Camp directors who do not seek feedback from staff, campers, and parents waste valuable resources, need to develop their leadership skills, and could obstruct camp growth. Combined with satisfaction surveys and goal setting, ongoing feedback will contribute to a more accurate camp program evaluation than one based on the camp director's memory.…

An account of an early outdoor leadership experience illustrates that a trip leader's role is to build a team capable of accomplishing goals without dependence on the leader. Only when campers are taken beyond their comfort zones does true learning and emotional growth begin. Sidebar presents eight dos and three don'ts of good trip leadership. (TD)

Gives results of a survey on the nature of, and the services offered by, suicide survivor groups. Results indicate that most groups are sponsored by mental health or social service agencies, have operated eight to nine years on average, and have fewer than 10 people typically in attendance at meetings. Other findings are reported. (RJM)

Investigates the differential effects of cooperative learning with or without metacognitive instruction on lower and higher achievers' solutions of mathematical authentic tasks. Results indicate that students exposed to metacognitive instruction within cooperative learning (COOP+META) significantly outperformed their counterparts exposed to…

Believes that social educators must respond to alienation in society that is the cause of disconnections among people when trying to build a stronger democracy. Examines the idea of alienation within society and addresses how social educators can keep their values as they teach. (CMK)

Individuals tend to avoid situations they perceive as risky, but positive risk-taking experiences allow people to continue seeking challenge and growth. Campus activities programing may involve risk taking or leadership in group risk taking, either in the activities themselves or in program planning. Leaders must relate risks to group goals to…

Relationships among individual- and group-directed measures of leader behavior descriptions and five variables were examined using 54 law enforcement agency personnel associated with a large public university. Data on a questionnaire completed by participants during an interview were studied. Explicit consideration was given to multiple levels of…

Character education, according to Martin Buber, goes beyond eliminating classroom behavior problems. Punishment and bribery are extrinsic and ineffective approaches. Helpfulness and responsibility must be taught within the context of a community of people who learn, play, and make decisions together. The Child Development Project helps children…

Describes the "Capture Lab"--a computer-supported conference room designed to capture the thought processes, plans, and decisions of business teams. Discusses how groups have used this environment for collaborative writing. Shares observations of how users respond to the technology and how they learn to use the room. (RS)

When group activities in business classes become dysfunctional, the conflict can be used as a teaching tool to explore the resolution of real workplace problems. Faculty should be skilled in facilitating group participation. (SK)

Describes the three major influences on theme-oriented groups: theme-centered interactional, structured, and behavioral groups. Provides a comparison of the composition and structure of theme groups during the current decade. Summarizes the general principles thought to be important in the construction and development of theme-oriented groups.…

This study tested the applicability of the Social Identity Theory (SIT) to cooperative behavior in a mixed gender setting. The findings indicate that gender categorization does not lead to majority or minority status in the same way as ethnicity. (MYM)

Describes how two four-year-old boys, who stand out as leaders in their preschool classroom, interact with their peers and their teachers. (PCB)

Criticizes systems theory for providing an inappropriate model of the family. Proposes that the family should be conceived of as a matrix of interlocking experiences. (RJC)

Analyzed observational data on nonverbal behavior in small groups to assess whether such behavior significantly changed within or across group meetings. Results showed that kinesic limb movements, posture, eye contact, and body orientation significantly changed across five group sessions. Discussion relates results of nonverbal behavioral changes…