Connecting citizens and local governments? Social media and interactivity in major U.S. cities

Changing the relationship between citizens and government is often cited as a goal for digital government, and new tools such as social media have the potential to improve interactions with citizens through dialogue. Citizens are most likely to participate at the local level (Berry, Portney and Thomson, 1993; Oates, 1972; Oakerson, 1999), and the largest cities have traditionally been at the forefront in the adoption of e-government innovations (Moon, 2002; Ho, 2002). We examine the use of social networks and other interactive tools in the 75 largest U.S. cities between 2009 and 2011. During this period, the adoption of Facebook skyrocketed from just 13% of the cities in 2009 to nearly 87% in 2011; similarly, the use of Twitter increased from 25% to 87%. We further explore three case study cities through analysis of discussion on social networks, and interviews, and find that one-way “push” strategies (Mergel, 2013a) predominate, although there are some signs of greater openness toward dialogue with citizens.     

Drawing a computer scientist: stereotypical representations or lack of awareness?

ABSTRACT

Stereotypes people hold about computer scientists contribute to underrepresentation in computer science. Perceptions of computer scientists have historically been linked to males and a “nerd” culture, which can lead to lack of interest, particularly for girls. This article presents two studies conducted with two groups of middle schoolers: those who attended our programming camp (Study One) and those who did not (Study Two). After analyzing participants’ drawings and two survey questions we found that perceptions youth holds about computer scientists may be improving. Additionally, we found that males (versus females) and those youth who did not attend our camp (versus those who did) tended to have more stereotypical perceptions of computer scientists. With this article, we contribute to the literature on CS stereotypes by examining both positive and negative representations youth had about computer scientists. We also cast light on the lack of awareness about this profession among the youth of this age.     

Student Reactions to College Grade Contracts

Policies and Practices in Higher Education by Algo D. Henderson. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1960. 338 pp. $5.75.

Education: American Education by Chris A. De Young and Richard Wynn. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1960. 441 pp. $6.50.

Dialogues on the Teaching of Literature by Bertrand Evans and James J. Lynch. New York: Bookman Associates, 1960. 306 pp. $5.00.

Elementary School Curriculum by Marshall C. Jameson and Wm. Vernon Hicks. New York: American Book Company, 1960. 415 pp. $6.00.

How to Tell the School Story by Leslie W. Kindred and Associates. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1960. 500 pp. $9.00

Music Education in Action by Archie N. Jones. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc. 1960. 575 pp. $7.25.

Patterns of Professional Education, by William J. McGlothlin. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1960. 228 pp. $6.75.

Procedures and Preparation for Counseling by William C. Cottle and N. M. Downie. Prentice Hall, Inc. 1960. 321 pp. $6.00.

Prologue to Teaching by Marjorie B. Smiley and John S. Diekhoff. New York: Oxford University Press, 1959. 590 pp. $5.75.

Psychology in Teaching and Learning by William Clark Trow. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1960. 488 pp. $5.75.

Teaching Primary Reading by Edward William Dolch. Champaign, Illinois: The Garrard Press, 1960. 425 pp. $4.50.

The General Education Class in the Secondary School by Louise E. Hock and Thomas J. Hill. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1960. 232 pp. $4.00.

The Student Teacher in the Elementary School, Second Edition, by John N. Michaelis and Enoch Dumas. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1960. 388 pp. $6.00.

The Teaching of Reading by John J. DeBoer &; Martha Dalman. New York: Henry Holt &; Co., 1960. 359 pp. $5.00.

The Third Curriculum by Robert W. Frederick. New York: Appleton-Century Crofts, Inc. 1959. 454 pp. $5.75.

Universities: Commonwealth and American by Oliver C. Carmichael. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1959. 342 pp. $6.00.

Social Studies: Social Problems in Our Time by S. Kirson Weinberg. Prentice Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1960. $6.75.     

“Feminism Begins at Home”: The Influence of Mother Gender Socialization on Daughter Career andMotherhood Aspirations as Channeled Through Daughter Feminist Identification

Intercultural communication in contexts

Judith N. Martin and Thomas K. Nakayama, Intercultural Communication in Contexts. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield, 1997.

Communicating in the classroom

Kathleen Kougl, Communicating in the Classroom. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 1997.

Relating: Dialogues and dialectics

Leslie A. Baxter and Barbara M. Montgomery, B.M., Relating: Dialogues and dialectics. New York: Guilford, 1996.     

Teacher Mentoring and Early Literacy Learning: A Case Study of a Mentor-Coach Initiative

Educational reform policies such as the No Child Left Behind Act continue to place great demands on teachers. Additionally, educational reform policies such as this imply the need for continuous professional development activities that enhance teacher qualifications, especially for practicing teachers. This study examined the effectiveness of a nation-wide mentor-coach initiative towards enhancing teacher pedagogy and its effect on children’s literacy performance. Forty-four Head Start teachers and classrooms were examined. Results indicated that reading and writing scores benefited significantly more when teachers participated in the mentor-coach initiative. These findings suggest that professional development activities such as mentor-coach initiatives, if offered appropriately, can enhance children’s academic performance.     

“What Do You Say to Your Mother When Your Mother's Standing Beside You?” Birth and Adoptive Family Contributions to Adoptive Identity via Relational Identity and Relational–Relational Identity Gaps

Grounded in the communication theory of identity, the present study explores how adoptive identity—an individual's understanding of what it means to be an adopted person—is influenced by the relational layer of his or her adoptive and birth family relationships. Seven focus group interviews were conducted in which participants were prompted to engage in a dialog about their experiences as an adopted individual. Analyses revealed that adoptees' relational identity with both their adoptive and birth families contributed in meaningful ways to their adoptive identity, but these relationships at times come into conflict with one another and with the adoptees' personal layer of identity, generating relational–relational and personal–relational identity gaps.