Is critical thinking across the curriculum a plausible goal?

Critical thinking (CT) is considered an essential educational goal. As a result, many philosophers dreamed their departments would offer multiple sections of CT, hence justifying hiring additional staff. Unfortunately, this dream did not materialize. So, similar to a current theory about teaching writing, “critical thinking across the curriculum” has become a popular idea. While the idea has appeal and unquestionable merit, I will argue that the likelihood the skills necessary for effective CT will actually be taught is minimal

Learning Her Way In: The Life History Of A Latina Adult Educator

This paper explores the various learning experiences of a bilingual and bicultural woman of Mexican heritage. The data collection and data analysis were performed with the intent of creating a life history and allowing recurrent themes to emerge. These three recurrent themes were identified as interplay among learning, survival, and spirituality; health, health care, and parish nursing; and multiple and competing contexts. The essential structure that connected all of the recurrent themes was the participant’s learning and the impacts that it had on her lived experiences. In this way, Monica and her life history are the story of a Latina who has learned her own way into a second culture

Electromagnetic mirror drive system

Oscillatory electromagnetic mirror drive system for horizon scanner

Foster Children Paying for Foster Care

This Article examines the legality and policy concerns of state foster care agencies using children\u27s Social Security benefits as a state funding stream. The practice requires foster children who are disabled or have deceased or disabled parents to pay for their own care. Often with the assistance of private consultants under contingency fee contracts, agencies look for children who are eligible for Social Security benefits and interject themselves as the children\u27s representative payees. Rather than using the benefits to serve the children\u27s unmet needs, the agencies use their fiduciary power to access the children\u27s benefits and apply the funds to reimburse foster care costs for which the children have no legal obligation. Although the practice was upheld by the Supreme Court in Washington State Dep\u27t. of Social and Health Services vs. Guardianship Estate of Keffeler, the decision was limited and legal and policy questions remain unresolved. This Article provides a framework for renewed policy discussions and expanded litigation strategies in the wake of Keffeler. The Article investigates agency practices, weighs the policy concerns, analyzes several possible legal challenges that remain after Keffeler, and concludes with concrete suggestions for reform

Child Support Harming Children: Subordinating the Best Interests of Children to the Fiscal Interests of the State

This Article examines the government policy of seeking reimbursement of welfare costs through child support enforcement. Under our welfare program, Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), custodial parents applying for benefits are required to establish child support obligations against the absent parents and to assign the resulting child support payments to the government. As a result, half of the $105 billion in national child support debt is owed to the government rather than to children. The government\u27s fiscal interests are in direct conflict with the best interests of the children - the controlling legal standard in child support matters. The conflict results in legal confusion, and the welfare cost recovery efforts harm children, families and society. Children in welfare families struggling to become self-sufficient lose out as their support payments are redirected to the government. Fragile relationships between mothers, fathers and children are often broken. The fiscal benefit to the government is minimal, at best. And the social fabric is torn, as significant numbers of welfare fathers retreat from the workforce and their families. This Article thoroughly examines the conflict and resulting legal and policy questions. The Article explores the history of the competing interests and purposes of child support in America, describes the framework and impact of the current government welfare cost recovery system, addresses the long ignored and unresolved legal questions that result from the conflicting missions, and concludes with suggestions for reform including the Article\u27s primary conclusion that welfare cost recovery is a failed effort - and should therefore end

Child Support Harming Children: Subordinating the Best Interests of Children to the Fiscal Interests of the State

This Article examines the government policy of seeking reimbursement of welfare costs through child support enforcement. Under our welfare program, Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), custodial parents applying for benefits are required to establish child support obligations against the absent parents and to assign the resulting child support payments to the government. As a result, half of the $105 billion in national child support debt is owed to the government rather than to children. The government\u27s fiscal interests are in direct conflict with the best interests of the children - the controlling legal standard in child support matters. The conflict results in legal confusion, and the welfare cost recovery efforts harm children, families and society. Children in welfare families struggling to become self-sufficient lose out as their support payments are redirected to the government. Fragile relationships between mothers, fathers and children are often broken. The fiscal benefit to the government is minimal, at best. And the social fabric is torn, as significant numbers of welfare fathers retreat from the workforce and their families. This Article thoroughly examines the conflict and resulting legal and policy questions. The Article explores the history of the competing interests and purposes of child support in America, describes the framework and impact of the current government welfare cost recovery system, addresses the long ignored and unresolved legal questions that result from the conflicting missions, and concludes with suggestions for reform including the Article\u27s primary conclusion that welfare cost recovery is a failed effort - and should therefore end

PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT IN ONLINE CHRISTIAN THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF PREPARING PASTORAL PRACTICE THROUGH DISCURSIVE ACTIVITY

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the professional preparation of students in online classes at a Christian theological seminary. Concerns of theological education involve the capacity or incapacity of community development and somatic or embodied learning in online education. Using a theoretical framework drawn from communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), professional clergical preparation (Foster, Dahill, Golemon, & Tolentino, 2005), and Gee’s (2000-2001) dimensions of identity development, the researcher focused the analyses on students’ written texts located in the discussion board fora of the online courses. These records were examined for indications of formation of the professional identity of the developing clergy, interpretation skills necessary for the clergy, performance development for activities entailed in the profession, and contextualization proficiencies for the situated enactment of the local church ministry essential in the practice of the professional clergy. The study concludes that students’ discussions evince dimensions of the development of professional identity and pastoral imagination as described in Foster, Dahill, Golemon, & Tolentino (2005). In addition, stories shared on the discussion fora, told both by the instructors and the classmates who had a range of experience in first careers or in pastoral ministry, built a shared repertoire of professional practice as inherent in a Community of Practice (Wenger,1998). The dissertation study confirms if and then identifies how graduate students in online ministerial preparation use discursive and interactive participation to identify with the professional Community of Practice of the clergy The structures of the discussion board fora, the roles of the instructor, and implications for instructional designs that may support the development of pastoral professional identity are also included. Findings demonstrated that less structured discussion prompts as well as more frequent postings stimulated more student-student interaction that built relationships. Courses that focused more on student-content interactions had less relationship building. A non-evaluative facilitation tone of the discussion fora generated a more collaborative environment. In classes that utilized a learn-by-doing approach, collaborative student discursive activity in the discussion fora supported and enhanced learning. Creative discursive activities such as case studies and role plays provided simulated experiences and spurred narrative development of shared repertoire