Byron's oratory

The occasion for Edward Kennedy's Lynchburg address on “Tolerance and Truth in America” has been called “something of a mistake.” However, Kennedy used the opportunity to speak at Liberty Baptist College in 1983 to propose a “contract” for the public relationship between himself and Jerry Falwell. Virtually auditioning for a part in a new form of dialogue, Kennedy displayed for Falwell a universe of discourse in which each could be more civil toward the other without betraying his own constituencies or threatening the other's supporters. Subsequent events demonstrate that the contract, although never explicitly stated, was accepted.     

Negotiating Competing Goals in the Development of an Urban Ecology Practitioner Inquiry Community

Teacher learning communities are hailed by many as vehicles for reforming and elevating the professional status of teaching. While much research explores teacher community as a venue for measurable gains, our research examines the orientation of practitioner inquiry toward critical debate about effective instruction. Specifically, our study focuses on a group of middle and high school teachers who worked with a nonprofit organization to engage students in urban environmental field investigations. Teachers met regularly as a community with the common goal of teaching urban ecology in an outdoor setting. We collected interview data from members of the teacher community, and we observed teacher interaction during a meeting of the practitioner inquiry group. Interview results indicated that while the nonprofit aimed to support collaborative dialogue and self-critique, participants saw the community mainly as a venue for pursuing short-term goals, such as receiving new resources or socializing with colleagues. Observation data, however, suggested that the community was taking early steps toward building an environment oriented toward critical discussion. Juxtaposing results from our interviews and observations, we discuss the challenges communities face when they seek to develop shared beliefs and deal openly with conflict. Ultimately, we suggest that organizers of collaborative learning environments should work to actively develop structures for building the organizational trust necessary to support civil critique.     

Cognitive to physical performance: a conceptual model for the role of motor simulation in performance

ABSTRACT

Motor simulation (MS) interventions incorporating motor imagery (MI), and more recently action observation (AO), are readily accepted as effective interventions to enhance motor skill performance. Existing models in the MS literature fail to consider the entire spectrum of MS interventions, focusing on MI or AO alone. This paper examines the theoretical basis and current understanding of MS efficacy, and introduces a novel, conceptual, Motor Simulation and Performance Model (MSPM) representing the performance improvements predicted to be associated with engaging with MS across expertise levels. The MSPM also outlines the multiple factors which regulate the efficacy of MS interventions. Based on the available evidence, the model suggests that MI will have a greater relative effect on performance as expertise increases, AO will have a greater effect in low skilled compared to high skilled performers, and that combined AO and MI (AO?+?MI) will be more effective than either MI or AO in isolation. The MSPM also depicts the additive effect of physical practice in conjunction with MS interventions. The MSPM represents for the first time the relative effects of various methods of motor learning based on evidence provided by the existing literature. It also highlights areas of research requiring further attention.     

Assessment at the Intersection of Science and Literacy

The authors of this article, all of whom have been a part of this effort to assess argumentation in literacy-rich science curriculum, have struggled with our attempts to build 3 argument-related assessments—understanding, critiquing, and constructing arguments about scientific phenomena in both oral and written modes. Loosely affiliated with the Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading Project at Lawrence Hall of Science, this effort focused on creating a suite of assessments as models for how middle school science teachers might create their own school-based, curriculum-embedded assessments of science. After reviewing the broad scope and insights derived from a 10-year history of assessments that operate at the intersection of science and literacy, we zoom in on 3 vexing but informative challenges they encountered—and addressed (if not resolved)—as they tried to assess the comprehension, critique, and construction of oral and written arguments.     

Using an evidential reasoning approach for portfolio assessments in a project-based learning engineering design course

The purpose of this study is to analyse the feasibility of an evidential reasoning (ER) method for portfolio assessments and comparison of the results found with those based on a traditional holistic judgement. An ER approach has been incorporated into portfolio assessment of an undergraduate engineering design course delivered as a project-based learning (PBL) course and the calculated utility interval means of the student results compared with weighted rubric means based on a traditional holistic judgement. The findings show the ER method superior to the traditional holistic judgement in that ER is capable of incorporating, firstly, assessors' ignorance of information concerning the portfolio development and content and, secondly, incomplete portfolio information. The ER approach is a commendable alternative to traditional holistic judgement of PBL portfolios, since it provides additional information, increases accuracy and is easier to use.     

Family day care: Where it's at-updated New York City

Almost five years ago, (November 1974)Day Care and Early Education surveyed the state of family day care in a series of four articles entitled “Family Day Care: Where It's At.” In one of these articles, Betti Whaley, then Commissioner of the New York City Agency for Child Development, reported on that city's system for serving working mothers and providing children with the best possible home care. The following article on the present situation in New York City, and several others to appear in future issues, will provide an update on what has happened in family day care around the country since 1974, review the pros and cons of this type of day care, and consider prospects for the future. Stephen Ruffins is Director of Family Day Care (FDC) for the New York City Agency for Child Development (ACD). Carabelle McNeill is Director of Social Service/Parent Involvement at ACD From 1972 to 1975, Ms. McNeill, as ACDFDC Liason, coordinated the transfer and integration of each of the three FDC programs into the administrative aegis of ACD.     

School-linked and school-based health services: A renewed call for collaboration between school psychologists and medical professionals

Health care and education reform provide opportunities to build systems that promote rather than retard collaboration between school psychologists and medical professionals. School-linked and school-based health services (SLSBHS) are a family of approaches that provide medical, social, and mental health services to students through school settings. These services have potential to provide more than acute care or first-aid services. SLSBHS provide medical care to uninsured children, students with chronic medical needs, at-risk children, and the overall school population. However, there are usually not enough funds to hire new staff members in most school districts. Expanding the roles of current school staff, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and implementing creative fiscal strategies are necessary to develop SLSBHS. Interdisciplinary collaboration may be the largest hurdle to developing SLSBHS. As such, school psychologists and medical professionals may need to rethink their professional roles and develop new techniques of interdisciplinary consultation to fulfill the potential of SLSBHS.