Building University-School Partnerships: An Exercise in Communication and Understanding

This article provides an overview of the Collaboration to Advance Teaching Technology and Science (CATTS) program and the conditions necessary to establish and maintain partnerships that promote inquiry and research in schools. These programs are effective because they benefit all stakeholders. CATTS creates opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students (the CATTS Fellows) to learn effective teaching practices and to be active participants in K-12 education. School districts and University of Arizona outreach programs benefit when CATTS Fellows work on projects that address identified educational needs in K-12 schools. K-12 teachers and students benefit from the additional classroom assistance and resources provided through the CATTS program. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

GLOBE: Science and Education

This article provides a brief overview of the GLOBE Program and describes its benefits to scientists, teachers, and students. The program itself is designed to use environmental research as a means to improve student achievement in basic science, mathematics, geography, and use of technology. Linking of students and scientists as collaborators is seen as a fundamental part of the process. GLOBE trains teachers to teach students how to take measurements of environmental parameters at quality levels acceptable for scientific research. Teacher training emphasizes a hands-on, inquiry-based methodology. Student-collected GLOBE data are universally accessible through the Web. An annual review over the past six years indicates that GLOBE has had a positive impact on students' abilities to use scientific data in decision-making and on students' scientifically informed awareness of the environment. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

The Role of the European Inspections in the European Educational Space - Echoes from Portugal Regarding the Assessment of Schools

This paper is an approach to the construction of a European educational space (Nóvoa & Lawn, 2002), which is due to new modes of regulation in education. The policy under consideration is the institutional evaluation of schools carried out by the Portuguese General Inspectorate of Education. The aim is to explore how concepts and policies get “contaminated” by the European models (Barroso, 2003, 2006) and understanding how the regulation is outlined by the Inspectorates in some European countries, including Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. This paper owes to the phenomena associated to “travelling policies” (Alexiadou & Jones, 2001), to “policy transfer” (Dolowitz et al, 2000; Stone, 2001), and to “policy borrowing” (Halpin & Troyna, 1995; Steiner-Khamsi, 2004). The authors‟ perspective on the influences of the international movement of policies is free from simplistic and deterministic logics (Lingard & Rizvi, 2000), advocating that the internationalization of ideas come along with national reflections on how these ideas are materialized (Popkewitz, 1996). At the local/regional levels, the regulation of educational systems can be characterized as a growing „multi-regulation' - that comes from a growing number of sources and a variety of tools (assessment, monitoring and sharing best practices) - which mingle with modes that exist in a more traditional, bureaucratic regulation (Afonso & Costa, 2010). Thus, each country has its own overview about the structures, and effects of globalization, which do not occur simultaneously, nor in the same way in the different 'nation states' (Lingard & Rizvi, 2000)

Climate scientists and the public: interactions and knowledge exchanges

Raising public awareness of climate change is crucial for transforming individual behaviours and amassing support to policy measures, which may threaten prosperity and comfort levels that came to be expected in affluent societies. Scientists are one of several agents involved in public communication of climate chang

Developments in the Safety Science Domain and in Safety Management From the 1970s Till the 1979 Near Disaster at Three Mile Island

Objective: What has been the influence of general management schools and safety research into causes of accidents and disasters on managing safety from 1970 till 1979? Method: The study was limited to original articles and documents, written in English or Dutch from the period under concern. For the Netherlands, the professional journal De Veiligheid (Safety) has been consulted. Results and conclusions: Dominant management approaches started with 1) the classical management starting from the 19th century, with scientific management from the start of the 20st century as a main component. During the interwar period 2) behavioural management started, based on behaviourism, followed by 3) quantitative management from the Second World War onwards. After the war 4) modern management became important. A company was seen as an open system, interacting with an external environment with external stakeholders. These schools management were not exclusive, but have existed in the period together. Early 20th century, the U.S. 'Safety First' movement was the starting point of this knowledge development on managing safety, with cost reduction and production efficiency as key drivers. Psychological models and metaphors explained accidents from ‘unsafe acts’. And safety was managed with training and selection of reckless workers, all in line with scientific management. Supported by behavioural management, this approach remained dominant for many years, even long after World War II. Influenced by quantitative management, potential and actual disasters after the war led to two approaches; loss prevention (up-scaling process industry) and reliability engineering (inherently dangerous processes in the aerospace and nuclear industries). The distinction between process safety and occupational safety became clear after the war, and the two developed into relatively independent domains. In occupational safety in the 1970s human errors thought to be symptoms of mismanagement. The term ‘safety management’ was introduced in scientific safety literature as well as concepts as loose, and tightly coupled processes, organizational culture, incubation of a disaster and mechanisms blinding organizations for portents of disaster scenarios. Loss prevention remained technically oriented. Till 1979 there was no clear relation with safety management. Reliability engineering, based on systems theory did have that relation with the MORT technique as a management audit. The Netherlands mainly followed Anglo-Saxon developments. Late 1970s, following international safety symposia in The Hague and Delft, independent research started in The Netherland

