Professional development laboratory: center for literacy and community services

We developed three Professional Development Laboratories: Centers for Literacy and Community Services that addressed four pressing needs in the current urban school crisis: the preparation of in-service teachers to be literacy specialists, the dire need for qualified teachers in urban settings, the professional development of uncertified urban teachers, and the literacy needs of the children and families these teachers serve. These centers were housed in three inner-city schools rather than at the university and thus were able to serve larger numbers of children. Since many of the teachers in these schools are novice or uncertified teachers, we offered on-site in-service courses in order to enhance their ability to help their students. By housing the Centers for Literacy and Community Services on site in the schools, we sought to reach students and families who might otherwise not be able to avail themselves of these services. Unique to this project was that our graduate literacy education students tutored students on site in schools, the university faculty worked alongside the graduate students, and both students and faculty provided services to enhance the professional development of teachers and administrators in the area of literacy. Additionally, this project was distinguished by the inclusion of a component designed to provide literacy education services to the families and caregivers of the children.     

"Drinking is Fun" and "There's Nothing You Can Do About It": The Problem With the 21-Year-Old Minimum Drinking Age

Abstract

Objective: Public health messaging about physical activity (PA) sometimes combines moderate and vigorous intensity, but the variance/invariance of the motives for PA by intensity has received scant attention. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the beliefs and motivations associated with regular moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA in a college sample using the framework of Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Participants and Methods: A college sample of 337 participants was randomly assigned to complete measures of the TPB framed for either vigorous- or moderate-intensity PA and subsequently completed self-reported measures of PA 2 weeks later. Results: Mean comparisons indicated that participants held higher mean behavioral beliefs about the benefits of vigorous PA for improving appearance and fitness, but vigorous PA was perceived to take more time than moderate-intensity activities. A stacked structural equation model and follow-up Fisher z tests, however, suggested no differences between the associations of TPB constructs with intention or PA by intensity. Conclusions: The findings provide support for the current public health approach of combining moderate and vigorous physical activity messaging through the general invariance of motives by intensity.     

Narrative, organizations and research

Given the rapid expansion of narrative approaches in management and organization theory in recent years, this paper investigates the contribution of this literature to the understanding of organizations and processes of organizing. The paper tells the story of the development of narrative approaches in organizational theory. Narrative's contribution to substantive areas of organization theory is evaluated. These developments are then reviewed in relation to an ongoing tension between story and science. We conclude by contemplating some of the criticisms, and the future, of narrative research.