This article calls for a rethinking of inservice education for teachers of children with disabilities as well as an investment in experimental modes of teacher renewal. Examples are presented of short-term internships where teachers are immersed in exemplary practices by host teachers in early education and school-to-adult life transition…

Describes a field study in a local ecosystem which allows high school students to investigate the edge effect, where a meadow and a forest meet. Students measure soil moisture content, soil temperature, air temperature, relative humidity, wind intensity, and illumination level. Teachers can help students apply their findings to understand problems…

Describes a research project that takes a problem-solving approach to teaching about social stratification. Students identify a local issue related to stratification (homeless, welfare reform, etc.). They break into small groups and design a research plan, conduct a literature search, perform the fieldwork, and arrive at a synthesis. (MJP)

Outlines an instructional unit on the geography of Mexico, organizing daily lesson plans around geographic themes. The five themes of geography are location, place, relationships, movement, and regions. Each lesson plan includes objectives, materials, activities utilizing different learning strategies, and closure. (MJP)

Proposes that collaborative small group work can serve as a model for transmitting democratic values and facilitating citizenship education in the classroom. Presents an example of a class divided into teams, arguing selected positions on immigration, and arriving at a written policy. Includes list of collaborative skills to be taught. (MJP)

Recommends using historical artifacts as a means of illustrating social science concepts and involving students in the learning process. Suggests several ways artifacts can be used: considering their original function and value, making cross-cultural comparisons of similar objects, and investigating how objects change over time. (MJP)

To advance social justice research in the field of outdoor experiential education, we must recognize the truth-distorting role of social privilege in program management and delivery, staff training, and the experience of participants. We must diversify the researchers, settings, situations, and methodologies that are used in conducting social…

Outdoor residential programs offer benefits related to personal development--particularly in terms of group and independent living skills, coping with new experiences and surroundings, and encouraging participants to get along with each other--that are unique and justify the cost. Further documentation of these benefits is necessary to ensure the…

Jack Shelton, teacher, minister, and community builder, describes the benefits of education that is active, relevant, and involved in the community. As coordinator of a cooperative of 29 small rural Alabama schools that enables teachers to implement experiential educational approaches rooted in community study and service, he discusses the…

Explains that authentic teaching and assessment enable students to utilize their prior knowledge, recent learning, and critical thinking and problem-solving skills in real-world contexts. Describes examples of authentic teaching and assessment that use the "Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics" as a framework for economics…

This paper examines one model of professional development, the use of video clubs in which groups of teachers watch and discuss videotapes of their classrooms. Specifically, the paper investigates the learning that occurred as four middle-school mathematics teachers participated in a year-long series of video club meetings. Over time, discourse in…

The focus of this action research study was on the initial stage in reforming our teacher preparation programs. We designed, conducted, evaluated, and revised the components of our teacher preparation programs that were aimed at providing preservice teachers with the confidence and knowledge needed to meet the needs of youth populations…

There is much information from educational psychology studies on how people learn. The thesis of this paper is that we should use this information to guide the ways in which we teach rather than blindly using our traditional methods. In this context, problem-based learning (PBL), as a method of teaching widely used in medical schools but…

This paper reports the findings of a study that examined changes in interns' culturally and family-responsive dispositions over the course of a 2-year early childhood teacher preparation program that prepares teachers who are willing and able to work with culturally, linguistically, and ability-diverse young children and their families.…

The necessity for parents and teachers to work together collaboratively to optimize children's learning and development in early childhood education is well recognized. Yet, ways in which initial teacher education programs might prepare teachers for professional relationships with parents are rare in the literature. This paper reports on the use…