The experiences of some faculty members who were recently honored at the American Association for Higher Education's National Conference on Higher Education, where they participated in a Forum on Extraordinary Teaching, is described. To talk publicly about one's teaching was a unique experience for the participants. (MLW)

Whole-faculty study groups show promise as a vehicle for integrating initiatives and focusing school improvement efforts on increased student learning. The paper describes the San Diego Unified (City) School District's experiences in developing and implementing successful whole-faculty study groups. The groups increased collegiality and improved…

One of the prerequisites or unavoidable results of multiculturalism is that the classroom becomes what Mary Louise Pratt calls a "contact zone." But how does the teacher keep discussion productive without taking sides? How does the teacher abdicate enough authority to diminish the asymmetricality but not so much that the class becomes a…

Proposes use of criteria-based scales, which prescribe levels of writing performance for a particular mode of discourse, as a way to teach and test student writing skills. Pre- and posttesting, teaching for the test utilizing the criteria-based scale, and why this method is successful are also discussed. (MBR)

Reports on an informal round-table discussion with educators and computer science experts about computer literacy and the role of computers in education, which was conducted at the National Educational Computing Conference. (Author/JJD)

Peer relationships greatly influence how students form opinions of books and of reading in general. Students in a class can be seen as a community of readers. Their discussions, both formal and informal, can be a means of developing an awareness of literature and how to enjoy it. (PP)

Answers and rebuts an article by Larry Johannessen (in the same issue of the journal) that offers ways for teachers to deal with and help alienated remedial students. Addresses the issues of administrative help, the effect of the interests and enthusiasm of the teacher, and the inner resources of teachers in despair. (PRA)

Discusses what five teachers learned when they engaged in a literature discussion group to discuss children's books to develop themselves as writing teachers. Highlights the three layers of talk (emotional responses, exploring the meaning of the book, and exploring the writer's craft) and the role these play in the learning process. (SR)

A conference event is mediated through keynote speeches, power point presentations, professional role-playing and the turgid language of policy agendas, initiatives, benchmarks and outputs. Serious human concerns rarely surface in the orchestrated and anodyne arena of professional conference-going. The ready recourse to ritual and procedure means…

Intended as a guide for teachers of grades 3-6, this book presents ideas for the use of literature groups in the classroom. In chapter 1, the author talks about her own reading background and her discovery of teaching methods for literature, and presents ideas for forming literature groups. Chapter 2 offers advice on selecting and collecting good…

By helping students acquire deliberative skills, community colleges can help develop citizen leaders who can engage in public discussion about values that are commonly shared but differently applied. Moreover, deliberative skills, consisting of active listening, creative conflict, public dialogue, and public judgment, can provide a fresh approach…

Once speech educators turn their attention to the "ideational" function of oral language--that portion pertaining to thinking--rather than the relational function, they will see that speech can and should be incorporated into every discipline. The psychologist Lev S. Vygotsky envisions the ways in which humans use speech to reorder their…

A roundtable discussion by executives of the Association of School Business Officials raises questions about the recruitment, preparation, and availability of school business officials in the coming years. (MLF)

Some personal observations are offered about second-language teaching where nonnative speakers of Portuguese participated in class discussions via real time computer networks. Preliminary observations suggest that computer-assisted class discussions may promote student participation, reduce anxiety, and increase identification of language errors.…

"Teacher Roundtables," associated with Michigan State University, consists of elementary, middle, and high school teachers who focus on literacy and learning and meet regularly outside of school. This article focuses on teacher resistance to texts, curriculum, reform proposals, and other elements of school culture that are insensitive to…