In this article, the author shares how efficient and effective Google Documents is for faculty seeking to engage students in inquiry-based, emergent, and primary research in first-year composition courses. The specific appeal of Google Documents is that it occupies a space between "open source"--defined by the Open Source Initiative as "free,…

Using data obtained from retrospective, in-depth interviews with 20 successful female parolees, the present study examines the effects of women offenders' relationships with people in their social networks (i.e., their network relationships) before, during, and after incarceration on their postrelease desistence from crime. Because women's social…

Conceptualizations of the self in relation to others are examined among a group of young women attending a fee-paying school in England. As part of a larger study exploring intimacy and agency among young women from relatively privileged class backgrounds, 54 young women participated in focus group discussions and interviews. Findings reveal that…

Positive association of relevant characteristics is a widespread pattern among adolescent friends. A positive association may be caused by the selection of similar others as friends and by the deselection of dissimilar ones, but also by influence processes where friends adjust their behavior to each other. Social control theory argues that…

In schools around the country, Gen Xers, Millennials, Baby Boomers, and even a Veteran or two are working side by side. While anyone holding a job in this shaky economy is grateful, gratitude does not make generational clashes less difficult. Adding to the mix, many Baby Boomers initially poised for a mass exodus by 2010 are holding on for dear…

A wiki is a collaborative and highly interactive communication technology that enjoys worldwide fame in multi-user editing. It is based on specific design principles. Wiki has implications for both educational and instructional design as well as for general usage. As long as wiki is relatively cost-free, and users find value in its contents, it…

As communication technologies continue to evolve at an ever-expanding rate, some states and localities are turning to new social media tools as a means of recruiting and retaining qualified education personnel. Based on examples from around the country drawn from early intervention (EI) programs, state education agencies (SEAs), local education…

"Education Matters" is the monthly newsletter of the Association of American Educators (AAE), an organization dedicated to advancing the American teaching profession through personal growth, professional development, teacher advocacy and protection. This issue of the newsletter includes: (1) Whatever It Takes? (Maybe Not): 4 Reasons…

Unprecedented uses of information and communication technology (ICT) and particularly social media (e.g., Wikipedia, Facebook, and Twitter) are occurring in times of crisis. This dissertation investigates the socio-technical practices emerging from the use of social media and how these practices help to "sustain the living heritage" of…

To recruit prospective students today, you have to look beyond your Web site. The rise of social networking and the growing use of mobile Web access have fundamentally expanded how students access information and interact online. You also have to look beyond students to their parents, who often play a key role in the college decision process. How…

Issues such as joblessness, violence, and substance abuse have threatened some forms of civic life and community well-being in African American urban neighborhoods. And for young people, a diminished capacity for hope is one of the most significant threats to civic engagement. Community organizations are responding to this crisis by creating…

VLE (Virtual Learning Environments) are rapidly falling short to meet the demands of a networked society. Web 2.0 and social networks are proving to offer a more personalized, open environment for students to learn formally as they are already doing informally. With the irruption of social media into society, and therefore, education, many voices…

This case study shows the imaginative methods adult learners use to stay motivated while studying. Respondents used social network sites and texts to motivate themselves, and each other, to continue studying. I call this innovative application of technology "e-motivation". Students used communication technology to transform their…

The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of integrating "Facebook" and peer assessment with college English writing class instruction through a blended teaching approach. This blended approach consisted of one-third of a semester of classroom instruction and two-thirds of a semester combining "Facebook", peer…

Historically, men have dominated the athletic arena; as a result, the number of women in sport management positions has been limited (Cashmore, 2000; Coakley, 2010). Even rarer is the opportunity for female coaches to coach male sport teams. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of women who have coached male…