The expression of surprise--at something unexpected--is a key form of emotional display. Focusing on displays of surprise performed by means of reaction tokens (akin to Goffman's "response cries"), such as "wow, gosh, oh my god, ooh!, phew," we use an ethnomethodological, conversation-analytic approach to analyze surprise in talk-in-interaction.…

In this keynote address presented at the October, 2005 Annual Conference, the author considers the role of dissent in the academy from the perspective of the turbulent late sixties and early seventies. He examines the role of dissent as a foundational principle in the modern era of the American university. He states that dissent was neither…

This article presents a study on how students experience grading contracts. Data were collected from students at a mid-western four-year university campus, where the population consists of middle- to working-class students. Patterns from the data revealed considerable resistance, verifying the teacher-researcher's ongoing sense of these students'…

While debate about the meaning of hermeneutics and phenomenology for educational research continues, the notion of lived experience, and its application to reflective practice, has become a feature of much that goes by the name of phenomenological within this area. The prevalence of the lived experience model can be attributed in large part to the…

The present study focuses on the relationship between the acquisition of design knowledge by novice design students and the quality of their designs. Design learning is typically based on action and reflection. Knowledge of solution processes, being part of this reflection, is found to be crucial in monitoring and controlling the design process…

Good teaching, at its core, is an intuitive practice. It is an art and craft in which, through vision, objectives, and planning, a teacher prepares for the teaching moment. Experienced teachers know that lesson plans and pre-planning though, no matter how finely crafted, only point the teacher and the student in a direction. As artist-educators…

This paper argues for a change of thinking about the "ideal body" in relation to ballet as a dance form and how it is studied. It distinguishes between spectator and practitioner perspectives on ballet, and draws on the practice of established dance artists and that of the author to write about the first-person experience--from the inside out.…

Critical action learning engages participants in a process of drawing from critical perspectives to make connections between their learning and work experiences, to understand and change interpersonal and organisational practices. But what does this mean in practice? How can critical action learning be expedited? What outcomes can critical action…

This article examines how service-learning was integrated effectively into two teacher education courses at a Mercy university in New Jersey to raise awareness regarding the needs of diverse learners, particularly those with disabilities. Specific goals of the service-learning requirement, description of the service-learning activities, and…

Reflection is considered an important aspect of teacher practice. Researchers examined 21 teacher-created language arts blogs to determine whether randomly selected entries within the blogs demonstrated reflection on professional practice. In addition, entries were examined to determine the depth of reflective practice. The amount and depth of…

"The Montessori Observer" is mailed four times each year, in March, May, September and November, to Society members throughout the world. The purpose is to provide news and information about the Society's work in Montessori education, and to extend awareness of Montessori principles throughout the world. This issue contains a feature…

The study is to examine if preservice teachers improve their social studies teaching and learning when they follow a structured and guided methods course based on the four-step social studies teaching cycle. The four steps are 1) preinstructional exploration, 2) assessment development, 3) instructional development, and 4) reflective extension. The…

Juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) often appear unmotivated to change, which thus necessitates a therapeutic approach that matches "resistant" client characteristics. In this article, the authors review common traits of JSOs, introduce motivational counseling as an effective treatment modality, and offer a case illustration. (Contains 1 table and 1…

This interpretive review draws on a number of Asa G. Hilliard's Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) writings to examine his conception of educational excellence in ancient Kemet and for African American education today. The review offers an interpretation of Hilliard's lifelong quest for excellence in education, which is especially revealed in his analysis…

It has been reported that students learn best when they use a wide variety of techniques to understand the information of the discipline, be it visual, auditory, discussion with others, metacognition, hands-on activities, or writing about the subject. We report in this article the use of academic journals not only as an aid for students to learn…