Each fall at Syracuse University, new teaching assistants participate in an ambitious teaching project. Over the span of four days, new teaching assistants select their own topic of inquiry for the one or two writing courses (or "studios") they will be teaching, imagine a sequence of reading and writing assignments, construct a grading…

The theatre curriculum at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland teaches acting techniques used in film and television in order to take students into the world of performance via the media they appreciate first. While a large number of students do not attend the theatre and have learned little about the cultural heritage of the theatre in their…

Discrete mathematics and finite mathematics differ in a number of ways. First, finite mathematics has a longer history and is therefore more stable in terms of course content. Finite mathematics courses emphasize certain particular mathematical tools which are useful in solving the problems of business and the social sciences. Discrete mathematics…

The almost total neglect of philosophical psychology as an area of curricular focus in undergraduate programs for the psychology major is examined. Three perspectives from which philosophical psychology may be addressed are surveyed and include: (1) the philosophy of mind; (2) problems indigenous to both philosophy and psychology; and (3) the…

Emma Dearborn originated the Speedwriting Alphabetic Shorthand in 1924. The system became well known in 1928 when it became the first shorthand system publicized for dual use in verbatim recording and selected notetaking. For the next 50 years, speedwriting was marketed in a franchise arrangement with proprietary schools. It became available to…

Based on a National Council for the Social Studies position statement on the essentials of social studies, a rationale for teaching about religions in the social studies is presented. The author's rationale includes the following points: (1) that knowledge about religion is not only characteristic of an educated person but also necessary for…

A study of the relationship of the student-teacher interaction and student reactions to course content found that the student perceptions of the enjoyment, difficulty, and usefulness of the different course components were positively correlated with their perceptions of the different tutors teaching those components. The students' reactions to…

Controversy often arises over the teaching of English literature in courses and programs in English as a foreign language (EFL). However, language and literature cannot be separated. Each has something important to offer in the development of a well-rounded student. Literature teaches idiomatic language and cultural context; it can also improve…

Since magazine faculty must compress learning objectives into tightly packed syllabi, it is important for these syllabi to be effectively organized to focus on process and not on product. Some characteristics of the "perfect" syllabus are: (1) it is devised within a curricular context; (2) it reflects awareness of the capabilities and…

When designing a workshop about communication and stress, it is important to consider the medical definition--that stress is a physiological reaction to an external force that is interpreted by the individual--and the psychological definition--which suggests that through communication with self one can change the stress in one's life. Stress can…

As a man who took great delight in "the joy of mere words," George Orwell would understandably be appalled by the growing insensitivity to language in today's world. Poetry in composition classes can keep students aware of the music of the English language. There is no guarantee that students will respond to poetry with the same…

The paper describes the background and implementation of the University of New Hampshire's program to train masters level early childhood special educators for rural and urban settings. The program features child development theory, methods of assessment and teaching, and collaboration with parents and other professionals. Ecological perspectives…

Contracting for the content of an undergraduate course as one means of individualizing instruction is discussed in this report. It proved to be a successful method for students with wide varieties of background and educational aims in a number of education courses. A personal contract between each student and the instructor is drawn for the…

The author discusses essential elements of a preservice social studies methods course for elementary teachers. The knowledge and skill objectives to be achieved by students in methods courses and used as a guide by the instructor are outlined. A discussion follows. A social studies methods course should help students develop a personal working…

Fracture mechanics is a multidisciplinary topic which is being introduced to undergraduate engineering students in such courses as materials engineering. At a recent Conference on Fracture held at the University of Waterloo, a session was devoted to fracture education. Some of the ideas presented at that session are included and discussed here.…