Like it or not, we may be heading in this direction - what do you think of digital textbooks? Will this promote reading - or not? Other thoughts?
What do you think about this?
California Law Encourages Digital Textbooks by 2020
By Mary Helen Miller
While it seems increasingly likely that e-books will one day become the standard in education, California has passed a law to virtually guarantee it -- and to set a deadline.
A new state law, effective January 1, 2020, will require that all textbooks used in public and private postsecondary institutions be made available in electronic form "to the extent practicable" either "in whole or in part." Senate Bill 48 states that "the electronic version of any textbook shall contain the same content as the printed version and may be copy-protected."
Senator Elaine Alquist, who wrote the bill, was unavailable for comment. Her legislative aid, James Schwab, who was involved with writing the bill, said that helping students save money was the primary motive. For instance, even today, one textbook with a list price of $173.33 is available electronically for $95.33.
Mr. Schwab also said that the law would encourage professors to integrate technology into the classroom; spark more student interest in science, engineering, and math; and give students marketable skills in using technology.
"Students these days, and kids growing up, will be used to -- and even prefer -- reading stuff in an electronic format," Mr. Schwab said.
Albert N. Greco, a professor at Fordham University's Graduate School of Business who studies academic publishing, said the 2020 deadline seemed more than reasonable.
"They could have made it 2015!" Mr. Greco said.
The six leading textbook companies now publish 13,000 unique titles. In the past two and a half years, 8,600 of those titles have been made available electronically. Mr. Greco predicts that all 13,000 will be digitized by some point in 2012.
"The spirit of the law is, I think, laudable," Mr. Greco said. As a practical matter, though, "it doesn't matter whether a state passes a law or not."
He explained that textbook companies already have several incentives to make books available in electronic format. First, 24 percent of all printed textbooks are returned from the college bookstore to the publishing company because they go unsold. And sales of used books and textbook rentals are hurting publishers. By making a textbook available in electronic form, the publisher can still make a considerable profit from the six-month rental fee.
"The business is moving toward digital," Mr. Greco said. "And it has to."
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
The new Horizon Report on technology and teaching: Key trends, emerging technologies
Check out the new Horizon Report (click here).
Each year, the report identifies emerging technologies or practices that are on the academic horizon (within one year, reported upon here, but also on the horizon)...but it also addresses key, technology-related trends that impact our work.
I have excerpted commentary on both here, but do check out the full report if you need to procrastinate while doing "class prep" for the new semester.........
KEY TRENDS:
1) The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators in sense-making, coaching, and credentialing. Institutions must consider the unique value that each adds to a world in which information is everywhere. In such a world, sensemaking and the ability to assess the credibility of information are paramount. Mentoring and preparing students for the world in which they will live, the central role of the university when it achieved its modern form in the 14th century, is again at the forefront. Universities have always been seen as the gold standard for educational credentialing, but emerging certification programs from other sources are eroding the value of that mission daily.
2) People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want to. Life in an increasingly busy world where learners must balance demands from home, work, school, and family poses a host of logistical challenges with which today’s ever more mobile students must cope. A faster approach is often perceived as a better approach, and as such people want easy and timely access not only to the information on the network, but to their social networks that can help them to interpret it and maximize its value. The implications for informal learning are profound, as are the notions of “just-in-time” learning and “found” learning, both ways of maximizing the impact of learning by ensuring it is timely and efficient.
3) The technologies we use are increasingly cloud-based, and our notions of IT support are decentralized. The continuing acceptance and adoption of cloud-based applications and services is changing not only the ways we configure and use software and file storage, but even how we conceptualize those functions. It does not matter where our work is stored; what matters is that our information is accessible no matter where we are or what device we choose to use. Globally, in huge numbers, we are growing used to a model of browser-based software that is device-independent. While some challenges still remain, specifically with notions of privacy and control, the promise of significant cost savings is an important driver in the search for solutions.
4) The work of students is increasingly seen as collaborative by nature, and there is more crosscampus collaboration between departments. While this trend is not as widespread as the others listed here, where schools have createda climate in which students, their peers, and their teachers are all working towards the same goals, where research is something open even to first year students, the results have shown tantalizing promise. Increasingly, both students and their professors see the challenges facing
the world as multidisciplinary, and the need for collaboration great. Over the past few years, the emergence of a raft of new (and often free) tools has made collaboration easier than at any other point in history.
EMERGING TRENDS (within the next year)
1) Mobile computing, by which we mean use of the network-capable devices students are already carrying, is already established on many campuses, although before we see widespread use, concerns about privacy, classroom management, and access will need to be addressed. At the same time, the opportunity is great; virtually all higher education students carry some form of mobile device, and the cellular network that supports their connectivity continues to grow. An increasing number of faculty and instructional technology staff are experimenting with the possibilities for collaboration and communication offered by mobile computing. Devices from smart phones to netbooks are portable tools for productivity, learning, and communication, offering an increasing range of activities fully supported by applications designed especially for mobiles.
2) Open content, also expected to reach mainstream use in the next twelve months, is the current form of a movement that began nearly a decade ago, when schools like MIT began to make their course content freely available. Today, there is a tremendous variety of open content, and in many parts of the world, open content represents a profound shift in the way students study and learn. Far more than a collection of
free online course materials, the open content movement is a response to the rising costs of education, the desire for access to learning in areas where such access is difficult, and an expression of student choice about when and how to learn.
Each year, the report identifies emerging technologies or practices that are on the academic horizon (within one year, reported upon here, but also on the horizon)...but it also addresses key, technology-related trends that impact our work.
I have excerpted commentary on both here, but do check out the full report if you need to procrastinate while doing "class prep" for the new semester.........
KEY TRENDS:
1) The abundance of resources and relationships made easily accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators in sense-making, coaching, and credentialing. Institutions must consider the unique value that each adds to a world in which information is everywhere. In such a world, sensemaking and the ability to assess the credibility of information are paramount. Mentoring and preparing students for the world in which they will live, the central role of the university when it achieved its modern form in the 14th century, is again at the forefront. Universities have always been seen as the gold standard for educational credentialing, but emerging certification programs from other sources are eroding the value of that mission daily.
2) People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want to. Life in an increasingly busy world where learners must balance demands from home, work, school, and family poses a host of logistical challenges with which today’s ever more mobile students must cope. A faster approach is often perceived as a better approach, and as such people want easy and timely access not only to the information on the network, but to their social networks that can help them to interpret it and maximize its value. The implications for informal learning are profound, as are the notions of “just-in-time” learning and “found” learning, both ways of maximizing the impact of learning by ensuring it is timely and efficient.
3) The technologies we use are increasingly cloud-based, and our notions of IT support are decentralized. The continuing acceptance and adoption of cloud-based applications and services is changing not only the ways we configure and use software and file storage, but even how we conceptualize those functions. It does not matter where our work is stored; what matters is that our information is accessible no matter where we are or what device we choose to use. Globally, in huge numbers, we are growing used to a model of browser-based software that is device-independent. While some challenges still remain, specifically with notions of privacy and control, the promise of significant cost savings is an important driver in the search for solutions.
4) The work of students is increasingly seen as collaborative by nature, and there is more crosscampus collaboration between departments. While this trend is not as widespread as the others listed here, where schools have createda climate in which students, their peers, and their teachers are all working towards the same goals, where research is something open even to first year students, the results have shown tantalizing promise. Increasingly, both students and their professors see the challenges facing
the world as multidisciplinary, and the need for collaboration great. Over the past few years, the emergence of a raft of new (and often free) tools has made collaboration easier than at any other point in history.
EMERGING TRENDS (within the next year)
1) Mobile computing, by which we mean use of the network-capable devices students are already carrying, is already established on many campuses, although before we see widespread use, concerns about privacy, classroom management, and access will need to be addressed. At the same time, the opportunity is great; virtually all higher education students carry some form of mobile device, and the cellular network that supports their connectivity continues to grow. An increasing number of faculty and instructional technology staff are experimenting with the possibilities for collaboration and communication offered by mobile computing. Devices from smart phones to netbooks are portable tools for productivity, learning, and communication, offering an increasing range of activities fully supported by applications designed especially for mobiles.
