Effects of a Cognitive Behavioral Self-help program on emotional problems for people with acquired hearing loss: a randomized controlled trial

The aim of the study was to examine whether a cognitive-behavioral self-help program was effective in improving depressed mood and anxiety in people with acquired deafness. Participants were 45 persons with acquired deafness, randomly allocated to the Cognitive-Behavioral Self-help (CBS) group or the Waiting List Control (WLC) group. Depression and anxiety scores were assessed at three measurement moments: at pretest, immediately after completion of the intervention (posttest), and again 2 months later (follow-up). To evaluate the effectiveness of the program, repeated measures analyses of covariance were performed. The results showed that depression and anxiety symptoms in the CBS group significantly improved after completion of the program, compared to the WLC group. There was no relapse from posttest to follow-up. It was concluded that a cognitive-behavioral self-help intervention could be an effective tool to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in people with acquired deafness.     

Group counseling in the schools

Group counseling is an effective intervention when working in a school setting. In this article, the authors discuss the different kinds of groups offered in schools, types of group interventions, strategies to use in forming groups, and how to collaborate with others in the school. Because leading groups in schools is a specialized skill, the authors suggest that group leaders form collaborative relationships with others in the school, allot sufficient time for group counseling, advocate to change policies that might preclude groups in schools, and work with students and teachers to honor the time allotment dedicated to group counseling. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Civic Knowledge,Engagement, and Participation Narratives of Youth of Color in Urban Schools

The issues associated with students’ civic knowledge, engagement, and participation have been heightened in intellectual debates and public discussions. However, these discussions have not focused heavily on urban youths’ civic identities or the locations of these identities within the youths’ personal narratives of ethnicity, race, class, and gender. This article presents the narratives of four urban high school youths of color, selected from a larger study about youths’ experiences in school and society and the ways in which classroom learning encouraged their inquiry, assessment of their social worlds and personal goals, and emerging personal and civic identities. Our purpose was to gain insights regarding the youths’ sociopolitical perspectives on local educational and social issues affecting them and to understand their multiple literacies in the context of their civic engagement, increasing youth advocacy, and larger political tensions. The theoretical framing of this investigation is grounded in democratic education and sociopolitical consciousness and draws upon research that focuses on civic participation and democratic society. Four dominant themes emerged from the analysis: educational inequality, social media, schooling, and race and mass incarceration. This article contributes to an expansive framing for civic education by examining the civic knowledge of urban youths of color and offers implications for research, practice, and policy.     

Outdoor play in early childhood education settings: Is it safe and healthy for children?

Outdoor play is an important and integral part of a high-quality early childhood education curriculum. Outdoor play environments should have equipment that is safe and developmentally appropriate for the children served. The appropriate adult-child ratio should be maintained to prevent unnecessary accidents as well as provide the interaction needed to assist children in developing outdoor physical, social, and language skills. Each facility should have teachers with up-to-date CPR and first-aid training to take care of emergency situations.