Special Education: In Search of Better
Angels
First Week (May 1 through May 7)
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People with mental and physical
disabilities are required by law tohave equal access
to an education and a livelihood. But cutbacks in federal
and state appropriations threaten many programs that
help those who need a little extra care. J.
David Smith (UVA-WISE) says
people with disabilities are part of the human family,
and our society is incomplete without everyone. Also
featured: Virginia faces a shortage of qualified special
education teachers, especially in rural and urban areas.
What makes a good special education teacher, and how
can we find more of them? Steve
Tonelson (ODU)
is working to train the next generation of special needs
teachers via distance learning. |
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Evaluating the Experience Economy
Second Week (May 8 through
May 14)
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Trienette Coggeshall of the Batten Institute,
with guests Gilmore and Moore
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The service economy is about to be superceded
by something even more intangible and controversial—the
experience economy. So argue Jim
Gilmore (Batten Institute), and Joseph Pine
in their book, The Experience Economy.
Gilmore and Pine say successful companies like Disney,
Starbucks, Planet Hollywood and AOL are already packaging
their offerings as experiences and selling those experiences
at a premium. Is the experience economy really about to become
the dominant engine of the U.S. economy? Gilmore and Marian
Moore (UVA) offer their perspective.
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Bridging the Achievement Gap
Third Week (May 15 through May 21)
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This month marks the 50th anniversary of
the Brown v. Board of Education…Supreme Court
ruling that opened up public education to all Americans, regardless
of race. So why are white students dramatically outperforming
minority students on standardized tests? Historian Paul
Alkebulan (VSU) says the struggle for African-Americans
to get an equal education is not over, but now the family
needs to play a greater role in education.
David Armor (GMU), author of Maximizing Intelligence,
says environmental factors are more influential than genetic
factors in determining who might become intelligent.
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Cheuse Wisely
Fourth Week (May 22 )
What is the role of the literary critic
in our society? For almost 20 years, Alan
Cheuse (GMU) has been
reviewing books for NPR’s All Things Considered. For both
his radio and print reviews, he draws on a lifetime of reading
and writing to help navigate potential readers through the ocean
of choices out there. Also featured: Poet Claudia
Emerson (MWC) is a native
of Chatham, and she infuses her poetry with childhood memories
of growing up in Southside, Virginia. |
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Related WGR shows:
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Spirituality and Medicine
Fifth Week (May 29 through June 4)
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Margaret Moohrman
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Too often the practice of medicine is
regarded as cold, uncaring, and bureaucratic. But at the
heart of the doctor-patient relationship is a connection
between a caregiver and a human being. How much training
on issues of spirituality should medical students receive,
and could this improve our nation’s health? Margaret
Moohrman (UVA) is director of the spiritual and
medicine curriculum at the University of Virginia School
of Medicine. Also featured: The National Funeral Director’s
Association has predicted a major shortage of qualified
morticians and embalmers as the number of people enrolled
in mortuary schools declines. Joseph
Walton (NSU) is head of the Funeral Service Program.
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