2) Open content, also expected to reach mainstream use in the next twelve months, is the current form of a movement that began nearly a decade ago, when schools like MIT began to make their course content freely available. Today, there is a tremendous variety of open content, and in many parts of the world, open content represents a profound shift in the way students study and learn. Far more than a collection of
free online course materials, the open content movement is a response to the rising costs of education, the desire for access to learning in areas where such access is difficult, and an expression of student choice about when and how to learn.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Moving to Outlook from Groupwise...
Happy new year all! As you all have likely heard already, Salem State is moving to the MS Outlook email/calendar/contact/to-do list program...so, say goodbye to Groupwise!
Here are some out-takes from recent communications from Salem State's IT folks to staff and full-time faculty about this matter:
1) The online training and other useful information such as a schedule of upcoming Outlook workshops can be found at: http://www.salemstate.edu/outlook - click on the Training & Tutorials link. Then, please review the seven minute demo also found at this website. (Note: I just did it, it is good, basic, but good - looks like a good system to me)
2) You will need to have the Outlook 2007 client or Entourage (for Mac users) installed on your computer. If you are not sure if you have it, contact Kristin Gronberg at kgronberg@salemstate.edu and she will make arrangements to load it for you.
3) For adjunct faculty members: For those who do not use Salem State owned computers, such as adjunct faculty, the Outlook Web Access tool will be available so you don't need to load a client to your personally owned computer. The Web Access tool looks great, I am sure you will be pleased with it.
4) Tomorrow is the day - What do you need to do? And how will you get help?
If you work on campus - please be sure to turn your computer completely off when you leave tonight. If someone near you is on vacation, please power their computer down. (This will enable us to create the new email on your PC overnight.)
Here is what you can expect tomorrow. Turn your computer on and log in. Instead of seeing your desktop, the new email system will automagically open. (If it doesn't then go to "Programs", then "MS Office", and then "MS Office Outlook 2007".) You are in! Send a test email to someone close to you. New incoming email will be delivered to this email box, not GroupWise. However, if you click on GroupWise it will still open and you will see all your old email, but you will not be able to send from GroupWise anymore.
Now, you will have the choice of whether to move email and calendar from GroupWise to MS Outlook/Entourage, or to simply archive GroupWise so you can view those email as you need to in future. If you choose to migrate your email this needs to be done at your desk (Sarah Evans has kindly volunteered to be our "migration" assistant). Please remember that these folks are not MS Outlook/Entourage trainers or experts. For on line training and a schedule of classroom training go to http://www.salemstate.edu/7796.php
If you are not on campus, tomorrow please go to msmail.salemstate.edu. Bookmark this location. Log in with your SSCAD network username and password. (Do not use your old GroupWise login.)
5) Need more help? If you are having difficulty send an email to it-heldesk@salemstate.edu (assuming you can get in email). Our most efficient (quickest) response time is for email help tickets. If you can't send email at all, please call the Help Desk at x 2036 (978-542-2036).
Have questions? Send them along to Kristin as well and she'll get back to you.
Here are some out-takes from recent communications from Salem State's IT folks to staff and full-time faculty about this matter:
1) The online training and other useful information such as a schedule of upcoming Outlook workshops can be found at: http://www.salemstate.edu/outlook - click on the Training & Tutorials link. Then, please review the seven minute demo also found at this website. (Note: I just did it, it is good, basic, but good - looks like a good system to me)
2) You will need to have the Outlook 2007 client or Entourage (for Mac users) installed on your computer. If you are not sure if you have it, contact Kristin Gronberg at kgronberg@salemstate.edu and she will make arrangements to load it for you.
3) For adjunct faculty members: For those who do not use Salem State owned computers, such as adjunct faculty, the Outlook Web Access tool will be available so you don't need to load a client to your personally owned computer. The Web Access tool looks great, I am sure you will be pleased with it.
4) Tomorrow is the day - What do you need to do? And how will you get help?
If you work on campus - please be sure to turn your computer completely off when you leave tonight. If someone near you is on vacation, please power their computer down. (This will enable us to create the new email on your PC overnight.)
Here is what you can expect tomorrow. Turn your computer on and log in. Instead of seeing your desktop, the new email system will automagically open. (If it doesn't then go to "Programs", then "MS Office", and then "MS Office Outlook 2007".) You are in! Send a test email to someone close to you. New incoming email will be delivered to this email box, not GroupWise. However, if you click on GroupWise it will still open and you will see all your old email, but you will not be able to send from GroupWise anymore.
Now, you will have the choice of whether to move email and calendar from GroupWise to MS Outlook/Entourage, or to simply archive GroupWise so you can view those email as you need to in future. If you choose to migrate your email this needs to be done at your desk (Sarah Evans has kindly volunteered to be our "migration" assistant). Please remember that these folks are not MS Outlook/Entourage trainers or experts. For on line training and a schedule of classroom training go to http://www.salemstate.edu/7796.php
If you are not on campus, tomorrow please go to msmail.salemstate.edu
5) Need more help? If you are having difficulty send an email to it-heldesk@salemstate.edu
Have questions? Send them along to Kristin as well and she'll get back to you.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Help with advising: Free, appointment scheduling tools on the Internet
Tired of lots of back and forth emails with students about when you can meet with them for advising?
Grumpy about formatting that advising schedule for your door?
Frustrated when the advising schedule falling off of your door and needing to re-tape it to your door?
Are you ruining your nails by peeling tape off of your door when you are done with advising season?
Well, the Internet has some free solutions to these bane-of-our-existence problems during the advising season. There are a number of free, online appointment scheduling tools.
In a fit of enthusiasm, I checked some out today (some might call that a fit of procrastination). I started by googling "free online appointment tools" and found an article highlighting 7 of them - most of the substantive text describing these 7 are from that article (which listed, but did not review them).
Here are my thoughts from my own experience messing around with these tools:
Highly recommended:
SuperSaaS (click here to link to the website)
I also really liked Acuity Scheduling and GenBook - but would have had to pay $8 to block out times I was not free, so blew that off:
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling offers a free single user version, but it does not include a personalized booking site or the ability to accept credit cards.
Genbook
Confusing to me, but may work for you:
AppointmentPlugIn
CreateAppointments
MEMOTXT Scheduler
Pimero Free Edition
Have fun getting organized - and good luck with advising this year!
Grumpy about formatting that advising schedule for your door?
Frustrated when the advising schedule falling off of your door and needing to re-tape it to your door?
Are you ruining your nails by peeling tape off of your door when you are done with advising season?
Well, the Internet has some free solutions to these bane-of-our-existence problems during the advising season. There are a number of free, online appointment scheduling tools.
In a fit of enthusiasm, I checked some out today (some might call that a fit of procrastination). I started by googling "free online appointment tools" and found an article highlighting 7 of them - most of the substantive text describing these 7 are from that article (which listed, but did not review them).
Here are my thoughts from my own experience messing around with these tools:
Highly recommended:
SuperSaaS (click here to link to the website) - Online booking
- E-mail integration (sends reminders to you, your advisees via email or text)
- Website integration (you can add it to your website - I didn't do this)
I also really liked Acuity Scheduling and GenBook - but would have had to pay $8 to block out times I was not free, so blew that off:
Acuity Scheduling- Online booking
- Website integration
- Customization
- Unlimited clients
- Unlimited appointments
Genbook- Online booking
- Book Now website button
- Personalized website
- Unlimited staff members
- Unlimited services
Confusing to me, but may work for you:
AppointmentPlugIn- Online booking
- Customization options available
- E-mail confirmations
- Website integration
CreateAppointments- Online booking
- E-mail confirmations
- Create customer accounts
MEMOTXT Scheduler- Free downloadable software
- Search functionality
- Retains client contact information
- Sends out SMS text message appointment reminders
Pimero Free Edition- Free downloadable software
- Includes appointments, task list planner and contact manager
- Synchronizes multiple PCs
- Secure and automatically encrypts stored data
- Outlook import
Have fun getting organized - and good luck with advising this year!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
What the heck is a wiki?
One example of a wiki that would be especially relevant to teaching social work students here at Salem State College would be our very own Tara Fitzpatrick's wiki on "collection development resources, tools, and news related to Criminal Justice, Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology." You can find that wiki by clicking here.
Here is an excert of one of Tara's most recent postings on recent social work-related aquisitions (and critical reviews). Note that we have bought several titles related to social work practice with older adults!
