Evolution of an academic–public library partnership

A partnership to improve access to health information via an urban public library system was established in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2011. A multiyear project was outlined that included an information needs assessment, a training class for public library staff, information kiosks at library branches for delivering printed consumer health materials, and a series of health-related programming. The partnership evolved to include social service and community organizations to carry out project goals and establish a sustainable program that met the health and wellness interests of the community.     

Challenging the orthodoxy on pupil gang involvement: When two social fields collide

Based on fieldwork conducted in five alternative provision schools across three large cities in England, this article explores the relationship between young people's involvement in urban street gangs and their attitudes and behaviour in school. By applying and developing a lens of social field theory, the article highlights the ways in which gang‐involved young people navigate their way between two distinct social fields, namely that of the street gang and that of the school. Although pupil gang involvement can raise significant issues for schools, particularly around violence and educational engagement, our findings challenge the prevailing orthodoxy that depicts an entirely negative portrait of the effects of gang involvement on pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. Instead, through an analysis of interview and observational data, we argue that there is nothing inevitable about the internal logic of a gang social field permeating a school's gates. Young people involved in gangs do not typically spend their entire waking hours wedded to a ‘gang member’ identity—if they are given the opportunity to transition away from the gang social field when they enter the school gates, they will often embrace it. In short, the links between pupils’ involvement in gangs, violent behaviour in school and engagement in education are more contingent and nuanced than is suggested by the literature on gangs and schools to date.     

Educating for trust

Rapid technological advances are fuelling trust requirements and concerns about public and private sector records alike. To guarantee the reliability and authenticity of records requires a framework of policies, procedures, technologies, and intentional action or intervention by ??trusted custodians?? who have the knowledge required for attesting to and ensuring the continuing authenticity of the records. Records professionals have claimed the role of trusted keepers of the authentic record of our times, but how do they earn that trust? To begin, by acquiring competence. In order to define what kind of education would contribute to qualifying records professionals as competent, it is necessary to identify the components of knowledge they require and the role that society at large expects of them. The responsibilities and challenges presented by managing digital records through time are ones that records professionals should not meet in isolation. In order for records to be able to serve as evidence of actions and events, they must be protected as such. Records-related knowledge requirements are being articulated in the related disciplines of archival science and records management, law, digital forensics, and information assurance and cyber-security. The need for interdisciplinary knowledge to understand and manage the complexities of digital records is being realized in new research alliances that foster the development of knowledge that can support the role of trusted keepers of the authentic record of our times. One such alliance is the Digital Records Forensics Project at the University of British Columbia.     

ALTERNATIVE CURRICULUM: The integration of an alternative curriculum: Skill Force

The introduction of alternative curricula in the UK for students in the secondary phase is one of a number of strategies designed to improve attendance at school, reduce exclusion and improve attainment. Skill Force is a charitable youth initiative that offers 14‐ to 16‐year‐old students a key skills based vocational alternative to the traditional curriculum. In this article, Lynne Rogers, Susan Hallam and Jacquelene Shaw of the Institute of Education, University of London, and Jasmine Rhamie of the University of Southampton set out to explore the views of Skill Force instructors and team leaders, school staff and Skill Force Regional Directors. These participants perceived the critical factors in the successful integration of Skill Force to be: effective introduction of the programme to pupils and parents; careful selection of students; clear introduction of the programme to staff; integrated discipline policies; strong support from senior management; good communication; and a willingness to resolve practical difficulties.     

Listening Retention of Third-Grade Pupils as a Function of Mode of Presentation

This study compared the listening retention of third-grade pupils who had been exposed to a literature passage via three modes of presentation. Within each of 20 classrooms, pupils were randomly assigned to one of three groups in which the teacher read from a book, showed a filmstrip, or showed a film. In each presentation, identical words and pictures were used. A listening retention test was administered that showed statistically insignificant differences. Following a statistical power analysis, it was concluded that the three modes of presentation produced approximately equivalent effects upon the listening retention of the pupils.     

The Relationship of the World Wide Web to Thinking Skills

As access to the WWW increases in schools and classrooms it is vital for educators at all levels to examine closely its potential roles in learning. Much emphasis has been placed upon making the WWW available without enough emphasis on methods of using it so students will benefit from instruction based upon it. A continuing goal of modern pedagogy is to help students move beyond the lower order cognitive domain, knowledge and comprehension, to higher order thinking skills: application; analysis;, synthesis; and evaluation. Students also need critical thinking skills. These skills are necessary for dealing with the demands of the future information society, which will be even more complex and demanding than at present. In order to foster the skills mentioned above, teachers are urged to provide learning environments that are learner-centred, authentic, problem-based and collaborative. Les relations entre le World Wide Web et les aptitudes des pensées. Comme l'accès au WWW s'accroît dans les écoles et les classes il est vital que les enseignants À tous niveaux examinent de près son rÔle potentiel en éducation. On a mis beaucoup l'accent sur les possibilités d'accès au WWW sans mettre assez l'accent sur les méthodes d'emploi par les étudiants de facon À ce qu'ils puissent bénéficier de l'instruction qu'il permet. Un objectif constant de la pédagogie moderne est d'aider les étudiants À dépasser le domaine cognitif limité. le savoir et la compréhension vers des aptitudes de pensée d'un ordre supérieur : applications, analyses, synthèses et évaluations. Les étudiants ont aussi besoin de pensée critique - ces aptitudes sont nécessaires pour faire face aux demandes de la future société de l'information, qui sera encore plus complexe et exigeante que maintenant. De facon À favoriser les aptitudes mentionnées ci-dessus , il faut que les enseignants fournissent les environnements éducatifs qui sont centrés sur l'apprenant, authentiques, basés sur la résolution de problèmes et la collaboration. Der Zusammenhang zwischen dem World Wide Web und den Denkfähigkeiten. Mit den wachsenden Zugängen an das WWW in Schulen und Klassenräumen wird es für Lehrer auf allen Ebenen immer dringender ihre zukünftige Rolle im Unterricht zu überdenken. Es wurde sehr viel Wert auf die Verfügbarkeit des WWWs gelegt, ohne jedoch auf Anwendungsmöglichkeiten zu achten damit die Lernenden von einem auf dem Web basierenden Unterricht profitieren. Ständiges Ziel moderner Pädagogik ist, Studenten zu helfen, über die untere Stufe des kognitiven Bereichs, Wissen und Verständnis, auf eine höhere Stufe des Denkprozesses zu gelangen: nämlich Anwendung, Analyse, Synthese und Bewertung. Schüler brauchen auch kritisches Denken. Diese Fähigkeiten sind notwendig im Umgang mit den Anforderungen der zukünftigen Informationsgesellschaft, die noch komplexer und schwieriger als die jetzige sein wird. Um diese Fähigkeiten zu fördern müssen Lehrer Lernumfelder schaffen, die sich am Studenten orientieren, authentisch sind, auf Problemlösungen basieren und collaborativ sind.