News

“It’s time to wake up.” Victims of the substance use epidemic in Lansing demand change in court  

By Jayden Vann | July 9, 2024

54-B District Court, EAST LANSING. Home to the Drug Court recovery program. (Photo/Jayden Vann)

“It’s time to wake up.” The words of Lansing resident Erika Beard are a call for action against the substance use epidemic, a long-lasting public health crisis in the area. Erika herself was a victim of car theft, and her reflection on the situation compelled her to appear in court on Tuesday, February 6, to speak about the personal hardships she has suffered since the beginning of 2024, when her vehicle was stolen by an individual with substance use disorder. 

Despite having her vehicle reclaimed, Beard noted that the emotional fallout did not end upon its return. This strife, she explained, coupled with the pain of watching individuals with the disorder complicate their own lives and those of others, is what pushed her to appear at the court.  

It is not usual to see victims of drug-related violence using their life experiences in court to demand change. Erika’s choice to speak up against the issues with substance abuse in her community comes in response to a unique form of alternative probation, known as Drug Court. 

This initiative, housed in the heart of the East Lansing 54-B District Court, aims to serve the Greater Lansing community by decreasing the likelihood of substance abusers returning to the streets.

News

The pandemic changed students interactions in the classroom, and one practice may offer solution  

By Jayden Vann | July 9, 2024

Jessica Martell presenting on Disciplinary Literacy during March board meeting for Ingham Intermediate School District. (Photo/ Jayden Vann)

For the Ingham Intermediate School District, learning has never been so innovative. 

Fall 2023 witnessed the introduction of an important proposal to move education in a new, stronger direction, based primarily on insider knowledge within a specific domain. 

This process, which has become increasingly important in schools throughout Michigan, is known as disciplinary literacy.  

Based on the language and thought processes of experts from different subject industries, disciplinary literacy is a unique approach to subject learning that pushes professionals to think more fundamentally about how to break down work through the lens of their field.  

Graphic detailling relationships between subject matter text demands, youth language and literacy skill, and youth interest in subject matter texts. (Graphic/Elizabeth Moje)

Test scores for major subject areas have revealed that student language and literacy skills tend to level out around middle school, leading many districts to look to disciplinary literacy as a possible solution. This response comes following prolonged changes to learning prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“One thing that came out of the pandemic is it’s more and more important to engage students, and students are struggling with disengagement because that’s a social or a learned behavior,” said Rick Cook, English Instructor for the Ingham Intermediate School District. “So disciplinary literacy is a good answer to engagement problems. It helps students be engaged.” 

Analysis of student performance by licensed educators has substantiated that the simplified nature of disciplinary literacy will offer students a more digestible approach to content in various areas, not just those subjects taught in the classroom. 

“Every one of their fields has literacy even if they may not think about it explicitly like that,” Cook remarked.