“Home” and “not home” in children's stories: Getting there—and being worth it

Jon C. Stott teaches Children's Literature at the University of Alberta and also teaches regularly in elementary schools. Christine Doyle Francis teaches at Central Connecticut University.     

The Cognitive Predictors of Computational Skill with Whole versus Rational Numbers: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of the present study was to explore the 3rd-grade cognitive predictors of 5th-grade computational skill with rational numbers and how those are similar to and different from the cognitive predictors of whole-number computational skill. Students (n = 688) were assessed on incoming whole-number calculation skill, language, nonverbal reasoning, concept formation, processing speed, and working memory in the fall of 3rd grade. Students were followed longitudinally and assessed on calculation skill with whole numbers and with rational numbers in the spring of 5th grade. The unique predictors of skill with whole-number computation were incoming whole-number calculation skill, nonverbal reasoning, concept formation, and working memory (numerical executive control). In addition to these cognitive abilities, language emerged as a unique predictor of rational-number computational skill.     

Universal Preschool’s Promise: Success in Early Childhood and Beyond

Fueled by a belief that early intervention can prevent a host of educational woes, efforts to provide universal, publicly funded preschool have the potential to radically change the way we think about our commitments and responsibilities in education. We call for the implementation of innovative, universal preschool programs that attend to developmental characteristics of learners, cultural and linguistic diversity, ecosystemic context, and the new mandates on teacher training. Universal preschool has the potential to go far beyond mere “day-care,” as it has the potential to establish the foundation for a lifelong love of learning and optimal social/emotional development. We also advocate for high-quality teacher training to populate preschools with high-quality teachers. If universal preschool is carefully planned and provided, K-12 education stands to benefit substantially.     

Using comparison to develop flexibility for teaching algebra

In this paper, we describe a one-day professional development activity for mathematics teachers that promoted the use of comparison as an instructional tool to develop students’ flexibility in algebra. Effective use of comparison in mathematics instruction involves using side-by-side presentation of problems and solution methods and subsequent student discussion of these multiple solution methods to highlight the similarities and differences among problem-solving techniques. The goals of the professional development activity were to make teachers aware of how to use comparison effectively in their instruction, as well as to impact teachers’ own flexibility in algebra by using comparison instructionally during the professional development. Our analysis of teachers’ experiences in the professional development activity suggests that when teachers were presented with techniques for effective use of comparison, their own understanding of multiple solution methods was reinforced. In addition, teachers began to question why they relied exclusively on one familiar method over others that are equally effective and perhaps more efficient and started to draw new connections between problem-solving methods. Finally, as a result of experiencing instructional use of comparison, teachers began to see value in teaching for flexibility and reported changing their own teaching practices.     

Being our best: Understanding the relationship between empowerment and employee engagement among midlevel student affairs professionals

Over the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of student service personnel, yet demand has outstripped this growth leading to turnover and low employee satisfaction. Scholars and practitioners alike have called for increased levels of empowerment of these workers, but the outcomes of this approach need further analysis. We utilize data from a survey of international centre directors in the United States and employ a partial least squares-based structural equation modelling to investigate the relationship between empowerment and employ perceptions including work satisfaction, organizational commitment, perspective of leadership and personal engagement. Specifically, trust meaning and personal consequence are strong components of empowerment in this sample. Our results indicate a positive relationship between empowerment and job satisfaction, organizational commitment and perspectives on leadership. In addition, we find that organizational commitment mediates the relationship between empowerment and personal engagement.     

Online learning: a New Testament

The statement by Hunter R. Rawlings III that “there are no good studies on what constitutes bad online pedagogy” coincides with the creation of a Global Learning Council to define the guidelines that previous online educators have allegedly failed to identify. This article discusses these disparaging remarks by the President of the Association of American Universities about the distance education (DE) field and the likely influence on the Council’s deliberations by the motives of its members—American university presidents, corporate representatives, and providers of support for massive open online courses. The influence of their conclusions on public attitudes to new educational practices is anticipated, and the distorted pedagogical principles being offered in support of massive course practices are defined as arising from a form of plagiarism. A formal response by DE and online learning specialists to the rejection of their previous literature is encouraged; and an analysis of the situation is offered by a fictitious educational historian in the year 2031.