Enhancing literacy and comprehension skills

By: Tyra Redmond

The advancements in literacy development are soon to be supported by a tool designed to identify and assess learning disabilities. 

By 2026 an artificial intelligence sensor will be available at Michigan State University to help students with disabilities. The new device is set to measure how long children interact and connect with other students along with their preferred activities. 

Dr.Sarah Douglas is an associate professor at Michigan State. She assists children with disabilities, family dynamics and educational opportunities. Douglas also runs a lab dedicated to Research in Autism and Developmental Disabilities. Through the RADD lab, several projects are funded by various sources, including private donors. 

Douglas studies several different facets based on her interests: training and interventions for complex communication needs, the use of paraeducators support with developmental disabilities, and sensor technology to monitor social interactions. 

“The idea behind this work is to partner with engineers who have some really great tools that can be utilized in an educational setting to help teachers make better decisions about supporting students' social and communication interactions,” Douglas said. 

Even though the intricacies aren’t fully developed, the battery-operated sensor would measure differences in a student's skill level and behavioral patterns. Thus, detecting changes through movement and conversations that’ll synthesize data, and alert teachers via phone. 

“Many teachers' decisions in a special ed classroom are based on small snippets of information but if we had tools that could automate some of that combined with personal judgment I believe the outcome is promising,” Douglas said.

 
Essentially, the idea is working to develop an invention that will support educators. 

“We want to create a feasible device for teachers to implement in their classroom both cost-effective but easy to use,” Douglas said.

Currently, teachers tend to decide interventions based on their observations. Yet, this type of evaluation can lead to bias. 

“I really believe it can help teachers target certain traits and social interactions early on,” Douglas said. 

Similar AI innovations available in the market influence advancements in communication. This is seen with ChatGPT, Siri, virtual reality technology, etc.

“I imagine this to take decades before it becomes widespread use," Michigan State Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Subir Biswas said. “Schools and the general public would have to become more comfortable with machine learning and AI approaches.”

For the future, experts expect AI sensors to be a highly variable tool.

“We have to give these opportunities to ensure students are given the ability to read and become literate,” Douglas said. 

There's a common misconception that the inability to read out loud equates to an overall inefficiency in reading comprehension. In fact, most nonverbal students silently know how to read before anyone discovers it. 

Kindergarten through second-grade students acquire reading skills, while third to fifth-grade students utilize their reading abilities to facilitate learning. 

Literacy in Statesboro

At Julia P. Bryant Elementary School, staff prioritizes improved reading and proficiency. Recently, their Read-a-thon fundraiser raised roughly nine thousand dollars.  

“The sponsorship online was promoted to encourage kids to read. It’s really a bonus to support our other book supplements,” Principal of Julia P. Bryant Elementary, Stephanie Compton, said. “The response has been incredible with the families and donations we’ve received.”

Generally, comprehension connects literacy skills.

“Scarborough's Reading Rope is one visual aid I use to promote this understanding, which shows the interwoven connections between word recognition and language comprehension,” Georgia Southern Professor of Literacy Education, Rebecca Rogers said. “This leads to overall skilled reading comprehension.”

There are ways to teach reading to those who are nonspeaking. It involves very systematic approaches. 

Research-based reading assessments haven’t changed much over the last decade or so. Although, the way districts require assessments to be delivered, or the types of assessments being required have changed. 

“Many assessments are now online/digital and lack teacher interaction,” Rogers said. “In my humble opinion, no computer can effectively assess students’ reading abilities like one-on-one student/teacher assessments.”

The Accessible Learning Program creates a curriculum that allows someone to teach phonemic skills to nonverbal individuals. ALL uses a series of images to understand and bring awareness to the child’s comprehension when decoding the pronunciation of a word. 

Typically, students with learning disabilities can correct terms based on the image shown, such as cat vs bat. Hence, words become distinctive. Thus instructors are encouraged to guide the student to enunciate words without articulating.

Generally, at a college level, students with disabilities or who need accommodations must work directly with The Council on Physical Disabilities to complete paperwork regarding their condition. 

“In adulthood, it’s very much on them to seek out resources,” Douglas said. “That’s why it’s so critical we prepare individuals in public schools to advocate for themselves along with self-determination….without that it’ll be difficult for someone with a disability to pursue college and do so successfully.”

Even though everyone is at a different stage of learning, critical thinking is an effective strategy for better comprehension for all.

Rogers actively partakes in the USG Science of Reading Higher Education Consortium, where she works with reading/literacy colleagues from across the state to enhance literacy education for all teacher candidates.

