Symposium Study I of VII: Theory from Phenomenology
  Dan Lukiv

I plan to conduct six methodologically identical studies through the same research question. My literature reviews have located no other hermeneutic phenomenological investigations into what experiences in school have encouraged other people to become writers. Comments, such as I have found, that mention events in school that encouraged some to become creative writers do exist, but no concentrated discussion based on in depth interviewing exists to my knowledge. I encourage researchers interested in my research question to consider a hermeneutic phenomenological approach.

I have found the phenomenological themes from my two studies illuminating. They fill me with wonder. I have taught senior high school creative writing courses for six years, generally basing my teaching on my own experiences. But now I have a number of studies that better equip me to teach creative writing in the future. I consider the themes from these studies and my own experiences in school that encouraged me to take up creative writing as a pastime and as a profession, and that prompts me to think about what might work for students, what might encourage some to take up creative writing. I have no rules here, simply direction (McEwan, n.d.).    full text >>>

Mariachi Music in the Public Schools: A Coping Strategy for Acculturating Students
  Eric J. López

Andres Barona (Personal Communication, April, 2004) noted that of all the English language learners in the United States' schools today, eighty-percent are Spanish-speaking with sixty-percent of these Spanish speaking students of Mexican descent. These children and adolescents are confronted with common daily stressors that impact all youth. However, Spanish speaking children have addition stressors, including struggling with maintaining Spanish and Mexican culture, and learning a new language and new cultural norms. This phenomena is known as acculturative stress (Padilla, 1986) and has been found to lead to many students failing or dropping out of school (i.e., López, Ehly, & Garcia-Vázquez, 2002; Vázquez, 1990).

Experiencing acculturative stress can often be a confusing time for adults, let alone children and adolescents. What cultural trait should one maintain from the native culture? What new cultural trait should one adopt? Add to this a new language, and it can be a very confusing time.   full text >>>

Leadership in Implementing Hybrid Usage of NLS in Theatre Arts Courses
  Sara Marcus

Online components have become common in most academic departments. Some quote about the benefits of online learning and, specifically, Networked Learning Systems (NLS). Still, theatre departments are not using NLS . Why? Some theatre practitioners have called technology "an important weapon...in the classroom and the rehearsal hall" (Arndt, 1999, p. 66), yet others admit that the profession is, by nature, resistant to change. No comprehensive study exists of theatre faculty attitudes to technology in order to help researchers better understand the field. What this article will suggest is how theatre courses might use NLS in their courses.

Can an academic theatre or drama program be enhanced by the inclusion of technology? In particular, online components? Other fields of study are integrating online components, such as discussion boards, electronic file submissions, and online assessments, why are theatre courses rarely doing so? According to Rogers (1995), "Getting a new idea adopted, even when it has obvious advantages, is often very difficult" (p. 1).

A review of the literature as well as working with a theatre arts instructor at the university level has helped me to gain insight into the implementation of technology in theatre arts courses.    full text >>>