National Rural Education Association 106th Annual Conference and Research Symposium Announcement

The National Rural Education Association seeks presentation proposals from rural school teachers, administrators, researchers, and others interested in the future of rural education. This year’s conference theme is IMAGINE, and we are seeking presenters to share innovative practice or research related to the changing needs of rural students and the changing face of rural education.Areas of particular interest include: Rural School Innovations, Advancing Learning Through Technology, Rural School Reform, Meeting Common Core Standards, Technology Applications for School Leaders, Redesigning Learning for 21st Century Skills, Rural School Partnerships, Policy Implications for Rural Schools, and Evaluating Effects of Rural Schools

On‐line Education for Practicing Professionals: A Case Study

This study explored an instructor’s and graduate students’ reactions to their first on‐ line course. They initially felt high levels of stress. With increasing confidence, graduate students expressed their satisfaction. Most appreciated the reflection time that asynchronous dialogue provided, and learning relevant to real life that built on their professional experience. They valued the flexibility and opportunity to engage in professional development while in employment. Frustrations included the added time commitment and their hesitation to impose personal timeframes on other participants. The instructor noted the extra time commitment, and his need for technological support and professional development. Key words: distance learning, adult learners, professional development, peer interaction Cette étude porte sur les réactions d’un formateur et d’étudiants diplômés lors de leur premier cours en ligne. Au début, ils ressentaient énormément de stress. À mesure qu’ils prenaient de l’assurance, les étudiants diplômés ont exprimé leur satisfaction. La plupart aimaient le temps de réflexion fourni par le dialogue asynchrone et la pertinence du contenu par rapport à la vie réelle, ce qui leur permettait de mettre à profit leur expérience professionnelle. Ils voyaient d’un bon œil la souplesse de la formule et la possibilité de se perfectionner tout en travaillant. Par contre, ils trouvaient difficile d’avoir à s’engager à fournir du temps supplémentaire et hésitaient à imposer leurs horaires personnels à d’autres participants. Le formateur a noté, pour sa part, l’importance du temps supplémentaire requis et les exigences en matière de soutien technologique et de perfectionnement professionnel. Mots clés : apprenants adultes, perfectionnement professionnel, enseignement en milieu rural, dialogue asynchrone.

The Mothers of Family Place: the Role of Trust and Support among Homeless-Mother Families

This research examines the dynamics of network exchange and trust experience in becoming homeless and the influence of these conditions on life in the shelter for women who are homeless with their children. The plight of homeless mothers in twenty-first century Chicago echo those of poor mothers in the eighteenth century, with families and singles alike enduring inadequate affordable housing, both in quantity and quality. So too did the provision of poor relief prove inadequate throughout the past two hundred years. I examined theories of trust and network and exchange theory, challenging the adequacy of their application to homeless families. There were many things about the lives of my respondents that were consistent with previous research, including the same lack of resources and affordable housing and the limited size of support networks. The women I interviewed also illustrated similar exchange patterns within their small support networks to those previously studied by poverty research. However, my findings showed that for single mothers whose paths led to homelessness, the structure of their networks and the content of their ties to others were mutually influencing to a greater extent than previously noted. Most prominently, extremely small networks of close ties to others shaped the development of trust and distrust and how it affected the exchange of resources. My findings showed that homeless mothers were more likely than their housed counterparts to have particularly harrowing childhoods, burdensome relationships, and so little trust that the prospect of getting support for stable housing seemed remote. Further research needs to be done to understand the full impact of violence on trust development. The experiences of the women I interviewed reinforced the need for adequate, affordable housing and childcare and more specifically suggested that current rent-subsidy programs must expand. Possibly the finding with the greatest significance to families at risk for homelessness was extremely small network size. Services aimed at developing skills of building relationship and trust could result in access to new sources of support

Front Matter

Includes cover, editorial board, guidelines, table of contents, and letter from the editor

About The Rural Educator

Cover, editorial board, submission guidelines, table of contents, and message from editor Heather E. Duncan

National Rural Education Association 106th Annual Conference and Research Symposium

The National Rural Education Association seeks presentation proposals from rural school teachers, administrators, researchers, and others interested in the future of rural education. This year’s conference theme is IMAGINE, and we are seeking presenters to share innovative practice or research related to the changing needs of rural students and the changing face of rural education.Areas of particular interest include: Rural School Innovations, Advancing Learning Through Technology, Rural School Reform, Meeting Common Core Standards, Technology Applications for School Leaders, Redesigning Learning for 21st Century Skills, Rural School Partnerships, Policy Implications for Rural Schools, and Evaluating Effects of Rural Schools

A Beginning Rural Principal\u27s Toolkit: A Guide for Success

The purpose of this article is to explore both the challenges and skills needed to effectively assume a leadership position and thus to create an entry plan or ‘toolkit’ for a new rural school leader. The entry plan acts as a guide beginning principals may use to navigate the unavoidable confusion that comes with leadership. It also assists aspiring new leaders to think through, and vicariously experience, the challenges they may face in a leadership role. If focuses on three specific areas most relevant to rural principals: Dealing with professional isolation and loneliness, getting to know and thriving in a rural community, and basic management skills for the lone administrator. It provides a series of tools that beginning principals may find useful as they embark on a leadership journey in a rural setting and also identifies the specific skills various stakeholder groups perceive as most important for rural school leaders

Review of \u3ci\u3eEnding Homelessness:Why We Haven’t, How We Can\u3c/i\u3e. Donald W. Burnes and David L. DiLeo. Reviewed Sondra J. Fogel, Stephanie Duncan, and Heather Larkin.

Review of: Donald W. Burnes and David L. DiLeo. Ending Homelessness: Why We Haven’t, How We Can. Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc. (2016), 314 pages, $39.95 (hardcover)