This document is designed to provide a concise introduction to the theory of generalized inverses of matrices that is accessible to undergraduate mathematics majors. The approach used is to: (1) develop the material in terms of full-rank factorizations and to relegate all discussions using eigenvalues and eigenvectors to exercises, and (2) include…

The humanities professors of Northern Kentucky University conducted a series of four forums to bring together representative senior citizens, community leaders, political leaders, and educators of the Northern Kentucky area for a series of discussions focusing on the question of whether public agencies fairly serve senior citizens or merely offer…

A new core curriculum at Newmann College (Pennsylvania) aims to provide liberal learning through cross-disciplinary instruction without destroying the identity of specific content areas. The Collaborative Probing Model (CPM) provides a basis for the kind of creative self-control that will lead to flexible work within and between disciplines. This…

Given the evidence that many women do pursue achievement successfully, the position that biology requires women to avoid success is unconvincing. Possible sources for the factors that generate avoidance of success include the influence of society, peers, and the family. In a search for sources of achieving behavior, 50 pairs of fathers and…

Students must make decisions about their lifestyle, future careers, academic pursuits, and classroom and school issues. Learning to make effective decisions for themselves and for society is an important aspect of competence. They can learn decision making through interacting and solving problems with others. A central ingredient for successful…

This manuscript discusses strategies, designs, and techniques used by staff consultants of the Documentation and Technical Assistance project in order to facilitate problem solving capacities in urban schools. Intervention techniques described were geared to a model of the ideal school organization, conceived of as one which features self renewal…

This workshop focuses on the utility of decision making counseling: what it is, how it is operationalized into counseling behaviors, and what applications it has to counseling. Four sequential stages are proposed for explaining the use of the technique, including: (1) conceptualization; (2) enlargement of the response repertoire; (3)…

This paper discusses the concept of stress by drawing from social-psychological, occupational, family, and medical perspectives. A model of stress based on an integration of these perspectives is developed and then applied to the family relationship over time. The components of the model consist of: (1) a stressor stimulus, any situation that may…

Research on the use of calculators in mathematics classes is reviewed. It is noted that calculators were initially too high-priced and of too low an availability to be viewed in terms of widespread use in classrooms. Technological and manufacturing advances have since made wide use possible. Proponents of calculator use see this technology as a…

This document summarizes the research done on calculators and calculator use. It is noted that calculators are now seen as acceptable, with fears about use in school currently infrequent, and the role of such devices much more evident than 6 years ago. The first two sections of this material summarize data on use and availability. It is noted that…

Very little research has been undertaken to assess what factors are related to the utilization of coping strategies to deal with the losses associated with aging. Volunteers (N=40) 65 years of age or older were interviewed to determine if people at different levels of ego development differ in the number and type of coping strategies employed in…

A set of interactive, computer-simulated experiments was designed to respond to the large range of individual differences in aptitude and reasoning ability generally exhibited by students enrolled in first-semester general chemistry. These experiments give students direct experience in the type of decision making needed in an experimental setting.…

Metaphors influence, in many ways, methods and ways of thinking, including the planning and implementation of inservice teacher education programs. Inservice programs are often not considered successful; writers, developers, producers, and potential adopters of the programs should become aware of their metaphoric stance. Three metaphors commonly…

A family's metaphor, the frame of reference or perspective that is created and reflected through a family's use of figurative language, is a key to understanding the underlying values and realities of families. Constructivist theories of language view metaphor as essential to the creation of meaning. From this perspective, using metaphor as a…

Designed to help parents communicate with teachers about the school problems of their children, the handbook provides strategies which can guide parents to collect accurate information about a problem and to use it to initiate an open exchange with the teacher. The strategies can be used whether parents are becoming aware of a problem or have been…