“I encourage critical thinking by having students analyze different reading strategies, interpret student reading data, make decisions about reading instruction based on real or fictional data, observe reading skills in students, and monitor their understanding of content and skills learned in my class,” Rogers said. 

Bled Dry of Blood: The National Blood Shortage and Why It's Bad

 By: Jose Galvan

One of the shirts given after donating blood by the American Red Cross.

Back in January, the American Red Cross declared that there is a nationwide emergency shortage of blood.

For more context on the direness, the Red Cross supplies around 40% of the United States' blood needs. As said on the American Red Cross website, they're experiencing "the lowest number of people giving blood in the last 20 years", as well as citing that the donor rate has dropped by around 40% in the past two decades. This can only spell disaster in the coming times, but for a lot of people, they don't entirely know why. The importance of blood isn't entirely understood by donors either.

Eden Hollers. a student at Georgia Southern and blood donor, spoke about how the real importance isn't so openly conveyed.

"I'm not saying it isn't told by any means, but to be honest, I didn't know much past the snoopy shirt I'd get. We're always told it's important and to donate if we can, but I can't say I actually knew what it would help, beyond giving people more blood?"

In truth, donating blood is overwhelming helpful for a lot of the medical world. Blood transfusions are a big necessity for cancer patients, who would need more platelets of blood after their chemotherapy, or things like Plasma donation that help other cancer patients or burn victims. The Red Cross's Website, redcrossblood.org , is an important resource to truly put in perspective how important blood donation is, as well as who needs it, and for what.

As the shortage continues, the need for blood only increases. Locally, this may pop in different ways. Recently, around the Georgia Southern Statesboro Campus, Blood drives have been popping up more and more, showing up weekly at one point. Incentives become more common, whether having a trending shirt like the American Red Cross did with Snoopy from Peanuts, or gift cards/monetary rewards, like done by The Blood Connection on campus. While not saying that incentives are bad by any means, as long as it gets people in that chair under the needle, the importance of blood donation should go beyond rewards and incentives.

David Harris, another donor and student at Georgia Southern, discussed the importance that blood donation has had on them personally.

"Realistically, you don't focus on [blood donation]. You see the signs or drives and think 'Yeah I should donate, but I don't have time' or other excuses that allow you to move without batting an eye, but without blood donations, someone really close to me might've been in some real trouble. It's not rewarding in the moment, I get it, but it helps so much." Harris says.

As mentioned by Harris, it may not seem rewarding in the moment, but could be the difference between life and death for so many people. As well, these aren't problems that go away with one donation or transfusion. People with Sickle Cell disease might need transfusions throughout their lives, while cancer patients could even need blood daily, while going through their therapy treatments. There will constantly be a need for blood, as there will always be sick people.

Nicky Christian, a volunteer and donor, talked about the accessibility and ease of donations nowadays.

"I know age isn't an issue here on campus, so as long as you meet that weight and are just generally okay, you're good to donate. I understand all those other factors that might snip, but I feel like people are too scared to even try, for no explicable reason in my opinion. What's the worst that could happen, you can't donate? No harm, no foul, no shame, half the people just want the gift card, and that's okay! We just need more donors."

This follows into a big point, accessibility. Donating blood has only gotten easier, especially for students on the Southern campus. There's at least 1 or 2 drives a month, with incentives more than likely being a staple. The organizations usually provide snacks to help the aftercare process, and the culture following donation, is very positive. Doing your civic and charitable duty can always be praised, and getting something extra never hurt anybody.

Between accessibility, incentive, importance, and necessity, there needs to be a bigger push amongst people to donate blood. Of course, personal health trumps all, so don't feel bad if you actually can't donate blood, but there's so many people who genuinely can. The only logical explanation for not having had the drive to donate, is that people don't understand the direness of the shortage, and the importance of their donations. What this story is pushing, is that you need to donate blood. Go to your local drive, hospital, Red Cross, sign up online, take the jab and feel better. Maybe collect a couple bucks or apparel on the way out, but ultimately, just get in that chair and have compassion for your fellow human, and raise (or really, donate) a pint.

The Pollen Problem

Photos taken by: Mya Taylor

 By: Mya Taylor 

Pollen. It’s the annoying yellow that blankets our cars, homes, streets, grass, and bodies of water. If that was not enough, it possesses the ability to wreak havoc on all five senses. After making itself at home, it irritates the skin and eyes, scratches throats, and tickles noses all for the big “achoo.”  However, the real culprit of seasonal allergies are the sneaky grains you cannot see.  

Georgia Southern University Biology Professor Alan Harvey’s interest in studying pollen began with a collaborative art project. Harvey, along with Georgia Southern University Art Professor Jeff Shmuckie and Auburn University Art Professor Wendy Deschene, put together a mural of different pollen grains.  

