Professional development is the cornerstone of school transformation. The first part of this two-part paper describes the professional development experiences of several hundred teachers and administrators in schools implementing New American Schools (NAS) designs and discusses the links between these professional development experiences and key…

This paper discusses what educational leadership might look like at the start of the 21st century, specifically within the context of Alberta. It also provides a brief synopsis of some of Alberta's major reforms of the past decade, and it presents some of the key findings and recommendations of a 1998 study entitled "An Analysis of Attitudes…

A study of the learning activities of 43 beginning secondary school teachers in Oregon provides information about how and to what extent these teachers supplemented academic training with practical knowledge. Types of learning experiences, time spent on them, and teachers' opinions about their worth are discussed. (PP)

Students at a British university were asked to identify sources--education courses, college personnel, teaching colleagues, and others--which were most influential in giving them the ideas they used in teaching. The information was used to evaluate an environmental studies course at the college. (PP)

Examined relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and mediated learning experience (MLE) in mother-child free-play and structured interaction situations, and how well MLE predicted cognitive performance of kindergartners. Found that MLE scores were positively related to SES, and higher in free-play than in structured situations, especially…

An award-winning educator discusses experiences that taught her to be sensitive to student experiences and encourage them to think. She explains why she doesn't like grades, how the ethics of care is thoroughly relational, and that it is important for kids to be attached to their geographic place yet develop skills that enable them to communicate…

Discusses two contrasting philosophies of education for three-, four-, and five-year-old children: the developmentally appropriate approach to learning and the academic or behavior modification approach. Discusses the manner in which preschool children learn self-esteem and self-discipline in both educational settings. (BB)

Helps early-years educators to be sensitive to the cultures of the families by providing observations of culturally diverse children at play, the cultural contexts they bring to play activities, and the demonstration of childhood learning of cultural diversity. Theoretical observations about childhood and play are discussed. (GLR)

The author reflects on his first teaching experience 20 years ago at a residential outdoor and environmental education school in Ontario (Canada). He stresses the importance of documenting outdoor experiences through personal narratives as a means of bringing attention to the value of outdoor learning and connecting learners with their natural…

A teacher who became computer literate by playing with one over the summer, describes how even just one computer in the classroom can help differentiate curriculum, be used for individualized instruction, augment resource materials, access the World Wide Web for the latest discoveries, assist visual learners, and create new student and teacher…

Author, consultant, and teacher educator Grant Wiggins recalls his own and his students' memorable learning experiences and discusses the impact of those experiences on his evolution as a teacher, the importance of the teacher/student relationship to student learning, and the likelihood that the student understands less of what the teacher says…

Using music in the classroom enhances learning. Music and dance provide an opportunity for positive social interaction. Singing fosters understanding of the sound and rhythm of language. Exposing children to the patterns of different kinds of music helps them to recognize patterns in mathematics. Background music in the classroom reduces stress…

Examined how a curriculum development project, aligned with current mathematics education reforms, affected 18 students in socially diverse mathematics classroom. Found that students of lower socioeconomic status preferred direct teacher intervention as opposed to open discussions among classmates. Higher socioeconomic status students displayed…

Reviews various studies on childs play and its relation to young childrens development in music learning processes and explores the role that cognitive and social play categories have in studying childrens play with music. Provides strategies for initiating music-play opportunities in a preschool classroom. (CMK)