Thoughts on Books and Reading (A Guest Editorial)

A letter from the guest editor

Exploring new possibilities for instruction

Photos by Duane DaileyPublished in 1981 or 1982."The primary purpose of this publication is to present infomrntion to the faculty of the University of Missouri on the recently updated Education Teleconference System (ETS) which is operated from this campus. In doing so, it is hoped faculty members might begin to think of possible ways they could include the ETS in future teaching activities. Because the ETS is a new approach to instruction for many people, a brief overview of the history of the educational uses of the telephone is included as well as a discussion of the research that has been completed in the area. Suggestions on the development of various learning activities are also discussed emphasizing needed modifications that should be considered when using the telephone."--from Introduction.Richard Robinson (Curriculum and Instruction Continuing Professional Education, University of Missouri--Columbia

Reading Research: Some Comments

As early as the beginning of this century men such as Dearborn, Javal, and Judd were asking questions concerning the epistemology of reading. Huey described these efforts when he noted: And so to completely analyze what we do when we read would almost be the acme of a psychologist\u27s achievements, for it would describe very many of the most intricate workings of the human mind, as well as to unravel the tangled story of the most remarkable specific performance that civilization has learned in all its history (Huey, 1908, page 6). Huey\u27s challenge to reading research remains as relevant today as when he wrote it. His statement stands despite thousands of studies which have been completed on various aspects of reading using almost every conceivable avenue of investigation, whether associated with the reading process of the individual or the learning environment In which the reading instruction takes place

Commentary: A Pledge of Responsibility for Children by Teachers of Reading

Statements of responsibility for literacy

The Impact of Mainstreaming on Pre-Service Reading Education

Mainstreaming is a complex phenomenon that reaches far beyond placing children in regular classes. Special education people are advocating a mainstreaming process as it applies to exceptional or handicapped students. But mainstreaming should be considered as a new delivery system which can be a potent vehicle to bring about major curriculum and systems changes in American education. In fact, the new delivery system en compassed in mainstreaming seems to be the tip of an iceberg that touches all aspects of the educational process

Teaching Blog Management: Preparing Professors for the Opportunities and Challenges of Teaching Web 2.0 in the Classroom

As the impact of blogging continues to grow, public relations practitioners must be prepared to develop and manage constituency relationships by managing and responding to blogs. Journal articles and trade publications encourage academics to introduce blogging in the classroom; however few examples outline the opportunities and challenges that instructors may face during blogging assignments. Using a case study methodology, this paper reports on the professional and personal concerns that students (n = 28) expressed during and after a six-week blog management assignment at a large journalism college in the United States. An awareness of these concerns can prepare other public relations educators for what they may encounter while teaching blogging

The gifted child and the classroom reading program

Date of publication from "1888-1984, Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service publications"Photos by Duane Dailey"Special instructional needs of the gifted child have long been a concern for classroom teachers. Terman's (1925, 194 7, 1959) landmark study of the highly gifted was only the beginning of what has become a major area of interest for educators at all levels. Because reading instruction is at the heart of the curriculum, this subject has been of special concern as it relates to the specific learning needs of the gifted student. Classroom teachers are seeing an avalanche of new curriculum ideas and materials designed to be used with the gifted reader. Unfortunately, these new developments are being suggested in an economic atmosphere which is not too conducive to change. With declining funding for education, this is particularly evident in new program ideas such as those designed for the gifted reader. In addition, societal pressures and attitudes, most notably the return-to-the-basics movement, have done very little to encourage innovation and change. It is with these concerns in mind that this monograph was written. The intent of the authors is to briefly describe the gifted student and then to suggest some specific and practical approaches to meet the instructional reading needs of these students in the classroom."--Page 1.Richard Robinson, Carl C. Fehrl

Evaluation of the reading program : decisions for improvement

As noted throughout this monograph, any reading program evaluation is largely dependent for its eventual outcome upon the knowledge and attitudes each classroom teacher has concerning both the total reading program in a school as well as their own individual efforts. Without a commitment by each member of the teaching staff to not only be willing to participate in the evaluation process but in the final analysis to honestly consider appropriate changes when they are indicated, any reading program evaluation becomes little more than organized "busywork." The authors of this monograph encourage school teachers to consider the benefits of a carefully developed reading evaluation.--Conclusio

A Survey of Diagnostic/Corrective Reading Instruction and Practices in Relation to the Interactive Reading Process

Based on the work of Rumelhart (1977), reading is currently characterized as an interactive process. The resulting interactive model is conceptualized as the interaction of many factors during the reader\u27s print processing, all of which influence comprehension. Research related to the model has indicated a variability among readers\u27 comprehension that is due to the interaction of factors such as: reader\u27s background knowledge, motivation, interest, text structure, task expectations, and flexibility (Anderson & Pearson, 1984; Meyer & Rice, 1984; Wigfield & Asher, 1984; Anderson & Pichert, 1978; Spiro, 1980; Campione & Brown, 1985). As a result, the reader is viewed as an active participant who constructs text meaning. To gather this information, a survey was conducted which examined current diagnostic/corrective practices and explored areas of needed change. Also included were perceived areas of weakness in current practices