These titles relating to Social Work have been ordered and should appear in the library catalog (reviews from Books In Print booksinprint@bowker.com have been included whenever possible):
Title: Better but Not Well: Mental Health Policy in the United States
Since 1950
Author: Richard G. Frank
Publication Date: July 2006
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-8018-8442-X
ISBN 13: 978-0-8018-8442-9
Choice
April 1, 2007 0-8018-8442-X; 978-0-8018-8442-9
Frank (health economics, Harvard) and Glied (health policy and
management, Columbia Univ.) look closely at changes in the social
conditions and treatment of those affected by varying types and degrees
of mental illness. They chronicle the waning political and economic
influence of state-run mental health agencies, which oversaw mental
institutions that relied heavily on custodial care but had only a
skeleton staff of professional workers. The authors observe that in the
last 50 years an increase in the number of skilled mental health
professionals has combined with access to therapeutic psychotropic drugs
to give individuals suffering from mental illness (e.g., depression,
anxiety disorders) a greater variety of treatment options. In addition,
enrollment in public, private, and entitlement-based insurance coverage
has increased, giving these entities more political clout and a greater
say in policymaking decisions in a deregulated, market-driven
environment. But despite this systemwide progress, many homeless and
indigent individuals still fall between the cracks and are ignored.
Block grant funding to states has been ineffective, since it covers only
a fraction of what is required. The authors include detailed data on
these issues in this carefully researched study. Summing Up:
Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and
professionals; general readers. D. J. Winchester Yeshiva University
SciTech Book News
December 1, 2006 0-8018-8443-8; 978-0-8018-8443-6
Mental health policy in the US is often based on erroneous ideas about
the recent history of policy and practice, say Frank (health economics,
Harvard U.) and Glied (health policy and management, Columbia U.), so to
improve the quality of that policy making, they trace changes over the
past half century in the lives of people with mental illnesses, and
assess the factors that generated these changes. The deficiencies of the
present, they argue, must be seen as incomplete improvements rather than
as impediments. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Engaging Children in Family Therapy: Creative Approaches to
Integrating Theory and Research in Clinical Practice
Contributor: Catherine Ford Sori
Publication Date: June 2006
Publisher: Routledge
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-415-94981-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-415-94981-1
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Title: Gerontological Practice for the Twenty-First Century: A Social
Work Perspective
Author: Virginia E. Richardson
Publication Date: December 2005
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-231-10748-X
ISBN 13: 978-0-231-10748-8
Choice
June 1, 2006 0-231-10748-X; 978-0-231-10748-8
Over the past century, the number of Americans over age 65 has increased
tenfold, making social services to older adults more significant and
necessary than ever. Social work professors Richardson (Ohio State
Univ.) and Barusch (Utah College) have compiled a well-organized,
exhaustively researched work covering all aspects of gerontological
social work. Divided into four parts, the book covers various theories
of aging and stages of gerontological social work services; common
concerns of older adults, such as depression, anxiety, isolation,
bereavement, dementia, and substance abuse; therapeutic interventions
commonly used by gerontological social workers; and sociopolitical
issues of older people, such as poverty, health insurance concerns, and
end-of-life care. Packed with practical intervention strategies and
realistic case examples, the chapters flow neatly and end with useful
discussion questions appropriate for undergraduate and graduate-level
students. Throughout, the authors give equal attention to micro
(individual) and macro (policy-based) concerns and interventions, and
organize their ideas into a clear framework for working with older
adults. This book would serve well as required reading for all levels of
gerontological social work coursework, and as supplemental reading for
health sciences and nursing students. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended.
Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. K. Downey California State
University, San Bernardino
---------------------------------------
Title: Handbook of Prevention and Intervention Programs for Adolescent
Girls
Contributor: Craig Winston LeCroy
Publication Date: December 2007
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-471-67796-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-471-67796-3
Reference & Research Book News
February 1, 2008 0-471-67796-5; 978-0-471-67796-3
Thirty American academics, researchers, and practitioners contribute 11
chapters describing exemplary programs from throughout the U.S. that
were designed to promote and strengthen positive functioning and address
problematic realities of adolescent females. Among these examples are
programs suitable for developing and implementing in various settings:
schools, YWCAs, youth camps, after-school programs, mental health
agencies, and youth agencies. The issues they address include universal
prevention, friendships and peer relationships, eating disorders,
depression, HIV prevention among African American girls, leadership
training for young Latinas, family treatment, and mentorship. It is the
editor's hope that the book will inspire more efforts to develop new
programs, involve more young girls, and generate enough force over time
to change their future. For researchers and practitioners including
social workers, psychologists, teachers, school principals, and youth
development professionals. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland,
OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Helping Students Overcome Substance Abuse: Effective Practices
for Prevention and Intervention
Author: Jason J. Burrow-Sanchez
Publication Date: Not Supplied. Contact publisher for more
information
Publisher: Guilford Publications, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-59385-454-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-59385-454-6
Reference & Research Book News
November 1, 2007 1-59385-454-4; 978-1-59385-454-6
Two professors at the University of Utah explore adolescent substance
abuse prevalence, assessment, prevention, group interventions,
individual interventions, and the referral process. Intended for school
mental health professionals, the guide outlines the major substances of
abuse, the steps in the screening process, research-based prevention
programs, the developmental stages of therapy groups, and an action plan
for community-based services. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc.,
Portland, OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Hope Springs Maternal: Homeless Mothers Talk about Making Sense
of Adversity
Author: Jill Gerson
Publication Date: July 2007
Publisher: Richard Altschuler & Associates, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-884092-71-3
ISBN 13: 978-1-884092-71-8
Choice
March 1, 2007 1-884092-67-5; 978-1-884092-67-1
Gerson (sociology/social work, Lehman College) provides a qualitative
study of 24 mothers living with children in New York City homeless
shelters. Based on in-depth interviews and the life history approach,
her book allows readers to experience the living reality of homeless
mothers, mainly through their own voices. The life histories of these
young single mothers of color are poignant and profound, heartrending
and instructive. The author asks why mothers with children become
homeless. After presenting biographical portraits of the mothers, Gerson
focuses on their past lives and pathways to the shelter, and their
perceptions and assessments of the shelter system. She analyzes their
present lives inside the shelter system, their views on parenting and
family, the multiple stressors they face, and how they cope with them.
Gerson also explores the mothers' futures: how they envision their
futures beyond the shelter, and their expectations and dreams for their
children and themselves. The author offers recommendations for how
social policies and laws could be used to best solve the problem of
homelessness in the US. A timely, important contribution to the study of
homeless mothers. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All
levels/libraries. D. A. Chekki emeritus, University of Winnipeg
---------------------------------------
Title: The Inner World of a Suicidal Youth: What Every Parent and
Health Professional Should Know
Author: Millie Osborne
Publication Date: November 2007
Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-313-34855-3
ISBN 13: 978-0-313-34855-6
SciTech Book News
March 1, 2008 0-313-34855-3; 978-0-313-34855-6
Osborne (psychiatry and behavioral sciences, George Washington U.) is a
practicing psychiatrist with 20-plus years of experience in the
profession. She presents an edited diary of a young American woman who
committed suicide in her early 20s. Written over a seven-year period and
discovered only after her death, the diary provides a uniquely in-depth,
longitudinal first-person account of the evolution of self-esteem and
the suicidal process. In addition to a detailed transcription of the
diary, the text includes Osborne's commentary and analysis based on the
diary's contents, discussions with family and friends and treating
professionals, a review of medical and clinical records, and several
encounters with the victim. The text offers health care professionals,
aspiring professionals, and parents insights into the adolescent mind
and the changes needed to develop more effective suicide prevention and
treatment strategies. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: International Perspectives on Social Work: Global Conditions and
Local Practice
Author: Karen Lyons
Publication Date: November 2006
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-4039-3951-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-4039-3951-7
Choice
April 1, 2007 1-4039-3951-9; 978-1-4039-3951-7
These original essays, while brief, give a sharp picture of
international social work, a new and growing arena of professional
practice in the early 21st century. From local community conflict to
natural and forced migration and the explosive issue of child
exploitation (including loss, social justice, human rights, and, at most
wrenching, commercial child sexual exploitation), through the worldwide
spread of disease, the authors give a picture of new and necessary
large-scale opportunities to intervene on behalf of some of the world's
most vulnerable populations: victims of war, migrants, and those
suffering from poor physical and mental health. Like most edited
volumes, the book becomes more representative as it develops. Part 1
covers core themes--globalization as fact or fiction, poverty,
inequality, the universality of loss--and the theoretical underpinnings
of international social work. Part 2 demonstrates the interconnected
knowledge and policy debates on, for example, the causes of migration,
the expansion of civil and cross-border conflict, and the exacerbation
of racial and ethnic strife. The book ends with a wonderful chapter that
proposes a new vision for globally minded social work professionals.
