the organization or institution in which year for what purposes?) 2) Curriculum: a. differentiated language courses offered to students with different levels of English proficiency; b. course schedules (Are the schedules flexible enough for those with part or full time jobs? Any transportation provided?); c. types of courses: online or/and traditional face to face class meetings; the option of individual tutoring; class size; d. any other courses offered besides language courses: vocational training; courses on important life or/and work skills such as computer and citizenship courses. 3) Teaching staff: any qualification requirements; any required training or orientation before teaching the language courses? 4) Students: children or/and adults? Grade levels? Age ranges? 5) Cost: any tuition fee or/and other fees? 6) Results/impacts: evidences of the program effectiveness including personal testimony from former or/and current program students (4 points). Create a letter to the editor of your local newspaper reporting positive results of any program about which you learn (2 points). (REQUIRED for Education majors & minors)
5. Attend an event/activity where English is not the primary language. How did you feel in the environment? Were you confused at all? When did you feel most included/ignored? Share your experiences by telling about the event/activity, who was in attendance (people who already knew each other/strangers), and the emotions/senses you experienced (4 points). Explain why you believe you had these feelings. In addition to your perceptions and feelings, compare and contrast your experience to that of an ESOL child entering your class on their first day at a school (2 points).
6. Are boys acculturated differently than girls? Visit a toy store or examine a wide range of greeting cards for boys and girls. From the products marketed, how are girls encouraged or expected to act? What are they expected to like to see or do? Do boys’ toys or greeting cards encourage similar skills, interests, and attention (4 points)? Make a list of at least 10 ways in which boys are culturally encouraged to behave differently from girls (2 points).
7. How much do you know about other religions? Conduct your own Internet research about what are the fundamental religious beliefs of a major non-Judeo-Christian religion (Hinduism, Islam, or Buddhism) (2 points). Then, verify your research by visiting virtually a local Hindu temple, Muslim mosque, or Buddhist center on its website. Attend virtual services offered by the website if available. During the virtual visit pay close attention to your sense and your feelings. Were you comfortable or uncomfortable?  How does it reflect a cultural heritage as well as a religious identity? What did people do in the virtual services that appeared different? What did you learn about the religion? How did you feel during the experience and why? (4 points)