Larry Johnson has been the CEO of the New Media Consortium (NMC) for nearly a decade, and he has worked in higher education for more than twenty-five years. Before joining NMC, he served in roles that include faculty member, dean, provost, and president. In this interview, he talks about the position of NMC in distance education and the challenges…

This commentary looks at the contributions and future research implications of the four articles in this Special Issue of "Thinking Skills and Creativity" to the fields of creativity and creativity education, both in culture-specific and culture-general terms. The articles included in this Special Issue draw attention to issues of…

The interview with J. Gallagher focuses on the effects of recent reports on secondary education in America on the education of gifted and talented students. Gallagher suggests that the calls for excellence will highlight the importance of gifted education and notes the challenges involved in program improvement. (CL)

This article reviews developments and trends in trade union education in the United Kingdom. Priorities for the eighties constituting a major concern for the Trades Union Congress and the Workers' Educational Association are analyzed. (CT)

Ten trends in marketing adult and continuing education are long-range planning, targeted programs, seasonality, better brochure design, spinoff brochures, tracking, database marketing, alternatives to direct mail, retention, and teachers' image or reputation. (SK)

This response to Smith and Hilton (1994) suggests that those authors reject philosophical bases for decision making regarding program design for students with mental retardation while actually proposing their own philosophical base for such decision making. The importance of philosophy in guiding decisions and practice over the last several…

Four major forces will provide the major influences on all adult learning in the next decade, and they affect conferences and meetings as well. The author discusses these four forces: friendly competition, appeals to the emotions, demands for quality, and increased research and development. (CT)

Contains a handicapped teacher's personal reflections on the Equal Educational Assessibility laws and presents her solutions to some problems created by the laws. (FL)

Recent emphasis on employment for students labeled mentally retarded has presented new challenges for educators in the design and implementation of high school programs. Promising practices for facilitating the achievement of full employment for these students are suggested, and trends that will influence the manner in which services are provided…

A new paradigm of education, talent development, may be the successor to gifted education. The talent development perspective involves extension and redefinition of the nature of giftedness or talents, identification, and programming. Emphasis is on identifying and nurturing talents in all students, rather than selecting and serving the "gifted…

Advocates establishment of training programs for substitute teachers in the local school districts, along with active recruiting of substitutes. Emphasizes that substitutes' salaries must improve and that the regular teacher should provide adequate information about school policies and procedures, as well as complete class lesson plans that any…

Discusses three trends that may threaten high school journalism: (1) declining student involvement; (2) the switch of journalism programs from curricular to extracurricular activities; and (3) teacher cutbacks. Offers ways to combat these threats. (RL)

Presents one composition instructor's personal memoir regarding the horrific treatment he was exposed to as a marginalized member of a college English department. Considers the kind of atmosphere and collegiality to which successful college English departments should aspire. (HB)

Debate educators have been concerned about the disadvantages of tournament debating. While student debaters have learned critical thinking, research, writing, public speaking, and other skills, some former participants feel the experience left them too argumentative generally. Some scholars favor moving away from formal debating contests. A…

The historical evolution of concern for education of gifted students is traced, along with the philosophical tides accompanying that evolution from the 1950s through the 1980s. It is argued that the public is alternatively supportive and antagonistic toward the gifted/talented. Periods of intense concern about their educational welfare are often…