Journal articles on the topic 'Teacher-student relationships. Interpersonal communication. Special education'

Education is not about what you learn inside the classroom rather it is about how you apply the knowledge that you gain in your everyday life situation. The way the teacher trains and educates a student is one of the greatest factors of one’s knowledge. With the sudden rise of controversies about equality at school, its effects on the students can merely be notified as the matter itself captures the interests of people these days. Society focuses mostly on how it affects the students’ study behavior – be it by interpersonal and intrapersonal communication; and its impact on the class as a whole. However, researches only concentrate on one party – the students’ perspective. The research investigated the awareness of teachers regarding the concept of bias. Researchers featured the teachers of Lorma Colleges Special Science High School as the respondents. The research was also intended to find factors and their effects on the teacher’s professionalism and effective instruction. Positive student-teacher relationships are characterized by open communication, as well as emotional and academic support that exist between students and teachers. In shaping successful classroom interaction, learning, and achievement, it is important to determine the degree of similarity between student’s and teacher’s personalities.

Nowadays at the process of globalization the system of value orientations and educational traditions are undergoing noteworthy modifications represented in the Concept of Inclusive Education Development (2010) in Ukraine. The research demonstrates the conception of organization of pedagogical relationships of the participants of art-therapeutic process as a component of inclusive education. The problem of the investigation defined the choice of the empirical research methods such as observation, interview, testing, study of the products of the activities of the subjects, study, and generalization of pedagogical experience. As a framework for the research it was used the model of five different aspects of the therapeutic relationship described by Clarkson (1995). One of the most significant finding to emerge from the study is that inclusive education is much wider than the opportunity for everybody to visit neighbourhood schools, deeper than deletion of distinctions between "general education" and "special education" programs. Findings of this study suggest that elements of art therapy should become an integral part of work with both the disabled and displaced (refugees or immigrants) students. The results allow singling out some means for the modern teacher to organize pedagogical relationships as a dialogue of the equal partners in the art-therapy-oriented education process. Application of “Role-play” refers here to the special technique used at the art-oriented activity for studying interpersonal behavior of the participants. This promoted a better understanding between participants, empathy, and frankness that removed psychological and emotional barriers in their verbal and non-verbal communication, and stimulated the process of self-actualization.

Purpose Feedback is a tool that informs students about their learning process and facilitates necessary changes. It looks for the students’ own perceptions of their performance and how to improve it, developing permanent learning skills vital for autonomous practice. It is useful for improving one’s performance, clinical skills, communication and treatment of patients. If carried out improperly, it causes a lack of motivation and a collapse in the teacher–student relationship. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the perceptions and experiences of the residents and graduates of the psychiatry specialty at the Universidad of Concepción with respect to the feedback received on their performance during their training. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted using a qualitative approach of an exploratory, descriptive and interpretative nature that was also based on Grounded Theory. Ten in-depth voluntary interviews were conducted with residents-in-training and graduates from within the last two years of the Adult Psychiatry specialty at the Universidad of Concepción. Subsequently, the data were codified to create a theoretical model. Findings The interpersonal teacher–resident relationship, when based on collaboration and an openness to dialogue, is fundamental in producing effective feedback. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this study were based mainly on the qualitative methodology used, so it is not possible to generalize the results. Although the above limitation, this study seems to reaffirm the importance of feedback for residents in training, so it would be advisable to reproduce it in various training contexts and extend it to the perception of the teachers involved. On the other hand, to follow this research line, it is essential to create instruments that facilitate the use of quantitative research methodology, which allows the generalization and comparison of results in different areas. Social implications This research opens a first line of research regarding subjective experience when receiving feedback, which will allow the creation of instruments to objectify how it is being developed in different educational contexts and to propose strategies to standardize its realization. Originality/value There are no other studies of this type published. The originality of this research was that beyond the mention made about the known characteristics that a feedback must have to be effective, the participants gave special emphasis to the fact that it is a social relationship, which should be based on a horizontal interaction between two actors, in addition to promoting dialogue and mutual involvement in the task that brings them together. Thus it is an effective teaching strategy, fulfilling the objective of motivating the learning and autonomy of the resident.

The article presents the importance of non-verbal communication in the sphere of education at the level of higher education. In terms of the didactic process, education, two types of communication deserve special attention, i.e. public and interpersonal communication. The author presented the characteristics of the above types of communication situation and differences in the non-verbal feedback that are visible between the lecturer’s direct conversation with the student and the lecture given by the academic teacher. The article also indicates the types and functions of non-verbal behaviours, devoting particular attention to uses related to the use of proxemics in education. The significance of proxemics was characterised in the sphere of teaching, paying attention to issues concerning the feeling of congestion or maintaining distance relative to the communicative situation and goals between the academic teacher and a student. The factors determining the issues related to the feeling of congestion are also presented.

Tuba City Boarding School, in northern Arizona, is a Western Navajo Agency facility responsible for the education of kindergarten through eighth grade Navajo children. For several years, the school's Special Education Coordinator has received informal grievances from the regular faculty about their inability to adequately teach the mainstreamed exceptional students. As a result, the School initiated a Summer Special Education Program, which provided instruction to the special education students. The Summer Program's approach precipitated significant change in teacher/student interpersonal relationships, student achievement, and educational aide special education knowledge and skills.

Special education teachers working with seriously emotionally handicapped adolescents often are faced with the task of dealing with a student's thoughts and feelings in response to a crisis situation. This situation requires that positive teacher-student relationships have been established. The purpose of this article is to describe how the technique of semantic mapping can be used to (a) help seriously emotionally handicapped adolescents organize and disclose their thoughts and feelings in stress-engendering situations; (b) structure teacher-student interaction by providing a format; and (c) enable the teacher to collect specific notes for later consultation with staff. A case study is presented illustrating this procedure and implications for further use of this technique to facilitate teacher-student communication are discussed.

Situated within the field of inclusive mathematics education, this article presents empirical research from a microethnographic study exploring teacher-student relationships. More specifically, the searchlight was aimed at how math teachers relate to their students when they teach. The classroom study is based on a rich empirical data set collected during a year of field work: video-recorded math lessons, observations and dialogues and interviews in six classes. Four math teachers participated together with 100 students from compulsory school, upper secondary school and schools for children with learning disabilities. Based on a relational perspective on teaching, Pedagogical Relational Teachership, PeRT, (Ljungblad, 2018, 2019) a microanalysis was carried out, about how the teacher’s acknowledgement to students emerged in interpersonal, face-to-face communication. Through a relational turn in mathematics education, exploring interpersonal relationships, an extended relational understanding of situated teaching was acquired. The results illuminated how teachers’ pedagogical tactfulness emerged as a pedagogical fundament in inclusive educational environment. The results also highlighted a moment of specific importance in mathematics education: at that second, when the incalculable (Biesta, 2001, 2007) emerges, the teachers refrain from assessment and, instead, listen and create a space for the students to speak with their unique voices. Over time, such a relational teachership creates trustful and respectful teacher-student relationships.

To maximize student learning, teachers intentionally exhibit certain behaviors to build interpersonal relationships with students. One of the behaviors that teachers incorporate in their teaching to clarify and improve students’ understanding of the course content is self-disclosure. However, when it is used inappropriately, it may damage student learning opportunities. Thus, the purpose of this research was to establish the state of the art on teacher self-disclosure through a systematic review of the existing literature, establishing itseffect on the teaching-learning process. A bibliographic search was carried out in different national and international databases, selecting 39 scientific articles for the revision, published between 1982 and 2019, that met the established inclusion criteria. Regarding the effect of teacher self-disclosure on the teaching-learning process, 6 categories weredetermined: cognitive learning, affective learning, academic motivation, participation and interest, teacher-student out-of-class communication and perceptions and evaluations of the teacher, including in each of them the main results of the articles included in the analysis. Based on the obtained results, it is highlighted the need that, in order to promote student learning, teacher self-disclosure must be moderate, relevant and positive.

For constructive communication, it is important not only to know and take into account the individual characteristics of students and one’s own, but also to have methods of constructing optimal strategies of pedagogical influences. To do this, future teacher of foreign languages ​​must focus on the formation of self and students' communicative qualities, the ability to adequately assess interpersonal relationships. The specificity of pedagogical activity determines the special significance of socio-professional qualities that contribute to interpersonal and role interaction of teachers and students. These include reflexivity, flexibility, empathy, communication, ability to cooperate, emotional curiosity. Pedagogical reflection is the use of all characteristics (thinking, aimed at understanding and comprehension of their own forms and prerequisites; substantive consideration of knowledge, critical analysis of its content and methods of cognition; self-knowledge, revealing the internal structure and specifics of the spiritual world), which allows teachers to see their work from the position of another person. Pedagogical reflection determines the teacher's attitude to oneself as a subject of professional activity. The ability to contrast, compare self-awareness with the assessments of other participants in the interaction helps the teacher to understand how one is perceived and evaluated by other people – students, colleagues, parents. The formation of a culture of professional and pedagogical communication involves the meaningful assimilation of the norms of the future teacher of foreign languages with students, parents, colleagues. Guided by these norms, the teacher adjusts one’s emotional perceptions, will, personal manifestations of character. The culture of communication of the future teacher of pedagogy presupposes the emergence of a dialogue in which each participants’ expression is meaningful to all. During dialogic communication, the subject moves not only from the outside to the inside, i.e. internalization, but also from the inside to the outside, thus creating equality of interlocutors. This understanding of pedagogical communication is based on a respectful attitude to the student as an equal participant in the dialogue with the teacher, the subject of communication. Constructive communication with students largely depends on how emotionally the teacher perceives what is there behind on the available facts. The main thing is to understand the state of the student, their mood and adjust oneself to the perception of emotions. It is necessary to be able to let the student know that adults see, hear, understand them. The main product of communication on the basis of such a skill is understanding that includes the ability to predict the logic of actions and behavior according to a certain position, the ability to accept messages, highlighting the main and secondary facts, arguments. The ability of an individual to empathize (the level of its formation may be different) is characterized by such parameters as the peculiarities of its directivity, breadth, stability, effectiveness of manifestations.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the perception of students, graduates, and lecturers in relation to systems of formative and shared assessment and to the acquisition of teaching competences regarding communication and the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in initial teacher education (ITE) on degrees in Primary Teaching Physical Education (PTPE) and Physical Education and Sports Science (PESS). An ad hoc questionnaire was applied to a total sample of 1,243 students, 487 graduates and 345 lecturers from 24 Spanish universities that cover most of Spain’s Regional Autonomous Communities. The results from the questionnaires indicate that for all three groups the most relevant element in the assessment process is the teacher-student interaction, and the second most relevant are the competences in interpersonal relationships. Significant differences are also found in practically all the items in the questionnaire between the responses of lecturers and students and between those of students and graduates. In our detailed study of the perceptions of students regarding their competence in ICT, those taking the degree in PTPE perceive a greater use of ICT than those taking the degree in PESS. The same difference was found with students under 22 years of age in relation to the older students. No gender differences were found. La finalidad de este estudio es analizar la percepción del profesorado, alumnado y egresados en relación a los sistemas de evaluación formativa y compartida y a la adquisición de competencias docentes respecto a la comunicación y al uso de las TIC, en la formación inicial en el Grado de Maestro de Primaria (Educación Física) y en el Grado en Ciencias de la Actividad Física y el Deporte (CCAFD). Se ha aplicado una escala diseñada «ad hoc» en una muestra total de 1.243 estudiantes, 487 egresados y 345 profesores de 24 Universidades españolas que abarcan la mayoría de las Comunidades Autónomas. Los resultados indican que para los tres colectivos el elemento más relevante en el proceso de evaluación es la interacción profesores-estudiantes y, en segundo lugar, las competencias en relaciones interpersonales. También que existen diferencias significativas en prácticamente todos los ítems entre los profesores y los estudiantes y entre estos y los egresados. En el estudio pormenorizado de la percepción de las competencias TIC por parte de los estudiantes, los procedentes del Grado de Maestro de Primaria perciben una mayor utilización de las TIC que los de CCAFD; lo mismo ocurre con los menores de 22 años en relación a los más mayores. No se han encontrado diferencias en función del género.

