Proposes a new approach to reading education that encourages active student participation. Offers three advantages and three potential criticisms of the case method approach, as well as advice on using this approach in undergraduate and graduate courses. (MG)

Describes a course about interpretive research methods. Argues that the course is different than many methods courses in that it does not ask students to conduct field research, but rather, to read ethnography and focus on why ethnographers do what they do. Considers a unit about validity in detail. (DSK)

Describes an experiment designed to introduce aspects of quantitative reasoning to a large, substantively-focused class in the social sciences. Reveals that participating students' abilities to interpret and manipulate empirical data increased significantly, independent of baseline SAT verbal and mathematics scores. Discusses implications for…

Describes how writing workshops, and in particular how peer response to writing, were incorporated into a graduate level reading/language-arts-methods course with a research paper requirement. Discusses how writing-workshop sessions and peer response to writing were implemented in the course. Notes student response, and discusses positive results.…

Describes a lesson plan to develop the students' mental mapping skills that was used with preservice elementary teachers in a social studies methods course. Students deduce the location of a particular Centerville among the 38 throughout the United States. The lesson can be used with fourth grade students and above. (CMK)

If portfolios are to be used to assess students' progress, it is essential for preservice teachers to have the opportunity to become familiar with the use of this technique prior to beginning their teaching career. At Eastern College, Pennsylvania, portfolio assessment is first introduced in the Developmental Reading course and further refined in…

Micro-peer teaching is an important step in preservice teacher education at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. A three-lesson sequence used in a secondary methods course for physical education teachers is outlined. (PP)

Outlines six classroom strategies used in a mainstreamed high school biology course and describes some of the changes Catholic University is making through a dean's grant to integrate preparation for mainstreaming into its preservice teacher education program. (SJL)

Presents a dialogue between a university faculty member and an elementary teacher. Explores the rich relationship afforded by collaborative efforts. Demonstrates how the connections of methods courses to classroom settings can strengthen preservice training for beginning teachers. (HB)

Describes how the author incorporated dialog journal writing (in which university students and elementary school partners hold weekly literature discussions by email) into her reading methods course. Discusses the planning stage, preparation of university students, preparation of elementary school students, the electronic mail discussion, and the…

Finds that preservice teachers have generally favorable attitudes toward teaching reading strategies in their content areas, but that methods courses in content area reading do little to enhance those attitudes. Outlines four activities to increase the desire of students to teach reading in content classrooms. (SR)

This 12-hour module of instruction is designed to help undergraduates in social studies methods courses integrate economics education into the elementary school social studies curriculum. The major purposes of the module are to (1) demonstrate how economics concepts can be integrated into social studies instruction, (2) reinforce or extend teacher…

This 12-hour module of instruction is designed to help undergraduates in social studies methods courses integrate economics education into the secondary school social studies curriculum. The major purposes of the module are to (1) reinforce or extend teacher education students' understanding of selected basic economic concepts, (2) develop an…

Describes a social studies teaching methods course which emphasizes laboratory work in local public elementary schools. Lists five activities preservice teachers are expected to fulfill in the course. (KC)

Considers individual and professional assumptions about teaching and discusses the relationship between methods courses and actual student teacher (ST) performance. Transcripts of ST performance from videorecordings are used to analyze behavior of STs and pupils in class and can be used as references in a methods class. (Author/LMO)