Revision strategies of deaf student writers

Deaf high school students at different schools shared second drafts of their own narratives via an electronic bulletin board after conferencing with their repective teachers. This article characterizes the kinds of questions teachers asked during the conferences and the kinds of revisions the students made between first and second drafts. Results indicate that teachers most often ask questions that require student to provide more information; yet these questions do not affect revision as much as questions which require students to rephrase specific language. Students typically either added or substituted words or phrases that showed both similarities to and differences from the revision patterns of inexperienced writers with normal hearing. In the majority of cases, trained readers rated the deaf students' revised drafts better than their first attempts, signifying the central role revision plays in the composition process.     

Social effects of collaborative learning in primary schools

There is conflicting evidence on whether collaborative group work leads to improved classroom relations, and if so how. A before and after design was used to measure the impact on work and play relations of a collaborative learning programme involving 575 students 9–12 years old in single- and mixed-age classes across urban and rural schools. Data were also collected on student interactions and teacher ratings of their group-work skills. Analysis of variance revealed significant gains for both types of relation. Multilevel modelling indicated that better work relations were the product of improving group skills, which offset tensions produced by transactive dialogue, and this effect fed through in turn to play relations. Although before intervention rural children were familiar with each other neither this nor age mix affected outcomes. The results suggest the social benefits of collaborative learning are a separate outcome of group work, rather than being either a pre-condition for, or a direct consequence of successful activity, but that initial training in group skills may serve to enhance these benefits.     

Older learning engagement in the modern city

Abstract

This research employs novel techniques to examine older learners’ journeys, educationally and physically, in order to gain a ‘three-dimensional’ picture of lifelong learning in the modern urban context of Glasgow. The data offers preliminary analyses of an ongoing 1500 household survey by the Urban Big Data Centre (UBDC). A sample of 1037, with 377 older adults aged 60+, was examined to understand older learner engagement in formal, in-formal, non-formal and family-learning contexts. Preliminary findings indicate that all forms of older learning participation are lower than younger and middle-age counterparts. However, there is a subset of ‘actively ageing’, socially and technologically engaged older adult ‘learner-citizens’, participating in educational, physical, cultural, civic and online activities (including online political discussions and boycotts). These older learners were more likely to be working, caretakers and report better health overall. Long-term disabilities were associated with less engagement in non-formal learning activities. Additionally, engaged older learners’ GPS trails show more city activity than their matched non-learning-engaged counterparts. Place-based variables, such as feeling safe and belonging to the local area, moderated adult participation in learning activities. The full data-set will be accessible to researchers and the general public via UBDC, providing a complex data source to explore demographically diverse learners’ within an urban context.     

Educational administration and supervision in Brazil

The Brazilian formal educational system operates at federal, state and county levels. The federal Ministry of Education and Culture provides financial and technical assistance to the states, which have primary responsibility for administering the schools with the exception of federal and private institutions. Of particular interest are thesupletivo schools designed to provide for those who have dropped out of school. The State Secretariats are in various stages of decentralizing their administrative structures and are passing responsibilities down to the county level where possible. Brazil possesses an extensive system of informal education. A number of organizations e.g. SENAC and SENAI, supported by private rather than government funds, are actively providing educational opportunities for adults. In addition, specialized private schools have been established in metropolitan areas. While many opportunities for attaining an education exist at private specialized schools and privatesupletivo schools, the expense of the programs is carried by the students, not by the government. Major problems faced by Brazilian administrators include poorly qualified teachers, inadequate physical facilities and a high student dropout rate. There is a need for a clear statement of national goals in education.

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Zusammenfassung Das formelle brasilianische Bildungssystem arbeitet auf der förderativen, Staats-und Bezirksebene. Das Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur stellt finanzielle und technische Hilfe für die Staaten bereit, die dann die Verantwortung für die Verwaltung der Schulen haben, mit Ausnahme von privaten und Bundeseinrichtungen. Diesupletivo-Schulen für Schulabgml;nger ohne Abschluss sind von besonderem Interesse. Die Staatssekretariate befinden sich in verschiedenen Stadien der Dezentralisierung ihrer Verwaltungsstrukturen und geben soweit wie möglich Verantwortung an die Bezirke weiter. Brasilien hat ein weites Netz von informellen Bildungsangeboten. Eine Reihe von Organisationen, so z. B. SENAC und SENAI, die eher von privaten als Staatsgeldern unterstützt werden, stellen in sehr aktiver Weise Bildungsmöglichkeiten für Erwachsene bereit. Zusätzlich wurden private Schulen in städtischen Gebieten gegründet. In privaten Spezialschulen und privatensupletivo-Schulen sind viele Bildungschancen gegeben, aber die finanziellen Lasten werden von den Studenten und nicht der Regierung getragen. Die Hauptprobleme, denen die brasilianischen Verwaltungsfachleute gegenüberstehen, beinhalten schlecht qualifizierte Lehrer, unzureichende Versorgung mit Gebäuden usw., und eine hohe Zahl von Abgängern ohne Abschluss. Es besteht die Notwendigkeit, die nationalen Bildungsziele klar zu definieren.

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Résumé Le régime officiel de l'enseignement brésilien fonctionne aux niveaux fédéral, provincial et départemental. Le Ministère Fédéral de l'Education et de la Culture fournit des aides financières techniques aux gouvernements provinciaux auxquels incombe la responsabilité principale de l'administration des écoles, à l'exception des institutions fédérales et privées. Les écoles dites supletivo à l'intention des élèves arriérés présentent un intérêt tout particulier. Les secrétariats provinciaux s'avancent par étapes pour décentraliser leurs différentes structures administratives et délèguent leurs responsabilités, dans la mesure du possible, jusqu'au niveau départemental. Le Brésil témoigne d'un vaste régime d'enseignement officieux. Un nombre d'organismes, tels que SENAC et SENAI, soutenus par des fonds privés plutôt que gouvernementaux, pourvoient activement à la mise en oeuvre de ressources pour l'enseignement des adultes. Par ailleurs, on a établi des écoles spécialisées privées dans les régions des grandes métropoles. Bien qu'il y ait de nombreuses possibilités d'obtenir un enseignement aux écoles spécialisées privées et aux écoles dites supletivo, les frais des programmes sont à la charge des étudiants et non du gouvernement. Les importants problèmes, auxquels les administrateurs brésiliens ont à faire face, comprennent ceux d'instituteurs peu qualifiés, d'aménagements matériels imparfaits ainsi que d'un taux élevé d'étudiants arriérés. Le besoin se fait sentir d'énoncer une déclaration exacte sur les objectifs poursuivis dans l'enseignement au niveau national.