Current status and development of percutaneous coronary intervention in China

##正##Dr.Gruntzig et al.(1979) successfully completed the world's first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI),a percutaneous transluminal coronary     

Investigating the quality of the school technology needs assessment (STNA) 3.0: A validity and reliability study

Schools and districts should use a well-designed needs assessment to inform important decisions about a range of technology program areas. Presently, there is a lack of valid and reliable instruments available and accessible to schools to effectively assess their educational needs to better design and evaluate their projects and initiatives. The School Technology Needs Assessment (STNA) is a free, user-friendly online survey tool that meets this need for planning and formative evaluation of technology projects in educational settings. This study used existing data from a robust sample (n = 1918) of educators from across North Carolina to examine the reliability and validity of STNA. A collective review of study results including the literature review, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and internal consistently reliability analysis indicated that STNA was a high-quality instrument.     

Defining the Difference: Comparing Integrated and Traditional Single-Subject Lessons

Early childhood curricula should be authentic and child-centered, however, many teachers still rely on direct instruction lessons. To better define how an integrated curriculum meets the needs of students, this study examined teacher talk and actions during instructional activities with first and second graders under two conditions: (1) subject-integrated social studies lessons of an integrated curriculum unit (experimental condition); and (2) single subject-focused mathematics lessons of a traditional separate subject curriculum (control condition). The mixed-methods study sought to define and compare characteristics of both curriculum approaches. Fourteen hours of observations were collected in each setting. In the integrated curriculum setting, the teacher was a facilitator of teamwork, offering choices, and giving praise; students made choices, decisions, and worked collaboratively. In the traditional setting, the teacher delivered direct instruction and controlled behavior; students followed directions, recalled knowledge, and worked individually. Less teacher energy was expended for behavior management in the integrated curriculum setting, indicating intrinsic motivation of students. Implementation of integrated curricula is recommended because of the student-centered focus that results in greater motivation, ownership, and teamwork, along with deeper knowledge connections. Because many factors hinder implementation, teachers need support when first teaching with this approach.     

Environmental Factors Affecting Preschoolers’ Motor Development

The process of development occurs according to the pattern established by the genetic potential and also by the influence of environmental factors. The aim of the present study was to focus on the main environmental factors affecting motor development. The review of the literature revealed that family features, such as socioeconomic status, mother’s educational level, and the existence of siblings can affect children’s motor competence. Preschool centers have also become important for children’s development, due to the large amount of time children spend at them nowadays. Moreover, the social cultural context in which a child is reared forms certain demands for his/her motor behavior, favoring specific aspects of motor development and impairing others. A very influential factor (and consequently a very significant educational means) is the use of intervention movement programs. A developmentally adequate movement program can enhance motor development, thus preventing the long term negative consequences that an unfavorable influence of several genetic or the aforementioned environmental factors may have.     

Strategies for Transitioning Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders to Kindergarten

In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), worldwide. Since children with ASD have limited social interaction and communication skills, they tend to lag behind their peers without disabilities in many areas. In particular, they are unable to easily transition smoothly from one stage of their life to another. Transitions from preschool settings to kindergarten and beyond should be a critical issue of concern for educators and parents of young children with ASD. The results of a survey completed by 65 preschool teachers from Ghana and 210 of their counterparts in the United States of America, about characteristics of effective transition programs for children with ASD, are presented. Implications for preschool teacher preparation and transition planning are discussed.     

Education of Young Chinese Migrant Children: Challenges and Prospects

Challenged by the national residency registration system in China, migrant children have always faced obstacles in accessing public education. Recent policy changes, however, have brought hope for these children. This article introduces some international concerns regarding migrant children and provides a close view of Chinese perspectives. Issues relating to access to public education and recommendations for policies and practices are also discussed.     

Training with ICT for ICT from the trainee’s perspective. A local ICT teacher training experience

The introduction of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) presents new challenges for teachers and often meets with their belief that ICT, as well as other changes present a factor, which can cause several changes in school. Although there have been many education reforms regarding teachers’ training policy in recent years and the number of training programs has been increased, they have not been able to satisfy teachers’ needs to a substantial degree. In this research the results from an exploratory study conducted within the framework of a national training programme in Greece on ICT known as In-service teacher training in the use of ICT in Education are presented. Based on a specially constructed questionnaire intended for the educators, this research elicits teachers’ attitudes towards this programme. Some of the main results point out the preparedness of these teachers to use ICT in the daily school practice. Furthermore, they expressed their wish for further in-training programmes concerning the pedagogical development of the ICT use in class practice.