This digest highlights the need for beginning environmental education based on life experiences during the very earliest years of life. The rationale for environmental education during the early childhood years is discussed, followed by guidelines for program development grounded on the belief that environmental education for the early years…

This digest highlights the increasing importance of teaching evolution in school science classes as evidenced in recent reform efforts including the National Science Education Standards and Project 2061. Barriers that hinder student understanding of evolution are presented followed by instructional strategies to overcome these obstacles. Also…

Until recently, one of the most expected and accepted experiences among students in biology classrooms of the United States has been the dissection of vertebrate animals, from frogs and mice to cats and fetal pigs. However, resistance to animal dissection has grown during the past decade with concerns ranging from inhumane treatment of animals by…

This digest highlights the key features of the science education reform movement as it relates to curricula and classroom practices. The ideas presented here have been gleaned from the National Science Education Standards and the Benchmarks for Science Literacy, both of which elaborate ideas emerging from Project 2061 and other efforts that have…

This digest presents instructional strategies to accommodate visually impaired students in science classrooms and provides classroom examples for physical science, chemistry, and biology courses. The article concludes that prospective science teachers must become skilled in using resource materials and adaptive technologies that facilitate the…

This brief paper summarizes principles of the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C. It lists five ways in which the IFSP differs from the Individualized Education Plan including the centrality of the family. Steps that lead to effective IFSPs are identified. These include:…

This brief paper offers an overview of strategies, with practical examples, to infuse multicultural content into the curriculum for gifted students. It proposes a framework for multicultural gifted education based on the four levels or approaches of J. Banks and C. Banks and within each approach, the six levels of B. Bloom's taxonomy. The four…

This digest explores the literature related to journal writing from various disciplines, including psychology, language studies, outdoor education, and experiential education. Although journal writing has been around since ancient times, it was not until the early 1960s that it flourished as a learning tool. Instructors from a wide range of…

This digest provides an overview of autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It addresses: (1) the behavior of individuals with autism, such as developmental difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social relatedness, and leisure and play activities; (2) diagnosis and evaluation of autism; and (3) prevalence of autism and the…

The Adult Education for the Homeless (AEH) program was initiated with funds provided through the McKinney Act of 1987. During its first 4 years, the AEH program served over 100,000 homeless adults. In 1991, 34,000 adults participated in AEH programs in 31 states; nearly half were women. Approximately 60% of those served were between the ages of 25…

The literature on retention of adult learners strongly suggests that previous educational attainment is closely tied to participation and persistence. Educationally disadvantaged adults are more likely to lack self-confidence and self-esteem, have negative attitudes toward education, and need mastery of basic skills such as literacy before…

Children of migrant farmworkers spend parts of each school year in different communities across the country; some children migrate back and forth between schools in Mexico and the United States. The hardships and rich experiences of this lifestyle provide educators with unique challenges and, at the same time, opportunities to learn and develop…

This digest provides four guideposts for tropical rainforest education: (1) structure; (2) location and climate; (3) importance; and (4) conservation of resources. Research is cited and background information provided about the layers of life and the adaptations of life within the tropical rain forest. Aspects of life within and near rain forests…

In today's society, when increasing numbers of employees are being expected to work in teams and when cultural diversity is becoming commonplace in schools and workplaces, it is imperative that vocational and career educators prepare students for future interactions in a culturally diverse workplace. Communication differences between generations,…

A case can be made for teachers to use audience-oriented teaching strategies that encourage children to write for a wide range of readers. Even so, questions remain about how writers, especially student writers, actually learn to consider an audience of readers when they write. Research suggests that a developmental trend exists in which children…