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These two chapters offer a rationale for the inclusion of civic education as a nexus of community college general education. The first chapter provides an introductory overview of various issues related to general education reform and the new emphasis among educators and critics on postsecondary civic or citizenship education. This chapter offers a historical overview of the purposes and content of general and liberal arts education, and its role in assuring socio-cultural unity through common learning. An argument is put forth for conceiving general education in a civic mode as a way of mediating the liberal and vocational strains of community college education. The current concern of academics and politicians with education's civic agenda is discussed in the context of the lack of college students' civic knowledge and the lack of institutional commitment to citizenship education prevalent in the 1970's and 1980's. The final chapter reviews the history of community college general/civic education from the institution's beginnings, while focusing on the three decades following the Truman-Johnson era (1950-1980). It also provides a critical discussion of the civic education commitments of selected community college general education plans connected with the curricular reforms of the 1980's. This chapter concludes with a model of community college general/civic education which incorporates a generic collegiate design, but is responsive to the unique circumstances of the two-year college. (AYC)

This report describes the process used by a fully accredited private school (Sea Crest County Day School, Florida) of prekindergarten through grade eight to develop and implement an interdisciplinary global education program. Areas of need that were addressed included: differences in definition of the concept by the teachers, inconsistencies in the scope and areas of the curriculum where global concepts were addressed, teacher concerns about adding more to an already full curriculum, teacher concerns over lack of student knowledge about global concepts, and student reluctance to participate in community service projects. Intervention strategies included: inservice workshops for teachers; workshops for parents; development of a definition, philosophy, goals, objectives, and curriculum for a global education program; development of a catalog of local, national, and international resources and opportunities for global education; and a schoolwide implementation of the program. Global education became a central theme in the school environment. Parents and members of the community became actively involved in the program, and the community became a learning laboratory for the students. The paper is divided into seven chapters: (1) Problem statement and community background; (2) Problem definition and evidence; (3) Influence in the problem context bearing on solutions and outcomes; (4) Problem conceptualization, solution strategy, and project outcomes; (5) Implementation history; (6) Evaluation of results and process; and (7) Decisions on future of intervention. (DK)

The purpose of this study was to examine and better understand the social cognitive effects of digital technology on teenagers' brains and their socialization processes, as well as to learn best practices with regard to digital technology consumption. An extensive literature review was conducted on the social cognitive effects of digital technology on teenagers and an action research project was carried out gleaning quantitative and qualitative research findings collected from forty-six high school students, ranging from ages thirteen to fifteen. The findings of this paper are broken into three categories: (1) positive effects of digital technology; (2) negative effects of digital technology; (3) and, best practices with digital technology. One of the positive effects of digital technology is in education (and its potential future) as well as in iGeneration youths' ability to create content. Digital technology has the potential capacity to bridge the educational gap that exists between social economic demographics. Digital technology is creating a new digital literacy and connects learners to content with information and media available on the Internet. There are numerous negative effects of digital technology as well. One striking negative effect of digital technology consumption is how it diminishes our capacity for empathy by limiting how much people engage with one another. The addictive qualities associated with digital consumption and cyber usage is gaining prominence as a serious concern. Another negative risk of technology is the effects it has having on our attention span and is a potential source of the increasing ADD and ADHD in our culture. Finally, there are a myriad of best practices and suggested guidelines for teachers, educators, and teenagers that were an outcome of this research. In conclusion, we are in a fast tracked digital age where there is still much that is unknown nor are there longitudinal studies that explore how digital technology effects our brains, how we socialize, how we learn, and how we live. It is recommended, as a result of this research, to educate parents and educators on the importance of learning good practices and how to be involved in their teenagers' digital consumption habits as there seems to be a current lack of understanding and much misunderstanding, fear, and ambivalence from parents on the subject. Please see the appendix section for a data of the recommended best practices gathered in the literature review. The following appendixes are included: (1) selected highlights of rapid technological advancements from 1946 - 2012; (2) suggestions as to how adults can teach good digital citizenship to their teens; (3) rules of "Digital Citizenship Tips for Teens"; (4) selected American Academy of Pediatrics (2011) guideline recommendations for pediatricians; (5) selected American Academy of Pediatrics (2012a) guideline recommendations for parents; (6) summaries of some suggestions Dr. Rosen makes in his book, "iDisorder"; (7) seven daily essential brain balancing activities; (8) consolidated comprehensive review of suggested best practices for parents and educators; (9) websites for resources and tips; (10) treatment centers and resources for Internet and digital addiction; and (11) Sample of Common Sense media agreement for parents and teens in high school.

