Friendship Village : Exploring the Critical Economic Development and Urban Design Link for Sustainable Development

Presented on December 3, 2008 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development 2nd floor classroom.Full report: Friendship Village Exploring the Critical Economic Development and Urban Design Link for Sustainable Development, January 2009Runtime: 77:11 minutes (Presentation)Runtime: 23:27 minutes (Q & A)The Friendship Village group had the charge of advising a large-scale land developer on directions for promoting sustainability in the plans for a 210 acre multi-use project in south Fulton County, Georgia. Their work included site design recommendations modeled after traditional town centers in ten case studies but also included innovative open space and stormwater management proposals and ideas about educational and health care facilities. The diverse professional audience expressed admiration and the developer’s lead representative indicated that results exceeded her expectations.Faculty Advisors: Nancey Green Leigh, Professor of City and Regional Planning ; Richard Dagenhart, Associate Professor of Architecture ; John Skach, Adjunct Professor; Senior Associate, Urban Collag

Data-Informed Leadership in Education

Explores ideas, frameworks, and beliefs concerning the use of data in educational decision making and in the work of leaders at state and local levels as it relates to the improvement of teaching and learning

The Nature of Success and Failure in Television Journalism and the Role of Education

This qualitative study used interviews and participant observations of practicing television journalists. The on-the-job successes and failures were studied in order to understand the divide between educational training and professional practice. The findings of this study should help educators better understand the nature of on-the-job success and failure as articulated by working television journalists. In turn, educators can use that knowledge to develop educational strategies that will better prepare students for entry into the profession. In constructing a definition of success, the informants identified the following elements: success is in all levels; success is relative to a journalist\u27s age; success is never a finale; success is moving forward, working forward; success is being accurate; success is having a positive impact as a professional; and success means avoiding preventable on-air mistakes. Additional individual characteristics were identified. According to the informants, failure means a lack of certain characteristics, such as being factually incorrect or biased, not accomplishing the core purposes of TV news, stubbornness for producers, and not finding the story for reporters and anchors. The informants were ambivalent about their prior education. They felt it was necessary to learn about the theory of journalism in their educational training. However, they did not feel their education prepared them sufficiently for industry expectations. The theoretical framework of organizational socialization was used as a lens to analyze the findings. By clarifying the elements of the socialization process, new graduates may have a better idea what to expect in the early stages of their careers. Educators can find ways to enhance their teaching by introducing students to the tacit practices and conventions of the industry. By doing so, interns and new graduates may be better equipped for the transition points in the socialization phases of news work

Development of a maritime education and training institute in Ethiopia : considering the priorities

The purpose of this paper is to show the significance of establishing a maritime training institution in Ethiopia, to foster the development of the shipping industry in particular, and of the nation as a whole. The main argument for the establishment of, the maritime training institution is the need to pave the way towards the country\u27s, integration into the maritime world economy, which demands well qualified seafarers and maritime experts to run the different aspects of the maritime industry. To clarify the present situation of the country, brief information on geo-political and socio-economic conditions has been included. Acquaintance is’ olso made to the ancient maritime history, to show the extent of the nation\u27s maritime achievements, and its contributions to the making of maritime history. Furthermore, to provide a clear basis for comparison, and to further highlight the significance of the training center, the activities and operation of the merchant fleet, together with the existing shortages of trained manpower are illustrated. In addition to that, proposals are presented regarding: -organization and administration of the institution\u27 -staff requirements and criteria -construction sites and buildings -requirements of training facilities and equipment -curricula and syllabi for cadet and rating training, and -examination and certification procedures

Reclaiming and Reconceptualizing Accountability

This body of work contributes to the exploration of the intended and unintended consequences of the policy levers, referred to as education accountability policy, that have driven entire systems toward the inclusion of student performance data into educator performance ratings and the impact on the profession. Only from an extensive understanding of where we have been can a reimagined path forward be born to serve our youth and society better. This mixed methods dissertation does so by uncovering the legal landscape that defines the policy levers and bringing educators together in focus groups to delve deeply into these levers’ impact on the profession

Cybernetically informed pedagogy in two tertiary educational contexts : China and South Africa

Abstract: Discussing cybernetics as an enacted practice within specific contexts, the paper identifies key similarities and differences of two cybernetically informed approaches to tertiary education in the distinct contexts of China and South Africa..

I'm not buying it : a rhetorical study of mediation during Hurricane Katrina

At 6:10 AM on August 29th, 2005, with sustained winds reaching 145 miles per hour, Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Buras, Louisiana. Thousands of people were left with no access to food, or water, or shelter. The affected area was in need of immediate assistance. They needed action. Their local government, their federal government, and we as fellow citizens, as fellow human beings, watched the victims of this horrible tragedy through some form of mass media as they were forced to wait for food, water, and shelter and little was done to help them. Inherent in our national failure was a lack of understanding as to how our information was delivered to us and how it both shaped and manipulated our understanding of Hurricane Katrina. Our national mediation through mass media was neither examined nor thoroughly understood. I examine the mediation of Hurricane Katrina through the mass media sources of television news, including both broadcast news and cable news, as well as through the Internet phenomenon of blogging. Many factors motivate our mediation within these mass media sources, including our own capitalism, our immersion in literacy and progression away from oral culture, and a continual push towards individuality and self-awareness. The purpose of this thesis then, is to examine the mediation present in Hurricane Katrina coverage in order to better understand the overarching vehicles of mediation present in the presentation of our world. Understanding where our information comes from allows us to become more active participants in the formation of our world and the ideas that govern it so that our individuality and our literacy are allowed to become compliments to our social obligations as citizens of America and our newly globalized world rather than vehicles of isolation and suffering

Guidelines: The do's, don'ts and don't knows of direct observation of clinical skills in medical education.

IntroductionDirect observation of clinical skills is a key assessment strategy in competency-based medical education. The guidelines presented in this paper synthesize the literature on direct observation of clinical skills. The goal is to provide a practical list of Do's, Don'ts and Don't Knows about direct observation for supervisors who teach learners in the clinical setting and for educational leaders who are responsible for clinical training programs.MethodsWe built consensus through an iterative approach in which each author, based on their medical education and research knowledge and expertise, independently developed a list of Do's, Don'ts, and Don't Knows about direct observation of clinical skills. Lists were compiled, discussed and revised. We then sought and compiled evidence to support each guideline and determine the strength of each guideline.ResultsA final set of 33 Do's, Don'ts and Don't Knows is presented along with a summary of evidence for each guideline. Guidelines focus on two groups: individual supervisors and the educational leaders responsible for clinical training programs. Guidelines address recommendations for how to focus direct observation, select an assessment tool, promote high quality assessments, conduct rater training, and create a learning culture conducive to direct observation.ConclusionsHigh frequency, high quality direct observation of clinical skills can be challenging. These guidelines offer important evidence-based Do's and Don'ts that can help improve the frequency and quality of direct observation. Improving direct observation requires focus not just on individual supervisors and their learners, but also on the organizations and cultures in which they work and train. Additional research to address the Don't Knows can help educators realize the full potential of direct observation in competency-based education