Mehlenbacher,Brad (2010) Instruction and technology MIT Press (Cambridge MA & London) isbn 978‐0‐262‐01394‐9 495 pp £25.95 http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=12243

This primer claims no more than to be an introduction to the life and work of Lev Vygotsky. In 163 highly readable pages that are rich in content, it conveys much more explanation in depth of Vygotsky's teaching than this reviewer managed to assimilate over years of struggling with somewhat turgid texts. It also infectiously conveys enthusiasm for Vygotsky's principles. If you expect its content to be relevant, I recommend you buy your own copy. John Cowan     

Adverse childhood experiences,health perception,and the role of shared familial factors in adult twins

To examine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and health perception in adulthood, and to explore the contribution of shared familial factors to these associations. Data were collected from 180 female twins (90 pairs) from the community-based University of Washington Twin Registry. Participants completed questionnaires including the modified ACE Questionnaire, Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire, McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form, and the SF-36. Mixed effects linear regression modeling investigated the effects of ACE on indices of health perception controlling for correlated twin data. Additional models examined the associations while controlling for the experience of physical and/or sexual abuse in childhood; within-twin pair models that inherently adjust for familial factors explored shared familial influences. After controlling for relevant demographic variables, more ACE was associated with worse perceptions of general health (p = .01) and vitality (p = .05) on the SF-36. After controlling for childhood physical and/or sexual abuse, the relationship between ACE and general health remained significant (p = .01) while vitality was no longer significant. None of the associations remained significant after accounting for the influence of familial factors. These results support previous findings on the negative link between ACE and perceived health in adulthood. The detrimental effects of ACE on vitality may be accounted for by the experience of childhood physical and/or sexual abuse. Shared familial factors might play a partial role in the relationship between ACE and health perception. Future research should further investigate the genetic and environmental mechanisms that may explain this relationship.     

Risk Factors,Resilience, and Psychological Distress Among Holocaust and Nonholocaust Surviviors in the Post-9/11 Environment

Many older adults have experienced or witnessed devastating life events including wars, hurricanes, and explosions. This study examined retraumatization and the relationship between certain risk factors, resilience, and psychological distress in the post-9/11 environment among 120 community-dwelling older adults. Results indicate that Holocaust survivors suffered more posttraumatic symptoms during the ongoing War on Terrorism than a comparison group. A significant contributor to posttraumatic symptomatology was anxiety followed by sense of safety, and survivor status. Clinicians should anticipate that older adults exposed again to trauma may experience posttraumatic symptomatology. Health-care practitioners should focus on distant history of trauma when assessing older adults for posttraumatic stress.     

Title IV‐E Programs: Preparing MSW Students for Public Child Welfare Practice

This article investigates the perceived quality and skill outcomes of Title IV‐E MSW training programs at four universities from the perspective of their graduates. It also sought to identify necessary program supports, expectations of graduates as they began child welfare employment, and pre‐employment factors related to retention. The vast majority of MSWs agreed that their education was high quality and prepared them well for child welfare practice. The skills rated highest were establishing client rapport, case management, the development of a professional identity, and time management and assessment skills. The most consistent pre‐employment predictors of whether they stayed past their stipend commitment period were their commitment to the public child welfare (PCW) agency and their commitment to child welfare practice. Implications for program design are discussed.     

Burge,Elizabeth et al ed (2011) Flexible pedagogy,flexible practice Athabasca U Press (Edmonton,Canada) isbn 978‐1‐926836‐20‐1 348 pp cdn$34.95 (free download) http://www.aupress.ca/index.php/books/120203

Here is detailed advice to those who strive to enhance schools’ educational provision through the exercise of their leadership. This is a valuable text for such readers, one in which educational technology in its broad sense is implicit throughout. If the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I recommend that you buy a copy for your own use. John Cowan     

Jesson,Jill & Peacock,Graham (2012) The really useful ict book Routledge (New York & London) isbn 978‐0‐415‐59277‐2 216 pp £24.99 http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415592772/

This is written as an up‐to‐date guide to the effective and imaginative use of information technology in primary classrooms, in a range of subjects and activities. However, much of its content and approach will offer ideas and inspiration to those who teach at other levels. If the content of this book may well be relevant, I recommend you buy your own copy. John Cowan     

Valuing the Advanced Learner: Differentiating Up

In today's educational climate, differentiated instruction is a common practice for students who need remediation; what is less common is to Differentiate Instruction for the advanced learner. Contrary to popular perceptions, advanced learners do not automatically differentiate instruction on their own. Students who have the potential to excel within the curriculum are sometimes ignored due to a variety of classroom challenges. Asking students about their interests and questioning their perceptions are places to begin differentiating for advanced learners. All children, including advanced learners, should have the opportunity to be challenged and to excel in their classroom curriculum.     

Globalizing policy sociology in education: working with Bourdieu

This paper uses Bourdieu to develop theorizing about policy processes in education and to extend the policy cycle approach in a time of globalization. Use is made of Bourdieu’s concept of social field and the argument is sustained that in the context of globalization the field of educational policy has reduced autonomy, with enhanced cross‐field effects in educational policy production, particularly from the fields of the economy and journalism. Given the social rather than geographical character of Bourdieu’s concept of social fields, it is also argued that the concept can be, and indeed has to be, stretched beyond the nation to take account of the emergent global policy field in education. Utilizing Bourdieu’s late work on the globalization of the economy through neo‐liberal politics, we argue that a non‐reified account of the emergent global educational policy field can be provided.     

The trials and tribulations of partnerships in refugee settlement services in Australia

The ascendency of neoliberal ideas in education and social policy in the 1980s and 1990s was succeeded in the new millennium by a ‘new’ social democratic commitment with emphases on community empowerment, building social capital and a ‘whole of government’ approach to partnering with civil society to meet community needs. In Australia, this approach has resulted in the development of partnerships between schools and community organisations formed as part of a targeted, holistic approach to service delivery to meet the settlement and educational needs of refugee youth. Drawing on interviews conducted with community workers and government officers involved in the school–community partnerships, we document how these partnerships are working ‘on the ground’ in Queensland schools. We analyse our findings against the international literature on changing notions of neoliberal governance, and discuss the implications of the shift to the ‘partnering state’ for schools and community organisations working with refugee young people.     

Use of Generalizability Theory Within K–12 School-Based Assessment: A Critical Review and Analysis of the Empirical Literature

ABSTRACT

Generalizability Theory (GT) offers several advantages relevant to educational contexts, including the fact that it can be used to estimate multiple sources of variance (e.g., raters, forms) simultaneously and to derive coefficients for the purposes of both relative and absolute decision making. Although GT has been increasingly applied in recent years to assessment data in K–12 school settings, analysis and critique of its application has not yet taken place. The goals of the current article were therefore to (1) undertake a systematic review of the school-based assessment literature in order to identify relevant applications of this statistical framework and (2) assess the degree of consistency between methodological recommendations for use of GT and reporting practices within this literature. In addition to describing the current state of this literature, suggestions for strengthening future applications are provided.