This paper focuses on the development of professional learning communities (PLCs) in schools, which are communities of educators tasked with improving student learning outcomes. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the paper explores the central tenets of an effective PLC and contributes a definition of the concept to address much of…

The author reflects on six dilemmas that teachers and mentors may face during the implementation of project-based learning (PBL): (a) the conflict between student autonomy and teacher control, (b) the belief incongruence between a mentor and a mentee, (c) the gap between an advanced pedagogy and novice teachers, (d) the gap between a mentee's need…

Outlines the characteristics of a good history program for kindergarten through grade four, analyzing the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework and the Core Knowledge Sequence as they apply to elementary instruction. Also describes and evaluates principles of teaching history to young children. (Author/SLD)

Examines parent-teacher relationships in early childhood programs, including those for children with disabilities, across five eras of the 20th century. The general approaches have been the earlier tendency to view parents as learners in need of information and the recent trend to involve them in program decision making. (SLD)

Examines choices made by educators implementing cooperative learning today, expanding the pragmatic consideration of what works to an exploration of what we want for students from cooperative learning. Realizing the potential of cooperative learning requires examining the roles of teachers and the roles of schools in shaping society. (SLD)