Stresses that teacher educators should model portfolio assessment in their classrooms in order to encourage reflective thinking and develop future teachers' notions of assessment. Describes the aspects of the theme-based portfolio. Discusses how to evaluate theme-based portfolios, providing questions for peer review and a microteaching peer…

The original work of Alex Osborn making the creative process more explicit, and the following 50 years of research and development on creative problem solving, have made an important and wide-spread contribution to those interested in the deliberate development of creative talent. This article provided a summary of the many versions of creative…

Showcasing the "Downey Walk-Through"--a method developed over a 40-year period, tested and refined in real-world schools and classrooms, and described in the pioneering book, "The Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Through," this innovative multimedia presentation provides trainers and staff developers with a complete resource answering the questions…

In the years since its origin in 1997, the Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking (RWCT) project has become a wellspring of human stories about teaching and changing, about reaching across cultural and language divides to find deep conceptual and interpersonal harmonies that lead to reform. This collection presents chapters written by educators…

This article examines the community of practice model as a framework for integrating educational research and practice. In addition to defining communities of practice and reflective practice, it describes two researcher-teacher partnerships and offers suggestions for transforming traditional methods of conducting research on educational practice.…

This volume in the Language Teacher Research Series (Thomas S. C. Farrell, series editor) presents research conducted by language teachers at all levels, from high school English teachers to English language teacher educators, reflecting on their practices. The countries represented in this book are Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador,…

This packet includes reprints of journal articles and other information exploring reflective practice and action research among rural educators. The four sections of the packet cover concepts of reflective practice and action research; examples of reflective practice at both the elementary and secondary levels; issues such as encouraging…

Much of the school reform and restructuring literature has focused on the need to improve or totally restructure teaching practice in order to create schools that effectively prepare children for the future. Recent literature on learning in the workplace and teacher learning and change provide some insight into the reasons why many teacher change…

Close analysis of both the explicit and implicit curriculum is necessary to truly understand the kind of work relationships educators develop with their students and what values, epistemologies, and belief systems they are going to appreciate as a result of the collective educational experience. The analysis began with student voices and…

Using case study methodology, this article describes the consultation process with an urban first-grade teacher who had many students experiencing difficulties with beginning reading. Core components and phases of the consultation process are described. The consultation process is discussed in terms of teachers' craving for concrete suggestions…

This article details how an action research/reflective practitioner approach added value to the efforts of participants who were engaged in developing their practice and working together within a New Labour area-based policy initiative. The process of reflecting and learning together in the project supported practitioners in thinking, learning…

The two questions in this chapter are whether school restructuring promotes or constrains the professional development of teachers and which mechanisms for workplace learning appear to enhance the capacity of teachers to critically interpret educational reforms. To answer the first question, the implementation of structural changes and…

A promising strategy for encouraging reflection among student teachers is the use of dialog journals--logs or records of thoughts responded to by other writers. Electronic mail (e-mail) could be used as a medium for developing an electronic dialog journal that overcomes many of the practical constraints of the usual journal. The use of e-mail as a…

The study described in this report investigated the effects of field-based reflective practice on preservice teachers' sense of self-efficacy. Subjects in the study were 24 senior elementary majors participating in a 4-week field experience. Twelve students were assigned to the experimental school and 12 were assigned to two control schools. Each…

The purpose of the documents in this series is to provide educators in Saskatchewan with practical and relevant guides to teaching and learning as a means of expanding or refining teaching repertoires. This booklet explores reflection, a form of problem solving in which one tries better to understand and solve problems or concerns of personal…