Introduction. This article is devoted to the analysis of the process improving communicative qualities of graduates and future subject teachers through the integration of educational and extracurricular activities. The authors analyze main directions of implementation of interpersonal, group and organizational communication in teacher training. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the effectiveness of the program of developing communicative competences on the basis of project activities in the student scientific community by creating special diagnostic tools. Materials and Methods. As a methodological substantiation of the study, the competence approach is considered; the implementation of the latter, in conjunction with the systemic, innovation-technological, qualitative, activity-oriented and personality-oriented approaches, provides a higher qualitative level of vocational training of future teachers. At the theoretical stage of the study, the foreign and Russian pedagogical theory, practices, standards and solutions to the stated research problem were analyzed. To confirm the effectiveness of the experimental results, methods of mathematical statistical analysis were applied and a special diagnosis was created, compiled in accordance with the Professional Standard of the teacher based on content analysis of the contents of the answers, in terms of the availability of linguistic units of positive and negative connotations. The practical part of the research involved the student scientific community of the Pedagogical Institute. Results. Based on the created model for the content of the communicative competence of the future teacher, the author’s 72-hour program was developed for 6-month extra-curricular activities. It contained various forms of work: the implementation of brainstorming methods, communicative battles, a round table, essay writing, scientific stand-up, intellectual play, etc. The peculiarity of the program was that in each case, up to three roles were considered: coordinator, creative person, participant. The study presents a new perspective on the monitoring of the quality of education, in particular, the author’s diagnosis of analysis of communicative skills aimed at achieving goals of pedagogical activity . Discussion and Conclusion. Practical application of the provisions identified in the study on the integration of educational and extracurricular activities for the formation of communicative qualities of students can be realized in the organization of the educational and educational space of a higher educational institution of the pedagogical profile. The qualitative approach used in the study to analyze the labor intensity of educational disciplines in terms of counting credit units to estimate competencies can be applied as one of the indicators of monitoring basic educational programs. The study will be useful for teacher trainers wishing to improve the educational space of various learning or ganizations for this profile of training.

The article presents an analysis of modern approaches to the concepts of “information and educational environment” and “digital educational environment”, in which modern students -future bachelors-develop competencies in the field of intercultural communication. Special attention is paid to the consideration of the features of professional training, as well as the requirements for future specialists. The problems of modern digital education closely follow from the problems of verbal interaction of communicants in the educational environment. The considered issues of updating the needs for an educational product cannot be separated from the realization of the possibilities of didactic and methodological support for digital education, which is realized in the communicative interaction of a student and a teacher. The authors conducted a number of experimental studies in the field of studying the needs of students in educational services and the opportunities for teachers to effectively realize their educational potential. The authors offer recommendations for improving educational technologies in the context of digitalization, improving the technical and communicative literacy of teachers, conducting trainings and trainings aimed at increasing the stress tolerance of teachers, providing them with comfortable working conditions in remote mode, modernizing the system of technical regulation in the process of providing educational activities, conducting explanatory work with students, motivating them to contact work in remote access, improving the culture of group and interpersonal communication

The use of innovative tools is a key element in the improvement of the educational process, and consequently, the use of social networks as a means of training to improve not only the learning of students, but also to improve the expectations of the teacher. Therefore, in this research we tried to investigate the incidence of social networks as facilitators of resources and didactic/playful experiences. Starting from a qualitative methodology, a descriptive–interpretative study of the information from 31 interviews with both primary education teachers and future teachers who were in training and in their last year of initial training was approached. The results indicate that the interviewees confirmed the great usefulness of social networks as educational resources and for teacher communication. The possibilities of social networks within the educational field are overly broad. They become a way of interaction between teacher and student, encourage dialogue, share didactic resources, favor collaborative learning, and develop communication skills in all aspects. In short, these are results that have a special incidence and impact on the field and social development, since we are referring fundamentally to the improvements that are produced in interpersonal relations.

This research aimed to identify the management of the inclusive learning process in elementary schools in Samarinda. This research focused on the inclusive learning process activities, including material, media, methods, models and learning activities in the classroom, the collaboration between students, relationships between students, teacher-student communication, and student learning outcomes. Data collection techniques used were observation, interviews, and documentation. This qualitative descriptive study results can be concluded that the implementation of learning management in elementary schools in Samarinda has not been carried out maximally. This case is because the application of the inclusive learning in the elementary schools in Samarinda experiences several problems, including the lack of Special Advisory Teachers, the lack of socialization of learning management from the Educational Department to the schools, and the lack of cooperation that exists between schools and Special Schools.

The project aimed to understand the lived experience with inclusive education in the case of a secondary school student with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1), his mother and a teacher. Data collected by semi-structured interviews were analyzed by van Manen's thematic analyses of lived experience, whereas three significant themes were identified. Firstly, the quality of communication between school and parents; secondly, the level of empathy, understanding and helpfulness, and thirdly, collaboration between colleagues. Research shows the necessity to expand the education of teachers on the issue of special needs of learners with chronic diseases and extend the educational goals to psychological factors associated with their increased emotional burden. Mutual collaboration of all participants and self-reflection of teachers, supporting good peer relationships and positive school climate is essential.

Building Interpersonal Relationships in Grades 1–3 in Distance Learning Conditions Interpersonal relations are an integral part of living in society. Interpersonal competences combine activities related to communication, making new friends, solving problems or cooperating with others. Therefore, they are extremely important at every educational stage. However, building proper relations among education participants becomes more difficult when schools around the world switch to distance learning due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Relations between teachers and students, as well as among classmates, often undergoes various modifications, frequently deteriorating the quality of mutual contact. Distance education has also changed the role of pupils’ parents. The new situation often required from them to adapt to their child’s schedule in order to support them and help them in learning. This particularly applies to the families with younger children. In order to explain these issues, this article will present the results of research conducted among teachers and parents of pupils from grades 1–3 on the relationship at a pupil–pupil and a student–teacher level. The didactic and educational activities of teachers that are undertaken by them in order to improve contact on both these levels in the face of the new reality will also be discussed. The article will also address the topic of transformations of the abovementioned relations, which took place during and after the transition to compulsory distance learning.

The article is devoted to the problem of personality-oriented education of students of general secondary education. A special place in this process belongs to the teacher. Emphasis is placed on the need to develop and implement in school practice such approaches that would be focused on the formation of students' ability to build constructive relationships with participants in the educational process in terms of mutual understanding, creative cooperation. The teacher must have a dialogical style of communication with students, cultivating in them equal subjective relationships. The content of the basic principles of personality-oriented music education and upbringing of students is covered: the subjectivity of the relationship between teacher and students (the teacher must have a dialogue style of communication with students, educating them in equal subject relations); innovative teacher training (teacher is constantly improving and uses modern innovative forms, methods and techniques of working with students); own way of the pupil's relation to a musical work, the world around, other people, to itself. (acquaintance of students with technological systems, style of activity of leading teachers of musical art, accumulation of modern methodical receptions, developments, diagnostic techniques, manuals). The pedagogical conditions of this process are offered: the presence of motivation, an important source of which is the musical needs and interests of children; experience of dialogical interaction with art, which teaches the child to understand the artistic language of the work, to realize its essence; teacher's ability to be creative; creation of personality-oriented situations in the lesson; the presence of features of the teacher's thinking (originality, predictability, accuracy, flexibility); creating a helping relationship by the teacher. Application of the personality-oriented approach to the general art education of school-age children, from our point of view, is provided by the following initial positions: the student's personality is a unique phenomenon, so this personality is worthy of respect, even if it is not exemplary; musical development of the child is the goal of the art and educational system of the school; in the process of art education and upbringing the maximum possible atmosphere of success of pupils and a high level of support of their achievements is created; the student is an active and free subject of the educational process, not passively and obediently assimilating the object of study and education; the child is taught not because to think, but because to think and think about art, music in particular; artistic and educational achievements of the student are evaluated not in comparison with other children, but in the dynamics of only his personal positive changes; the teacher perceives the purpose of artistic development of the individual as socially and professionally significant; methodological views of the teacher is a personality-oriented paradigm, the logic of which requires to build the process of general art education so that in the center of it was the personality of the student.

AbstractIntroduction: As one of the most important requirements for healthy communication, empathy is vital in a great many occupations. Various studies have investigated the importance and level of empathy in various occupation groups. One of the leading occupations requiring strong empathic skills is teaching. Teachers need empathy to create an effective learning environment, develop good communication with their students, and understand them well. The current study investigates the empathic skills of physical education teachers to evaluate various variables.Methods: The research participants comprised 152 physical education teachers in Turkey, 39 women (25.7%) and 113 men (74.3%), who completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Descriptive statistical methods and the Kolmogorov Smirnov test were used to determine whether the data were normally distributed. The data were analysed using ranking t-test and correlation methods as well as descriptive statistical models (α=0.05). The total internal consistency coefficient of the scales, measured by Cronbach’s Alpha, was.56.Results: Regarding the IRI scores for the physical education teachers, the highest mean score was for emphatic concern, followed by perspective taking and fantasy. Teaching duration was associated with higher empathic skill scores. Empathic skills were also positively correlated with higher educational level. Finally, the mean fantasy scores were statistically higher for participants who were not training a school team.Discussion: Physical education courses contribute to the physiological, sociological, psychological, and moral development of students. For this reason, physical education and sports is a compulsory component of the education system from an early age all around the globe. This makes it essential that physical education teachers have appropriate characteristics that they exhibit in their teaching. In the first place, it is necessary to have healthy communication between the physical education teacher and students.Limitations: The current study gathered data from one specific region in Turkey, from physical education teachers in the city of Kütahya. Consequently, the demographic data were evaluated only for statistically significant variables. Other variables that were not numerically equal, were not investigated.Conclusions: Physical education teachers should adopt an empathic approach to teacher-student relationships. Educational institutions should organise activities to develop these empathic skills in teachers.

Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic has initiated the rapid introduction of digital technology into the educational process. The purpose of the article is to analyze the particularities of the perception of the processes of digitalization of education by Russian students, to identify factors for its success, to comprehend the experience of online learning in the context of the pandemic. Methods. The leading research method was a questionnaire survey of Russian university students. The sample was 1,553 people and was spontaneous in nature. Due to quarantine restrictions at the time of the survey (February-April 2020), the survey was conducted online: the questionnaire was posted on the Google platform, the link to which was sent to the student virtual communities. To clarify the data obtained, two focus groups were organized in January-February 2021 with the participation of full-time and part-time students. Each focus group was represented by 12 participants. Results. The majority of respondents (83.8%) have a positive attitude to the digitalization of education, highly evaluating the importance of digital literacy of young people (86.9%). Students associate the advantages and disadvantages of digitalization of education with their own experience of online learning during the pandemic. The following negative effects of digitalization of education were identified: deterioration of interpersonal communication skills (58.3%), reduction of classroom time, live communication with the teacher (49.3%), reduction of students’ knowledge (37.3%), reduced concentration, a distraction from educational goals (33.4%). The majority of respondents believe that the success of learning in a digital environment depends on the competence of the teacher (67.1%) and the material and technical equipment of the university (69%). Conclusions. With the rapid introduction of digital technologies into the educational space, there is an increasing need to develop interactive teaching methods, increase students’ motivation, and preserve the principles of traditional pedagogy. Digitalization of education implies modernization of pedagogical practices, where a special role is given to the formation of media competence of young people, their analytical skills, abilities for critical thinking and effective communication.

The 21st century competition has proved to become an educational rivalry. International leader and competitive champion will be the nation that will catch the new global trends in contemporary education and adequately modernize its training of personnel system. The article is aimed at demonstrating the newest tendencies in education sphere that have arisen in the latest years. The review of the empirical investigations, statistical data and theoretical concepts can forecast future development of education models under globalization and digitalization. The latest decades have demonstrated radical changes in labor market all over the world. The participation rate of low educated employees has significantly declined. The majority of labor force now have education (bachelor/master degree). The gap in wages between low- and higher-educated workers has also risen. What factors can explain the education premium? The viewpoints of Gary Beсker and Michael Spence are nowadays far from adequately explaining the education-related bonus dynamics. In a global digitalized economy the benefits from education lie mostly in public good nature of learning. Value of education is considered to be not only in economic terms (like productivity and income) but also in terms of its major contribution to social, political, religious and cultural life of the society. Education transforms personal tastes, values and preferences towards healthier and more ecologically friendly alternatives. As education, especially higher education, is becoming a kind of a merit good for all, new roles for a teacher have occurred. The educator now is not a monopolistic provider of information. Rather, he is a consultant and a tutor in a system of relationships where students are treated as equal partners in the educational process. Can online education fully substitute class learning? Empirical data does not provide evidence for giving a positive answer. The existence of peer effect means that effective education advances can be achieved only under personal (offline) interactions between peer students and teachers. Competitive education nowadays represents a special model of social relationships. It is not just a contact of a student with an object, whether the latter be virtual or real. Basically, it is a dialogue between two parts with equal rights, a teacher and a student, and its inner intensity depends on personal communication face-to-face.

