Mobiles for literacy in developing countries: An effectiveness framework

In recent years, the advent of low-cost digital and mobile devices has led to a strong expansion of social interventions, including those that try to improve student learning and literacy outcomes. Many of these are focused on improving reading in low-income countries, and particularly among the most disadvantaged. Some of these early efforts have been called successful, but little credible evidence exists for those claims. Drawing on a robust sample of projects in the domain of mobiles for literacy, this article introduces a design solution framework that combines intervention purposes with devices, end users, and local contexts. In combination with a suggested set of purpose-driven methods for monitoring and evaluation, this new framework provides useful parameters for measuring effectiveness in the domain of mobiles for literacy.     

THE EFFECTS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BULLYING AND VICTIMIZATION ON ADJUSTMENT THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL: GROWTH MODELING OF ACHIEVEMENT,SCHOOL ATTENDANCE,AND DISCIPLINARY TRAJECTORIES

The current 5‐year longitudinal study examined the effects of middle school bullying and victimization on adolescent academic achievement, disciplinary referrals, and school attendance through high school (N = 2030; 1016 both boys and girls). Greater engagement in bullying behaviors was concurrently associated with lower achievement and school attendance for girls and higher levels of disciplinary problems, and, for girls, predicted increases in disciplinary referrals through high school. Victimization was unrelated to school adjustment difficulties when controlling for bullying. Moreover, academic achievement was longitudinally associated with disciplinary referrals and school attendance. These findings outline concurrent school adjustment difficulties associated with engagement in bullying behavior, the longer‐term behavioral ramifications for girls, and the relations of behavioral and academic development from middle school to high school.     

The emergence of reading literacy in post-primary teacher education: from the background to the foreground

While recognising the fact that historically teacher education and adolescent literacy are two fields that have had limited intellectual contact, the development of reading literacy is increasingly now accepted internationally as a core responsibility of all teachers and teacher educators. Adopting a socio-cultural perspective, this paper, drawn from the Learning to Teach Study, focused on the beliefs, knowledge and experiences regarding reading literacy of Irish post-primary student teachers on one initial teacher education (ITE) programme. The data were collected through three interviews with each of 17 student teachers. Results suggest that the surveyed student teachers had some concerns about their own literacy, had narrow conceptions of literacy, tended not to see it as their responsibility, held a minimal threshold view of literacy and viewed new digital technologies as a resource and motivator for their students’ literacy learning. Results are discussed in terms of how student teachers’ knowledge of literacy in ITE programmes could be reframed, extended and deepened.     

Child prostitution as filial duty? The morality of child-rearing in a slum community in Thailand

It has been claimed that there are universal goals of child-rearing, such as survival of the child or the promotion of their capacity to contribute to economic and social reproduction. Yet in certain circumstances parents appear to pursue child-rearing practices that actively harm children, threaten their survival and inhibit their ability to grow up to be effective adult members of their communities. This article will discuss these issues in the case of one group of child prostitutes in Thailand and their families at a particular point in time. Although the work they did was physically dangerous and difficult, both parents and children claimed that their families were loving and functional and that selling sex was a way to keep the family together. Morality was seen in terms of reciprocity rather than sexual transgression and this article will explore the morality of child-rearing in this context and the relationships between family members.     

Thinking whimsically: queering the study of educational policy-making and politics

This paper discusses employing queer theory (QT) and queer legal theory (QLT) for critical policy analysis as applied to education. In doing so, the authors will highlight how both QT and QLT can empower analyses to look beyond the identity politics of a particular time period or space and toward potential reforms in curriculum, pedagogy, and institutional supports for students, teachers, and staff. A central point is that understanding the institutional and cultural practices that frame orientation, class, race, and sex/gender can lead to policy changes that benefit all students, teachers, and staff. The paper concludes with a discussion of venues in need of both QT and QLT-informed research.     

Unstable and multiple child care arrangements and young children's behavior

Growing evidence suggests that child care instability is associated with child behavior problems, but existing studies confound different types of instability; use small, convenience samples; and/or control insufficiently for selection into child care arrangements. This study uses survey and calendar data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study to estimate the associations between three different types of child care instability—long-term instability, multiplicity, and the use of back-up arrangements—and children's internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors at age 3, controlling for a large number of child and family background characteristics. Long-term instability between birth and age 3, as measured in both the survey and calendar data, is associated with higher levels of externalizing behavior problems. Current multiplicity at age 3 (as measured by survey data) is associated with higher levels of both externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, but stable multiplicity over time (as measured using calendar data) is not. Finally, the use of back-up arrangements at age 3 is associated with higher levels of internalizing behaviors. We find no consistent differences in these results by the timing of instability, child gender, family income, or type of care.     

Report from Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA), June 13–17, 2016, Zadar,Croatia

ABSTRACT

Libraries in the Digital Age (LIDA) 2016 takes place every 2 years, and was held this year at the University of Zadar, in Zadar, Croatia, from June 13–17, 2016. Each LIDA, two themes are chosen in advance. This year, the themes were “Digital Curation and Preservation: Current Trends and Research” and “Use Studies, Education, and Training for Digital Library Collections.” A presentation of each theme by university professors and subsequent keynotes relevant to each theme by two world-renowned experts provided context and ensured a shared perspective among LIDA attendees. Conference-goers were presented a balanced approach to theoretical and practical questions in a number of areas of digital libraries, including the presentation of research on information seeking practices among special communities, data mining projects, the exploration of platforms and experiences, and digitization. Additionally, a number of the contributed papers, panels, demonstrations, and workshops spanned the two themes, making for not only an informative conference, but also a particularly rich and coherent experience for attendees. Opportunities for junior researchers were numerous, with the conference priding itself on the mentorship opportunities available. In 2018, you might find yourself tempted to see what LIDA is all about; if you do, you will no doubt find yourself in a breath-taking venue along the Croatian coast surrounded by engaged, supportive, and collaborative researchers and professionals from around the world – in my opinion, you won't regret it.     

What We Learned along the Way: Librarian Experiences from K–12 and How They Aid in University Library Instruction

This article shares the perspectives of two former high school and middle school librarians who moved into academic libraries. The move from the K–12 sector to higher education offered them unique insights into working with first-year students as they started their college careers. Existing literature discusses the importance of collaboration between high school and academic librarians. The authors of this article have firsthand experience of how students work in the middle and high school realm, and they demonstrate how to apply that knowledge and experience with college students.     

History of Communication Technology

Antonio Meucci 1808–1889 by Marco Nese and Francesco Nicotra (Italy/Italy Magazine, 150 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10011—price not given, ISBN not provided)

The Spirit of Independent Telephony by Charles A. Pleasance (Independent Telephone Books, PO Box 321, Johnson City, TN 37601—$29.50, ISBN 0-9622205-0-7)

Video Recording Technology: Its Impact on Media and Home Entertainment by Aaron Foisi Nmungwun (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989—$49.95/$24.95, ISBN 0-0858-0360-2 hard, and 0-8058-0622-9 paper)

Communication Satellites: Their Development and Impact by Heather E. Hudson (New York: Free Press, 1990—$24.95, ISBN 0-02-915320-4)