It is 30 years since NAEYC published "Anti-Bias Curriculum Tools for Empowering Young Children" (Derman-Sparks & ABC Task Force, 1989). Since then, anti-bias education concepts have become part of the early childhood education (ECE) narrative in the United States and many other countries. It has brought a fresh way of thinking about…

Rather than regard frequent and subjective testing as a negative, it should prove more beneficial for educators to offer students an opportunity to acquire life skills that will carry them through any test-taking situation. Offering students the skills necessary to succeed not only in the classroom but also through testing is where accountability…

At its heart are the National Education Association's "Status of the American Public School Teacher" surveys, which are conducted every five years and offer unprecedented insights into the professional lives and experiences of teachers nationwide. This volume analyzes and summarizes the survey's findings, while also offering commentaries…

This paper makes a critical assessment of problem-based learning (PBL) in geography. It assesses what PBL is, in terms of the range of definitions in use and in light of its origins in specific disciplines such as medicine. It considers experiences of PBL from the standpoint of students, instructors and managers (e.g. deans), and asks how well…

In this article, the author shares his own reflections on his forty-odd years of teaching history at the college level. He shares one of the most important things he learned during his career as a history teacher: Instructors should make clear to their students at the beginning of any survey course what it is that they expect their students to…

Discusses proposals for the innovation and development of early childhood education practice, based on findings from case studies on the practical knowledge of four experienced female early childhood educators. Argues that improving early childhood education should be based on its reasons and purposes rather than content or method. (JPB)

Teacher education programs should be based on a developmental process that individualizes professional learning and continues long enough to produce well-qualified professionals. This process could enable a carefully selected individual to become initially qualified enough to survive the early pressures and to serve for many years as a truly…

In this article I attempt, through stories and reflections, to give voice to some contemporary experiences, including fears and difficulties, of being a teacher in the early 21st century. I explore the idea that contemplative practices might open paths for negotiating and rediscovering depth, grace, and courage in our work as teachers, in a time…

Judging by negative feedback regularly received from preservice program graduates, teacher educators have ignored their own experiences and the literature on learning. Some educational and general theory courses are not as effective as experientially-oriented classes, yet teacher educators still depend to a disproportionate degree on a lecture…

The author comments on personal encounters with the educational deficiencies of secondary and higher education. However, he senses a change of direction, e.g., higher standards are being established for a high school diploma, colleges are again requiring students to take certain courses. Next area ripe for change is graduate education. (RM)

Discusses eight principles of teaching young children to read, write, and spell. Considers teachers' broader goals for themselves and their students, research findings on assisting children's language development through instruction, and the effect of teaching and educational experiences on a teacher's instructional style. (JPB)