Social Perceptions of Students with Learning Disabilities Who Differ in Social Status

As a group, students with learning disabilities (LD) have social difficulties. One possible explanation for these difficulties is the unique way they process social information. Although students with LD may differ from their nondisabled peers in their social cognition, investigators have suggested the presence of subgroups within the population of students with LD who may differ in their social competence and, thereby, shed light on the source of the difficulties. The present exploratory study examined how two subgroups of students with LD in inclusive settings, students with high and low social status, perceive social situations. Using a sociometric technique, three students with LD receiving high social‐status ratings and three students with LD receiving low social‐status ratings were identified. A qualitative approach was used to gather and evaluate data from the participants and their teachers. Results suggested differences between the two subgroups in their (1) sensitivity to cues in the environment, (2) interpretation of social situations in relation to their own experiences, and (3) levels of self‐control. Implications of these findings for practice and future research are discussed.     

Adapting Adaptive Testing: Using the MicroCAT Testing System in a Local School District

What is the rationale for adapting an existing testing system instead of developing your own? What are the limitations of MicroCAT? What has to be modified in order to meet local needs and to realize the potential of adaptive testing in the context of an existing testing system?     

Interactive Storytelling: From the Book of Genesis

Keith Park, advisory teacher for Sense (the National Deafblind Rubella Association) in Greenwich and Lewisham, London, has written about his approach to interactive storytelling for BJSE before. This article describes a series of poetry workshops based on chapters 37 to 45 of the Book of Genesis (the story of Joseph and his family) using the text of the King James Bible of 1611. The workshops took place at Charlton School in Greenwich between September and November 2002. The full text of the Genesis workshops, with a clear exposition of their implementation, is provided here but the article begins with a restatement of the principles of interactive storytelling. The importance of developing curriculum access for pupils with multi-sensory impairments while simultaneously supporting staff who work with these young people in schools is emphasised. Keith Park discusses the relevance of the circle concept in storytelling and the strong focus, in the poetry workshops, on rhythm. He goes on to evaluate the impact of the workshops, both in terms of staff confidence and through examples of the pupils' responses mapped against the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) framework for recognising the attainments of pupils with learning difficulties. The article concludes with some indications of further developments in this exciting and innovative area of practice.     

Graduate Programs That Prepare Educational Measurement Specialists

What are typical requirements in graduate measurement programs? How d o programs in measurement and research methods differ?     

高校体育教育专业武术普修的教法研究

针对目前体育教育专业学生武术普修课的现状与问题 ,通过教学内容的优化重组 ,运用设课、说课、作课和评课等方式 ,采取多样化的教学方法与手段 ,逐步强化学生的创新思维和培养学生的综合能力 ,取得了较为明显的效果。并提出了相应的对策和建议 ,为体育教育专业学生武术普修的教法改革提供参考     

学分制下体育与健康课程教学方法(综述)

采用文献资料法、专家访谈法和逻辑分析法，对学分制下体育与健康课程的教学方法进行研究，总结出常用的16种方法，并对其各自的基本特征与运用规律进行了阐述．