Amanda O. Latz

Critical Differentiation and the Twice Oppressed: Social Class and Giftedness

Within disciplines, certain theoretical, ontological, and heuristic frameworks evolve toward axiomatic status over time. This evolution can limit disciplinary growth. Interdisciplinary theorizing can introduce trouble into such frameworks and add the tension necessary for the creation of new knowledge. This theoretical essay provides educators with new ways of thinking about teaching disadvantaged gifted youth. Differentiation, an educational philosophy, is reconceptualized as a form of critical pedagogy termed critical differentiation. The concept of the twice oppressed is presented. This concept suggests that it is possible for children to be oppressed based on social category as well as gifted classification. As in the case of the twice exceptional child who may struggle in classrooms with both dyslexia and giftedness, the twice oppressed child may struggle with both poverty and giftedness. Critical differentiation, or a merger of critical pedagogy and differentiation, may become a step toward resolving this conundrum. The concept of critical differentiation is explicated in this essay, along with sample lesson ideas and suggestions for framing research endeavors.

Toward a New Conceptualization of Photovoice: Blending the Photographic as Method and Self-Reflection

Abstract One finding and concomitant new conceptualization of the photovoice methodology derived from a research study conducted with community college students are put forward in this paper. One of the aims of the photovoice methodology is to develop a more critical consciousness within participants. I, however, did not note an increase of critical consciousness among the participants of this study. The new conceptualization of the photovoice methodology described in this paper suggests that the methodology be bifurcated: one branch focused on critical consciousness building among participants and one branch focused on reflective consciousness building.

Work–Life Balance Among Community College Faculty Members: Generational and Life Course Theory Lenses

Generational and life course theory lenses were placed upon one finding of a large-scale qualitative interview-based study focused on if and how community college faculty members construct work–life balance. Twenty-eight interviews with faculty members at a midwestern community college were conducted. Differences regarding to work-life balance approaches between Baby Boomer (n = 15) and Generation X (n = 13) faculty and as mediated by position within the life course are elucidated. We termed this finding tides of life, which is comprised of three subfindings: roles, tenure, and gender performance. Practical implications of this finding are put forward. Better understanding of the nuanced ways in which community college faculty construct work–life balance can inform policy decisions that impact faculty work. Moreover, better understanding of faculty life in a general sense is critical as community college leaders craft policies and refine practices related to faculty employment contracts, work environments, support mechanisms, professional development, and mentoring.

Understanding Community College Student Persistence Through Photovoice An Emergent Model

Because it has been noted that a more educated workforce is necessary to meet the demands of the future workplace, community colleges have experienced significant pressures to generate more graduates. High instances of attrition and low rates of credential obtainment among students, however, have historically been tenuous issues for community colleges. The purpose of this article is to put forward, in the form of a constructivist grounded theory, a model of community college student persistence based on the findings from a photovoice project aimed at understanding the educational lives of community college students. The Emergent Model of Community College Student Persistence has the potential to assist community college faculty, administrators, policy makers, and other stakeholders understand student persistence decisions.

The Completion Agenda in Community Colleges: What it is, Why it Matters, and Where it’s Going

The completion agenda continues to permeate nearly every facet of contemporary higher education within the United States. As a result, the historical mission of community colleges has shifted from ...

Transformative Pedagogy with Innovative Methodology: Using Photovoice to Understand Community College Students’ Needs

ABSTRACT Community colleges, as open access institutions, shoulder most of the responsibility in serving marginalized individuals accessing higher education. Therefore, community colleges play a critical role. But what are new and incoming community colleges students’ needs, in their own words? In this project, we explored an innovative component of a first-year seminar course wherein we asked students to document their unique needs using photographs and words. After situating our study within the extant literature, we present four findings and concomitant implications from a photovoice project in which we were involved during the spring of 2016.

Preserving the Legacy of Dr. Jill Biden in a Post-Obama Era: Implications for Student Affairs Professionals at Community Colleges

ABSTRACT Community college student affairs and services units are foundation to students’ academic goals and success. As such, these professionals are often central to the critical initiatives and trends developing throughout 2-year institutions to support the overarching goals of student success. For the most part, these initiatives originated during Barack Obama’s presidency with increased attention paid to community colleges led by Dr. Jill Biden. The future of community colleges and their initiatives is questionable in the era of the Trump presidency. This article explores how Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, and the broader Trump administration may influence how 2-year institutions and their student affairs professionals will need to operate in response to their policies and philosophy of education.

Student Affairs Professionals in the Community College: Critically Examining Preparation Programs From a Social Justice Lens

ABSTRACT To support the success of community college students, the role of student affairs professionals is critical. Therefore, adequate preparation of student affairs professionals who work in community college settings is paramount. However, literature focused on the intersection between the community college, student affairs, and graduate preparation is sparse, suggesting that too little is known about the preparation of student affairs professionals exiting graduate education and entering a community college setting. We frame this dearth of literature as an issue of social justice. The lack of focus on community colleges within student affairs preparation programs further reinforces a systemic cycle of oppression related to the perception that community colleges are not an integral part of the higher education landscape. We point to potential entry points for the exploration of this topic through systematic inquiry. The goals of this work are to bring awareness to the paucity of literature on this topic, ask scholars to join us in adding to what is known about this topic, and encourage readers to think critically about this topic.

Unflattening, by Nick Sousanis

Nick Sousanis’ Unflattening not only deroutinises the traditional dissertation form, it conveys the content through an aesthetically pleasing pastiche of images and text, which necessarily disorien...

Looking back from the field: Student affairs practitioners’ perceptions of a graduate-level community college course

ABSTRACT We examined perceptions of 12 graduates from a master’s-level student affairs preparation program who took a course about community colleges via interviews. Participants were required to be: (a) graduates of the student affairs program at Midwestern Public University (MPU) and (b) employed in the field of student affairs in higher education. Four findings emerged from the data: (a) having a pragmatic curiosity about community colleges; (b) harboring initial unfavorable perceptions of community colleges; (c) experiencing a significant learning experience; and (d) the transferability of learning to their current institutions and students in higher education, regardless of institutional type.