One of the biggest obstacles to overcome in creating and sustaining an administrative professional learning community (PLC) is time. Administrators are constantly deluged by the tyranny of the urgent. It is a Herculean task to carve out time for PLCs, but it is imperative to do so. In this article, the authors describe how an administrative PLC…

Communicative self-efficacy serves as an important link between discussing controversial issues and civic engagement because confidence in one's discourse skills is important to managing conflicting perspectives and developing solutions to community-based problems. Freely available to schools, "Word Generation" is a cross-content…

The purpose of this communication group is to train parents in the skills of active listening and conflict resolution. The model borrows extensively from Gordon's Parent Effectiveness Training. The parents learn to use communication skills and problem-solving techniques. (Author/PC)

The feeling of insecurity, the lack of self-confidence, and the ability to relate to others that all children experience from time-to-time can be intensified in a deaf child by sensitivity to his or her handicap. A technique designed to deal with these difficulties was discussed. (Author/RK)

Describes the "Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking Project" which has now sent more than 70 volunteer teacher educators into 20 countries across Central Europe and Central Asia to help teachers to try out methods that foster active learning and critical thinking. Discusses support for the project, teaching strategies introduced,…

Trigger films are an audience involvement media designed to achieve attitude and behavior modification. They are brief (under four minutes), high impact vignettes which portray specific problem situations, focusing upon the agent's motivations, and structured so as to trigger an emotional response by the viewer and to act as a catalyst for…

An exercise was devised at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London, to facilitate medical students' ability to discuss death and dying with cancer patients. Students begin with a written situation to problem-solve and then move into pairs and groups to reach a consensus and discuss the problem. A videotaped simulation is also used. (JMD)

This human relations program consists of a series of weekly classroom discussions and activities in the fifth through seventh grades, which give each student an opportunity to: (1) express, openly, opinions on matters of importance to him; (2) recognize and accept the feelings and concerns he shares with his peers; (3) consider how his feelings…

The author describes and analyzes the "dialogue workshop" as a major activity for facilitating cooperative communication and problem solving among students, teachers, and parents. This article is part of a theme issue on community education in Hawaii. (Editor/SJL)

In April 1984, 26 schools were selected as pilot sites for the Minnesota School Effectiveness Program (MSEP). A leadership team composed of four teachers, the building principal, and a district office representative from each site participated in a week-long training session sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education. In August 1984,…

The journal club is seen as one of the most frequently used instructional methods in postgraduate medical education. The purpose is to evoke interest in scientific research and promote critical reading skills while updating knowledge in specific content areas.(MLW)

A need exists in schools for conflict resolution programs to help young people deal with differences. This booklet describes the Educators for Social Responsibility (ESR) conflict resolution program. The program follows nine key concepts: (1) conflict is a part of life; (2) many conflict situations can achieve "win-win" solutions; (3)…

A program at Brandeis University uses literature to help professionals confront career dilemmas and work-related moral issues. Program participants say literature provides a "non-threatening" way to discuss difficult subjects. Doctors, legislators, corporate executives, public-school teachers, etc. have participated. (MLW)

Discusses the educational approach and process at the Highland Center, formerly known as Highlander Folk School, which for forty-five years has experimented with various means of utilizing nonformal education to support social movements. The Highlander technique, short-term residential workshops to help people solve their problems, is described.…

In this article knowledge productivity, a process that creates conceptual artifacts, is used as a way to investigate the outcomes of collaborative and enquiry-oriented activity by teaching professionals. It is an outcome of the motivation to learn (self-regulation) in that it studies the issues from different professional perspectives (reflection…