This practicum was designed to improve students' ability to determine appropriate behavior for various places within the school and to learn self-control to comply with expectations. Specifically, the practicum intended to decrease the number of referrals to administrators and the counselor for out-of-control student behavior and decrease the number of observable out-of-control behaviors in the cafeteria, library, and playground. Students involved in the program included 237 4th and 6th graders. "We the People" text was used to include lessons on citizenship. Focus was placed on one positive character trait and one social skill each month. The program was enriched through role-play, debates, and literature. Upon completion of the implementation, analysis of the data revealed a 34% decrease in the number of administrative referrals, and a 49% decrease in observable out-of-control behaviors. The data was analyzed through a comparison of the results of systematic collection and categorization of administrative and counselor referrals before and after implementation and through comparison of the frequency of behaviors before and after implementation. The instrument used for observation was an observation frequency chart. (Author/JBJ)

This report describes a program for increasing the thinking skills of fourth grade students in one classroom in northern Illinois. Both objective and subjective data gathering found that students experienced difficulty in relating and applying facts and concepts on tasks requiring more sophisticated thinking. Solution strategies combined with an analysis of the problem setting resulted in the selection of three major intervention categories: strategies to increase student ownership of learning and self-assessment, strategies to increase metacognitive abilities, and strategies to build hierarchical thinking. The strategies included keeping journals by both students and teacher, using graphic organizers, and infusing the three-story intellect model and hierarchical questioning into the fourth grade curriculum. Students' use of higher-level thinking increased as projected. Students showed competence to self-assess, exhibited ownership of learning, and articulated problem-solving processes. (EH)

A practicum was executed with the primary purpose of enhancing prekindergarten students' ability to address conflicts in a positive prosocial manner. The location of the practicum was an urban elementary school which houses prekindergarten through grade 6. A literacy program (consisting of storytelling activities using the various forms of children's literature, role playing, puppetry, flannel board, organized games, and physical movement) and a citizenship program providing opportunities for students to be distinguished for exhibiting appropriate social behavior were implemented during a 12-week period. Students completed conflict inventories near the beginning and end of the practicum period. Students were also observed during "choice time" and recess. Results indicated that: (1) inappropriate acts of conflict before the practicum numbered over 30 per day and dropped considerably during the last 4 weeks of the practicum; (2) students' ability to determine the appropriate course of action in the event of a conflict increased significantly; and (3) students received both programs with much enthusiasm. (Contains 52 references and 4 tables of data. A record form for observations, the conflict inventory test pictures, and a 44-item bibliography of children's literature are attached.) (RS)

This practicum was designed to develop a national model for teaching students with deafness or hearing impairments about their legal rights and responsibilities. The model included implementing a law-related education curriculum specifically written for students with deafness or hearing impairments, addressing their needs in legal knowledge and disability issues. Implementation of the practicum was achieved by conducting teacher training conferences, providing support and resources for teachers, making site visits, developing an activities schedule for a 12-week implementation period, writing portfolio assessment guides and charts, developing relationships with the media and Congressional leaders as a public relations effort, and assisting teachers with overall guidance for implementing the curriculum. Students showed increased knowledge about constitutional issues following the practicum, and teachers were positive about the training and use of the curriculum. Appendices contain the activities schedule, pretest and posttest, a curriculum evaluation form, a portfolio criteria chart, a student portfolio chart, and other relevant materials. (Contains 23 references.) (JDD)

A program of observation of local government bodies was implemented to make 12th grade U.S. government students aware of their local governments and how local government affects them. The program consisted of three components: orientation, implementation, and evaluation. The students were given a slide presentation and an information packet that explained the program and its requirements. The packet also gave a description of the groups the students would be observing and a map that showed the locations of the meetings. The students had 5 weeks in which to complete three observations, not less than one hour each in duration, of three different types of governmental bodies--local legislative bodies, advisory boards, and trial courts. They were given worksheets on which to record pertinent information with spaces for sign-in, sign-out, and an official's signature. As a follow-up, each class discussed what had been observed at the meetings, and a posttest was given to measure how much had been learned, comparing its score with that of a pretest given at the beginning of the program. Students scored an average of 25 percentage points higher on the posttest than on the pretest. Though somewhat apprehensive before the observations, students on the whole reacted favorably to the program. Appendices include documents sent to gather information, the students' packet, the pretest-posttest, and a chart showing the students' reactions to the program. (DB)