Though teacher educators are obliged to present promising innovations, they should present them as possibilities, not absolutes. Current trends toward one-size-fits-all instructional methods, with teacher educators taking simplified conceptions of current topics and presenting them as dogma, set new teachers up for frustration and failure.…

A framework is provided for creating learning environments that maximize the potential of all students, and methods are presented for transforming teaching and learning to improve the achievement of students from diverse backgrounds. The determination of "goodness" in schools is redefined and the shifting roles of education leadership are…

Discusses a computer teacher's incorporation of hand-held computer technology into her third- and fifth-grade students' study of acid rain. The project successfully brought two grade levels together for cross-grade research, provided an opportunity for classroom teachers and technology specialists to work collaboratively, and enhanced students'…

Provides guidelines for establishing a partnership between a community college and a single high school or school district. Outlines the steps necessary for developing a concurrent enrollment program, focusing on program goals, staffing requirements, program maintenance, and institutional benefits. Discusses how to maintain quality and meet the…

For three decades, special education researchers have sought a solid epistemological foundation for their disability research. Following the lead of the philosophical tradition of American pragmatism, this article sets aside the search for epistemological foundations to conduct research of practical utility and democratic purpose. This article…

This article aims to contribute to the theory of mathematics instruction by highlighting and analysing Leen Streefland's work as a teacher in a primary school. Core ideas of Streefland's are discussed as part of a recent wave of educational innovations using the idea of learning communities. I present a case study of a lesson co-taught by…

In this commentary, we examine the articles in this special issue in terms of a continuum of research to practice strategies currently used in school psychology. On one end of the continuum is the "publish and hope" approach, and at the other end is the "change the organization to fit the innovation" approach. We present the concept of innovation…

Community colleges face a variety of challenges as they seek to expand innovative and effective uses of technology. This chapter discusses questions that must be answered as colleges move into the next phase of distance education.

A commitment to either traditional or innovative education practice virtually defines the professional identities of most educators, writes Ferrero. Traditional practices emphasize basic skills, ability grouping, subject-matter disciplines, academic mastery, standardized testing, and a canonical curriculum; innovative practices focus on…

Dual degree programmes are becoming increasingly common at universities, especially in the USA. A dual degree programme at the University of Arizona now includes the additional and systematic study of the critical field of entrepreneurship by students studying for dual degree qualifications in business and science or engineering. All participants…

Collegiality was cited in the post-McCrone Agreement as a vital quality for a professional teaching force in Scotland in the twenty-first century. The Agreement directed schools to henceforth operate more collegially and it was anticipated that this recommendation, alongside the new two-tier promotion system, would facilitate the transformation of…

If the nation's economy over the past 10 years can be described as a roller coaster, North Carolina was riding in the first car. The 1990s offered the promise of North Carolina's moving to the forefront of the nation's prosperity, since it outranked most states on many positive indices and outranked other southern states on most of them. North…

For years, experts have said that the way to get things done is to schedule them on the calendar and to find a partner to join in the effort. Following this advice, the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) joined the Leadership Initiative at WestEd in inviting superintendents and district teams to think through improving…

This article reports a theoretical examination of several parallels between contemporary instructional technology (as manifest in one of its most current manifestations, online learning) and one of its direct predecessors, programmed instruction. We place particular focus on the underlying assumptions of the two movements. Our analysis suggests…

Universities increasingly adopt innovative teaching models, which focus on the development of skills instead of the reproduction of knowledge. These new teaching models emphasise the importance of knowledge application and the development of competencies. Yet, using these teaching methods usually implies a high assessment burden for lecturers.…