This paper explores the concept of reflection and reflective practice in teacher education. Teaching is a complex achievement that brings together a number of conceptual, practical, and physical resources in an individual's professional practice. Achievement in teaching is an amalgam of at least four different discourses--science, craft, art, and…

These newsletter issues explore topics of interest to Japanese language teachers in the United States. Issues contain feature articles, book and computer software reviews, activities and worksheets for classroom use, letters to the editor, news of regional conferences and activities, announcements, new resources, and employment opportunities.…

This paper first evaluates discipline classification schemes and general differences between disciplines associated with the natural sciences and those associated with the humanities. It then reviews research which either asked students how professors in these fields teach, observed teachers in their classrooms, or asked students to describe their…

A series of chapter essays delves into the author's experiences as a high school teacher in Vermont's rural "Northeast Kingdom." In essays on such subjects as the Future Farmers of America, sex, courtesy, parents, college, and lovers' quarrels, anecdotal narratives are woven together with reflections on the challenges of teaching,…

As part of a larger comparison of the school-to-work transition in Switzerland and Great Britain, instruction in mathematics, science, and practical subjects (industrial arts and home economics) in the two countries was compared by two methods: site visits to English and Swiss schools by teams of English teachers and inspectors and analyses of the…

This paper discusses ways that teachers have found to integrate curriculum and make it more meaningful to students. A review of the literature reveals that teachers are exploring ways to provide developmentally appropriate curriculum and opportunities for children to learn in a more natural setting. Three approaches are examined: whole language,…

At LaGuardia Community College (LCC), technology has become central to the college curriculum, and has enriched the college's cooperative and secondary education programs. In addition to employing technology to accommodate various teaching/learning styles at the college, LaGuardia provides students with as many opportunities as possible to use…

Cooperative learning, as it was constructed in three seventh-grade classrooms in a multi-ethnic middle school, was examined as part of a dissertation study that focused on cooperative learning as embedded in its sociocultural context. Data were gathered using ethnographic methods, including participant and nonparticipant observations, document…

Designed to provide a concise description of traditional instructional techniques, as well as more recent technology-based techniques, this 11-part guidebook includes the following sections: (1) "The Value of Planning"; (2) "Aids to Effective Instruction," reviewing the reasons for employing learning objectives, Bloom's taxonomy of objectives for…

A collection of essays addresses the connection between the study of communication and its sociocultural contexts and the approach to second language teaching based on the concept of communicative competence. Essays include: "From Communicative Competence to Communicative Language Pedagogy" (Michael Canale); "The Domain of Pragmatics" (Bruce…

A review of research findings on context variables in the classroom and their effects on student achievement provided a framework upon which to base conclusions on the following factors pertaining to effective teaching: (1) teacher control of the classroom; (2) adjustment of teacher control of learning activities to student abilities; (3)…

This report reviews the literature on high-risk students at the higher education level in terms of the following questions: are high-risk students and nontraditional students the same? what is the impact of high-risk students on institutions of higher education? are high-risk students treated differently in elementary and secondary schools? do…

Beginning with general observations on the human element in excellent teaching that often goes unnoticed by researchers, this speaker provides a wide range of suggestions for making more effective use of class time. These suggestions pertain to monitoring time on and off task, classroom organization and planning, making assignments, clarifying…

An analysis is presented of a review of research reports on the efficacy of direct instruction in fostering basic skills development. The review process began with a topical literature search using the ERIC database and conventional library methods. Articles and other documents were analyzed and abstracted into "Item Reports." Each of…

The author, who is an award winning college professor, is often asked about her philosophy of teaching. She reflects upon her own undergraduate experiences when she considers what makes an effective course. In this article, the author shares and discusses five principles of teaching that define her teaching philosophy: (1) Be approachable; (2) Use…