A survey of 405 adults and interviews with 19 showed the majority of learning experiences were informal. For learning to be significant, it must personally affect the learner by expanding skills or causing a transformation, and it must be subjectively valued by the learner. (SK)

Motivated by American Federation of Teachers President Al Shanker, St. Paul, Minnesota, educators created a retooled, transformed school requiring all students to become responsible for their own learning. The result is a technology-rich, textbook-free environment that is also high-teach and high-touch and stresses close ties to business people…

The use of field trips for both conceptual and factual learning and affective objectives is discussed. Discussions on the general perception of field trips, perceptions from the perspective of research, implications for science education, and conclusions are presented. (KR)

Mary Lyon was the founder of Mount Holyoke College and a pioneer in science education. She was an early proponent of the laboratory method of teaching, disseminating it throughout nineteenth-century schools. Lyon established a distinguished chemistry faculty and founded an excellent department which has trained many women chemists. (SM)

Applications of the Foxfire approach to vocational education include opportunities to learn a variety of skills in the context of work, showing the connection between traditional culture and skills, and giving students control of their learning with teacher direction. (SK)

A children's book author describes how to help students blend bookmaking techniques and the writing process to create a classroom hardback library full of unique publications. The project requires inexpensive, easily accessible materials and results in impressive finished products. (SM)

Examines benefits of three models for evaluating outdoor adventure programs: program monitoring with debriefings and check-offs; experimental evaluation; and qualitative, naturalistic observation. Illustrates and compares approaches using California 4-H adventure ropes course. Examines data's specificity, assumptions, ambiguities, and followup.…

Suggests that the most effective way to motivate student enthusiasm and interest in the social studies classroom is through the use of educational simulations. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of simulations, and presents three of the most effective commercial simulations available today. (DB)

Maintains the audiotape recorder is an invaluable tool for the local historian. Outlines interviewing techniques, questioning skills, and audiotape recorder use instructions. Provides suggestions for preparing students for an oral history project. Discusses second interviews and how to utilize the tape after the interview. (RW)

Presented is an asymptotic approach to "authentic" science. Discussed are the following aspects of science: personal science, private science, public science, historical science, societal science, technological science, and the aims of science. (KR)

Describes successes achieved in the use of active video techniques and discusses their potential contributions to science education on a national scale. (PR)

Children learn best when given opportunities to connect facts and figures with real-world situations. The article describes two class projects that demonstrate authentic, holistic learning. One project involves planting a classroom garden, and the other explores the desert of the Southwest. (SM)

Studying global economic system helps middle-school students unravel complexities of world economics by focusing on other countries, their motivations as consumers, and their decision-making processes. By examining interrelationship of economics and everyday life, students can see their place in economic chain. Concepts such as marketing, stock…

Describes a model for teaching environmental education that includes progressive stages involving receptivity to learning, recognition of environmental ethics, and response to environmental issues through informed personal decisions. Discusses the importance of learner reflection and the moral dilemmas involved in teaching environmental education.…

Explains how training simulations can make on-the-job learning faster and safer by providing hands-on experience and controlled environments. Offers tips for assessing the costs and designing and effective simulation. (Author)