^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All academic levels/libraries. E. A.
Danto City University of New York Hunter College
---------------------------------------
Title: Listening to Battered Women: A Survivor-Centered Approach to
Advocacy, Mental Health, and Justice
Author: Lisa A. Goodman
Publication Date: October 2007
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-4338-0239-2
ISBN 13: 978-1-4338-0239-3
Binding Format: Trade Cloth
Choice
April 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
Both specialists in domestic violence, Goodman (psychology, Boston
College) and Epstein (law, Georgetown Univ.) provide a
multidisciplinary, feminist review of responses to domestic violence.
Shelters, hotlines, protective orders, and improved arrest, prosecution,
and therapeutic responses have revolutionized services to battered women
and go far beyond services offered during the early years, when women
were encouraged to leave not only their abuser but also their community
and support network. Such a "one-size fits all" mentality is not only
unsuitable for impoverished, immigrant, or minority women, it also does
not confront issues of gender and trauma at the core of domestic
violence nor respect women's voices and empowerment. In addition to
recommending domestic-violence training for all health care, justice,
and advocacy providers, the authors urge the mental health system to
reach out to disenfranchised/impoverished women and the justice system
to be sensitive to individual women's voices and not automatically usurp
the women's control. Goodman and Epstein argue that services need to
coordinate to provide a response that respects the woman, adjusts
services to the women's needs, and recognizes the influence of poverty
and gendered society on this problem. Summing Up: Highly recommended.
All readers, all levels. S. M. Valente University of California, Los
Angeles
Reference & Research Book News
February 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
It is time to move the response to intimate partner abuse beyond the
one-size-fits-all model that marginalizes women's particular situations
and perspectives, say Goodman (counseling and developmental and
educational psychology, Boston College) and Epstein (law, Georgetown
U.), especially women of minority cultures or racial groups, those in
same-sex relationships, and those who choose to remain in abusive
relationships. The series presents studies by psychologists working on
social issues from a feminist perspective that are accessible to lay
readers, and longer than journal articles but shorter than full texts.
Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Doody's Reviews
January 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
This is a realistic and detailed discussion of the unfortunate
occurrence of intimate partner violence that affects so many lives. The
purpose is to emphasize the need for increased responsiveness to the
particular concerns of women and the design of practices that not only
work but take an individual rather than a one size fits all approach.
The purpose is also to educate the reader to where we have been, where
we are, and where we need to go in terms of addressing the needs of
abused women and their families. The book exceeds expectations. This is
a must-read for anyone involved or interested in working with victims of
domestic violence. Counselors, clinicians in mental health and general
medicine, public service officials, first responders, and relatives of
victims will find this to be an insightful book. The authors are both
credible and tireless individuals working for the betterment of abused
victims. The book smartly takes the reader on a historical exploration
of past practices in a number of chapters to emphasize how far we have
come and what is still needed for victims of domestic violence. It then
provides an in-depth discussion of the various responses from advocacy
groups, the mental health system, and of course the justice system.
Readers are made fully aware of the complexity, the contradictions, and
the difficulty of reporting abuse and the lack of services currently in
place for domestic violence victims. The book delves into learned
helplessness, the inability of abuse victims to escape the cycle of
abuse, and the power their abusers have over them. The book rounds out
these excellent discussions with a chapter on recommendations for future
reform. This is the quintessential book for a realistic and an
authoritative update on domestic violence. This is a weekend read that
will stimulate and empower those working with domestic violence victims.
Nicholas Greco IV, M.S., BCETS, CATSM(College of Lake County). Copyright
2008, Doody Enterprises, Inc.
---------------------------------------
Title: Making Contact: The Therapist's Guide to Conducting a Successful
First Interview
Author: Leah M. DeSole
Publication Date: October 2005
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-205-41935-6
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-41935-7
---------------------------------------
Title: Mental Health Care in the African-American Community
Contributor: Sadye M. L. Logan
Publication Date: December 2007
Publisher: Routledge
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-7890-2611-2
ISBN 13: 978-0-7890-2611-8
Binding Format: Trade Cloth
Doody's Reviews
May 1, 2008 0-7890-2612-0; 978-0-7890-2612-5
This book addresses various factors affecting mental healthcare among
African-Americans and is written from a life course perspective, given
each individual's unique experiences of stability and change over time.
According to the editors, "The purpose of this book is twofold. First,
it will provide a critique and analysis of the history, philosophy,
policies, research, and practice modalities that undergird mental health
care in the Black community. Second, the book will use a life course
perspective and evidence-based practice not only to frame this critique
and analysis but also to suggest new and expanded ways of
conceptualizing the mental health needs and care of the Black
community." It is intended to serve "not only as a resource guide for
the lay community but also as a textbook for the professional
community," according to the editors. It also appears appropriate for an
undergraduate course in psychology and/or social work, but I question
whether the professional community will benefit, only because the book
seems rather basic. The editors have published extensively in the area
of social work and the contributors work in social work or counseling
departments at universities across the United States. The book covers
historical factors, mental health interventions, public policy issues,
and holistic approaches underlying mental health care with
African-Americans. Because it covers so many topics, it would be well
received as an introductory text in an undergraduate setting. However,
trying to cover so much ground over 396 pages is difficult and the
material is often superficially treated. Since I work with females in a
correctional setting, I was especially interested in the well written
chapter that addresses this area and includes results of an interview
study of 13 women returning to their communities in Chicago from prison.
In general, the subtopics are interesting but short. I found myself
wanting more information, but realized that I would have to find it
through the sources in the reference list. Most chapters include
conclusions, summaries, discussion questions, and group/classroom
activities. A few include case studies and exhibits/figures. However,
the life course perspective advertised in the introduction is not so
obvious in all the chapters and the chapters are short, making it
necessary for readers to seek out other sources of information. This
book does an excellent job of presenting the salient issues underlying
mental healthcare in the African-American community. However, it doesn't
cover the material quite as well as another book in the field, Black
Families in Therapy: Understanding the African American Experience, 2nd
edition, Boyd-Franklin (Guilford Press, 2003). In general, as a resource
for the general public or as a text for undergraduates, this book would
be very useful, especially given the discussion questions and classroom
activities. Authors must always balance the priorities of covering many
topics superficially or a few topics rather thoroughly. As a
professional in the field of mental health, I was mildly disappointed
because I wanted more information. Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health
Services). Copyright 2008, Doody Enterprises, Inc.
SciTech Book News
March 1, 2008 0-7890-2611-2; 978-0-7890-2611-8
Twenty-four American academics and practitioners contribute 20 chapters
critiquing and analyzing the history, philosophy, policies, research,
and practice modalities that undergrid mental health care in the Black
community. The text uses a life course perspective and evidence-based
practice to frame the critique and analysis and to suggest new,
nontraditional and expanded ways of conceptualizing the mental health
needs and care of the Black community from a social work perspective.
