Reviews articles in special journal issue dealing with critical incidents, or direct experiences which have impacted the counselors who experienced them. Examines what critical incidents mean to the persons they affect and discusses the powerfulness of mistakes, of personal crises, and of empathy. (NB)

Experienced trainers can foster professional values and attitudes in other trainers by facilitating reflection in action--a process of examining assumptions underlying practice during practice. Techniques such as curriculum review and videotaping provide opportunities to critique performance. (SK)

Responds to 58 articles in special journal issue dealing with critical incidents, or direct experiences which have impacted the counselors who experienced them. See critical incidents as examples of Jung's concept of synchronicity, two simultaneous events that occur coincidentally and, although not causally related, result in a meaningful…

Interviews Gordon Wells of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, Toronto, Canada. Wells extends the concept of children negotiating with people in their environment to create meaning to teachers taking control of their own learning and in so doing facilitating children's taking control of their own learning. (HTH)

Recommends that administrators gain out-of-office experience by becoming involved in community activities. Recounts personal experiences in ambulance service, day care center work, and sheriff's deputy patrol. Reports that the experiences promoted new considerations for future curricula, program development, and improvement efforts. (DMM)

Describes a science teacher's personal experiences at an Earthwatch summer workshop in Costa Rica on caterpillars and their predators in the dry tropical forest. (YDS)

The authors explain their decision to create portfolios to obtain credit for prior learning. They discuss basic elements for an outline, major headings for the resume, contents of the narrative portion, documentation, faculty review of the portfolio, and advantages and disadvantages. (CT)

Uses the philosophical concepts of MacIntyre and Aristotle to argue that experiential education (including adventure therapy and other specialties) is evolving into an independent professional practice and, as such, must deal with ethical issues and define standards of excellence. (SV)

Discusses the importance of out-of-class experiences and reviews the literature on outcomes of this "other" or "informal" curriculum. Argues that, by sharing some data on academic and professional socialization from students, faculty, and departments, most departments do not adequately provide these opportunities. Evaluates barriers to providing…

A literature review analyzed training designs in four professional development approaches: case study, goal-based scenario, problem-based learning, and action learning. Case study and scenario tended to foster single-loop learning and solution of well-structured problems; problem-based and action learning fostered double-loop learning and…

Attempts to outline a curriculum theory for initial teacher education and a conceptual model of professionalism. Addresses occupational content, the nature of the professional role and learning, professional competence, knowledge, and curriculum and teaching. Criticizes the trend toward more school-based initial training of teachers. Argues that…

Fourteen educators went Scottish island-hopping on a 100-year-old sailing boat to learn journal writing and new techniques in outdoor learning, gain confidence for teaching about controversial issues, and experience creative education in general. This narrative of their journey eloquently captures the essence and power of experiential, outdoor…

A review of research in cognitive and social psychology reveals the importance of situation assessment in the development of decision-making expertise. A naturalistic training model is presented for outdoor leaders that includes training for ill-structured problems, a heavy workload, time stress, and high stakes, as well as multiple players and…

When an instructor was asked to serve as the second vice president for the Eastern Communication Association, she found ways to incorporate her students into the process of convention planning. To assist her in her duties she developed a special topics course in applied communication that required the students to carry out much of the work for the…

Two day-long college events--wilderness orienteering and a role-playing canoe trip into the past--illustrate ingredients critical for experiential learning: active learning, student focus, clear purpose, emotional investment and risk, holistic engagement, mixture of content and process, stepping outside one's comfort zone, meaningful…