The first in a series of annual reports designed to provide new ideas for faculty at California's Los Rios Community College District, this document reviews innovative instructional techniques and presents an overview of classroom-based assessment and cooperative-collaborative learning. Following a brief introduction, the report describes (K.…

This paper presents a case study of distance education and professional development in Bermuda, British West Indies. In 1996, the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education at Fitchburg State College (FSC), Massachusetts, entered into a program to provide a Master's of Education program to Bermuda's teachers. The Bermudian Ministry of Education…

This study investigated professional development as provided through the Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA) model used in rural Illinois area school districts and district consortia. Surveys were distributed to TLA participants that sought their perceptions of the desirability, involvement, and feasibility of school reform in general and the…

This book describes results of the work by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Section 1, "Introduction," introduces the work of the National Board and discusses educational change and teacher improvement in general. Section 2, "Standard Setting in Teaching," explains that in order to appreciate the effects…

Teachers' subject matter knowledge is a particularly important issue in science education in that it influences instructional practices across subject areas and at different grade levels. This paper provides an overview of efforts to develop a unique elementary science methods course and related field experience through a partnership between…

The Learning Exchange for Teachers and Students through the Internet (LETSNet) is a World Wide Web site that informs teachers about potential classroom uses of the Internet. This article discusses the Internet's applications in K-12 classrooms, describes LETSNet's uses in teacher professional development and preservice education, and explains…

The Standards for Teachers of Science address the preparation, provisional practice, continued practice, and support that teachers will need to ensure that students are prepared for life and to be lifelong learners. The background of educational reform, vision behind the Standards, goals for science teachers, and suggestions for sustaining…

Two teacher educators utilized professional standards to inform their teaching. They used reflective dialog, action research, and critical inquiry in a standards-based language arts curriculum to support revisions and improvements in classroom practices and curriculum development. This led to new ideas about collaborative structures and stimulated…

Presents survey results that reveal that most political science departments have clearly defined systems of summative teaching evaluation. These systems, however, lack diversity. Most rely solely on student assessment and use this primarily to identify potential problems. Recommends adopting more flexible and constructive approaches. (MJP)

Educators from the Baltimore City Public Schools and the Houston Independent School District describe how they implement inclusion and the role of staff development in the process. The Baltimore district describes its consulting teacher model, which supports inclusion from the inside out. The Houston district offers strategies for districts…

Examines the critical role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Swedish early childhood classrooms. Suggests that for children to become skillful users of ICT, equipment and a variety of software must be readily available, and teachers must develop their expertise with technology in order to use it effectively and creatively in…

Reports on the development of a comprehensive education program "Step by Step: A Program for Children and Families" in Eastern and Central Europe and the former Soviet Union. Designed for young children from birth to age eight and their families, this program attempts to share U.S. teaching methods that promote democratic principles…

Describes how one school-university partnership openly discussed the basic tensions between theory and practice. The result was a collaboratively delivered methods course that became the foundation for a complex school-university relationship. The partnership changed the elementary school, provided meaningful inservice for practicing teachers, and…

Presents several instructional techniques. Discusses cueing, set, continuous reinforcement, and using positive feedback. Considers the learning styles of students and the type of classroom that is conductive to learning. Provides examples. (MVL)

Describes the position of Specialist in Continuing Education (SCE) developed by the Cooperative Educational Research Laboratory, Inc. The SCE conducts seminars with small groups of teachers engaged in self-assessment and professional growth. Seminars focus on teachers finding their own solutions to their problems and on professional…