Two prominent recent education reform reports ("A Nation at Risk" and "Tomorrow's Teachers") are examined, using discourse analysis. This article concludes that the reports' language and discursive practices limit rather than expand possibilities for substantive curriculum reform. (IAH)

Examines the conditions that undermine the quality of postsecondary writing instruction. Recommends alternatives in the form of guidelines for the professional recognition and treatment of tenure-line faculty, part-time and temporary full-time faculty, and graduate student instructors. (RS)

New York's Dropout Prevention Initiative (DPI) is examined from the perspective of Dewey's educational philosophy. DPI employs an approach which "blames the victim" in contrast to the Deweyan approach which considers the social organization of schools as critical. Three components of DPI are critiqued: attendance incentives, career…

Compares standards of training for library technicians in Australia and Canada. The discussion covers the involvement of national associations and advisory committees in decisions involving program standards; the use of distance education; and similarities and differences in entry requirements, diplomas awarded, and curriculum content. (22…

Presents a view of democracy as a cultural form that goes beyond political participation and civic responsibility to include the notions of community, participative decision making, critical thinking, historical awareness, and equitable distribution of resources. (TE)

Perceptions of 94 adult learners and 31 teachers regarding the nature and goals of literacy education revealed that adult learners tended to view literacy from a fundamental perspective, but entered programs for job-related (functional) reasons. On the other hand, teachers viewed literacy from a functional perspective, but presented programs that…

Describes the sharp contradiction between the ideal of autonomy in democratic educational thought and the prevailing closed school structure, indicating the contradiction as having stemmed from considerations valid in industrial societies. Suggests a model of a flexible school designed to operate according to the considerations of postindustrial…

Examines educational responses to growing international competition and the consequences of changing family structure against the current background of Europe's social and industrial changes. Describes European citizenship, vocational competencies, language uniformity, education of immigrants, science education, university preparation, and the…

Discusses using folklore as a means of connecting classroom work to surrounding communities and the real world (a Foxfire "core practice"). Includes an overview of Foxfire history, folklore concepts, and activities for learning about folklore. Stresses the value of folklore for both teachers and students. Lists information resources and…

Principles for ensuring effective use of semantic webbing in meeting study skill needs of students with learning problems are noted. Important study skills are listed, along with suggested semantic web topics for which subordinate ideas may be developed. Two semantic webs are presented, illustrating the study skills of multiple choice test-taking…

This response to five case studies of inclusive practices for elementary students with learning disabilities identifies three difficulties with the inclusion concept: (1) its noneducational nature; (2) its displacement of the uniqueness of special education; and (3) its promulgation of bankrupt conceptions of accountability. (Author/DB)

A developmental model for collaborative learning at the college level, based on the notion of the development of expertise, is outlined. Five stages are described: (1) the learning of rules, techniques, and strategies; (2) applying the techniques and strategies to the particular teaching context; (3) developing competence; (4) becoming proficient;…

An ethnographic study examined the organization of work and play in a kindergarten fostering spontaneous play in the generation of work, as inspired by Froebel and Dewey. Found that the dominance of structures favoring work in the use of time, product tracking, and instructive language severely reduced the time, social relationships, and…

A high school teacher of language and reading in a school for the deaf shares her growth in developing her own writing workshop model. Stressed are the importance of trust, of modeling, and of students and teachers making learning their own. (DB)

This article considers the application of the philosophical and educational principles of Rudolf Steiner, called "anthroposophy," to the training of teachers and curative educators in the Waldorf schools. Special emphasis is on the Camphill movement which focuses on therapeutic schools and communities for children with special needs. (DB)