Argues that understanding teachers' conceptions of discussion is a neglected and important issue. Reviews new insights from literacy research on text discussion; suggests how that literature provides a broader context for understanding social studies teachers' conceptions of classroom talk. Reflects on the relationship of open-forum discussion to…

Considers issues related to teachers' conceptions, the nature of classroom discussion, and future research on these topics. Addresses the role of discussion as a method of instruction and a goal of instruction. Argues that classroom discussion promotes civic competence and integration of knowledge and skills across disciplines. (DSK)

We discuss the development of an instructional design model, WisCom (Wisdom Communities), based on socio-constructivist and sociocultural learning philosophies and distance education principles for the development of online wisdom communities, and the application and evaluation of the model in an online graduate course in the USA. The WisCom model…

This paper reports on an investigation into the first time implementation of a technology education unit of work by a beginning primary school teacher. The researchers monitored the teacher's implementation of the unit across a 6 week period using an interpretivist research approach. A variety of data sources were drawn upon including teacher and…

Inquiry training is a powerful teaching model for principals to know and teachers to implement. It is designed to teach students to engage in causal reasoning and to become more fluent and precise in asking questions. Further, inquiry training helps learners build concepts and form and test hypotheses in all curriculum areas. The current emphasis…

A poorly performing school is like a complex puzzle with its pieces haphazardly scattered. To achieve coherence and improve performance, a principal must have a vision of how the completed puzzle should look. Schools that have effectively implemented instructional models have principals that are puzzle solvers. To fit diverse needs into place and…

The Language Vocabulary Acquisition (LVA) Approach is a revolutionary method of reading instruction for emergent and developing readers. It is an intense reading program with high levels of student participation, engagement, and interaction with print text, that yields high outcomes in phonological awareness, reading and writing fluency, and…

This paper reports on the influence of a graduate course, "Methods for Masters," designed to broaden the pedagogical repertoires of cooperating teachers by providing experience in six instructional models (cooperative learning, concept attainment, group investigation, learning contracts, simulations, and synectics). The course used…

This study sought to determine whether students in a graduate level class that focused on a school restructuring model were able to understand and practice its philosophy. The course focused on innovative school changes and teaching practices used in the Accelerated Schools Project (ASP). The course syllabus required students to examine the…

Since deaf students who are members of more than one cultural group (e.g., Deaf and Black, Deaf and Asian, Deaf and Native American, Deaf and Hispanic) seldom encounter teachers who are deaf, let alone deaf and representative of their ethnic/racial group, this paper offers a framework to help teachers attend to the variations in beliefs,…

This monograph presents results and recommendations from a project designed as a collaborative effort to prepare graduate students in the humanities for careers as scholar-teachers within institutions committed to liberal education. The project's two principle activities are discussed under the following headings: (1) Encountering Campus Cultures:…

This final report describes the Mastery Project, which developed, implemented, and field tested a comprehensive model to promote the mastery orientation and functional independence of students, ages 11-20, with physical and multiple disabilities. The model includes systematic procedures to: (1) facilitate assessment of students' functional…

Cultures determine identity in that they prescribe the "food, festivals, and fashion" of their members; for example, rap music, baggy pants and gestured dancing identify the hip hop culture (recognizable to both "members" and "non-members"). Cultural identities are created and maintained by "literacy"--the…

This document presents a teaching model established at the Rural-Migrant School of Education in California. Students in this school are preparing to teach children of Mexican-American descent and face the necessity of dealing with cultural and language differences that are unique to the area. While instruction is oriented toward the philosophy of…

"Looping" is an essentially simple concept: a teacher moves with his or her students to the next grade level, rather than sending them to another teacher at the end of the school year. This Digest explores the practitioners' perspectives on looping, the experience of European school systems, and research on looping. Practitioners report…