The affordances and pedagogical benefits of technology in the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classrooms are widely acknowledged. One potential use of technology is in eliciting and managing students' responses, which is an area where EAP/ESP teachers often report difficulties. Traditionally, teachers…

In this article, the reviewers, Lee-Tat Chow and Peidong Yang compare and contrast "Desiring TESOL and international education," by Raqib Chowdhury and Phan Le-Ha, London, Multilingual Matters, 2014, 288 pp., £29.95 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-783-09147-8 with "Transnational education crossing 'Asia' and 'the West'," by Phan LeHa,…

Paul Jablon's "The Synergy of Inquiry" (2014) is well-timed. The 2014 deadline set by No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2002) for universal student proficiency has come and gone, and according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, "proficiency rates last year were below 50 percent for nearly every racial and ethnic group, in…

In the book, "How Children Fail", John Holt simply but honestly records classroom interactions in a refreshing, realistic and humorous style of delivery. Many of Holt's real stories have to do with teachers often falling into the trap of asking students questions and looking only for "right answers." Holt's main thrust is child failure in a…

Three general areas in which technology (microcomputers and video technology) can facilitate learning are discussed: (1) helping students develop fluency (rapid recognition of familiar patterns); (2) providing rich problem-solving contexts that invite thinking; and (3) enabling students to create products that catch the attention of their teachers…

A historical perspective is provided of instructional theories, and some comments are presented on five papers from a session of the 1998 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). There is a large array of contemporary instructional design theories and models, and the number of theories is increasing. Some ways of…

Further commentary on distributed practice and the acquisition of motor skills points out that there are at least two viable theoretical perspectives that can be brought to bear on issues surrounding the acquisition of perceptual-motor skills. (JD)

Classroom second language instruction can be characterized as one of the following: focus-on-formS, focus-on-meaning, or focus-on-form. The book titled "Focus on Form in Classroom Second Language Acquisition" (Doughty & Williams, 1998) argues for the desirability of focus-on-form over focus-on-formS and focus-on-meaning, discussing the efficacy…

Suggests that this book helps early childhood educators make sense of postmodern theory. Notes that the authors are optimistic that early childhood educators can make radical changes at all levels of their profession and meet the demands of a complex world and its need for multiple perspectives. (DLH)

This book describes methods used in the education of science teachers. Chapters in the book and authors are as follows: (1) "Teaching Elementary Teachers How to Use the Learning Cycle for Guided Instruction in Science" (John Staver and Gail Shroyer); (2) "Helping Preservice Teachers Master Authentic Assessment for the Learning Cycle…

Described are ways in which some teachers have used a software package called "The Geometric Supposer." The development of inquiry skills is stressed. Recommendations for students using the Supposer are provided. (CW)

Some comments are provided about challenges facing the "instructional theory community," and specific remarks are made about papers presented at a session on expectations about instructional theory at the 1998 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) (Session 2). An area of particular interest is that of…

A federally funded research project investigated the relationship between academic learning time (ALT) and achievement of 43 educable mentally retarded, emotionally disturbed, and learning-disabled students, aged 7-13, in grades 1-5. The project's final report, titled "An Analysis of the Impact of Instructional Time within Different Service…

Some reflections are made on the historical context of instructional theory, and comments are presented on some papers from a session of the American Educational Research Association's 1998 annual meeting. A number of current innovations in instructional theory can actually be found among topics that have been discussed at various times in the…

Maintains that strengths of Olson and Torrance's work include its balanced focus on child and curriculum. Argues that the book neglects affective, social, and cultural aspects of development. Argues that the book's avoidance of ethnic categorization could encourage or justify avoiding issues of differences in human development and equity in…