Heather Duncan

Wyoming principals were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the strengths and deficits of their preparation program, their professional development needs as beginning principals, and the areas in which their districts offer professional development. Findings indicated much variation in perceptions of preparation program strengths and deficits. The internship was viewed as valuable in providing experience of day-to-day school administration; however, time commitment and financial burdens were of concern. While districts provide adequate professional development in instructional leadership and using data to inform decisions for beginning principals, development needs in the areas of communication, relationship building, and conflict resolution were not provided by districts.

The purpose of this article is to explore both the challenges and skills needed to effectively assume a leadership position and thus to create an entry plan or ‘toolkit’ for a new rural school leader. The entry plan acts as a guide beginning principals may use to navigate the unavoidable confusion that comes with leadership. It also assists aspiring new leaders to think through, and vicariously experience, the challenges they may face in a leadership role. If focuses on three specific areas most relevant to rural principals: Dealing with professional isolation and loneliness; Getting to know and thriving in a rural community, and Basic management skills for the lone administrator. It provides a series of tools that beginning principals may find useful as they embark on a leadership journey in a rural setting and also identifies the specific skills various stakeholder groups perceive as most important for rural school leaders.

Technological advances in the last decade have impacted delivery methods of university courses. More and more courses are offered in a variety of formats. While academic rigor is a term often used, its definition is less clear. This mixed methods study explored graduate student conceptions of rigor in the online learning environment embedded within blended classes. An initial survey revealed low correlation between student perceptions of rigor and learning, but high correlation between perceptions of learning, course organization and clarity of expectations. Follow-up focus group interviews clarified graduate student conceptions: Rigorous learning should challenge and build upon existing knowledge, focus on practical application and the interaction of theory, concept and practice; it must be ‘value-added’ and personally and professionally relevant to students. The responsibility for rigor requires a critical partnership between teachers and learners.

We live in the Age of Information. Never has global communication been so fast, straightforward and effortless, and information so widely available, than in our twenty-first century world of high-speed digital networking. The Internet, email, web-cam, telephone, and fax, provide almost instant messaging, and immediate access to information in most locations on our planet.

Abstract This paper overviews teacher education degree programs offered by universities across the four provinces of Western Canada, namely, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. As well as traditional teacher education programs, it outlines initiatives for training Aboriginal and Hutterian teachers. Focusing on the" instrumentalist" approach to undergraduate teacher education programs at Brandon University in Manitoba, a curriculum commonplace framework is used to describe the intention of the program. ...

Abstract This study explored the outcomes of a voluntary visitation program at a Canadian penitentiary, focusing on benefits to male inmates, volunteers, and the institution. Inmates valued having a safe place to talk and observed that the visits helped them cope with life in the penitentiary and build relationships. Visitors felt they had become more empathic and tolerant and more appreciative of their own quality of life. Staff members indicated that the institute benefited from having a group of offenders with a more optimistic outlook and who ...

While opportunities for online learning are increasing in K-12 education, few teacher education programs include courses on online teaching and learning. Using Garrison and Anderson's (2003) Community of Inquiry framework, this qualitative study explored the educational experiences of pre-service teachers in an experiential online course designed to teach about online teaching. Students explored aspects of online education and created a multi-media teaching module. The study highlighted the need for pre-service teacher ...