(2013). International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) Book of Proceedings (Madrid, Spain, April 26-28, 2013). Online Submission We are delighted to welcome you to the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends 2013, taking place in Madrid, Spain, from 26 to 28 of April. Our efforts and active engagement can now be rewarded with these three days of exciting new developments about what we are passionate about: Psychology and its connections. We take pride in having been able to connect and bring together academics, scholars, practitioners and others interested in a field that is fertile in new perspectives, ideas and knowledge. We counted on an extensive variety of contributors and presenters, which can supplement our view of the human essence and behavior, showing the impact of their different personal, academic and cultural experiences. This is, certainly, one of the reasons we have many nationalities and cultures represented, inspiring multi-disciplinary collaborative links, fomenting intellectual encounter and development. InPACT 2013 received over more 338 submissions, from 37 different… [PDF]
(2002). Computers in Libraries Annual Conference (17th, Washington, DC, March 13-15, 2002): Collected Presentations. This book contains presentations from the 17th annual Computers in Libraries Conference. Topics covered include: chatting with a librarian; verbots for library Web sites; collaborative IT (Information Technology) planning at Montgomery County Public Library (Maryland); designing a local government taxonomy; Weblogs; new roles for librarians in e-government initiatives; usability; integration and usage of electronic books in the digital library; development of an online maps collection; building a portal; Gates Foundation secure computing model; dynamic database-driven Web sites; instant messaging reference; designing and implementing user-centered information services over the Web; digital preservationplanning and requirements analysis; the future of virtual catalogsprotocols and standards; creating a statewide resources sharing system in Michigan; the Cuban Heritage Digital Collection; streaming video on the Internet with RealNetworks products; building taxonomies for enhanced…
(2000). Using Community Based Action Research To Promote Critical Reflection in Preservice Teachers. This paper documents one university's use of action research to encourage preservice teachers' ongoing critical reflection as they negotiated diversity and community in their classrooms. Several supervisors developed a self-study research plan, meeting over 1 year to study several strategies for engaging preservice teachers in critical reflection. Preservice teachers were required to participate in a community project that was a natural extension of student teaching. Data were collected from meeting notes, journal entries, sharing sessions, interviews, supervisory journal entries, feedback cards from peers, and final reports. Researchers analyzed the impact of action research participation on student teachers' critically reflective practice and understanding of external communities. As participants examined more closely their students and classrooms, they began critically viewing their situations and dealing constructively with their concerns, considering them as possible action… [PDF]
(1997). Evaluation Report for the Massachusetts Workplace Literacy Consortium. National Workplace Literacy Program Wave 6, Year 3. The Massachusetts Workplace Literacy Consortium sought to upgrade work-related literacy skills at 22 partner sites in the state. Members included manufacturers, health care organizations, educational institutions, and labor unions. In its third year, the consortium served 1,179 workers with classes in English for speakers of other languages, adult secondary education/General Educational Development, and adult basic education. Findings of an evaluation of the third year included the following: (1) consortium members felt the Planning and Evaluation Team (PET) model provided many benefits, such as cost effectiveness, resource sharing, and communication; (2) confusion over roles of the state department of education and program coordinators hindered the first 2 years; (3) PET was considered critical to program success because it kept stakeholders informed, enabled open discussion, and promoted stakeholder buy-in; (4) obstacles to student participation in PET were difficulties with… [PDF]
(1989). Seniors and Youth: Learning and Sharing. An Intergenerational Project Created and Conducted with the Tama County Iowa 4-H Clubs, Mesquaki Indian Settlement School, and the Cedar Falls Public Schools (1983-88). This document describes the intergenerational project conducted in the Cedar Falls Public School System (Iowa) that involved senior citizens and youths in a learning and sharing process. The county-based extension service supported by faculty at Iowa State University assisted in the recruitment and training of senior citizen volunteers. Implemented intergenerational activities include: (1) students developing interviewing skills by interviewing three senior volunteers; (2) celebrating Black History Month by inviting three Black senior citizens to tell students about their family histories; and (3) learning about pioneer days by involving senior volunteers in teaching students about whittling, candle dipping, genealogy, Indian history, Black history, quilting, and other traditional arts and crafts. Evaluation of the project indicated that 20 senior volunteers contributed more than 407 hours to the project. Over 600 students in grades 4-7 took part with 2,229 contact hours of teachers…
