The question proposed to the debaters, "Is consensus on a definition of giftedness in the field possible, desirable, or necessary?" appears to request a choice between three independent alternatives. In this article, the author illustrates what the lack of consensus among scholars and professionals really looks like. A brief survey of the current…

The previous Historical Perspectives column focused on the foundations of gifted education and the influence that Francis Galton, Alfred Binet, and Cesare Lombroso had in shaping the field. This work seeks to extend the examination of the historical roots of gifted education by focusing on definitions and theoretical underpinnings of giftedness…

This paper is based upon detailed research over a two-year period into primary school teachers' attitudes and approaches to bullying. All the teaching staff in a single school contributed to the research and they were thoughtful and reflective in their engagement with the research. The project focuses on the key issue of how teachers define…

Based on current research, legislation, and best practices for the classroom, this user-friendly guide offers a comprehensive overview of everything teachers need to know to differentiate instruction for students who are culturally and linguistically diverse, as well as those who have or might have special education needs. Amy G. Mazur and…

This inquiry highlights a research study with secondary teacher candidates (grades 9-12) in a teacher credentialing program in southern California that has been recognized for its effectiveness in preparing candidates to teach English learners. Within the frame of creating critical leaders, data collected in this inquiry show that teacher…

This practical guide to outcomes-based assessment in student affairs is designed to help readers meet the growing demand for accountability and for demonstrating student learning. The authors offer a framework for implementing the assessment of student learning and development and pragmatic advice on the strategies most appropriate for the…

Newton's article (2010) makes three main contributions to the literature. First, it is transatlantic, bringing together literatures that have been dealing with similar problems, using sometimes different methods and certainly with distinctive educational, cultural perspectives. He points out that neither of these literatures has all of the…

Critical literacy continues to be a concept which is widely misused, mis-applied and misunderstood. Social commentators and politicians in particular use it to create unease about the way schools teach reading. However, a brief review of curriculum documents from six Australian State Education Departments demonstrates that in the private world of…

Reading the formal descriptions of youth civic engagement projects shows that some emphasize citizenship almost to the exclusion of young person, while others emphasize young people to the exclusion of citizenship. Who and what are the youth, the young people and young persons in the three youth civic engagement initiatives? And how are these…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine optimal criteria for defining response and remission in adolescents with acute mania. Method: Data were analyzed from three treatment studies of adolescents with acute mania (N = 99). Trained raters completed the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and clinicians completed the Clinical Global…

With the enactment of No Child Left Behind, districts across the country have been consumed with ensuring that students are proficient in math and reading. However, by the very nature of the law, the definition of "proficient" varies from state to state as well as within states. Since countless resources are being poured into this…

Podcasts contain information on almost any topic, delivered via the Internet in audio or video form. They allow learners to access information at anytime from anywhere, with no constraints--just the free flow of information. As a result, a revolution is taking place in education, leading to new ways of teaching and learning. This article helps…

This manuscript addresses learning communities (LCs) as a strategy to retain graduate students until program completion. Definitions of LCs and their early development are presented. The benefits of LCs to groups of students with common interests are discussed. In addition, reasons for early graduate student attrition are included. Common models…

This article is the first of a two-part series on allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis, which includes seasonal allergies, has been considered by physicians, parents, and the general public as a mild, transitory nuisance for children and adults that is easily remedied with over-the-counter or prescription medications. Recent research, however,…

In the last column, we began discussing Web 2.0 applications. In this column, we'll review participatory, social networking software called "wikis." We'll define wikis, discuss their use in college classrooms, explore benefits provided for collaborative knowledge construction, and explain five types of wikis with applications to developmental…