Traumatic encounters with Frank Mechau's Dangers of the Mail

This essay examines Frank Mechau's infamous mural Dangers of the Mail as an opportunity to theorize the force of memories contingent upon immediate sensual encounters that operate largely irrespective of actual historical occurrences. Through an analysis of public documents, archival material from the 1930s and early 2000s, and two separate tours of the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building in 2015 and 2016, we argue Mechau's Dangers of the Mail triggers a form of traumatic sense memory that positions audiences within a trauma economy in which sensation functions as epistemological grounding for political struggle.     

Is outdoor education a discipline? Insights,gaps and future directions

This article critically explores ‘if’ and ‘how’ outdoor education (OE) is a discipline. This exploration stems from our experiences that OE is often undervalued, and from the belief that if OE is considered a discipline, then it would have greater acceptance, enhanced academic standing, importance, resourcing and prestige. Our analysis is rooted in a six-component discipline model which provides a framework for examining OE in relation to commonly understood attributes of stand-alone disciplines. In this article, we examine the final three components of the model. First, we explore the reference disciplines, such as education, psychology and sociology, which inform the OE field. Second, we examine the principles and practices of risk and reflection to chart how OE’s principles and practices have evolved over time. Finally, we report on the structures that support the OE field, such as academic programmes, journals, textbooks and curriculum. We draw on a range of historical and contemporary evidence to provocate on if and how OE is a discipline. We conclude the article with a discussion of the implications of these analyses juxtaposed alongside a discipline model and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for OE in the context of being a discipline.     

Resources In Review

Abstract

Toxics Release Inventory Package , by the National Science Teachers Association. Arlington, VA. 1999. Boxed Set. $35.00. ISBN 0-87355-171-0.

Introduction to Environmental Geology , by Edward A. Keller. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. 1999. Softcover. 383 pages. $50.00. ISBN 0-02-363290-9.

The National Environmental Policy Act: An Agenda for the Future , by Lynton Keith Caldwell. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 1999. Clothbound. 272 pp. $29.95. ISBN 0-253-33444-6.

The Complete Guide to Environmental Careers in the 21st Century , edited by Kevin Doyle for The Environmental Careers Organization. Washington, DC: Island Press. 1999. Paperback. 280 pages. $17.95. ISBN 1-55963-586-X.

Garbage, Trash, and Refuse: Problems and Issues, an Extended Case Study for the Investigation and Evaluation of Community-Based Solid Waste Issues , by Harold R. Hungerford, William J. Bluhm, and Austin Winther. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing Company. 1999. Spiralbound. 183 pages. ISBN 0-87563-880-5.

Threatened and Endangered Animals, an Extended Case Study for the Investigation and Evaluation of Issues Surrounding Threatened and Endangered Animals of the United States, Teachers Edition , by Harold R. Hungerford, David Hagengruber, and William J. Bluhm. Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing Company. 1999. Spiralbound. 192 pages. ISBN 0-87563-874-0.

The Environment: Principles and Applications , by Chris Park. New York: Routledge. 1997. Paperback. 598 pp. $35.00. ISBN 0-415-12200-7.     

‘I am reading to her and she loves it': benefits of engaging fathers from disadvantaged areas in their children's early learning transitions

Findings presented here relate to the evaluation of a one-year father-inclusion project, which took place in an area of multiple deprivation in the North of England. The project's goal was to engage fathers and male carers in their children's transition from an early years setting to a reception class and to maintain that involvement in the mainstream school setting. The project was successful in engaging men, recording 76 male attendances, 19 of which were recorded at school-based activities after the transition. Key benefits identified by fathers engaged in the project were closer relationships with their children and greater involvement in their play and learning. Children were very positive about their fathers' involvement and school staff identified a better rapport with fathers following the project.     

Technology integration for instructional improvement: The impact of professional development

Technology purchased for use in the classroom often goes unused. We identify a primary reason for the lack of technology integration as ineffectively developed professional development opportunities for teachers. Then we recommend a sustained, administrative‐supported and mentor‐supported approach to professional development as an alternative to the ineffective traditional approach. The importance of considering the role of teachers' attitudes and beliefs on their use of technology in professional development is also discussed.     

‘It’s the most important thing – I mean,the schooling’: father involvement in the education of children with autism

Father involvement in education has been shown to result in a range of positive outcomes for typically developing children. However, the nature of paternal involvement in the education of children with disabilities and especially autism has been under-researched and is little understood. This study aimed to explore the nature of the involvement of 25 UK fathers in the education and their children with autism, aged up to 19 years through the use of semistructured interviews. Findings showed that fathers were highly engaged both directly and indirectly across several dimensions of their children’s education and schooling. Key areas of indirect engagement were involvement in administrative processes necessary for securing an appropriate educational placement; facilitating daily access to school and general support of children’s progress through attendance at school-based meetings and events. Direct support for learning occurred through homework assistance and working on school-related goal. Findings are discussed in relation to diversity and generative models of fatherhood. Implications for greater father inclusion in the education of children with autism are explored with reference to a gender-differentiated approach.     

Implementation and Outcomes of Supplemental Educational Services: The Tennessee State-Wide Evaluation Study

Supplemental Educational Services (SES), a component of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, provides free tutoring to economically disadvantaged children who are attending Title I schools in their 2nd or more years of school improvement. This research evaluated SES in Tennessee to determine the: (a) impacts on student achievement, and (b) perceptions of SES implementation and outcomes by teachers, district coordinators, principals/site coordinators, and parents. Using value-added methodology, statistical analyses of achievement data controlled for both student ability and teacher effects in 2 alternative models. Not surprisingly, parent reactions to SES were highly positive, whereas those by the 3 other stakeholder groups were more mixed. Achievement results from both analytical models yielded mostly small and nonsignificant provider effects. The implications of the findings for evaluating SES are discussed with regard to both research and policy issues. Recommendations are offered for broadening the evaluation of SES through smaller mixed-methods studies to examine implementation and educational outcomes in more highly controlled contexts.