Student Engagement in Research,Scholarship, and Creative Activity (SERSCA) Program: Sharing a Program Model from Design and Development through Evaluation

The Student Engagement in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (SERSCA) Program at California State University, Stanislaus provides support for student engagement in these areas from idea conception through dissemination. Through assistantships, mini-grants, the Student Research Competition, and travel grants, the Program is designed to improve the overall quality of education and increase retention, GPA, the number of units completed, degree completion, and enrollment in graduate or professional school. In this article we provide an overview of the SERSCA Program and preliminary evaluation findings from the first year of implementation.     

Inviting conversation: meaningful talk about texts for English language learners

In Canada, as in other anglophone countries, classrooms are becoming more diverse as the number of English language learners (ELLs) increases. More and more teachers are faced with the task of meeting the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students. In this article, I share excerpts of dialogue between ELL students, native English‐speaking children and their teacher during guided reading events. Excerpts will illustrate how conversations around texts during reading activities can shape and extend the construction of meaning for the benefit of all, but especially for ELL students. Based on Vygotsky's (1986) proposition that learning is socially situated, I suggest four ways for teachers to structure meaningful conversations: through questioning, teaching vocabulary, engaging in collaborative talk and recognising that the culture and identity of the child are important to literacy learning.     

Sharing the Stage

Despite the proliferation of research on social media and journalism, only a few studies have analyzed how journalists in Latin America embrace the affordances of social platforms for journalism practice. Based on a survey of 877 Latin American reporters, this article examines the platforms journalists use and how they use them. The broad finding is that, despite the great popularity of Facebook in the region, Twitter is the most important platform for daily newsgathering and journalistic work. Journalists turn to Twitter to find sources and stories, showing an important openness to participatory journalism. Yet, they mistrust information provided from political sources. Our findings show that different regions in Latin America work with social media in different ways, and local journalistic cultures have an impact on these adoptions, especially in the case of Brazil. Further research and implications for the field are discussed.     

蓝衣男孩和特殊制服

不得不承认，基督医院学校的蓝衣校服可谓是全英最不同寻常的校服之一。校服一般都不会赶时髦——所以有些过动服款式的校服简直可以说与爱德华七世明代的夏装无异，伊顿公学的黑色燕尾服甚至可以追溯到更早的年代。但是蓝衣     

Here’s to the future

In the near future the thoughtful and creative use of technology can, and should, greatly improve the quality of the curriculum for dyslexic students. The quality of their learning should also be enhanced, provided that educators are fully aware of student needs, have advance training, and have sufficient time and expertise to select and evaluate appropriate software programs. Computers and other multi-media devices must not only be present in the classrooms of the future, but should be fully integrated into the regular instructional system to meet the individual needs of dyslexic students. There should be prior knowledge on the teacher’s part of types of software which will lead to curriculum congruence and the achieving of goals unreached without the help of technology. Technology should not be restricted to one content area or discipline, but should be available whenever it can be seen to make learning more profitable and more efficient. Both students and teachers must be granted the freedom to use technology in ways that will encourage creativity, critical thinking, and easy access to information in keeping with intellectual potential. Teacher training and involvement are crucial to the successful use of multi-media in the remediation of skills and extension of knowledge for dyslexic students. This paper is based on the Keynote address given by the author at the New York Branch, The Orton Dyslexia Society, 17th Annual Conference, March 22, 1990.     

It's a New World: Multiculturalism in a virtual environment

The notion of multiculturalism is vital in our global society. The emergence of efficient and effective distance learning technologies has permitted the integration of innovative techniques in the delivery of multicultural content to individuals who need flexible and convenient education and training opportunities. Strategies form the instructional foundation that promotes engagement of learners. Integral to these strategies are those that relate to personal belief systems and extension of those belief systems to behaviors. This article will add new ways of teaching and learning in the areas of diversity and multiculturalism by offering a model for building highly supportive, engaging online environments, where instructors, trainers, and instructional designers use multiple strategies to build virtual environments that foster a sense of dignity, respect, and understanding: all critical elements in a global environment.     

A preliminary investigation of trunk and wrist kinematics when using drivers with different shaft properties

It is unknown whether skilled golfers will modify their kinematics when using drivers of different shaft properties. This study aimed to firstly determine if golf swing kinematics and swing parameters and related launch conditions differed when using modified drivers, then secondly, determine which kinematics were associated with clubhead speed. Twenty high level amateur male golfers (M ± SD: handicap = 1.9 ± 1.9 score) had their three-dimensional (3D) trunk and wrist kinematics collected for two driver trials. Swing parameters and related launch conditions were collected using a launch monitor. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant (p ≤ 0.003) between driver differences; specifically, faster trunk axial rotation velocity and an early wrist release for the low kick point driver. Launch angle was shown to be 2° lower for the high kick point driver. Regression models for both drivers explained a significant amount of variance (60–67%) in clubhead speed. Wrist kinematics were most associated with clubhead speed, indicating the importance of the wrists in producing clubhead speed regardless of driver shaft properties.