Religion is a MUST in English Schools

This article exposes the problem of using declarative rather than procedural knowledge to help K–12 students recognize irony in stories. It offers commonplace procedures drawn from students’ everyday language experience together with more abstract irony clues to help students recognize irony in stories and increase their story comprehension. Six irony-laden stories are briefly examined to underscore their basic ironic core and guide instruction of elementary, middle, and secondary students.     

老龄澳大利亚籍华人的身体活动观

身体活动指“由骨骼肌产生的体能消耗运动”．是保持身体健康、增进社会交往的重要方式和途径。在澳大利亚，虽然有研究调查民族群体身体活动的各个层面，但总体而言．多数研究更侧重于民族群体的同质性，而忽视了其异质性。本研究探讨在新南威尔士州居住的澳籍香港老年华人对身体活动的概念理解及对身体活动的态度。研究使用开放性问卷进行个体深度访谈，受访者22人。研究发现，大多数受访者不清楚“身体活动”这一术语的含义，对他们来说，“身体活动”是一个模糊的、复杂的术语。该群体对身体活动的态度反映了他们在预防性卫生保健方面的文化和健康观念。显然，提升澳籍香港老年华人的身体活动水平．需要一种基于文化特殊性的健康促进策略以解决对身体活动的误解，同时也需要具体的身体活动态度与华人整体性保健观念相匹配。     

More than Just Worksheets?: A Study of the Confidence of Newly Qualified Teachers of English in Teaching Personal, Social and Health Education in Secondary Schools

This paper addresses concerns regarding the preparedness of newly qualified teachers to deliver Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) in the United Kingdom in relation to the training received during Initial Teacher Education and through early Continuing Professional Development. The paper is situated not only within a context where OfSTED has questioned the adequacy of some non-specialist PSHE teachers but also one where, due to a range of social and health concerns centred on young people, schools and teachers are being expected to play an increasingly important role in the social and health education of their pupils. As such, PSHE is increasingly seen as important across all curriculum areas. This paper relates specifically to the confidence of trainee and newly qualified teachers of English in teaching PSHE in secondary schools in the United Kingdom. Drawing on questionnaire data collected from recent Professional Graduate Certificate in Education graduates, the paper suggests that trainee and newly qualified teachers have the skills and knowledge drawn from their main subject (English) to deliver PSHE; however, many lack confidence and awareness to acknowledge these skills. The paper suggests that this situation may be addressed through increased opportunity to deliver and receive feedback on PSHE teaching during initial teacher training.     

Differing expectations: an account of home and school factors affecting EAL learners from Arabic-speaking backgrounds

This article considers research from a preliminary study of Libyan children's accounts of their experience learning English as an additional language (EAL) within mainstream schools in the LJK. The analysis of interviews and classroom observations suggests that for equal opportunity to take place, local education authorities need to place greater emphasis on language and educational provision for newcomers to UK primary schools. In addition, there is still a communication barrier as well as a language barrier between home and school which needs to be addressed in order for children to adjust to and meet school requirements. In a similar way, parents of newly arrived children need to have clear expectations. The implications of this piece of research are extremely relevant for additional language acquisition in British schools and, in particular, for the education of newcomers whose circumstances are similar to those of the children in this study. This research also enables the voice of Arab children, as learners of the English language, to reach educators and policy makers, and empower them further in the research processes which inform British education policy.     

Physical activity patterns of ethnic children from low socio-economic environments within the UK

Many children fail to meet physical activity (PA) guidelines for health benefits. PA behaviours are complex and depend on numerous interrelated factors. The study aims to develop current understanding of how children from low Socio-economic environments within the UK use their surrounding built environments for PA by using advanced technology. The environment was assessed in 96 school children (7–9 years) using global positioning system (GPS) monitoring (Garmin Forerunner, 305). In a subsample of 46 children, the environment and PA were assessed using an integrated GPS and heart rate monitor. The percentage of time spent indoor, outdoor, in green and non-green environments along with time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) in indoor and outdoor environments were assessed. A 2-by-2 repeated measures analysis of covariance, controlling for body mass index, BF%, assessed the environmental differences. The findings show that 42% of children from deprived wards of Coventry fail to meet PA guidelines, of which 43% was accumulated during school. Children engaged in more MVPA outdoor than indoor environments (P < 0.01) and a greater amount of time was spent in non-green environments (P < 0.01). Increased time outdoors was negatively associated with BF%. In conclusion, outdoor environments are important for health-enhancing PA and reducing fatness in deprived and ethnic children.     

Assessment is learning: the preposition vanishes

Scotland, in common with many countries internationally, has been learning how to align ideas from research with policy and practice. This article considers what Scotland learned from large-scale evaluations of its Assessment is for Learning (AifL) programme and the extent to which this evidence was used to inform future learning within the national programme. More recently, the policy focus in Scotland has shifted to the creation of a new curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence, subsuming AifL. Merging curriculum and assessment innovations brought new challenges in the alignment of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. Drawing on a Scottish Government-funded research project, Assessment at Transition, designed to identify and explore emerging gaps between practice in schools and local authorities and national curriculum and assessment policy aspirations, the article argues that assessment is learning and explores how formative approaches to evaluation at a national level might be used to prevent countries repeating past mistakes.     

Hokanson,Brad & Gibbons,Andrew ed (2013) Design in educational technology Springer (Berlin) isbn 978‐3‐319‐00926‐1 283 pp £90 http://www.springer.com/education+%26+language/learning+%26+instruction/book/978‐3‐319‐00926‐1

Here is a well written and well edited book with focus on the concept of design in modern educational technology practice. It is for both new and experienced designers; those new to the field might find opportunities to expand their practice, while experienced designers will find affirmation of many past practices and the opportunity to explore new ideas for future projects. If you think this book is likely to be of value to you, I suggest you buy your own copy Diane P Janes