A study/research partnership between university teacher educators and teachers was formed when teachers at the third-, fourth- and fifth-grade levels decided to implement an innovation called Literature Response Groups in their classrooms. The setting was an urban elementary school in northern California. Participants included six elementary…

Changes in our world have made it more difficult for children to find protected, exciting places to play and interesting, satisfactory things to play with. This edited volume, resulting from the collaboration of Bank Street College (New York, New York), Erikson Institute (Chicago, Illinois), Pacific Oaks College (Pasadena, California), and…

This document contains 14 papers presented at an annual symposium sponsored by Northern Illinois University's Department of Leadership and Educational Policy Studies and College of Education. First, information about the symposium's history and participants is presented. The following papers constitute the remainder of the document:…

This paper synthesizes issues related to the Internet, Internet curriculum materials (i.e., any type of teaching material or activity that can be incorporated into the K-12 curriculum and is available on the Internet), and constructivist learning theory; it explores the use of the Internet as a constructivist environment for learning and the…

Project CIRCLE, a project conducted by the University of Texas Learning Technology Center in collaboration with the Austin Independent School District and the Eanes Independent School District, explored the use of network-based tools to help change teacher practices toward more student-directed and constructivist approaches to learning. Through…

This book describes methods used in the education of science teachers. Chapters in the book and authors are as follows: (1) "Teaching Elementary Teachers How to Use the Learning Cycle for Guided Instruction in Science" (John Staver and Gail Shroyer); (2) "Helping Preservice Teachers Master Authentic Assessment for the Learning Cycle…

Two graphic computer simulations have been prepared for teaching high school and middle school students about how business organizations and financial systems work: "Parkside," which simulates managing a hotel; and "Guestwear," which simulates managing a clothing manufacturer. Both simulations are based on six principles of…

The question of how adult educators can make their teaching of adults more effective is explored in the context of recent work on adult lifelong learning. The following are among the topics discussed: (1) modes of adult education and the shift in focus from adult education to lifelong learning; (2) the contract between adult student and adult…

There is dissonance between the lives of adult students in rural Nepal in a subsistence-level agrarian community and their participation in school. The concept of "transfer" has several shortcomings from the standpoint of understanding relations between mathematical reasoning in the classroom and in the workplace. It is more helpful to…

Following an abstract and introduction, this document reviews five research projects on the learning experiences of workers. The first two concern the environment required for successful learning in the workplace, and the last three address implementation of e-learning programs. (The findings from the first two studies revealed 24 conditions that…

A combination of narrative, autobiographical, and arts-based research methods was used to explore experiential learning and professional practice in diverse teaching/learning and adult education settings. The research methodology drew upon concepts developed by the following individuals: Jerome Bruner and his constructivist approach that values…

This book provides a guide for English language arts teachers in grades 6-12, demonstrating how students learn and how beliefs inform behavior. It promotes a student-centered and inquiry-based teaching philosophy. Seven chapters focus on: (1) "Education Begins with Philosophy" (e.g., belief shapes perception, curriculum in traditional and…

Discussion about and reflection upon observations which produce cognitive conflict have frequently been promoted as a strategy to enhance conceptual development in science classrooms. As part of the Practical Mechanics in Primary Mathematics project, teachers were urged to elicit children's views and attempt to establish what is now called…

For more than 5 years, Mexico's El Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterey (ITESM) has offered distance education programs in addition to traditional face-to-face programs. ITESM has recently begun migrating to new e-learning platforms (Blackboard and Web Tec) that are more user-friendly and flexible than its previous e-platform…

This proceedings contains a copy of the conference program and more than 75 papers and presentation summaries from the meeting, placed in order by conference session. Paper topics include science assessment issues; science for special needs students; science teachers' self-efficacy; teaching science to at-risk students; online inquiry…