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the online teacher- students’ interactions using WhatsApp, an instant messaging tool, and to identify the students’ view towards the use of that tool in a law course from a higher education institution in Colombia. Background: WhatsApp is a trending tool that is ultimately being used in academic contexts. However, little research is known on the types of interactions that occur when teachers are involved in student conversation groups. Methodology: This is a mixed- method study. Participants completed an opinion survey in order to establish students’ satisfaction towards the use of WhatsApp to complement face-to- face classes, a focus group to explore in depth the students´ opinions and acceptance of the WhatsApp tool for academic purposes and a chat conversation register to analyze the different types of interactions. The sample included 166 Law students. Contribution: Our contribution is to enrich the current literature on the interactions between teachers and students in a virtual environment where teachers can monitor the different academic tasks, coordinate in real time and analyze the students’ interactions that impact on the students’ ´learning process. Findings: The findings found in this research reveal that the different interactions between students and teachers in order to facilitate learning should be valued not only the relationships of knowledge construction, but also the social and interdependence presences due to the fact that in traditional learning processes they are not usually taken into account. Recommendations for Practitioners: The results of our research give evidence of how students in each subgroup (Plaintiffs, Defendant or Judges) diversify the use of the WhatsApp tool. Whether it is to organize, coordinate meetings, plan work, make quick inquiries, clear doubts, share messages and especially be able to communicate in real time and directly with the teacher, thus facilitating the learning process in the classroom. Recommendation for Researchers: This study identified that law university students appear to have a special preference for the WhatsApp tool, thanks to the immediacy of being able to coordinate tasks and communicate with the teacher, in comparison to using other technological means such as email. We recommend continuing to explore the use of WhatsApp in other different disciplines in order to compare the teacher-student interactions. Impact on Society: The analysis of academic interactions through WhatsApp may lead to further exploration of innovative forms of communication of teachers with their millennial students and new teacher roles to design constructive learning environments. Future Research: Future studies are suggested with regard to this topic and it would be interesting to carry out research work that deeply analyzes the role the instructor plays when participating in a WhatsApp chat group with academic purposes and how it may condition the way students interact.

Introduction. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the need to find effective ways of adaptation due to changing conditions of education and personality development, as well as to inclusion of students with various educational needs and capabilities in the educational process, including those with disabilities (health limitations) and chronic diseases. Currently, there is no conceptual and systematic elaboration of theoretical provisions and experimental research in the field of academic adaptation. Materials and methods. The materials of the study are articles from Russian periodicals. The research method is theoretical analysis of the problem of academic adaptation at different levels of education. Results of the study. Major studies of academic adaptation in Russia are focused on the problems of determining its criteria, age specificity, factors and conditions for successful adaptation, the development of a diagnostic tool, its characteristics in inclusive education, etc. The specificity of academic adaptation at different levels of education is associated with gaining experience of adaptation and psychological development of a student. The determinants of academic adaptation differ depending on the educational level. In the conditions of preschool education the determinants are games and the experience of interaction with peers and adults, psychosomatic development; in the conditions of primary education the determinants are communication skills, educational motivation, interaction with the teacher; in the conditions of secondary education the determinants are correspondence of the educational process organization with characteristics and capabilities of students, interaction with peers and adults; in the conditions of special professional education the determinants are psychophysiological characteristics of students, personality factors (academic motivation, self-reflection), interpersonal factors. Discussion and conclusion. Analysis of academic adaptation as a multicomponent phenomenon makes it possible to develop means of its optimization and to create conditions for children and adults’ academic success in the educational system. Within the context of modern education it is important to study students’ academic adaptation in an inclusive educational environment, the development of the concept of academic adaptation as a process of successive change of its foundations, factors and mechanisms at different educational levels.

La investigación que se presenta a continuación es de corte cuantitativo con un enfoque empírico analítico.Se describe el proceso del diseño, construcción y validación de un Instrumento para la Evaluación de las Competencias de los Docentes (IECOD) desde la perspectiva del alumno en el Instituto Superior Tecnológico Jesús de Nazareth de San Pedro de Sula, Honduras. El instrumento se diseñó con la intención de evaluar cinco competencias, que fueron visualizadas como fundamentalespara el desempeño de la función de un docente universitario: Relaciones interpersonales con el alumnado, Planificación y ejecución del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje, Evaluación de los aprendizajes, Manejo de las nuevas tecnologías de información y comunicación (TIC), Comunicativa (oral, corporal y escrita) y Responsabilidad. Delimitado el constructo se procedió a construir los indicadores representativos de estas competencias del docente Para este trabajo se contó con la validación de doce (12) expertos de diversos países tales como España, Costa Rica, Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador y Nicaragua, de los cuales se tomó en cuenta su experiencia profesional en las siguientes áreas: investigación, docencia, evaluación y competencias para su selección. Con los resultados obtenidos del proceso de validación se diseñó y construyó la versión de prueba del instrumento de evaluación de las competencias del docente, que una vez ajustado fue aplicado a 150 alumnos del Instituto Superior Tecnológico Jesús de Nazareth, San Pedro Sula, Honduras.Palabras clave: Docentes, educación superior, competencias, evaluación docente, calidad de la educación, psicometría, Teoría Clásica de los Test, Modelo de Rasch.AbstractThis research is a quantitative approach with an analytical empirical focus.This article describes the process of design, construction and validation of an instrument for the assessment of teacher competencies (IECOD) from the perspective of the student at the Instituto Superior Tecnológico Jesús de Nazareth of San Pedro de Sula, Honduras. The instrument is designed with the intention to evaluate five competencies that we believe are critical to the performance of a professor at the university: Interpersonal relationships with students, planning and implementation of the teaching-learning process, learning assessment, management of new information and communication technologies (ICT), communication (oral, written and body language) and Responsibility. Delimiting the procedure to construct indicators we build teacher competencies at the Instituto Superior Tecnológico Jesús de Nazareth of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, from the student perspective. For this work we included the validation of twelve (12) experts from different countries such as Spain, Costa Rica, Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua, for the selection we evaluated their professional experience in the following areas: research, teaching assessment and competencies. With the results of the validation process is designed and built the test version of the assessment tool of teaching skills, once adjusted, was applied to 150 students from the Instituto Superior Tecnológico Jesús de Nazareth, of San Pedro Sula, Honduras.Keywords: Teaching, higher education, teacher skills, teacher evaluation, quality of education, Classical Theory and Rasch Model

The article deals with the main principles of formation of the Ukrainian language professional competence of medical specialties foreign students in the process of using interactive technologies. It has been determined that the guarantee of qualitative vocational training for medical student is mastering with the language of study. It has been established that learning discipline of «Ukrainian Language as Foreign» provides implementation of: communicative needs of foreign students in everyday, educational and professional, socio-cultural, educational and scientific fields; high level of general language training of students from other countries; basic knowledge in Ukrainian language with the prospect of their further use in professional activity. It has been proved that it is advisable to use means interactive technologies for effective formation of the Ukrainian language professional competence of medical specialties foreign students. It has been substantiated that using the mentioned technologies in training of students-foreigners of medical university is caused by necessity to bring their educational activity while studying the Ukrainian language to real conditions of medical practice in Ukrainian medical establishments. The competences (integral, general, special), which foreign student must acquire in the process of studying Ukrainian language as foreign have been characterized Based on the analysis, generalization of scientific sources, normative documents, the expediency of forming Ukrainian-language professional competence of foreign medical students is argued. Ukrainian-language training of foreign students of medical institutions of higher education is an extremely important component of professional training of future medical professionals. Learning a language in a professional field is now gaining special importance for future doctors, and it is the teacher who must use such forms and methods to make this process interesting and desirable for students. To achieve this goal, it is appropriate to use interactive learning technologies, through which foreign students will be able to learn to articulate and express their views in Ukrainian, communicate, discuss, perceive and evaluate professional information, ie actively use the acquired knowledge and skills of Ukrainian communication in practice. in the role of a health worker during clinical practice. Systematic use of interactive teaching methods in the educational process is aimed at intensifying educational, cognitive, independent, communicative activities of foreign medical students in the process of learning the Ukrainian language on the basis of enhanced interpersonal interaction between teacher and students.

The article analyzes the actual ideas on the problem of practical training of future teachers. Such training consists in mastering students' knowledge, skills and skills in the prevention of pedagogical conflicts in higher education, which have always been constant companions of social life. It was through such contradictions that new progressive ideas were born that ensured the further evolution of institutions of higher education. For the professional activity of the future teacher, the developed communication skills that are interconnected with his emotional intelligence, which determines the success of teaching, are extremely important. Emotional intelligence in the unity of its structural components (cognitive, affective and behavioral) is based on the management of the emotional sphere, its reflection and understanding. A high level of emotional intelligence ensures the success of an individual's activity: the ability to adequately express his or her emotions, to understand the emotions and motives of other people's behavior, the ability to act effectively in the system of interpersonal relationships, the ability to navigate social situations, to correctly identify the personality traits and emotional states of other people, to choose the appropriate ways communicate with them and realize all this in the process of interaction. The notion of the progress of a modern student as a competitive subject of future professional activity is connected with the ability to interact with a professional society, to manage their emotional sphere and, accordingly, relations with the subjects of joint activity. A high level of emotional intelligence is extremely important in stressful situations, which becomes a necessary component of making responsible decisions. The contents, historical aspect, different models, the description of the emotional intelligence of future teachers are considered in detail. The recommendations for prevention of pedagogical conflicts in the context of emotional intelligence are generalized.

Formulation of the problem. In modern conditions of high-tech economic development, the question of training directly for production arises. This issue, in particular, is addressed by the vocational school, which assumes the main functions in the training system. The big role in it belongs to the teacher who is engaged in formation of the personality of the manufacturer not only as a production unit, but also as a factor of formation of competitiveness, actually, the future worker, and himself personally as the expert in the market of education. Analysis of recent research and publications. The issue of using the skills of a teacher in the system of production activities has always been the focus of researchers in the field of education. Recently, much attention has been paid to this, as Soft Skills of the modern teacher give him the appropriate advantages in the educational market. In particular, it is worth paying attention to the research carried out by V.V. Sidorenko, H.-D. Kubler, I.S. Kalenyuk, V.G. Muromets, L.L. Familyarskaya and others. The purpose of this study is to trace and elucidate the relationship of Soft Skills teacher of a vocational school with its competitiveness in the education market and to train competitive future professionals in the labor market. Materials and methods. The implementation of this study is based on the following principles: conceptuality, which allows to obtain integrated results; debatability, which allows the admission of different views on this issue; historicity, which makes it possible to determine the views of scientists and practitioners on this issue in different historical periods. Research results.The article attempts to consider the question of how in modern conditions of development of the educational market the role and importance of the teacher as the main product force in the system of training of the future specialist is grown. Pedagogical vocational school in market conditions creates a special product - an educational service, which is implemented by the educational institution in conditions of serious competition. In addition to his purely professional competencies, the teacher must have a number of skills and abilities. They are often characterized by the broad term Soft Skills - "soft skills" and "flexible skills". Soft Skills allow you to be successful regardless of the specifics of the activity and the direction in which the person works, in particular the teacher of the vocational school. As a rule, they are referred to as so-called social skills: the ability to persuade, approach people, lead, interpersonal communication, negotiation, teamwork, personal development, time management, erudition, creativity and other qualities. The paradox in this case is that the above skills are difficult to call those that lie outside the professional competencies of the teacher. However, it is these qualities that give the teacher become his competitive advantages in the educational market. In addition, such advantages of individual teachers create advantages for the educational institution, which receives advantages in the market. The educational institution should be interested in its production (teaching) staff to be the most professionally trained (Hard Skills) and endowed with qualities beyond the professional qualities that become a factor of competitiveness in the educational market (Soft Skills). In this combination, the effect of synergy is achieved both at the personal level and at the level of the educational institution. Conclusions. Soft Skills teacher of a vocational school gives him the opportunity to gain benefits in the educational process and in the educational market, provided their skillful use. Also, Soft Skills educator play a major role in organizing the learning process of future professionals, influencing their formation as members of society. Teachers who have the appropriate qualities in the total result affect the creation of an appropriate image of the institution and its competitiveness in the education market.