Included are chapters on mental health care for specific segments of the
population and conditions: group homes and foster care, women and
depression, incarcerated women, substance abuse, poverty, ADHD, girls,
suicide and young males, the elderly, rural inhabitants, kinship care,
and multiethnic families and children. For students, researchers,
educators, and practitioners in the helping professions, and mental
health consumers and their families. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc.,
Portland, OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: The Other Philadelphia Story: How Local Congregations Support
Quality of Life in Urban America
Author: Ram A. Cnaan
Publication Date: September 2006
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-8122-3949-0
ISBN 13: 978-0-8122-3949-2
Choice
September 1, 2007 0-8122-3949-0; 978-0-8122-3949-2
As a professor of social welfare and scholar of religion, Cnaan (Univ.
of Pennsylvania) uses a unique, thorough field study of nearly 2,000
congregations in Philadelphia to probe the issue of social service
delivery through religious institutions. He argues persuasively that
these groups are more numerous, better positioned in neighborhoods where
service needs are greatest, and more trusted and integrated into the
lives of people than any other service providers. However, he also
clearly documents that religious congregations are more highly segmented
by race and social class than almost any other institution, so that
congregations facing the greatest needs for information and services
paradoxically also have the fewest resources to deliver (and vice
versa). Transferring external government resources through these
congregations could redress this lack of fit between needs and
resources, but might thereby drown personalized, informal network
connections in formal bureaucracy--there are no easy answers here. The
book will be useful for graduate courses in social welfare and religion,
and to scholars in both fields. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Most
levels/libraries. E. Carlson Florida State University
---------------------------------------
Title: Professional Communication Skills in Social Work
Author: Nancy Sidell
Publication Date: September 2007
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-205-52421-4
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-52421-1
---------------------------------------
Title: Social Work with the Aged and Their Families: Third Edition
Author: Roberta R. Greene
Publication Date: October 2007
Publisher: Aldine Transaction
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-202-36182-9
ISBN 13: 978-0-202-36182-6
---------------------------------------
Copyright © 2008 R.R. Bowker LLC. All rights reserved. Bowker® and Books
In Print® are registered trademarks and The Bowker logo,
booksinprint.comT, BookwireThese titles relating to Social Work have been ordered and should appear in the library catalog (reviews from Books In Print booksinprint@bowker.com have been included whenever possible):
Title: Better but Not Well: Mental Health Policy in the United States
Since 1950
Author: Richard G. Frank
Publication Date: July 2006
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-8018-8442-X
ISBN 13: 978-0-8018-8442-9
Choice
April 1, 2007 0-8018-8442-X; 978-0-8018-8442-9
Frank (health economics, Harvard) and Glied (health policy and
management, Columbia Univ.) look closely at changes in the social
conditions and treatment of those affected by varying types and degrees
of mental illness. They chronicle the waning political and economic
influence of state-run mental health agencies, which oversaw mental
institutions that relied heavily on custodial care but had only a
skeleton staff of professional workers. The authors observe that in the
last 50 years an increase in the number of skilled mental health
professionals has combined with access to therapeutic psychotropic drugs
to give individuals suffering from mental illness (e.g., depression,
anxiety disorders) a greater variety of treatment options. In addition,
enrollment in public, private, and entitlement-based insurance coverage
has increased, giving these entities more political clout and a greater
say in policymaking decisions in a deregulated, market-driven
environment. But despite this systemwide progress, many homeless and
indigent individuals still fall between the cracks and are ignored.
Block grant funding to states has been ineffective, since it covers only
a fraction of what is required. The authors include detailed data on
these issues in this carefully researched study. Summing Up:
Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and
professionals; general readers. D. J. Winchester Yeshiva University
SciTech Book News
December 1, 2006 0-8018-8443-8; 978-0-8018-8443-6
Mental health policy in the US is often based on erroneous ideas about
the recent history of policy and practice, say Frank (health economics,
Harvard U.) and Glied (health policy and management, Columbia U.), so to
improve the quality of that policy making, they trace changes over the
past half century in the lives of people with mental illnesses, and
assess the factors that generated these changes. The deficiencies of the
present, they argue, must be seen as incomplete improvements rather than
as impediments. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Engaging Children in Family Therapy: Creative Approaches to
Integrating Theory and Research in Clinical Practice
Contributor: Catherine Ford Sori
Publication Date: June 2006
Publisher: Routledge
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-415-94981-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-415-94981-1
---------------------------------------
Title: Family Abuse and Violence: A Social Problems Perspective
Author: JoAnn L. Miller
Publication Date: September 2006
Publisher: AltaMira Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-7591-0800-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-7591-0800-4
SciTech Book News
0-7591-0801-3; 978-0-7591-0801-1
For undergraduate and graduate students, Miller and Knudsen (sociology
and women's studies, Purdue U.) provide a text that addresses the
problem of family abuse and violence in the US, analyzing child,
partner, and elder abuse. They first present a conceptual framework that
integrates research in subfields with research studying them as
dimensions of a single problem, calling it the Family Abuse and Violence
Episode perspective, which integrates social theories and represents a
new method for examining intragenerational and intergenerational abuse.
Their method concentrates on the social context and considers historical
studies and types of abuse. Other chapters address medical, legal, and
social problems, child sexual abuse and exploitation, definitions and
perceptions of victims and perpetrators, dating and intimate partner
violence, and neglect. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
Choice
July 1, 2007 0-7591-0801-3; 978-0-7591-0801-1
Purdue sociologists Miller and Knudsen examine the various dimensions of
inter-and intragenerational family abuse and violence, focusing on
historical and contemporary conceptualizations of child and spouse
abuse. They present a conceptual framework: the "Family Abuse and
Violence (FAV) Episode," which integrates social science theories and
highlights the social context in which family problems occur. Based on
data gathered from their original research, the National Survey of
Violence against Women and Men, and newspaper reports, the book analyzes
physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from the medical, legal, and
social problems perspectives. The authors discuss the medical and legal
responses to victims and perpetrators, the public perception of what
constitutes appropriate responses to FAV problems, and how they
correspond to prevailing practices. The study looks at the consequences
of intra- and intergenerational abuse and violence on children, spouses,
partners, and elders, and examines some controversies and emerging
debates in the field. The concluding chapter summarizes the current
state of knowledge and the extent of success in reducing family abuse
and violence, emphasizing the need for academics, practitioners, and
community leaders to work together to diminish this social problem.
Almost encyclopedic in nature, this book is a major contribution to the
field of family abuse and violence. Summing Up: Highly recommended.
Upper-division undergraduates and above. D. A. Chekki emeritus,
University of Winnipeg
Reference & Research Book News
February 1, 2007 0-7591-0800-5; 978-0-7591-0800-4
For undergraduate and graduate students, Miller and Knudsen (sociology
and women's studies, Purdue U.) provide a text that addresses the
problem of family abuse and violence in the US, analyzing child,
partner, and elder abuse. They first present a conceptual framework that
integrates research in subfields with research studying them as
dimensions of a single problem, calling it the Family Abuse and Violence
Episode perspective, which integrates social theories and represents a
new method for examining intragenerational and intergenerational abuse.
Their method concentrates on the social context and considers historical
studies and types of abuse. Other chapters address medical, legal, and
social problems, child sexual abuse and exploitation, definitions and
perceptions of victims and perpetrators, dating and intimate partner
violence, and neglect. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Gerontological Practice for the Twenty-First Century: A Social
Work Perspective
Author: Virginia E. Richardson
Publication Date: December 2005
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-231-10748-X
ISBN 13: 978-0-231-10748-8
Choice
June 1, 2006 0-231-10748-X; 978-0-231-10748-8
Over the past century, the number of Americans over age 65 has increased
tenfold, making social services to older adults more significant and
necessary than ever. Social work professors Richardson (Ohio State
Univ.) and Barusch (Utah College) have compiled a well-organized,
exhaustively researched work covering all aspects of gerontological
social work. Divided into four parts, the book covers various theories
of aging and stages of gerontological social work services; common
concerns of older adults, such as depression, anxiety, isolation,
bereavement, dementia, and substance abuse; therapeutic interventions
commonly used by gerontological social workers; and sociopolitical
issues of older people, such as poverty, health insurance concerns, and
end-of-life care. Packed with practical intervention strategies and
realistic case examples, the chapters flow neatly and end with useful
discussion questions appropriate for undergraduate and graduate-level
students. Throughout, the authors give equal attention to micro
(individual) and macro (policy-based) concerns and interventions, and
organize their ideas into a clear framework for working with older
adults. This book would serve well as required reading for all levels of
gerontological social work coursework, and as supplemental reading for
health sciences and nursing students. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended.
