The South Yorkshire Outdoor Pursuits Trust manages an unstaffed residential facility that is used as a base for outdoor activities by various youth groups and by social services and mental health providers. The Trust sponsors an annual three-day outdoor leadership training event for staff of statutory and voluntary agencies. (SV)

Uses focus groups, a questionnaire, and in-depth interviews to reveal conditions needed for teachers' professional development: time to meet, solve problems, and reflect on practice and exposure to other teachers' strategies. Notes unexpected differences between adult literacy and English language teachers. (SR)

From an intergenerational training program for caregivers of children and frail elderly emerged a model for making program decisions. The model clusters potential activities in five categories: recreation/leisure, education, health promotion, public service, and personal development. It has four levels of selection criteria: match activities to…

Using guided apprenticeships in cognitive and social development and action research, a nonformal education project focused on developing strategic thinking, team values, and internal locus of control in 20 South African industrial participants. Increased self-confidence, better communication/relationship skills, and a broader knowledge base were…

This paper details three practical ways in which presenters can exceed expectations by addressing content as well as increasing participants' capacity for collaboration. The methods include providing the rationale for collaboration before group learning activities, encouraging participants in active learning, and focusing attention on…

Offers the following advice for teachers looking to integrate computers into their curricula: look around, software before hardware, and plan for continuing support and training. (RS)

Striving to be learning organization, Imperial Oil of Canada focused on organizational, divisional, and individual capability development. Lessons learned include the following: (1) all levels of employees are potential professionals; (2) learning must be continuous; (3) intrinsic motivation and commitment are essential; and (4) organizational…

Vocational teachers can improve collaboration with special educators by developing mutual understanding, trust, and shared vision; seeking best uses of resources such as time, personnel, facilities, equipment, and funding; and sharing information about the two fields through staff development activities. (SK)

An integrated approach to developing incidental trainers and teachers teaches learning-centered decision making for planning training and setting objectives. The learning model used for instructional design has five steps: be introduced to topic/skill, get to know it, try it, get feedback, apply it. (SK)

A survey of 380 trainers/personnel managers received 80 responses indicating that (1) larger organizations were more likely to institute ethics policies and programs and (2) most organizations are at a conventional level of moral development. (SK)

This article discusses comprehensive staff development plans for providers of services to individuals with visual impairments. It addresses how staff development can be planned, the purposes of staff development, how staff development differs from staff training, and options for delivering staff development (such as distance education). (JDD)

Organizational change should be approached first by identifying organizational goals, what people should produce to meet them, what kind of people are needed, and how performance can be elicited. The role of performance technology is to assist people in accomplishing the tasks necessary to achieve the goals. (SK)

Discusses some principles, considerations, and cautions for those creating staff development programs in whole language. Discusses factors necessary for effective implementation of whole-language programs. (RS)

The University of Missouri's Career Center uses student paraprofessionals as career specialists. They receive 100 hours of training and ongoing updating; responsibilities include interpreting assessments, helping deciding students, critiquing resumes and cover letters, sharing job hunting strategies, and updating occupational information. (SK)

Isolation, limited access to colleges and universities, and financial constraints restrict staff development opportunities for rural school systems. Recognizing these problems, the Virginia Middle School Association has adopted a regional conference structure that shifts meeting locations throughout seven major areas. The "hot topics"…