The article deals with educational peculiarities, which highlight modern educational priorities, of the content of textbooks for classes 9 and 10 prepared during the current three years by individual Lithuanian authors. Applying content assessment analysis, didactic principles of preparation of textbooks were examined, and forms of educational expression of generic competencies (ability to learn, cognition, communication, use of ICT and other) in textual, visual, practical and other materials of these learning aids were revealed.During the research it was established that the key point of the content structure of modern textbooks is assistance to the student and the teacher. To achieve the set aim textbooks contain not only knowledge, but they also advise, encourage, motivate, indicate a learning direction, provide possibilities for students to check and evaluate their achievements themselves.Modern didactic principles are reflected in the content of textbooks in different forms which are accessible to students. One of them, i.e. a principle of accessibility, could be noted as it is revealed on the basis of the peculiarities of students‘ developmental cognitive psychology and logic; however, inborn or acquired special needs, learning styles of individual students are considered only in part. A principle of integrityis particularly distinct in the content of textbooks from the point of view of the subject, internal and socio-cultural integration. In the content of „Biology 9” and “Biology 10“, interdisciplinary integration is emphasized more. This educational principle is aimed at linking knowledge of different subjects by notional relationships. In the textbooks of „Bios“ series more attention is given to internal integration of the subject. It is guaranteed linking concepts and conceptions of the same subject by internal interrelations. Application of sociocultural integration aims at developing students’ general scientific conception. This principle of integration is expressed by linking concepts of ecology, healthy lifestyle, consumer culture or other areas with the biology subject content.Analysis of textbooks from the point of generic competencies demonstrated that this educational aspect is particularly distinct in the textbooks published in 2010–2012. In their content, it is aimed at developing generic competencies through certain sections, topics, tasks: ability to learn– “How to Study Biology”; the following rubrics are devoted for the developmentof a cognitive competency: “Science Report”, “Do it Practically”, “Laboratory”, “Method”;an ICT application competencyis developed by teaching how to use the opportunities provided by these technologies in searching, summarizing or submitting information, or processing the data of researches, tests and observations, examining or modelling phenomena. To achieve this aim, relevant Internet websites that can be used both in the classroom and at home are indicated; communication, initiative and creativity competenciesare developed through discussions of the tasks performed, debates, analysis and assessment of the results of the work, drawing conclusions.A social competencyis developed through the ability to socialize and cooperate, respect for the person, his rights and dignity. The content of the analyzed textbooks is characterized by a rather innovative biology education system, i.e. a constructivist approach to teaching (and learning) is evident, modern didactics and a provision of education (self-education) targeted to learning activities is emphasized. The mentioned learning activities involve: independent and active students’ learning, working in pairs or in groups, information search and its presentation, science research, vocational orientation.The material is presented in a form of problems, life situations encouraging critical thinking are created; the phenomena analyzed in topics are associated with the currently topical issues and presented according to the latest discoveries and technologies.

The influence of family, school and peers on students' emotional social development is very important as a starting point for the design of school activities that will also improve student development in an integral way. The Star of the Week program was developed with the aim of helping students apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to socialize and understand and manage emotions. This study uses the Thiagarajan model stages, namely define, design, develop, and disseminate (4D). The results of the validity test from the experts show that this program has workable value with 91.1% material aspects, 90% emotional development aspects and 92% presentation aspects. For the practicality test results through teacher questionnaires obtained scores of 90%, and 88.67% through teacher observations of children who are in the high practical category. The results of the program effectiveness test showed a value of 89.08% on children's social-emotional development, because it showed an increase in values ​​before and after the intervention. The implication of further research is that it is hoped that various kinds of learning methods will develop aspects of child development based on cooperation and peer relationships. Keywords: Early Childhood, Peer Relationships, Star of the Week Program, Social Emotional References Acar, I. H., Hong, S. Y., & Wu, C. R. (2017). Examining the role of teacher presence and scaffolding in preschoolers’ peer interactions. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 25(6), 866–884. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2017.1380884 Acar, I. H., Rudasill, K. M., Molfese, V., Torquati, J., & Prokasky, A. (2015). Temperament and preschool children’s peer interactions. Early Education and Development, 26(4), 479–495. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2015.1000718 Akhir, K., & Wisz, M. S. (2018). 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The article examines the causes of conflicts in inclusive student groups and means of their prevention. It has been found that the success of inclusive education in higher education institutions mainly depends on interpersonal relationships in inclusive student groups. This is due to the fact that communicating with each other, students with special educational needs acquire skills of social interaction, widen the range of their social roles, learn more about their own personality. However, the peculiarities of moral attitudes, values, behavior, features of the emotional and volitional sphere development, cognitive processes of students with special educational needs lead to conflict situations in inclusive student groups. To determine the causes of conflicts in inclusive student groups, a diagnostic study was conducted among the full-time and part-time students with special educational needs of Khmelnytsky National University. The results of the diagnosis showed that main causes of conflicts in inclusive student groups are the following socio-psychological characteristics of students with special educational needs: low level of self-esteem due to which they get painful experiences because of critical remarks addressed to them, try to adapt to other people's opinions, have low motivation for achievement, feel lonely and anxious; low ability to establish new contacts for communication, low level of sociability; the desire to avoid conflict or to get out of it with dignity accepting the opinions and interests of others without seeking compromise solutions. Taking this into consideration, we have developed and substantiated conflict prevention tools for inclusive student groups that can help students with special educational needs to interact effectively with other students while studying at higher education institution.

This study explores the nature, use, and social organization of one form of communicative action that is common in everyday life -- "bullshitting." We use this form of communication to assess the ways in which dimensions of community, power and status are created in interaction. Abiding by the canons of ethnographic content analysis, we gathered data from over one hundred student respondents to ascertain the behaviors, utterances, and stories that people define as "bullshitting." The study finds that members of the "millennial generation" hone skills both in the telling and detection of this form of communication as they participate in a variety of contexts, including school, work, and interpersonal relationships. Special attention is given to the ways in which bullshitting is used as a cultural resource for agentive action. Dramaturgical and organizational theories are drawn upon in theorizing the data.

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Aims: The purpose of the article is to highlight the factors affected by the use of the mask in special situations, like the one of the covid-19 pandemic. With the research of social, educational and psychological factors, evidence and conditions emerge, which deteriorate the psychic and social children’s life, studying in the formal education. The aim is to be understandable the significance of the person and his elevation in the modern educational and social reality, in an area where the use of mask is essential. Methodology: The examination of the topics in this article follows the characteristics of the interdisciplinary approach. The article develops the consequences of using a protective mask in the educational, social and theological field. The approach is interdisciplinary, attempting to theoretically substantiate the issue, in order to lead to exploratory approaches to the issue within the scientific community. Therefore, this article does not refer to any research conducted by the authors, but the main interest is in structuring those factors that make the face mask a means of depersonalizing people, as a form of learned behavior, which is attempted to be acquired in the teacher environment. For this reason, this article is not presented structurally in the form of research presentation articles, quantitative or qualitative, but is developed as a theoretical research article in the field of paper review. Conclusion: During the covid-19 pandemic, the use of a mask interferes with the effective communication and teaching relationship, which can lead to depersonalization. The concealment of facial features has socio-emotional consequences which disrupt the interpersonal relationships of learners. The educator must perceive the learner as a “person” and focus on his development. The didactic act should be based on the treatment of the learners as individuals, a fact that will restore the balance and increase their adaptive capacity towards the threat of depersonalization.

Following the recent special issue in Frontiers in Psychology, entitled “The Role of Teacher Interpersonal Variables in Students’ Academic Engagement, Success, and Motivation,” calling educational researchers worldwide to examine different teacher interpersonal communication behaviors that contribute to student-related academic outcomes, this conceptual review article is written to familiarize educational researchers, teachers, and students with main concepts in instructional communication and their role as the main pillar of successful teaching and learning processes. To this aim, by drawing on the positive psychology movement and the rhetorical and relational goal theory in instructional communication, we argue that positive teacher interpersonal communication behaviors are facilitators of a wide range of desirable student-related academic outcomes. Then, to support our argument, we provide empirical evidence. In doing so, we introduce and define seven instances of positive teacher interpersonal communication behaviors, namely teacher care, clarity, credibility, rapport with students, stroke, immediacy, and confirmation, and expound how they positively predict academic outcomes such as motivation, learning, engagement, involvement, class attendance, willingness to communicate, performance, and success in students. Subsequently, we highlight the critical role of teacher interpersonal variables in the foreign/second language classroom context. Next, we suggest some pedagogical implications with the potential to enlighten the practice of key educational stakeholders (i.e., teachers, students, teacher educators, materials developers, administrators, and teacher recruiters). At the end, the limitations in this line of research are identified, and avenues for future research on teacher interpersonal communication in both general education and language education domains are put forward for interested researchers.

While the ensemble is a ubiquitous learning environment within jazz education, opportunities to learn through engagement in ensemble performances and industry-level recording opportunities are rare classroom environments tertiary jazz music institutions offer. This qualitative study examines jazz performance contexts within an Australian tertiary music course, exploring students’ learning experience spanning three diverse collaborative projects across nine months. Phenomenological analysis explores the instructional relationship outlining connection between the student and instruction, the subject matter that is taught, and the connection between the student and the teacher as master improviser. Findings outline substantive teacher crafting of learning, relationship building and learning experiences garnered from interpersonal learning relationships, and the application of content with pedagogy that aims to build a positive learning climate between improvising teachers and their students. The author contends that a phenomenological perspective can highlight this diversity and emphasize effective interpersonal strategies and ensemble pedagogies that enhance student learning and potentially enculturate richer and more sophisticated musicianship in students and their developing creative abilities.

