Using Interactive Writing Instruction with Kindergarten and First-Grade English Language Learners

In this article, written primarily for early childhood educators of young children who are learning English as another language, the authors discuss the use and educational benefits of Interactive Writing, an approach to beginning writing instruction appropriate for kindergarten and first grade children.     

Introducing Torres Strait Island dance to the Australian high school physical education curriculum

This study was carried out within the context of a requirement for every Australian Capital Territory Education and Training Directorate (ACT ETD) high school to include Indigenous perspectives across all areas of the curriculum. For the first time ever in the case study school reported in this article, two Torres Strait Island dances were taught to students from Year 7 to Year 9. Traditionally dance within Physical Education (PE) in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has been informed by British and American influences. This paper seeks to problematize the inclusion of Indigenous dance into a Westernized PE curriculum and considers the challenges faced by non-Indigenous Health and Physical Education (HPE) teachers in relation to this, as well as what support is available. It is argued from the findings of this study that it is possible for schools to move beyond traditional PE content and include Indigenous perspectives in a non-tokenistic way. However, it is also argued that such an approach requires Indigenous people to have a central role, and for non-Indigenous teachers to challenge taken for granted mainstream Westernized and racialized teaching practices and discourses.     

Doing dissections differently: A structured,peer‐assisted learning approach to maximizing learning in dissections

Areas of difficulty faced by our veterinary medicine students, with respect to their learning in dissection classes, were identified. These challenges were both general adult‐learning related and specific to the discipline of anatomy. Our aim was to design, implement, and evaluate a modified reciprocal peer‐assisted/team‐based learning format—Doing Dissections Differently (DDD)—to complement existing dissection classes, with the intention of enhancing both student learning and the student learning experience. Second year veterinary medicine students (n = 193), in their usual dissection groups, were randomly assigned to one of four roles: anatomist, clinician, radiologist, and learning resources manager. Students attended a preparatory workshop outlining the skills required for effective execution of their role. They were then asked to perform their roles throughout five consecutive musculoskeletal dissection classes. Student attitudes to dissection classes before and after DDD were evaluated by questionnaire (146 respondents). There was a significant (P = 0.0001) improvement after DDD in a number of areas: increased perceived value of dissection classes as an anatomy learning aid; improved appreciation of the clinical relevance of anatomy; increased use of resources before and during dissection classes; and longer preparation time for dissection classes. Before DDD, 45% of students felt that at least one peer did not contribute usefully to the group during dissection classes; no improvement was seen in this measure after DDD. Although the new format highlighted a potential need to improve teamwork, most students actively engaged with DDD, with dissection classes valued more highly and utilized more effectively. © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.     

Instructional/Educational Media

Public Telecommunications Review (bi-monthly at $12.50 per year in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, $17.00 Elsewhere) and Volume I:1 appeared in August 1973

S. Young Lee and Ronald J. Pedone's Summary Statistics of Public Television Licensees Fiscal Year 1972 (Washington: Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1973—no price listed, paperback)

Frederick Williams, Geraldine Van Wart and Monty Stanford's Carrascolendas: National Evaluation of a Spanish/English Educational Television Series (Austin, Texas: School of Communication, Center for Communication Research of the University of Texas, June 1973—$6.00, paper)

Children's Television Workshop offers its 1973 Annual Report (1 Lincoln Plaza, N.Y. 10023) which discusses developments in Sesame Street, Electric Company     

Compliance‐gaining strategies and communicator role: An analysis of strategy choices and persuasive efficacy

This study investigated not only those compliance‐gaining strategies senders are likely to use but also those strategies to which receivers are likely to respond. Results indicated that persuasive efficacy is maximized when explanation, direct request, and ingratiation are employed, while more punishing strategies such as threat and guilt are mutually perceived as ineffective. The interaction effect of size of request with communicator role proved to be minimal.     

The Influence of Television News Depictions of the Images of War on Viewers

Results of an experiment about the influence of network television news coverage of combat in Iraq on viewers indicated that, compared with a control condition which featured news stories about combat operations in Iraq described by news anchors, news reports also featuring footage of combat operations increased viewer involvement levels about the war and reduced viewer support for continued military presence in Iraq. Television news footage of combat operations also reduced viewers' pride in U.S. military presence but did not affect other emotions. However, regardless of how news stories were packaged, women experienced greater emotional response to network news stories about combat operations than men. The results also shed light on the potential of inoculation to deflect such influence.