The author of EC 604 294 examines the lack of training students receive in applying problem-solving processes to novel situations and explores the development of her interest in defining and operationalizing the concept of independent living skills in individuals with disabilities, especially deafness. (JDD)

Discusses the author's teaching experiences during the 1930s at "La Maison des Enfants," a Montessori school in Sevres, France. Provides photographs and descriptions of the school day, outdoor activities, gardening, cooking and eating, practical activities, and creative activities. (MDM)

The personal frustrations and difficulties of an American political science professor who spent a year as a Fulbright lecturer at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara are described. Keeping busy helped. He spent much time merely surviving; for example, shopping for enough food became a daily affair because of the lack of…

Curriculum planning for the future must recognize and accept certain premises: forces at work in society greatly influence the nature and direction of the curriculum; students in our society possess varied backgrounds, capabilities, interests, and aptitudes that must be met; common curriculum designs have many strengths; a curriculum to foster…

Recommendations made in "A Nation at Risk," were mainly geared toward college-bound students and ignored the needs of students with handicaps. A career education curriculum focusing on daily living skills, personal-social skills, and occupational guidance and preparation addresses the needs of all students in the educational system. (CB)

Discusses elements to be considered by career counselors, including robotics, fiber optics, biotechnology, space industry, transition from industry to information, expected labor shortage in the 1990s, population trends, and entrepreneurial explosion. Also describes four basic skills of the information society. (CT)

Shows how confusion of notion of "critical thinking" with such notions as "reasoning ability" and "argument analysis" frequently justifies programs in critical thinking. Discusses critical thinking in everyday problems. Outlines strategy to develop critical thinking capacities using the philosophy and knowledge of…

Visually impaired students can be given effective career counseling if attention is paid to five essential elements: (1) exposure to the world of work; (2) job aspirations; (3) knowledge of job availability; (4) daily living and social skills; and (5) resources. (SK)

Reviewing the current justifications for minimum competency testing (MCT) programs, the author finds them inadequate. He asks whether reading, writing, and computation skills can be proven necessary for a successful life and whether MCT programs can be demonstrated to be the best means of promoting students' living skills. (SJL)

Shows why the role of intelligence in everyday life is often underestimated, drawing an analogy that examines outcomes of life as analogs of items within classical test theory. In addition, a population-IQ model is explained that tests for the pooled effects of intelligence at individual, individual context, and population levels. (SLD)

Describes a program designed to help rural elderly African Americans acquire daily living skills, conducted in their homes to reduce transportation problems and increase participation. The design takes into account characteristics of the population, such as age, health, economic conditions, race, educational level, and support systems. (SK)

A young blind adult recounts his experiences in using a dog guide, describing psychological adjustment, trials and joys of being a student at a dog guide training center, bonding with the new dog, and adjusting to home life with a dog guide. Suggestions are offered for the improvement of orientation and mobility training. (JDD)

Describes a program to integrate academic skills, life skills, and vocational training into a penal structure to provide optimum success experiences for incarcerated adult males. Discusses the model used to monitor success in the program and the interpersonal skills, cognitive skills, and affective skills developed. (Author)

This article reviews a top down 11-step model for identifying critical life skills content, describes a high school science course incorporating a life skills orientation, and examines some considerations related to incorporating life skills content into the programs of students with special needs. (DB)

This article reviews research on inclusion of students with severe disabilities and concludes that greater attention to the acquisition of functional skills may be necessary if inclusion is to realize its promise as an instructional model that benefits students across the range of skills areas necessary for independent adult life. (Contains…