(1988). Teaching Group Participation Skills to the Learning Disabled: A Key to Effective Mainstreaming. Junior Great Books discussions were used to teach critical thinking skills and independent learning behaviors to learning-disabled 5th-grade students. In baseline observations, the seven learning-disabled students exhibited active off-task behaviors and disruptive behavior causing dismissal from the group, while seven students in a "regular" group voluntarily followed teacher directions. Three skills were identified as important to sharing ideas effectively: listening, turn-taking, and expressing opinions supported by story facts. While the regular students quickly integrated these techniques into their discussions, special students needed to be motivated to control their behavior in order to begin using the listening and discussion skills. A behavior management program was instituted, which brought about decreases in off-task behaviors and interruptions. Analysis of program data showed a dramatic increase in average length of response for both groups over the course of…
(1987). Contract Training in Community Colleges. One of the most significant developments in higher education over the past decade has been the increased linkages between colleges and other organizations and institutions. A prominent and fast-growing form of linkage is contract training. Contract training refers to an arrangement in which a business, a government agency, or a community association contracts directly with a college for the provision of instruction to its employees, clients, or its members. Contract training programs can generally be clustered around several areas of activity: apprenticeship training, community-wide collaboration, community-based education, contract services for industry, economic development services, Job Training Partnership Act programs, faculty "return to industry" programs, program development sharing, and specialized programs. This review of community college contract training covers the following topics: (1) organization for delivery and extent of involvement; (2) types of training…
(2001). Mentoring New Teachers: A Report on the 2001 Beginning Teacher Induction Program in New Brunswick. For the sixth consecutive year, the New Brunswick Department of Education, New Brunswick Teachers' Association, and University of New Brunswick organized the Beginning Teacher Induction Program (BTIP) in 12 Anglophone school districts. Beginning teachers were paired with experienced teachers who mentored them throughout the year. This report presents data from surveys of beginning teachers, mentors, principals, and district coordinators. Over half of the beginning teachers were recent university graduates. Nine district coordinators took on the job of recruiting competent mentors. Workshops for beginning teachers and mentors were organized in every district. Participation rates in low-risk activities (e.g., lesson planning and sharing resources) were similar to previous years (generally 93 to 99 percent). Participation rates in higher-risk activities (e.g., classroom observations and providing feedback) were slightly lower than in the year 2000, which were slightly lower than they… [PDF]
(1999). Real-Time Collaboration over the Internet: What Actually Works?. In order to provide teachers and students with electronic learning environments that support mentoring and collaboration through electronic means, the authors developed software that supports same time/different place educational collaborative activities over the Internet. These activities focus on teaching students how to organize and systematize their explorations for information and to share this information with members of a group. The software is composed of an interface that connects the hyperlink, text, graphics, video, and sound capabilities of a browser to a World Wide Web client-server environment and is augmented by local electronic help tools and computer supported collaborative tools. Collaborative activities are supported through specially designed whiteboard, chat, file, and application sharing tools. Students can access online schedules and determine whether faculty or other students are available. The system is also equipped with management and record keeping… [PDF]
(2005). \Best Practices\ in Teaching and Learning: Challenging Current Paradigms and Redefining Their Role in Education. College Quarterly, v8 n3 Sum. With pervasive and persistent changes affecting education, educators are called to challenge current paradigms about best practices in instructional design and delivery and redefine how they are integrated into the curriculum. The purpose of this article is to introduce a model designed to support the new paradigm for best practices in education. The model recognizes the transformational nature of teaching and learning, and equips educators with the tools to proactively and continuously adapt to change. Implications for practice include developing curriculum that meets learner orientations and responds to labour market demands for program currency and graduate preparedness. The term \best practices\ has become standard nomenclature pervading the teaching and learning discipline. As educators, we refer to best practices as our toolkit of classroom activities, strategies, and techniques developed over years of honing our craft and sharing our expertise with colleagues. Armed with… [PDF]
