Talk in U.S. classrooms often reveals student ignorance, but it also involves interpersonal exchange. British students' spoken opinions may be undervalued, but they are better writers and interact more often with teachers. American students may not value writing as necessary. Listening to students' voices may help bridge cultural limitations. (MLH)

Shares experiences of one teacher and two administrators attempting to implement critically oriented, democratic practices in their school systems. Examines three specific events and interrogates them through scientific, critical, and postmodern lenses. Presents five suggestions to unshackle practitioners from educational traditions that neglect…

Describes the development of an undergraduate training course in gifted education at the University of Brasilia, Brazil. The course objectives were to acquaint students with the needs of gifted children, to help students critically analyze current gifted practices, and to train school psychologists to implement a creative training program.…

Describes three key areas of educational practice that need to be reviewed and transformed before authentic progress is made toward inclusive schools. Outlines the problems and paradoxes associated with policy, organization, and legislation related to the education of students with exceptional learning needs. (SLD)

Proposes the notion of "instructional congruence" as a way of making academic content accessible, meaningful, and relevant for diverse learners, including those from non-English language backgrounds. Suggests an agenda for research, practice, and policy in promoting high standards for all students across subject areas. (SLD)

Reviews reasons educational practice is less influenced by curriculum theories than in the past and responds to the criticism by William Wraga that theory and practice have split. Notes the gendered nature of the relationship between theory and practice in curriculum, in that more theorists are male and more practitioners are female. (SLD)

Continues discussion of a distance-education systems model (presented in previous issues). Examines societal systems, the next level of this hierarchical model. Discusses responding to social needs, social and economic change in the 1990s, and distance and higher education in the 1990s. Provides samples of newspaper articles, one of the main…

Presents three types of information derived from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics assessment: (1) what students know and can do in mathematics; (2) course-taking patterns and current classroom practices in mathematics; and (3) student attitudes about mathematics. Student mathematics performance in the United…

Discusses the use of school science in students' everyday lives. Argues that the goal of connecting school science to students' everyday lives moves the discussion of public understanding of science to public understanding of technology. Examines the implications and limitations of this movement. Contains 40 references. (Author/WRM)

Discusses the use of cooperative-learning groups with middle school students. Describes cooperative-learning techniques, including group roles, peer evaluation, and observation and monitoring. Considers grouping options, including group size and configuration, dyads, the think-pair-share lecture, student teams achievement divisions, jigsaw groups,…

Discusses how maintaining a balance between structure/discipline and spontaneity/freedom in middle school education can contribute to an excellent learning environment for young adolescents. Maintains that knowing when to act spontaneously requires professional confidence and tolerance for risk. Concludes that the art of good teaching is…

Surveyed practices of 3,595 kindergarten teachers related to transition into kindergarten and implementation barriers. Found that in-person contacts with children/families were among those used least often. Most frequent were practices taking place after start of school and/or involving low-intensity, generic contact. School location and…

A scientific, rule-governed approach to solving problems suggests the following assumptions: we need different rules for different purposes; rules are grounded in values; the origins and applications of rules are often misunderstood; personal experience and idea popularity are unreliable; and all truths are tentative. Each assumption is related to…

Students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders who do not qualify for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act may qualify under the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), a civil rights act. Current best educational practices may be embodied in a school-based intervention model stressing environmental management,…

One of a series of articles on principles of good practice in legal education, this article focuses on the importance of encouraging student-faculty contact. Identifies benefits of such contact to students and barriers to student-faculty contact. Suggests some ways to remove barriers related to institutional support, time, gender or race, lack of…