A report on the Guaranteed Student Loan Amendments (H.R. 14070) to Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 considers the problems behind and implications of the loan program. Chief among the problems are the default rate, access to loans, the schools as lenders, and the role of the states in administering the program. Changes recommended…

States that United States history teachers must understand and accept the several rationales for the course if instruction is to improve. The first of a 10-part series presenting these rationales, this article discusses the historical method and inquiry mode and gives reasons why they are beneficial. (AEM)

Analyzes small-group writing conversation among freshman composition students, identifying the following roles: (1) evaluator, (2) immediate reader, (3) role playing audience, and (4) helpful listener. Presents transcripts of student conversations illustrating these roles, and suggests ways to improve what is said. (JG)

Discusses teachers' views and opinions of their use of various teaching methods and resources. Based on a questionnaire given to a small sample of secondary school teachers, reasons given for methods used in an ideal situation were pupil dominated, whereas actual methods used reflected personal or organizational constraints. (Author/LRW)

The first of two articles describes the efforts of retired University of Toronto alumni to provide volunteer assistance to their alma mater. The second article discusses a Social Studies Human Services Program that has led to improved school-community relations in Bangor, Michigan. (JBM)

This book discusses enhancing student achievement through project-based learning with multimedia. Chapter 1 describes project-based multimedia learning. Chapter 2 presents a multimedia primer, including the five basic types of media objects (i.e., images, text, sound, motion, and interactivity). Chapter 3 addresses making a real-world connection,…

The purpose of this article was to clarify the seemingly contrary philosophies of learner centered and teacher centered teaching approaches. First, the benefits of both approaches are described. Examples of ways in which teacher centered classes using thoughtful questioning techniques or focused lectures enhance learning are presented. The…

This Spanish- and Portuguese-language bulletin presents articles focusing on early childhood and elementary-age initiatives in which the children play a more active role than the usual model of teachers/adult project leaders taking the lead and the children following their directions. Each article covers a distinct project, thus examining the…

Noting that the benefits of student-led conferences align well with practices recognized as developmentally appropriate for the middle school years, this book provides a step-by-step guide to implementing student-led conferences at the middle school level. The chapters are: (1) "Setting the Stage," presenting the rationale for student-led…

Curriculum integration has long been proposed as a way of organizing the "common learnings" or life skills considered essential for all citizens in a democracy. Curriculum is organized around real-life problems and issues significant to both young people and adults, applying pertinent content and skills from many subject areas or…

Numerous studies have addressed questions concerning when it is appropriate for a teacher to give oral or written corrective feedback of an emergent reader's efforts; when students should begin to take a personal role in noting their errors; and how corrective feedback is most efficiently handled. Correction should focus primarily on errors that…

In 1995, the Lexington County, South Carolina School District 2 began implementing their "Technology Task Force Position Statement" for effectively incorporating technology into the curriculum. This transformed Springdale Elementary School's computer ownership from a few Apple II-E computers for the entire school to one with as many as…

This self-study examined how two doctoral students in a teacher education program progressed from the role of student to the role of teacher educator, examining the process of their becoming educators. The initial data were collected as part of the requirements for a series of three courses designed to prepare doctoral students for supervisory…

Policy Implications of International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the United States explores the role and impact of students and scholars on US educational institutions and the US economy. The nation has drawn increasingly on human resources abroad for its science and engineering workforce. However, competition for talent has…

Evidence suggests that the enhancement of faculty performance and vitality is possible if the unique individual characteristics of students and faculty are acknowledged in institutional planning and allocation efforts, and if the consequences of the interactive processes between the student, the faculty, and their institutions are heeded. (MLW)