Resolving conflicts with parents of handicapped children

Urban educators often find themselves in conflict with parents of educationally handicapped students over program, placement, services, and day-to-day difficulties. These conflicts often escalate into acrimonious debates, hostile feelings, and formal due process hearings. Fortunately, easily understood strategies exist for constructively and ethically preventing differences between school personnel and parents from becoming embittered and adversarial. This article discusses the dynamics of parental anger, considers parent perceptions and needs, and provides school personnel with both a framework and practical strategies for constructively resolving differences and improving relationships.     

全球化中为了可持续增长的职业教育

在全球经济紧密联系的背景下,实现可持续的经济增长成为世界发展的核心目标。在这一过程中,职业教育与培训通过促进智慧专业化及地区经济和生产一线的创新发挥着关键性的杠杆作用。在未来发展中,职业教育与培训应充分重视与更广泛的外部主体建立合作伙伴和联系网络,形成促进技能供需动态平衡的技能生态体系,并注重教学组织的有效性和创新。     

A strengths-based,culturally responsive family intervention improves Latino kindergarteners’ vocabulary and approaches to learning

Food routines are an ecocultural asset of Latino families. This cluster-randomized trial with 248 children (M_age = 67 months; 50% girls; 13 schools) investigated the impact of a 4-week family program designed to capitalize on food routines in improving Latino kindergarteners’ outcomes in the United States. There were moderate-to-large impacts on child vocabulary (especially food-related) at end-of-treatment and the 5-month follow-up, and suggestive evidence of moderate impacts on approaches to learning (ATL; including ATL math) and executive function at the 5-month follow-up (d = .38–.95). There were no statistically significant impacts on children's math or literacy skills. A strengths-based, culturally responsive family intervention that is integrated into Latino family life can improve the skills needed to succeed in school.     

Hypermedia design as learner scaffolding

A number of available resources offer guidance about hypermedia design strategies, many of which rely on principles of user-centered design. Many recent efforts, however, have focused more on developing learner-centered hypermedia. Learner-centered hypermedia is designed to help learners achieve their educational goals, rather than offer mere usability. Unfortunately, this endeavor is hamstrung by a lack of empirical research on the topic. Research conducted in my laboratory and others has provided some insight, however. It is now understood that several system and user characteristics influence outcomes of hypermedia-assisted learning (HAL). Among the most relevant factors are learners’ levels of metacognition and prior knowledge, and the interaction between these factors and hypermedia structure. By capitalizing on this research, it is possible to create hypermedia that scaffolds learners in their quest to build knowledge and understanding. The present article draws from empirical findings to suggest hypermedia design strategies aimed at scaffolding learners engaged in HAL. These guidelines target learners’ knowledge and metacognitive ability to structure hypermedia that maximizes learning potential.

From science wars to transdisciplinarity: the inescapability of the neuroscience,biology and sociology of learning

ABSTRACT

In this paper we begin to explore how knowledges being generated in bioscience might be brought into productive articulation with the Sociology of Education, considering the potential for emerging transdisciplinary, ‘biosocial’ approaches to enable new ways of researching and understanding pressing educational issues. In this paper, as in our current research, we take learning as our focus. Our work brings together collaborators from across fields: sociology of education; molecular biology and biochemistry; cognitive neuroscience; fMRI imaging; and EEG. Through the paper we explore the generative potential of an encounter between life sciences and sociology of education. Through consideration of the conceptual and methodological elements of our ‘Synchrony in Learning’ research and engagement with our pilot experimental approach, our research is suggesting that our central concept, learning, is undergoing metamorphosis, challenging us to understand learning as a phenomenon produced through the intra-action of a multiplicity of forces and processes.     

Cross‐language relationship between Spanish and English oral reading fluency among Spanish‐speaking English language learners in bilingual education classrooms

This study examined whether oral reading fluency in a child's first language (Spanish) as assessed by Curriculum‐Based Measurement (CBM) was related to oral reading fluency in a second language (English) and whether Spanish oral reading fluency probes administered in the fall were predictive of English oral reading fluency outcomes for spring of the same academic year. A total of 68 bilingual education students across grades 1 through 5 were assessed in Spanish and English during the fall, winter, and spring. Results showed that reading in Spanish and English across grades and time periods correlated moderately high with the exception of fourth grade. In addition, Spanish oral reading fluency at the beginning of the year significantly predicted English reading outcomes at the end of the year. These findings suggest that CBM can be a valuable tool for evaluating the relationship between oral reading fluency in both the first and second language. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 44: 795–806, 2007.     

Revitalizing Algebra: the effect of the use of a cognitive tutor in a remedial course

This study investigated the effect of instruction with a cognitive tutoring software system in a remedial algebra course. The performance on algebra tasks of students who attended the experimental (cognitive tutor) and a control class was compared. The results indicated that the two groups of students were equally proficient with respect to algebraic manipulation skills. However, students who attended the experimental algebra section performed significantly better in problem solving than students in the control section. This finding suggested that the use of the cognitive tutor (a) improved students' problem‐solving abilities; (b) fostered student development of richer concepts of variable and function; and (c) improved students' procedural abilities in approaching and carrying through mathematical analyses of relatively complex situations.     

Utility of follow-up skeletal surveys in suspected child physical abuse evaluations

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of a follow-up skeletal survey in suspected child physical abuse evaluations. METHODS: In this prospective study, follow-up skeletal surveys were recommended for 74 children who, after an initial skeletal survey and evaluation by the Child Abuse Team, were suspected victims of physical abuse. The number and location of the fractures were recorded for the initial skeletal survey and for the follow-up skeletal survey in each case. RESULTS: Forty-eight of the 74 (65%) children returned for a follow-up skeletal survey. The follow-up skeletal survey yielded additional information in 22 of 48 patients (46%). In three patients (6%) the additional information changed the outcome of cases; child abuse was ruled out in one of these patients and abuse was confirmed in two cases. In three other patients, the follow-up skeletal survey refuted tentative skeletal findings, but did not change the outcome because of other physical findings. CONCLUSION: A follow-up skeletal survey identified additional fractures or clarified tentative findings in children who were suspected victims of physical child abuse. The follow-up skeletal survey should be completed on all patients who have an initial skeletal survey performed for suspected physical child abuse and for whom child abuse is still a concern.