This is an informal report of an Adopted Grandparents program begun in 1968 to provide mutually enriching experiences for young children in a classroom and elderly residents in a nursing home. There were 13 adopted grandparents averaging 77 years of age and thirty 6-, 7-, and 8-year-old children. Objectives were to stimulate sharing of talents,…

Recognizing the difficulties that first-time faculty face, the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) (Maryland) developed an extended orientation program for new faculty based on the principles of learning communities: shared knowledge, shared knowing, and shared responsibility. In 1998, CCBC committed to a 5-year strategy of becoming a…

Interesting and rewarding questions arise around the issues of teaching and learning in higher education classrooms when the right questions are asked. When the focus of teaching and learning is on the teacher, certain questions are asked. For instance, what is the quality of the knowledge that the teacher transmits to students? Another set of…

This paper provides an overview of the IT (Instructional Technology) Clinical graduate course at Virginia Tech and compares the perceived reality of the Clinical experience, in terms of benefits and concerns, with students' initial expectations. The paper begins with a discussion of the IT Clinical plan, the sociology of the learning environment…

This particular bulletin is concerned with the concept of human rights, and the interpretation of some of these rights in the classroom, in the school, at home, and in the community. Although the discussion is directed toward the classroom teacher primarily, principals, supervisors, administrators, and parents who want children to succeed in all…

The schools are discussed as character-building institutions, where academic and behavior standards should encourage self-discipline and learning. Less emphasis on ego-building psychology, removing nonessential subjects from the curriculum, and increasing quality at the elementary and secondary school levels are viewed as corrective measures. (PP)

Describes how a group of primary schools in Northern Ireland plan to make the shift to a differentiated curriculum. Differentiation, in this context, refers to a broad effort to teach to individual students' abilities and needs. Concludes that although progress was made, more work needs to be done. (MJP)

Reviews pedagogical claims of computer assisted language learning (CALL), multimedia applications and outcomes, and new research in second language acquisition. Findings reveal that computer mediated communication gives second language learners the opportunity to enhance their learning experience. (88 references) (Author/CK)

Historical and recent examples indicate that, in the areas of property ownership/use and tribal self-government, federal policy has frequently ignored complexities and abandoned Indians to learn from their experiences. Indian college students can substitute professional education for practical experience to ensure tribal survival and sensible land…

Examines reasons for incorporating field trips into the curriculum, ways to plan successful expeditions, and appropriate field trip experiences for young children. (BB)

Proposes an approach to educational change that is nondisruptive to the present system, produces meaningful and lasting learning outcomes, and is cost-effective. Identifies the elements involved in creating this approach: learning and thinking models, technology integration, shared vision of the future, professional practice, interdisciplinary…

Narrative authority is presented as an alternative to positivism in teacher education research and curricula, emphasizing the personal practical knowledge of everyone involved in teacher education. After describing Dewey's conception of experience, the paper discusses the construction of knowledge from experience and the influence of authority,…

This study compared the learning attitudes of 131 undergraduate medical students enrolled in sections of a course that used a problem-based learning (PBL) approach with 120 students enrolled in sections using conventional teaching methods. Student surveys indicated that the PBL course experience was perceived as a personally more meaningful…

A teacher at an alternative school for at-risk students discusses the development of student assessment that increases students' self-esteem, convinces students that learning is fun, and prepares students to return to traditional school settings. She found that allowing students to participate in the assessment process successfully quantified the…

The Socratic method of teaching, which uses open-ended questions asked in a logical sequence, is discussed. Suggestions for structuring curriculum content around seven adult learning principles and Socratic process analysis systems for student motivation are included. (SLW)