Describes some of the ways in which youngsters in a multilingual peer group made use of one another's languages. Discusses the relationship between this "language crossing" and racism. Suggests that linguistic exchange points to the emergence of what S. Hall calls "new ethnicities," which are grounded in an acceptance of multiracial difference.…

Shows how two teacher educators and two teachers, combining their energies, worked through the difficult transition from basal readers to literature-based curriculums. Contains specific sections in which the elementary school teachers talk about their experience. (TB)

Examines the issue of lack of participation within life skills programs and the negative consequences this may have on participant learning. To counteract the negative effects of underparticipation, a program called the Conversation Group was developed. The process, content, and merits of the program are described. (Author/RB)

Reports on research from the Novocherkassk State Technical University on ways that student groups with different social structures influence the climate of learning. Raises questions about the ability of students educated during the period of mass education to adapt to new methods of learning being introduced into Russian higher education. (DSK)

Examines ways that outdoor leaders can address the needs of individuals in a group context, balance the needs of group processes against course objectives, recognize and deal with issues of power and authority in groups, and address psychological health and safety matters. Focuses on leader awareness and behavior and on the leader-participant…

Considers discussion-based parents' forums at two British secondary schools. Each school has attracted an elite group of white, middle-class professional women with limited decision-making power that remains unconnected to the wider parent body. It is difficult for controversial parental issues to be heard. (Contains 39 references.) (MLH)

Reflects on the influence of the climate and trends in social studies on the author's professional life. States that the College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA) changed as an organization, reflecting the changes in social studies. Addresses the relationship and tensions between CUFA and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).…

A group intervention for academically high-risk students was developed for the University of Wisconsin-River Falls using a model for noncognitive and cognitive strategies. Eleven freshmen participated in the interactive, informal, supportive activities. Results indicate participation enhanced academic performances and study skills. (Author/MSE)

Describes SIDE-VIEW, a computer-supported collaborative learning environment, and evaluates its effects in relation to the productivity of CSCL (computer-supported collaborative learning) groups. Discusses social identity and group behavior and reports on a field trial on international groups of higher education students, contrasting the role of…

Argues that research into the power relations between young children has the potential to provide new insight into children's relations with their peers. Maintains that without such insight, understanding of peer relations can be only partial. Discusses seven themes for the analysis of interpersonal power in children's peer relations. Offers…

Simplicity study circles examine how the American preoccupation with affluence destroys individual lives, community, and the environment. Through sharing personal stories, people learn to listen and trust their own judgment. Cooperative discussions about specific problems and their causes and solutions stimulate concern for the common good, which,…

Petzoldt's "grasshopper" method of teaching was a systematic adaptation of opportunity teaching or using the teachable moment. An excellent example of effective experiential education, it presented small, manageable bites of information which were immediately relevant. His emphasis on the importance of judgment and decision making and the first 24…

Discussion of computer-mediated communication in education focuses on online collaboration. Highlights include characteristics of a collaborative group, including participation, interaction, and interdependence; collaborative situations; non-collaborative groups, including cooperation without collaboration; factors that promote or inhibit…

States that the National Council for History Education (NCHE) promotes interactions among its members and believes that history educators benefit from contact with others. Illustrates the connections between the NCHE and public history identifying workshops, conferences, and other ties having a public history focus. (CMK)

A theoretical analysis is advanced that discusses social cognitive theory at the group level to explain the formation and impact of collective efficacy. Consistent with social cognitive theory, mastery experience was found to be a significant predictor of differences between schools in teachers' collective efficacy perceptions. (Author)