Poised to help legally homeless parents become their children's best teachers, instructors in a Nevada literacy program found that human relationships took precedence over academics. Instructors learned the importance of renaming the program (to avoid association with prior academic failure) and blending literacy activities with hot meals, family…

At Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, an innovative program promotes lifelong literacy skills for university physical-plant employees and, in turn, helps these adult learners support their children's education. Instructional activities link families through children's literature, work-related readings, and personal literature. To…

The new teacher education programs envision professional teachers as continuous learners rather than "finished" products. Teachers must understand subject matter deeply and flexibly so they can help students create useful cognitive maps, relate ideas, and address misconceptions. Teachers need opportunities for year-long apprenticeships,…

Incarceration, mandatory education, and the freedom to learn all present confounding, yet novel realities for Arizona State Prison inmates assessed below eighth grade levels in reading, language, or mathematics. A profound transition occurs when prisoners choose to succeed in this second-chance program. When they truly appreciate learning's…

A group of 30 Nevada teachers participated in a summer institute to explore reservoirs and tributaries of the Truckee River. These river studies increased teachers' awareness of water as the life source supporting numerous living creatures and social, cultural, and political issues. Using their newfound cultural and ecological perspectives to…

By studying survey data from 1,000 teachers participating in a Title II workshop, researchers identified three structural features (form, duration, and collective participation) that set a proper context for professional development. Three core features of professional-development learning experience include content focus, active learning, and…

The article explains the importance of seeing education as a process of continuous learning, both for the benefit of the older adult and for the benefit of society, which needs people capable of learning new information throughout their lives. (CD)

Sustaining reform requires district leaders to develop a supportive infrastructure, nurture professional communities, reduce turnover, and use facilitators to build capacity. Bringing educators up to speed means providing abundant staff development, balancing pressure with support, providing adult learning time, and reducing fragmentation and…

Instead of merely certifying administrators, the University of Northern Colorado is transforming its preparation focus from managerial skills to leadership development. The new knowledge base for future administrators stresses understanding self, using inquiry, shaping organizations, and understanding people and environmental influences.…