Communities across the country are grappling with different approaches to improving their schools. Introducing or expanding charter schools is one of the approaches that states and school districts have considered or implemented. Charter schools serve more than 5 percent of public school students nationwide and make up close to 7 percent of all…

Because the first year of law school is difficult, it is suggested that law professors give entering students special attention. Methods include teaching good study habits, giving a practice not-for-credit midterm, and modeling appropriate attitudes and deportment. Student reactions to the practice midterm in Torts are discussed. The questionnaire…

Evaluation of a classroom mnemonic instructional method to teach science content to 19 mildly disabled students (grades 6-8) found mnemonic instruction resulted in improved initial content acquisition, higher delayed-recall scores than traditional instructional procedures, and generalization of mnemonic strategies to novel content. Students…

Project Work is increasingly being used in In-service Teacher Education courses for English-as-a-foreign-language teachers for the purposes of both language improvement and learning about English language teaching. At the Institute for English Language Education, Lancaster University, the intended purpose of Project Work is primarily the latter.…

The ARCS (attention/relevance/confidence/satisfaction) model of motivational design provides a systematic seven-step approach to incorporating motivational tactics into instruction. Application of the ARCS model to computer-based instruction and distance education is examined, identifying specific design factors that address needs in each of the…

This manual discusses the latest (and some not so recent) educational technologies used in classrooms, provides instructions for using them, and offers suggestions as to how they might be used more effectively. The following technologies are included: printed word, black and white chalkboards, overhead projectors, telephone instruction, facsimile…

A questionnaire survey was used at Southern California University, Berkeley in which 140 faculty members gave their opinions about the problems and pleasures in teaching large lecture classes (minimum 100 students). Faculty members were also queried about their practices in dealing successfully with problems and their recommendations for…

This report describes the library instruction program at the Technische Universitaet Wien (Technical University of Vienna) in Austria and proposes various program improvements, which are based in part on the results of a 1979 survey of over 2,600 faculty and students. An overview of the present state-of-the-art of library user education and…

Effects of 2 questioning strategies on 20 third grade students' social studies quizzes were examined. Compared to whole group questioning, "Heads Together" (in which small heterogeneous learning teams work together to ensure that each teammate knows the answer) resulted in better quiz results, on-task performance, and student satisfaction.…

This book offers teachers and group leaders over 100 activities, cartoons, and quotations to enhance children's self-concept. The activities are divided into seven section: (1) Getting Started; (2) My Strengths; (3) Who Am I?; (4) Accepting My Body; (5) Where Am I Going?; (6) The Language of Self; and (7) Relationships with Others. Part one offers…

Identifies qualities found in master music teachers by observing one teacher's performance when conducting a fifth grade class. Praises these teachers' devotion; musical skill; inspiring classroom practices; and diligence. Highlights theatrical skills used in music classes. Suggests that these teachers derive enormous satisfaction from their work.…

Reports on a study of the attitudes of 542 students in grades 3-6 toward singing and choir participation in relation to grade level, gender, classroom singing activities, previous singing experience, and degree of singing skill. Finds that most subjects indicated a positive attitude toward singing, but less than half were interested in choral…

A professor from the University of Tennessee and a mathematics teacher who formerly taught kindergarten teamed up to plan and teach a kindergarten methods course for undergraduate elementary education majors. The course includes both practical and theoretical perspectives. Course readings consist of selections from textbooks and articles from…

During the summer of 1986, two groups of 25 agriculture teachers from Central America participated in 1-month training programs designed to improve their knowledge and use of effective teaching methods, to develop agricultural skills appropriate to Central America, and to provide a thorough understanding of Louisiana agricultural enterprises and…

This paper describes how students can be personally challenged in the work they do and how secondary students or tertiary-level education students and teachers can collaboratively diagnose existing quality of classroom practice, via the concepts of personal challenge and interpersonal shared adventure. The approach involves the teacher obtaining…