Starr Commonwealth has served troubled children and youth and their families for nearly a century. Starr's Montcalm Schools operate from campuses in Michigan and Ohio, enrolling students referred by families and educational consultants. The Montcalm Outdoor Challenge Program is a key part of Starr's network of nonprofit alternative education and…

This book explores the wide range of contexts in which research into creating connections in learning and teaching may take place. Creating connections can encompass making links, crossing divides, forming relationships, building frameworks, and generating new knowledge. The cognitive, cultural, social, emotional and/or physical aspects of…

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study that explored knowledge sharing among members of a community of practice (CoP) in a large, urban high school. Findings suggest that social relationships, informal channels, community culture, levels of trust, and spatial factors influence knowledge sharing, and that CoPs have the potential to…

Efforts to improve education, including the use of educational technology, are subject to factors within the context where the change is intended. In countries not typically classified as advanced, the change methods to be used, the probability of success, and even the ways of measuring achievement most likely will vary on the basis of cultural…

Twenty conference participants shared their experiences regarding how each had become involved in a process where significant learning was taking place. After all the experiences (stories) were told, the group collected the insights they had gained. These 50 morals sounded like platitudes or cliches; they had very little power without their…

Poor self-concept is identified as a cause of underachievement in gifted students. Teachers can build students' self-worth by building trust and acceptance through positive communication, by redirecting and modifying inappropriate and nonproductive behaviors, and by providing opportunities to explore interests. Classroom activities in each of…

Effective leadership involves management of (1) attention (through commitment to a vision), (2) meaning (communication of the vision), (3) trust, and (4) self. The effects of leadership--empowerment--are that people feel significant, learning and competence matter, and there is a sense of community. (SK)

Trust, in much the same way as hope, represents one of the essential components of a healthy upbringing. This article investigates the concept of trust as set forth in Eric Erikson's and Louise Kaplan's theories of basic trust, with particular emphasis on definition and development. The article analyzes some of the criteria that have been…

Discusses the importance of trust in leadership and organization in the middle level. Analyzes and measures school climate from the perspectives of organizational health on the teaching, administrative, and institutional levels. Subjects were 86 middle schools with data collected at regular meetings. Results indicated that trust and health…

States that trust is a necessary component of a student-teacher relationship for maximal learning to occur. Finds that highly assertive teachers did well with assertive students but fared poorly with less assertive students. Concludes that the positive relationship of teacher responsiveness with student trust was not affected by differing levels…

Examines extent to which principal leadership for professional development at four urban elementary schools addressed three aspects of school organizational capacity: teachers' knowledge, skills, and disposition; professional community; and program coherence. Finds, for example, that effective principals can sustain high levels of capacity by…

Rural schools by structure and philosophy match the expectations and description of a learning community. Establishing a learning community in a rural school can create an atmosphere that encourages committed educators to grow through trust, respect, and collegiality. Recommendations are given for establishing high quality, ongoing professional…

Observations of and interviews with a class of adult learners using an organizational behavior simulation explored how they applied difficult concepts within an ill-structured environment. Group competition inhibited communication and application of knowledge; in an atmosphere of trust, learners empower themselves, enabling articulation of…

Building, maintaining, and strengthening the board/superintendent relationship requires clear mutual expectations, consistent communication, and trust. Improvement-minded superintendents should develop six good habits: removing surprises from meetings, following up on routine assignments, developing and following guidelines for contacting board…

Suggests that the role of mentors versus cooperating teachers is increasingly viewed as important in guiding student teachers' work in the field, explaining mentoring as a relationship rather than a role involving preconceived duties. It conceives mentoring as a journey that describes a unique relationship between mentors and student teachers and…