This paper provides embedded, reflective practice-based insight arising from my experience collaborating to produce online and print-on-demand editions of a magazine showcasing the photography of members of haphazart! Contemporary Abstracts group (hereafter referred to as haphazart!). The group’s online visual, textual and activity-based practices via the photo sharing social networking site Flickr are portrayed as achieving cohesive visual identity. Stylistic analysis of pictures in support of this claim is not attempted. Rather negotiation, that Elliot has previously described in M/C Journal as innate in collaboration, is identified as the unifying factor. However, the collaborators’ adherence to Flickr’s communication platform proves problematic in the editorial context. Some technical incoherence with possible broader cultural implications is encountered during the process of repurposing images from screen to print. A Scan of Relevant Literature The photographic gaze perceives and captures objects which seem to ‘carry within them ready-made’ a work of art. But the reminiscences of the gaze are only made possible by knowing and associating with groups that define a tradition. The list of valorised subjects is not actually defined with reference to a culture, but rather by familiarity with a limited group. (Chamboredon 144) As part of the array of socio-cultural practices afforded by Web 2.0 interoperability, sites of produsage (Bruns) are foci for studies originating in many disciplines. Flickr provides a rich source of data that researchers interested in the interface between the technological and the social find useful to analyse. Access to the Flickr application programming interface enables quantitative researchers to observe a variety of means by which information is propagated, disseminated and shared. Some findings from this kind of research confirm the intuitive. For example, Negoecsu et al. find that “a large percentage of users engage in sharing with groups and that they do so significantly” ("Analyzing Flickr Groups" 425). They suggest that Flickr’s Groups feature appears to “naturally bring together two key aspects of social media: content and relations.” They also find evidence for what they call hyper-groups, which are “communities consisting of groups of Flickr groups” ("Flickr Hypergroups" 813). Two separate findings from another research team appear to contradict each other. On one hand, describing what they call “social cascades,” Cha et al. claim that “content in the form of ideas, products, and messages spreads across social networks like a virus” ("Characterising Social Cascades"). Yet in 2009 they claim that homocity and reciprocity ensure that “popularity of pictures is localised” ("Measurement-Driven Analysis"). Mislove et al. reflect that the affordances of Flickr influence the growth patterns they observe. There is optimism shared by some empiricists that through collation and analysis of Flickr tag data, the matching of perceptual structures of images and image annotation techniques will yield ontology-based taxonomy useful in automatic image annotation and ultimately, the Semantic Web endeavour (Kennedy et al.; Su et al.; Xu et al.). Qualitative researchers using ethnographic interview techniques also find Flickr a valuable resource. In concluding that the photo sharing hobby is for many a “serious leisure” activity, Cox et al. propose that “Flickr is not just a neutral information system but also value laden and has a role within a wider cultural order.” They also suggest that “there is genuinely greater scope for individual creativity, releasing the individual to explore their own identity in a way not possible with a camera club.” Davies claims that “online spaces provide an arena where collaboration over meanings can be transformative, impacting on how individuals locate themselves within local and global contexts” (550). She says that through shared ways of describing and commenting on images, Flickrites develop a common criticality in their endeavour to understand images, each other and their world (554).From a psychologist’s perspective, Suler observes that “interpersonal relationships rarely form and develop by images alone” ("Image, Word, Action" 559). He says that Flickr participants communicate in three dimensions: textual (which he calls “verbal”), visual, and via the interpersonal actions that the site affords, such as Favourites. This latter observation can surely be supplemented by including the various games that groups configure within the constraints of the discussion forums. These often include submissions to a theme and voting to select a winning image. Suler describes the place in Flickr where one finds identity as one’s “cyberpsychological niche” (556). However, many participants subscribe to multiple groups—45.6% of Flickrites who share images share them with more than 20 groups (Negoescu et al., "Analyzing Flickr Groups" 420). Is this a reflection of the existence of the hyper-groups they describe (2009) or, of the ranging that people do in search of a niche? It is also probable that some people explore more than a singular identity or visual style. Harrison and Bartell suggest that there are more interesting questions than why users create media products or what motivates them to do so: the more interesting questions center on understanding what users will choose to do ultimately with [Web2.0] capabilities [...] in what terms to define the success of their efforts, and what impact the opportunity for individual and collaborative expression will have on the evolution of communicative forms and character. (167) This paper addresseses such questions. It arises from a participatory observational context which differs from that of the research described above. It is intended that a different perspective about online group-based participation within the Flickr social networking matrix will avail. However, it will be seen that the themes cited in this introductory review prove pertinent. Context As a university teacher of a range of subjects in the digital media field, from contemporary photomedia to social media to collaborative multimedia practice, it is entirely appropriate that I embed myself in projects that engage, challenge and provide me with relevant first-hand experience. As an academic I also undertake and publish research. As a practicing new media artist I exhibit publically on a regular basis and consider myself semi-professional with respect to this activity. While there are common elements to both approaches to research, this paper is written more from the point of view of ‘reflective practice’ (Holmes, "Reconciling Experimentum") rather than ‘embedded ethnography’ (Pink). It is necessarily and unapologetically reflexive. Abstract Photography Hyper-Group A search of all Flickr groups using the query “abstract” is currently likely to return around 14,700 results. However, only in around thirty of them does the group name, its stated rules and, the stream of images that flow through the pool arguably reflect a sense of collective concept and aesthetic that is coherently abstract. This loose complex of groups comprises a hyper-group. Members of these groups often have co-memberships, reciprocal contacts, and regularly post images to a range of groups and comment on others’ posts to be found throughout. Given that one of Flickr’s largest groups, Black and White, currently has around 131,150 members and hosts 2,093,241 items in its pool, these abstract special interest groups are relatively small. The largest, Abstract Photos, has 11,338 members and hosts 89,306 items in its pool. The group that is the focus of this paper, haphazart!, currently has 2,536 members who have submitted 53,309 items. The group pool is more like a constantly flowing river because the most recently added images are foremost. Older images become buried in an archive of pages which cannot be reverse accessed at a rate greater than the seven pages linked from a current view. A member’s presence is most immediate through images posted to a pool. This structural feature of Flickr promotes a desire for currency; a need to post regularly to maintain presence. Negotiating Coherence to the Abstract The self-managing social dynamics in groups has, as Suler proposes to be the case for individuals, three dimensions: visual, textual and action. A group integrates the diverse elements, relationships and values which cumulatively constitute its identity with contributions from members in these dimensions. First impressions of that identity are usually derived from the group home page which consists of principal features: the group name, a selection of twelve most recent posts to the pool, some kind of description, a selection of six of the most recent discussion topics, and a list of rules (if any). In some of these groups, what is considered to constitute an abstract photographic image is described on the group home page. In some it is left to be contested and becomes the topic of ongoing forum debates. In others the specific issue is not discussed—the images are left to speak for themselves. Administrators of some groups require that images are vetted for acceptance. In haphazart! particular administrators dutifully delete from the pool on a regular basis any images that they deem not to comply with the group ethic. Whether reasons are given or not is left to the individual prosecutor. Mostly offending images just disappear from the group pool without trace. These are some of the ways that the coherence of a group’s visual identity is established and maintained. Two groups out of the abstract photography hyper-group are noteworthy in that their discussion forums are particularly active. A discussion is just the start of a new thread and may have any number of posts under it. At time of writing Abstract Photos has 195 discussions and haphazart! — the most talkative by this measure—has 333. Haphazart! invites submissions of images to regularly changing themes. There is always lively and idiosyncratic banter in the forum over the selection of a theme. To be submitted an image needs to be identified by a specific theme tag as announced on the group home page. The tag can be added by the photographer themselves or by anyone else who deems the image appropriate to the theme. An exhibition process ensues. Participant curators search all Flickr items according to the theme tag and select from the outcome images they deem to most appropriately and abstractly address the theme. Copies of the images together with comments by the curators are posted to a dedicated discussion board. Other members may also provide responses. This activity forms an ongoing record that may serve as a public indicator of the aesthetic that underlies the group’s identity. In Abstract Photos there is an ongoing discussion forum where one can submit an image and request that the moderators rule as to whether or not the image is ‘abstract’. The same group has ongoing discussions labelled “Hall of Appropriate” where worthy images are reposted and celebrated and, “Hall of Inappropriate” where images posted to the group pool have been removed and relegated because abstraction has been “so far stretched from its definition that it now resides in a parallel universe” (Askin). Reasons are mostly courteously provided. In haphazart! a relatively small core of around twelve group members regularly contribute to the group discussion board. A curious aspect of this communication is that even though participants present visually with a ‘buddy icon’ and most with a screen name not their real name, it is usual practice to address each other in discussions by their real Christian names, even when this is not evident in a member’s profile. This seems to indicate a common desire for authenticity. The makeup of the core varies from time to time depending on other activities in a member’s life. Although one or two may be professionally or semi-professionally engaged as photographers or artists or academics, most of these people would likely consider themselves to be “serious amateurs” (Cox). They are internationally dispersed with bias to the US, UK, Europe and Australia. English is the common language though not the natural tongue of some. The age range is approximately 35 to 65 and the gender mix 50/50. The group is three years old. Where Do We Go to from Here? In early January 2009 the haphazart! core was sparked into a frenzy of discussion by a post from a member headed “Where do we go to from here?” A proposal was mooted to produce a ‘book’ featuring images and texts representative of the group. Within three days a new public group with invited membership dedicated to the idea had been established. A smaller working party then retreated to a private Flickr group. Four months later Issue One of haphazart! magazine was available in print-on-demand and online formats. Following however is a brief critically reflective review of some of the collaborative curatorial, editorial and production processes for Issue Two which commenced in early June 2009. Most of the team had also been involved with Issue One. I was the only newcomer and replaced the person who had undertaken the design for Issue One. I was not provided access to the prior private editorial ruminations but apparently the collaborative curatorial and editorial decision-making practices the group had previously established persisted, and these took place entirely within the discussion forums of a new dedicated private Flickr group. Over a five-month period there were 1066 posts in 54 discussions concerning matters such as: change of format from the previous; selection of themes, artists and images; conduct of and editing of interviews; authoring of texts; copyright and reproduction. The idiom of those communications can be described as: discursive, sporadic, idiosyncratic, resourceful, collegial, cooperative, emphatic, earnest and purposeful. The selection process could not be said to follow anything close to a shared manifesto, or articulation of style. It was established that there would be two primary themes: the square format and contributors’ use of colour. Selection progressed by way of visual presentation and counter presentation until some kind of consensus was reached often involving informal votes of preference. Stretching the Limits of the Flickr Social Tools The magazine editorial collaborators continue to use the facilities with which they are familiar from regular Flickr group participation. However, the strict vertically linear format of the Flickr discussion format is particularly unsuited to lengthy, complex, asynchronous, multithreaded discussion. For this purpose it causes unnecessary strain, fatigue and confusion. Where images are included, the forums have set and maximum display sizes and are not flexibly configured into matrixes. Images cannot readily be communally changed or moved about like texts in a wiki. Likewise, the Flickrmail facility is of limited use for specialist editorial processes. Attachments cannot be added. This opinion expressed by a collaborator in the initial, open discussion for Issue One prevailed among Issue Two participants: do we want the members to go to another site to observe what is going on with the magazine? if that’s ok, then using google groups or something like that might make sense; if we want others to observe (and learn from) the process - we may want to do it here [in Flickr]. (Valentine) The opinion appears socially constructive; but because the final editorial process and production processes took place in a separate private forum, ultimately the suggested learning between one issue and the next did not take place. During Issue Two development the reluctance to try other online collaboration tools for