Examining media artifacts as a learning method has received little attention in human resource development (HRD) despite it being a predominate form of information and influence in popular culture. As Giroux (2002) opines, media functions as a form of public pedagogy by offering situations and contexts through which viewers can vicariously…

A growing number of business leaders, politicians, and educators are united around the idea that students need "21st-century skills" to be successful today. It's exciting to believe that one lives in times that are so revolutionary that they demand new and different abilities. But in fact, the skills students need in the 21st century are not new.…

In the pseudo-documentary "The Age of Stupid" (Armstrong 2009), a historian from 2055 scans the remnants of civilization and asks why, in the early twenty-first century, people did not save themselves when they had the chance. The film serves as a motif for issues raised in this article. Why do people continue to believe that education plays an…

Research in teacher education suggests that field experiences in community settings can offer pre-service teachers a context for understanding the link between theory and practice. This paper documents the experiences of pre-service educators participating in a service-learning experience at a Children's Defense Fund Freedom School in the…

Achievement gaps concern educators at all levels today. Educators recognize the threats these gaps pose to education quality and equity, and they are working hard to close them--but an equally threatening gap in education with consequences just as serious is largely ignored. It influences every educational-improvement effort and seriously…

Education is characterised by marked and damaging schisms among its specialties, especially between classroom practitioners and academic members of the profession. While many or most commentators accept this rift as arising from real and significant differences between the groups, this article argues that the schism can be seen as the consequence…

This article, as a response to two papers, identifies five critical issues and themes related to the teaching of evidence-based practice (EBP) in social work higher education. These five themes are: defining EBP; modeling the complexity of EBP in teaching; examining social work curriculum; coordinating social work professional organizations; and…

Hollow reforms, like proposals that emphasize get-tough accountability over support for educators and widespread choice over quality neighborhood schools, enjoy their share of supporters. As the author watched the choice and accountability movements gain momentum across the nation, she concluded that curriculum and instruction were far more…

Rebuts arguments raised against computer assisted instruction (CAI). The potential problems of CAI relating to health, negative pedagogical effects, theoretical limitations, costs, and teachers' attitudes are discussed. Those who incorporate CAI have a responsibility to ensure its best possible use and limit its negative effects. (CB)

Sets up a dialogue on the topic of secondary reading interventions. Hopes to stimulate a conversation among diverse researchers and practitioners whose work would enable them to represent the best interests of a wide range of secondary students. Concludes with a redefining of secondary reading intervention. (SG)

Argues that rhetorical theory enables a constructivist critique of activist pedagogy. Considers two prominent formulations of activist teaching--by Dale Bauer and James Berlin--examining both the underlying assumptions and descriptions of practice in rhetorical terms. (PA)

Examines how training practice diverges from the prevailing Systematic Training Model, in terms of a rehabilitative and a radical critique. Outlines an alternative transitional model while suggesting criteria with which to assess any updated model. (SK)

Encourages educators to read abstracts and reviews as a way to bridge the gap between the knowledge base gleaned from reading the original studies and operating solely on common sense and practical experience. (MG)

A persistent problem for instructional designers has been deciding exactly what to do. To be of value in the development process, an instructional design needs to be developed with consideration of the kinds of objectives to be achieved, the specific activities used to teach the objectives, and the order or sequence in which the learning…

Presents an approach to integrating bibliotherapy into teacher education courses at both the preservice and inservice levels. Includes theory relevant to bibliotherapy and emphasizes practical applications for engaging teachers in self actualization through bibliotherapy. Recommends readings for teacher education bibliotherapeutic experiences. (PA)