Describes the difficulty in determining what core values should govern how middle level students are educated. Argues that doing what is best has to be grounded in something profound despite the difficulty in defining educational philosophy; concludes this is critical as educational agendas change and middle level education comes under fire. (SD)

Discusses the college experience in terms of three educational models: the "faithful community" (with premodern suppositions), the "guild of inquirers" (with modern suppositions), and the "resource center" (with postmodern suppositions). Suggests a college's primary focus is an environment in which conditions for purposive action take precedence…

Discusses the "house" concept architectural design at Albert Lea High School (Minnesota) and how the design addresses the community's 21st Century educational goals. Photos and a floor plan are included. (GR)

Presents a provisional framework for the STELLA (Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia), which identifies broad dimensions of teaching together with groupings of related attributes derived from teachers' narratives. (RS)

Two judgments frame current professional development concerns: teacher learning as the heart of any educational reform effort, and inservice training as sorely inadequate. Existing professional development resources are meager and ineffectively deployed. This article introduces a special "Kappan" section that explores promising alternative…

Considers the need for renewal of library instruction and provides 10 sample assignments. Topics include the reaffirmation of the goals of library instruction; the use of the real world for examples; collaboration with faculty, students, and other librarians; and relevance. (Author/LRW)

Uses information from the 1994 Education and Research Professional Interest Committee Focus Group of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) and from questionnaires to outline educational goals and to suggest ways in which STC members and the Society can prepare undergraduate students for careers in technical communication in the next…

Describes the advantages of simulations over real-life tasks in courses in instructional materials development. Explains how to develop a simulation, including setting objectives, considering learning and gaming principles, and evaluation; and discusses simulation as an experiential approach that is cost effective. (Contains 45 references.) (LRW)

Argues that the concept of quality is permeated by values and socially constructed to embody a modernist belief in the possibility of definitive and universal criteria that will offer certainty and order. Outlines other choices for evaluating early childhood services and their pedagogical work. (JPB)

Investigates the construct validity of the Clark-Trow typology and its two dimensional substrate with principal components analyses, clarifying their relationships to a variety of higher educational variables. Study provides a conceptual basis for understanding student objectives in the pursuit of higher education. (Contains 20 references and 2…

Online assessment must measure both learning objectives and application of knowledge. Many current assessment techniques can be modified for online use. Multiple methods, including assessment of interaction and student self-assessment, should be used. (SK)

Explores what morally reflective educational practice might look like, focusing on education as a relational human activity that has a moral dimension. Discusses: (1) instructional goals (development of character, cognitive skills, and disciplinary skills, and reintegration of knowledge); (2) pedagogy (for example, the hidden curriculum in…

Purposes several questions to help teachers and principals collaborate to find effective alternatives to traditional staff development, such as: What are our goals for our students? What is the best design for this learning? Briefly describes three alternatives: Teacher study groups, discussion of student work, and teacher-to-teacher coaching and…

Claims the argumentation or argumentation and debate course in American colleges and universities would be bolstered by a dual focus on possibilities for argumentation. Suggests a unit on negotiation would provide students with instruction and activities of clear potential benefit for public-sphere deliberation and professional development. (NH)

Presents assumptions, advantages, and disadvantages of three curriculum positions for teaching gerontology: (1) transmission (conveying facts); (2) transaction (developing cognitive skills and problem-solving abilities); and (3) transformation (facilitating personal and social change). Offers considerations for choosing positions: audience…