The professional teaching and learning cycle (PTLC) is a professional development process in which teachers collaboratively plan and implement lessons aligned to their state standards. This process is an important part of the Working Systemically approach, designed by SEDL to improve a school system's capacity to increase student achievement.…

As the incomes of affluent and poor families have diverged over the past three decades, so too has the educational performance of their children. But how exactly do the forces of rising inequality affect the educational attainment and life chances of low-income children? In "Whither Opportunity?" a distinguished team of economists,…

This "Infobrief" explores the five key components of ASCD's High School Reform Proposal: (1) multiple measures of assessment; (2) personalized learning strategies; (3) flexible use of time and structure; (4) new professional development models for teachers and school leadership; and (5) business and community engagement. Each of these components…

The primary benefit of providing out-of-class online quizzes in a face-to-face class is to gain more in-class time. A study designed to investigate this issue was conducted during the Spring 2006 and Spring 2007 semesters. Thirty-one and 34 Corporate Finance undergraduate students from each semester, and 33 and 36 Investments undergraduate…

This article explores the benefits and challenges of blended learning in higher education from the perspective of students, faculty, and administration that have had direct experience with this form of course delivery. Students indicate that a blended learning model provides them with greater time flexibility and improved learning outcomes but…

The purpose of this study was to identify and prioritize the factors influencing the university faculty's use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI). A survey questionnaire was constructed and administered to faculty members of a leading university in Singapore. The subjects were 62 respondents representing two groups: 26 from education and 36…

Scarce resources, changing customer expectation, and the changing role of top management are all factors that have contributed to the implementation of total quality management (TQM) in libraries. Instructional articles, conferences, and videos can alleviate some concerns of cost and time commitment. Many libraries already practice some of the…

This book studies work in the United States and Germany from two new viewpoints: (1) the division of work time into hours per day and days per week (as opposed to the standard analysis of weekly hours of work); and (2) the patterns of the particular times of the day and week when people are working, a focus on instantaneous time use. Information…

This report is an excerpt from the National Education Commission On Time and Learning Final Report, "Prisoners of Time," published in April, 1994. In it, the Commission concludes that the reform movement of the last decade is destined to founder unless it is able to harness more time, and better management thereof, for learning. The…

The New Youth Entrepreneur curriculum is a series of 12 youth-oriented educational modules containing instructional materials, learning activities, and checkup exercises designed to teach students key elements of entrepreneurship. This document is the eleventh module, and focuses on issues related to managing the day-to-day affairs of a small…

The purpose of this study was to compare the teaching of preservice teachers in both a controlled and a natural setting prior to student teaching. Data were collected on single lessons of each subject (n=14) who taught in a peer teaching microlesson and a lesson within units taught at a local high school. Subject matter was controlled so that each…

A curriculum of "Special Topics" for workplace education programs was developed. Project staff took into account former participants' suggestions and recommendations for workshop topics and brainstormed ideas for inclusion into the curriculum. Both commercially produced and instructor-made materials on stress management, communication…

This keynote lecture evaluates the national curriculum for primary education in England and Wales that has been in the process of being implemented since 1987. It critiques six assumptions that have been relied on in the implementation of the curriculum and offers, with caveats, six steps toward solution or amelioration. The national curriculum as…

A seminar assessed the status of primary education in Nepal. "Efficiency Issues in the Primary Education System in Nepal" (I. P. Upadhyay) examined the causes and consequences of efforts to expand access to primary education in a resource-efficient manner. "Current Perspectives on Educational Efficiency" (David Chapman)…

This issue of "Insights into Open Education" presents three short articles dealing with teaching poetry, English instruction, and the concept of time. The first article, "Teaching Poetry Tips" (Gem Reid), discusses the author's experiences conducting a week-long poetry workshop for a class of 30 second graders. The second…