This book for teachers, administrators, and central office staff provides guidelines for orchestrating and extending conversations among case users, with strategies for improving facilitators' effectiveness and a conceptual framework for understanding and acting in the role of facilitator. The book describes how to foster an entire professional…

This paper examines the author's conducting a weekly seminar for eight secondary interns (preservice teachers) from Michigan State University working at three middle and high schools. The leader describes the tension he felt in trying to respond to interns' emerging concerns and needs while at the same time trying to preserve an environment in…

One of the issues a college writing instructor grapples with in teaching writing is how best to structure collaborative groups to maximize benefit for each student in a multicultural classroom where many students might fairly be considered "marginalized"--to create an environment in which they become "insiders." Criteria sets for forming group…

According to Kasulis, a class discussion has three dimensions: content, process, and people. Though content is an obvious element that is usually thoroughly researched, process can be problematic for many teachers. Some students tend to dominate, while others disengage, and the discussion often wanders. These problems can be alleviated with…

An action research study addresses validity and value in teacher education by discussing thematic constructs and making specific normative underpinnings explicit. Concerned with developing teachers' abilities to create democratic classrooms and dispositions toward social justice, this study is a multi-layered, longitudinal inquiry into classroom…

This paper examines the mechanics of argumentation, some features of computer conferencing software that might support this teaching and learning method (e.g., strategies for sharing, examining and commenting on various kinds of evidence, threading a conversation, indicating type of message, linking to outside information, highlighting new…

Group seminars, or small discussion groups, support cooperative reflection between teachers, expose interns to new perspectives, help them develop professional relationships, and allow time for them to expand and deepen their reflective analysis of everyday occurrences. A group of 15 student teachers in an early childhood program at one university…

Examines the idea of organizational communication competence and describes how behavioral, cognitive, and performance objectives can be developed for a simulation course. Explains how the course works using small groups, organizational problems, and problem-solving discussions. Includes a sample syllabus with evaluation forms, a discussion of…

This study recorded and analyzed 96 student discussion groups to identify successful dialogue strategies; to highlight difficulties deriving from group characteristics; and to examine how students behave, what they gain, and which students benefit most. A model of a successful discussion is outlined and study findings considered. (Author/SJL)

The Michael's Group Remediation System was utilized in teaching a course dealing with the optics of the eye. The system features instructor pacing, written study objectives and content materials, weekly quizzes, and remediation. This mode of presentation was judged by instructor and students as being extremely successful. (Author/JMD)

Because of the complexity of large-scale projects, teams of experts have become the new designers of the built environment, with clients, decision makers, and buildings' users demanding inclusion in these teams. The Grand Frame Game is described as a technique for including people in decision making. (MLW)

Presents excerpts from a discussion in an English-as-a-Second-Language classroom to illustrate the role of group discussion in assessing reading comprehension and shaping realizations through a type of scaffolded instruction. Discusses the "stepping stones" technique with a classroom transcript illustrating its use. (nine references) (Author/CK)

Uses oral-language skills assessment to illustrate sound classroom assessment practices, stressing interrelationships among teaching, learning, and assessment and viewing assessment as a continual, ongoing reference in a dynamic process, not an end in itself. Describes supportive classroom environments, explains oral language profiles, and…

Compares the interactions in two listservs, one dealing with a chronic illness (diabetes), the other with a more acute disease (colon cancer). Analysis of 1000 messages from each list categorized messages by problem orientation and into socioemotional areas having positive and negative reactions and into task areas for asking questions and…

Discusses ways to improve the learning experience in English-as-a-Second-Language classes. These include interacting with others, discussions of interesting subjects, playing games with a pronunciation focus, communicating over the computer with native speakers and establishing analytical and comprehensible grading criteria. (Three references) (CK)