Already having knowledge of the plants, Harvey went around the campus using a unique technique to collect pollen grains from them. After collecting the pollen grains, Harvey ran the grains from the separate species of plants through electron micrographs to take SEM photographs. Deschene added color to the photographs through false coloration. They made large, printed copies, cut them out, and used them to create the mural.  

Harvey also wanted to get to the bottom of his own severe pollen allergy.  

“I think for most people the issue when they’re talking about different types of pollen is which kinds of pollen are going to aggravate my allergies, which ones are going to coat my car, and those are the only types of pollen most people are aware of,” Harvey said.  

Harvey says that pollen serves an important purpose in plant sexual reproduction. He explained that a way to differentiate the plants that produce pollen is the type of transfer used to get the grains from male plants to female plants. Some plants depend on their mutualistic relationships with birds and bees during the reproduction process. Therefore, the future of those plants rests on the bodies of birds, and in the mandibles of bees.  

Some plants use bodies of water to transfer their pollen to other plants.  

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, “Pollen floats on the water’s surface drifting until it contacts flowers. This is called surface hydrophily, but it is relatively rare (only 2% of pollination is hydrophily). This water aided pollination occurs in waterweeds and pondweeds.” 

For wind pollinated plants, it’s tricky. As wind freely blows in different directions, it makes the male plant’s chances of pollinating a female plant much harder. This challenge will leave the male plant with two options.  

The first option is to produce a large amount of pollen. The second option is to produce smaller grains of pollen that can survive for a vast amount of time to increase the probability of pollinating a female plant.   

Pine pollen belongs in this category. Pine pollen is lifted by the wind and paints the town yellow with its enormous grains. However, if you think this is triggering your allergies, think again. Pollen is more than what meets the eye, and the smaller grains that we often cannot see are inhaled, causing allergies.  

Dr. Brad Goodman is an allergist immunologist in Savannah, Georgia. Before diagnosing a patient with an allergy, Goodman takes the patient’s medical history to see what symptoms they are experiencing, and what they believe may be the root cause of their allergy. 

Patients must then go through a 15-minute skin test panel where 40 to 80 different allergens are placed on their back. During the test, the patient’s skin will reveal their reaction to each allergen.  

Severe allergic reactions to pollen are rare.  

“In terms of pollen, the probably worst one in Savannah area despite what people think would be the grass pollens, because our grass pollens are out for about 9 months a year,” said Goodman.  

Aniyah Newton first developed an allergy to grass pollen in middle school. Her pollen allergy usually causes her to develop facial irritation and swelling.   

Just recently, she had to visit the hospital for an allergic reaction to pollen that resulted in hives on her neck and chin area.  

“I started out getting my allergy shots every week when I started 3 years ago, but now I get them once a month,” Newton said.  

Since getting the allergy shots and changing from Zertec to Allegra, her symptoms have improved. She has recently taken notice of the increasing amount of pollen.  

Experts have found that climate change is causing pollen seasons to arrive sooner and overstay their welcome.  

“So as our springs start coming earlier and earlier, they start producing pollen earlier and earlier, and as it gets warmer and warmer, that increases plants growth rate, and they produce more pollen,” Harvey said.  

Plants rely on temperatures to tell them when to bloom and carry out photosynthesis.  

The global phenomenon has also resulted in some adults developing pollen allergies for the first time in their lives. The only solution, Harvey suggests, is to adapt to the changes and find the best treatment suitable for their allergy.  

Treatment options for pollen allergies have changed throughout the years. The first method Dr. Goodman recommends for patients is to control their environment. Patients with multiple allergies would need more than one type of treatment.  

Southern Marsh Nursery is a retail nursery and landscaping business located in Port Wentworth, Georgia. 

The nursery is a plant seller for growers in several states including the Gulf Coast, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. After receiving the plants from the growers, the nursery sells them to landscapers, contractors, and members of the public. 

Their inventory is not there long enough to be concerned about the upkeep of the plants. However, during slower seasons, they must protect the plants against diseases and insects.  

Chris, the manager and plant specialist at the nursery, says that while pollen is a public annoyance for allergy sufferers, it is a necessity for the nursery and all living things.  

“It’s essential for every human being on the planet, that’s our food source,” Chris said. “The impact of pollen on businesses such as this is, like I said, a primarily positive thing.” 

Harvey wants people to realize that attractive flowers are not at the root of their allergies, because the plants will not need the attention of insects. The actual plants and the grains they produce are so small that they go unnoticed.  

“Those are the plants that are causing us grief,” Harvey said.