With utmost regard for limited teacher time and demanding workloads, William J. Banach presents a practical, no-nonsense approach that any teacher can use to improve communication and strengthen parent relations. The ABCs of Teacher-Parent Communication focuses on perceptions of teachers and how they can be positively influenced. Key sections include information about parent opinion; parent informational needs and wants; an inventory for teachers to identify the most effective way to communicate with parents; practical ideas for improving communication; and a template for developing a personal communication plan.

The Journal of School Public Relations is a quarterly publication providing research, analysis, case studies and descriptions of best practices in six critical areas of school administration: public relations, school and community relations, community education, communication, conflict management/resolution, and human resources management. Practitioners, policymakers, consultants and professors rely on the Journal for cutting-edge ideas and current knowledge. Articles are a blend of research and practice addressing contemporary issues ranging from passing bond referenda to building support for school programs to integrating modern information.

Co-published with Kappa Delta Pi The ABCs of Classroom Management equips teachers with a repertoire of expert strategies to develop classroom expectations and manage student behaviors. The second edition of this practical, alphabetical guide includes expansions on time-honored topics such as relationship building, communication, discipline, and behavior management, with the addition of new topics such as cyberbullying, violence prevention, social media, and substitute teachers. The newest quick reference to managing a classroom offers tried-and-true tips and specific examples of practical applications in the classroom. Educators who purchase the second edition also can access ABC’s Online to find downloadable forms, samples and checklists, and links to related resources. This edition of The ABC’s of Classroom Management gives future and new educators practical and informative tips and tools for managing their classrooms to apply right away so they can focus on student learning. Underlying the nuts-and-bolts entries of the book are the themes of teacher professionalism, leadership, and empowerment. Armed with a proactive attitude and the right tools that are applied purposefully and consistently, novice teachers develop their craft to become masterful educators.

This book is a valuable one for teacher educators and teacher education programs in the United States and Europe, since it is organized around numerous data sources. It contains national and international adaptations of the ABC’s of Cultural Understanding and Communication. Authors for this book represent many languages and cultures and know, first hand, the socially constructed issues related to language, culture, and ethnicity. This book promises to make a significant contribution to preparing teachers to work with families and children. It should be read by all teacher educators as well as preservice and inservice teachers. In the new millennium teachers must redefine their responsibilities to ensure that ALL children have the opportunity to succeed. ABC’s of Cultural Understanding and Communication: National and International Adaptations is a perfect place to start.

The Journal of School Public Relations is a quarterly publication providing research, analysis, case studies and descriptions of best practices in six critical areas of school administration: public relations, school and community relations, community education, communication, conflict management/resolution, and human resources management. Practitioners, policymakers, consultants and professors rely on the Journal for cutting-edge ideas and current knowledge. Articles are a blend of research and practice addressing contemporary issues ranging from passing bond referenda to building support for school programs to integrating modern information.

This 3rd edition of 12 Characteristics of an Effective Teacher includes 25 new essays written by college students about their favorite K-12 teacher. These heartwarming essays are additional true stores of outstanding teachers who helped students deal with a variety of personal, emotional, social, and academic concerns such as: sexual identity, bullying, ADHD, dyslexia, hearing impairment, losing a parent due to cancer, and helping students with physical appearance needs such as; arranging for a student to get her hair done in order to sing at Carnegie Hall. This 3rd edition also includes additional stories of great teachers who used unique teaching techniques in order to educate the children in their classroom. After years of listening to students speak about their favorite and most memorable teacher, and after years of reading students' essays of teachers who made the most significant impact on their lives, the author's qualitative research has discovered 12 characteristics of an effective teacher.

This unique and visionary text is a compilation of fascinating case studies by New York State teachers, parents and professors. These down-to-earth case studies highlight effective specific approaches to provide bridges between home and school and a look to the future for preparing teachers to communicate and connect with families and communities. This book promises to make a signifi-cant contribution to preparing teachers to engage all families and communities in the education of our children. It is filled with activities coming out of an incredible body of educational research done by the contributors. This book has given us the answers to the questions that Schmidt raised and it will move family involve-ment from high rhetoric to high practice. This book will change the way we prepare teachers and it is a must read for those in teacher education programs.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics, EPCE 2011, held in Orlando, FL, USA, in July 2011, within the framework of the 14th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2011, together with 11 other thematically similar conferences. The 67 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers are organized in topical parts on cognitive and psychological aspects of interaction; cognitive aspects of driving; cognition and the Web; cognition and automation; security and safety; and aerospace and military applications.

Structured Discovery Cane Travel (SDCT) is an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) curriculum which focuses on the foundational techniques necessary to develop future independence for students who are blind or visually impaired. The ABCs of Structured Discovery Cane Travel for Children addresses essential non-visual concept development, techniques and mobility skills needed to travel efficiently, gracefully and safely within a myriad of natural environments while using the long, white cane with a metal tip as the primary mobility tool. This curriculum utilizes transformational knowledge and problem-solving opportunities through teachable moments to develop personal reflection and mental mapping which can be utilized post instruction. These students maximize their cognitive intrinsic feedback while completing everyday mobility tasks. Parents and instructors of children who are blind or visually impaired will comprehend the essentials of SDCT by reading The ABCs of Structured Discovery Cane Travel for Children; in addition, they will receive a treasure trove of O&M skill-building activities.