Axioms, Essences, and Mostly Clean Hands: Preparing to Teach Chemistry with Libavius and Aristotle

Andreas Libavius’ (c. 1555–1616) three part collection of letters, the Rerum chymicarum epistolica forma ... liber (1595–1599) is a particularly important text in fashioning the subject of chemistry as a demonstrative science and as a didactic discipline. Where Libavius’ Alchemia, which some have claimed to be the first textbook of chemistry, had mostly a humanist agenda, the Rerum chymicarum ... liber more directly sought to wrest the subject of “chemistry” away from Paracelsian adepts, and established the methodological basis for a specific form of knowledge suitable to the university. Making use of Aristotle’s Posterior analytics Libavius created a “floor-plan” for chemistry that integrated practical experience with natural philosophy, and could thus, he claimed, penetrate more deeply into the structure of nature than other academic disciplines.     

Self‐assessment methods in writing instruction: a conceptual framework,successful practices and essential strategies

Student writing achievement is essential to lifelong learner success, but supporting writing can be challenging for teachers. Several large‐scale analyses of publications on writing have called for further study of instructional methods, as the current literature does not sufficiently address the need to support best teaching practices. Self‐assessment methods in writing instruction present meaningful ways to promote student writing achievement through reflection and meta‐cognition during the writing process. Self‐assessment practices are described in publications across the academic disciplines where writing is required, and close investigations of the methods are also published in the research fields of literacy, English education and composition. This study aims to bridge these fields to construct a clear and comprehensive understanding of self‐assessment methods. Self‐assessment encompasses a wide range of practices and varied terminology. It is essential to clarify effective methods of self‐assessment and to disseminate practical information to educators. This paper presents the findings of an analysis of the literature yielding: (1) a theoretical framework for self‐assessment methods in writing instruction; (2) an overview of concepts/practices; (3) a list of literature‐supported strategies for effective classroom use derived from a study of a vast body of literature. Results strongly support self‐assessment as a means to foster student writing achievement, middle school through higher education. Delineated strategies can assist instructors with self‐assessment implementation.     

Partnering with Undergraduate Students to Conduct Library Focus Groups

Experiential learning is becoming an increasingly important part of the university experience. Academic libraries have long provided practicum opportunities for library and information science students. To date, however, few libraries have documented experiential learning partnerships with social science students. Librarians at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) partnered with the university's anthropology department in an experiential learning opportunity. Undergraduate students conducted focus groups to discover how MTSU students complete research assignments and what role the library plays in the process. This article describes the collaboration, and it discusses the benefits and drawbacks of partnering with undergraduate student researchers.     

Mario Van Peebles's Panther and Popular Memories of the Black Panther Party

The 1995 movie Panther depicted the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense as a vibrant but ultimately doomed social movement for racial and economic justice during the late 1960s. Panther's narrative indicted the white-operated police for perpetuating violence against African-Americans and for undermining movements for black empowerment. As such, this film represented a rare source of filmic counter-memory that challenged hegemonic memories of U.S. race relations. Newspaper reports and reviews of Panther, however, questioned the film's veracity as a source of historical information. An analysis of these reviews and reports indicates the challenges counter-memories confront in popular culture.     

Blue-collar work,career, and success: occupational narratives of Sisu

This study examined underground iron ore miners' occupational narratives to uncover how their stories socialize miners into blue-collar careers and reinforce their work identities. Through the root theme of sisu (Finnish for inner determination), underground miners create a status hierarchy that is used to construct a sense of pride around their work and to establish milestones of success for themselves and others in their workgroup. Furthermore, they communicatively construct exemplars that guide their performance and decisions during the unfolding of their work experiences. Their discourses provide alternatives to white-collar conceptualizations and practices of careers and success.     

Certification and specialized competencies for teachers in gifted education programs

This article describes the value of Piaget's equilibration theory for understanding characteristics of the young gifted child. Key elements of equilibration theory are discussed. Differences in the equilibration patterns in gifted children are described and application of equilibration to other than cognitive systems is considered. The article concludes with some ideas for teachers and parents to help gifted young children search for equilibrium.     

Low-Income Minority Seniors' Enrollment in a Cybercafé: Psychological Barriers to Crossing the Digital Divide

Investigated were why some low income, predominantly immigrant seniors (n = 91) choose to enroll in free training and start to use computers and the Internet while others choose not to enroll. The study was conducted in collaboration with a senior center in downtown Los Angeles that provides free Internet access and training to its seniors. The results suggest that psychological variables (e.g., computer anxiety, computer self-efficacy, and aging anxiety) are stronger predictors of older adults' enrollment than their age or actual experience in using computers. Discussed are ways to motivate seniors to participate in computer training by reducing potential barriers.