Specific competencies are outlined for social studies education in grades seven through 12 in the Philadelphia school system. The focus of social studies education is seen to be the transmission of knowledge and inculcation of skills and attitudes essential for good citizenship in an interdependent world. Five areas which contribute to good…

The document is the first in a series of four competency-based inservice teacher education modules in consumer education. Each of the modules is self-contained and can be completed by teachers at their own rate. The main objective of the program is to assist curriculum developers and elementary and secondary classroom teachers as they plan,…

The unit experiences for the K-12 curriculum, including these for grade 6, are outlined in SO 001 139. These units include the study of the culture, history, geography, and economics of regions of Latin American and Canada. Again, the emphasis for both grade 5 and grade 6 is twofold: 1) to know his American heritage, as well as to become aware of…

The conceptual framework of the Modes of Problem Solving Action (MPSA) model integrates Dewey's pragmatism, critical science theory, and theory regarding the three modes of inquiry. The MPSA model is formulated in the shape of a matrix. Horizontally, there are the following modes: technical, interpretive, and emancipating. Vertically, there are…

This document contains a guide to implementing the Ohio Work and Family Life ITAC (Integrated Technical and Academic Competencies), which connects to the Ohio Model Competency-Based Program documents in arts, foreign languages, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, as well as the Core ITAC document. The Work and Family Life ITAC…

This collection includes conference papers on the education of the deaf and hard of hearing, including: (1) "Discovering Classroom Dynamics through Action Research: Strategies That Encourage Critical Thinking during Lectures" (Keith Mousley and Vicki Robinson); (2) "Current Literacy Practices That Are Working" (Henry Teller); (3) "A Prototype…

Argues that the combination of collaborative writing and electronic resources can produce a reaffirmation of literacy as a social process. Utilizes feminist theory to equate the postmodernist assumptions regarding the indeterminate nature of language with democratizing influences. Describes a class project where students produced a collaborative,…

Introduces "What We Consume," a British curriculum package that examines the social use of nature, world economy, and environmental/political controversies. Explains that the package's goal is to develop students' critical awareness of environmental problems and willingness to initiate change. Outlines the curriculum's framework and…

Describes an interdisciplinary survival project that piques middle school students' imaginations as it tests their problem solving and critical thinking skills in a survival setting. The futuristic time travel project integrates subject areas and fosters skills in communication, cooperation, and group decision making. (SM)

Discusses the 1991 adoption of geography national standards in England and Wales and the subsequent 1995 revisions. The original standards reflected a conservative emphasis on physical geography as well as a complete rejection of problem solving and critical thinking. The 1995 revisions restored some key ideas and broad emphases. (MJP)

Today information about the world around people comes to them not only through words on a piece of paper, but more and more through the powerful images and sounds of their multimedia culture. This explosion in information has presented a major challenge to the world of formal education. The transformation of their culture from an industrial age to…

School and government officials, system administrators and other policymakers offer a variety of reasons for engaging in high stakes testing: to monitor student performance, to measure teacher and/or school effectiveness, to ensure accountability, etc. Some of these reasons are good; others not. But the best reason--one that is never offered,…

This article considers the research literature of the past decade pertaining to the use of computers in early childhood education. It notes that there have been considerable changes in all aspects of our lives over this time period and considers studies in which information and communication technologies (ICT)and in particular, computers, have…

This book shows prospective teachers how to use the language arts to connect diverse students to the world around them and help them develop their own literate voices. It considers the integrated nature of the primary language arts--reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and visually representing. The authors encourage preservice and…

This article describes Project Athena, a Javits program funded by the U.S. Department of Education and developed through the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary. Project Athena seeks to find ways to help impoverished children develop advanced skills in reading comprehension, literary analysis, and persuasive writing. Its…