(1991). Linking America's Schools and Colleges: Guide to Partnerships & National Directory. This book provides over 300 summaries of joint-venture programs between secondary and postsecondary schools. The overall purpose of the partnership programs is to improve the chances for at-risk students to graduate from high school and have a successful college experience. The main portion of the book is divided into four parts, each focusing on a major grouping of partnerships: (1) \Programs and Services for Students\; (2) \Programs and Services for Educators\; (3) \Coordination, Development, and Assessment of Curriculum and Instruction\; and (4) \Programs To Mobilize, Direct, and Promote Sharing of Educational Resources.\ Each part begins with a brief introduction, followed by an array of abstracts that describe these partnership activities. Following these four parts is a comprehensive national directory to the programs in the national computer database. For each partnership program, the directory lists the following: name of the higher education institution; name of the… [PDF]
(1992). Family Talk Time. A Curriculum for Refugee and Immigrant Parents. The Family Talk Time Curriculum is designed to provide the skills, information, and self-confidence needed to empower refugee and immigrant parents to raise their children successfully in the United States. It is part of the Washington state Multi-ethnic Family Intervention Project at the Refugee Women's Alliance. The curriculum was developed over a 2-year period by a multi-ethnic group of 10 refugee mothers, a bilingual staff, and parent educators from Seattle Central Community College. All techniques are designed to elicit input and opinions from the participants, to facilitate sharing among them, to introduce new information, to improve problem-solving skills, and to improve English language literacy skills. The teaching techniques include student stories, problem posing, brainstorming, charts and grids, student-drawn pictures, journal writing, and grammar activities. Chapters include: (1) Raising Children in the U.S. (remembering family history and culture, methods of discipline… [PDF]
(1990). Peer Coaching To Enhance the Effectiveness of Bilingual Education Teachers. In an effort to deliver practical staff development opportunities to bilingual education teachers and build a support system for them, a peer coaching inservice workshop model was developed. Over a period of one school year, about 40 elementary bilingual and English-as-a-second-language teachers participated in a 6-session workshop series with a peer coaching component. Released time was given to the teachers for these sessions. The workshop format included time for the teachers to explore their latest cycle of peer coaching as a whole group, explaining practices they had observed their peers using which they considered worthy of dissemination to other bilingual education teachers. They also reflected orally and in writing on their own observing, coaching, and conferencing skills. In each segment of the workshop series, whole group presentations, role-playing, brainstorming, small group activities, independent activities, and group sharing of actual teaching strategies and lessons…
(1989). Paired Classes Evaluation Based on Survey Results. A program at Lincoln High School in Stockton, California paired mainstream English classes with English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes to improve communication and understanding among students. Two mainstream literature classes were paired with two ESL literature classes. The pairs met about once a month during the school year, with half of the mainstream class joining half of the ESL class for group activities. Students were usually assigned to cooperative learning groups to participate in activities designed for sharing personal backgrounds, values, and cultures. Students were surveyed about the differences between the groups and the effects of the class pairing. ESL students responded more positively toward school and asking teachers for help. Mainstream students found interaction with classmates easier. The biggest gaps between the student groups were in the areas of trust, safety, and control over one's life, with the mainstream students feeling more positive in these… [PDF]
(1990). A Program To Improve the Social Skills of Preschool Children at a Private Day Care Center through a Problem Solving Approach. Over an 8-month period, a preschool teacher's aide designed and implemented a practicum study intended to improve the social skills of preschoolers in a private day care center. Lesson plans for teaching seven social skills through problem solving were created. Skills were related to entering and exiting activities without disrupting them; resolving conflict through negotiation; sharing equipment and toys; taking turns in conversation; refraining from foul or abusive language; and using polite expressions. Children were given a problem situation in the form of a story and were asked how they would behave if they were a character in the story. Teachers and children engaged in role playing in order to demonstrate prosocial behavior. Other interventions were: provision of a reason for expected behavior; direct instruction; practice; prompting; modeling; reviewing; structuring of the environment; encouragement; and large group, small group, and individualized instruction. Evaluation…