This report examines the efforts of several visionary partnerships that have pioneered in bringing Head Start and child care services together for the children in their programs. While the partnerships vary in scope and design, all of the initiatives discussed in this report provide comprehensive services to children and families, including:…

Arguing that whenever new technology is adopted, instructors should always consider the purpose of promoting study. This Digest offers suggestions about using the computer as a study and learning aid. The Digest first discusses independent study, collaborative study, and interdisciplinary work with the help of the computer. The Digest then…

Differences among students can yield rich benefits as well as pose difficult problems during collaborative learning. Students can draw on diverse individual experiences to exchange information, to understand different expressions of shared commonalities, and to construct new possibilities jointly. However, they also face the potential pitfalls of…

Critical reflection refers to an adaptation of civic literacy theory by educators seeking to promote the development of learning communities, taking an analytical approach to educational institutions. Critical reflection is being combined with the praxis approach, which stresses investigating issues, acting based on findings, subjecting outcomes…

This paper describes one teacher's use of cooperative learning techniques to increase motivation in her students. After briefly describing the problem of student motivation, reviewing the literature that addresses the topic, and noting the characteristics of the class and students, the paper provides a detailed discussion of the teaching methods…

Compiled from information contained in the Program Year 1994-95 Annual Narrative Performance Reports submitted by states to the U.S. Department of Education, this paper shares selected information on recent developments in volunteerism in adult education. The paper is organized into three sections. Selected states are highlighted in each section.…

Compiled from information contained in the Program Year 1994-95 Annual Narrative Performance Reports submitted by states to the U.S. Department of Education, this update shares selected information on recent developments in family literacy programs. Section 1 provides information on new or existing collaborations in these states: Colorado,…

This report discusses the results of a study that assessed the current system of health care for children with chronic conditions in a staff-model health maintenance organization (HealthPartners) setting. The project interviewed 35 parents of children with chronic conditions, completed a financial analysis of 410 children within eight categories…

The Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN) has developed this manual of background information and activities for teachers and students who are interested in adding a cross cultural component to their watershed education program, or who wish to include an environmental context to their cross cultural experience. The instructional…

Authorized by the National Literacy Act of 1991, state literacy resource centers (SLRCs) are charged with assisting local public and private nonprofit efforts to enhance literacy. SLRCs have developed innovative approaches to their mandate to stimulate the coordination of literacy services. They have encouraged government and industry…

It is difficult for a student to understand small group communication and the role communication plays in making an experience a positive or negative one until he or she is actually involved in small group experience. Such goes the argument for experiential learning in the classroom. By incorporating a service-learning component into the…

The two-track system that divides academic education from vocational education no longer supports students' interests. This book describes a practical approach to integrating academic and vocational education, focusing on achieving a seamlessly integrated curriculum. Chapter 1 describes the rationale of a high school program--the Cocoa Academy for…

Based on a longer report with the same title, this digest summarizes research on the use of experiential learning in higher education, focusing on classroom-community linkages. While the literature suggests that experiential learning is a necessary and vital component of formal instruction in colleges and universities, controversy exists among…

This monograph presents personal insights gained during the teaching of a course in elementary mathematics teaching methods. The class was developed on the premise that children are active constructors of mathematical meaning. The course consisted of teaching sessions, action research projects, and demonstrations. To assess student learning from…

A project was conducted in Georgia to improve the quality of youth apprenticeship programs by identifying and validating a benchmarking system leading toward the establishment of a set of common, valued quality components and indicators for use by local educational agencies. Project activities were undertaken to accomplish the following: (1)…