Academic Case Manager, Landmark Elementary -...
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“The hope is that by understanding what predicts how students respond emotionally when asked to read, we can determine how to set up learning environments that best promote positive emotional engagement for all students.” Samantha Daley Research Scientist, Center for Applied Special Technology s Samantha Daley is a familiar face at Landmark. As a Harvard graduate student in 2007 and 2008, she spearheaded a research project focusing on the role of emotions and stress when students were performing tasks related to reading comprehension. At that time, not only was her hypothesis confirmed, she also discovered through her research that the population with learning disabilities had elevated levels of stress before they even began their reading tasks. This discovery has led to a more recent study, focusing on people with learning disabilities and their elevated stress signals in the time leading up to tasks. Although it is felt that a little anxiety when instructions are given can be helpful, a prolonged anxious state could have significant health issues for individuals. According to Daley, “This research will help us understand more fully the factors that contribute to successful reading and learning for students with learning disabilities, as emotions have not typically been a focus of serious research but look to actually be critical contributors to success.” Samantha currently works for the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) and is continuing her research with the population here at Landmark’s Elementary • Middle School (EMS) campus. She is using techniques similar to her first study to monitor the cardiovascular profile of students engaged in reading tasks. While Samantha also conducted research in public schools during the first phase, identifying and recruiting students with learning disabilities in these schools was difficult and made research focused on this population quite challenging. Having an established relationship between Harvard and Landmark made the idea of conducting research much more feasible. Samantha hopes to attract 7th and 8th grade EMS students to participate, and has completed testing on eleven students to date. Daley holds a doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has published her work in Mind, Brain, and Education, 2007’s “Best New Journal” in the Social Sciences & Humanities for which she was co-editor of a special section, and the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability. Emotions and Stress in Reading Tasks: A Research Study by Deborah Chandler Academic Case Manager, Landmark Elementary • Middle School CAST is an educational research and development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design for Learning. Anyone interested in additional information on this study or Samantha Daley’s research in general is welcome to contact [email protected] or 781.245.2212. “...emotions have not typically been a focus of serious research but look to actually be critical contributors to success.”
Transcript of Academic Case Manager, Landmark Elementary -...
“The hope is that by understanding what
predicts how students respond
emotionally when asked to read, we can
determine how to set up learning
environments that best promote positive
emotional engagement for all students.”
Samantha DaleyResearch Scientist,Center for Applied Special Technology
sSamantha Daley is a familiar face at Landmark. As a Harvard graduate student in 2007 and 2008, shespearheaded a research project focusing on the role of emotions and stress when students were performing tasks related to reading comprehension. At that time, not only was her hypothesis confirmed, she also discovered through her research that the population with learning disabilities had elevated levels of stress before they even began their reading tasks. This discovery has led to a more recentstudy, focusing on people with learning disabilitiesand their elevated stress signals in the time leadingup to tasks. Although it is felt that a little anxietywhen instructions are given can be helpful, a prolonged anxious state could have significant healthissues for individuals. According to Daley, “Thisresearch will help us understand more fully the factorsthat contribute to successful reading and learning for students with learning disabilities, as emotions have not typically been a focus of serious research but look to actually be critical contributors to success.”
Samantha currently works for the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) and is continuing herresearch with the population here at Landmark’s Elementary • Middle School (EMS) campus. She is usingtechniques similar to her first study to monitor the cardiovascular profile of students engaged in readingtasks. While Samantha also conducted research in public schools during the first phase, identifying andrecruiting students with learning disabilities in these schools was difficult and made research focused on thispopulation quite challenging. Having an established relationship between Harvard and Landmark made theidea of conducting research much more feasible. Samantha hopes to attract 7th and 8th grade EMS students to participate, and has completed testing on eleven students to date.
Daley holds a doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School ofEducation. She has published her work in Mind, Brain, and Education, 2007’s “Best New Journal” in theSocial Sciences & Humanities for which she was co-editor of a special section, and the Journal ofPostsecondary Education and Disability.
Emotions and Stress in Reading Tasks:A Research Studyby Deborah ChandlerAcademic Case Manager, Landmark Elementary • Middle School
CAST is an educational research and development organization that works toexpand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design forLearning. Anyone interested in additional information on this study or SamanthaDaley’s research in general is welcome to contact [email protected] or 781.245.2212.
“...emotions have not typically been a focusof serious research but look to actually becritical contributors to success.”