Scenarios for Educational and Game Activities using Internet of Things Data

Raising awareness among young people and changing their behavior and habits concerning energy usage and the environment is key to achieving a sustainable planet. The goal to address the global climate problem requires informing the population on their roles in mitigation actions and adaptation of sustainable behaviors. Addressing climate change and achieve ambitious energy and climate targets requires a change in citizen behavior and consumption practices. IoT sensing and related scenario and practices, which address school children via discovery, gamification, and educational activities, are examined in this paper. Use of seawater sensors in STEM education, that has not previously been addressed, is included in these educational scenaria

Використання хмарних обчислень для розвитку інформаційно-комунікаційної компетентності вчителів

The article deals with the problem for development of techers’ information and communication competence and use of cloud computing for it. The analysis of the modern approaches to the use of cloud technologies and projects for professional development of teachers and development of teachers’ information and communication competence have been presented.There are the main characteristics of software as a service on the Internet for education leading companies Google, Microsoft, IBM. There are described some actions of these companies, which are conducted to help teachers to master cloud technology for improving the professional activities and development of teachers’ information and communication competence. The examples of ways of development of teachers’ information and communication competence and training teachers to use modern ICT in the professional activity are given in the paper. The Cloud based model for development of teachers’ information and communication competence has been proposed.Стаття присвячена проблемі розвитку інформаційно-комунікаційної компетентності вчителів за допомогою використання хмарних обчислень. Здійснюється аналіз сучасних підходів до використання хмарних технологій та проектів для професійного розвитку вчителів та розвитку інформаційно-комунікаційної компетентності вчителів. Пропонуються основні характеристики хмарних обчислень провідних компаній Google, Microsoft, IBM, з точки зори їх необхідності для здійснення навчального процесу в мережі Інтернет. Описуються дії цих компаній та інші навчальні проекти, метою яких є розвиток інформаційно-комунікаційної компетентності вчителів за допомогою хмарних обчислень. Наводяться приклади шляхів рішення проблеми розвитку інформаційно-комунікаційної компетентності вчителів за допомогою використання сучасних інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій. Запропонована модель розвитку інформаційно-комунікаційної компетентності вчителів на базі хмарних обчислень, виділені основні вимоги та елементи цієї моделі

Ready for Tomorrow: Demand-Side Emerging Skills for the 21st Century

As part of the Ready for the Job demand-side skill assessment, the Heldrich Center explored emerging work skills that will affect New Jersey's workforce in the next three to five years. The Heldrich Center identified five specific areas likely to generate new skill demands: biotechnology, security, e-learning, e-commerce, and food/agribusiness. This report explores the study's findings and offers recommendations for improving education and training in New Jersey

Supporting inclusive classrooms: can Western approaches to teaching be applied within an Indian context?

As there has been an increase in Western Higher Education Institutions delivering their degree programmes in the emerging economies of Asia so have concerns been expressed that these initiatives may become a form of ‘colonialism’ seen as offering ‘superior’ understanding of how universal educational challenges should be addressed. This concern quite rightly demands that future partnerships for the development of professional development courses needs should be built upon secure and established principles of equity and collaboration. Demands for a more inclusive education system, endorsed through such international agreements as the Salamanca Statement (1994), and more recently through the Millennium Development Goals have led to an increase in training programmes aimed at equipping teachers with the skills to address the needs of a diverse school population. However, in many instances this has resulted in attempts to transport a westernised approach to education to cultural contexts which differ greatly from those in which inclusive schooling has been advanced. The potential for cultural dislocation is clearly in evidence and may prove to be an inhibiting factor rather than a means of promoting the inclusion agenda. This paper is based on a small scale research project which examines the tensions and challenges in transferring skills, knowledge and research findings within a UK accredited University master’s degree programme in inclusive education delivered in India. Course participants were asked to report on the application of ideas and strategies presented on the course and to identify issues related to cultural interpretation and transfer. A survey instrument enabled the researchers to gain data related to teacher expectations, application of learning and cultural transfer and was followed by interviews to elaborate on data acquired at the survey level. Initial findings indicate the importance of course planning and delivery being undertaken in partnership with local educators and the early recognition of cultural factors that may influence assumptions made about learning. Examples of student interpretation of definitions and ideas around inclusion and approaches to teaching illustrate the value of such collaborative initiatives. Aspects of the programme funding, delivery and assessment of outcomes will be shared based on qualitative data accrued from participating staff and students. This will include the presentation of practical learning outcomes demonstrating a synthesis between theory and practice and the implementation of teaching approaches in Indian classrooms which foster increased inclusion of children with learning difficulties. The authors will suggest a successful outcome based upon a well-established learning partnership whilst highlighting points of sensitivity and potential challenge between differing perceptions of inclusive education especially in relation to special educational needs an identification of universal ‘truths’ which transcend cultures and creeds will be offered