A range of factors has impinged on the provision of teacher education programs in the last decade. Largely emanating from governmental demands for increased accountability, these have included the setting of standards for student achievement, proof of program impact, and state and national testing. These legislative reforms and school district…

This book is a practical guide for teachers at the postsecondary level to improve their teaching by utilizing the principles of adult learning and becoming critically reflective teachers. Chapter 1 lays out the concept of reflection in general terms and then focuses on explaining what is distinctive about critical reflection. Chapter 2 explains…

This publication reports on a seminar held over five days which brought together teachers and administrators from the Albany (New York) area schools and colleges and universities to discuss teacher preparation and professional development. Opening sections introduce the seminar, list participants, and detail the six procedural steps that the…

This practicum was an 8-month project designed to improve the motivational level and academic success of African American middle school boys through high-interest and activity-based Africentric lessons. The goal was to motivate black middle school males to strive for academic excellence. This goal was necessary in order to eliminate the problem of…

The four narratives presented in this paper represent the classroom triumphs and tribulations of four beginning minority teachers. The vignettes are part of a larger case study investigating the specific socialization experiences of these new teachers, graduates of the Peabody College (Tennessee) Internship/Induction Program, an alternative…

The East Longmeadow/University of Massachusetts Professional Development School collaborative began in 1985 as a collaborative effort to transform East Longmeadow High School into the equivalent of a teaching hospital for preservice teachers. Eventually Birchland Park Middle School (Massachusetts) joined the project. The objective has been to…

The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) Professional Development Study investigated how adult education teachers changed after participating in one of three different models of professional development (multisession workshop, mentor teacher group, or practitioner research group), all on the same topic of learner…

This book provides non-Native teachers with information about Native American cultures and offers a pedagogical model that blends Native and non-Native worldviews and methodologies. The book aims to describe the process of becoming bicultural as it relates to success in teaching Native students; provide a short history of American Indian nations,…

Lauds the interdisciplinary approach in social studies instruction and specifically recommends a close and cooperative working relationship between high school English and social studies departments. Describes one such relationship, the hurdles overcome during its inception and establishment, and the creation of an interdisciplinary course titled…

Describes, analyzes, and interprets the cultural values communicated by a Navajo art teacher in a K-12 boarding school in New Mexico. Much of the Navajo world view is expressed through content, instruction, and demonstration. This view emphasizes spirituality, harmonious living, and the process of seeing and drawing as a way of honoring and…

Defines "co-operating teachers" as full-time teachers who, as part of their professional responsibilities, tutor or mentor student or novice teachers. Summarizes findings and includes verbatim statements from a survey of cooperating teachers in an art education program. Addresses the benefits, weaknesses, problems, and incentives of…

Describes a program for Russian high school students with teaching talent. Examines the program goals of (1) increasing the students' interest in becoming teachers; (2) fostering democracy in a formerly autocratic system; and (3) encouraging thought about teachers' problems. Suggests that successful teaching involves some acting talent,…

Describes methods for teaching applications of social psychology research. Divides class time between lectures on applications, new material, and discussion. Requires students' understanding of how concepts can be applied in everyday life. Uses writing assignments and small-group discussions to promote concept recognition. Includes list of reading…

Recommends using informal writing exercises to increase students' involvement in large survey history courses. Explains several activities in which undergraduates collect their thoughts on particular lecture topics. Also suggests that students keep journals to accompany reading assignments. Argues that journal writing enlivens the material and…

Discusses a high school unit on First Amendment rights developed for a gifted students class in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Describes the unit's origins and procedures, such as issues studied and the use of research projects, guest speakers, and field trips. Emphasizes students' interest in learning about their rights. Identifies critical…