An Illinois College of Optometry faculty development project focuses on improvement of classroom teaching methods. Topics that have been addressed to date include improving lecture skills, a lecture teaching lab, case-based laboratories, promoting student problem-solving in clinical situations, effective feedback and supervision, and the student…

Lessons learned while reforming the core curriculum at the College of Saint Catherine (Minnesota) are outlined, including: broad ownership of the curriculum by faculty is essential; sometimes curriculum issues are more about faculty than students; a means for arriving at consensus must be devised; planning should take the curriculum through its…

To study the importance of acknowledging cultural factors when retraining teacher educators in developing nations, researchers examined the learning experiences of teacher educators and inservice teachers in Papua New Guinea. Results highlighted how educators handled incongruencies between their own beliefs about teaching and learning and those…

Two portfolio projects were initiated at Montana State University to address the need for increasing teacher development opportunities in rural areas. Projects involved the use of portfolios to document and reflect on the teaching experiences of preservice special educators and general educators working towards special education certification.…

Presents seven brief papers reflecting workshops given at the 1994 Meeting of the Association of American Geographers. Each workshop presented a teaching module concerning issues in medical geography. Methodological issues included interpretations of vital statistics and epidemiological diffusion. Theoretical issues included womens' health data…

Traces the history of the interdisciplinary approach to art education in Hungary. Begins with the acceptance of the Kodaly method in the 1970s during the communist regime. Continues with Hungarian independence and the adoption of the National Core Curriculum in the early 1990s. Includes a concise explanation of Hungary's educational system. (MJP)

Reviews studies that defined and measured the effects of quality in early child care and education, and analyzes successful programs to determine common traits. Common characteristics include small class sizes; teacher support for greater teaching effectiveness; long-lasting intervention; ongoing, child-focused communication between home and…

Results of an investigation of the construct validity of measurements of social and academic competencies of 175 3rd graders, 193 7th graders, and 159 11th graders made by the students themselves, teachers, parents, and peers suggest that researchers should consider making greater use of parent ratings for elementary school students. (SLD)

Presents the Virtual Reference Desk project, its activities, and a proposed information system architecture to build a human intermediated network of expertise and experience. The project seeks to study, support, and improve current K-12 digital reference services, as well as to build a foundation for a national cooperative digital reference…

A study of 643 adolescents and 474 young adults explored relationships among young people's observations and opinions of exclusionary behavior and their reports of whether exclusion affects their social and academic adjustment. Findings indicated that, unlike young adults, adolescents' perceptions of, and attitudes about, school ecologies…

The Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, a venture of the California State University, Fresno, and the University of California, illustrates effective ways to enhance technological literacy among doctoral students through technology-assisted small-group communication. The study draws on data from exit interviews with program…

Examined longitudinally the cognitive and adaptive behavior development of children with disabilities and their families' adaptation over time. Found that children's type of disability predicted trajectories in development of cognition and social and daily living skills. Type of disability also predicted changes in maternal (but not paternal)…

Presents five articles on health and safety of caregivers: (1) "Taking Care of Caregivers: Wellness for Every Body" (Aronson); (2) "Caregiver Mental Health" (Aronson); (3) "Show and Tell: Modeling Healthy Behaviors and Attitudes" (Rafanello); (4) "Preventing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries" (Wortman);…

Describes School Health Policies and Programs Study 2000 physical education (PE)-related findings about state-, district-, and school-level requirements and policies, standards and guidelines, student assessment, evaluation, PE for students with disabilities, collaboration, staffing and professional preparation, recess, and interscholastic sports…

This longitudinal study assessed the role of afterschool program (ASP) participation in the development of child obesity and peer acceptance in a sample of 439 children. Most participants lived in poverty and were Hispanic or African American. Measurements of height and weight determined obesity status and peer acceptance was assessed through…