TALKING GEOGRAPHY: an investigation into young children's understanding of geographical terms PART 2

This research investigates the understanding by children of seven years of age of certain geographical terms and compares data collected in 1991, reported in an earlier paper, with that collected in 1993, after two years’ implementation of the English National Curriculum for Geography. The findings do not indicate any significant difference in the quality and range of response by the children. Most children, from both samples, appeared to show restricted or inconsistent understanding of most of the terms. It is clear from the research that children construct their own meanings for particular words, based on intuition and experience together with some formal teaching, but that even vernacular terms can present difficulties for them. Children have particular problems in conceptualising space. Further investigation of children's constructions, related to specific geographical concepts, is therefore urgently needed if geography teaching programmes are to be designed with adequate reference to the cognitive demands of particular aspects of the subject. We need to know more about children's views of geography.     

MicroObservatory Net: A Network of Automated Remote Telescopes Dedicated to Educational Use

Many students have a deep interest in astronomy, but a limited opportunity to use telescopes to explore the heavens. The MicroObservatory Network of automated telescopes is designed to provide access to classroom teachers who wish their students to conduct projects over the World Wide Web. The intuitive interface makes it easy for even 10-year-olds to take pictures. Telescopes can be remotely pointed and focused: filters, field of view, and exposure times can be changed easily. Images are archived at the website, along with sample challenges and a user bulletin board, all of which encourage collaboration among schools. Wide geographic separation of instruments provides access to distant night skies during local daytime. Since first light in 1995, we have learned much about remote troubleshooting, designing for unattended use, and for acquiring the kinds of images that students desire. This network can be scaled up from its present capability of 240,000 images each year to provide telescope access for all US students with an interest in astronomy. Our WWW address is http://mo-www.harvard.edu/MicroObservatory/     

Using rapid application development to improve the usability of a preservice teacher technology course

The aim of this research was to examine the use of a rapid application development (RAD) approach in improving the usability (effectiveness, efficiency, and appeal) of instructional materials for preservice teachers. The RAD approach used was the analysis, synthesis, evaluation and change (ASEC) model (Reigeluth & Nelson, 1997). After examining existing materials, 11 units of instruction were prototyped, tested, modified, and retested with the requisite changes being implemented over the course of three semesters. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 570 students, 7 instructional designers, and 4 lab assistants. Results of the study showed significant increases in usability scores between the second and third semester. Both positive and negative experiences in using a rapid development model are discussed.     

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Riding, Richard & Rayner, Steven (1998) Cognitive styles and learning strategies David Fulton (London) ISBN 1-85346-480-5 213 pp £19
http://www.fultonpublishers.co.uk orders@fultonpublishers.co.uk     

Mental health services in schools: A qualitative analysis of challenges to implementation,operation, and sustainability

Schools are increasingly recognized as a critical venue for the provision of comprehensive behavioral and mental health services for students. Unfortunately, difficulties associated with operating programs in schools often prevent evidence‐based practices from being implemented and sustained as intended. In this study, the experiences of school and community providers who were funded through the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative to implement mental health services in a large, urban school district were investigated using a qualitative focus group methodology. Providers identified the major challenges they encountered with implementing, operating, and sustaining their programs as well as the strategies that they used to overcome those challenges. Strategies to enhance support of school‐based mental health programs are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 361–372, 2005.     

Characteristics and careers of Canadian university presidents

This statistical study of Canadian university presidents was prompted by the discovery that there is no systematic demographic information available on university administrators in Canada. The vitae of 98 current Canadian university presidents and their immediate predecessors were collected and statistics such as age and length of tenure were compared with those of American counterparts. The Canadian university presidents assumed office at about 49 years of age and held office for about eight years. They tend to be born in geographical proximity to the institution they will head and to circle it geographically during their careers. A former association with the University of Toronto, either as a student or teacher, was common. There appears to be a career ladder which includes a decanal and/or vice-presidential position, particularly in central Canada; few presidents move to a second presidency, although several move into what might be termed an academic superstructure. Few Canadian presidents majored in the field of Education as a student or teacher and there is generally poor representation from the Arts as compared to the U.S.; on the other hand, the hard sciences are well represented. The implications of these tendencies are discussed.     

To promote,or not to promote fundamental British values? Teachers’ standards,diversity and teacher education

In this article we seek to problematize the presence of the requirement within the teachers’ standards (DfE, 2012), that they ‘should not undermine fundamental British values’ in the context of initial teacher education in England. The inclusion of this statement within the teachers’ code of conduct has made its way from the counter‐terrorism strategy, Prevent and raises questions about Britishness, values and the relationship between the state and the profession more generally. We argue that the inclusion of the phrase within a statutory document that regulates the profession is de facto a politicization of the profession by the state thereby instilling the expectation that teachers are state instruments of surveillance. The absence of any wider debate around the inclusion of the statement is also problematic as is the lack of training for pre‐service and inservice teachers since it means this concept of fundamental British values is unchallenged and its insidious racialising implications are unrecognised by most teachers.