Designed to overcome a common barrier to successful implementation of school improvement efforts--entrenched belief systems--this book digs deeper into the power of collective efficacy. Teams with a strong sense of collective efficacy devise ways to make "what's supposed to work" actually work, and find ways to exercise control over…

The case presented here adopts a Symbolic Interactionist Observational Approach, as well as Systemic Functional Linguistics, to assess the effectiveness of a student peer-mentoring activity. Three of the author's Level 6 Education Studies students are invited to re-enact their Integrated Learning Project for the Level 5 cohort of students. In…

If you want to learn how to shoot a basketball, you begin by carefully observing someone who knows how to shoot a basketball. If you want to be a writer, you begin by carefully observing the work of accomplished writers. Recognizing the importance that modeling plays in the learning process, high school English teacher Kelly Gallagher shares how…

"Imitation and Education" provides an in-depth reassessment of learning by example that places imitation in a larger social context. It is the first book to bring together ancient educational thought and startling breakthroughs in the fields of cognitive science, psychology, and philosophy to reconsider how we learn from the lives of…

This book offers ideas that can help families find the simplicity of enjoying nature. These outdoor activities address the young child, leave room for the child's own interpretation and improvisation, and allow adults to look at nature through the eyes of their children. Respect for nature is an underlying message throughout the book. The over 100…

An evaluation was made of the methodology and findings presented in "Television and Antisocial Behavior. Field Experiments," by Stanley Milgram and R. Lance Shotland (New York: Academic Press, 1973). In the book, seven experiments were reported, all concerned with antisocial behavior toward a medical charity. Three episodes of Medical…

It is fashionable to say that teaching can be the most rewarding profession there is- and it can be. Most teachers can all give examples of the pleasure of helping a child grow in knowledge and understanding, and achieve their potential. But what about the teacher? They shouldn't be excluded from the benefits of lifelong learning because of their…

Modern research has suggested that imitation is a natural mechanism of learning and communication, yet the possibility of imitation in newborn humans has been controversial. This book looks at evidence for innate imitation in babies. The chapters in the first section of the book reassess the Piagetian tradition, especially concerning the relation…

The paper is a philosophical examination of values education. It is presented in three major sections. First, there is a discussion of the role that value education has played in the American educational system. A historical review of four documents published by national educational groups and the government indicates that moral education has been…

This book provides elementary teachers with ways to use focused observation to help plan thoughtful, effective instruction and curriculum for their students. The recommended strategies can be implemented in a variety of situations, grade levels, and teaching environments. Three chapters present stories related to: getting along in the classroom…

This guide provides teacher educators and staff developers with strategies to enhance the reflective thinking abilities of preservice and inservice educators. Strategies for reflective thinking are approached at three levels: technical, contextual, and dialectical. Within each level, strategies have been field tested with populations of preservice…

This book offers alternative approaches for local hiking events, such as creating extensive science, math or art projects, in order to energize a group of children. Chapter 1, "Getting Started," provides details on planning a hike, including getting supports, managing materials, setting the tone, questioning techniques, basic ecological…

Since history textbooks omit and/or emphasize certain data, students are left with a false sense of history. Although the "hard data" presented in history texts is generally regarded as reliable, the selection and organization of that data is inherently manipulative because other data has been excluded. Because authors do not begin with a…

The reflections and theses on preschool children's literacy development presented in this book are the result of an experimental project carried out in Buenos Aires from 1974 to 1976. Chapter 1 discusses the educational situation in Latin America, traditional methods of reading instruction, contemporary psycholinguistics, the pertinence of…

In this paper the author relates her experiences as an advisor to elementary school teachers on the subject of building curriculum. The philosophy expressed in her narrative is that learning begins when children seek the answers to their own questions and that curriculum can be developed out of children's immediate environment. The teacher must…