The most striking feature of the Japanese social studies curriculum at the elementary level is its role as the instructor of Japanese national values and attitudes. The social studies curriculum has gone through four major revisions since World War II. In the most recent revision, in the early 1980's, the focus has been on instituting new teaching…

This collection of conference papers addresses selected philosophical and social questions being faced by contemporary educators. Papers and presenters are: "The Computer Revolution, the Technological Fallacy, and Education" (Keith L. Raitz); "Some Bits and Bytes: A Response to Raitz" (Robert J. Skovira); "The Public…

One of the major goals of the middle school is to help students gain and refine skills in the area of values clarification. One way of securing such value clarification is to plan and assign value sheets--carefully planned and written activities designed to elicit value clarification patterns of language usage from students. Six different formats…

This essay is the first of a series of occasional papers written by members of the Humanistic Education Project. The purpose is to examine the possibility that philosophy might in fact provide a foundation for educational practice; that philosophy would provide practical knowledge concerning what ought to be done so students and teachers could…

This is the first of seven resource units which constitute a twelfth grade course on value conflicts and policy decisions. The topic of this unit is how we can preserve our security without sacrificing essential freedom. Introductory notes explain the unit format and discuss teaching strategies. Objectives for the unit are listed as they relate to…

No extended inquiry is required to discover in this country a widespread and serious concern that education for children and young persons shall include attention to the development of ethical attitudes and practices. Examination of the writings of parents, school officials, public officials, and character-building agencies indicates that all…

Asserts that tolerance is a fundamental part of democracy. Presents a lesson plan to help students understand tolerance as it applies to homosexuality. Includes student objectives, step-by-step instructional procedures, and a student handout featuring Oregon's proposed minority status and Child Protection Act. (CFR)

Discusses issues related to ethical instruction in relation to cultural pluralism. Asserts that increased understanding may serve to intensify differences and that toleration may slide into indifference. Provides a background for teaching about cultural differences and concludes that it is possible to be moral and multicultural at the same time.…

Describes a university curriculum integration project for education and noneducation majors that pairs a preservice course in educational foundations with a general education course in sociology. The courses include discipline-specific objectives but are taught using collaborative pedagogy. The centerpiece is an integrative, field-based research…

Democracy within the school without participation of the students in planning and carrying out the program is just as lacking as it is within a state where the people who are governed are denied the privilege of determining the scope and processes of the government. There is no one who is more directly concerned with and affected by the…

Proof of academic performance often serves as the litmus test for maintaining instructional practices and programs. Just as the national focus on academic improvement has gained momentum, so too has another movement calling for character education. Educators find themselves caught in the middle, questioning whether character education is just…

According to Csikszentmihalyi (1988), creativity is a very complex interaction among a person, a field, and a culture. In keeping with this approach, a look at Asian culture in relation to its impact on creativity is in order. While people may vary in their native capacity for creativity, it is in the individual's interaction with the macrocosm…

People are more likely to associate Einstein with complex scientific theories and mathematical calculations than with education theory. In fact, Einstein's own experiences of schooling and his reflections on the meaning of life and the significance of education are profound and oddly relevant to the situation that pertains in England today. It is…

As teachers, we want to motivate our students to learn during a unit and to continue learning about the topic after the unit ends. This article describes about a hundred methods we use to help motivate students to learn. The methods form 12 categories: (1) making content relevant to student values and goals; (2) helping students achieve their…

The idea of collective decision making in schools has been a popular democratic educational reform model. One of its claims is that participation in school decision making empowers teachers and improves teaching. This research investigates this claim by exploring seven teachers' experiences with a unique democratic school reform in Porto Alegre,…