Abstracts and descriptions of SIG-sponsored sessions include: economics of Web connections, cross-language applications, K-12 digital libraries, research and career development, modeling research, ethics, global partnerships, indexing and classification, subject analysis research, intellectual property debates, information visualization, and…

The Wisconsin Emerging Scholars Program (WESP) is a nonremedial, multicultural workshop approach to learning calculus that emphasizes community and collaboration. This approach is designed to foster substantial participation of underrepresented ethnic minority students and alleviate the problems of isolation and lack of support in a large,…

Examines the role of second-language issues as a barrier to adequate science education for underrepresented groups in science and engineering. Also explores how current educational reform initiatives provide an opportunity for widespread change in how English-language learners (ELL) learn science. Examines several model projects that attempt to…

Explores the school-to-adult life transitions of special needs students in inclusive schools, investigating collaborative activities to facilitate transition. Profiles of three urban and rural high schools derived from administrator, teacher, parent, and student reports highlight consistent patterns in levels of collaboration exercised in working…

Considers relations between the official pedagogy of the writing program that the author administers and his administrative practices, to come to terms with the hidden curriculum of his situation. Argues for a shift from thinking about administration as masterful organization and implementation to conceiving of it as relational and receptive, a…

Drawing on a study of an experimental teacher education program, the paper recommends changes that prepare new teachers to assume greater leadership responsibility, particularly for collaborative curriculum design and implementation. Teacher educators must model these practices in teacher education coursework. A pedagogy of collective action…

Describes a study of fifth-grade Taiwanese students that examined the instructional effects of two grouping methods, cooperation with or without inter-group competition, on student academic achievement and pro-social behaviors in a computer-based science learning environment. Discusses implications for cooperative learning. (Author/LRW)

Interviews with six academically gifted students at Antioch College (Ohio) examined how Antioch's experiential learning program, which alternates study semesters with full-time work semesters, identified three themes: recognition of the responsibility for one's own learning; unique challenges made possible by experiential learning; and learning…

Describes how one school improved after a new principal put data-based decision making (via a detailed needs assessment) at the heart of school reform and staff development efforts, discussing the school's evolution. The paper examines key factors that support the effective use of data in schools: focus to answer questions, reflection to provide…

Forms part of a themed issue describing "Parent-Kid-Teacher Investigators," a program in which parents, children, and teachers gather regularly to use language and literacy for action research projects. Looks at the way involvement in the program nourished relationships among diverse individuals. Describes social relationships built at the…

Forms part of a themed issue describing "Parent-Kid-Teacher Investigators," a program in which parents, children, and teachers gather regularly to use language and literacy for action research projects. Discusses ways in which schools and families are alike in building a supportive environment for learning. Illustrates conditions contributing to…

Discusses the American Association of School Librarian's technology initiative, ICONnect. Components include the following: online courses on Internet use in schools; curriculum connections, providing links to resources and projects; KidsConnect, a question-answering/help/referral service for K-12; ICPrize, rewarding collaborative teams of…

Describes an effective model for a collaborative approach to designing integrated multimedia materials for language courses. The University of Winnipeg is successfully using the model to create a first-year French course. The model includes collaboration between departments, colleagues, and instructors with their students to design a…

Describes the use of PowerPoint software in a cooperative setting that allows inclusion students to create presentations as part of the learning process. Discusses equipment needed, audience, teacher and student preparation, and student evaluation, and includes examples of storyboards and worksheets. (Author/LRW)

Examines data from the collaborative discourse of both preservice teachers and elementary students engaged in small group work to get a clearer understanding of the conditions of effective discourse. Particular focus is on the relationship between discourse and peer group directed inquiry. (Author/VWL)