Case studies of three rural K-12 music teachers, identified as effective by peers, revealed common features contributing to their success: autonomy, flexible master schedule, strong community support, high student participation, particular strengths, high expectations, emphasis on solos and ensembles, and use of high quality literature. Contains…

An education course for prospective teachers was designed to include a field experience that challenged students' underlying beliefs about teaching and learning. This article describes and discusses prospective teachers' reactions to encounters with an unconventional third grade teacher's approach to teaching negative numbers. (IAH)

Interviews and observations revealed that only two of seven teachers fully accepted the Students Achieving Independent Learning (SAIL) program, a strategies-based approach to reading instruction. A major challenge seemed to be that the teachers did not know how to coordinate SAIL with other reading instruction. (MDM)

This study examined how much natural variation existed in teaching practices among schools in Botswana. Surveys and observations of Botswanan secondary teachers indicated their behavior was simple, teacher-centered, and involved few instructional tools. Pedagogical routines were consistent over time. External organizational factors significantly…

Describes and contrasts the two authors' teaching styles. Proposes dimensions on which simulation teaching style and game administration design might vary. Argues that teaching style and game design have a considerable impact on learning-related outcomes from simulation. Recommends that the relationship between teacher/administrator behaviors,…

Reports a study of academic and non-academic demands as perceived by a group of Australian non- native English speaking students in the first semester of postgraduate studies. Relates relevant research to participants' responses to a questionnaire and in follow-up interviews about academic difficulties, such as the use of first language and the…

Explores the link among music content and teaching style and the changes in children's ratings of musical self-competence and their motivation to continue in music. Tested 100 Portuguese children over three years. Finds that declines in both motivation and evaluation of self-competence may be explained by excessive emphasis on aural skills and…

Describes the Instructional Technology Project (ITP) at Floyd College (Georgia), a two-year school where every student must lease a laptop computer to access CD-ROMs and the Internet. Focuses on issues such as how the laptops are used and Internet research. Argues against a total virtual education and assesses the contribution of the laptops. (CMK)

Provides two interviews, one with Philip Bigler and another with Patricia Oldham. Both teachers share their ideals, strategies, and techniques, in an effort to identify teachers who have taught with excellence, dedication, and distinction and to help others learn from them. (CMK)

Surveyed students from the Open University (United Kingdom) about their expectations of their tutor's role in distance learning. Findings show that knowledge of student expectations allows tutors to adapt and improve their teaching strategies. Appendixes display results of pre- and postcourse interviews and questionnaires. (JMV)

Describes the author's experiences and their relation to the notion of educating the "whole student" expounded by student development theories. Suggests that one role educators must explore is that of assisting students in determining their own parameters and learning to accept responsibility for their decisions. (MAB)

Discusses the following six strategies for using positive discipline in the classroom: (1) develop appropriate limits; (2) teach expected behavior; (3) give cues for expected behaviors; (4) redirect behavior; (5) change situations by increasing options; and (6) change situations by decreasing options. Contrasts different caregiving styles and…

Despite government rhetoric, higher education lecturers and schoolteachers in the UK remain under pressure to focus on standards and measurement in the core curriculum at the relative expense of a wider and more creative education. This article argues that the balance needs redressing and explores the nature of creative teaching in the context of…

In this article, the author describes a technique she uses to achieve an autonomous student discussion. The technique involves setting up highly structured debates, whose content is informed by coherent sets of primary sources and whose form models one aspect of how professional historians work. Students are required to read about twenty to…

Using films to teach historical time periods, people, or events is not a new idea. In this article, the author contends that teachers who use film solely to teach historical facts or to test students' ability to stay awake miss an important opportunity to aid in the development of students' real historical understanding. Instead, teachers should…