Part of the larger Informal Education Series, this publication brings together many of the materials prepared by Rosanne Kessens for teachers and parents involved in Follow Through settings. Contents first explore theme development as an integrated approach to learning and then describe strategies for planning themes. Subsequent materials offer…

The purpose of this teacher resource paper is to assist preschool teachers in (1) interpreting the interactions of children in terms of educational growth, (2) insuring that planned interactions will stimulate growth related to program goals, and (3) developing realistic expectations of children. Three topics are discussed. In Topic A the reader…

Defines the open classroom approach as a pedagogical strategy which emphasizes student interests, student responsibility, and informality without ignoring traditional curriculum content. Outlines the major features of the open classroom approach and suggests ways it might be applied to the elementary math, language arts, social studies, and…

After a 1978 meeting, eight professional education organizations drafted a position statement on the essentials of education. The statement affirmed that the interdependence of skills and content is the central concept of the essentials of education, and that subject disciplines are interdependent. The statement also listed specific essentials of…

Defines student-centered, open learning, and distance learning. Describes the benefits of interactive, multimedia-based open learning to the learners, lecturers, tutors, sponsors, and the educational or training institution. Lists the main features of this approach and provides details about the structured system design approach to interactive…

An open classroom provides the setting for a Philadelphia teacher who uses unconventional but effective methods to teach the three R's. Examples of Lynne Yermanock Strieb's approaches to teaching reading and mathematics to first- and second-grade students are given. (PP)

Evaluates a new version of software explicitly designed to make links with several external factors, in particular with another software application for supporting investigative work in practical science. Explores the contributions to the learning process made by the teacher, the student, and the software itself. (Author/SAH)

Suggestions are presented that are drawn from basic skills instruction at the English Learning Centre at Gloucestershire College of Arts and Technology (England), an open learning center geared specifically for ESOL students. Funded for 2 years as a special project by the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit, the center examines procedures that…

This resource paper for preschool teachers provides (for discussion) examples of written plans and types of evaluation used by teachers in open framework educational settings. A brief overview of educational planning and evaluating is followed by four examples of teacher's program planning at three grade levels: a preschool, an early education…

Argues that the emphasis in law courses on memorizing facts fails to teach the desired concepts of reasoning and problem-solving. Recommends the use of open-book tests. Suggests that because law is an imprecise subject, and there are no right or wrong answers, it should be taught in an open format. (LS)

This handbook was written to review current research on multigrade instruction, to identify key issues faced by multigrade classroom teachers, and to offer novice teachers a set of resource guides for improving instructional quality. The first chapter reviews previous research on multigrade instruction. It addresses questions regarding the effect…

This autobiographical essay depicts a process of development through which an elementary school teacher becomes both expert and professional. With an MA in Medieval History and no teacher education coursework, the writer adopts a personalistic, "unorthodox traditional" approach to instruction. Exposure to controversy among…

Describes the qualities of African-American quilts. Explains how to organize a classroom to reflect the polyrhythmic structure of the African-American culture and its quilts. This allows students to experience a different culture and therefore judge it by its own standards rather than by the norms of White middle-class America. (JS)

Intended for individuals engaged in open and distance learning activities, this guide is designed with an applications focus that provides a "quick start" for immediate work needs. Built on an intuitive set of "How do I" questions, the book presents the foundation needed to teach from a distance. The format is a multimodel approach, combining…

Part I of this two-part document consists of a report on a study designed to measure the effects of a nonsexist classroom on the sex role attitudes of first graders. Part II is a teacher's guide to the nonsexist classroom program itself. The sex role attitudes of three groups of children--an experimental group from an open classroom, and two…