(1994). The Collaboratory Notebook: A Networked Knowledge-Building Environment for Project Learning. The Collaboratory Notebook, developed as part of the Learning Through Collaborative Visualization Project (CoVis), is a networked, multimedia knowledge-building environment which has been designed to help students, teachers and scientists share inquiry over the boundaries of time and space. CoVis is an attempt to change the way that science is taught and learned in high schools through the use of high-performance computing and communications technologies for classroom research projects. Project-enhanced science learning represents a transition from traditional textbook- and lecture-oriented classrooms to ones in which learning occurs in the course of more authentic scientific inquiry. The Collaboratory Notebook extends the metaphor of a scientists' laboratory notebook with facilities for sharing inquiry among multiple project partners who may be distributed across institutions, or across the country. The structure of the Collaboratory Notebook's database is built upon a library… [PDF]
(2000). Anti-Intellectualism and the Pedagogy of Gifted Education. This paper discusses anti-intellectualism in the United States from a rural viewpoint, defines "ideology," and questions whether the psychology of gifted education is an ideology. Fear and loathing of intellectuals are identified with the working class, a view that distorts the role of intellectuals. A rural view of anti-intellectualism is presented that sees "intellect" as a social construction, cultivated and husbanded (or exploited and depleted) over time and generations. Because of intellect's social nature, the common good is wrapped up with stewardship of the intellect. This nexus of social construction and cross-generational legacy means that teaching and learning that care for the intellect must center on a generosity now anathema to American culture. Knowledge today is secretive; there are laws against sharing it. The interests that construct and market American culture are the same interests that increasingly direct the work of schools, and that also… [PDF]
(2000). Celebrating Children's Choices: 25 Years of Children's Favorite Books. This book provides the background and development of the Children's Choices project and highlights many of the best known and most popular books that have appeared on the Children's Choices list over the past 25 years. Each book selection features a picture of the book jacket, an annotation from the Choices list, a list of classroom applications, and vignettes from the classrooms where the authors observed the applications in progress. Selected books cross content areas and reading levels, and feature both fiction and nonfiction. The book begins with an introductory chapter and a chapter entitled \Children's Literature in the Curriculum and at Home.\ The third chapter, \Books Used with Younger Readers,\ contains sections entitled \Imagine the Impossible with 'Cows Can't Fly'\;\Check and Chart Weird and Real Weather with 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs'\; \Study a Whale of a Tale with 'Katie K. Whale'\; \Open the Door to Sharing with 'The Doorbell Rang'\; \Explode into Literacy…
(2007). The Effect of Ongoing Professional Development on Interactive Whiteboard Use: A Report of a Randomized Experiment in Forsyth County Schools. Grantee Submission Introduction: The Forsyth County School District sought scientifically based evidence for the effect of ongoing, district-developed professional development (PD) on the usage of Promethean Interactive Whiteboards. A randomly selected subset of teachers received PD in addition to basic training sessions offered in Fall 2005 to all district teachers for using interactive whiteboards (IWBs). District decision-makers were interested in learning about the impact of the additional PD on student achievement outcomes in core subjects as well as on teacher classroom practices. The district, considered part of metro Atlanta, GA has an annual growth rate of 8-10% and serves mainly White students. The PD is an ongoing, systematic training structured to include 1- to 2-hour workshops and supplemental resources from the school IT specialist. The objective was to train teachers to perform advanced IWB operations to enhance their instruction and engage their students in learning. We conducted an… [PDF] [Direct] [Direct]
(1995). The Theory of Experiential Education. A Collection of Articles Addressing the Historical, Philosophical, Social, and Psychological Foundations of Experiential Education. Third Edition. This anthology is a compilation of 46 articles on the foundations of experiential education, previously published in the \Journal of Experiential Education.\ Section I covers philosophical foundations of experiential education, definitions, objectives, influences of John Dewey and Kurt Hahn, and the role of spirituality in the wilderness adventure experience. Section II examines historical foundations, including a history of the Association for Experiential Education, a profile of Kurt Hahn, change and continuity as exemplified by a case study of Outward Bound, and cultural considerations in experientially-based educational reform. Section III addresses psychological perspectives and issues, including the appropriate mix of experiential learning and information assimilation, the transfer of learning in adventure education, internalization of learning, a Piagetian rationale for experiential education, the spiritual core of experiential education, and teaching for psychological… [PDF]
