As research continues to show that bigger schools are not necessarily better, educators are finding innovative ways to shrink them. Small schools may even prove less expensive, when costs per graduate are considered. In Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and New York City, large elementary schools are breaking into smaller learning communities. (MLH)

Describes and evaluates a three-year-old program at Franklin Pierce Law Center (New Hampshire) to improve classroom teaching, noting a national survey of law schools which found few such programs. Describes the school's decision to emphasize peer review, to hire a visiting professor recognized as a gifted teacher, and its cooperative teaching…

Asserts that successful teaming requires training, practice, and support structures and that it often comes unaccompanied by training or instructions. Presents a conceptual model of the factors that affect team performance, and describes the three categories of the framework, their usefulness, and examples of pertinent studies within each…

This paper describes Education Review Teams as an evolution of practice stemming from evidence of the effectiveness of teacher assistance teams and teacher support teams. Evidence showing the value of adding a monitoring function, subject area consultation, and the authority to allocate resources to these teams is offered. (DB)

Describes a collaborative model in which college instructors work together to support and assess teaching innovations. Basic principles of a clinical-based method of supervision were adapted for the three-phase process (planning conference, classroom observation, feedback conference). Provides examples of collaboration and participants' feedback.…

Recognizes how lack of time, support, and resources can hamper the development of an effective integrated curriculum. Describes classroom and preservice teachers' collaboration to create an effective curriculum based on the story "Flat Stanley." Concludes that preservice teachers gained important insights about designing effective integrated…

Explored the professional development experiences of 28 practicing teachers involved in a two-year technology supported problem-based learning curriculum development effort. Discusses collaboration in teaching and the use of asynchronous computer-mediated communication and compares that discourse with the discourse produced by teachers in…

Discusses the experience of developing and directing a fiddle group that included both students and adults. States that adult volunteers within the fiddle group are critical to its success. Includes tips for starting a fiddle group. (CMK)

Providing time and guidance to students as they "sift and sort" background information on a potential inquiry topic is important at any level of investigation, from grade school to graduate school. As the inquiring student moves through new information, discusses ideas with teachers and peers and, most of all, has time to reflect on the initial…

Stories that were written by my grandfather at the turn of the 20th century spiraled into my daily life as a nurse-teacher at the turn of the 21st century. In this paper, I explore a common plotline of my Afi (Islandic for grandfather) and me as pioneers by linking his life stories to the tensions I experience in my contemporary professional…

Science notebooks are an everyday part of learning in the Tucson (AZ) Unified School District. Recently, K-8 schools there began using notebooks in conjunction with their kit-based science program. As part of the district's professional development team, the authors helped during the implementation at Miller Elementary, where teachers and students…

Mentoring may be seen as a process that helps student teachers become professional teachers. In this context, a variety of significant roles played by mentors have been identified in the literature. This paper reports on mentors' perceptions of the most important roles selected from a given list, as revealed through questionnaire and interview…

This project was designed to examine the feasibility of using a "collapsed day" to explore socio-scientific issues relating to genes and genetic engineering in secondary schools by enabling science and humanities staff to collaborate. It was believed that science staff would have expertise in promoting understanding of genetics and humanities…

A survey study examined the perceptions of 484 kindergarten teachers in one midwestern state regarding language and literacy development, roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists (SLP), and teacher-delivered interventions in the classroom. Quantitative and qualitative findings from a 36-item survey revealed that the majority of…

This paper provides a description of how an educational psychologist can consult with groups of teachers mostly in relation to their work with pupils who display emotional behavioural difficulties. The paper includes a review of the work on group consultation in schools, followed by a description of process consultation (Schein, 1988 ) and how the…