This digest discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using item banks, and it provides useful information for those who are considering implementing an item banking project in their school districts. The primary advantage of item banking is in test development. Using an item response theory method, such as the Rasch model, items from multiple…

In contrast to the three-stage theory of attitude development proposed by Goodman (1964), Dr. Phyllis A. Katz, director of the Institute for Research on Social Problems, suggests that eight overlapping but separable steps occur in the acquisition of racial beliefs. The major points in Katz's schema are: (1) early observation of racial cues; (2)…

Cooperation among students in classroom problem-solving activities is briefly discussed in terms of Piaget and cooperative problem-solving, guidelines for teachers, and the teacher's role. While research results are not unambiguous, teachers can encourage children to interact and share their perspectives during cooperative play by: (1) planning…

Drawing upon research into the nature of the English writing system and about the development of spelling ability, this booklet presents an approach to improving spelling and vocabulary at the secondary school level based on a knowledge of the fabric of the language itself. The first section of the booklet reviews theory and research concerning…

Examines materials in the ERIC database that provide suggestions for assessing children's language development that enhance rather than inhibit their natural language growth. (EL)

This brief paper summarizes what is known about sensory integration and sensory integration dysfunction (DSI). It outlines evaluation of DSI, treatment approaches, and implications for parents and teachers, including compensatory strategies for minimizing the impact of DSI on a child's life. Review of origins of sensory integration theory in the…

This digest paper presents a model for the education of gifted children and youth based on the concept of talent development and suggests specific ways to identify and develop talent. New conceptions of intelligence and talent developed by Sternberg, Gardner, and Gagne are noted. Feldhusen's and Wood's model of talent recognition and development…

This book highlights and discusses the contributions of Robert M. Gagne to the field of instructional technology. Section One presents the core concepts of Gagne's theory and contains reprints of the following five journal articles by Gagne: "Contributions of Learning to Human Development,""Learning Hierarchies,""Domains…

Presents annotations of 15 documents in the ERIC database concerning reports on research findings that highlight practices and procedures that "work" in reading and literacy education. (RS)

Intelligence has been defined and studied under a number of different rubrics. Three individuals serve as a representative sample of the educational and psychological researchers associated with cognitive psychology who have made significant contributions to current understandings of intelligence. Robert Sternberg's theory contains subcategories…

This book provides material and ideas for bringing metaphorical thinking into the classroom in the context of language discussions. It is organized to link the conceptual with the concrete, integrating teaching ideas with discussions concerning the various roles that metaphorical thinking plays in human understanding and communications. The book's…

This digest contrasts the traditional view of learning characteristic of classroom instruction with the emerging "constructivist" view that emphasizes the understanding of how and why students learn. The latter takes learning as a knowledge construction process that closely relates to prior knowledge and the learning context. It lends…

Examines materials in the ERIC database on the Suggestopedia method of instruction which bypasses the mind's barriers to learning and increases learning and retention. (HTH)

This digest describes the uniqueness of one of the youngest service provider professions in existence, mental health counseling (MHC). A history is given of how the founders of this profession were able to establish a professional organization and identity. The identity of the mental health counselor is described as an aggregate of educational,…

This book seeks to broaden the dissemination of the ideas presented at the 2002 International Career Development Conference to the international career development community. Included are 24 papers by major presenters, with a diversity of papers ranging from school guidance interventions to major corporate career development programs. Chapters…