Describes the Chita Institute for the Improvement of Qualifications which employs 120 specialist trainers for Sourthern Siberia. The institute uses a block-circle system for improving teacher qualifications (referring to the combined subject matter specialties and cyclic nature of the process). The system helps teachers realize creative…

Presents a series of reflections in which a second-grade teacher recognizes the value of encouraging children to develop various computational processes as well as a range of different solution approaches. Uses the context of mentally calculating costs of menu items. (MKR)

Two studies of high ability students' communal notions about the purposes of school and the fairness of classroom practices suggest that the moral and intellectual development of high ability students would be best fostered by collaborative learning practices and by educational programs that encourage them to seek knowledge that will be of value…

Urges incorporation of ethics into social studies curriculum. Provides an overview of ethical theory including principle-based theories of utilitarianism and deontology and virtue-based theories. Discusses philosophies of social science including positivism, interpretivism, and critical social science. Suggests teaching methods and curriculum…

Examines feminist teaching in university physical education. Three articles describe the personal experiences of physical educators who try to teach in ways that promote equality. The articles focus on social diversity and justice and feminist pedagogy in the sport sciences and physical education. (SM)

It is argued that reading aloud to children in school is an important vehicle for developing a child's feelings and their correlative values. In response to possible charges of indoctrination, the author draws a parallel between first-language learning and the learning of a repertoire of feeling. (seven references) (Author/LB)

Reviews six books covering topics of (1) creativity and play in the early childhood curriculum; (2) the involvement of families in middle school education; (3) nonverbal communication; (4) developmentally appropriate classrooms for kindergarten through third grade; (5) schools' role in teaching respect and responsibility; and (6) the practice of…

Wigginton's Foxfire program requires that students and teachers collaborate on important, intriguing issues and use certain experiential methods to address and assess them. Wigginton handed out copies of Georgia's 92 language arts objectives to his ninth and tenth graders and allowed them considerable flexibility in learning them. Cooperative…

The role of values in developing pedagogical content knowledge was examined through interviews and classroom observations of four expert high school teachers. Analysis indicated that teachers' value orientations to their subject matter influenced their choice of content, use of the textbook, pedagogical strategies, and perceptions of students'…

Explores how three inquiry processes (iconology, iconography, and social art history) can enable art educators to develop interesting and relevant teaching approaches for the study of art. Gives examples of how the inquiry processes could be used in the art classroom. Explains that through inquiry methods, art historical understanding may be…

This article examines differentiation by task as it is used and perceived in French and English primary schools. It highlights the influence of national context on teaching and learning. The study rests on classroom observations in 12 Key Stage 1 classes located in socially disadvantaged areas. The first section sets the mission of schooling in a…

In democratic societies schools play a large role in helping students learn the values and skills necessary for adult participation in a free and open society. This article is a case study of a group of students who started a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at a private American school in Mexico City. The students' struggle to form and keep their GSA,…

Members of Teaching K-8's staff describe their visit to Brigantine Elementary School in Brigantine, NJ, where they were introduced to so many outstanding educators and enthusiastic volunteers that they wondered whether this was the "perfect school." Acknowledging that the school has some flaws, the Teaching K-8 staff note that Brigantine…

Teachers and other school staff are overwhelmed with myriad concerns. As a result, many view positive youth development as just "one more thing" to add to an already full plate. This article assists educators in understanding how positive youth development (PYD) is inherent in good educational practice, and does not have to be one more thing.…

Two high school teachers advocate teaching high school students to investigate and transform their worlds with the help of the American literature. "Behind the Veil: American Literature and Culture of the 1950s" and "The Visible and the Invisible: Literary and Cultural Representations of the Native American", are the two literature units used to…