Decentralization occupies a prominent place on the policy agenda at international level and, within many countries, at national level. It regularly forms part of an overall package of reform of the public service, which has been summarized under the concept of "new public management" (Pollitt & Bouckaert, 2000). This package also…

This book presents a feminist pedagogy of multiculturalism developed from Paulo Freire's theories on the politics of literacy. Freire has argued that literacy is the precondition for not only forms of social and political agency, but also social transformation and emancipation. In his view, teachers and students must refuse to be either experts or…

If students are treated like the fully human beings that they are and facilitate a process wherein they come to realize themselves as integral and empowered members of a living community, then no matter what is being taught, students will respond positively. A composition instructor serving at-risk urban youth in inner-urban Oakland and San…

Epideictic rhetoric, expression of praise or blame, animates much communication, from gossip to sermons, from commercial ads to love letters. Even when writing for purposes other than to judge, writers often frame their talk with implicit or explicit expressions of praise for individuals or groups or ideas considered "good." Epideictic…

Teachers of English as a Second Language are encouraged to provide support for home language maintenance and use in classroom writing assignment. It is argued that this supports cultural diversity rather than emphasize differences among students, helps in development of literacy and other cognitive skills, and empowers students to achieve and…

This book was designed with activities for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The activities are designed to increase student awareness about the environment and its protection. The book presents basic concepts and several perspectives on environmental issues. Each section contains numerous activities. Section titles include: (1)…

This document in Japanese and English was prepared for the International Forum on Intercultural Exchange sponsored by the National Women's Education Centre in Japan to give participants the conference schedule and profiles of the presenters. Profiles are accompanied by comments from the presenters about their paper topics or the general theme of…

This address focuses on the power of sharing individual stories and empowering individuals to be strong in their lives. Numerous anecdotes are used throughout the speech to address the power of the encounter. The speaker asserts that the telling of individuals' stories, verbally and in writing, leads to encounters of faith and moments of love. The…

This book is based on a review of the literature on decentralization and teacher management. The focus is on basic formal education, mainly the primary and junior secondary levels of schooling, and on presenting a rationale for decentralizing teacher management. The book presents three models of decentralized teacher management, explores the…

Reading represents the single most important tool for teaching students "how to learn" across the curriculum, and the time has come to encourage widespread development of undergraduate reading degree programs for future teachers. Ten years ago, Eastern Washington University began offering Reading Education as an undergraduate major for elementary…

Young children bring a wide repertoire of visitor behaviours to traditional art museums, using their minds, senses, and bodies to respond to and interpret artworks. When given opportunities for self-expression, choice, and control during an art museum visit, children are empowered in this environment. Allowing children to take a leading role as…

Professionals in the field of social work are becoming increasingly aware of ethnic factors in their work and of the particular problems and requirements of ethnic minority clients. This book was written for students and practitioners who want to prepare for effective social work practice with black clients. The concept of "empowerment" is…

Principals' major challenge is to manage a productive work culture creating more ideal conditions for learning. This article reviews some common cultural dimension themes found in current best sellers on management, including symbol systems, group sharing and networking, reward and recognition systems, and empowerment and entrepreneurial…

This article examines some of the complexities associated with designing and evaluating an educational program aimed at meeting children's developmental needs. It then addresses the need to rethink goals for children within the framework of progressive education. (MT)

Evaluated the effectiveness of the Life Choices program in increasing internality and perceived competence in 74 sixth-grade girls. Results indicated the program was successful for working class subjects, but lower class girls showed no increase in internality or knowledge of career alternatives. (JAC)