The Relationship of the World Wide Web to Thinking Skills

As access to the WWW increases in schools and classrooms it is vital for educators at all levels to examine closely its potential roles in learning. Much emphasis has been placed upon making the WWW available without enough emphasis on methods of using it so students will benefit from instruction based upon it. A continuing goal of modern pedagogy is to help students move beyond the lower order cognitive domain, knowledge and comprehension, to higher order thinking skills: application; analysis;, synthesis; and evaluation. Students also need critical thinking skills. These skills are necessary for dealing with the demands of the future information society, which will be even more complex and demanding than at present. In order to foster the skills mentioned above, teachers are urged to provide learning environments that are learner-centred, authentic, problem-based and collaborative. Les relations entre le World Wide Web et les aptitudes des pensées. Comme l'accès au WWW s'accroît dans les écoles et les classes il est vital que les enseignants À tous niveaux examinent de près son rÔle potentiel en éducation. On a mis beaucoup l'accent sur les possibilités d'accès au WWW sans mettre assez l'accent sur les méthodes d'emploi par les étudiants de facon À ce qu'ils puissent bénéficier de l'instruction qu'il permet. Un objectif constant de la pédagogie moderne est d'aider les étudiants À dépasser le domaine cognitif limité. le savoir et la compréhension vers des aptitudes de pensée d'un ordre supérieur : applications, analyses, synthèses et évaluations. Les étudiants ont aussi besoin de pensée critique - ces aptitudes sont nécessaires pour faire face aux demandes de la future société de l'information, qui sera encore plus complexe et exigeante que maintenant. De facon À favoriser les aptitudes mentionnées ci-dessus , il faut que les enseignants fournissent les environnements éducatifs qui sont centrés sur l'apprenant, authentiques, basés sur la résolution de problèmes et la collaboration. Der Zusammenhang zwischen dem World Wide Web und den Denkfähigkeiten. Mit den wachsenden Zugängen an das WWW in Schulen und Klassenräumen wird es für Lehrer auf allen Ebenen immer dringender ihre zukünftige Rolle im Unterricht zu überdenken. Es wurde sehr viel Wert auf die Verfügbarkeit des WWWs gelegt, ohne jedoch auf Anwendungsmöglichkeiten zu achten damit die Lernenden von einem auf dem Web basierenden Unterricht profitieren. Ständiges Ziel moderner Pädagogik ist, Studenten zu helfen, über die untere Stufe des kognitiven Bereichs, Wissen und Verständnis, auf eine höhere Stufe des Denkprozesses zu gelangen: nämlich Anwendung, Analyse, Synthese und Bewertung. Schüler brauchen auch kritisches Denken. Diese Fähigkeiten sind notwendig im Umgang mit den Anforderungen der zukünftigen Informationsgesellschaft, die noch komplexer und schwieriger als die jetzige sein wird. Um diese Fähigkeiten zu fördern müssen Lehrer Lernumfelder schaffen, die sich am Studenten orientieren, authentisch sind, auf Problemlösungen basieren und collaborativ sind.     

Effects of a Reading Intervention Implemented at Differing Intensities for Upper Elementary Students

Students with disabilities who display severe reading difficulties may require intensive interventions in order to make progress. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a multicomponent reading intervention implemented at two different intensities, in two separate randomized control trials, for a subset of fourth-grade students who displayed severe reading difficulties, and who had or were at risk for disabilities. We use multilevel models to examine the effect of a standard, less intensive implementation in Study 1, and of a more intensive implementation in Study 2, relative to typical school services. Analyses revealed no significant effects of treatment for the standard, less intensive implementation in Study 1. Significant effects for word reading and word reading fluency outcomes for students assigned to receive the intensive implementation were noted in Study 2. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.     

The Rural School Leadership Dilemma

The idea that rural schools and communities, indeed, even rural people, are somehow substandard or second-class has deep historical roots. The goal of this essay is to reveal that history so as to render stereotypical conceptions all things rural less powerful and more easily dismissed by rural school professionals. Consequently the focus is on one dilemma every rural school leader faces: when to speak up in the face of rural denigration.     

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The authors report on a survey of services and supports provided to students with disabilities at 28 community colleges and 39 area vocational technical centers in Florida. Supports were classified into 7 categories: counseling services, equipment supports, campus environment, student‐centered supports, developmental labs, program or course flexibility, and unique programs.     

STEM Professionals Entering Teaching: Navigating Multiple Identities

In this qualitative study, we identify the complexity of the transitioning identities of four STEM career changers to better inform teacher education programs on how to be more mindful of the needs of this population as they return to the life of a student again on their path toward a new career in teaching. Findings suggest the career changers relied upon their identities from their previous careers to engage students in science; however, support is needed, both in terms of the coursework and returning to be a student again. Additionally, support is necessary for intervening in difficult placements and work situations as these STEM career changers make the transition to their newly chosen career of teaching science.     

The Journey to an Inaugural Chief Diversity Officer: Preparation, Implementation and Beyond

In this article, we discuss the necessary components for successfully creating and implementing a chief diversity officer (CDO) position within a four-year public institution. We explore information about critical stages of the process such as the creation of the position, the recruitment process, and compatibility with the institution’s mission. Our research emphasizes the need for modeling intercultural competence at all stages of the process. We underscore the significance of infusing institutional values into a position that is meaningful to all constituencies. We suggest ways of keeping the politics, structures, and culture of readers’ own institutions at the forefront of the planning and implementation process.     

A Study of Three Movements in Classical Ballet

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and magnitude of specific variables perceived to have affected U.S. Olympic athlete performance. Participants included 296 Atlanta Olympians and 83 Nagano Olympians. Olympians rated how they perceived specific variables influenced their Olympic performance. Results revealed that numerous variables, including performance influences, such as preparation for distractions and loss of composure; team variables, such as strong cohesion and positive coach-athlete relationships; coaching variables, including coach's ability to deal with crises and coaching expectations; family-friend variables, including general social support and getting event tickets for family and friends; and environmental concerns, such as venue transportation difficulties and Olympic village distractions; were perceived to influence performance. Findings verified the results of qualitative interviews conducted with Olympic athletes and coaches.     

United States National Library of Medicine Drug Information Portal

The Drug Information Portal is a free Web resource from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) that provides a user-friendly gateway to current information for more than 15,000 drugs. The site guides users to related resources of NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies. Current drug-related information regarding consumer health, clinical trials, AIDS, MeSH pharmacological actions, MEDLINE/PubMed biomedical literature, and physical properties and structure is easily retrieved by searching on a drug name. A varied selection of focused topics in medicine and drugs is also available from displayed subject headings. This column provides background information about the Drug Information Portal, as well as search basics.     

Distributed Leadership for ICT Reform in Singapore

This study examines distributed leadership in Information Communication Technology reform in a government school in Singapore. The study adopts a naturalistic inquiry approach, drawing upon a case study of the aforementioned school for much of its data. The study found that leadership for Information Communication Technology reform is distributed according to functions of transformational leadership, instructional leadership, emotional leadership, and the strategic management of resources. The key enabling factors are an official leadership position, access to expertise, support by senior management, and interpersonal synergies among the leaders. Senior management consistently performs transformational leadership, whereas middle management generally performs instructional leadership. Both senior and middle management provide emotional leadership.