Tested the effectiveness of interactive cable television in disseminating new teaching ideas among elementary school teachers. Found an increase in the diversity of new ideas within word groups, but the increase was regulated by the group's interpersonal communication or "intermediation." Discusses conditions under which communication…

Presents several guidelines for creating lessons to teach critical thinking skills, a model lesson using these guidelines, and an analysis of the teaching strategies within the lesson that illustrates how the guidelines are applied. (HOD)

Presents four teachers' view on the role of Christianity in literature discussions. Suggests that the importance of Christianity in the formation of Western values and the development of Western literature cannot be ignored. (MM)

Sixty learning disabled students, aged 12 to 24, were assigned to experimental and control conditions, with experimentals experiencing discussions (e.g., obstacles to academic success) led by teachers trained in reality therapy. Among results of multivariate analysis are that experimentals attained higher academic aspirations and lower anxiety…

Against the background of the variety of language teaching methods currently in use, the actual daily classroom situation and the communication rituals it adopts are examined. Teachers are encouraged to draw on and expand classroom communication practices. (MSE)

Describes a program for teaching teachers to help children understand the special needs of handicapped children through the use of group discussions, agency experts, handicapped guests, role playing activities, visual aids, and field trips. (SB)

Describes the development of a groupwork program in an agency that had provided treatment through casework alone. (Author/SB)

The voices of college students and teachers vividly enlighten readers about the real-world challenges of multicultural education. Courses on diversity abound in American universities today. But open classroom discussion of racial and gender differences can evoke discomfort as much as new understandings. Negotiating these courses takes a toll on…

In the Fall of 2003, the Pennsylvania Build Initiative convened a Rate Policy Task Force to broadly examine the issue of child care rates and make recommendations for action. The Task Force goal was two-fold: (1) to suggest ways that the rate and payment process currently used by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) can better…

This book looks at an issue which is at the heart of every classroom, the role that talk plays in children's learning. Drawing on a substantial research base, the book provides useful suggestions to facilitate successful talk between teachers and children to improve learning and raise standards. Through analysing the talk that goes on in primary…

This What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) report examines the effect of "Instructional Conversations and Literature Logs" used in combination. The goal of "Instructional Conversations" is to help English language learners develop reading comprehension ability along with English language proficiency. "Instructional…

"Connecting with the Arts: A Workshop for Middle Grades Teachers" is a video workshop for middle school teachers of the arts and other subjects. The workshop includes eight hour-long video programs and a companion workshop guide and Web site. The workshop shows middle school teachers why and how to integrate the arts (dance, music, theatre, and…

The most fundamental ideas ingrained in U.S. culture are the notions of freedom and democracy. The United States Constitution guarantees certain inalienable rights and protections. However, a person only needs to read "The Chronicle of Higher Education" since the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center (New York) and the…

This book is a guide is for school practitioners who want to know more about planning and conducting focus groups as an aid to decision-making. It emphasizes practical and cost-effective ways to ensure accurate results. After defining the focus group, chapter 1 offers ways focus groups can be used in schools and reasons for using them. Chapter 2…

This paper develops an initial theory of teachers' conceptions of classroom discussion. The paper examines the thoughts of six social studies teachers from suburban and urban high schools concerning characteristics and purposes of classroom discussions and factors that seem to influence teachers' uses of these conceptions. In-depth interviews and…