This is the story of one middle school teacher's journey of implementing literature circles with English language learners. Theory and research suggest that literature circles are valuable and important for young adolescents yet many teachers are still skeptical about implementing them. During this three-month study 22 sixth graders, 12 of them…

The Internet's defining characteristic is its interactivity, and one of the oldest tools for this America Online recently decided to drop Usenet from its services. This, generating howls of protest from some, has led others to question the viability et as a useful tool for individuals and businesses. Created in 1979 by two Duke University graduate…

Describes the dialogue in an informal discussion group and asserts that because the group is interactive, dynamic, and applied it is an embodiment of the nature of evaluation knowledge. Discusses ways in which this group teaches about evaluation. (SLD)

This paper focuses on the implications of two emerging digital technologies on the act of field birding, and the implications of these objects for thinking about wild birds. While the adoption of new immaterial technologies promises to improve the ease with which birding is practiced, their use leads to new ethical considerations. Using the…

This article provides an introduction to mentor, near-peer, and peer support as they apply to promoting the academic and career success of young people with disabilities. The authors discuss specific benefits of mentoring and document access challenges encountered by students with disabilities. They present a case study of a successful…

When they found themselves overwhelmed by the university experience of combining teaching, publishing, and service, the authors decided to meet regularly to discuss their experiences and frustrations with academic publishing in order to learn as much as possible from their pooled experiences. Here, they reflect on the obstacles they have faced and…

Students need a strong foundation in reading, writing, math, and numeracy to be successful in GED preparation, in work readiness programs, and in post-secondary education and training. The resources in the Basic Skills Collection that will assist in providing this foundation include research articles, materials and curriculum based on research,…

The teacher and the librarian are key role models for students establishing reading habits. This paper describes various grant application projects developed in the Little Rock Public School District (Arkansas) to promote reading for pleasure by students and teachers. Discussion includes: student evaluation; developing a communication network of…

The World Wide Web has allowed the delineation of distance versus place-based education to become a spectrum rather than a binary choice. This paper discusses a novel format of distance education, called "Virtual Seminars," and its relation to issues within cognitive flexibility theory. Virtual seminars are interactive courses offered…

In recognition of the need to improve preparation of future teachers and following a series of discussions, the faculty of a mid-sized college's department of elementary education devised a plan to integrate technology into their preservice teacher education courses. Faculty members agreed to participate in a 3-week preliminary group experience.…

A case study was used in an instructional design class to facilitate the transfer of conceptual knowledge to concrete concerns and to aid instructional technology graduate students' understanding of the steps involved in designing, analyzing, and implementing an effective needs analysis. The case study involved real events at fictitious company…

The interpersonal communication courses at the University of Washington have adopted the use of experiential learning strategies in response to the changing student population and changing attitudes. A major goal of the program is to provide a solid, explicit academic foundation for the use of experiential strategies by (1) outlining the…

A traveling seminar and support program offered to beginning vocational education teachers by the University of Wyoming's Department of Vocational Education was successful in combating rural isolation and the absence of inservice training opportunities. Teachers shared problems and observed new instructional techniques during weekend meetings held…

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…