Book Review

Bruce, M.H., & Miller, H.B. (2007). Straight talk to beginning teachers: An instant mentor in print for secondary teachers. Willow Grove, PA: Journey Publications

E-Learning Enhances Both Student Achievement and Career Change Options

It seems as if everyone is using e-learning (online learning) these days. There are many options available, including self-paced courses, skills-based courses, virtual classrooms (and their cousins, live web seminars), web-enhanced courses, and asynchronous courses. There is a plethora of technological methods that can be utilized for course delivery. Which of these technologies and methods of use will maximize e-learning’s effectiveness? In other words, for the university, the instructor and students, which seems to work the best? In a nutshell - all of them. The beauty of e-learning is that there are so many options that can be tailored to specific needs. Distance education is not a new phenomenon in American Education. Correspondence courses have been in existence for over a hundred years. What is different is the use of technology to deliver college level courses to students who are separated from the instructor. It is a form of instruction that is learner-centered. E-learning is construed in a variety of contexts, such as distance learning, online learning, and networked learning (Wilson, 2001)

Piecing Together the Diversity Puzzle

Current literature focuses on the importance of listening to students’ voices and the insights they have on their experiences. According to Dewey (1916/1944), having interactions with other groups helps in the process of democratic growth because one is better able to understand other perspectives. Freire (1985) added another layer of richness to Dewey’s ideas about reflection and experience. He believed that people exist “in and with the world.” Fraser (1994) describes the need for different voices and different views in educating children in a public sphere of critical inquiry and multiple voices (different genders and people of all colors). In order to initiate a dialogue between teacher education students and diverse groups in the community, the College of Education Committee on Diversity has put together a series of on-campus activities and encouraged involvement in community events to piece together a multicultural puzzle and to provide support for students so they can excel in both course work and in field experiences

Understanding and Encouraging Student Diversity: Involving the Community

The Committee on Diversity in the Collegeof Educationof ColumbusStateUniversityhas been involved in several programs since 2004 to increase the diversity in the college, both with students and faculty/staff. This has been accomplished by involving the community in and around Columbus, Georgia. This article addresses the committee’s work to adapt several strategies to develop a three-pronged approach: (1) acceptance of diversity within our ranks, (2) partnering with One Columbus, a community organization to promote diversity, racial harmony, and unity in Columbus, and (3) participation with CHISPA, a Hispanic organization intended to recruit and retain Hispanic students at CSU and to build community in the College of Education. Ideas for each of these are shared

The Committee on Diversity\u27s Plan of Action

Recent work of the College of Education’s Committee on Diversity has included plans to provide a curriculum and experiences aimed at increasing all education candidates’ knowledge of, sensitivity to, and strategies and techniques for teaching diverse P-12 students. This comprehensive plan was initiated in the 2002- 2003 academic year with a workshop conducted for faculty, administration, and staff of the COE. The workshop raised awareness of the diverse nature of P-12 students (and connected this awareness with bringing these students to higher levels of learning). Diversity was also defined more broadly to include race, gender, cultural background, religion, geographical area of origin, disability, sexual preference, and traditional/non-traditional family structure. In response to expressed interest a survey was conducted in the summer of 2003 (Bradfield, 2003). It was administered to all faculty, administrators, and staff, as well as to current and former students, who both dropped out as well as graduated