Presents highlights from a conversation via BITNET on education policy and priorities for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement. The electronic discussion took place over 3 weeks with approximately 700 participants. Themes of balancing kindergarten through grade 12 education and higher education and the government's role in research…

Based on analysis of discussions of fiction using Dedalus Interchange in literary analysis classes, it was found that synchronous electronic conferencing exposed students to more viewpoints, deemphasized traditional authority, increased metalinguistic awareness, decreased inhibition and gender barriers, and facilitated increased social…

Explores the application of a process-based methodology in reading of recent fictional text, Ishiguro's "The Remains of the Day," with international undergraduates. Illustrated by practical tasks on narrative voice designed to build awareness of metadiscursive markers and their functions, this article makes a case for a methodology that is…

Contrasts two models of instruction: building on ideas in shared endeavors; and transmit-and-test formats. Discusses how these contrasting formats may relate to interactional patterns observed in toddlers and caregivers in a Mayan and a middle-class European-American community; and elementary school children in Japan and the United States. (SR)

Proposes a Web-based model as the infrastructure to store learning logs for analysis in distance education. Describes the method of using query language to retrieve information from a database to construct the data cube. Illustrates data-cube implementation with a group-discussion example. Shows how data-cube technology can solve the recording and…

Presents the concept of three-level teaching material and describes a computer-based system SHOW (Sandwich Hierarchy for Omnifarious Ware) that can be used to produce the different forms from a single source, and to show the presentation version in a lecturing situation. Describes an empirical experiment on text discrimination techniques; suggests…

Appalled by his junior-high students' low morale and underachievement, a spiritually grounded African-American teacher realized that self-worth and achievement must grow together. He attacked problem attitudes affectively by building students' self-esteem and cognitively by building their linguistic skills. He raised performance expectations and…

Offers suggestions for teaching information skills to kindergarten through second-grade students. Highlights include book titles to use as discussion lead-ins; library group activities; the use of technology, including computer software and electronic mail; and problem-solving skills. (LRW)

The teacher of a college seminar on education in contemporary American society, addressing sensitive personal and political concepts, used one-minute essays to "take the pulse" of the class daily. Daily summaries of essay content provided students with evidence of the teacher's commitment to monitoring the process, added a level of…

Steps taken by instructional designers in constructing a case study for use in faculty development are outlined, from the original case study idea to selection of an appropriate classroom incident, writing the case, and planning the teaching process (identifying relevant issues, preparing discussion questions, and organizing discussion). The text…

Examined the outcomes of a 2-year, technology-supported, problem-based learning project which built teacher knowledge through sustained, dialogue-driven collaboration. The qualitative research, involving 28 grade 5-8 teachers, identified key organizational structures for making the most of computer-mediated communication for inservice teacher…

Describes the ways one middle school teacher works with students to develop the unique culture of the class. Considers the use of collaborative projects, and notes how the classroom functions as a setting for the developing social group in which experience is continuous and intertextual and communication is referential. (JPB)

Develops an initial theory of teachers' conceptions of classroom discussion using in-depth interviews and grounded theory's constant-comparative technique. Identifies six generally held conceptions of discussion and five factors that influenced teachers' use of discussion. Examines implications for teachers, teacher educators, and researchers…

Recommends the application of cognitive-developmental theory with young offenders. The theory claims that moral reasoning can be developed through discussion with others. Summarizes a study where 40 young offenders participated in moral-dilemma discussions with another subject that differed in level of moral reasoning and peer status. (MJP)

Asserts that elementary students should know the basic vocabulary of economics, in particular, the "Significant Six": (1) goods and services; (2) productive resources; (3) scarcity; (4) opportunity cost; (5) specialization; and (6) exchange. Provides a lesson called "Benny's Pennies" that focuses on goods and services that…