This Digest introduces dance as an art form characterized by use of the human body as a vehicle of expression. Organized into three sections, the first examines the rationale for dance programs in education, presenting opportunities for development of critical thinking and analytical skills; cooperation and teamwork; self-expression and…

A summary of current demographic trends, best practices, and federal initiatives in adult literacy is presented as a reference for practitioners in the field who are involved in delivering education services to adults with limited English skills. The report is based on U.S. Department of Education annual state adult education statistical and…

The broad area of teacher satisfaction is an important component in career decisions about teaching. Some sources of satisfaction are the joy of helping students learn, the sense of efficacy, positive relationships with colleagues, satisfactory working conditions, the leadership style of principals, and the prestige and esteem associated with…

The thesis of this paper is that constructivism and similar pedagogic formulations are problematic because: (1) being nondialectical they close off possibilities for dialogue about issues such as those discussed in this paper; and (2) they are embedded in forms of discourse which privilege middle-class culture, values, language, and ways of…

The introduction of computers into classrooms is one of the latest examples of educational innovation. It has been well established in the literature and in practice almost everywhere that teachers need to be actively involved in the development of teaching materials and aids needed to bring about educational computing in order to acquire a sense…

This paper reviews several definitions and descriptions of the term knowledge base, identifies potential sources, and offers a guide for teacher education faculty who are considering the need to undergird their programs with appropriate knowledge bases. Questions such as how to begin the process of building a knowledge base, the steps involved,…

The Vocational Staff Workshops Project was initiated in 1984 by the California Community College Association of Occupational Education (CCCAOE) to provide staff development activities for vocational education instructors, administrators, and support services staff. In 1991-92, the project was implemented by Orange Coast College, which…

This paper examines factors which may impact on recruitment and retention of members of the African-American teaching pool. Data were gathered through questionnaires and interviews administered to prospective and beginning teachers (N=41) to determine background characteristics, reasons for entering the teaching profession, experiences in teacher…

A three-year, federally-funded program to train bilingual adult literacy and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers to serve immigrants and refugees in the Boston (Massachusetts) area is reported and evaluated. A significant feature of the project was that it trained non-native-English-speaking community members to teach literacy skills and…

This report describes a program implemented by the Tomas Rivera Center (Claremont, California) to increase the number of well-prepared Latino teachers. Based on the concept of learning communities, the program aims to reduce the isolation experienced by minority students, offer support services that help nontraditional students satisfy academic…

This booklet is one in a series of resource manuals to help teacher educators conduct environmental education (EE) teacher workshops or promote EE programs. This unit is for teacher workshop facilitators who want to help use community resources in EE. The introduction begins with the definition of community resources. The unit is presented in six…

Descriptions are given of three programs at the University of Missouri-Columbia which were implemented to recruit talented minority students into a career of teaching. The first of these, the Brooks Scholarships, are basically "full-ride" scholarships which provide a $3,000 scholarship renewable for 4 years. Two-thirds of the funding is…

Nova University requires of its candidates for graduate education degrees completion of practicums, school-based problem-solving research projects. This requirement contributes to the development of school teachers and administrators as change agents. This collection contains abstracts of 923 practicum reports completed by Nova graduate students,…

This digest describes three teacher education program models designed to concentrate on: (1) a philosophy of middle school education; (2) an understanding of the unique psychological, social, and intellectual needs peculiar to the 10- to 14-year-old student; (3) an ability to increase student motivation; and (4) a command of subject area. The…

Four case studies of institutions which have made innovations in teacher education are presented in this paper. The four institutions are the University of New Hampshire (Durham), Austin College (Texas), the University of Florida (Gainesville), and Northeast Missouri State University (Kirksville). In each of the programs, change is visible at two…