This article draws from the professional literature of two distinct domains of research: computer-based electronic learning and professional development in education. The present paper addresses the recently recognized need for new conceptualizations of teaching in both fields. Questions and dilemmas pertaining to collaborative learning and…

In coteaching, two or more teachers take collective responsibility for enacting a curriculum together with their students. Past research provided some indication that in the course of coteaching, not only the teaching practices of the partners become increasingly alike but also do unconsciously produced ways of moving about the classroom, hand…

In this article, the author offers advice for principals on working with teachers to change the instructional climate and on how to apply brain-friendly instructions to improve the effectiveness of one's teaching. To lead an entire district toward the use of brain-compatible instruction, the author suggests to start with a group of motivated…

There are many ways to improve the quality of education, but it is believed that the scholarship of teaching and learning holds special promise. The scholarship of teaching and learning invites faculty from all disciplines and fields to identify and explore interesting questions in their own teaching--and, especially, in their students'…

Experienced English teachers can proactively help newcomers in their schools in different ways by relying on research and case studies that focus on the stated needs of new teachers. The efforts of a community of colleagues will serve to sustain newcomers so that they can gain confidence over time, refining their teaching proficiencies to…

The authors investigated the relationship between perceived effectiveness of elementary school faculty groups as a whole and student performances on standardized tests. Participants included the principal and all teachers, referred to as the faculty group, in 61 elementary schools. Members of the faculty group in each school completed the Group…

The intention of this article is to present a year-long interdisciplinary course, Mathematical Models in Chemistry. The course is comprised of eleven units, each of which has both a mathematical and a chemical component. A syllabus of the course is given and the format of the class is explained. The interaction of the professors and the content is…

Creating and sustaining a collaborative culture takes work, effort and focus. If professional development delivered in the classrooms is to be successful, the focus and practice must become part of the school culture (Danielson, 2002). Providing in-classroom professional development has been the key to instructional reform at Lee Richmond…

Students in York County, Pennsylvania, live near Amish communities, and recognize the influence of Amish culture within their own lives through food, decorative arts, furniture, and quilts. The understanding of the cultural ideas used in Amish quilts, however, is not often explored. Two regional art educators, Trisha Coggins and Sara Little, were…

English as a Second Language (ESL) and mainstream teachers' collaboration has largely been presented in policy as the unproblematic sharing of ideas. However, in the 20 years since this policy has been in place within Victoria, Australia, teachers are still struggling to find ways of effectively working together. This paper presents a theoretical…

According to this author, professional development in most school districts usually is not what teachers call worthwhile. Most is mandatory and tied to the latest literacy "fix," new district systems, text adoptions and occasionally, a speaker who has something new to share. She contends that meaningful professional development should be an…

In true David Letterman style, this article presents a Top Ten List for why and how it's important to get to know the beginning teacher next door or just down the hall and listen for call signals. What follows is the Top Ten List for becoming a mentor: (1) establish reciprocal collaboration through trust; (2) offer a shoulder of support; (3) share…

This article recounts how a communications and an engineering department instituted a team-teaching venture to supplement engineering students' communication skills in a discipline-specific context.

How do principals get teachers past isolation to create a top school? Principals must create a web of leadership, a nonhierarchical structure of authority and control. While they remain at the center, they are supported only when they learn to delegate. Teachers learn to take on leadership roles, creating a more vested interest and lessening the…

New technologies now offer teachers alternative models of collaboration with schools overseas, but how effective are they as professional development opportunities? The experiences of 18 specialist primary and secondary teachers in the Teachers' International Professional Development Programme who visited schools in the USA were investigated as…