Describes the work of the Learning Technology Unit at Queen's University, a midsized research university in Canada, which provides a selection of activities to engage faculty in thinking about educational technologies. A Learning Technology Team brings faculty, librarians, technical support people, and others together to support faculty use of…

Presents a brief history of charter schools, summarizes important elements, discusses key lessons from the charter school movement, and explores some unanswered questions. Charter schools can positively affect student achievement, attendance, and attitude; often focus on low- and moderate-income youngsters; provide talented educators with…

Although seriously needing clarification and cleanup, California's charter legislation is demonstrating its capacity as an educational policy power tool. The legislation favors strong elements of the existing system, including dedicated, forward-thinking staff, boards, and union leaders. Weak elements--micromanaging boards, unsupportive central…

Based on a case study of two elementary teachers, this article describes a conceptual framework for teacher/facilitator collaboration that accounts for individual teachers' stages of development and their stages of concern for adopting an innovation. Teachers passed through a certain sequence of stages, but their movement was not always linear.…

Expresses concerns about the way Hiebert et al. (1996) characterized Dewey's approach to thinking and problem solving. It argues that Hiebert et al.'s interpretation of Dewey downplays the crucial role of ideas in the problem-solving process while simultaneously elevating "action, over doing" as the key element in promoting greater…

The development and scoring of a recently introduced computer-based writing skills test is described. The test asks the examinee to edit a writing passage presented on a computer screen. Scoring difficulties are addressed through the combined use of option weighting and the sequential probability ratio test. (SLD)

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Teatro Runa traveled through Bolivia's rural villages and urban neighborhoods, implementing its "theater and education" project. The project aimed to train teachers to use theater, puppets, and music in the classroom; promote techniques that allow for different ways of learning; and restore…

A physics teacher in a technical high school describes how he teaches outside the book through lab involvement, student projects, and thematic lessons. Describes a roller coaster construction project. (JOW)

Introduces "shtick" leadership (effective leadership characterized by profound ideas that have an enormous impact on the educational world) and illustrates this leadership style by exploring the contributions of four exemplary educational leaders. Asserts that "shtick" (defined as utilizing a special talent) leadership is needed to ensure that…

The Fund for the Improvement and Reform of Schools and Teaching (FIRST) was created in 1988 to encourage and reward innovative educational projects. The subsidiary Family/School Partnership program awards federal grants to local education agencies promoting a better balance between home and school education practices. This article lists grant…

Conclusions of the five-year Pyramid Project, designed to implement gifted education recommendations of the Richardson Study in four Texas school districts, are reported. Flexible pacing was successfully implemented in a variety of ways, including enrichment in regular and special classes and acceleration. (DB)

Presents six areas--new goals, curriculum materials, teaching strategies, evaluation, teacher education, and implementing change--addressed in this special issue. Asserts that the weakness of schools in preparing students to observe, think, investigate, and take action has resulted in the need to focus on these areas. (MW)

Some of the ways in which a system of program evaluation works to suppress diversity, innovation, and nonconformist approaches in the search for knowledge are discussed. The Ontario experience calls into question the appropriateness of a total system-wide application of the connoisseurship model. (MLW)

School organization and incentive structures help thwart large-scale adoption of innovative educational practices. Evidence from the progressive movement and past curriculum reform efforts suggest that wide-scale reforms are ineffective under current conditions. Change requires external normative structures, organizations that focus intrinsic…

Rapid changes in health sciences necessitate frequent revision of nursing curricula. A system that prioritizes health issues by such factors as magnitude, quality of life, duration of illness, case fatality rate, and concurrent burdens can help determine essential curriculum content. (SK)