Peer action groups generally begin with adults who form a peer group because they are participating in the education or parenting of a common group of teenagers. This paper contains seven sections which address questions connected with establishing peer outreach groups for junior and senior high school students: (1) Who are "at-risk…

Intended for practitioners involved in working with groups in basic education, this book provides some ideas on suitable approaches. An introduction addresses where group work takes place and why a group approach is used. A discussion of starting points covers first meetings, planning and preparing, and teaching aids. A description of a group…

The literary theorist Terry Eagleton believes that literary study is the study of human discourse. To build on his idea for use in the classroom, it must first be assumed that literature constitutes a dialogue between the work (and its author) and the reader. The dialogue process can be introduced in a 2- to 4-week unit through a cluster of…

Student talk about mathematics will improve understanding. Ways that teachers can facilitate more student talk in their classrooms are presented. (PK)

Presents a contingency model for decision making with regard to needs analysis methods. Focus is on 12 methods with brief discussion of their defining characteristics and some operational guidelines for their use. (JOW)

A University of Rhode Island course in pharmaceutical law and ethics has been redesigned to allow time for small group discussions, role-playing and case studies. This format was developed to elevate learning activities above the recall level and to incorporate activities into the areas of personal and professional ethics. Learning levels and…

Advocates encouraging and incorporating student/teacher questioning interactions into social studies classrooms. Maintains that guided discussions and questioning techniques facilitate classroom management and appeal to a variety of learning styles. Includes extended examples of classroom discussions and questioning activities. (MJP)

This article describes an interdisciplinary classroom project in which ninth graders simulate a "World Council on Genetic Technology." Students in small groups take on the persona and interests of individuals from specific countries in the group effort to develop a covenant for regulating the use of biotechnology. The benefits of having gifted…

Presents a two-part article about the use of the Paideia Seminar approach in college and high school classrooms. Outlines the preparation and implementation of discussion seminars. Details student attitudes about the approach. Includes three tables with guidelines, rules, and communication suggestions for seminar leaders. (CFR)

Describes a classroom exercise for increasing gender equality and awareness in class discussions by increasing female students' participation. Explains that only female students may speak during one week of the course. Argues that radical and feminist education must promote the equal empowerment of male and female students to talk and listen. (DK)

Since its creation in 1991, the National Institute for Literacy has provided national leadership on adult literacy. In 1998, with the addition of funds for dissemination of scientifically-based reading research, the Institute has been a catalyst for improving opportunities for adults, youth, and children to thrive in a progressively literate…

Intended for use by rehabilitation professionals counseling small groups of disabled people, the Occupational Choice Strategy (OCS) was designed to be responsive to both the needs and desires of the disabled and the cost and time constraints faced by rehabilitation counselors. OCS incorporates: (1) concise occupational information easily accessed…

In order to provide students training to teach handicapped learners with practice in acquiring and utilizing information about individual pupils in classroom situations, a guided design approach was implemented in a course on decision making that covered the major assessment techniques. A modified guided design book was written for the course…

Suggests that observations of young children's story constructions can be used to help teachers provide appropriate oral language experiences in classroom programs for beginning readers and writers. (SKC)

Discusses the advantages of group work in mathematics classes, and raises questions about appropriate assessment of such group work. (PK)