A relevância da avaliação para o investimento social privado

O crescente interesse pelo uso estratégico da avaliação de programas e políticas sociais no Brasil tem sido marcado por avanços, mas também por inquietações entre formuladores, gestores e avaliadores sobre suas escolhas metodológicas. Qual método é mais adequado para avaliar este ou aquele programa? Qual abordagem é mais precisa? Que método é mais sensível à realidade social? Que percurso avaliativo é capaz de exercer maior influência sobre a tomada de decisões? Lançando mão de reflexões teórica e casos práticos, somando experiências estrangeiras e brasileiras, o livro oferece respostas a estas perguntas, capazes de alavancar a capacidade de escolher métodos que melhor dialoguem com a realidade social, bem como com suas próprias premissas éticas, políticas e técnicas. Fruto do II Seminário Internacional "A Relevância da Avaliação para o Investimento Social Privado: Metodologias", iniciativa da Fundação Itaú Social, Fundação Roberto Marinho, Fundação Maria Cecília Souto Vidigal em parceria com a Move e apoio do GIFE e da Fundação Santillana, esta publicação é mais uma contribuição para o plural e, cada vez mais consistente, campo avaliativo do País

Christian Signature and Archetype in Frank Capra\u27s It\u27s A Wonderful Life

It\u27s A Wonderful Life is both a sentimental holiday entertainment and a serious examination of a search for meaning and spiritual fulfillment. As a psychodrama that externalizes George Bailey\u27s values and desires in the surrounding characters, the film creates a narrative we can easily relate to, but arranged as an archetypal journey that reveals a deeper spiritual significance by identifying George with Christ\u27s quest for salvation. The increased psychodramatic density, combined with the archetypal structure, transforms a sentimental holiday entertainment into a serious work of art with lasting religious and spiritual meaning, thereby accounting for its enduring popularity

Developing Preservice Teachers’ Expertise in Evaluating and Adapting Mathematics Lesson Plans

To provide appropriate and effective instructional supports to students with disabilities, special education preservice teachers require development of expertise in the design and delivery of specially designed lessons. It is critical that special education preservice education programs provide students ample opportunities to learn how to evaluate and adapt lesson plans through the application of the elements of explicit instruction. In this article, we explain how to develop preservice teachers’ expertise in the evaluation and adaptation of mathematics lesson plans with the elements of explicitness to better support students with disabilities. The example activity and assignments provided are anchored in the context of a university math methods course and include all necessary materials

Effects of Digital-Based Math Fluency Interventions on Learners with Math Difficulties: A Review of the Literature

Mathematical proficiency serves as a foundation for student success in the classroom and real world. One component of mathematical proficiency is fluency with basic facts. Frequently, students with mathematics difficulties struggle to become proficient and fluent in the four basic operations. Interventions are available to help develop and promote fluency for students. Digital-based interventions, such as programs on computers or tablet applications, are one avenue by which students are able to acquire and maintain fluency. These digital tools are becoming increasingly more common and available in today’s classroom. Eight studies on digital-based fact fluency were identified through a systematic search of the literature and analyzed to determine their effects. Study participants were elementary aged students with mathematics difficulties. Results of this synthesis indicate that digital-based interventions are an effective instructional technique for increasing fact fluency with students demonstrating mathematics difficulties. Implications research and practice are discussed

Supervising a Struggling Student Teacher: A Midterm Action Plan

A large shortage of qualified special education teachers is one of the most serious and pervasive problems facing students disabilities. With both the quality and the quantity of special educators requiring improvement, teacher educators are becoming more aware of the necessity to train better-prepared special education teachers. In response to the problems, the Clemson University undergraduate program in Special Education has developed rigorous curricula and performance standards to prepare highly trained special educators. In addition to the standard program requirements, a systematic plan was developed to facilitate the improvement of struggling student teachers who are not meeting expected performance competencies. The purpose of this article is to describe Clemson University’s special education teacher preparation program’s field experience requirements and the systematic procedures used to provide additional support to struggling student teachers

Embracing Science Fiction in School Curriculum

On a cold starry night in 1816, young Mary Shelley started a story that would change the world. In Frankenstein, Shelley told a tale that went beyond the modest task of a ghost story. In it, her hero Doctor Frankenstein created a living being from the dead flesh of corpses. Horrified by the monster, the doctor fled, abandoning his child and forsaking his creation. Meanwhile, the creature roamed the country, innocent in his origins, confused and bereft until he met a poor family. Staying hidden, he watched them until he learned their language and many of the characteristics that the poor family had. Touched by the love that they had for one another and aware of his own paternal rejection, he searched out his former father looking for some kind of connection. He found him, but the father spurned him once again, driving the monster to kill most of the young doctor's family. When the monster finally cornered Doctor Frankenstein, he asked for a mate, but the doctor refused and the two were driven to kill the other. In the end, Doctor Frankenstein dies but the monster finds no salvation in his death. Shelley's ghost story transcended the typical archetype, becoming one of the first science fiction stories. In her tale, the man became the monster and the monster was searching for his humanity in a world of darkness. These themes, while not new, helped define a new genre of fiction and open the doors for many to explore the greater themes of man while within a science fictional narrative