Analyzes current teacher education practices, and groups them under the labels of "preparation approach,""imitation approach," and "clinical approach." Describes a "reflective approach" of teacher preparation as being consistent with John Dewey's views toward education and presents quotations taken directly…

Examines teachers' roles as mediators of knowledge and cognitive learning in the classroom. Cites research findings concerning teacher effectiveness, expertise, and curriculum knowledge. Urges user-friendly, explicit methods of classroom teaching as opposed to child-centered learning without mediation by the teacher. Suggests that teacher…

Describes how pre-service teachers at one elementary school participate in Grand Rounds (borrowed from the medical profession). Participants observe master teachers demonstrating model lessons and interacting with students. During a debriefing session, student teachers ask questions and discuss their observations with master teachers. Later, they…

Teaching skills can be acquired or modified through various processes, including observation, concept acquisition, practice, and feedback. However, evidence does not indicate that combining these processes into a single training methodology provides any advantage for teacher trainees. Teaching also may be influenced by providing information about…

This entry program is based on the following general purposes: (a) to help students formulate their professional decisions regarding grade level and/or subject area and to make tentative long-range plans on the basis of that decision; (b) to help students develop observational skills which enable them to analyze and evaluate teaching-learning…

Preservice teachers observed 288 elementary students during language arts instruction. High achievers spent twice as much time as low achievers completely involved in work, although low achievers spent three times as much time as high achievers definitely not involved in work. The effectiveness of curricular tasks in promoting expected behavior is…

Describes the learning style inventory and learning cycle developed by David Kolb. Discusses the learning cycle's four stages as concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Offers an example from a chemical engineering class in which Kolb's ideas are used in an effort to improve instruction.…

Sketches some of the dilemmas in language assessment and presents exemplary practical approaches to assessment in the language arts areas of listening, oral language, reading, and writing. (SD)

Challenges citizenship educators to be more cognizant of the social and communitarian aspects of democratic citizenship. Explores engagement with children's literature and development of a classroom creed as two ways to actively engage children in citizenship roles. Includes an interview with a participating teacher. (MJP)

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…

Examines traditional Native Americans' emphasis on the value of understanding the learning process and a holistic curriculum and the Native Americans' perspective toward teaching and learning. Discusses how contemporary educators can learn from a traditional Native American learning model. (LC)

This paper examines 10 principles of learning and suggests ways in which vocational education teachers may apply them in their classrooms. The following principles are discussed: reductionism, the law of effect, imitation and observational learning, classroom management without punishment, shaping, the law of primacy, token rewards, the law of…

In this monograph, the language and pedagogical concepts embodied in the Tucson Early Education Model are used to develop a systematized method of natural language learning. It is hypothesized that young children in school continually resystematize their language, and that conscious and systematic modeling by the teacher should accelerate this…

This study found that constant time delay was effective in teaching word reading to four students (ages seven to eight) with mild handicaps. Individual attentional response was more effective and efficient in learning to spell words than in choral attentional response. Observational and incidental learning occurred for all students. (Author/JDD)

A study was conducted by a researcher who observed the mathematics education class and the field experiences of one preservice student teacher. The teacher educator and the target student were the key participants. The focus of the study was on the transition from student to teacher, and on the initial trials of being a teacher. Insights were…