(1995). The Effect of the Composition of the Property Tax Base on Educational Expenditures in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania state policymakers have taken steps to address issues of educational equity across school districts by amending the school-finance funding system. Pennsylvania relies on local property tax revenues as a major source of funding. This paper examines the effect of the property-tax-base formula on educational expenditures in the state. Fifteen variables were obtained from three sources–the Pennsylvania Educational Policy Studies database, the 1990 United States Census, and the State Tax Equalization Board. Regression analysis found that the nonresidential component of the property tax base gives rise to significant differences in educational expenditures in Pennsylvania. However, policymakers need information about why the disparities occur. Therefore, a log-linear model based on the educational-demand models of Ladd (1974) and Barro (1972) was developed. This more behavioral approach views educational demand as a function of the income/wealth, perceived tax price, and… [PDF]
(1993). Changes in Wages and Benefits among Young Adults. Data from the National Longitudinal Surveys. Work and Family. Report 849. Recent changes in the structure of wages and in employer-provided benefits made available to young workers were examined. Changes in the wage structure and in benefits were compared by educational level. Data from the Youth, Young Men, and Young Women's cohorts of the National Longitudinal Surveys provided information on a sample of young men and young women who were between the ages of 14 and 25 in 1966 and 1968, respectively, and who have been interviewed yearly or every 2 years since then; and from the youth survey of young men and women who were between 14 and 22 in 1979 and who have been interviewed annually since then. In order to see changes in labor income, hourly wage rates were examined for men and women by their level of educational attainment during their first 5 years out of school. In order to examine changes in employer-provided benefits over time, data from the Youth cohort in 1991 were compared to data from the Young Men's cohort in 1976 and from the Young Women's… [PDF]
(1992). Electronic Technologies and Preservation. Digital imaging technology, which is used to take a computer picture of documents at the page level, has significant potential as a tool for preserving deteriorating library materials. Multiple reproductions can be made without loss of quality; the end product is compact; reproductions can be made in paper, microfilm, or CD-ROM; and access over electronic networks is easy. Numerous challenges, however, face users of digital technology. These include: difficulty of browsing on a computer screen; lack of models to assess cost-effectiveness; the relatively short life span of digital storage media and the hardware and software needed to gain access to digital images; and copyright problems. Six approaches will enable librarians to explore the promise of this technology. First the advantages of converting a document to microfilm, which is relatively permanent, or to digital imagery, which is easier to access, need to be carefully considered. Second, as librarians are exploring and… [PDF]
(1982). Motherhood after 28: Career Women Who Waited. Trends in fertility patterns show an increase in births among 30- to 40-year-old college educated career women. To investigate the attitudes, characteristics, role stresses, and satisfactions of married career women who have delayed childbearing until after age 28, and the attitudes of their husbands toward their careers and roles, 35 married career women (mean age, 33) completed four surveys, including the Maternal Attitude and Feminine Interest Questionnaire and the Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire, and personal interviews. The husbands completed ten items from the Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire, Spousal Survey. An analysis of the results showed that couples had been married an average of 7 years. The majority of husbands and wives were college educated with an average family income of $50,000; 74% of the women were in educational or managerial careers. Only 11% of the women were taking leave from their careers for full-time mothering. Overall, the women were happily married…
(1988). SUNY Youth Internship Program: A Summary Review. A Youth Internship Program (YIP) has been developed at seven community colleges of the State University of New York (SUNY) to improve the employability potential of unemployed, out-of-school, economically disadvantaged youth between 16 and 21 years of age. Components of the seven programs examined differ, but all address six main activities: recruitment and intake; instruction in academic, life, and/or employability skills; the provision of internships or work experience; program evaluation; financial accounting; and the development of links with other agencies providing similar services. An external evaluation was conducted in September of 1988 to provide a profile of the seven programs and to determine the extent to which program activities were achieving their objectives. For the program as a whole, over 2,500 youth have been served in some way by YIP. More than 1,500 of these were involved in one or more instructional components, nearly 1,000 participated in a subsidized…
