Discusses the New Games movement which promotes a series of innovative creative group games for children and offers a list of games and directions on how to play them. The games provide an unstructured, cooperative alternative to the structured, competitive games traditionally played by young children. (CM)

The article posits that the interdisciplinary cooperation needed to make individualized education programs (IEPs) an effective part of an ongoing, responsive process is more likely to be achieved when educators and parents adhere to certain principles of group dynamics and interpersonal perception. (SB)

Four papers focus on the processes involved in developing a community team for providng services to handicapped preschoolers. Jerry Elder and Elynor Kazuk review steps in beginning a community team approach in "Getting Started," including the mechanics of planning and conducting an initial meeting to explain the advantages of collaborative…

Describes the "Ropes and Initiatives" course for secondary school students at the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Educational Center, Rockville, Maryland. The course is designed to increase the students self confidence, teach them to develop trust in others and foster groups interaction and responsibility. (CM)

Discusses leadership styles in two distinct situations--cooperative and counteractive. Effective leadership in cooperative situations depends on productivity, satisfaction, and cohesion in problem solving. Counteractive situations demand a political leadership style at home with coalitions, bargaining, persuasion, and coercion. Dynamic leadership…

This book is designed to provide individuals with practical assistance in introducing and using critical reflection strategies. It is intended for workshop facilitators whose aim is to assist committees, organizations, and various groups in solving problems. The book explains procedures for Critical Reflection Strategies using Teams (CReST), a…

Created in response to requests from organizations across the country that wanted help in establishing teams for many purposes, this guide is an easy-to-use recipe book on the essential areas of teaming. It does not cover all the aspects of teaming, but focusses on the essential components of team development necessary for a team to function. The…

In today's workplace, organizations are moving from top-down, hierarchical decision making to team decisions based on consensus. This guide offers advice on setting the stage for team consensus to grow and on establishing an environment that fosters consensus. Topics of the four sections, the components of full consensus, are: (1) "Purposeful…

Points out the importance of effective group work in all aspects of education. Provides group members and leaders with 15 practical guidelines concerning member behavior in groups and task or structural characteristics of groups. Suggestions deal with issues such as communication styles, group maintenance, group size, and reaching consensus. (JHZ)

This study examines an attempt to train pupils to work cooperatively in a group as they worked mathematical tasks requiring concept development and application of concepts. Results were positive. (MP)

Experience with student teams working on policy analysis projects indicates the need for faculty supervision of teams in the process of addressing complex issues. The problem-solving approach adopted in one policy analysis course is described, including assignments and tasks, issues and sponsors, team dynamics, conflict management, and the…

The article provides practical information and techniques for effectively using creative problem-solving. Six stages of problem solving, with both convergent and divergent thinking phases, are discussed. Also discussed are equipment, time frames, and environmental requirements for creative problem-solving sessions. Sample exercises are offered.…

The approach used by the University of Texas at Houston to fill a key administrative position is described. The method used a team of 13 members representing each school involved and other key constituents. Factors affecting the team's cohesiveness, procedures, and follow-up activities are explained. (MSE)

These lesson plans describe some of the basic conflict resolution lessons developed and used over the past years. The collection focuses on seven communication skills, sequenced from skills and activities that generally require the least amount of trust to those that require more. The skills identified include: (1) attention; (2) observation; (3)…

This guide to the use of collaborative teams to facilitate the inclusion of all students, including those with disabilities, covers the following topics: (1) uses of collaborative teams (e.g., team teaching, peer coaching/mentoring, teacher assistance teams, pre-assessment teams, and student support teams); (2) benefits and motivating factors for…