Restructured schools should be centers of inquiry and reflection, not of unexamined tradition; curriculum and instruction courses in teacher education programs should facilitate critical inquiry and reflection. A graduate level curriculum models course at the Wichita (Kansas) State University was restructured around the basic tenet of critical…

Designed to reflect the current times, this book intends to help teachers be more effective, more knowledgeable, more creative, more accountable, and more aware of the cultural mix of children in the classroom--in short, to be better teachers. Based on sound research and psychological principles, the text emphasizes the interrelatedness of the…

This paper attempts to fill some of the gaps in the literature (on reflective teaching), delving further into the meaning and functions of reflection. First, it considers the origins of the term and some aspects of its development. It then analyzes and critiques some of the current notions of reflection. Beginning the process of a more rigorous…

This activity-oriented book for preservice mathematics teachers who are taking methods courses or who have been student teaching offers a framework for teacher reflection and self- assessment. It supplies detailed observation instruments for observing other teachers, reflective activities, and guidelines and instruments for supervisors. There are…

This study explores adult education practice by using an expressive research method based on using the metaphor of an exhibition as a vehicle for presenting and reflecting on seven episodes in the researcher's two decades of teaching at various locations throughout Australia. In accordance with the metaphor, the study report contains the following…

The project approach to teaching allows children to explore a topic in depth and document his or her learning. This guide for teachers shows how good project work can address challenges faced by early childhood teachers, such as overcoming ill effects of poverty, or responding to children with special needs. The book provides guidelines for…

Critical reflection blends learning through experience with theoretical and technical learning to form new knowledge constructions and new behaviors or insights. Through the process of critical reflection, adults come to interpret and create new knowledge and actions from their experiences. It is generally agreed that critical reflection consists…

Responds to three articles in previous issues of this journal on teaching classroom management in preservice teacher education. Outlines how Texas Southern University students learn and practice management approaches in field-based classes, which makes their learning constructivist, learner centered, and powerful. (SM)

Studying hypothetical cases enables preservice and inservice teachers to discuss real life scenarios in a nonthreatening environment and encourages active learning. The article presents a hypothetical case about student evaluation and a discussion guide with questions that teacher educators and staff developers can use to plan discussions. (SM)

This article describes the effort to prepare college students for lifelong learning through "connected learning," in which learning occurs through active engagement. It also offers guidance for classroom practice including class discussion, reading lists, journals, cooperative learning, questioning and listening skills, and listening and teaching.…

Outlines the implementation of a collaborative project between a college visual arts program and an academic staff development unit. Asserts that the project was conducted according to a model of clinical supervision specifically modified to suit a studio environment. Includes sample student opinions about the project. (CFR)

Suggests that using mazes in English-as-a-Second-Language and other preservice-teacher-education classes provide student teachers with an opportunity to enhance decision-making skills by choosing a particular course of action and reflecting on its likely outcomes. Mazes let students engage in debate with their peers about classroom actions without…

Describes the experiences of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university professors who investigated reflective teaching and professional development by practicing what they preached. Over one academic year they taught their EFL classes utilizing three professional development procedures (journal writing, videotaping, and teaching portfolios).…

In this article, the author examines successful schools with high concentrations of poor and minority children--those in which students were doing as well as or better than those in affluent schools on statewide standardized tests--to see what they were doing to improve the level of instruction in their classrooms. These high-performing,…

This study examined reflective writing as a vehicle for learning through the use of dialogue journals to synthesize relevant classroom materials and help students examine multicultural issues. Thirty-one elementary education students enrolled in a course titled "Foundations of Education in a Multicultural Society" participated in the…