Strategies and Techniques for Teaching Children with Learning Disabilities: A Case Study of the Spring Reading Program

This case study explored strategies and techniques in order to assist individuals with learning disabilities in their academic achievement. Of particular focus was how a literacy-based program, titled The Spring Reading Program, utilizes effective tactics and approaches that result in academic growth. The Spring Reading Program, offered by the Learning Disabilities Association of Niagara Region (LDANR) and partnered with John McNamara from Brock University, supports children with reading disabilities academically. In addition, the program helps children increase their confidence and motivation towards literacy. I began this study by outlining the importance of reading followed by and exploration of what educators and researchers have demonstrated regarding effective literacy instruction for children with learning disabilities. I studied effective strategies and techniques in the Spring Reading Program by conducting a qualitative case study of the program. This case study subsequently presents in depth, 4 specific strategies: Hands-on activities, motivation, engagement, and one-on-one instruction. Each strategy demonstrates its effectiveness through literature and examples from the Spring Reading Program.

Portrait of the artist as a feminist, practice-led researcher

Becoming a researcher, like any process of cultural initiation, is a complicated negotiation of processes and identity. While it is tempting to imagine that a researcher is just 'one who researches', the reality is far more complex and can be thought of as a journey rather than a sudden change of role. In practice-led research there is often a final and difficult assessment that needs to be made of that journey, and this requires the collation and integration of seemingly schizophrenic elements into one coherent body of findings. This paper attempts to outline the underlying “system of methods used in a particular area of study or activity” that have defined my research journey. It discusses the various elements that have informed and directed this enquiry, which include, but are not limited to: practice-led research, reflexivity, and post/academic writing, all underpinned by a feminist approach.

Effect of micro-propagation on the health status of strawberry planting material for commercial production of strawberry runners for Queensland

Plant tissue culture has been used for a number of years to produce micropropagated strawberry plants for planting into runner growing beds in the Stanthorpe (Queensland) and Bothwell (Tasmania) regions. This process has allowed the rapid release of new cultivars from the LAWS (Late Autumn, Winter, Spring) breeding program into the current runner production system. Micro-propagation in vitro allows plants to be produced during the autumn and winter months, when mother plants would normally be in a fruit production phase in the field in Queensland. The plants produced are of a high health status when they are planted. The subsequent arrival and build up of various diseases in the runner fields are closely monitored. Using tissue culture for the first generation reduces the time the plants spend in the field by twelve months, reducing disease incidence. To date, any disease outbreak has been successfully managed using early detection and rapid response methods.

La educación de la creatividad : técnicas creativas y cambio de actitud en el profesorado.

Procurar un cambio de actitud hacia la creatividad de una manera que afecte a toda una forma de enseñanza e implique al profesorado con sus alumnos para posibilitarles ser creativos. 265 profesores que provienen del CAP (curso para obtener el Certificado de Aptitud Pedagógica) y están en sus primeros años de docencia. La submuestra pretest cuenta con 148 profesores. Elabora el marco teórico sobre la creatividad, creatividad y educación, actitud y cambio de actitud. Confronta distintos medios para educar la creatividad y comprueba los resultados en los sujetos. Centra la creatividad en el área del profesorado. Hipótesis: un cambio de actitud creativa será más amplio cuanto mejor se integre la acción sobre los tres componentes de la actitud (cognitiva, conativa y emocional). Cuestionario de creatividad SP 296: 'Su estilo de aprender y de pensar', de Torrance. 'Cuestionario de actitudes creativas del profesorado', reelaborado a partir del 'Teacher Questionnaire. Spring 1979, Program of Teaching Effectiveness, Stanford-Oakland Project on Teaching Practice'. Pruebas ad-hoc. Metodología psicosocial. Diseño cuasiexperimental. Diseño prestest posttest. Histogramas. Fiabilidad y validez. Se acepta la hipótesis. El grupo 3 es el que obtiene mayores puntuaciones actitudinales. Las técnicas creativas permiten resultados diferenciadores, dignos de tenerse en cuenta en la educación de la creatividad y equilibran el tipo de enseñanza centrada en lecciones magistrales de acumulación de información. Las técnicas creativas grupales facilitan el desarrollo del cambio al incidir sobre los 3 componentes de la actitud (cognitiva, conitiva y emocional).

A reflexive course for Masters students to understand and plan their own continuing professional development

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is seen as a vital part of a professional engineer’s career, by professional engineering institutions as well as individual engineers. Factors such as ever-changing workforce requirements and rapid technological change have resulted in engineers no longer being able to rely just on the skills they learnt at university or can pick up on the job; they must undergo a structured professional development with clear objectives to develop further professional knowledge, values and skills. This paper presents a course developed for students undertaking a Master of Engineering or Master of Project Management at the University of Queensland. This course was specifically designed to help students plan their continuing professional development, while developing professional skills such as communication, ethical reasoning, critical judgement and the need for sustainable development. The course utilised a work integrated learning pedagogy applied within a formal learning environment, and followed the competency based chartered membership program of Engineers Australia, the peak professional body of engineers in Australia. The course was developed and analysed using an action learning approach. The main research question was “Can extra teaching and learning activities be developed that will simulate workplace learning?” The students continually assessed and reflected upon their current competencies, skills and abilities, and planed for the future attainment of specific competencies which they identified as important to their future careers. Various evaluation methods, including surveys before and after the course, were used to evaluate the action learning intervention. It was found that the assessment developed for the course was one of the most important factors, not only in driving student learning, as is widely accepted, but also in changing the students’ understandings and acceptance of the need for continuous professional development. The students also felt that the knowledge, values and skills they developed would be beneficial for their future careers, as they were developed within the context of their own professional development, rather than to just get through the course. © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education