A study explored the effectiveness of "rap music" as a method of instruction for urban preschool children. It was hypothesized that urban preschool children would learn more new content (10 unfamiliar names of body parts) in a classroom environment through the use of rap music for instruction, than would children who received instruction…

This paper reports on an innovative five-day training program for foreign language teaching assistants (TAs) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). The program developed out of a perceived need to train graduate students better for the teaching profession and to develop colleague support. In the UW program, the French and Italian, German,…

Elaborated as a response to a traditional set of secondary school poetry examinations that are called "sterile and outmoded," this report resulted from a series of seminars held in England by literature educators. The report offers extensive guidelines for modernizing the exams, examples of student critical writing about particular poems, and…

The background and objectives of the 1985-1986 Transportation Education Project of the Urban Mass Transportation Agency (UMTA) are discussed, along with project activities. The project was undertaken to transfer knowledge gained from federally-sponsored research and demonstrations to transit systems and to include the knowledge in college courses…

A study was conducted in Wisconsin to determine which electronic technologies were currently in place, being implemented, and/or being considered for implementation in the state's 16 Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education (VTAE) districts. All 16 of the VTAE districts were surveyed in order to describe the electronic technologies currently…

The institution of school has developed to the extent that it is no longer only important to the lives of those in society and to the society as a whole, it is vital. In the last decade, the "deschoolers" have argued that school is no longer appropriate and in serving the society it does not adequately serve the individual. School, as it…

Assembled from perceptual data gathered from questionnaires, this report outlines teachers' and administrators' opinions based on their first year's experience teaching handwriting (the Beginner's Alphabet) to first grade children using a new syllabus. Nine supporting tables are included and response statistics are detailed (Appendix 1 contains…

An extensive literature exists on what makes good teachers, focusing on their characteristics, their behaviors in the classroom, and the effects they have on their students. This literature points to three groups as being currently involved in defining good teachers: students, who, as research demonstrates, are reliable observers, fair and…

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) aim to improve upon previous computer-aided instruction programs by embedding much of the expert knowledge that good human teachers possess. While ITS research has a practical goal of developing programs that assist students in learning, there is little data on their instructional effectiveness. This paper…

The changes brought on by modern technology and the information explosion it supports are revolutionary. The manufacturing industry has always had a commitment to new processes and new technology. Investment in improving productivity through the application of technology is, however, new to the office. Provision of training has become a major…

Part I of this brief document outlines seven opportunities provided for Pittsburgh secondary teachers by the Schenley High School Teacher Center. These opportunities include observing exemplary instructional activities in a real setting, practicing new skills and techniques, receiving feedback on that practice, and translating theory into…

Beginning with a review of the increasing literature concerning job-related teacher stress, this study examines the particular stress and burnout experiences of school teachers in Venezuela since the incorporation by law in 1980 of "Educacion Basica" (basic education) as a new level of the school system (grades 1-9). To compare teachers…

This collection of essays focuses on contemporary issues for two-year college education related to instruction, students, and faculty. The following essays are included: (1) "Entrance Testing at Community Colleges," by Patricia McElroy; (2) "Academic Advising in the Community College," by Ann Houpt; (3) "New Jersey Community College General…

Since 1983, the Educational Technology Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education has studied the uses of computers and other technologies to improve K-12 instruction in science, mathematics, and computing. Collaborative research groups--including scientists and mathematicians, practicing teachers, learning theorists, and software…

The Rural Education and Agriculture Program (REAP) was initiated in response to perceived deficiencies in the rural primary schools of Belize. Since its inception in 1976, REAP has moved through two of its anticipated three phases (Pilot Phase, July 1976-June 1979; District-Level Phase, July 1979-June 1982). REAP integrates academic subjects with…