THE OLDEST STUDENT IN ROMANIA

Vasiliu Gheorghe is the oldest student in Romania. He is a unique historical phenomenon in his country and perhaps a model for others. He may be the last student in Romania to earn a second university degree in a field different from his first degree. It would be inaccurate to leave the impression that Vasiliu is the only older Romanian attending a university. Although it is not possible to return to the university for a degree in a second field, many older Romanians are attending courses offered by evening extension programs at universities throughout the country.     

Notes

This article introduces TVbyGIRLS, a nonprofit organization supporting girls in the development of critical thinking, digital literacy and storytelling, leadership, compassionate collaboration, and social justice engagement. Religious educator Claire Bischoff interviews Rebecca Richards Bullen, TVbyGIRLS mentor, and Molly Nemer and Rachel Quednau, two core girls, to gain wisdom from the ways TVbyGIRLS works with girls in the flow of media, religion, and culture. “Undercover,” a film conceived of and produced by the girls, in which the girls went “undercover” to experience each other's faith traditions for themselves, serves as a case study for inter-faith dialogue and education.     

Developing a Multi-Dimensional Early Elementary Mathematics Screener and Diagnostic Tool: The Primary Mathematics Assessment

There is a critical need to identify primary level students experiencing difficulties in mathematics to provide immediate and targeted instruction that remediates their deficits. However, most early math screening instruments focus only on the concept of number, resulting in inadequate and incomplete information for teachers to design intervention efforts. We propose a mathematics assessment that screens and provides diagnostic information in six domains that are important to building a strong foundation in mathematics. This article describes the conceptual framework and psychometric qualities of a web-based assessment tool, the Primary Math Assessment (PMA). The PMA includes a screener to identify students at risk for poor math outcomes and a diagnostic tool to provide a more in-depth profile of children’s specific strengths and weaknesses in mathematics. The PMA allows teachers and school personnel to make better instructional decisions by providing more targeted analyses.     

Responding to a 'Conquistadora': Readers talk about gender in Mexican secondary schools

Mexican classroom practices (reinforced by social convention) prescribe approved responses to historical and fictional characters in literature, mobilizing powerful preconceptions of gender. Although students may attempt to resist or subvert these representations, their opinions usually remain unexpressed. This paper presents the results of a study on gender and reading in Mexican secondary schools which also attempted to provide a space for readers to voice their own responses. Year 8 students were interviewed about an adolescent novel that relates the adventures of Maria de Estrada, a female conquistador . Analysis of the qualitative data drew upon poststructuralist and feminist criticism, together with reader-response theory, to consider conceptions about gender, the dynamics between the reader and the text and the expression of response. Results revealed some of the young people's concerns and anxieties about gender issues and how their understanding of these is constantly subjected to modifications by the media, education and life experiences. It is suggested that because students were also found to be aware of possible shifts in gender patterns, the discussion of alternative texts and characters could stimulate their critical skills and encourage them to become more vocal.