the selection processes requiring visual comparative evaluation of images and trials of sequencing adhered. A number of ingenious methods of working within Flickr were devised and deployed and, in my opinion, proved frustratingly impractical and inefficient. The digital layout, design, collation and formatting of images and texts, all took place on my personal computer using professional software tools. Difficulties arose in progressively sharing this work for the purposes of review, appraisal and proofing. Eventually I ignored protests and insisted the team review demonstrations I had converted for sharing in Google Documents. But, with only one exception, I could not tempt collaborators to try commenting or editing in that environment. For example, instead of moving the sequence of images dynamically themselves, or even typing suggestions directly into Google Documents, they would post responses in Flickr. To Share and to Hold From the first imaginings of Issue One the need to have as an outcome something in one’s hands was expressed and this objective is apparently shared by all in the haphazart! core as an ongoing imperative. Various printing options have been nominated, discussed and evaluated. In the end one print-on-demand provider was selected on the basis of recommendation. The ethos of haphazart! is clearly not profit-making and conflicts with that of the printing organisation. Presumably to maintain an incentive to purchase the print copy online preview is restricted to the first 15 pages. To satisfy the co-requisite to make available the full 120 pages for free online viewing a second host that specialises in online presentation of publications is also utilised. In this way haphazart! members satisfy their common desires for sharing selected visual content and ideas with an online special interest audience and, for a physical object of art to relish—with all the connotations of preciousness, fetish, talisman, trophy, and bookish notions of haptic pleasure and visual treasure. The irony of publishing a frozen chunk of the ever-flowing Flickriver, whose temporally changing nature is arguably one of its most interesting qualities, is not a consideration. Most of them profess to be simply satisfying their own desire for self expression and would eschew any critical judgement as to whether this anarchic and discursive mode of operation results in a coherent statement about contemporary photographic abstraction. However there remains a distinct possibility that a number of core haphazart!ists aspire to transcend: popular taste; the discernment encouraged in camera clubs; and, the rhetoric of those involved professionally (Bourdieu et al.); and seek to engage with the “awareness of illegitimacy and the difficulties implied by the constitution of photography as an artistic medium” (Chamboredon 130). Incoherence: A Technical Note My personal experience of photography ranges from the filmic to the digital (Holmes, "Bridging Adelaide"). For a number of years I specialised in facsimile graphic reproduction of artwork. In those days I became aware that films were ‘blind’ to the psychophysical affect of some few particular paint pigments. They just could not be reproduced. Even so, as I handled the dozens of images contributed to haphazart!2, converting them from the pixellated place where Flickr exists to the resolution and gamut of the ink based colour space of books, I was surprised at the number of hue values that exist in the former that do not translate into the latter. In some cases the affect is subtle so that judicious tweaking of colour levels or local colour adjustment will satisfy discerning comparison between the screenic original and the ‘soft proof’ that simulates the printed outcome. In other cases a conversion simply does not compute. I am moved to contemplate, along with Harrison and Bartell (op. cit.) just how much of the experience of media in the shared digital space is incomparably new? Acknowledgement Acting on the advice of researchers experienced in cyberethnography (Bruckman; Suler, "Ethics") I have obtained the consent of co-collaborators to comment freely on proceedings that took place in a private forum. They have been given the opportunity to review and suggest changes to the account. References Askin, Dean (aka: dnskct). “Hall of Inappropriate.” Abstract Photos/Discuss/Hall of Inappropriate, 2010. 12 Jan. 2010 ‹http://www.flickr.com/groups/abstractphotos/discuss/72157623148695254/>. Bourdieu, Pierre, Luc Boltanski, Robert Castel, Jean-Claude Chamboredeon, and Dominique Schnapper. Photography: A Middle-Brow Art. 1965. Trans. Shaun Whiteside. Stanford: Stanford UP, 1990. Bruckman, Amy. Studying the Amateur Artist: A Perspective on Disguising Data Collected in Human Subjects Research on the Internet. 2002. 12 Jan. 2010 ‹http://www.nyu.edu/projects/nissenbaum/ethics_bru_full.html>. Bruns, Axel. “Towards Produsage: Futures for User-Led Content Production.” Proceedings: Cultural Attitudes towards Communication and Technology 2006. Perth: Murdoch U, 2006. 275–84. ———, and Mark Bahnisch. Social Media: Tools for User-Generated Content. 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Purpose This paper aims to share responses from current literature, a small case study about perceptions and practices of the school of education faculty toward multicultural and educational issues concerning the rapid rise in online environments during coronavirus (COVID-19) experiences and just-in-time strategies for addressing digital equity and educational inclusion in K-16 online educational settings. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper that emerged from an action research case study. The study included four faculty in an urban school of education. The faculty participants were asked to provide examples of educational inclusion strategies used during transitioning their courses and advising to online environments in a Research I university. Faculty included one educational leadership, one sports management, one special education and one teacher education professor. Central issues explored practices related to language, technology access, curriculum design and technological competencies and assessment. A driving question was: How do institutions, schools or educators provide learning opportunities to support digital equity and inclusive education practice to maintain and strengthen relationships and core practices of multicultural education during a time of physical distancing during COVID-19? And what are the experiences, barriers, successes? Findings Research-based transformative knowledge, real situations and practical resources for considering inclusive education curriculum concepts were found that are connecting educators, teachers, learners and communities during this time of crisis. Research limitations/implications Methodological limitations that influenced the research design include conducting research in a totally virtual environment, small sample size, lack of diversity in curriculum content and one research site. The data collection was limited to written responses from the faculty participants. This action research study took place in a time frame limited by COVID-19 conditions during a four-month period. Practical implications In theory and practice, this new online movement suggests learners, teachers, educators and leaders are gaining experience and knowledge about resources and strategies for using new technologies, assessments and flexible curriculum as powerful tools for building language, curriculum and social-cultural communication bonds across generations and including special needs populations. Such new and emerging strategies could be used to bridge gaps in a time of distancing to support inclusive and equitable learning environments in education to minimize the effects of an emergent COVID-19 digital divide. Social learning culture as constructed, performed and captured in patterns of cooperation among faculties shows the world becoming more open and less restricted by borders. In conclusion, an emerging new conceptual framework is presented in Figure 2 to support action planning to bridge the digital equity access and learning gaps created by COVID-19. Social implications It is in times of strife and difficulty that problems and issues become exacerbated. While some educators easily adapted and took on the challenges of online learning, others needed time for learning and mourning (literally and figuratively). The issues of equity and access have become even more apparent as this paper takes inventory of intersections between multicultural education, special education, sports education and K-16 education overall. This is an excellent time to reflect on how education can address the cultural, economic and social barriers that impact student learning globally for all learners. Originality/value The brief collective case study reports educational experiences during a time of crisis that stimulates creative and innovative approaches to creating inclusive and equitable online learning environments to address diverse learning needs. The various and often contrasting educator responses from faculty facing digital and educational challenges present ideas that might be applicable in the global learning environment beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“Human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them [...] life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves.” (Garcia Marquez 165) Introduction The refugee experience is, at heart, one of rebirth. Just as becoming a new, distinctive being—biological birth—necessarily involves the physical separation of mother and infant, so becoming a refugee entails separation from a "mother country." This mother country may or may not be a recognised nation state; the point is that the refugee transitions from physical connectedness to separation, from insider to outsider, from endemic to alien. Like babies, refugees may have little control over the timing and conditions of their expulsion. Successful resettlement requires not one rebirth but multiple rebirths—resettlement is a lifelong process (Layton)—which in turn require hope, imagination, and energy. In rebirthing themselves over and over again, people who have fled or been forced from their homelands become both mother and child. They do not go through this rebirthing alone. A range of agencies and individuals may be there to assist, including immigration officials, settlement services, schools and teachers, employment agencies and employers, English as a Second Language (ESL) resources and instructors, health-care providers, counsellors, diasporic networks, neighbours, church groups, and other community organisations. The nature, intensity, and duration of these “midwives’” interventions—and when they occur and in what combinations—vary hugely from place to place and from person to person, but there is clear evidence that post-migration experiences have a significant impact on settlement outcomes (Fozdar and Hartley). This paper draws on qualitative research I did in 2012 in a regional town in New South Wales to illuminate some of the ways in which settlement aides ease, or impede, refugees’ rebirth as fully recognised and participating Australians. I begin by considering what it means to be resilient before tracing some of the dimensions of the resettlement process. In doing so, I draw on data from interviews and focus groups with former refugees, service providers, and other residents of the town I shall call Easthaven. First, though, a word about Easthaven. As is the case in many rural and regional parts of Australia, Easthaven’s population is strongly dominated by Anglo Celtic and Saxon ancestries: 2011 Census data show that more than 80 per cent of residents were born in Australia (compared with a national figure of 69.8 per cent) and about 90 per cent speak only English at home (76.8 per cent). Almost twice as many people identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander as the national figure of 2.5 per cent (Australian Bureau of Statistics). For several years Easthaven has been an official “Refugee Welcome Zone”, welcoming hundreds of refugees from diverse countries in Africa and the Middle East as well as from Myanmar. This reflects the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s drive to settle a fifth of Australia’s 13,750 humanitarian entrants a year directly in regional areas. In Easthaven’s schools—which is where I focused my research—almost all of the ESL students are from refugee backgrounds. Defining Resilience Much of the research on human resilience is grounded in psychology, with a capacity to “bounce back” from adverse experiences cited in many definitions of resilience (e.g. American Psychological Association). Bouncing back implies a relatively quick process, and a return to a state or form similar to that which existed before the encounter with adversity. Yet resilience often requires sustained effort and significant changes in identity. As Jerome Rugaruza, a former UNHCR refugee, says of his journey from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Australia: All the steps begin in the burning village: you run with nothing to eat, no clothes. You just go. Then you get to the refugee camp […] You have a little bread and you thank god you are safe. Then after a few years in the camp, you think about a future for your children. You arrive in Australia and then you learn a new language, you learn to drive. There are so many steps and not everyone can do it. (Milsom) Not everyone can do it, but a large majority do. Research by Graeme Hugo, for example, shows that although humanitarian settlers in Australia face substantial barriers to employment and initially have much higher unemployment rates than other immigrants, for most nationality groups this difference has disappeared by the second generation: “This is consistent with the sacrifice (or investment) of the first generation and the efforts extended to attain higher levels of education and English proficiency, thereby reducing the barriers over time.” (Hugo 35). Ingrid Poulson writes that “resilience is not just about bouncing. Bouncing […] is only a reaction. Resilience is about rising—you rise above it, you rise to the occasion, you rise to the challenge. Rising is an active choice” (47; my emphasis) I see resilience as involving mental and physical grit, coupled with creativity, aspiration and, crucially, agency. Dimensions of Resettlement To return to the story of 41-year-old Jerome Rugaruza, as related in a recent newspaper article: He [Mr Rugaruza] describes the experience of being a newly arrived refugee as being like that of a newborn baby. “You need special care; you have to learn to speak [English], eat the different food, create relationships, connections”. (Milsom) This is a key dimension of resettlement: the adult becomes like an infant again, shifting from someone who knows how things work and how to get by to someone who is likely to be, for a while, dependent on others for even the most basic things—communication, food, shelter, clothing, and social contact. The “special care” that most refugee arrivals need initially (and sometimes for a long time) often results in their being seen as deficient—in knowledge, skills, dispositions, and capacities as well as material goods (Keddie; Uptin, Wright and Harwood). As Fozdar and Hartley note: “The tendency to use a deficit model in refugee resettlement devalues people and reinforces the view of the mainstream population that refugees are a liability” (27). Yet unlike newborns, humanitarian settlers come to their new countries with rich social networks and extensive histories of experience and learning—resources that are in fact vital to their rebirth. Sisay (all names are pseudonyms), a year 11 student of Ethiopian heritage who was born in Kenya, told me with feeling: I had a life back in Africa [her emphasis]. It was good. Well, I would go back there if there’s no problems, which—is a fact. And I came here for a better life—yeah, I have a better life, there’s good health care, free school, and good environment and all that. But what’s that without friends? A fellow student, Celine, who came to Australia five years ago from Burundi via Uganda, told me in a focus group: Some teachers are really good but I think some other teachers could be a little bit more encouraging and understanding of what we’ve gone through, because [they] just look at you like “You’re year 11 now, you should know this” […] It’s really discouraging when [the teachers say] in front of the class, “Oh, you shouldn’t do this subject because you haven’t done this this this this” […] It’s like they’re on purpose to tell you “you don’t have what it takes; just give up and do something else.” As Uptin, Wright and Harwood note, “schools not only have the power to position who is included in schooling (in culture and pedagogy) but also have the power to determine whether there is room and appreciation for diversity” (126). Both Sisay and Celine were disheartened by the fact they felt some of their teachers, and many of their peers, had little interest in or understanding of their lives before they came to Australia. The teachers’ low expectations of refugee-background students (Keddie, Uptin, Wright and Harwood) contrasted with the students’ and their families’ high expectations of themselves (Brown, Miller and Mitchell; Harris and Marlowe). When I asked Sisay about her post-school ambitions, she said: “I have a good idea of my future […] write a documentary. And I’m working on it.” Celine’s response was: “I know I’m gonna do medicine, be a doctor.” A third girl, Lily, who came to Australia from Myanmar three years ago, told me she wanted to be an accountant and had studied accounting at the local TAFE last year. Joseph, a father of three who resettled from South Sudan seven years ago, stressed how important getting a job was to successful settlement: [But] you have to get a certificate first to get a job. Even the job of cleaning—when I came here I was told that somebody has to go to have training in cleaning, to use the different chemicals to clean the ground and all that. But that is just sweeping and cleaning with water—you don’t need the [higher-level] skills. Simple jobs like this, we are not able to get them. In regional Australia, employment opportunities tend to be limited (Fozdar and Hartley); the unemployment rate in Easthaven is twice the national average. Opportunities to study are also more limited than in urban centres, and would-be students are not always eligible for financial assistance to gain or upgrade qualifications. Even when people do have appropriate qualifications, work experience, and language proficiency, the colour of their skin may still mean they miss out on a job. Tilbury and Colic-Peisker have documented the various ways in which employers deflect responsibility for racial discrimination, including the “common” strategy (658) of arguing that while the employer or organisation is not prejudiced, they have to discriminate because of their clients’ needs or expectations. I heard this strategy deployed in an interview with a local businesswoman, Catriona: We were advertising for a new technician. And one of the African refugees came to us and he’d had a lot of IT experience. And this is awful, but we felt we couldn't give him the job, because we send our technicians into people's houses, and we knew that if a black African guy rocked up at someone’s house to try and fix their computer, they would not always be welcomed in all—look, it would not be something that [Easthaven] was ready for yet. Colic-Peisker and Tilbury (Refugees and Employment) note that while Australia has strict anti-discrimination legislation, this legislation may be of little use to the people who, because of the way they look and sound (skin colour, dress, accent), are most likely to face prejudice and discrimination. The researchers found that perceived discrimination in the labour market affected humanitarian settlers’ sense of satisfaction with their new lives far more than, for example, racist remarks, which were generally shrugged off; the students I interviewed spoke of racism as “expected,” but “quite rare.” Most of the people Colic-Peisker and Tilbury surveyed reported finding Australians “friendly and accepting” (33). Even if there is no active discrimination on the basis of skin colour in employment, education, or housing, or overt racism in social situations, visible difference can still affect a person’s sense of belonging, as Joseph recounts: I think of myself as Australian, but my colour doesn’t [laughs] […] Unfortunately many, many Australians are expecting that Australia is a country of Europeans … There is no need for somebody to ask “Where do you come from?” and “Do you find Australia here safe?” and “Do you enjoy it?” Those kind of questions doesn’t encourage that we are together. This highlights another dimension of resettlement: the journey from feeling “at home” to feeling “foreign” to, eventually, feeling at home again in the host country (Colic-Peisker and Tilbury, Refugees and Employment). In the case of visibly different settlers, however, this last stage may never be completed. Whether the questions asked of Joseph are well intentioned or not, their effect may be the same: they position him as a “forever foreigner” (Park). A further dimension of resettlement—one already touched on—is the degree to which humanitarian settlers actively manage their “rebirth,” and are allowed and encouraged to do so. A key factor will be their mastery of English, and Easthaven’s ESL teachers are thus pivotal in the resettlement process. There is little doubt that many of these teachers have gone to great lengths to help this cohort of students, not only in terms of language acquisition but also social inclusion. However, in some cases what is initially supportive can, with time, begin to undermine refugees’ maturity into independent citizens. Sharon, an ESL teacher at one of the schools, told me how she and her colleagues would give their refugee-background students lifts to social events: But then maybe three years down the track they have a car and their dad can drive, but they still won’t take them […] We arrive to pick them up and they’re not ready, or there’s five fantastic cars in the driveway, and you pick up the student and they say “My dad’s car’s much bigger and better than yours” [laughs]. So there’s an expectation that we’ll do stuff for them, but we’ve created that [my emphasis]. Other support services may have more complex interests in keeping refugee settlers dependent. The more clients an agency has, the more services it provides, and the longer clients stay on its books, the more lucrative the contract for the agency. Thus financial and employment imperatives promote competition rather than collaboration between service providers (Fozdar and Hartley; Sidhu and Taylor) and may encourage assumptions about what sorts of services different individuals and groups want and need. Colic-Peisker and Tilbury (“‘Active’ and ‘Passive’ Resettlement”) have developed a typology of resettlement styles—“achievers,” “consumers,” “endurers,” and “victims”—but stress that a person’s style, while influenced by personality and pre-migration factors, is also shaped by the institutions and individuals they come into contact with: “The structure of settlement and welfare services may produce a victim mentality, leaving members of refugee communities inert and unable to see themselves as agents of change” (76). The prevailing narrative of “the traumatised refugee” is a key aspect of this dynamic (Colic-Peisker and Tilbury, “‘Active’ and ‘Passive’ Resettlement”; Fozdar and Hartley; Keddie). Service providers may make assumptions about what humanitarian settlers have gone through before arriving in Australia, how they have been affected by their experiences, and what must be done to “fix” them. Norah, a long-time caseworker, told me: I think you get some [providers] who go, “How could you have gone through something like that and not suffered? There must be—you must have to talk about this stuff” […] Where some [refugees] just come with the [attitude] “We’re all born into a situation; that was my situation, but I’m here now and now my focus is this.” She cited failure to consider cultural sensitivities around mental illness and to recognise that stress and anxiety during early resettlement are normal (Tilbury) as other problems in the sector: [Newly arrived refugees] go through the “happy to be here” [phase] and now “hang on, I’ve thumped to the bottom and I’m missing my own foods and smells and cultures and experiences”. I think sometimes we’re just too quick to try and slot people into a box. One factor that appears to be vital in fostering and sustaining resilience is social connection. Norah said her clients were “very good on the mobile phone” and had links “everywhere,” including to family and friends in their countries of birth, transition countries, and other parts of Australia. A 2011 report for DIAC, Settlement Outcomes of New Arrivals, found that humanitarian entrants to Australia were significantly more likely to be members of cultural and/or religious groups than other categories of immigrants (Australian Survey Research). I found many examples of efforts to build both bonding and bridging capital (Putnam) in Easthaven, and I offer two examples below. Several people told me about a dinner-dance that had been held a few weeks before one of my visits. The event was organised by an African women’s group, which had been formed—with funding assistance—several years before. The dinner-dance was advertised in the local newspaper and attracted strong interest from a broad cross-section of Easthaveners. To Debbie, a counsellor, the response signified a “real turnaround” in community relations and was a big boon to the women’s sense of belonging. Erica, a teacher, told me about a cultural exchange day she had organised between her bush school—where almost all of the children are Anglo Australian—and ESL students from one of the town schools: At the start of the day, my kids were looking at [the refugee-background students] and they were scared, they were saying to me, "I feel scared." And we shoved them all into this tiny little room […] and they had no choice but to sit practically on top of each other. And by the end of the day, they were hugging each other and braiding their hair and jumping and playing together. Like Uptin, Wright and Harwood, I found that the refugee-background students placed great importance on the social aspects of school. Sisay, the girl I introduced earlier in this paper, said: “It’s just all about friendship and someone to be there for you […] We try to be friends with them [the non-refugee students] sometimes but sometimes it just seems they don’t want it.” Conclusion A 2012 report on refugee settlement services in NSW concludes that the state “is not meeting its responsibility to humanitarian entrants as well as it could” (Audit Office of New South Wales 2); moreover, humanitarian settlers in NSW are doing less well on indicators such as housing and health than humanitarian settlers in other states (3). Evaluating the effectiveness of formal refugee-centred programs was not part of my research and is beyond the scope of this paper. Rather, I have sought to reveal some of the ways in which the attitudes, assumptions, and everyday practices of service providers and members of the broader community impact on refugees' settlement experience. What I heard repeatedly in the interviews I conducted was that it was emotional and practical support (Matthews; Tilbury), and being asked as well as told (about their hopes, needs, desires), that helped Easthaven’s refugee settlers bear themselves into fulfilling new lives. References Audit Office of New South Wales. Settling Humanitarian Entrants in New South Wales—Executive Summary. May 2012. 15 Aug. 2013 ‹http://www.audit.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/245/02_Humanitarian_Entrants_2012_Executive_Summary.pdf.aspx?Embed=Y>. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2011 Census QuickStats. Mar. 2013. 11 Aug. 2013 ‹http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2011/quickstat/0>. Australian Survey Research. Settlement Outcomes of New Arrivals—Report of Findings. Apr. 2011. 15 Aug. 2013 ‹http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/research/_pdf/settlement-outcomes-new-arrivals.pdf>. Brown, Jill, Jenny Miller, and Jane Mitchell. “Interrupted Schooling and the Acquisition of Literacy: Experiences of Sudanese Refugees in Victorian Secondary Schools.” Australian Journal of Language and Literacy 29.2 (2006): 150-62. Colic-Peisker, Val, and Farida Tilbury. “‘Active’ and ‘Passive’ Resettlement: The Influence of Supporting Services and Refugees’ Own Resources on Resettlement Style.” International Migration 41.5 (2004): 61-91. ———. Refugees and Employment: The Effect of Visible Difference on Discrimination—Final Report. Perth: Centre for Social and Community Research, Murdoch University, 2007. Fozdar, Farida, and Lisa Hartley. “Refugee Resettlement in Australia: What We Know and Need To Know.” Refugee Survey Quarterly 4 Jun. 2013. 12 Aug. 2013 ‹http://rsq.oxfordjournals.org/search?fulltext=fozdar&submit=yes&x=0&y=0>. Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. Love in the Time of Cholera. London: Penguin Books, 1989. Harris, Vandra, and Jay Marlowe. “Hard Yards and High Hopes: The Educational Challenges of African Refugee University Students in Australia.” International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 23.2 (2011): 186-96. Hugo, Graeme. A Significant Contribution: The Economic, Social and Civic Contributions of First and Second Generation Humanitarian Entrants—Summary of Findings. Canberra: Department of Immigration and Citizenship, 2011. Keddie, Amanda. “Pursuing Justice for Refugee Students: Addressing Issues of Cultural (Mis)recognition.” International Journal of Inclusive Education 16.12 (2012): 1295-1310. Layton, Robyn. "Building Capacity to Ensure the Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups." Creating Our Future conference, Adelaide, 28 Jul. 2012. Milsom, Rosemarie. “From Hard Luck Life to the Lucky Country.” Sydney Morning Herald 20 Jun. 2013. 12 Aug. 2013 ‹http://www.smh.com.au/national/from-hard-luck-life-to-the-lucky-country-20130619-2oixl.html>. Park, Gilbert C. “’Are We Real Americans?’: Cultural Production of Forever Foreigners at a Diversity Event.” Education and Urban Society 43.4 (2011): 451-67. Poulson, Ingrid. Rise. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia, 2008. Putnam, Robert D. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000. Sidhu, Ravinder K., and Sandra Taylor. “The Trials and Tribulations of Partnerships in Refugee Settlement Services in Australia.” Journal of Education Policy 24.6 (2009): 655-72. Tilbury, Farida. “‘I Feel I Am a Bird without Wings’: Discourses of Sadness and Loss among East Africans in Western Australia.” Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power 14.4 (2007): 433-58. ———, and Val Colic-Peisker. “Deflecting Responsibility in Employer Talk about Race Discrimination.” Discourse & Society 17.5 (2006): 651-76. Uptin, Jonnell, Jan Wright, and Valerie Harwood. “It Felt Like I Was a Black Dot on White Paper: Examining Young Former Refugees’ Experience of Entering Australian High Schools.” The Australian Educational Researcher 40.1 (2013): 125-37.

