Children’s play behaviour and social communication in integrated special day-care groups

This paper considers the role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), the teacher responsible for the implementation of policies relating to the teaching and learning of children with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools in England and Wales. SENCOs also have a role to play in the inclusion of children with learning difficulties/disabilities in mainstream schools. Yet research indicates that despite the revision of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice in 2001, many SENCOs are still overwhelmed by the operational nature of the role with little support, time or funding to consider more strategic aspects of inclusion and SEN. The article draws on research by the author and offers the voices of SENCOs from two unitary authorities in the north of England which suggest that where the SENCO is supported by senior management within the school, the role can be a powerful one in relation to inclusion. It concludes by arguing that the role of the SENCO needs to be re‐conceptualized, redefined and remunerated as a senior management post within mainstream schools. If this were to be enforced by national policy, every mainstream school could have at least one powerful advocate for the inclusion of children with learning difficulties/disabilities.     

The Florida teletraining project: Military training via two‐way compressed video

Abstract

The Florida Teletraining Project tested the feasibility of using community colleges as providers of various types of military training to personnel in the Reserve Components (RC). Training was delivered via the Army's TNET system, which employs two‐way interactive video. Five courses were produced, delivered, and evaluated during the project. Results showed that effective military course reconfiguration can be accomplished by civilian institutions, that the delivery system was technically reliable, that students performed well using specially reconfigured courseware, and that students rated the video teletraining approach as effective. The project demonstrated the potential of two‐way video teletraining for a variety of military training applications for several different levels of military personnel.     

Lifelong learning to reduce domestic violence

The purpose of this paper is to identify domestic violence as a social problem, provide background information concerning domestic violence, identify strategies related to adult education currently being used to address the problem of domestic violence and examine the philosophical underpinnings of the programmes. Domestic violence is not only a legal problem, but represents a substantial public health issue and is one of the most overlooked social problems of today. As a result of increased public awareness concerning domestic violence in the late 1980s, there have been many changes in laws and training. Educational programmes have been established for both offenders and public officials who may come in contact with the victims. These programmes range from those based on behaviourist philosophy to those on humanist philosophy and are offered by the courts, community agencies, health care providers and in the workplace. Programmes to reduce domestic violence and efforts of multiple social institutions illustrate the use of adult education as a catalyst for social change.     

Reviews and Update

Jonathan Long suggests that current interpretations of values education are dominated by a number of ideas that appear to make attempts to achieve clarity and consensus extremely difficult. He argues that ‘essential to the successful development and promotion of values in a secular state educational system is a shifting of emphasis which enables us to see the context as an opportunity rather than a problem’. He goes on to suggest that schools should focus on what he describes as the ‘roots’ of values. In his view, these roots involve the questions ‘What is it to be human?’ and ‘What counts as human flourishing?’. Thus, schools must engage with issues of identity and direction.     

Perspectives on… Roaches, Guerrillas, and “Librarians on the Loose”

Sophistication and accessibility can be dangerous bedfellows, especially when it comes to information sources. One of the real challenges in undergraduate academic libraries can be connecting students in a meaningful way to the resources that will be most helpful and understandable for them. This article discusses how techniques borrowed from the world of business and marketing, as well as customer service techniques, can provide some useful strategies for librarians serving undergraduates.