Examines a model of professional development including preprofessional, autonomous, collegial, and postprofessional phases. Addresses the importance of reflective practice in moving from autonomous to collegial. Suggests the potential for computer-mediated communication to promote reflective dialogue. (Contains 30 references.) (SK)

Suggests taking Habermas's notion of communicative rationality as a reference point from which to organize educational activities and evaluate their "being educational" in the classroom. Communicative rationality in the classroom provides a perspective from which one can establish a normative standard for being educational. (Contains…

Presents three teachers' ideas of successful teaching experiences. Discusses ideas about successful whole-group discussions; a revision technique for research papers; and "searching for sentences" or "headlines are a hit." (SG)

Makes the point that instruction that focuses only on the academic aspects of reading may not be optimal in terms of the overall benefits to students. Proposes a caring reading curriculum which provides an environment that invites group activity. (MG)

Examines the hypotheses that students need to improve communication skills and that an innovative pedagogy is more effective than traditional methods for improving communication skills. Describes the teaching pedagogy and its implementation in an introductory sociology course. Results suggest that this pedagogy is more effective than conventional…

The descriptive and empirical literature on group work for adjustment to divorce/separation is reviewed. The focus is on the adults in the broken relationship. (Author)

Argues for the effectiveness of Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" as a tool for increasing racial understanding. Suggests that class discussion of the book can make Black students feel as though they have valuable insights to contribute. Concludes that students' emotional reactions to Twain's novel demonstrate the continuing relevance of…

This article, third in a series, discusses the last three phases of the creative problem solving process: idea-finding, solution-finding, and acceptance-finding. These phases focus on brainstorming to generate possibilities and alternatives to the problem, evaluating each idea's strengths and limitations, prioritizing the solutions, and developing…

Describes strategies for improving performance appraisal systems and examines common features of appraisal systems in large companies. Highlights include rating scales; ranking; forced distributions; tying performance appraisal to strategic business goals; frequency of reviews; development plans versus evaluation only; and group review meetings.…

Poses ethical questions related to social studies education and professional values in five case studies illustrating the six principles of the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) Code of Ethics. Raises questions about the NCSS's involvement in overseeing professional ethics and encourages discussion about ethical principles. (LS)

The literature on the use of moral discussion groups to promote moral development in young people with behavior disorders is reviewed, and the use of the intervention is analyzed. Limitations and recommendations for applying the approach are discussed. (MSE)

Discusses communication with children about sexual abuse. Topics discussed include the principles of good communication, developmental parameters, the context of talking about abuse, the reliability of children as witnesses, and the setting for communication. (RJC)

Argues that time spent encouraging students to reflect about their learning is well invested. Offers four specific statements about what helps students to reflect: (1) students need relevant reasons for reflection and assurance that their reflections will be accepted; (2) students' opinions and judgments must be generally valued; (3) students need…

Discusses a method for teaching introductory physics courses that reverses the traditional sequence of instruction and is based on beginning all lecture treatments with discussions of complex, yet familiar phenomena and working backward to discussions of the simple physical laws underlying them. (Author/MKR)

This article explores the dynamics of a creative problem solving meeting which frequently reaches impasse. Excerpts from the meeting transcript are presented to determine where and why the group gets off track in developing a method to evaluate sales training. Suggestions are offered for steering the group away from win/lose arguments and into…