Early in his teaching career of 43 years, Lem Londos Railsback decided that he would rather wear out than rust out. Toward that end, this local professor at our Texas A&M International University has been busy this year.
In April, Dr. Railsback presented a professional article entitled "Precursors of A.C.P. in Texas" to the National Alternative Certification Association at South Padre Island. The article provided an historical documentation of the contributions made from the early 1970s and on through the present to the Alternative Certification Program. Individuals like the first president of TAIUL (now TAMIU), Dr. Billy Cowart, and Dr. Robert Houston, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Houston, were cited as stalwarts in the movement to develop alternative certification programs for Texas teachers. At the same meeting, Dr. Railsback, along with Dr. Ramon Alaniz, also of TAMIU, and Lawrence Kajs of the University of Houston at Clear Lake, offered an empirical description of "La Frontera Mentors' Expectations for A.C.P. Interns, An Empirical Glance At the Skills, Knowledges, and Insights That Current E.U.M.-U.S.A. Borders Professionals Expect To Observe In Performances of TAMIU Novices." Then, Dr. Railsback and Dr. Frances Rhodes, also of TAMIU, hosted a sectional discussion entitled "ExCET Alert," an update on happenings in regard to the professional and disciplinary tests that Texas teachers have to pass to earn certification.
At the Spring Technology Conference of the National Social Science Association in Las Vegas, also in April, Dr. Railsback presented an historical perspective on "How I Think the Old Colleges of Education that I Knew Got That Way, and Other Considerations." Also at that meeting, Dr. Railsback served as Chairperson for one of the professional interest forums, "Section VIII. Education In Action."
In our own July pages, we published "Portrait of An Artist-Teacher As A Person," Dr. Railsback's salute to Dr. F. Allen Briggs, "the intellectual leader of our faculty in the early days at the old campus." For the first decade or so of our old Texas A&I University at Laredo, Dr. Briggs served as Chairperson of the English Department. He also served, as Dr. Railsback proudly acknowledges, as Dr. Railsback's intellectual father and mentor throughout the latter's career.
In San Diego in August, Dr. Railsback presented "Language is What/Where/When/Who/How/Why We Are, And Teaching/Learning Will Still Be Done Through It" to the Professional Development Conference of the National Social Science Association in San Diego, California. In November, he was notified by NSSA that this article on language had been accepted for publication in the organization's professional journal. In his congratulatory letter to Dr. Railsback, Dr. Jerry Baydo, Executive Director of NSSA, stressed that the journal "only accepts approximately 15% of all articles submitted."
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, in October, Dr. Railsback presented to NSSA's Fall Conference the "Redefinitions of Identities: Social Sciences, Especially Education, Transformed," a personal perspective on major influences on education in today's America. For the professional interest forum on "Section V-b: Education Examined," Dr. Railsback served as Chairperson and Moderator.
In November, as one of the guest speakers for Trautman Middle School's "Salute To Veterans Day" celebration, Dr. Railsback offered a personal glance at "Our 'Great Society, Living and Dead.'"
At Ponte Vedra, Florida, in December, Dr. Railsback presented "A Tale of Three Cities, A Template for Teaching Social Sciences, Language Arts, Critical Thinking, and Other Wondrous Bodies of Thought at the Middle and High School Levels." He demonstrated the development of his innovative interdisciplinary curricula to the Association for the Advancement of Educational Research and the Academy of Educational Research. At the same conference, Dr. Railsback facilitated the session on"Interpreting Ego-Development In Relationships Crossing the Color Line, Dimensions of Autonomy, Intimacy, and Morality" (Huber and Bakken) and "A Critical Evaluation of the Screening Texts Used for Identifying At-Risk and Developmental Delay Children" (Kibria).
The year 2002 promises to be as busy for Dr. Railsback as was 2001. For the National Technology Conference of the NSSA in Las Vegas in April, a professional policy modification entitled "'ISD,' 'ED,' or 'OD': A Slight Re-Configuration of the Dick and Carey (1996) Model for 'The Systematic Design of Instruction'" will be presented by Dr. Railsback, Mr. Albert Chavez of TAMIU's Computer and TeleCommunications Service, and Mr. Phillip Rivers of Booe, Allen, and Hamilton Consultants in Saudia Arabia. In Toronto, in August, Dr. Railsback will present "As The Three Cardinal Virtues In Real Estate are 'Location!' 'Location!' 'Location!', The Three Cardinal Virtues In Instruction are 'Vygotsky!' 'Vygotsky!' 'Vygotsky!'"
When asked why he did so much professional presenting, publishing, and traveling, Dr. Railsback replied "Why not? That's what real profs do."