This book excerpt presents several learning activity ideas related to negotiating. Students review principles of negotiation, write about their experiences negotiating, learn about body language, find historical examples of good negotiators, practice mathematics skills in negotiating spending money for a trip, and examine the impact of humanity's…

The article reviews elementary level books that help students deal with life's unpleasant moments. Stories focus on self-centeredness, making excuses, first day of school, bossiness, cultural differences, adjusting to seventh grade, completing assignments, and being different. Teaching tips for presenting the stories to the class are included. (SM)

Depicts the isolation which results when education, particularly language arts education, is concerned primarily with the acquisition of skills. Urges educators not to lose sight of the fundamental purpose of the language arts, which are to help people make and articulate meaning from their experiences, to empower people, and to imagine…

Examined the relationship between social support, barriers, locus of control, and involvement of school health promotion team members in school health promotion activities. Subjects perceived greater support for implementing CPR/first aid, alcohol/drug programs, and speeches on health topics and lower support for healthy snacks, advisory groups,…

Conceptualizations of self-directed learning have emphasized the social characteristics of learner isolation or social autonomy, neglecting the importance of pedagogical and psychological factors. However, psychological self-directedness or psychological control is the necessary and sufficient cause for self-directed learning and best…

The role of coping strategies, perceived control, and problem-solving appraisal in the career-transition processes of 79 midwestern farmers was studied. Findings suggest that problem-solving appraisal and coping strategies are important in the complex coping process. Results lend support to interventions aimed at increasing farmers' sense of…

This article discusses the consequences of labeling individuals with high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome. It describes three ways people respond to a diagnosis: with energy and improved confidence, with a retreat into the disability and withdrawal from relationships, and with resentment for being singled out. (Contains three references.)…

Surveyed counselors representative of the American Counseling Association membership regarding their value orientations in four domains: universal values, mental health values, individualistic-collectivistic values, and religious-spiritual values. Found a generally concordant value profile across these domains, presenting an overall pattern of a…

Discusses the power of books and literacy, the power of giving students their own books to take home, and young adult novels in which the importance of books is a major theme. Offers brief descriptions of 27 books (mostly novels) whose stories focus on the power of books and literacy. (SR)

The place of theorizing disability in everyday lives was investigated and how theorizing that is available in academic discourse can move from the ivory tower to be the "stuff" of everyday life conversations, with practical usefulness when put in the hands of nonacademic users, was discussed. Examples in which accessibility to scholarly theory…

The paper attempts to identify the extent to which modes of knowledge can be associated with different patterns of and assumptions about power. It discusses the meanings and scope of power itself, i.e. both within and beyond epistemic communities, as against "social robustness" implying more democratic or inclusive forms of evaluation. It analyses…

A community food security movement has begun to address problems of hunger and food insecurity by utilizing a community-based approach. Although various models have been implemented, little empirical research has assessed how power operates within community-based food security initiatives. The purpose of this research was to determine how power…

Sixty-one graduate student teachers (from seven urban, rural, and suburban districts) responded to five questions relating to how they viewed their involvement and importance in making decisions in the operation of their schools. Questions were designed by 14 teachers who met twice for about 2 hours each meeting. This development group believed…

Experiences with uncontrollable events may lead to the expectation that future events will elude control, resulting in disruptions in motivation, emotion, and learning. This text explores this phenomenon, termed learned helplessness, tracking it from its discovery to its entrenchment in the psychological canon. The volume summarizes and integrates…

Assertiveness training can help people identify patterns of behavior that block effective communication. The concept of assertiveness and some practical exercises for exploring assertiveness with groups or individuals are presented in this curriculum guide. Intended for use in high school, in adult education classes, in job-related inservices or…