A framework for reviewing teacher professional development programmes in information technology

Abstract

There are very few credible frameworks for evaluation of teacher education programmes. The authors advocate the application of a paradigm originally designed for educational software assessment as a framework for reviewing teacher professional development. The framework is based on a situated view of cognition and this ensures an authentic approach. Five commonly observed foci for teacher professional development are considered in terms of the paradigm, leading to consideration of the comprehensiveness of professional development programmes. The analysis is illustrated by discussion of the professional development programme in place in a school. The analysis strongly suggests that a school-focused approach is appropriate for teacher professional development in the information technology area.     

COURSE DROP PRACTICES IN TWO‐YEAR COLLEGES

Course drop practices among two‐year colleges were surveyed. Examined were deadlines by which courses were dropped, grades received when classes were dropped, who initiates drop procedures, and the extent to which policies related to the above stated practices have been recently changed. One fourth of the institutions reported a drop deadline of between four and six weeks from the end of the term. Almost that many (21.98 percent) used 10 days prior to the final exam as a deadline. More than two‐thirds of the colleges allowed students to drop prior to the deadline with a non‐punitive “W” grade. In the majority of instances, the official drop procedures may be initiated by either the student or the instructor. Community college administrators need to examine course drop policies in light of institutional statements of mission, philosophy, and objectives. Based upon dialogue among the staff, appropriate policy revisions should be developed in order to coordinate the rhetoric and the regulations of the college.     

The novels of Patricia Wrightson

Patricia Wrightson is an Australian writer whose first novel was published in 1955. She has produced six other novels and a collection of short stories and poems for children-Emu Stew (1977). Her best-known novel,I Own the Racecourse (A Racecourse for Andy), was runner-up for the 1968 Australian Children's Book of the Year Award. She has made a special study of the Aboriginal nations of S. E. Australia and feels that in her novels she responds to places and people.Betty Gilderdale, born and educated in England, has an Honors degree in English. She has lived in New Zealand for the last ten years and has been a lecturer in English at North Shore Teachers College, Auckland, for most of that time. She was a founder member and president of the N.Z. Children's Literature Association.     

An investigation of general education requirements in college curricula

The subject of study is the impact of general education or “core” requirements on students in the Purdue School of Humanities, Social Science, and Education. The investigation, begun in 1969, deals with approximately 1100 beginning freshmen of which over 400 make up the experimental group. All students are being followed through their undergraduate years, the first two of which are reported here. The experimental group is differentiated from the other groups in that its constituents have been permitted to waive any or all core requirements. The experimental group has achieved a higher grade index while carrying a slightly higher course load. Contrary to expectation, they selected many core courses. They also indicated greater satisfaction with their programs, their school, and the University. Core requirements for future students have been modified as a result.     

Responses of Mentally Retarded Children on a Visual Discrimination Task Involving Concept Formation

This study evaluated 3 groups of mentally retarded children on a visual discrimination reading readiness task. Ss included 75 mentally retarded persons residing at the Columbus State Institute divided into 5 MA groups ranging from 3 years to 8 years. Three different groups of 25 Ss were matched on CA, MA, and IQ and two of these were paired on perceptual functioning on the basis of Gellner classifications. The third group included 25 Ss diagnosed as having genetic mechanisms. The task consisted of 100 cards of three coloured pictures with two of them being associated. Results showed the minimally handicapped visual group performed higher than the other two groups. MA was highly related to success especially for the highest MA group. Implications of these data are discussed.     

The Case for Women Mentoring Women

ABSTRACT

The authors argue that there will be a critical mass of women in leadership positions in kinesiology and across higher education for substantial gender-based mentoring to take place in the 21st century. First, the current state of women in higher education leadership, trends in mentoring, and the reasons it is important for women who have aspirations to advance in their careers are examined. The authors argue that it is important to have access to gender-based guidance and support that are critical to successful leadership into the future. The authors advocate for a focused, purposeful type of mentoring supported by relational-cultural theory and narrative practice. Men will continue to be important mentors for women, but the authors argue that, at the same time, women also need to have access to the perspectives of other women who have forged the way into higher education administration.