The changing demands of the 21st century--and the students growing up in it--are generating fundamental challenges to historical assumptions about what education looks like. The challenge today is to provide a deeper level of personalized learning to each and every student so that all can achieve mastery of the Common Core standards and other…

The School Improvement Specialist Project prepared seven modules. School improvement specialists, as defined by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia, are change agents who work with schools to help them improve in the following areas so as to increase student achievement. These modules are intended to provide training materials for…

Individualized learning by distance education is discussed, with examples from Lincoln College, New Zealand. After identifying advantages and disadvantages of this approach for students, five degrees of freedom in learning encompassed by this mode are covered that involve content, method, pace, assessment, and sequence. Freedom of content allows…

This module is one of a series of 127 performance-based teacher education (PBTE) learning packages focusing upon specific professional competencies of vocational teachers. The competencies upon which these modules are based were identified and verified through research as being important to successful vocational teaching at both the secondary and…

This module (part of a series of 24 modules) is on educational assessment and its purposes. The genesis of these materials is in the 10 "clusters of capabilities," outlined in the paper, "A Common Body of Practice for Teachers: The Challenge of Public Law 94-142 to Teacher Education." These clusters form the proposed core of…

An instructional unit in housing design created to address problems of group work in higher education is described and evaluated. Students and educators were consulted and literature reviewed for salient issues. The new unit was piloted with students. Results show design of group projects should address: project organization, assessment, balance…

This learning module, one in a series of 127 performance-based teacher education learning packages focusing upon specific professional competencies of vocational teachers, deals with determining student grades. Addressed in the individual learning experiences are the following topics: understanding the functions of grades and traditional systems…

This curriculum guide provides technology learning activities designed to prepare students in grades 6-10 to work in the world of the future. The 8-day course provides exploratory, hands-on learning activities and information that can enhance the education of students of all types in an integrated curriculum that provides practical applications of…

Designed to help teachers meet the program objectives for the computer processing curriculum for senior high schools in the province of Alberta, Canada, this resource manual includes the following sections: (1) program objectives; (2) a flowchart of curriculum modules; (3) suggestions for short- and long-range planning; (4) sample lesson plans;…

This module (part of a series of 24 modules) is on writing individualized education programs (IEPs). The genesis of these materials is in the 10 "clusters of capabilities," outlined in the paper, "A Common Body of Practice for Teachers: The Challenge of Public Law 94-142 to Teacher Education." These clusters form the proposed…

This module presents results of a demonstration project investigating portfolio assessment uses in adult basic education and English as a second language. It describes how to use the approach to design a portfolio assessment plan in any chosen subject area. Section I provides an overview and reviews the project framework. Section II focuses on…

This manual is designed to help beginning vocational-technical education teachers, especially those who are subject-matter experts but who may not have been trained in education, to develop the teaching skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Each of the 12 chapters is a learning module that uses an individualized, self-paced delivery system.…

This training package, one in a series of instructional modules consisting of an instructor's guide and a student activity packet, deals with office reprographics. Included in the instructor's guide are general directions for implementing the presentation; a detailed guide for teaching the lesson that includes performance objectives, suggestions…

A competency-based automotive mechanics curriculum was developed at Big Bend Community College (Washington) in order to provide the basis for an advanced placement procedure for high school graduates and experienced adults through a competency assessment. In order to create the curriculum, Big Bend Community College automotive mechanics…

This curriculum guide is designed to help teachers assist secondary students in Alberta (Canada) in meeting the following objectives: develop skills that can be applied in their daily lives, refine career planning skills, develop technology-related skills in communication technology, enhance employability skills, and apply and reinforce learning…