For David E. Kirkland, the New English Education locates English language arts in the realities of youth, where texts emerge from students' lives, and the notions of reading and writing in English classrooms are open to revision. Kirkland reflects on how "postmodern Black experience, especially as seen in hip-hop, gives English teachers one way of…

This article focuses on the use of portfolios for learning and professional development in Higher Education (HE). Recent research findings related to learning and assessment help to contextualize the study. The use of portfolios for summative assessment and development of teaching and reflective practice dominates the literature. What is lacking…

This chapter considers whether there are grounds for believing that an inquiry-based approach to teaching and educational development will enhance practice. (Contains 1 table.)

From the perspective of years in the classroom, Jago shares her journey of reflective teaching that led to a strong belief that all students need the "language of literature" incorporated into daily instruction. Having the vocabulary of intellectual thought at their disposal helps students think through complex issues and express their questions…

This article explores the development of a generative, research-based approach to mentoring initial teacher training students in a Training School/university partnership. Drawing on data from mentors, trainees and pupils it describes two phases of development, both of which use video recordings of participants' classroom practice to stimulate…

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) professionals can have a positive impact on the human condition of individuals and families living in poverty. However, to fully understand the issues of poverty, professionals need exposure to the issues and concentrated time to examine poverty through research, issue analysis, and reflection. This article…

In order to effectively meet the needs of families, this paper argues that there is a need for people working in the arena of family support to incorporate theory and research into their practice and to engage in a process of reflective practice. An inter-disciplinary cyclical model of training for experienced family support practitioners is…

How many technology teachers reflect on their teaching each and every day? How many technology teachers ask themselves the hard questions surrounding student learning and their own teaching? How many technology teachers ask their students for feedback on a daily basis? In this article, the author shares her personal story about reflective…

Research on staff development suggests that teachers are more likely to benefit from training if they are able to learn on their own. This paper examines staff development for early childhood professionals, focusing on the need for an individualized approach and applying the findings to preschool education in Singapore. The paper considers the…

As soon as new teachers entered schools and classrooms, they seemed to be sorely frustrated with trying to make sense of what to do. They described a deep sense of being lost and not knowing which way to turn to find their way. The question was how to support them to realize the power and promise of drawing upon what they already knew about…

A teacher educator and artist explores alternate ways to think of teaching as a creative endeavor. This paper brings together the voices of Appalachian craftswomen and the wisdom of educator and philosopher John Dewey to create a patchwork that celebrates the common threads of quiltmaking and teaching. Interviews with West Virginia craftswomen and…

Notes that one of the major challenges facing a new teacher is reconciling all of the education and research with moment-by-moment real-life classroom action. Converts what the authors have learned from students into a set of seven guidelines that should be given to every graduating student teacher. (SG)

Analyzed how instructors designed courses to embrace the scholarship of teaching and learning. Case studies and qualitative analyses of data revealed that some are approaching teaching as an investigative process: informed by multiple assessment methods, they explored how changes in course designs can improve student learning and development. (EV)

Presents findings from an Australian study that examined experienced teachers' reflective practice by asking whether a new approach generated from aspects of poststructuralism can help teachers move to more critical reflection. While earlier research indicated that very few preservice teachers challenged assumptions on which their own visually and…

Presents the author's ideas about teaching in the form of a letter to his students. Gives his message in the form of a story. Focuses on a reverence for questions, an acceptance of solitude, and a commitment to reflectiveness. (SG)