Upper-division undergraduates and above. J. K. Downey California State
University, San Bernardino
---------------------------------------
Title: Handbook of Prevention and Intervention Programs for Adolescent
Girls
Contributor: Craig Winston LeCroy
Publication Date: December 2007
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-471-67796-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-471-67796-3
Reference & Research Book News
February 1, 2008 0-471-67796-5; 978-0-471-67796-3
Thirty American academics, researchers, and practitioners contribute 11
chapters describing exemplary programs from throughout the U.S. that
were designed to promote and strengthen positive functioning and address
problematic realities of adolescent females. Among these examples are
programs suitable for developing and implementing in various settings:
schools, YWCAs, youth camps, after-school programs, mental health
agencies, and youth agencies. The issues they address include universal
prevention, friendships and peer relationships, eating disorders,
depression, HIV prevention among African American girls, leadership
training for young Latinas, family treatment, and mentorship. It is the
editor's hope that the book will inspire more efforts to develop new
programs, involve more young girls, and generate enough force over time
to change their future. For researchers and practitioners including
social workers, psychologists, teachers, school principals, and youth
development professionals. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland,
OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Helping Students Overcome Substance Abuse: Effective Practices
for Prevention and Intervention
Author: Jason J. Burrow-Sanchez
Publication Date: Not Supplied. Contact publisher for more
information
Publisher: Guilford Publications, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-59385-454-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-59385-454-6
Reference & Research Book News
November 1, 2007 1-59385-454-4; 978-1-59385-454-6
Two professors at the University of Utah explore adolescent substance
abuse prevalence, assessment, prevention, group interventions,
individual interventions, and the referral process. Intended for school
mental health professionals, the guide outlines the major substances of
abuse, the steps in the screening process, research-based prevention
programs, the developmental stages of therapy groups, and an action plan
for community-based services. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc.,
Portland, OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: Hope Springs Maternal: Homeless Mothers Talk about Making Sense
of Adversity
Author: Jill Gerson
Publication Date: July 2007
Publisher: Richard Altschuler & Associates, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-884092-71-3
ISBN 13: 978-1-884092-71-8
Choice
March 1, 2007 1-884092-67-5; 978-1-884092-67-1
Gerson (sociology/social work, Lehman College) provides a qualitative
study of 24 mothers living with children in New York City homeless
shelters. Based on in-depth interviews and the life history approach,
her book allows readers to experience the living reality of homeless
mothers, mainly through their own voices. The life histories of these
young single mothers of color are poignant and profound, heartrending
and instructive. The author asks why mothers with children become
homeless. After presenting biographical portraits of the mothers, Gerson
focuses on their past lives and pathways to the shelter, and their
perceptions and assessments of the shelter system. She analyzes their
present lives inside the shelter system, their views on parenting and
family, the multiple stressors they face, and how they cope with them.
Gerson also explores the mothers' futures: how they envision their
futures beyond the shelter, and their expectations and dreams for their
children and themselves. The author offers recommendations for how
social policies and laws could be used to best solve the problem of
homelessness in the US. A timely, important contribution to the study of
homeless mothers. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All
levels/libraries. D. A. Chekki emeritus, University of Winnipeg
---------------------------------------
Title: The Inner World of a Suicidal Youth: What Every Parent and
Health Professional Should Know
Author: Millie Osborne
Publication Date: November 2007
Publisher: Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-313-34855-3
ISBN 13: 978-0-313-34855-6
SciTech Book News
March 1, 2008 0-313-34855-3; 978-0-313-34855-6
Osborne (psychiatry and behavioral sciences, George Washington U.) is a
practicing psychiatrist with 20-plus years of experience in the
profession. She presents an edited diary of a young American woman who
committed suicide in her early 20s. Written over a seven-year period and
discovered only after her death, the diary provides a uniquely in-depth,
longitudinal first-person account of the evolution of self-esteem and
the suicidal process. In addition to a detailed transcription of the
diary, the text includes Osborne's commentary and analysis based on the
diary's contents, discussions with family and friends and treating
professionals, a review of medical and clinical records, and several
encounters with the victim. The text offers health care professionals,
aspiring professionals, and parents insights into the adolescent mind
and the changes needed to develop more effective suicide prevention and
treatment strategies. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: International Perspectives on Social Work: Global Conditions and
Local Practice
Author: Karen Lyons
Publication Date: November 2006
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-4039-3951-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-4039-3951-7
Choice
April 1, 2007 1-4039-3951-9; 978-1-4039-3951-7
These original essays, while brief, give a sharp picture of
international social work, a new and growing arena of professional
practice in the early 21st century. From local community conflict to
natural and forced migration and the explosive issue of child
exploitation (including loss, social justice, human rights, and, at most
wrenching, commercial child sexual exploitation), through the worldwide
spread of disease, the authors give a picture of new and necessary
large-scale opportunities to intervene on behalf of some of the world's
most vulnerable populations: victims of war, migrants, and those
suffering from poor physical and mental health. Like most edited
volumes, the book becomes more representative as it develops. Part 1
covers core themes--globalization as fact or fiction, poverty,
inequality, the universality of loss--and the theoretical underpinnings
of international social work. Part 2 demonstrates the interconnected
knowledge and policy debates on, for example, the causes of migration,
the expansion of civil and cross-border conflict, and the exacerbation
of racial and ethnic strife. The book ends with a wonderful chapter that
proposes a new vision for globally minded social work professionals.
^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All academic levels/libraries. E. A.
Danto City University of New York Hunter College
---------------------------------------
Title: Listening to Battered Women: A Survivor-Centered Approach to
Advocacy, Mental Health, and Justice
Author: Lisa A. Goodman
Publication Date: October 2007
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Market: United States
ISBN: 1-4338-0239-2
ISBN 13: 978-1-4338-0239-3
Binding Format: Trade Cloth
Choice
April 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
Both specialists in domestic violence, Goodman (psychology, Boston
College) and Epstein (law, Georgetown Univ.) provide a
multidisciplinary, feminist review of responses to domestic violence.
Shelters, hotlines, protective orders, and improved arrest, prosecution,
and therapeutic responses have revolutionized services to battered women
and go far beyond services offered during the early years, when women
were encouraged to leave not only their abuser but also their community
and support network. Such a "one-size fits all" mentality is not only
unsuitable for impoverished, immigrant, or minority women, it also does
not confront issues of gender and trauma at the core of domestic
violence nor respect women's voices and empowerment. In addition to
recommending domestic-violence training for all health care, justice,
and advocacy providers, the authors urge the mental health system to
reach out to disenfranchised/impoverished women and the justice system
to be sensitive to individual women's voices and not automatically usurp
the women's control. Goodman and Epstein argue that services need to
coordinate to provide a response that respects the woman, adjusts
services to the women's needs, and recognizes the influence of poverty
and gendered society on this problem. Summing Up: Highly recommended.
All readers, all levels. S. M. Valente University of California, Los
Angeles
Reference & Research Book News
February 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
It is time to move the response to intimate partner abuse beyond the
one-size-fits-all model that marginalizes women's particular situations
and perspectives, say Goodman (counseling and developmental and
educational psychology, Boston College) and Epstein (law, Georgetown
U.), especially women of minority cultures or racial groups, those in
same-sex relationships, and those who choose to remain in abusive
relationships. The series presents studies by psychologists working on
social issues from a feminist perspective that are accessible to lay
readers, and longer than journal articles but shorter than full texts.
Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Doody's Reviews
January 1, 2008 1-4338-0239-2; 978-1-4338-0239-3
This is a realistic and detailed discussion of the unfortunate
occurrence of intimate partner violence that affects so many lives. The
purpose is to emphasize the need for increased responsiveness to the
particular concerns of women and the design of practices that not only
work but take an individual rather than a one size fits all approach.
The purpose is also to educate the reader to where we have been, where
we are, and where we need to go in terms of addressing the needs of
abused women and their families. The book exceeds expectations. This is
a must-read for anyone involved or interested in working with victims of
domestic violence. Counselors, clinicians in mental health and general
medicine, public service officials, first responders, and relatives of
victims will find this to be an insightful book. The authors are both
credible and tireless individuals working for the betterment of abused
victims. The book smartly takes the reader on a historical exploration
of past practices in a number of chapters to emphasize how far we have
come and what is still needed for victims of domestic violence. It then
provides an in-depth discussion of the various responses from advocacy
groups, the mental health system, and of course the justice system.
Readers are made fully aware of the complexity, the contradictions, and
the difficulty of reporting abuse and the lack of services currently in
place for domestic violence victims. The book delves into learned
helplessness, the inability of abuse victims to escape the cycle of
abuse, and the power their abusers have over them. The book rounds out
these excellent discussions with a chapter on recommendations for future
reform. This is the quintessential book for a realistic and an
authoritative update on domestic violence. This is a weekend read that
will stimulate and empower those working with domestic violence victims.
