Often during budget time, school boards are faced with the dilemma of whether to designate funds for teachers and teaching materials or for buses and buildings. Frequently, this leads to the impression that buses and buildings consume too much of the budget and have no direct relationship to the student. This report examines the validity of this…

This book is about education harvested from self-observation. F. Matthias Alexander (1869-1955) studied the experience of self formation, working with motor habits. His method is used in performing arts training to enhance bodily and vocal expression. Like Alexander, Konstantine Stanislavski (1863-1938) and Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) studied human…

The role of the school principal in a community of learners is discussed. A "community of learners" refers to a group of individuals with common interests who share ideals and learn from each other. The principal must work with teachers, providing support and receiving support in helping students achieve optimal results. A community of learners…

This book aims to provide a coherent and thoughtful framework for viewing the complex issues related to grading and reporting student learning. The primary goal of grading and reporting is recognized as communication, and grading and reporting are seen to be integral parts of the instructional process. Chapter 1 explores why grading and reporting…

Previous research in the field of student learning in higher education has mostly focused on conceptual issues of students at the individual concept or task level. There has been little research of students' conceptions of whole subjects, and virtually no previous research of students' feelings of their conceptual experiences. This paper aims to…

There is a growing body of literature about "community" in learning, or "cohorts" of learners, but there is relatively little empirical evidence about what these communities and cohorts might be. This paper reviews the literature, recognizes variations in meaning in discussions of community, and takes the first steps toward a model that describes…

This paper describes a Web site containing activities for chemistry that aid student learning. Used as an adjunct to the normal classroom and laboratory sessions, instructional goals of the Web site were to provide guidance and encourage regular and timely study. Initially learners were able to review the weekly objectives, see short explanations…

Professional development activities are learning environments for teachers just as classroom activities are a learning environment for students. Research on effective teaching is guided by learning goals for students and how these goals can best be achieved. It follows that research on effective professional development should be guided by the…

This handbook from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education is a bridge between the Commissions standards for accreditation and the practical challenges of planning, assessment, and continuous improvement. The handbook and its companion Web site offer extensive resources, including exercises, examples form assessment practices, and…

Papers in this collection were prepared for the annual meeting of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. This volume contains papers related to promoting student learning and effective teaching. Chapter 1, "Developing and Sustaining a Culture of Assessment," contains: (1) "Developing the Scholarship of Assessment" (Thomas Anthony…

This essay uses the interplay of biography and the historical development of society to discuss how one female teacher has experienced learning and teaching throughout her life. It also presents the results of the teacher's exploration of the dialogic, experiential, and participatory (DEP) approach to teaching and learning that she has explored.…

Suggestions for making number concepts and basic operations through counting with diagrams more meaningful are given. Discussions of specific instances with two children, ages 5 and 9, illustrate some ideas, inventions, and difficulties of children in this age range. (LS)

Article presented six of the most important characteristics of an open climate for learning. (Author/RK)

Highlights the topics and atmosphere of a four-day Library College Conference held with the theme "Learning Without Walls." The content of speeches and discussions are summarized. (CH)