The stars closest to Earth are not particularly remarkable or exciting. They are average stars typical of the spiral arms of our Milky Way galaxy. In fact, until recently, most astronomy and Earth science textbooks ignored all but the largest of them to focus on distant, more exotic objects like red supergiants or black holes. The recent discovery…

This article reports on the practitioner research conducted by the English participants in a European Co-operation Programme project entitled "Lateral Language Learning." The project was based on the belief that there is much that teachers of a first foreign language can do to prepare their students to access other languages in the…

Intended for numeracy tutors, teachers, and trainees, this handbook provides guidance about teaching numeracy. Chapter 1 examines the extent of the numeracy problem in Great Britain, the kind of experiences that students may encounter in grappling with numerical concepts, and the range of ways in which numeracy is taught. Chapter 2 includes four…

This project was conducted to create visual media technology competencies for articulation in order to (1) provide a basis from which to assess similar instructional efforts at other vocational and prevocational institutions; (2) provide a detailed listing of competencies required by Spokane Falls Community College (Washington) for instructors…

A guide to enhancing classroom communication with limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in sheltered English includes ideas for planning and presenting lessons. It gives suggestions for the use of gestures, language style, length of sentence, presentation of the main concept and supporting details, essential vocabulary, the organization of…

This booklet describes techniques for teaching reading with teacher-made materials to students with autism. A modified language experience approach built around the Dolch Basic Sight Word List is used, incorporating familiar names and words of importance for each child. Readiness skills are incorporated into the approach as well as an emphasis on…

A competency-based automotive mechanics curriculum was developed at Big Bend Community College (Washington) in order to provide the basis for an advanced placement procedure for high school graduates and experienced adults through a competency assessment. In order to create the curriculum, Big Bend Community College automotive mechanics…

This guide is a companion document to the revised "Second Language Standard Course for Study," which was approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education in November 1999. It was designed to address needs that were identified by teachers and supervisors during the curriculum development process. The guide is divided into three…

The curriculum guide for teachers of Spanish language arts for native Spanish-speaking primary students in the Chicago public schools' bilingual education program is introduced by a section on preparing instructional material for this group and a section defining the areas to be emphasized in the program: word attack, comprehension skills, study…

The curriculum guide for teachers of Spanish language arts for native Spanish-speaking primary students in the Chicago public schools' bilingual education program is introduced by a section on preparing instructional material for this group and a section defining the areas to be emphasized in the program: word attack, comprehension skills, study…

Teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) are encouraged to conduct classroom research to (1) discover what happens when they teach and students try to learn, assess and improve teaching practices; monitor innovations in teaching, syllabus, or materials; and investigate problems in the classroom. Simple steps are outlined: developing a plan…

Texts of conference papers and summaries of colloquia on second language curriculum design are presented, including: "Competency Assessment in Curriculum Renewal" (summary of session with Ian Harrison, Francis Johnson, Christopher Candlin, Anthony Green, David Nunan, Charles Smith); "The Evolving of a Curriculum" (Hiroshi Abe,…

This resource guide is designed for teachers and others interested in fostering Spanish instruction in the schools of the United Kingdom, especially at the secondary level. The first of nine chapters looks at the status of and rationale for Spanish language instruction in the United Kingdom. The second chapter addresses topics in instructional…

The set of materials was designed for use in a workshop to train teachers and program developers in the participatory approach to designing and implementing vocational and workplace English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instructional programs. It first presents the principles of the participatory approach, based on the model of Paulo Freire, and…

This book presents practical solutions for teaching foreign language learners self instruction, ranging from needs analysis to resourcing, strategy training and monitoring tools. Special emphasis is placed on different ways in which learners can be supported by learning how to analyze their own needs and set their own goals, how to choose the most…