Nicholas Greco IV, M.S., BCETS, CATSM(College of Lake County). Copyright
2008, Doody Enterprises, Inc.
---------------------------------------
Title: Making Contact: The Therapist's Guide to Conducting a Successful
First Interview
Author: Leah M. DeSole
Publication Date: October 2005
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-205-41935-6
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-41935-7
---------------------------------------
Title: Mental Health Care in the African-American Community
Contributor: Sadye M. L. Logan
Publication Date: December 2007
Publisher: Routledge
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-7890-2611-2
ISBN 13: 978-0-7890-2611-8
Binding Format: Trade Cloth
Doody's Reviews
May 1, 2008 0-7890-2612-0; 978-0-7890-2612-5
This book addresses various factors affecting mental healthcare among
African-Americans and is written from a life course perspective, given
each individual's unique experiences of stability and change over time.
According to the editors, "The purpose of this book is twofold. First,
it will provide a critique and analysis of the history, philosophy,
policies, research, and practice modalities that undergird mental health
care in the Black community. Second, the book will use a life course
perspective and evidence-based practice not only to frame this critique
and analysis but also to suggest new and expanded ways of
conceptualizing the mental health needs and care of the Black
community." It is intended to serve "not only as a resource guide for
the lay community but also as a textbook for the professional
community," according to the editors. It also appears appropriate for an
undergraduate course in psychology and/or social work, but I question
whether the professional community will benefit, only because the book
seems rather basic. The editors have published extensively in the area
of social work and the contributors work in social work or counseling
departments at universities across the United States. The book covers
historical factors, mental health interventions, public policy issues,
and holistic approaches underlying mental health care with
African-Americans. Because it covers so many topics, it would be well
received as an introductory text in an undergraduate setting. However,
trying to cover so much ground over 396 pages is difficult and the
material is often superficially treated. Since I work with females in a
correctional setting, I was especially interested in the well written
chapter that addresses this area and includes results of an interview
study of 13 women returning to their communities in Chicago from prison.
In general, the subtopics are interesting but short. I found myself
wanting more information, but realized that I would have to find it
through the sources in the reference list. Most chapters include
conclusions, summaries, discussion questions, and group/classroom
activities. A few include case studies and exhibits/figures. However,
the life course perspective advertised in the introduction is not so
obvious in all the chapters and the chapters are short, making it
necessary for readers to seek out other sources of information. This
book does an excellent job of presenting the salient issues underlying
mental healthcare in the African-American community. However, it doesn't
cover the material quite as well as another book in the field, Black
Families in Therapy: Understanding the African American Experience, 2nd
edition, Boyd-Franklin (Guilford Press, 2003). In general, as a resource
for the general public or as a text for undergraduates, this book would
be very useful, especially given the discussion questions and classroom
activities. Authors must always balance the priorities of covering many
topics superficially or a few topics rather thoroughly. As a
professional in the field of mental health, I was mildly disappointed
because I wanted more information. Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health
Services). Copyright 2008, Doody Enterprises, Inc.
SciTech Book News
March 1, 2008 0-7890-2611-2; 978-0-7890-2611-8
Twenty-four American academics and practitioners contribute 20 chapters
critiquing and analyzing the history, philosophy, policies, research,
and practice modalities that undergrid mental health care in the Black
community. The text uses a life course perspective and evidence-based
practice to frame the critique and analysis and to suggest new,
nontraditional and expanded ways of conceptualizing the mental health
needs and care of the Black community from a social work perspective.
Included are chapters on mental health care for specific segments of the
population and conditions: group homes and foster care, women and
depression, incarcerated women, substance abuse, poverty, ADHD, girls,
suicide and young males, the elderly, rural inhabitants, kinship care,
and multiethnic families and children. For students, researchers,
educators, and practitioners in the helping professions, and mental
health consumers and their families. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc.,
Portland, OR (booknews.com)
---------------------------------------
Title: The Other Philadelphia Story: How Local Congregations Support
Quality of Life in Urban America
Author: Ram A. Cnaan
Publication Date: September 2006
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-8122-3949-0
ISBN 13: 978-0-8122-3949-2
Choice
September 1, 2007 0-8122-3949-0; 978-0-8122-3949-2
As a professor of social welfare and scholar of religion, Cnaan (Univ.
of Pennsylvania) uses a unique, thorough field study of nearly 2,000
congregations in Philadelphia to probe the issue of social service
delivery through religious institutions. He argues persuasively that
these groups are more numerous, better positioned in neighborhoods where
service needs are greatest, and more trusted and integrated into the
lives of people than any other service providers. However, he also
clearly documents that religious congregations are more highly segmented
by race and social class than almost any other institution, so that
congregations facing the greatest needs for information and services
paradoxically also have the fewest resources to deliver (and vice
versa). Transferring external government resources through these
congregations could redress this lack of fit between needs and
resources, but might thereby drown personalized, informal network
connections in formal bureaucracy--there are no easy answers here. The
book will be useful for graduate courses in social welfare and religion,
and to scholars in both fields. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Most
levels/libraries. E. Carlson Florida State University
---------------------------------------
Title: Professional Communication Skills in Social Work
Author: Nancy Sidell
Publication Date: September 2007
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon, Incorporated
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-205-52421-4
ISBN 13: 978-0-205-52421-1
---------------------------------------
Title: Social Work with the Aged and Their Families: Third Edition
Author: Roberta R. Greene
Publication Date: October 2007
Publisher: Aldine Transaction
Market: United States
ISBN: 0-202-36182-9
ISBN 13: 978-0-202-36182-6
---------------------------------------
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In Print® are registered trademarks and The Bowker logo,
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Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Narrating your lectures in MSPowerPoint: For online classes or pandemic planning
Ever wondered how to narrate your MSPowerPoint slides for an online course - or in case of the H1N1 flu? Here's how. I just did a test run - and I found it to be a very easy and user-friendly process. I am really happy with the results - we'll see what the students said. Here are some good instructions, direct from the Microsoft website:To record a voice narration, you need a sound card, microphone, and speakers.
1-On the Outline tab or Slides tab in normal view, select the slide icon or thumbnail that you want to start the recording on.
2-On the Slide Show menu, click Record Narration (see image, below). Click Set Microphone Level, follow the directions to set your microphone level, and then click OK.
3-Do one of the following: Embed or link the narration (I tried both, they both seem to work)
4-In slide show view, speak the narrative text into the microphone, and click in the slide to advance. Speak the narrative text for that slide, advance to the next slide, and so on. You can pause and resume the narration (this helped when my phone rang and when I had to take a sip of water).
5-At the end of the show, click "save timing."
While the files are rather large, a 40 minute lecture uploaded just fine onto WebCT - but would have had to be zipped in order to send as an email.
Enjoy - and let me know how it goes for you!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
More on moodle: An alternative to Blackboard/WebCT: (from guest blogger Christopher Hudson)
Beginning with the 2009-2010 Academic Year, Salem State’s IT Department has provided an alternative to the Blackboard/WebCT courseware that has been routinely used here at Salem State. Although Blackboard is in many ways quite a versatile tool, many have come to experience it as slow, temperamental, and even clunky. This is partly due to its reliance on the user have just the right Java installed and other settings exactly specified. And then, even when things are finally made to work, they often cease working with automatic Java and other Windows updates.
Unlike Blackboard, Moodle is non-proprietary, open-source software that is freely developed and shared among multiple institutions. Anyone can develop their own modules, tools, or other add-ons. Currently about a dozen SSC faculty are using it for their courses, and in my case, I have been extremely pleased with its ease of use, robustness, and the speed of its responsiveness. As far as I can determine, it is able to do all that Blackboard can do, and then some. A listing of the major tools available for both students and faculty include: blogs, calendars, chat rooms, choice (polls), forums or bulletin boards, glossaries, lesson modules, quiz/test modules, RSS feeds, survey modules, and Wikis.
It is also possible to use a variety of file types, whether Word or .pdf’s or audiovisual formats, and to tailor the selection and presentation of the materials and tools for particular courses. There are also about a dozen or so different background themes that can be selected to give the particular presentation of material in a course a distinctive look.