Introduction Films with deaf characters often do not focus on the condition of deafness at all. Rather, the characters seem to satisfy a role in the story that either furthers the plot or the audience’s understanding of other hearing characters. The deaf characters can be symbolic, for example as a metaphor for isolation representative of ‘those without a voice’ in a society. The deaf characters’ misunderstanding of auditory cues can lead to comic circumstances, and their knowledge can save them in the case of perilous ones. Sign language, because of its unique linguistic properties and its lack of comprehension by hearing people, can save the day in a story line. Deaf characters are shown in different eras and in different countries, providing a fictional window into their possible experiences. Films shape and reflect cultural attitudes and can serve as a potent force in influencing the attitudes and assumptions of those members of the hearing world who have had few, if any, encounters with deaf people. This article explores categories of literary function as identified by the author, providing examples and suggestions of other films for readers to explore. Searching for Deaf Characters in Film I am a sign language interpreter. Several years ago, I started noticing how deaf characters are used in films. I made a concerted effort to find as many as I could. I referred to John Shuchman’s exhaustive book about deaf actors and subject matter, Hollywood Speaks; I scouted video rental guides (key words were ‘deaf’ or ‘disabled’); and I also plugged in the key words ‘deaf in film’ on Google’s search engine. I decided to ignore the issue of whether or not the actors were actually deaf—a political hot potato in the Deaf community which has been discussed extensively. Similarly, the linguistic or cultural accuracy of the type of sign language used or super-human lip-reading talent did not concern me. What was I looking for? I noticed that few story lines involving deaf characters provide any discussion or plot information related to that character’s deafness. I was puzzled. Why is there signing in the elevator in Jerry Maguire? Why does the guy in Grand Canyon have a deaf daughter? Why would the psychosomatic response to a trauma—as in Psych Out—be deafness rather than blindness? I concluded that not being able to hear carried some special meaning or fulfilled a particular need intrinsic to the plot of the story. I also observed that the functions of deaf characters seem to fall into several categories. Some deaf characters fit into more than one category, serving two or more symbolic purposes at the same time. By viewing and analysing the representations of deafness and deaf characters in forty-six films, I have come up with the following classifications: Deafness as a plot device Deaf characters as protagonist informants Deaf characters as a parallel to the protagonist Sign language as ‘hero’ Stories about deaf/hearing relationships A-normal-guy-or-gal-who-just-happens-to-be-deaf Deafness as a psychosomatic response to trauma Deafness as metaphor Deafness as a symbolic commentary on society Let your fingers do the ‘talking’ Deafness as Plot Device Every element of a film is a device, but when the plot hinges on one character being deaf, the story succeeds because of that particular character having that particular condition. The limitations or advantages of a deaf person functioning within the hearing world establish the tension, the comedy, or the events which create the story. In Hear No Evil (1993), Jillian learns from her hearing boyfriend which mechanical devices cause ear-splitting noises (he has insomnia and every morning she accidentally wakes him in very loud ways, eg., she burns the toast, thus setting off the smoke detector; she drops a metal spoon down the garbage disposal unit). When she is pursued by a murderer she uses a fire alarm, an alarm/sprinkler system, and a stereo turned on full blast to mask the sounds of her movements as she attempts to hide. Jillian and her boyfriend survive, she learns about sound, her boyfriend learns about deafness, and she teaches him the sign for orgasm. Life is good! The potential comic aspects of deafness may seem in this day and age to be shockingly politically incorrect. While the slapstick aspect is often innocent and means no overt harm or insult to the Deaf as a population, deafness functions as the visual banana peel over which the characters figuratively stumble in the plot. The film, See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), pairing Gene Wilder with Richard Pryor as deaf and blind respectively, is a constant sight gag of lip-reading miscues and lack-of-sight gags. Wilder can speak, and is able to speech read almost perfectly, almost all of the time (a stereotype often perpetuated in films). It is mind-boggling to imagine the detail of the choreography required for the two actors to convince the audience of their authenticity. Other films in this category include: Suspect It’s a Wonderful Life Murder by Death Huck Finn One Flew over the Cuckoo’s NestThe Shop on Main StreetRead My Lips The Quiet Deaf Characters as Protagonist Informants Often a deaf character’s primary function to the story is to give the audience more information about, or form more of an affinity with, the hearing protagonist. The deaf character may be fascinating in his or her own right, but generally the deafness is a marginal point of interest. Audience attitudes about the hearing characters are affected because of their previous or present involvement with deaf individuals. This representation of deafness seems to provide a window into audience understanding and appreciation of the protagonist. More inferences can be made about the hearing person and provides one possible explanation for what ensues. It is a subtle, almost subliminal trick. There are several effective examples of this approach. In Gas, Food, Lodging (1992), Shade discovers that tough-guy Javier’s mother is deaf. He introduces Shade to his mother by simple signs and finger-spelling. They all proceed to visit and dance together (mom feels the vibrations on the floor). The audience is drawn to feel ‘Wow! Javier is a sensitive kid who has grown up with a beautiful, exotic, deaf mother!’ The 1977 film, Looking for Mr. Goodbar presents film-goers with Theresa, a confused young woman living a double life. By day, she is a teacher of deaf children. Her professor in the Teacher of the Deaf program even likens their vocation to ‘touching God’. But by night she cruises bars and engages in promiscuous sexual activity. The film shows how her fledgling use of signs begins to express her innermost desires, as well as her ability to communicate and reach out to her students. Other films in this category include: Miracle on 34th Street (1994 version)Nashville (1975, dir. Robert Altman)The Family StoneGrand CanyonThere Will Be Blood Deaf Characters as a Parallel to the Protagonist I Don’t Want to Talk about It (1993) from Argentina, uses a deaf character to establish an implied parallel story line to the main hearing character. Charlotte, a dwarf, is friends with Reanalde, who is deaf. The audience sees them in the first moments of the film when they are little girls together. Reanalde’s mother attempts to commiserate with Charlotte’s mother, establishing a simultaneous but unseen story line somewhere else in town over the course of the story. The setting is Argentina during the 1930s, and the viewer can assume that disability awareness is fairly minimal at the time. Without having seen Charlotte’s deaf counterpart, the audience still knows that her story has contained similar struggles for ‘normalcy’ and acceptance. Near the conclusion of the film, there is one more glimpse of Reanalde, when she catches the bridal bouquet at Charlotte’s wedding. While having been privy to Charlotte’s experiences all along, we can only conjecture as to what Reanalde’s life has been. Sign Language as ‘Hero’ The power of language, and one’s calculated use of language as a means of escape from a potentially deadly situation, is shown in The River Wild (1996). The reason that any of the hearing characters knows sign language is that Gail, the protagonist, has a deaf father. Victor appears primarily to allow the audience to see his daughter and grandson sign with him. The mother, father, and son are able to communicate surreptitiously and get themselves out of a dangerous predicament. Signing takes an iconic form when the signs BOAT, LEFT, I-LOVE-YOU are drawn on a log suspended over the river as a message to Gail so that she knows where to steer the boat, and that her husband is still alive. The unique nature of sign language saves the day– silently and subtly produced, right under the bad guys’ noses! Stories about Deaf/Hearing Relationships Because of increased awareness and acceptance of deafness, it may be tempting to assume that growing up deaf or having any kind of relationship with a deaf individual may not pose too much of a challenge. Captioning and subtitling are ubiquitous in the USA now, as is the inclusion of interpreters on stages at public events. Since the inception of USA Public Law 94-142 and section 504 in 1974, more deaf children are ‘mainstreamed’ into public schools than ever before. The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1993, opening the doors in the US for more access, more job opportunities, more inclusion. These are the external manifestations of acceptance that most viewers with no personal exposure to deafness may see in the public domain. The nuts and bolts of growing up deaf, navigating through opposing philosophical theories regarding deaf education, and dealing with parents, siblings, and peers who can’t communicate, all serve to form foundational experiences which an audience rarely witnesses. Children of a Lesser God (1986), uses the character of James Leeds to provide simultaneous voiced translations of the deaf student Sarah’s comments. The audience is ushered into the world of disparate philosophies of deaf education, a controversy of which general audiences may not have been previously unaware. At the core of James and Sarah’s struggle is his inability to accept that she is complete as she is, as a signing not speaking deaf person. Whether a full reconciliation is possible remains to be seen. The esteemed teacher of the deaf must allow himself to be taught by the deaf. Other films in this category include: Johnny Belinda (1949, 1982)Mr. Holland’s OpusBeyond SilenceThe Good ShepherdCompensation A Normal Guy-or-Gal-Who-Just-Happens-to-Be-Deaf The greatest measure of equality is to be accepted on one's own merits, with no special attention to differences or deviations from whatever is deemed ‘the norm.’ In this category, the audience sees the seemingly incidental inclusion of a deaf or hearing-impaired person in the casting. A sleeper movie titled Crazy Moon (1986) is an effective example. Brooks is a shy, eccentric young hearing man who needs who needs to change his life. Vanessa is deaf and works as a clerk in a shop while takes speech lessons. She possesses a joie de vivre that Brooks admires and wishes to emulate. When comparing the way they interact with the world, it is apparent that Brooks is the one who is handicapped. Other films in this category include: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (South Korea, 1992)Liar, LiarRequiem for a DreamKung Fu HustleBangkok DangerousThe Family StoneDeafness as a Psychosomatic Response to Trauma Literature about psychosomatic illnesses enumerates many disconcerting and disruptive physiological responses. However, rarely is there a PTSD response as profound as complete blockage of one of the five senses, ie; becoming deaf as a result of a traumatic incident. But it makes great copy, and provides a convenient explanation as to why an actor needn't learn sign language! The rock group The Who recorded Tommy in 1968, inaugurating an exciting and groundbreaking new musical genre – the rock opera. The film adaptation, directed by Ken Russell, was released in 1975. In an ironic twist for a rock extravaganza, the hero of the story is a ‘deaf, dumb, and blind kid.’ Tommy Johnson becomes deaf when he witnesses the murder of his father at the hands of his step-father and complicit mother. From that moment on, he is deaf and blind. When he grows up, he establishes a cult religion of inner vision and self-discovery. Another film in this category is Psych Out. Deafness as a Metaphor Hearing loss does not necessarily mean complete deafness and/or lack of vocalization. Yet, the general public tends to assume that there is utter silence, complete muteness, and the inability to verbalize anything at all. These assumptions provide a rich breeding ground for a deaf character to personify isolation, disenfranchisement, and/or avoidance of the harsher side of life. The deafness of a character can also serve as a hearing character’s nemesis. Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995) chronicles much of the adult life of a beleaguered man named Glenn Holland whose fondest dream is to compose a grand piece of orchestral music. To make ends meet he must teach band and orchestra to apparently disinterested and often untalented students in a public school. His golden son (named Cole, in honor of the jazz great John Coltrane) is discovered to be deaf. Glenn’s music can’t be born, and now his son is born without music. He will never be able to share his passion with his child. He learns just a little bit of sign, is dismissive of the boy’s dreams, and drifts further away from his family to settle into a puddle of bitterness, regrets, and unfulfilled desires. John Lennon’s death provides the catalyst for Cole’s confrontation with Glenn, forcing the father to understand that the gulf between them is an artificial one, perpetuated by the unwillingness to try. Any other disability could not have had the same effect in this story. Other films in this category include: Ramblin’ RoseBabelThe Heart Is a Lonely HunterA Code Unkown Deafness as a Symbolic Commentary on Society Sometimes films show deafness in a different country, during another era, and audiences receive a fictionalized representation of what life might have been like before these more enlightened times. The inability to hear and/or speak can also represent the more generalized powerlessness that a culture or a society’s disenfranchised experience. The Chinese masterpiece To Live (1994) provides historical and political reasons for Fenxi’s deafness—her father was a political prisoner whose prolonged absence brought hardship and untended illness. Later, the chaotic political situation which resulted in a lack of qualified doctors led to her death. In between these scenes the audience sees how her parents arrange a marriage with another ‘handicapped’ comrade of the town. Those citizens deemed to be crippled or outcast have different overt rights and treatment. The 1996 film Illtown presents the character of a very young teenage boy to represent the powerlessness of youth in America. David has absolutely no say in where he can live, with whom he can live, and the decisions made all around him. When he is apprehended after a stolen car chase, his frustration at his and all of his generation’s predicament in the face of a crumbling world is pounded out on the steering wheel as the police cars circle him. He is caged, and without the ability to communicate. Were he to have a voice, the overall sense of the film and his situation is that he would be misunderstood anyway. Other films in this category include: Stille Liebe (Germany)RidiculeIn the Company of Men Let Your Fingers Do the ‘Talking’ I use this heading to describe films where sign language is used by a deaf character to express something that a main hearing character can’t (or won’t) self-generate. It is a clever device which employs a silent language to create a communication symbiosis: Someone asks a hearing person who knows sign what that deaf person just said, and the hearing person must voice what he or she truly feels, and yet is unable to express voluntarily. The deaf person is capable of expressing the feeling, but must rely upon the hearing person to disseminate the message. And so, the words do emanate from the mouth of the person who means them, albeit self-consciously, unwillingly. Jerry Maguire (1996) provides a signed foreshadowing of character metamorphosis and development, which is then voiced for the hearing audience. Jerry and Dorothy have just met, resigned from their jobs in solidarity and rebellion, and then step into an elevator to begin a new phase of their lives. Their body language identifies them as separate, disconnected, and heavily emotionally fortified. An amorous deaf couple enters the elevator and Dorothy translates the deaf man’s signs as, ‘You complete me.’ The sentiment is strong and a glaring contrast to Jerry and Dorothy’s present dynamic. In the end, Jerry repeats this exact phrase to her, and means it with all his heart. We are all made aware of just how far they have traveled emotionally. They have become the couple in the elevator. Other films in this category include: Four Weddings and a FuneralKnowing Conclusion This has been a cursory glance at examining the narrative raison d’etre for the presence of a deaf character in story lines where no discussion of deafness is articulated. A film’s plot may necessitate hearing-impairment or deafness to successfully execute certain gimmickry, provide a sense of danger, or relational tension. The underlying themes and motifs may revolve around loneliness, alienation, or outwardly imposed solitude. The character may have a subconscious desire to literally shut out the world of sound. The properties of sign language itself can be exploited for subtle, undetectable conversations to assure the safety of hearing characters. Deaf people have lived during all times, in all places, and historical films can portray a slice of what their lives may have been like. I hope readers will become more aware of deaf characters on the screen, and formulate more theories as to where they fit in the literary/narrative schema. ReferencesMaltin, Leonard. Leonard Maltin’s 2009 Movie Guide. Penguin Group, 2008.Shuchman, John S. Hollywood Speaks. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1988. Filmography Babel. Dir. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Central Films, 2006. DVD. Bangkok Dangerous. Dir. Pang Brothers. Film Bangkok, 1999. VHS. Beyond Silence. Dir. Caroline Link. Miramax Films, 1998. DVD. Children of a Lesser God. Dir. Randa Haines. Paramount Pictures, 1985. DVD. A Code Unknown. Dir. Michael Heneke. MK2 Editions, 2000. DVD. Compensation. Dir. Zeinabu Irene Davis. Wimmin with a Mission Productions, 1999. VHS. Crazy Moon. Dir. Allan Eastman. Allegro Films, 1987. VHS. The Family Stone. Dir. Mike Bezucha. 20th Century Fox, 2005. DVD. Four Weddings and a Funeral. Dir. Mike Newell. Polygram Film Entertainment, 1994. DVD. Gas, Food, Lodging. Dir. Allison Anders. IRS Media, 1992. DVD. The Good Shepherd. Dir. Robert De Niro. Morgan Creek, TriBeCa Productions, American Zoetrope, 2006. DVD. Grand Canyon. Dir. Lawrence Kasdan, Meg Kasdan. 20th Century Fox, 1991. DVD. Hear No Evil. Dir. Robert Greenwald. 20th Century Fox, 1993. DVD. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. Dir. Robert Ellis Miller. Warner Brothers, 1968. DVD. Huck Finn. Stephen Sommers. Walt Disney Pictures, 1993. VHS. I Don’t Want to Talk about It. Dir. Maria Luisa Bemberg. Mojame Productions, 1994. DVD. Knowing. Dir. Alex Proyas. Escape Artists, 2009. DVD. Illtown. Dir. Nick Gomez. 1998. VHS. In the Company of Men. Dir. Neil LaBute. Alliance Atlantis Communications,1997. DVD. It’s a Wonderful Life. Dir. Frank Capra. RKO Pictures, 1947. DVD. Jerry Maguire. Dir. Cameron Crowe. TriSTar Pictures, 1996. DVD. Johnny Belinda. Dir. Jean Nagalesco. Warner Brothers Pictures, 1948. DVD. Kung Fu Hustle. Dir. Stephen Chow. Film Production Asia, 2004. DVD. Liar, Liar. Dir. Tom Shadyac. Universal Pictures, 1997. DVD. Looking for Mr. Goodbar. Dir. Richard Brooks. Paramount Miracle on 34th Street. Dir. Les Mayfield. 20th Century Fox, 1994. DVD. Mr. Holland’s Opus. Dir. Stephen Hereck. Hollywood Pictures, 1996. DVD Murder by Death. Dir. Robert Moore. Columbia Pictures, 1976. VHS. Nashville. Dir. Robert Altman. Paramount Pictures, 1975. DVD. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Dir. Milos Forman. United Artists, 1975. DVD. The Perfect Circle. Dir. Ademir Kenovic. 1997. DVD. Psych Out. Dir. Richard Rush. American International Pictures, 1968. DVD. The Quiet. Dir. Jamie Babbit. Sony Pictures Classics, 2005. DVD. Ramblin’ Rose. Dir. Martha Coolidge. Carolco Pictures, 1991. DVD. Read My Lips. Dir. Jacques Audiard. Panthe Films, 2001. DVD. Requiem for a Dream. Dir. Darren Aronofsky. Artisan Entertainment, 2000. DVD. Ridicule. Dir. Patrice Laconte. Miramax Films, 1996. DVD. The River Wild. Dir. Curtis Hanson. Universal Pictures, 1995. DVD. See No Evil, Hear No Evil. Dir. Arthur Hiller. TriSTar Pictures,1989. DVD. The Shop on Main Street. Dir. Jan Kadar, Elmar Klos. Barrandov Film Studio, 1965. VHS. Stille Liebe. Dir. Christoph Schaub. T and C Film AG, 2001. DVD. Suspect. Dir. Peter Yates. Tri-Star Pictures, 1987. DVD. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Dir. Park Chan-wook. CJ Entertainments, Tartan Films, 2002. DVD. There Will Be Blood. Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson. Paramount Vantage, Miramax Films, 2007. DVD. To Live. Dir. Zhang Yimou. Shanghai Film Studio and ERA International, 1994. DVD. What the Bleep Do We Know?. Dir. Willam Arntz, Betsy Chasse, Mark Vicente. Roadside Attractions, 2004. DVD.