Parent involvement and views of school success: The role of parents' Latino and White American cultural orientations

We examined ethnicity and cultural orientation as predictors of parents' views of and involvement in children's education, using data gathered from the Latino (n = 74) and non‐Latino (17 White and 13 ethnic minority) parents of children in an elementary school's dual‐language program. Parents completed a questionnaire that assessed Latino and White American cultural orientations, importance of children's academic and social success, and self‐ and significant other involvement in children's education. Results indicated that Latino (and other ethnic minority) parents valued academic and social success equally and more strongly than did Whites and that Whites valued social success more strongly than academic success. Latinos also reported greater involvement of significant others. These differences were largely accounted for by cultural orientations. Educational practices that take into account differences in cultural orientations and the involvement of significant others thus seem more likely to improve academic outcomes than do efforts intended to promote the valuing of education. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Performance architecture: The art and science of improving organizations

Performance Architecture: The Art and Science of Improving Organizations is a hands‐on guide to real‐world techniques for improving performance within the workplace. This important book explores the Human Performance Technology Landscape model that was presented in the best‐selling book Handbook of Human Performance Technology (3rd ed.). Framed by the Landscape model and supported by other proven models and tools, the book provides effective structures for anyone who needs to develop their performance improvement skills and knowledge and achieve results. Performance Architecture: The Art and Science of Improving Organizations (ISBN: 978‐0‐470‐19568‐0) is published by John Wiley & Sons and the International Society for Performance Improvement.     

Examining behavioral, relational, and cognitive engagement in smaller learning communities: A case study of reform in one suburban district

The purpose of this project was to examine the impact of Smaller Learning Community reform on students’ behavioral, relational, and cognitive engagement in a suburban school district experiencing urbanization. We describe a project in which we evaluated the engagement of a cohort of 8th grade students as they transitioned to high school (n = 605). Specifically, we disaggregated the data to identify how students’ engagement differed as a function of their participation in Smaller Learning Community structures, prior achievement, and race.     

Practitioners as professors: Experiential learning in the distance digital liberal arts classroom

ABSTRACT

Archives and digital collections have traditionally supported undergraduate research experiences or existed in the syllabus as neat, packaged projects or assignments. Now these artifacts are taking center stage in the digital liberal arts classroom. Librarians and archivists are also realizing new opportunities to teach undergraduates their professional tools and methodologies, and they are forging new ground in the classroom teaching students how to curate and create digital scholarly projects. This case study reveals the experiences of two information professionals who cotaught a distance digital liberal arts seminar. It seeks to expand the pedagogy of the digital liberal arts and explore its viability via distance education.     

Connecting with the Well-Elderly Through Reminiscence: Analysis of Lived Experience

Reminiscing is a therapeutic nursing intervention for older adults. Nursing students and elders who participated in reminiscing interviews were excited by this activity. Researchers across disciplines collaborated in this qualitative research project to clarify the meaning and experience of reminiscing for the student and the diverse elder. Following the student-elder interview, researchers conducted unstructured interviews with a purposive sample of students and elder participants. Four patterns emerged: discovery of the value of intergenerational interaction and relationships; rejection of stereotypes; a willingness to overcome painful aspects of reminiscence; and gerotranscendence wisdom and peace. These findings have implications for nursing education, nursing practice, and further research.     

A Comparison of High School Teachers’ Instructional Postures in Regular Classrooms and in Computing Environments

ABSTRACT

High school teachers' classroom behaviors were observed and compared with their behaviors in the computing environment to determine whether or not the computer might act as a catalyst to promote facilitative behavior in teachers. No significant difference was found in terms of increased facilitative behavior in computer classrooms. However, female teachers adopted more facilitative postures in the computing environment than did male teachers, and the teachers with the greatest number of years of experience in teaching with computers appeared to exhibit more directive postures in both the regular and computing setting than did teachers with fewer years of experience. Implications of this for teacher education are discussed.     

Identifying a School Counseling Research Agenda: A Delphi Study

The authors conducted a Delphi study to identify important research questions regarding school counseling. During 3 consecutive rounds of e‐mail queries, an expert panel of 21 school counseling educators and practitioners were asked to identify the goals of school counseling research, develop specific research questions, and rate the importance of the questions. The highest rated research questions concerned school counseling interventions that have an impact on academic achievement and the effects of school counseling programs on student outcomes. The panel's final list of 42 research questions can help counselor educators, graduate students, and practitioners develop research projects that most effectively meet the needs of the field.