The learning curve so far is slightly easier than that with Blackboard. There are a few procedures that are not obvious, such as uploading files, but once mastered, they become quite routine. I recommend trying it out for one of your courses, but first take one or a few of Gail Rankin’s workshops. I can’t comment on use of all the different tools, as I have not used all of them all yet, but so far I am thrilled that we have this option, and suspect that I will soon be migrating all of my courses over to Moodle. If it continues to be as successful as it appears, Blackboard will probably disappear in the next year or two since Moodle, being free, would represent a huge savings for the College.
Here are a few links and resources to help you get started:
< Portal to Moodle courses at Salem State:
< Information put together by Gail Rankin in IT:
< Orientation Video --The video is from Paul Treadwell, Distance Learning Consultant, Cornell University:
< Moodle Workshops at Salem State College (Fall 2009)
< And here’s a crosswalk of Blackboard and Moodle terminology (click here)
If you would like to request a Moodle site for one of your courses, email Gail Rankin at: grankin@salemstate.edu, and provide her the name, course number and section, semester, and the 4-digit course code for your course.
Many thanks to Dr. Christopher Hudson, one of our guest bloggers...
Unlike Blackboard, Moodle is non-proprietary, open-source software that is freely developed and shared among multiple institutions. Anyone can develop their own modules, tools, or other add-ons. Currently about a dozen SSC faculty are using it for their courses, and in my case, I have been extremely pleased with its ease of use, robustness, and the speed of its responsiveness. As far as I can determine, it is able to do all that Blackboard can do, and then some. A listing of the major tools available for both students and faculty include: blogs, calendars, chat rooms, choice (polls), forums or bulletin boards, glossaries, lesson modules, quiz/test modules, RSS feeds, survey modules, and Wikis.
It is also possible to use a variety of file types, whether Word or .pdf’s or audiovisual formats, and to tailor the selection and presentation of the materials and tools for particular courses. There are also about a dozen or so different background themes that can be selected to give the particular presentation of material in a course a distinctive look.
The learning curve so far is slightly easier than that with Blackboard. There are a few procedures that are not obvious, such as uploading files, but once mastered, they become quite routine. I recommend trying it out for one of your courses, but first take one or a few of Gail Rankin’s workshops. I can’t comment on use of all the different tools, as I have not used all of them all yet, but so far I am thrilled that we have this option, and suspect that I will soon be migrating all of my courses over to Moodle. If it continues to be as successful as it appears, Blackboard will probably disappear in the next year or two since Moodle, being free, would represent a huge savings for the College.
Here are a few links and resources to help you get started:
< Portal to Moodle courses at Salem State:
< Information put together by Gail Rankin in IT:
< Orientation Video --The video is from Paul Treadwell, Distance Learning Consultant, Cornell University:
< Moodle Workshops at Salem State College (Fall 2009)
< And here’s a crosswalk of Blackboard and Moodle terminology (click here)
If you would like to request a Moodle site for one of your courses, email Gail Rankin at: grankin@salemstate.edu, and provide her the name, course number and section, semester, and the 4-digit course code for your course.
Many thanks to Dr. Christopher Hudson, one of our guest bloggers...
Saturday, September 26, 2009
What do "blogs" have to do with social work...
Not a simple question, not a simple answer. Let's start with what a "blog" is. Blog is short for "web log" - sort of like an online journal. You can read more about how blogs came into existence here.
To quote wikipedia - "A blog (a contraction of the term "weblog")[1] is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog."
Some argue that the Internet age has led to the development of everyday exhibitionism - about all facets of life. Mommy blogs, daddy blogs, disgruntled worker blogs, intellectual debater blogs, literary criticism blogs, blogs about not sure exactly what....what is for sure is that this is a way to see into other people's ways of viewing and experiencing the world. In my own life, I blog for several reasons. First, I blog here to create a space for social work academics to keep up with what's up in technology. Second, I co-blog on teaching social work research methods to document the joys and challenges of that process - and to create a reflective place for discussion of how best to do this work. Third, I have a blog about things I am working on - personal creative stuff (photography, cooking exploits) and professional (research, projects) - I like to get that out there so that I have a bit of control about what stuff related to me is on the Internet We all have our reasons - this is just my own outlet.
Social workers are blogging about their everyday experiences - blogging to organize - blogging to document. You can consider blogging on a project you are working on - perhaps work with a community coalition - so that when people google it, the voice of the work is there. You can consider blogging with your class about the collective experience of your group process around the topics you are teaching and your students are learning...you can think of many other ways to use blogs. Here is a wonderful blog on social work-focused blogs - click here. Social work blogs range from a self-proclaimed anti-social worker to Jonathan Singer's wonderful social work podcast.
Creating a blog is free - you can go to wordpress or blogspot.com to start the process....or compare different online blogging tools here - have fun!
To quote wikipedia - "A blog (a contraction of the term "weblog")[1] is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog."
Some argue that the Internet age has led to the development of everyday exhibitionism - about all facets of life. Mommy blogs, daddy blogs, disgruntled worker blogs, intellectual debater blogs, literary criticism blogs, blogs about not sure exactly what....what is for sure is that this is a way to see into other people's ways of viewing and experiencing the world. In my own life, I blog for several reasons. First, I blog here to create a space for social work academics to keep up with what's up in technology. Second, I co-blog on teaching social work research methods to document the joys and challenges of that process - and to create a reflective place for discussion of how best to do this work. Third, I have a blog about things I am working on - personal creative stuff (photography, cooking exploits) and professional (research, projects) - I like to get that out there so that I have a bit of control about what stuff related to me is on the Internet We all have our reasons - this is just my own outlet.
Social workers are blogging about their everyday experiences - blogging to organize - blogging to document. You can consider blogging on a project you are working on - perhaps work with a community coalition - so that when people google it, the voice of the work is there. You can consider blogging with your class about the collective experience of your group process around the topics you are teaching and your students are learning...you can think of many other ways to use blogs. Here is a wonderful blog on social work-focused blogs - click here. Social work blogs range from a self-proclaimed anti-social worker to Jonathan Singer's wonderful social work podcast.
Creating a blog is free - you can go to wordpress or blogspot.com to start the process....or compare different online blogging tools here - have fun!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Teaching clinical social work skills through online courses...join the debate!
Nationwide, social work faculty have been abuzz about the joys and challenges, pros and cons of online teaching in social work over the past few years...indeed we had a stimulating discussion about this pedagogical approach in our own faculty meeting the other day. In order to further the debate, please check out this extract of an evaluation of an online course targeted at teaching clinical practice skills...Siebert, D., Siebert, C. and Spaulding-Givens, J. (2006). Teaching clinical social work skills primarily online: an evaluation. Journal of Social Work Education, Spring-Summer.
Teaching clinical social work skills primarily online: an evaluation
SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS have not been among early adopters of Internet-mediated courses; a search of the literature finds very few peer-reviewed articles about this topic prior to 2000, and the small number of articles since that time are primarily about Web-enhanced rather than Web-mediated social work courses (e.g., Faul, Frey, & Barber, 2004). Even fewer articles describe evaluations of Internet-based instruction, and none report on the evaluation of skills-based clinical courses. Skills-based clinical courses that require interactive instruction are frequently regarded as inappropriate for online teaching (Moore, 2004), as the social work discipline's focus on human interaction and hands-on teaching of practice skills can seem incompatible with technology-mediated education. Nevertheless, social work programs are implementing some courses that are partially Internet-mediated (Knowles, 2001), while others are offering entire clinical social work courses online (Siebert & Spaulding-Givens, 2006).
Other disciplines have begun to evaluate clinical courses taught online, and the consensus is that technology-mediated courses (Russell' 1999; Young, 2000) and entirely online courses (Feldhaus & Fox, 2004; Yucha & Princen, 2000) can provide learning that is equivalent to face-to-face courses. Others find that online students can also become better learners and score higher on exams as a result of the online format (Thiele, 2003). However, research in helping disciplines (e.g., nursing) consistently finds that online students express frustration with the medium, prefer classroom interaction, and worry that their opportunities for learning are not commensurate with face-to-face classroom learning (Thiele, Allen, & Stuckey, 1999; Woo & Kimmick, 2000; Yucha & Princen, 2000). Comparisons with specific elements of previous studies are embedded individually in the text of this article because differences in the disciplines, content of coursework, measurement, research design, and sampling make more than the most general comparisons quite difficult (i.e., "comparing apples with oranges").
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