Instructional materials are essential tools in the English language arts classroom. They allow students to interact with words, images, and ideas in ways that develop their abilities in multiple literacies such as reading, listening, viewing, thinking, speaking, writing, and technology. Because selection policies should reflect local interests and…

In the last issue of "American Educator," several scholars argued in favor of a common core curriculum. By common core, they meant that the curriculum should be broadly adopted (enabling improvements in instructional materials, student tests, and teacher training), but also limited (preserving instructional time for districts, schools,…

Over the past decade, vocational and technical education teachers were encouraged to use commercially produced task lists to develop their curriculum materials. Unfortunately, however, many commercially developed task lists distributed by private companies, state departments of education, universities, and many other agencies may, to some extent,…

This brief column offers ten tips on how to revive classroom learning centers by cleaning up, reassessing spaces, and adding fresh materials. Some of the tips include: create colorful banners; provide inspirational materials; and share surprise boxes.

This paper offers guidelines for the selection of elementary and secondary education curriculum materials that properly recognize the variety of ethnic and cultural diversity within U.S. society. Two areas are addressed. The first is understanding the concept of culture when examining multicultural materials. The second is the determination of the…

Describes types of courseware that are available and presents a checklist of evaluation criteria, considering program operation, program content, student outcomes, and pedagogical concerns. (SK)

Second language acquisition has an identity problem. It is a young field struggling to emerge from the parent fields of education and applied linguistics. In this book, the author proposes a way to help second language acquisition develop a systematic and coherent focus using the philosophy of science as the lens. The structure of the book allows…

Military activities have played a part in shaping the nature of contemporary Canada. The main books dealing with recent Canadian military history that might be of interest to high school students are discussed. (RM)

Laser videodiscs should be a boon for teachers, administrators, and librarians. More extensive use of videodiscs is described and encouraged. An imaginary videodisc teaching unit is detailed and examples of current videodiscs, such as History Disquiz, are given. (JL)

It is argued that teaching is much like performance art: teachers are inevitably identified with what they represent. For German teachers, this involves self-reflective engagement with the material at hand. (Author/LB)

It is argued that, although materials are an important form of support to language classroom activities, they also constitute a constraint that can undermine the value of those activities for the processes of learning. (three references) (LB)

This document addresses the questions of what teachers have achieved during the U. S. Constitution Bicentennial celebration in the areas of curriculum development and instruction and whether or not the celebration has been accompanied by educational renewal and improvement in secondary schools. Persistent problems in teaching and learning about…

Defines self-formative evaluation as the formative evaluation of instructional materials conducted during the development of the product by its users or developers. Topics discussed include the results of a study that examined users' attitudes toward such evaluation, their ability to execute it, and the effects of training on that ability. (CLB)

Describes the inadequacies of the current software for computer-based instruction, and presents a framework of instructional components to guide the design of such software. A taxonomy of design considerations is then discussed, including instructional context, strategies, and technical capabilities that can be used to enhance instruction. (4…

The life of the sculptor Henry Moore is briefly discussed and characteristics of his sculpture are described. Also included are lists of recommended films and books dealing with Moore, a student's guide to looking at sculpture, and sculpture activities for secondary students. (RM)