向俄勒冈出发!

正多年前,俄勒冈靠金矿吸引了全世界的眼球;如今,俄勒冈继续以它的美丽和真实闪耀在世人面前。本期,旅居中国的Jeff Gerdes将带领我们感受他眼中的俄勒冈:无论是这里秀丽的自然风光,还是深厚的文化底蕴,相信都能让你领略到这个位于美国西海岸小州的独特之美。     

Response time variations in an online search system.

The response time characteristics of the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) ELHILL bibliographic search system are examined in this article. Transactions for a five-week period are analyzed and average response times are calculated for typical search commands, by time of day, and by file being searched. Overall, the response time of the system was found to be 2.1 seconds, a very low value. Based on statistical tests of significance applied to the data, it was concluded that response time differences can be explained in terms of the number of users on the system and not the command issued by the user nor the file the user searched.     

If you build it,will they come?: A case study of digital spaces and brand in the National Basketball Association

This case addresses the relationship between sport and digital spaces by introducing students to strategic marketing processes related to developing a team-managed fan website. The case was created in conjunction with three former members of the Cleveland Cavaliers who helped create www.cavfanatic.com, the official fan site of the team. Key areas addressed within the case study are brand development, brand communication, and brand extension. The case follows a new hire, Natalie, as she joins the new media team of www.cavfanatic.com. The sport marketers she works with review the development of the website and provide information on the strategic development process they went through. In the end, Natalie is charged with looking forward and developing further strategies to continue to engage the Cavaliers fans and to develop the CavFanatic brand.     

Why relationships matter

Nurture groups (NGs) are a form of provision for children with social, emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties. Although the first groups were established over 30 years ago, growth in the number of NGs in the UK has been exponential over the past ten years. This study attempts to assess the effectiveness of NGs in promoting positive social, emotional and educational development. The study set out to measure: (1) the effects of NGs in promoting pupil improvement in the NGs; (2) the extent to which these improvements generalised to mainstream settings; and (3) the impact of NGs on whole schools. Statistically significant improvements were found for NG pupils in terms of social, emotional and behavioural functioning. NGs which had been in place for more than two years were found to be significantly more effective than groups which had been in existence for less than two years. Pupils with SEBD in mainstream classrooms improved in behavioural terms significantly better than pupils with and without SEBD attending schools that did not have NG provision. The greatest social, emotional and behavioural improvements took place over the first two terms, whilst improvements in behaviours associated with cognitive engagement in learning tasks continued to improve into the third and fourth terms. This study suggests that NGs are a highly promising form of provision for young children with a wide range of SEBDs. There is also good evidence to suggest that successful NGs contribute to the development of the ‘nurturing school’.     

Ruby Tuesday

Ruby was 15, and a student at a mixed day special school for students with learning and behavioural difficulties. She was diagnosed with ADHD and had a wide range of additional learning difficulties, including auditory processing problems and literacy difficulties. These combined with classic symptoms of ADHD, including organizational problems, task avoidance and procrastination, made life very difficult for Ruby and her teachers. She would forget to bring in homework assignments and sports kit regularly despite repeated warnings, punishments and various reinforcement mechanisms.     

The Role of Agricultural Consultants in New Zealand in Environmental Extension

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand the role that agricultural consultants in New Zealand were undertaking in the Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) system—and in particular in relation to environmental extension. New Zealand does not have a public extension service and hence there is a strong reliance on consultants and regional councils for environmental management information and advice. As they are independent of the formal RD&E system there is no guarantee that RD&E outcomes are reaching farmers, nor that effective environmental extension is occurring. The study used a combination of case studies, phone interviews with informed persons and a national web survey to explore the role of the consultant. The study found that agricultural consultants are playing an important role in working with farmers to improve agricultural production. There are, however, indications that gaps have developed over time between agricultural consultants and the agricultural research sector which limit the effectiveness of the RD&E system. Agricultural consultants are playing a minimal role in proactive environmental extension because insufficient market forces are driving this role. The paper suggests that a national database of agricultural consultants could improve the flow of tailored information between research and agricultural consultants and also suggests mechanisms where consultants could be better integrated into the RD&E system and provide feedback to research programs. Market failure in the area of environmental extension could be addressed by publicly funded incentive programs.     

The Language of Schools: Curricular goals and classroom life

The experience of becoming a teacher involves more than learning to use the tools of the trade. Using the example of teaching questioning strategies in a curriculum methods seminar for student teachers, two teacher-educators present questions and dilemmas that arise out of the tension between the use of language as a tool, and the experience of language as an aspect of becoming teachers. Anecdotes from classrooms show how student teachers develop an awareness of the dynamic interplay of these language forms. We suggest that this dynamic interplay can be understood as aesthetic form, an aspect of teaching practice which enables teachers to sustain the pedagogical relation.