Those who teach in the field of English and the language arts have seen their subject and their teaching enter the discourse of politics and become the topoi for popular discussions about the crisis in public education--they find themselves caught in a rising tide of public opinion against what they stand for intellectually and professionally.…

This paper discusses techniques and strategies to improve the effectiveness of distance education delivered via interactive video telecommunication. Advantages and disadvantages of three types of interactive video--telephone linkage, end-to-end fiber optic digital transmission, and satellite broadcasts--are briefly discussed. Prebroadcast…

This document provides a summative evaluation of an ongoing collaborative professional development project that focuses on a course in experimental science learning. Project goals include: (1) providing elementary school teachers with a professional development program for science education that is grounded in the National Science Education…

The fields of instructional supervision, adult development, teacher education and mentoring, and ongoing professional development are synthesized in this text. Examples and case studies are drawn from local systems in North Carolina as well as state, national, and international public school/university consortia to identify emerging trends in…

This collection of essays by child advocates explores three interconnected facets of the child care and education field: the broad sociocultural contexts influencing the development of young children and their families, the evolution of specific settings or programs where care and education occur, and the emerging consciousness of early childhood…

These four newsletter issues provide information on family literacy and literacy education programs. Each 16-page issue includes several feature articles; descriptions of literacy conferences and seminars; updates on the National Family Literacy Project; descriptions of successful family literacy programs; coming events; a list of National Center…

Portfolio design is integrated as an early project in the teacher education curriculum at the University of Idaho. The project provides students with a first experience in gathering and organizing data for the purpose of tracking professional growth and development. It also provides faculty with an authentic assessment tool. The portfolio causes…

Case-based teaching in some fields offers competition experiences as prestigious professional benchmarks and development experiences in professional preparation. Case-based team competition in teacher education can offer possibilities for preservice professional growth and development. Case-based teaching also has a natural fit with constructivist…

This bulletin, a collection of essays, provides preservice, beginning, and experienced social studies teachers with provocative ideas for and a realistic look at the challenges of developing curriculum through collaboration between elementary/secondary teachers and university professors. The book begins with an introductory essay by the editors.…

This paper discusses how self assessment can be used to promote faculty awareness about the effectiveness of their instructional methods and materials in a non-threatening, positive atmosphere, and thereby, promote team-building. Through the vehicle of self-evaluation, facilitated by a self-assessment questionnaire on which faculty rate their…

California Early Literacy Learning (CELL) and Extended Literacy Learning (ExLL) are professional development programs designed to help elementary teachers strengthen their teaching of reading and writing. Research-based teaching methodologies are organized into a framework for classroom instruction. CELL training (pre-K-Grade 3) emphasizes that…

Despite their prominence, the voices of superintendents are rarely heard regarding their personal triumphs and challenges in educational administration and serving the needs of students. Chapter 1, "A Look at the Featured Superintendents," introduces 14 superintendents and reviews their careers. Chapter 2, "The Good: Dealing With…

This book presents a process and framework designed to improve the chances that administrators will learn within the context of leading. It shows administrators how to use portfolios to develop their philosophy and leadership, zero in on goals, create plans and participate in professional development, coach peers, and assess and articulate what…

Over a six-year period, a team of staff members in a high school in the Phoenix, Arizona area explored ways to improve student success while simultaneously reducing instructional costs. Technology as a tool for change played a significant role in most of the solutions that were explored. Increasing access to computers and the Internet by students…

Noting that bullying in school is a growing concern in Australian communities, this handbook draws upon a 10-year study of bullying in Australian schools and is designed to help educators find out what is happening in their school and develop sound anti-bullying policies. The handbook also provides guidance in working effectively with students to…