This commentary on a previous article (EC 619 261) about medical consequences of child sexual abuse urges prospective studies using large populations to evaluate many variables, as well as selection of projects which are most likely to influence practice or policy and thus affect significant numbers of persons. (DB)

A three-step framework to help teachers examine and modify teaching practice based on data analysis includes: specify current levels of student performance, create action plans, and evaluate and communicate progress. A case study of a teacher who used the framework to pinpoint one student's writing problems, create change in practice, and assess…

Argues against a unidirectional model of foreign language learning whereby only theories and hypotheses generated from second language acquisition (SLA) research influence language teaching and classroom practice. Suggests that the voices of developing practitioners can shed new light on the question of focus on form versus focus on meaning.…

Review of recent research on effective teaching examines six areas of higher education teaching: (1) teaching dimensions and behaviors; (2) teaching considerations (including instructional design, methods, and teaching styles); (3) teaching and motivation; (4) teaching and teacher assessment and evaluation; (5) teaching technologies; and (6)…

Describes a university-school collaboration that prepares education paraprofessionals for careers as teachers of the deaf and yields insights and recommendations concerning adult learners. Discusses the contributions adult learners' experience bring to the course, the role of mentors in merging practice with theory, the adult learner's need for…

Presents a broad description of one particular version of critical literacy that has broad influences on how many Australian teachers teach reading and writing. Describes the move from theory to classroom practice; the "four resources model" of early reading instruction (social practices requisite for critical literacy); and a capsule…

A doctor of arts (D.A.) degree in secondary education is a timely, valid instrument to reform teacher preparation. This paper reviews the D.A. degree's history, describes its theoretical underpinnings, and explores its relevance to advanced teacher preparation and teacher scholarship. Implementation advice is provided. (Contains 11 references.)…

Few great ideas to guide school practice are totally new. Conscientious educators have hit some good chords over the years; the challenge is recapturing that music and building a (pedagogical) symphony around it. Philosophical ideas about teachers' views of children, curriculum, teachers, and organizational structures are discussed. (MLH)

Presents an interview with distinguished educator Louise Rosenblatt. Discusses teaching methods, reading processes, application of theory to practice, literature-based curriculum, and what she is working on now. (SR)

Describes efforts of the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE), including the National Community Development Program. NSEE advocates use of all forms of experiential learning in the education system and community, including service learning. It enhances professional growth of members, disseminates information on principles of good…

Enhancing the attitude of camp staff involves hiring staff that already have good attitudes, training staff in small groups that then train the rest, using the power of story, removing structural barriers, helping people understand how their actions influence organizational outcomes, identifying "termites," and placing a weak counselor…

Argues for using research to inform policy and practice. Discusses findings of three aspects of an international research project entitled "Emergent Environmentalism." Explores examples of how the evidence generated from this project shapes educational policy and practice in Slovenia and Greece. (CMK)

Analyzes assessment policy and practice from a critical/poststructuralist perspective, focusing on two main aspects of everyday classroom discourse--speech acts and metaphor. The analysis reveals the existence of diverse discourses (antagonistic, behaviorist, and psychometric) densely congregated in (British) infant classrooms and complex in their…

Excoriates a (British) National Educational Research Academy consultation paper for its inadequate representation of educational research and its misconception of research's role and purpose as solely short-term and practical. The paper portends an absolute standardization of research purposes, procedures, reporting, and dissemination. (MLH)

Using the strategy of "divide and conquer" can lead to victory at the polls. The ballot can include two freestanding questions, either or both of which can pass or fail independently, or it can be designed in such a way that approval of question two is contingent on question one passing. (MLF)