Fusion of cognitive and affective variables of the learning process through integration of the arts into foreign-language programs will require staff development and teacher training to help teachers discover and expand their roles in transmitting heritage, teaching methodology, demonstrating language concepts, and explaining cultural factors. (CB)

This paper explores Fred Genesee's Classroom Based Assessment (CBA) as an alternative model for assessing instruction as it affects students' learning in an immersion program. CBA collects information on language while instruction and other activities are taking place, allowing teachers the flexibility to alter teaching strategies to be more…

The design of a re-usable instructional algorithm for computer based instruction (CBI) is described. The prototype is implemented on IBM PC compatibles running the Windows(TM) graphical environment, using the prototyping tool ToolBook(TM). The algorithm is designed to reduce development and life cycle costs for CBI by providing an authoring…

Research suggests a strong association between the existence of professional learning communities within schools, increases in the effectiveness of practice, and improvement in student achievement. This paper describes the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF), a professional development program at the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at…

The effect of a highly-structured faculty development program that focused on improving teaching skills and writing productivity through weekly individual sessions was studied with 16 social sciences faculty. Participants were alternatively assigned to one of four groups that emphasized development in teaching skills, writing productivity, or a…

Historically, it has been generally accepted that the evaluation of teaching competencies should be conducted by an administrator or a master teacher. There is a body of literature, however, that expresses the idea that self-assessment may also be a valuable source of information despite the uncontrollable defense mechanisms that may be inherent…

The question of whether clinical teaching skills could be improved during the first 2 years of postgraduate medical education was studied with 23 residents. Nine of the residents were the control group who received no instruction/feedback. The 14 residents in the experimental group completed a half-day workshop that included lecture and discussion…

Recent studies have used the notion of "empowerment" to describe individuals who assume a more critical and personally active approach toward the teaching profession. "Empowered" teachers are committed to providing thoughtful and challenging educational experiences for children and encouraging their pupils to develop personal…

The teacher consultant's role in working with regular classroom teachers of students with mild to moderate learning or behavior problems is examined. The three-party interaction network in consultation is discussed along with five models of consultation: the expert model, the medical model, the mental health model, the collaboration model, and the…

Listening is one of the most crucial skills in the classroom for student as well as teacher, yet both students and teachers are left to their own devices in learning this skill. Since the vast majority of learning in school requires extensive and intensive listening abilities, students must be assured the skill with which to listen and learn.…

The author argues that, while substantial problems exist in the comprehensiveness, cost, and complexity of an evaluation system for performance assessment, the effort should be undertaken and problems attacked and solved as they arise. Three questions are investigated in describing the current state of performance assessment: (1) What are the…

There are two crucial limitations in preparing graduate teaching assistants (TAs) for the composition classroom: the background they bring to teaching and the limited time available for training. Most TAs, although knowledgeable in literature, lack authority on the subject of composition instruction. An ideal TA would (1) have a masters degree;…

A field based inservice training program designed to update teaching skills of professionals working with young mainstreamed handicapped children is described. Two programs--Using Skills Effectively and Using Resources Effectively--were conducted in cycles with 73 elementary regular and special education teachers and daycare providers. Class…

It was hypothesized that teachers who are at an advanced level of conceptual development would emphasize long-range consequences of teaching and be more relative in beliefs about teaching. Fifty-six graduate student teachers were asked to complete two instruments measuring motivational and structural dimensions of conceptual development. They were…

To determine whether experienced reading teachers are better able than individuals with little training and teaching experience to make judgments about the difficulty level of learning materials and to discover if they differ in evaluating criteria for making such judgments, a study was conducted involving 100 subjects. The subjects were placed…