Discusses building classroom community through talk and picture books, using talk in literature study, talk that supports the content areas, and exploring ideas about thinking through talk. Appends a list of reading strategies identified by students, criteria used in selecting picture books, and a 14-item bibliography of World War II picture…

Discusses the use of vignettes (experiences expressed in narrative or dialog form) to merge assessment with teaching. The rule vignette and the two-answer vignette are discussed. (MKR)

Students (n=12) in a self-contained elementary class for students with learning disabilities were taught using instructional conversation (IC), a teaching method in which students are engaged in interactions promoting analysis, reflection, and critical thinking. IC promoted oral participation and interactions among students and provided a holistic…

Examines children's everyday discourse processes in three early education settings to document how friendship relations are produced in everyday discursive practices. Results indicate the importance of viewing friendship as a collective and cultural process. (CFR)

The article reflects on using case method teaching in preservice teacher education, emphasizing situated problems of practice about which preservice teachers reflect by using tools of analysis, theoretical principles, professional wisdom, and autobiographical knowledge. The importance of conceptual, pedagogical, cognitive, and social structures…

Provides a sampling of gender discriminating behaviors in the classroom, a look at the psychological data collected by Carol Gilligan and her associates, and strategies and tactics to bring about gender equity in the classroom. Documents the falling self-esteem of school-age girls and the domineering behavior of school-age boys. (TB)

A study compared the effectiveness of study questions versus "learning through discussion" in promoting the learning of research skills by 41 students in a Master's in Social Work program. Using a pretest/posttest alternative treatment group design with blind evaluations, the study question method was found to be superior to the alternative…

This bibliography covers such topics as cooperation; people with diverse abilities; diverse families; diverse gender behaviors; the environment; low income and job loss; multicultural and antibias issues; interracial families; Spanish people; African Americans; Native Americans; Jewish Americans; Vietnamese Americans; Hawaiians; and other American…

Describes an eighth grade teacher's efforts to integrate talk and writing, questioning and discussion, and learning as a shared responsibility between students and teacher. Outlines several projects related to the theme of work that achieved these goals, including interviews with parents and community members, journal entries projecting into the…

A new technique for evaluating postsecondary education courses and improve instruction uses directed group discussion based on formative evaluation of the course concerned. It draws on Delphi technique and nominal group process but is more easily administered and produces higher user satisfaction. Its reliability has been confirmed in educational…

Presents 11 open-ended questions that can be presented to students and teachers at all educational levels in various formats to assess mathematical beliefs. Questions investigate beliefs toward mathematics, the problem-solving process, mathematicians, and mathematical applications. (MDH)

Some personal observations are offered about second-language teaching where nonnative speakers of Portuguese participated in class discussions via real time computer networks. Preliminary observations suggest that computer-assisted class discussions may promote student participation, reduce anxiety, and increase identification of language errors.…

Presents four curricular alternatives and teaching strategies to improve the general-mathematics curriculum. Teaching strategies include reading mathematics, classroom discussion, an interdisciplinary approach, field trips, use of manipulatives, varied assessment methods, cooperative learning, use of technology, and team teaching. (MDH)

"Teacher Roundtables," associated with Michigan State University, consists of elementary, middle, and high school teachers who focus on literacy and learning and meet regularly outside of school. This article focuses on teacher resistance to texts, curriculum, reform proposals, and other elements of school culture that are insensitive to…

Several ways of exploring the subject of global warming within the context of a conventional physics syllabus are suggested. The physics underlying greenhouse phenomena, the process of modelling (especially computers), possible future climatic scenarios, and the differing nature of the uncertainties associated with the many fields of study that…