Scientific Modeling for Inquiring Teachers Network (SMIT’N): The Influence on Elementary Teachers’ Views of Nature of Science, Inquiry, and Modeling

This paper summarizes the findings from a K-6 professional development program that emphasized scientific inquiry and nature of science within the theme of scientific modeling. During the 2-week summer workshop and follow up school year workshops, the instruction modeled a 5-E learning cycle approach. Pre and posttesting measured teachers’ views of nature of science, inquiry, and scientific modeling. Teachers improved their views of nature of science (NOS) and inquiry by including scientific modeling in their definitions of how scientists work, the empirical nature of science, and the role of observations and inferences in science. Their definitions of science expanded from a knowledge-based orientation to a process-based orientation. Teachers added the use of mathematical formulas to their views of scientific modeling. Using scientific modeling as the central theme was effective in providing positive influence on teachers’ views of inquiry and NOS.     

Developing citizens and communities through youth environmental action

Although several studies have examined learning outcomes of environmental action experiences for youth, little is known about the aims motivating practitioners to involve youth in action creating positive environmental and social change, nor how practitioners perceive success. This research explored through phenomenological interviews practitioners’ purposes for using an environmental action approach. Practitioners in this inquiry, who engaged youth in action addressing a range of environmental issues in varied programmatic and community contexts in the US, expressed multifaceted aims motivating their educational practice. Interpretation of practitioners’ stories with respect to their purposes and perceptions of success contributed to a conceptual framework relating environmental action to the development of citizens and sustainable communities. Whereas others have described the stages and learning outcomes of environmental action, this inquiry illustrates the potential of environmental action for concurrently realizing individual and community level impacts.     

How evidence-based teaching practices are challenged by a Deweyan approach to education

The claim is made in this paper that the discourse of education offers a challenge to evidence-based practices because this latter approach is embedded in the discourse of management. Although claiming the status of being ‘scientific’, this latter development is drawn upon problematically by policy makers to provide the warrant for stipulating rules and procedures for ‘best practices’ to which educators are being held accountable. This paper shall draw mostly upon Dewey and is structured into three sections. The first section will attempt to explain the flaw in this evidence-based approach by providing a comparison between empiricism and science. Second, a review of Dewey's recommendation for educators to become more scientific in attitude will then follow, leading to the final section, in which the case will be made that educational practice needs to become as scientific, philosophical and democratic as possible in order for educators to resist being de-professionalised.     

Promoting global citizenship through ICT： Ukrainian high school students

Information is one of the important assets in today＇s society. Information and communication technologies （ICT） may be particularly important for students as one of the tools shaping global citizens. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of ICT by high school students （n=122） from a developing country, like Ukraine. The Global Citizenship Survey was used and modified for the purpose of this study （Lima, 2006）. Initial analyses indicated that the majority of the students use computers at school at least once per week. However, most of the students do not use the Intemet at school on a weekly basis. At the same time, the majority of students from Ukraine have computers at home and more than half of students have the Internet access at home. A chi-square analysis revealed statistically significant gender differences in the use of computers and the lnternet.     

Historically Black Colleges and University students' and faculties' views of school psychology: Implications for increasing diversity in higher education

This study investigates Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) students' and faculties' knowledge related to school psychology. A total of 165 students and 14 faculty members completed inventories that assessed the understanding and views of various psychological disciplines. Results indicated that HBCU students rated their perceived knowledge of school psychology significantly lower than all psychological disciplines. In addition, these students have significantly fewer sources of information for school psychology than comparable disciplines. Although more than 90% of students stated that they would attend graduate school, the majority was only somewhat interested in school psychology as a career choice. Furthermore, HBCU psychology faculty members stated that the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists do not actively recruit or provide information to their students. Results are discussed in terms of increasing the number of African American school psychologists. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Crisis counseling: An overview

Psychologists working in schools are often the first contacts for children experiencing a potentially traumatizing event or change in status. This article reviews basic concepts in crisis counseling and describes the components of psychological first aid. This form of counseling must be developmentally and culturally appropriate as well as individualized. Effective intervention can prevent post‐traumatic stress syndrome and facilitate normal mourning processes associated with any losses experienced. These prevention activities are also discussed. Some children may need resources beyond those that the school can provide, and appropriate referrals can link children and adults to a variety of treatments such as psychotherapy and medication, also briefly outlined. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The effects of mood,cognitive style,and cognitive ability on implicit learning

In an experiment with 109 undergraduates, we examined the effect of mood, cognitive style, and cognitive ability on implicit learning in the Artificial Grammar (AG) and Serial Reaction Time (SRT) tasks. Negative mood facilitated AG learning, but had no significant effect on SRT learning. Rational cognitive style predicted greater learning on both tasks, but this effect on SRT was mediated by cognitive ability. SRT, but not AG learning was significantly correlated with Math and English scores on the ACT. These findings confirm and contradict previous research. The association of negative mood and rational cognitive style with AG confirms that AG learning is facilitated by systematic, bottom-up processing. However, the lack of converging evidence for the SRT task suggests that the tasks involve different aspects of implicit processing. Theoretical explanations and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Adolescents' satisfaction with school experiences: Relationships with demographics,attachment relationships,and school engagement behavior

This study investigated the relationships among demographics, parent and peer attachment, school satisfaction, and student engagement behavior in a 1‐year longitudinal study of secondary‐school students. Statistically significant cross‐sectional differences in school satisfaction were observed, based on grade, but not on race, gender, or socioeconomic status. Level of school satisfaction did not moderate the relationships between parent and peer satisfaction and negative student engagement behaviors at Time 2 (controlling for Time 1). School satisfaction did account for significant incremental variance across all levels of parent and peer attachment relationships, although predicting a larger proportion of variance for withdrawal behavior than for resistance/aggression behavior. Adolescents' appraisals of their school satisfaction appear to be an independent predictor of their school engagement behaviors, regardless of the quality of their parent or peer attachment relationships. Limitations of the study as well as implications for future research and educational practice are discussed. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

加州——能满足你所有梦想的地方

一说到加州,很多人都会想起老鹰乐队的那首《Hotel California》,歌曲中对那里生活的描述令人对这个陌生的地方满怀憧憬。此外,加州不光有全世界最著名的造星梦工厂——好莱坞,还有迷人的自然风光与历史悠久的人文古迹。现在就跟随作者的脚步,一起走进这个能满足你所有梦想的地方吧。     

我的罗马非凡之旅

相信好莱坞经典影片《罗马假日》对你而言并不陌生,令人印象深刻的不光是剧中男女主角演绎的童话般的爱情故事,还有这座历史名城散发的浓郁的文化底蕴。跟随本文作者的脚步,一起走近他眼中的罗马——这座令人神往的永恒之城。