Liberal education has been, since the creation of the republic, America's "signature" higher learning curriculum. There have been three enduring purposes for a liberal education: (1) developing the powers of the mind; (2) cultivating an examined sense of responsibility to self and others; and (3) acquiring empowering knowledge--the kind…

In this essay the author argues that today's resurgent focus on noncognitive skills, especially for low-income students, may unfairly mask cognitive deficiencies and work to relieve our society of its duty, at which we are currently failing, to help low-income children improve their lives by improving their cognitive skills. The author points to a…

How might a tertiary English teacher use Garth Boomer's ideas on "teaching against the grain" to challenge the rules and assumptions that dominate the Academic Language and Learning (ALL) industry in the university sector today? How might such a teacher use Boomer's ideas to enact "emancipatory pedagogies" (or something like…

Educators--and parents and politicians and others--say children are their future. They say that they want students to think critically, that they want them to be problem-solvers, to ask questions, to challenge educators to make the world a better place. And yet, the author sees educators set aside these high aspirations and silenced by the fear of…

Zins and his colleagues pointed out that understanding implementation of school-based prevention programs is a critical issue as we get more sophisticated about strategies to promote children's social and emotional skill development. This commentary discusses school-based program implementation, challenges, lessons learned, and future directions…

Graduating students who can compete in the digital age is imperative but remains an uphill battle in the absence of a strong national technology policy, empowered education leadership, and ongoing dialogue involving business, community, government, and educators. Meantime, in pockets around the country, some states, districts, and schools are…

Argues primarily that metacognition is an important part of human abilities, which are, in turn, forms of developing expertise. If the goal is to understand the basis of individual differences in student academic success, metacognition needs to be understood as representing part of the abilities that lead to student expertise, but only as part.…

States that students often enter college with few problem-solving skills. Urges colleges to offer appropriate skills-building courses to students as well as to school personnel, since they will be counseling students on financial aid and other issues. Asserts that, by integrating problem-solving skills into the curriculum, students will be better…

With the increase in violence over the past few decades, academic and human development practitioners have tried to better understand the dynamics of conflict and develop effective intervention and prevention strategies. There is an ever-deepening appreciation for the mediation process. The mediation process is a powerful problem-solving and…

States that recent research suggests that an education in theater beginning in kindergarten and continuing throughout the educational process can teach students valuable skills that will serve them well in the professional world, including problem solving, team work, and decision making. Discusses the program at Jefferson High School and its…

Students with disabilities often experience particular difficulties with handwriting, and these problems can hinder their development both in school and in postsecondary settings. This paper addresses three issues: (1) the possibility of a prejudicial and potentially lasting first impression, based on the individual's handwriting; (2) the lack of…

Students who volunteer for student activities work gain a number of valuable skills through their participation. These skills can be turned into marketable ones that will aid student volunteers in finding paying jobs. (MLW)

A community college president brought a student affairs background with him as he assumed his first presidency. That perspective was an influencing factor in the organizational development initiatives at the institution in the first decade of his service. In this submission to the "Community College Times," he develops the position that…

The liberal arts develop the basic intellectual competencies necessary for leadership in modern society and, as highly reflective disciplines, also develop integrative thinking. In addition, a caring and committed undergraduate campus community offers a wealth of practical experience in exercising responsible leadership. (MSE)

There is a need to expand the notion of acceptable thinking practices to include nontraditional thinking and wonder. Such an approach can help students learn to deal with ambiguity. The unique design of ambiguous thought evokes wonder, discovery, interrelationships, and new connections. Ambiguous thinking refrains from making unequivocal…