This book provides guidance to beginning and experienced educational material developers. The targeted objectives are guiding developers on external funding, explaining the complex process of developing instructional materials, and pointing out the human interactions and issues involved in the development process. Chapters include: (1) "The…

This paper describes the importance of teachers mentoring one another, exploring what mentorship means and reviewing literature that examines its different stages, benefits, and pitfalls. After presenting two teachers' stories of being mentored, the paper describes mentoring relationships, then highlights the stages of mentoring: invitation stage,…

This study documented small groups of teachers who collaborated formally and informally while working on various collaborative teams. The study involved New York City's International High School, which serves recent immigrants from about 60 countries. The school helps students develop linguistic, cognitive, and cultural skills necessary to succeed…

This volume emphasizes that TESOL professionals can accomplish a great deal as members of inquisitive, cooperative communities. The contributors tell stories of their struggles and achievements, describing teacher learning communities and exploring how teachers might cultivate more collaborative communities in their lives. [Additional Volumes from…

Factors that make teacher collaboration difficult include teachers' beliefs about themselves and others, professional isolation, and weak collaboration skills. These barriers can be overcome if teachers develop relationships with their teaching partners, develop their collaboration skills, and focus on students and their needs as a shared goal.…

A rural Georgia high school has established a framework of continuous improvement to help it become a learning organization. Teachers are involved at all organizational levels--from school management to instructional practices. Teams of teachers are testing new ideas and knowledge, using data and simple statistical tools to discover what works,…

A national study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education indicates that school-based reform is no guarantee of improved learning opportunities. Schools with the most promising reform efforts set attainable reform goals with long timelines; focus explicitly on particular aspects of curriculum while targeting related professional development…

Faced with government-mandated restructuring, Dutch secondary schools and universities are networking to tackle school and professional development concerns. The collegial network helps teachers interpret and influence government policies, learn from one anothers' experience, tap into external expertise, and develop new educational approaches,…

This study explored attitudes of 50 general educators and educators working with gifted students regarding linkage between the general and gifted education programs. Suggestions for increasing communication, cooperation, and collaboration between general and gifted practitioners are provided. (Author/PB)

Proposes that teachers who undergo accommodative change do so if they are internally motivated to learn; become aware of their implicit ideas and practices and critically examine them; construct alternative knowledge, beliefs, and practices; resolve conflicts between the prior and the new set of ideas and practices; and do so in a social climate…

Challenges historical power relations, which have valued academic knowledge over teachers' experiential knowledge, asserting that such experiential knowledge should be considered legitimate; noting the need to assess knowledge produced by teachers and academics and offer apparatus for conducting such assessments; and recommending that by…

Describes as research project that examined the types of professional development activities that best meet the needs of instructors involved in online course development. Discusses barriers that prevent instructors from participating, activities that were most helpful, and a collaborative model that allows instructors to learn actively while…

The first-year global evaluations of the eight design implementations in Memphis, Tennessee, are based on syntheses of data from multiple sources. Common strengths included revitalized schools and initiation of new school organizations and teaching strategies. Common concerns include the need for more focused training, teacher collaboration time,…

Reviews key aspects of a change process in a Florida university's special education department. Describes core beliefs and values that underpinned the change process, the development of collaborative research groups (CRGs), and how CRGs have created linkages with other academic units and the community. (Author/CR)

Discusses the need of special education teachers for a mentor to help them through the critical first year of teaching students with special needs. The different reasons why special education teachers, in particular, need mentors are listed, along with the ways mentoring assistance could be provided. (Author/CR)