Synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC), more commonly known in the Internet world as "chatting," has become an increasingly popular way to communicate for a variety of purposes. While CMC is still primarily recreational in character, educators are waking up to the possibilities of harnessing this activity for pedagogical…

Critical pedagogy brings a new sociopolitical view of linguistics and language teaching that is beginning to influence the teaching of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) field. This paper aims to do two things: first, to convey an understanding of what these new views are, why and where they originated, whose voices are important, what…

This paper is built on the assumption that sound language learning is based on high quality teaching, and that foreign language teachers therefore play a very important role in the effectiveness of foreign language education. This leads to several questions: How can foreign language teachers be prepared in their pre-service teacher education…

This paper explores the challenges instructional technology presents to faculty and administration. For example: students will not accept lectures that fail to draw upon Internet resources; integrating technology sparks the faculty debate that the use of technology will "dehumanize teaching and learning"; community college professors…

The focus of this paper is to present non-traditional or alternate instructional methods in remedial mathematics education at the community college level. However, these methods will apply to credit math courses as well as courses from other disciplines. With the large number of students needing remediation and the United States traditionally…

This final report describes accomplishments and activities of a four-year federally funded Rhode Island project for children who are deaf blind. Major accomplishments included: (1) parents (of 65 identified individuals) received greater access to an increased number and variety of support resources; (2) professionals linked to individuals with…

In Finland, ammattikorkeakoulu (AMK) or higher vocational education institutions or polytechnics are professionally and practically oriented; their teaching and learning methods reflect approaches different from those of universities. Training and learning methods focus on learning by doing. Project work used in polytechnic programs offers…

This classroom assessment tool for grades 4-6 offers teachers a method to quickly identify the needs of migrant, language-different, and mobile students in language arts, mathematics, and science in relation to national content standards. The Snapshot System asks the student to perform a series of tasks that are keyed to content standards and…

Designed for general and special education administrators, teachers, and other education professionals, this book offers a "big picture" of high expectations, assessment, and accountability for students with significant disabilities. Chapters focus on the following eight steps involved in the development and administration of alternate…

Student testing in Japan is not effectively used. In many cases test results are used only for ranking and sorting students into whatever the designated purposes of the tests are. They are not focused on monitoring individual student progress. This is an especially inadequate approach for teaching oral communications courses. This paper proposes a…

This study investigated student teachers' views on their best and worst teachers' characteristics. Students in four sections of a sophomore-level teacher education program prerequisite course were required to write half-page descriptions of their best and worst teachers from elementary and high school, focusing on the behaviors and attitudes that…

Researchers studied classroom instruction and student learning among fourth and fifth graders from three schools with large proportions of impoverished students and English Language Learners (ELLs). Teachers selected three resilient students (with high achievement, good attendance, and high motivation) and three non-resilient students. Classroom…

This paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the validity and reliability of the Ecology Rating Scale (ERS). The ERS is a brief, multi-dimensional level-of-functioning instrument that can be rated by parents or clinicians. The ERS is comprised of seven domains of youth functioning: family, school, emotional, legal/justice,…

This booklet opens with a list of the features that society now demands from higher education and then describes approaches to assessing the community college mission. Twenty-first century expectations for higher education are being shaped by: (1) a change in focus from teaching to learning; (2) the need to base credentials on demonstrated…

This document focuses on investigations of three main issues of "User Choice," which has been applied to New Apprenticeships since 1998. The issues are as follows: (1) why some firms do not access User Choice when arranging training for their trainees and apprentices; (2) whether the size of the firm has a significant impact on User…