Suggests a method for teaching history as a means of exposing students to and enabling them to internalize historical definitions, theories, and uses. Lists topics that should be discussed in an introductory unit on the nature of history. Includes an appendix setting out a schedule of themes for the unit. (SG)

Discusses programs sponsored by groups that promote history instruction in the state of Maine. Reports recent developments concerning Maine's social studies curriculum. Underscores the significance of and financial problems facing "Maine's Common Core of Learning," a program setting out what the state's youth should know in the…

Discusses Hilda Taba's ideas and influence on the social studies curriculum and her work on a project to develop instructional guides for social studies teachers. Explores the importance of developing multiple objectives and organizing subject matter into key concepts, organizing ideas, and specific facts. Recommends emphasis on thinking, people,…

Discusses that Gestalt principles are especially well suited to teaching music. Identifies the laws of proximity, similarity, common direction, and simplicity in the notation system. Suggests that music teachers use these principles by following a logical progression to teach students to improve musical skills, solve problems, and think in…

This introduction to five articles on literacy and deafness identifies issues concerned with standard literacy components and definitions, literacy assessments, literacy-related competencies for the workplace, literacy facilitators unique to deaf students, and implications for instruction of people with hearing impairments. (DB)

This paper discusses research on affective dimensions of foreign language instruction for gifted students, using Krathwohl's "Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Affective Domain" as a framework. The paper suggests behavioral objectives and specific activities to aid foreign language instruction at five levels: receiving, responding,…

This interview with Carolyn Callahan, an expert in gifted education, examines the process of program evaluation and other topics. It discusses how often evaluations should be done, differences between evaluating a relatively new program and a well-established program, inappropriate evaluation practices, program features parents should look for,…

A model was developed to prepare specialists in orientation and mobility (O&M) who work with people with visual impairments, with the specialists in turn training and supervising O&M assistants. The project developed curriculum guidelines, training methods, a national workshop, and regional seminars. (DB)

This paper proposes an instructional model for integrating cognitive strategy instruction and content area instruction when teaching students with learning disabilities in content area classes. In the model, teacher-mediated instructional devices and routines used to teach content area subjects serve as a basis for teaching students to…

A large-scale experimental content-based language curriculum developed over the last decade at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman is reported. The case study approach shows how content-based instruction can be applied in a situation where a more traditional English-for-Specific-Purposes approach would normally be employed. (44 references) (Author/LB)

Administered the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to three groups of university level composition students (21 basic writing students, 41 traditional first-year composition students, and 25 English-as-Second-Language students). MBTI personality type, writing measures, and relationships between composition measures and learning styles as measured by…

A discussion of the teaching of poetry begins with a brief look at attitude toward poetry within British educational institutions, followed by an assessment of the relationship between poetry teaching and teaching reading skills to children and foreign language learners. A new approach for teaching poetry is presented. (11 references) (Author/LB)

Discusses the techniques used by an author and illustrator of children's books in visits to elementary school classrooms. The techniques use humor in the form of words that have great sounds but do not necessarily mean anything to encourage children to write and illustrate their work. (BB)

Provides direction for developing better principal evaluation systems: presents a theoretical framework that categorizes evaluation tasks and reviews recent developments in principal evaluation that coincide with the tasks. The Personnel Evaluation Standards are reviewed, with suggestions for their application in assessing, selecting, and…

Reviews a collection of articles on role-based, outcome-based, standards-based, and structure-based approaches to assessing school principals' work, noting that the impact of the larger political and social context surrounding the school on the principal presents a formidable challenge in assessing the quality of the principal's work. (SM)