Acknowledgements

Grand Valley State University provided me with the opportunity to use my two sabbatical semesters for researching this work. As a junior high and high school teacher for 28 years I was aware that some school districts did provide for teacher sabbaticals, but few teachers that I knew took advantage of the offer. I do not know how many school districts will pay a teacher’s salary and benefits or offer research assistance, but my guess would be not many. College professors have a unique opportunity in the educational profession. Dr. Robert Grassino, the principal at Circle High School at the time I began my doctoral work at Kansas State University, provided support and encouragement as I chose this new direction in my career and I am grateful for his time and effort. I would also acknowledge that my “hallmate”, Kendra Wilkinson, put up with years of my classroom disrupting the peace and quiet on “her” hallway. She is a great friend and colleague, as well as being very, very patient with my noisy classes across the hall from her.

My department at Grand Valley State University was helpful as well, in providing advice and assistance in applying for my sabbaticals. Drs. James Smither, Gretchen Galbraith and Bill Morison, amongst other professors in the department, receive my thanks.

I knew from the outset that I needed help in editing my work. After six editions of each chapter I had the feeling that I was still missing some grammatical and technical errors. With over 600 pages of text and no publishing company providing editorial assistance there was a high probability that I was overlooking the misplaced comma, an overly lengthy or confusing paragraph, amongst many other possible editing errors.

From the outset I saw this work as more than a purely academic one so I enlisted the aid of several groups: the Parkwood Writers’ Group, my book club, and four friends and relatives who agreed to be editors. Jane Hatch directed the Southwest Kansas Library System out of Dodge City, Kansas and finished her career in the Kansas City area library system. Micaela Ayers was director of the Butler College Library System in El Dorado, Kansas and had experience as technical writer earlier in her career. My daughter, Sarah, is a jack of all trades, including technical writing for a major information technology company. Finally, my wife of almost 50 years, Susan Coryell Cooley, a former English Language Arts teacher and voracious reader, repeated as editor after helping me with my writing, starting many years ago while we were both students at S.U.N.Y. Cortland. If there are still errors in my work I take total responsibility. The beauty of publishing this book through Pressbooks at Grand Valley State University is that I will be able to make continual changes with very little problem.

Lastly, I would like to thank my parents, Lloyd and Joan Cooley. My father taught me about hard work and perseverance and my mother taught me how to care for others. They have been gone many years, but they enter my thoughts daily.