Local education agencies (LEAs) are working to manage and maintain commitment and enthusiasm to numerous initiatives mandated by the state to improve student success. The rapid pace of scaling up many initiatives at once often leads to relying on local administrators and educators to interpret and unpack the complexity of implementing these…

In this article, the author describes an activity that involves classroom seating arrangements and allows students to talk about some of the implications of classroom furniture arrangements. The purpose of the activity is to provide students with an opportunity to think about ordinary things in their lives and push them to find connections between…

Participation, a commonly graded component of composition classrooms, is rarely the focus of current research studies. While some discussions have addressed grading practices or ways to increase participation, student and instructor voices have yet to be included in studies of classroom participation in composition courses. Yet these voices are…

When teachers and school librarians work together, student achievement increases. Librarians know this and have made sure their teachers and administrators know this as well. But it's a giant leap from knowing the value of collaboration and actually collaborating. The only way to convince teachers to take that step is to convince them that the…

Studies have shown that voracious reading improves students' academic performance in a variety of realms. In this article, 6th grade teacher Donalyn Miller explains how she has helped her students become committed readers. Her students are required to read at least 40 books each year in a variety of genres and styles. She gives them time to read…

This paper presents the results of a descriptive longitudinal study which aimed to identify student paramedic perceptions of case based learning used in the clinical curriculum of the Bachelor of Emergency Health (BEH) degree at Monash University, Victoria, Australia. Case based learning and its integration within clinical curriculum is an…

Over a 2-year period, several teacher book clubs were studied. Teachers' and preservice teachers' responses to a series of texts that focused on multiculturalism in American society were examined. Twelve elementary school teachers, representing four ethnic groups (European American, Asian American, African American, and Hispanic), volunteered to…

This booklet provides an introduction to the study circle, which features informal, face-to-face, sustained small-group discussion of social and political issues. Section 2 discusses how study circles integrate life and learning. Section 3 focuses on the significance of the study circle idea--bringing citizens back to political life. Study circle…

The adult educational methods eliminate teaching but draw upon and mobilize knowledge and understanding already existing in individuals, making it generally available: (1) a type of brainstorming which avoids one-track discussion and one-member domination, and (2) a structured, task-based, personal encounter utilizing resource packets. (Author/AJ)

The author advocates interactive instruction of small groups of students, rather than lecturing, and offers advice to both teachers and students involved in discussion groups. (SD)

This manual, with accompanying facilitator's guide, presents a program for drug education designed for use by groups of families led by volunteer facilitators. The program offers an approach toward building better communications and understanding among family members. The program consists of six group sessions based on learning experiences…

Readarama, a weekly reading group, was conducted in a retirement center in Athens, Georgia. Participants in the voluntary group were retired women who were lifelong readers and who continued to enjoy reading as a hobby. Because of differences in reading interests and in time available for reading, members read independently during the week;…

The article provides a format for a workshop in which three issues which must be resolved by educators of secondary aged students with behavior disorders are discussed. The three issues to be addressed are: (1) determination of appropriate curriculum emphasis, (2) parent training/involvement in intervention strategies, and (3) criteria for…

Parent programs for the Queens Borough Public Library's Operation Head Start Program are informational in nature and presented in the form of group discussions led by library personnel. This manual provides guidelines and materials listings, developed by the Library under the direction of the Adult Services Consultant, to assist branch librarians…