Describes the dramatization of Katherine Anne Porter's story,"The Fig Tree's Lessons." Discusses the process by which this story was made accessible to an audience of 8- to 12-year-old children. Notes that this program attempts to avoid the simplification of the profound human experience of dealing with death. (KO)

A seminar on legal issues in medicine brings together medical (obstetrics/gynecology) and law students to promote mutual understanding of the legal and medical realms, their effects on each other, and the potential for cooperation. (MSE)

A study of the role of subject matter in shaping high school teachers' beliefs, curricular concerns, and instructional practices complements studies of the disciplines in higher education. Factors discussed include the "hard/soft" distinction between disciplines, curriculum sequencing, range of classroom techniques, breadth of course content, and…

Agrees with John Goodlad and others that teacher education programs do not include discourse about the moral dimensions of teaching. Offers suggestions for developing such curricula. Presents evidence that the curriculum was successful and that a program of modest duration can influence ethical development. (CFR)

Contends that existing social studies curricula do not prepare students to deal with rapid advancements in communications, technology, international politics, and the emerging global economy. Emphasizes that social studies curriculum reform must include a global perspective. (CFR)

Suggests a way to overcome the difficulty of teaching effective reading skills to students with diverse interests. The approach is based on four specifications: (1) each student studies a text on a topic in his own specialty; (2) reading practice images students' academic contexts; (3) classes are learner centered; and (4) students are evaluated…

Contends that, although social studies teachers want students to think, research indicates that most teaching emphasizes knowledge, leaving few opportunities for students to think about it. Discusses criteria to assist teachers and strategies that promote student thinking. (CFR)

States that an important goal of introductory college sociology courses is to make the discipline come alive for students and to encourage active involvement in learning. Describes a student project approach in which students interview three people and analyze the data relevant to four theoretical perspectives. (CFR)

As his high school restructured to improve student outcomes, a biology teacher altered the instructional environment of his classroom accordingly, emphasizing curriculum, instruction, and assessment. As he acted more like a coach than a dispenser of information, students took more responsibility for learning and improving the quality of their…

Special education (n=52) and general education (n=54) students who attended an Apache Indian reservation high school were interviewed 0 to 4 years after graduating or leaving school. Both groups reported that they found mathematics and English most helpful and that they wished for more computer, business, and office skills training. (DB)

Asserts that culture was and is a major focus of much sociological research and writing and that music is often a subject of such research. Proposes using music as a teaching tool in a course about issues of race, class, and gender. Describes the use of musical lyrics in the course, and reports on student attitudes toward the course. (CFR)

Discusses the impact of Marxist geography on course content and textbooks in college geography. Reviews three textbooks. Identifies four persistent problems in the representation of Marxist geography. Suggests a template through which teachers can offer students a more discriminating account of that model. (CFR)

Maintains that a major source of intercultural misunderstanding is the clash of culturally conditioned perceptions of reality. Describes the use of a family history project in an introductory college sociology course. Provides an appendix including the project description. (CFR)

The Birth to Three Inservice Training Project was a federally funded demonstration project which trained Connecticut early interventionists from a variety of backgrounds. The model stressed a conducive learning climate, mutual planning, diagnosis of individual learning needs, continuous evaluation, and follow-up training. The service delivery…

Attempts to draw comparisons between the different ways that distance education methods have been used for postsecondary education. Emphasizes the differences in scale, curricula, teaching approaches, and resource levels at different institutions in different nations. Explores problems such as lack of discussion, inflexibility, high cost of…