The Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill) is a critical part of the economic safety net for U.S. crop and dairy producers through 2018. Passage of the Farm Bill marked a change in philosophy regarding producer and landowner decisions about program choices. The shift was away from nearly 20 years of fixed annual payments based on historical…

This research examines novice and experienced teacher perceptions of school-based professional development (PD). Using a qualitative research design, data were gathered by means of document analysis and semi-structured interviews with 10 novice and 10 experienced teachers from two case study schools (one rural and one urban). The major findings to…

Each year an estimated four in every one-hundred children in the United States are victims of child maltreatment. The vast majority of these children endure the challenges associated with being uprooted from their homes and separated from their parents and/or guardians. Among these are the challenges of succeeding in school once they enter, and…

This article is my reflection about the recent incident that took place in a sports ground in Pondicherry, India where a 17-year-old school boy collapsed and died in the sports ground after running only 80 meters in the 1500 meters race. The cause of death was an underlying cardiac cause that has manifested during the athletic event. The stress…

After watching a shirt being wafted into the air as it dries over a hearth, the tinkerer Joseph Montgolfier decides to try lighting a fire under a balloon--and creates the first flying machine. After observing an art object swinging from a cathedral's ceiling, Galileo mulls over the mechanisms of a pendulum-driven clock--and produces one 50…

The Confidential Inquiry into premature deaths of people with learning disabilities (CIPOLD) was commissioned by the Department of Health in England in 2010 to investigate the avoidable or premature deaths of people with learning disabilities through retrospective reviews of deaths. Both the process of conducting CIPOLD and the findings of the…

Background: Academic programmes in speech-language pathology are increasingly providing telehealth/telepractice clinical education to students. Despite this growth, there is little information describing effective ways to teach it. Aims: The current exploratory study analyzed the perceptions of speech-language pathology/therapy (SLP/SLT) faculty,…

The key underlying developmental concepts and skills requisite for early literacy learning appear to be easily achieved among most young English language learners (ELLs). These strengths, however, may merely mask the need for enhanced vocabulary development, the key variable in successful transitioning from early to academic literacy development…

Professional development has a major role in addressing the skill gaps of teachers. Recently, much effort has been focused on improving teaching practices in Saudi Arabia. Here we aim to determine Saudi teachers professional development needs in the higher educational system. We also focus on skill needs, training programs, factors affecting…

This study aims to assess the views of outstanding teachers of the gifted regarding their students' learning environment. Thirty teachers were interviewed and an interpretive approach was used to analyze their views. The teachers' comments were divided according to the following themes: (a) characteristics of gifted students, (b) characteristics…

It is without question that technology in schools is here to stay. Educators have always been interested in the extent to which technology can be used to transform education and enhance student learning; however, the degree to which it is utilized in teacher preparation programs for pre-service teachers in terms of Web 2.0 use with future students…

The importance of teachers in online learning is widely acknowledged to effectively support and stimulate learners. With the increasing availability of learning analytics data, online teachers might be able to use learning analytics dashboards to facilitate learners with different learning needs. However, deployment of learning analytics…

Globally, the number of adults aged over 50 is increasing and this group is becoming more active in second language (L2) learning. Despite these demographic changes, little research has focused on the issues faced by older learners. They are either omitted from research studies or viewed as part of a homogenous group of adult learners. Several…

Unacceptable inequity in health status between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians remains despite much work in the area. The imperative for graduating health professionals capable and ready to work with urban and rural Indigenous communities has led to a focus on curriculum development, but less focus has thus far been applied to academic…

Despite the steady rise in online education and increasingly empirical studies on related learning technologies and technology support, there is considerable evidence that the field has not kept the pace with studies related to online education administrators (OEAs). Further investigation was needed into OEAs' practice of day-to-day administration…