This monograph on learning communities and the first-year college experience presents 12 chapters which combine theory with examples of good practice and recommendations for building and sustaining effective learning communities. Following an introduction by the editor, the included chapters are: (1) "What Are Learning Communities?"…

Limited financial resources and increasing pressures of competing claims on school outdoor grounds have created the need for greater quality enhancement of these areas to ensure they are used efficiently. This document addresses the issues and principles affecting school grounds, provides an analysis of the benefits of using and developing these…

Predicated on the fact that most school and state curricula for upper grades include a study of other cultures and that one method for examining Latin American countries and their culture is through an in-depth study of one specific country, this report details a summer travel seminar for 18 U.S. elementary and secondary school teachers to Brazil,…

This book discusses the poor self-image of children with learning disabilities, reviews the history of identifying and serving children with learning disabilities, and addresses the need to serve children who are failing in school but do not qualify as having a learning disability. The book emphasizes the role and responsibility of the school for…

This book provides 108 activities to stimulate students to think about their own involvement in their education. Students must be able to think about and apply the information they acquire in the classroom to their lives outside of school. It presents practical information on metacognitive theory and reading and studying skills. The ready-to-use…

This report delineates system and campus success toward implementation of goals identified in the North Dakota Board of Higher Education's Strategic Plan for 1998-2004. It provides examples of North Dakota University System strategies and accomplishments in regard to educational excellence, technology and access, relevant programs, leadership in…

This paper begins with an investigation of the development of information literacy in the United States, including a definition of the concept and discussion of specific competencies entailed in the creation of the information literacy as promulgated by libraries and librarians. Recommendations of the American Library Association are summarized.…

This study examined how diversity influenced law students' educational experiences. Predominantly White students at Harvard Law School and the University of Michigan Law School, as well as at five other law schools, completed surveys that examined such topics as: frequency of contact with diverse people growing up and in high school, college, and…

This supplement to the active learning modules summarizes some of the shared experience and wisdom on active pedagogy of module testers, pedagogy experts, and teachers. Among the issues addressed in the supplement are: hints to facilitate teaching an active learning module; suggestions for instructors who are new to a particular location and who…

This paper presents strategies and rationales for implementing certain instructional techniques to move a class from cohort to community. The context is the new Distance Master's program in Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University. The authors give suggestions for instructional and non-instructional strategies that have students…

Med-Start is a 5-week program that encourages rural, minority, and economically disadvantaged high school seniors throughout Arizona to pursue careers in the health professions. In order to assist these students in making the transition from high school to college and then to professional school, Med-Start provides academic coursework and seeks to…

This study examined the differences and similarities experienced by secondary school science teachers when teaching science within and outside their area of specialization in single sex and co-educational schools. Interviews were conducted and audio taped for six experienced science teachers on their qualification, classes/subjects taught and…

This symposium explores the impact of a range of family resources on children's successful transition from middle to high school. The five case studies that form this symposium examine the ways in which children's experiences at school are directly related to their parents' knowledge of school structure and bureaucracy; self- confidence in making…

This book is designed to be a systematic guide that incorporates a thorough analysis of grief in a school. It details normal and abnormal grief reactions, factors affecting these grief responses, and the differences in death beliefs and responses of students at different ages and developmental stages. It can also act as a map or a step-by-step…

This paper discusses 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that promote the inclusion of children with disabilities in general early childhood education settings. The evolution of inclusion policy is explored and changes in disability terminology are described. Amended provisions are then explained and include:…