Does Poor Handwriting Conceal Literacy Potential in Primary School Children?

Handwriting is a complex skill that, despite increasing use of computers, still plays a vital role in education. It is assumed that children will master letter formation at a relatively early stage in their school life, with handwriting fluency developing steadily until automaticity is attained. The capacity theory of writing suggests that as automaticity develops, the proportion of working memory dedicated to the mechanics of handwriting is reduced, releasing capacity for the planning, composing and editing of content. This study examined the handwriting ability of 284 mainstream primary school children and explored possible associated factors. Correlations were found between poor handwriting, lower cognitive and literacy scores, and a longer duration for handwriting tasks. Giving children the opportunity to practise their handwriting sufficiently to increase the level of automaticity may release working memory to be applied to the cognitive demands of the task and may potentially raise their level of attainment.     

“Click Here to Order This Book”: A Case Study of Print and Electronic Patron-Driven Acquisition in University College Dublin

University College Dublin became the first library in the Republic of Ireland to trial patron-driven acquisition (PDA) as a collection development tool in 2013. A total of 42% of UCD Library's book budget was allocated to the project, which included both electronic and print books. This article describes the twelve month project from the tender stage, through evaluation and selection of supplier, to the final money being spent. We analyze which disciplines spent the most money, and how usage of PDA titles compared to non-PDA orders placed in the same time period. Finally, we assess the impact of PDA on the library's workflow.     

Effective models of staff development in ICT

Previous studies into teacher attitude and motivation have identified staff development as one of the contributing factors in using ICT effectively in the classroom. Substantial funds have been provided for such staff development in recent years in the UK. Currently, ICT training is being funded to a level of £23m in Scotland and £230m in England and Wales over the period 2000–2003. This paper will report on an investigation into effective staff development in ICT for teachers. A sample of Scottish primary school teachers have been surveyed to investigate the impact of different models of staff development in ICT on the teacher and to explore the knowledge and skills gained by teachers from staff development: technical; academic/content‐related; pedagogy. The results indicate the need for a much greater emphasis to be placed on the pedagogy of ICT. This should be of interest to all involved in teacher education and the continuing professional development of teachers.

Des recherches antérieures dans les attitudes et la motivation des écoles et du secondaire ont montré que la formation du corps enseignant est un des facteurs les plus importants dans l'utilisation de l'outil informatique de manière efficace en classe. Des sommes conséquentes ont été allouées pour cette formation dans les dernières années au Royaume Uni. En ce moment la formation à l'outil informatique ainsi dispensé le chiffre à £23 millions en Ecosse et £230 millions en Angleterre et au Pays de Galles pour la période 2000–2003. Ce rapport va rendre compte des recherches dans la formation en informatique et de son efficacité pour le corps enseignant. Un sondage auprès des professeurs des écoles en Ecosse a été réalisé dans le but d'enquêr sur les effets des différentes approches de la formation es professeurs du primaire et aussi d'explorer les connaissances et les compétences obtenues par les instituteurs à l'issue de la formation dans les domaines; techniques; académiques; pédagogiques. Les résultats montrent qu'il est nécessaire mettre l'accent sur la pédagogie de l'informatique. Ceci doit intéresser tous ceux qui prennent part dans la formation initiale et continue des maîtres.

Es war durch vorgehende Forschungen über die Geisteshaltung und Motivierung der Lehrers gewiesen, dass die Ausbildung sehr wichtig für das Benützen der Informatik in der Klasse war. Man hat grössere Gelder fur solche Ausbildung in Grossbrittanien gefunden. Zurzeit die informatische Ausbildung wird in Schottland zu £23 Millionen finanziert; und zu £230 Millionen in England und Wales finanziert. Dieses Referat wird über effektive Ausbildung für Lehrern von Informatik berichten. Eine Untersuchung der schottischen Lehrern in Grundschule war gemacht, um die Wirkung von verschiedenen Sorten Ausbildung auf den Lehrern zu finden und um die Kentnisse und die Fähigkeiten den Lehrern nach der Ausbildung; teknische; akademische; pedagogische; zu studieren. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass man die Pedagogik der Informatik betonen soll. Das soll interessant für alle, die beteiligt an die Ausbildung von Lehrern sein.