Education & Pedagogy

The written testimony of the authors before the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education in April, 2002, identifies five areas of needed effort in early childhood special education research: (1) early identification and eligibility; (2) services; (3) outcomes; (4) infrastructure; and (5) the research funding process. Specific proposals for the federal government's role are proposed in each area. (DB)

Discusses changing framework of American education in light of charter-school movement, school choice and voucher programs, and home schooling. Analyzes potential impact on public education of 2000 Supreme Court decision ("Troxel v. Granville"), involving parents' child visitation rights. Concludes that "Troxel" could strengthen parental right to choose public-school alternatives for children's education. (Contains 212 references.) (PKP)

Explores culturally responsive epistemologies and pedagogies in online education that integrate differences (e.g., race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and physical ability); open-endedness; and conductive reasoning through practices of collage, appropriation, and fragmentation, proposing online education practices that possess greater sensitivity to student, teacher, and text relations by encouraging online educators and designers to consider social and cultural differences and identities, contexts of viewing, and historical moments of learning. (SM)

This article explores the use of contemporary film in human service education. A theoretical rationale for the use of films is presented and principles for bridging the world of the classroom and the realities of practice are discussed. Suggestions are included for selecting and processing films, as well as case studies to illustrate various uses of this educational aide. (Contains 33 references.) (GCP)

Contends that the Canadian academy perpetuates dominant staffing of teaching and administrative positions with white males, marginalization of minorities, resistance to reflecting non-white values and experiences in education, and diminished expectations for minority students. The Canadian academy can become a site of empowerment and equity for all if it realistically confronts issues of bias and challenges white privilege. (SM)

As the Internet and the World Wide Web grow, more teachers are authoring school Web pages. Such pages have particular potential for use in rural areas by special educators, but their quality is often poor. All Web pages should be accessible for people with disabilities. Solutions to common accessibility and other problems are described. (Contains 19 references.) (TD)

Describes projects in a teacher education program that involved two courses, one an introduction to the role of literature in teaching elementary school language arts, and the other an introduction to educational technology. Focuses on creating an interest in poetry, using poetic forms, and how students can use technology to explore poetry. (Author/LRW)

Examines the relationship between education and citizenship in the quest for a moral "new world order" in two Scottish communitarian villages established by social reformer Robert Owen in the early 1800s. Draws parallels to current debates, focusing on Owen's rhetoric about justice and equality while maintaining paternalistic authority and his lack of practical details. (Contains 30 references.) (SV)

Summarizes the legislation upon which the current welfare-to-work transition is based and describes characteristics of the former welfare population. Discusses current program emphases and presents directions for future program development including academic programs, situated cognition programs, integrated literacy/occupational skills programs, and integrated literacy/soft skills training. (KS)

This commentary focuses on four common issues of concern that affect special education research in different countries: how philosophies, laws, and ethics influence special education research, how policymaking and research affect each other, how research topics are selected, and who conducts special education research with what methodologies. (Contains three references.) (Author/CR)

This article describes problems affecting special education services in developing counties where economic challenges have harsh consequences on health, education, and welfare and force difficult ethical choices. Special education efforts in Ecuador are used as examples to describe inherent problems and give inspiration toward developing potential solutions. (Contains five references.) (Author/CR)

Performs empirical tests of the Mexican federal government's state-level education expenditures and examines changes in allocation patterns by comparing 1980 and 1990 cross-sections. Unlike other Latin American countries, where formulated grants are made to subnational jurisdictions, the Mexican allocation pattern seems neither rational nor effective. (Contains 39 references.) (MLH)

Glimpses the literacy education practices of one third-grade Cuban teacher in a primary school in Havana. Speculates on relationships between Cuban educational practice and the Cuban socioeconomic system, including a historical analysis of Cuban literacy education since 1959. Finds high rote mastery of skills at the expense of creating a critical space in the classroom for dialogue and action. (SR)

Ideas from postpositivist thinking have been particularly challenging for comparative education scholarship and its metanarratives. Analysis of articles in major comparative education journals in the 1990s examines the integration of ideas from 10 poststructuralist thinkers and explores in detail the appropriation of Foucault's ideas and methodologies. Two promising areas for comparative education research are issues of the self (or subject) and the problematization of ethics. (Contains 134 references.) (SV)

Likens the educational tensions of the post 9-11 era to those of the Vietnam war period, asserting that education is a process of culture and identity transmission, while schooling is intended to ensure that status quo power relationships are maintained. Argues that for persons of African descent, education means developing knowledge bases grounded in the culture and history of the African world and interpreting reality through those knowledge bases. (SM)