This opinion paper explores the use of computers in the U.S. Public Education System, concluding that technology is underutilized and not fulfilled most of the educational promises attributed to the tool. Drawing upon research and personal experience, the paper explores 8 possible reasons for the problem, including: the computer itself; not enough…

The term "numeracy" is used in the adult education community to include an array of mathematically related proficiencies that are evident in adults' lives and worthy of attention in adult education settings. This occasional paper attempts to describe the complex nature of numeracy as it exists today. All stakeholders--including policymakers,…

In this book, Marilyn Grady examines the twenty most critical mistakes principals make, and provides the strategies needed to avoid them. By surveying both teachers and administrators, and applying her own experiences as both teacher and a principal, the author examines the crucial errors from the following six key categories: (1) People…

Research shows conclusively that principals and other school leaders are essential to school improvement, and that these individuals benefit from the intensive, contextualized support that a coach or mentor can provide. But how does a coach support a school leader in mastering the professional and emotional challenges of school leadership for a…

The sourcebook is for those people who serve as administrators of adult basic, adult secondary, and/or adult English-for-speakers-of-other-languages (ESOL) programs, whether those programs are school-based, community-based, or community-college-based. This is one of the various tools developed through the National Center for the Study of Adult…

This paper is intended to contribute to the general literature on international teacher exchange in citizenship education. This paper was presented at the 48th Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society on March 11, 2004 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Methodology) The author reports on the content and evaluation of two…

Reforms to Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector over the past few years have brought about significant changes to the work of VET staff and the focus of their roles. This publication summarizes recent research into the changing roles of VET leaders, managers, teaching and support staff, and the way they work. The role of…

This handbook is designed to help school leaders use research on best literacy practices to create a well-defined intervention plan that not only will improve the literacy of all students but also the long-range academic success of students by enhancing their chances for postsecondary education and future employability. The handbook presents…

This paper addresses the question of how teachers learn from experience during their pre-service course and early years of teaching. It outlines a theoretical framework that may help us better understand how teachers' professional identities emerge in practice. The framework adapts Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, and Valsiner's Zone of…

In today's results-oriented, fast-moving business environment, it is critical for trainers to demonstrate the value of training to the organization: There is nothing inherently valuable about training. It is performance gains that training catalyzes that give it worth (Graber, 2000). This is why evaluations tied to business results are becoming…

This study examined student writing over the past decades. The National Study of Writing Instruction addressed questions through analyses of existing data sets, particularly those from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which include background questions on instructional practices in U.S. middle and high schools. NAEP…

A qualitative study was conducted interviewing eleven teachers and artists about their classroom experiences during artist residencies in participating schools. A conversation, from the vantage point of the teacher and artist, was created in both a narrative and a video product revealing the confines and collaborations present during artist…

The Data Collaborative Model (DCM) assembles assessment literacy, reflective practices, and professional development into a four-component process. The sub-components include assessing students, reflecting over data, professional dialogue, professional development for the teachers, interventions for students based on data results, and re-assessing…

Educators love to say it takes a village to raise a child. This task is accomplished through the skills, talents, and support of good teachers. This manual is designed to help school administrators help their teachers and students reach their maximum potential. It contains tools, tips, and guidelines that school leaders around the nation use to…

This book offers essential guidance to preservice and inservice teachers seeking to create, revise, and/or add new strategies to the teaching of the language arts block. The book's focus is on how to implement effective strategies in the context of a well-planned classroom and smoothly choreographed daily schedule. A series of case studies in the…