How the web was won … by some

HILJ readers may have encountered the phrase library 2.0 which has polarised librarians, with some sceptical whether library 2.0 offers anything new. Others are confident that the convergence of service goals and ideas with emerging Web 2.0 technologies will lead to a new generation of library services. Andrew Tattersall's article, 'How the Web was Won', belongs in the latter camp. His thesis is that Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 have opened up a whole new world for exploration by information and library professionals. Although the Web has created problems for the modern day explorer, potentially there is a bright future for information professionals if they are to succeed in deploying the resources.     

Screening for reading problems: The utility of SEARCH

To evaluate the accuracy of SEARCH as a screen for identifying children at risk for developing learning problems, 1107 kindergarten children were evaluated with SEARCH and 284 (26 percent) were classified as at risk. At-risk children were of average intelligence and SEARCH scores were significantly correlated with sequential and simultaneous information processing skills. Children whose group preacademic achievement scores were at or below the third stanine at the end of kindergarten were classified as having inadequate skills for learning how to read; those scoring above the third stanine formed the adequate skills group. Using this criterion, SEARCH predicted children who had adequate or inadequate preacademic reading skills with 77 percent accuracy. However, approximately half of the children identified as at risk by SEARCH performed adequately. A reading test was individually administered to a group of at-risk children at the end of first (N=49) and second (N=35) grade. Of those children identified at risk by SEARCH at kindergarten, 39 percent at first grade and 66 percent at second grade performed at grade level. Fewer children from the upper SES were identified by SEARCH as being at risk.     

The social status of children with learning disabilities: a reexamination

Although the low social status of children with learning disabilities (LD) has been well documented, little is known about the specific types of peer status problems that characterize these children. The present study utilized current sociometric procedures in order to clarify the nature of social status difficulties encountered by children with LD. Consistent with previous studies, results revealed that children with LD obtain significantly lower sociometric scores relative to their nondisabled peers. Moreover, children with LD were found to be disproportionately overrepresented in the rejected and neglected sociometric groups, and underrepresented in the popular and average groups. Over half of the total LD sample was classified into one of the low status categories, with approximately equal numbers in the rejected and neglected groups. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Teacher collaboration: 30 years of research on its nature,forms, limitations and effects

ABSTRACT

This article reprises and reflects on 30 years of the author’s work on teacher collaboration. The distinctive nature of this work has not been in making a case for teacher collaboration in terms of its benefits for students, teachers, or educational change. These arguments are widely available elsewhere. Rather it has examined ways of collaborating that are available to teachers, how formal or informal collaboration should be, how collaborative efforts can be misused or misdirected, and what factors must be considered when deliberately designing teacher collaboration so it will have the most beneficial effects. The article discusses the explanatory and strategic power of three concepts in particular—contrived collegiality, professional capital, and collaborative professionalism. Conclusions are drawn about next steps for educational research in terms of establishing clear typologies of teacher collaboration in relation to their impact and appropriateness in different circumstances.