(1987). Embracing the Obvious. In large and small countries alike, adult educators can no longer be content with educating adults as though they live in a vacuum but must instead become international adult educators to some extent. This is not to say that adult educators must teach an international subject every day. What it does mean is that they must make international understanding the perimeter or frame of reference for all their professional work. International adult educators live very consciously in the world, not only in their own cities or countries, and they try to see their own countries in a world context and be aware of their own national shortcomings. This in turn brings a perspective into their classrooms that opens the minds of adults to see themselves as responsible actors on the stage of the entire planet. The rapid growth of the International Council for Adult Education is proof that adult educators all over the world have a need and an interest in knowing each other and working together in a…
(1968). THE DYNAMICS OF INFORMATION FLOW, RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE FLOW OF INFORMATION WITHIN AND AMONG FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL TASK FORCE ON INFORMATION SYSTEMS WAS CREATED BY THE U.S. BUREAU OF THE BUDGET, COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, INTERNATIONAL CITY MANAGERS' ASSOCIATION AND THE ADVISORY COMMISSION ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS TO STUDY AND IDENTIFY IMPEDIMENTS TO ATTAINING AN EFFECTIVE FLOW OF INFORMATION WITHIN AND AMONG GOVERNMENTS AND TO RECOMMEND ACTIONS THAT COULD BE TAKEN AT THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. THE TASK FORCE FOUND A NUMBER OF FACTORS WHICH HINDER THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFICIENT INFORMATION FLOW. AMONG THESE ARE–(1) THE LACK OF STRONG, CENTRAL COORDINATION AT ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT OVER THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF INTERNAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS, (2) THE FRAGMENTATION OF FEDERAL GRANT-IN-AID PROGRAMS WHICH ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, (3) THE LACK OF ADEQUATE COORDINATION… [PDF]
(2001). Listening to Children's Perspectives of Their Early Childhood Settings. The Effective Early Learning Programme in the United Kingdom (UK) has included the voice of children as an integral part of their evaluation and improvement process. This study interviewed approximately 945 children from 23 different geographical areas of the UK about their views of certain aspects of their early learning settings. Children were interviewed in groups of three to four and were asked questions about five dimensions of quality; this study focused on three: (1) aims and objectives; (2) learning experience; and (3) relationships and interactions. Findings revealed that children thought they attended day care/preschool to play, to learn, and because their parents were working. More parents than children focused on need for childcare as the main reason for the child attending the setting. Far fewer parents mentioned learning. Children reported a variety of activities they liked best; the most commonly mentioned of these were imaginative play, creative activities, water and… [PDF]
(1995). Secondary Schools in Canada: The National Report of the Exemplary Schools Project. The Exemplary Schools Project was a national cooperative project that identified successful Canadian secondary schools and analyzed their practices to suggest policy implications. Five issues were examined: the meaning and recognition of success; interactions between the school and its context; the influence of school structures, processes, and culture in fostering success; characteristics of student life in school; and services provided to at-risk students. From over 260 nominations, 21 diverse secondary schools were selected, including large urban schools, small rural schools, minority-language schools, and Aboriginal schools. A research team spent 20 days at each school gathering information, from which case studies, a national report, a video, and a resource archive were developed. Chapter 1 discusses challenges facing secondary education in Canada in the 1990s. Chapter 2 describes the origins of the project, research design, school selection process, data collected, and… [PDF]
(2000). Interactive Writing: How Language & Literacy Come Together, K-2. Focusing on the early phases of writing and having special relevance to prekindergarten through grade 2 teachers, this book shows how teachers can use interactive writing to teach a range of foundational literacy skills by sharing the pen with young writers. Skill building includes: letter formation, letter names, phonemic awareness, spelling, high-frequency words, concepts about print, early reading, and organizing and composing narrative and expository text. The book features practical advice, suggestions for using children's literature and art in the writing program, examples of children's writing, suggestions for helping children learn to write and read expository text, suggestions for professional development, and specific steps for getting started day by day. Chapters in the book are: (1) What Is Interactive Writing? (2) Language and Literacy Learning: The Role of Interactive Writing; (3) Organizing Space and Materials To Support Interactive Writing; (4) Getting Started with…