Active teaching methods are believed to facilitate higher-order thinking skills and prepare allied health students for independent clinical decision-making. This quantitative, correlational study aimed to explain the relationships between student preferences for active over traditional methods and their beliefs, the frequency and positiveness of…

Psychological Capital, developed by Fred Luthans as a byproduct of the positive psychology movement, involve the study of how applied positive states, attributes, and behaviors can improve performance in the workplace. An organization's leader needs a proactive, positive approach that emphasizes hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism to…

In this paper we tell a story about how we partnered with a Chicago high school in order to turn the school inside out by displaying larger-than-life teacher portraits and statements at street level throughout the community. This paper explores how public art and activism can help teachers and students develop notions of civic literacy and…

In the age of the Internet, students are clamoring for immersive and participatory learning experiences, but how can teachers share autonomy without losing control of their classrooms? In an effort to address this important question, this article suggests three mentorship modes that educators can employ in order to effectively engage with today's…

The National School Climate Center (NSCC) completed a 50-state policy scan on state school climate and anti-bullying policies to better understand the current state policy infrastructure supporting the development of positive school climates. This policy brief examines the current status of school climate and anti-bullying policies in each state,…

Maria was a fifth grade student when the authors met her in a study of immigrant child-language brokers. Her family immigrated from a farming community in Mexico to a Chicago suburb where there were limited bilingual resources. Maria's mother did not speak fluent English, and Maria's teachers did not speak Spanish, so Maria often served as a…

This book embraces the idea of listening to and learning from students. Although many educational theorists have long argued that incorporating children's perspectives about teaching and curriculum has the potential for increasing students' interest and participation in learning, their radical perspectives are still ignored or dismissed in theory…

A curriculum emphasizing "basics" and a program of extracurricular activities encouraging individual experimentation, exploration, and growth are factors contributing to the excellence of this small, rural junior-senior high school with an enrollment of 256 in Triopia, Illinois. The school's faculty, curriculum, athletic program, and…

This vocational student chapter officer handbook contains guidelines to help officers become more aware of their leadership responsibilities. The handbook is divided into eight sections. The first two sections provide an introduction to the handbook and an explanation of state and national support for vocational student organizations. Section 3…

Concludes that teacher evaluations should focus more on teacher improvement, that there should be more student involvement in the evaluation process, that there should be fewer but more comprehensive evaluations, and that administrators who carry out the evaluations should be better trained. (FL)

A survey of Illinois community colleges reveals that most have been happy with the results achieved through individualized teaching of typewriting courses. Areas discussed include format, student options, levels of mastery, instructor and student roles, learning materials, cost-effectiveness, and attitudes. A list of recommendations concludes the…

Describes the process of creating the website entitled "At Home in the Heartland Online" that corresponds to the exhibit bearing the same name at the Illinois State Museum. Expounds that the website represents the successful collaboration among three different learning environments: the World Wide Web, the exhibit, and the classroom.…

The recent school reform movement of the 1980s and 1990s has been characterized by school-based management (SBM) initiatives and participatory decision-making arrangements. While much has been written about the need for teacher, parental and community involvement in school decision-making, the role of the student in these experiments has remained…

Maintains that alternative assessment puts a student in the role of a teacher preparing for a lesson. Asserts that students need different types of resources to foster student curiosity, provide direction, and support exploration. Provides a nine-item annotated bibliography of books, book series, and graphic collections. (CFR)

The goal of this action research project goal was to improve students' taking responsibility for their own learning. The targeted population consisted of 120 intermediate and middle school students in 5 classes from 2 middle-class communities in northern Illinois. The lack of student responsibility in the learning process was documented through…