Development and application of the Elementary School Science Classroom Environment Scale (ESSCES): measuring student perceptions of constructivism within the science classroom

This article describes the development, validation and application of a Rasch-based instrument, the Elementary School Science Classroom Environment Scale (ESSCES), for measuring students’ perceptions of constructivist practices within the elementary science classroom. The instrument, designed to complement the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP), is conceptualised using the RTOP’s three construct domains: Lesson Design and Implementation; Content; and Classroom Culture. Data from 895 elementary students was used to develop the Rasch scale, which was assessed for item fit, invariance and dimensionality. Overall, the data conformed to the assumptions of the Rasch model. In addition, the structural relationships among the retained items of the Rasch model supported and validated the instrument for measuring the reformed science classroom environment theoretical construct. The application of the ESSCES in a research study involving fourth grade students provides evidence that educators and researchers have a reliable instrument for understanding the elementary science classroom environment through the lens of the students.     

The Bossy Pig

＂We will have a picnic on Saturday,＂ Mrs. Pig told＊ her friends. ＂You must come.＂Mrs. Pig made a list（清单）. ＂I want a table and six chairs,＂said Mrs. Pig. ＂1 want some juice and some plates＊.＂ She was a very bossy pig.＂1 can bring＊ a blanket（毯子）,＂ said Mrs. Shccp. ＂A blanketis not on my list,＂ said Mrs. Pig. ＂You bring the table.＂ ＂All right,＂ said Mrs. Sheep.     

Care taker blogs in caregiver fabricated illness in a child: A window on the caretaker's thinking?

Three recently diagnosed cases of caregiver-fabricated illness in a child at Seattle Children's Hospital shed light on a new manifestation of their caretakers’ attention seeking. The patients’ mothers were actively blogging about their children's reputed illnesses. Although it is not uncommon for parents of chronically ill children to blog about their child's medical course, specific themes in these blogs of parents suspected of medically abusing their children were noted. In particular, gross distortions of the information parents had received from medical providers were presented online, describing an escalation of the severity of their children's illnesses. The mothers reported contacting palliative care teams and Wish organizations, independently from their medical providers’ recommendations. They sought on-line donations for their children's health needs. We believe these blogs provide additional direct evidence of the suspected caregivers’ fabrications. Although we have not performed formal content analysis, blogs might also provide insight into the caretakers’ motivations. Protective Services and/or police investigators could consider querying the internet for blogs related to children at risk for caregiver-fabricated illness in a child. These blogs, if viewed in parallel with the children's medical records, could assist medical diagnosis and legal documentation of medical fabrication and assist in protective planning for the affected children.     

Opportunities and Challenges for Libraries: An Open Letter

This article asks questions and invites discussion of important issues that must be addressed for our profession to continue to keep pace with the needs of a rapidly changing landscape. These broad questions invite discussions about: space, staffing, facilities and our changing roles. It looks at space in our facilities and how we use that space as both are pressing issues for libraries. The examination of our space includes the virtual spaces we create via resources on the web. Staffing and how staff will work together in the changing landscape are issues that will shape what our profession and libraries look like in the future. The questions and suggestions are intended to spark conversations in libraries about these important issues.     

Books on Research Methods and Bibliography

Dennis P. Forece and Stephen Richer's Stages of Social Research: Contemporary Perspectives (Prentice-Hall, $8.95)

Denis Grogan's Science and Technology: An Introduction to the Literature (Archen Books/Shoestring Press, $17.00)

John Brown Mason, Research Resources: Annotated Guide to the Social Sciences (American Bibliographical Center/Clio Press, Riviera Campus, 2010 Alameda Padre Sierra, Santa Barbara, California 93103, $3.00 each for two volumes)     

Law and Policy

NEW YORK TIMES v. SULLIVAN: THE NEXT TWENTY YEARS (March 1984, Handbook 250, 760 pp.)

CAMPAIGN '84: ADVERTISING AND PROGRAMMING OBLIGATIONS OF THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA (September 1983, Handbook 165, 512 pp.)

COMMUNICATIONS LAW 1983 (November 1983, Handbook 169, 1008 and 880 pp. in two volumes)

MEDIA ABUSES: RIGHTS AND REMEDIES—A GUIDE TO LEGAL REMEDIES edited by Timothy Brown. al. (The Media Institute, 3017 M St., N.W., Washir DC 20007---$25.00)

CHRONOLOGY OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND CABLE TELEVISION REGULATION IN THE UNITED STATES (Harvard Program on Information Resources Policy, 200 Aiken, Harvard University; Cambridge, MA 02138---apply for price, paper)

AN ANALYSIS OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION'S GROUP OWNERSHIP RULES by Stanley M. Besen and Leland L. Johnson (Santa Monica, Calif.: Rand Note N-2097-MF, January 1984---price not given, paper)

JOURNAL OF PUBLIC POLICY AND MARKETING, edited by Thomas C. Kinnear (Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan, 1983---price not given, paper)

BROADCASTING AND GOVERNMENT (National Association of Broadcasters, 1771 N St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036---$49.95-make checks payable to TARPEC)     

“欢乐”唱响格莱美

过去了的2012年,"神曲"辈出。其中就有美国新生代独立摇滚乐队Fun.("欢乐乐团",又译"奋"乐队)的《我们正年轻》。话说此曲如同乐队一样,原本籍籍无名、但后来被当红美剧《欢乐合唱团》选中翻唱,于是一夜爆红、风光无限。