In a clear-cut victory for campaign-finance reformers last December, a sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court upheld virtually the entire Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA). McConnell v. FEC, No. 02-1674 (slip opinion available on the web at www.supremecourtus.gov). The Court's 298-page ruling rejected the free speech and other…

Shares insights into how literature study circles helped group members make connections between their lives and themes in books and influenced students' perceptions of themselves as readers in a culturally diverse world. (MG)

This article discusses the importance of private interactions, in which a student works alone with learning materials, and public interactions, in which a group of students engage in discourse around learning materials. While traditional technology requires that designers choose one type of interaction over another, the authors show how handheld…

This paper describes the development of a teachers' book club as a form of professional development, based on the premise that teachers are leaders and can be responsible for their own professional development, if given a framework and opportunity to do so. Data sources included a survey and interviews with club members. Analysis of the success of…

Feminist Research Methodology Groups (FRMGs) have developed as a specific type of women's group in which feminist academics can find supportive audiences for their work while contributing to a feminist redefinition of research methods. An analysis of two FRMGs reveals common characteristics, dynamics, and outcomes. Both were limited to small…

Discusses key points for children's librarians to consider in selecting books, preparing questions, and facilitating communication for book discussions. Highlights include choosing discussable books; ambiguous endings; factual, interpretive, and evaluative questions; helping readers talk; and benefits. Sidebars include a book discussion sampler,…

Because college radio offers a less structured environment, a natural habitat is created which provides for broadcasting experimental shows such as Starship Earth, an environmental radio show on East Stroudsburg University's (Pennsylvania) college radio station, WESS 90.3 FM. Environmental problems, issues, and solutions are discussed on the show.…

Twenty conference participants shared their experiences regarding how each had become involved in a process where significant learning was taking place. After all the experiences (stories) were told, the group collected the insights they had gained. These 50 morals sounded like platitudes or cliches; they had very little power without their…

The Women's Place is a community adult education program to provide a creative environment in which knowledge, skills, and feelings can be shared in an ambiance in which meaningful relationships can develop. Its antecedent was a women's support group formed in the summer of 1978. In 1979 the YWCA was chosen as sponsor of this on-going monthly…

Information and suggestions are provided on the use of team learning in large college classes. Introductory material discusses the negative cycle of student-teacher interaction that may be provoked by large classes, and the use of permanent, heterogeneous, six- or seven-member student learning groups as the central focus of class activity as a…

Discusses the similarities between what librarians call activity bibliotherapy and psychotherapists call poetry therapy, and the need for cooperation between these professions. The interactive aspects of bibliotherapy and the need for professional training in this process are emphasized. (CLB)

Seminars, characterized by high level content, interaction, discussion, and individual study and research, are an effective instructional format for gifted and talented students. Examples of seven seminar programs at both elementary and high school levels are briefly described. Stressed is the importance of the proper physical and psychological…

Elements of context, which include the individual perspectives and expectations of individuals, are discussed in this article. Transcribed discussions of young adults in professional training are used to illustrate various group discussion skills. Implications for language learning are stated. (DF)

This paper discusses an Owen Wister poem published in 1920 in "The Atlantic Monthly" and brought to the attention of a university class without any information as to its context or its references, and read in various ways by various individuals, as information about the poem's context was gradually discovered. The central issue explored…

Presents one college professor's account of how service learning might help facilitate meaningful discussions on race in an undergraduate course on Social Foundations of Education, describing the dynamics that tend to unfold whenever "race" comes up in class discussions, analyzing the benefits and potential pitfalls of service learning, and…