An Examination of the Interaction Between Modelling and Its Relationship with Construction Kits: Lessons from the Past and for the Future

Construction kits have played a significant part in nurturing the growth and development of the minds and manipulation-based skills of children (and adults) in formal and non-formal education settings. These kits have origins rooted in the representation of the built world and now have a diversity of form and function, including technical versions with moving parts. This article examines some of the historically based ideas that lie behind the role that kits may have in terms of physical modelling. The article traces the transformation of kits from simple bricks and blocks into more complicated pieces for space-filling and achieving the transfer of forces and motion. This transformation occurred during the Victorian era when the influence of the ideas of educationalists and, perhaps rather strangely, exponents of early aviation, played major roles in determining the diversity of forms of construction kit and modelled possibilities that are now to be seen in classrooms and homes. The article ends with a review of some of the lessons from the past and present that will need to be considered in relation to concrete modelling in schools for the future. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

中国现阶段的工业品市场营销模式初探

随着中国市场经济的快速发展、科技水平的提高以及中国加入WTO,工业品的市场竞争将更加激烈。对于中国现阶段的工业品来讲,由于行业、企业、产品特点及销售对象不同,各公司的营销策略各有不同,尤其对市场营销模式需要进一步探索。     

The Impact of the Implementation of Technology Education on In-Service Teacher Education in South Africa (Impact of Technology Education in the RSA)

In this article the impact of technology education, as a new learning area (subject) in the curriculum, on in-service teacher education in South Africa is described in order to ascertain the extent of the impact. The research on which this article is based draws on a variety of experiences and observations in the field at grassroots level (in particular an outreach project in rural communities). The envisaged impact of technology education on South African schools, communities, teacher educators and teachers, the range of in-service teacher education that is required, and the impacts in urban and rural areas are discussed. Finally a number of concluding remarks are made about the extent of the impact of the inclusion of technology education in the new National Curriculum Statement and whether the situation has changed since the implementation of a pilot technology education project in 1998. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

中国作家的重庆礼赞

2005年9月21日至25日，由中国作家协会、重庆市委宣传部共同举办的“中国著名作家看重庆”活动在重庆举行。蒋子龙、张贤亮、黄亚洲等一行40余名中国著名作家来到重庆，与年轻的直辖市“零距离”接触，参观、考察和感受重庆，这是一次极富创意和美感的大型文学采风活动。作家们乘轻轨，看夜景，走龙湖，逛磁器口，参观三峡博物馆，邀游长江嘉陵江……从壮美河山到古老小镇，从巴山夜雨到繁华街市，从远古3000年漫漫求索，到新世纪重庆直辖崛起，重庆的传统与现代、人文与城市、自然与科技的融合，让作家们惊奇、赞赏，逸兴勃发，叹为观止。[编者按]     

如何搞好农村消费市场的调查

从农村消费市场调查的实际出发, 文章介绍了农村消费品市场调查在调查方法的选取、人员的培训、资料的获取等方面存在的一些问题及应注意的事项, 并分析了农村消费市场调查过程中存在的问题以及所造成的调查结果的特定性。为企业进行农村消费品市场的调查提供借鉴, 以便更有效地进行调查。     

他山之石——助学贷款的国际经验借鉴

中国从1999年开始推行国家助学贷款制度，到2004年12月底，已实际发放贷款80多亿元，享受贷款的学生超过数百万人。但是自从助学贷款制度推行以来，商业银行面临了巨大的风险和损失，实施助学贷款效果较差。助学贷款在美国以及日本已开展多年，积累了丰富经验，在贷款品种、担保方式和还贷机制上都已趋于完善。因此，借鉴国外助学贷款成功运作模式，对于完善我国贷学金资助工作将大有裨益。     

浅谈我国银行保险的发展

伴随着加入世贸步伐的加快，中国金融业真正面临着国际化竞争所带来的巨大机遇和挑战。正是在这样的大背景下，最近一段时期，各保险公司纷纷与银行达成合作意向，合作内容包括代理保险、提供全方位的金融服务、资金网络清算、基本客户群的共建、金融创新、信息交流等方面。同时，各家保险公司的各种产品在银行和邮政的柜台上摆开了战场，一种全新的金融服务——银行保险，进入了人们的视野。这正是企业之间强强联合、优势互补、资源共享、以促进市场开拓和业务创新的必由之路，它必将推动我国保险业与国际保险业的接轨和新型业务产品的发展。