Robert+S.+Rueda+(II)

Submitted by Jennifer Lam **__ Robert S. Rueda __** Robert S. Rueda is a Professor of Psychology at the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. Most of Dr. Rueda research is on sociocultural processes in classroom learning, motivation, and instruction. Most of the focus is on reading with students in at-risk conditions, language minority students, students with mild learning handicaps. The issues that he looks at are how students acquired and use literacy in public school settings, literacy-related assessments of teachers and instruction, and educational decision-making. ·  Professor, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California **Title**: Professional Roles, Caring, and Scaffolds: Latino Teachers' and Paraeducators' Interactions with Latino Students **Co-author:** Lilia D. Monzó **Source:** //American Journal of Education//, Vol. 109, No. 4 (Aug., 2001), pp. 438-471. Published by: [|The University of Chicago Press] This investigation looked at the Latino students’ knowledge of their culture and their community and the effect that it had on the relationships between Latino teachers and paraeducators. It compared how school roles mediated use of this knowledge of culture and community. Findings suggested that knowledge of students' experiences, primary language, and interactional styles helped in meeting students' academic and social needs, and that school roles positioned teachers and paraeducators to focus on different aspects of children's development. **Title**: [|Persuasive Communication among Moderately Retarded and Nonretarded Children.] **Abstract**: In an examination of whether subjects (moderately retarded adolescents and controls matched for MS and CA) would change their persuasive strategies in a social problem-solving situation in response to status of target persuadee and ineffectiveness of initial strategy generated, mentally retarded Ss changed strategies least, followed by MA-match and CA-match Ss. **Title:** [|A Naturalistic Study of Collaborative Play Transformations of Preschoolers with Hearing Impairments.] **Abstract:**This naturalistic study examined the classroom collaborative play activities of nine preschoolers with hearing impairments and language delays, but without sign-language skills. Findings indicated the children constructed collaborative play episodes which incorporated role, action, and object transformations using a nonverbal metacommunication system. **Title:** [|Apprenticeship for Teaching: Professional Development Issues Surrounding the Collaborative Relationship between Teachers and Paraeducators. Research Report.] **Abstract:**This report discusses findings from a study that examined issues surrounding the collaborative relationship between Latino paraeducators and the classroom teachers with whom they worked. Specifically, the study examined the types of activities that the paraeducators engaged in, the input they had in classroom instructional activities, the assistance they received from teachers and others, and the factors that detracted from or fostered collaborative relationships. The 32 participants in the study were drawn from two large Southern California public elementary schools that serve primarily working class Latino limited English speaking students. Findings reveal that a lack of interaction between teachers and paraeducators allowed little time for paraeducators to ask questions of the teachers or for the teachers to assist the paraeducators in the development of effective teaching strategies. Both parties indicated that more opportunities for interaction would be beneficial. It was also found that school cultures are not structured to support collaboration between teachers and paraeducators, and that a hierarchical structure of social relations prevailed in the teacher-paraeducator relationship. A critical finding is that teachers are not aware that paraeducators possess a knowledge of the students' culture and community that is essential for tapping into students' prior knowledge and interests. [|http://cie.asu.edu/volume6/number14/index.html http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~rueda/robert's%20vita.doc http://repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1069&context=crede http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~rueda/robert's%20vita.pdf [|http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/CUE/robert/biography.htm
 * __ Current Professional Positions __**
 * Co-director of the Professional Development Research Program Strand of the CREDE Center (Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence), and is serving on a panel of the National Academy of Science examining the issue of the overrepresentation of minority students in special education
 * Fellow of the Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues (Division 45) of the American Psychological Association.
 * Senior scholar at the Glenda B. & Forrest G. Shaklee Institute for Improving Special Education.
 * __ Major Study __**
 * Abstract: **
 * __ Research Studies __**
 * Title: ** [|Sociocultural Factors in Social Relationships: Examining Latino Teachers' and Paraeducators' Interactions with Latino Students. Research Report 9.]
 * Abstract:** Sociocultural theory emphasizes the social nature of learning and the cultural-historical contexts in which interactions take place. Thus, teacher-student interactions and the relations that are fostered through these contexts play an especially vital role in student achievement. It has been argued that culturally responsive instruction can have a positive impact on interactions between teachers and students. This paper explores the effect of sociocultural factors on the relationships and interactions between Latino students and 32 Latino teachers and paraeducators. Findings suggest that knowledge of students' culture and communities, their primary language, and the interactional styles with which they are familiar facilitates meeting their academic and social needs. Findings also suggest that school roles shape interactions, and that teachers and paraeducators focus on different aspects of children's development. The term paraeducator is used to describe school personnel hired to assist students directly in the classroom. It is concluded that school contexts must afford diverse students opportunities to utilize the resources they bring to the classroom by validating those resources and creating learning contexts that tap into them. The idea is not new, but putting it into practice has proved difficult
 * __ Weblinks __**