The media's ebonics hysteria has sparked a national debate concerning the failure of the nation's urban schools to serve African American and other minority students' needs. Oakland Unified School District's systemic reform of curricula and standards hinges on new teaching practices exploiting the connections among language, literacy, and…

Discusses variation in interlanguage and suggests two hypotheses to explain such variation as multiple internal representations of a form and processing errors. Suggests that second language learners can initially represent new forms as prototype schemas, and that such non-discrete representations are a third source of variation in interlanguage.…

Estimates the effects of three types of differences in Taiwanese vocational schools on students' achievement: institutional investment, student background, and learning processes. The analysis is based on multilevel modeling. Although some subgroups of the qualitative differences affect students' performance, student background has little effect…

Discusses the experiences of a group of teachers sharing their everyday teaching activities through the use of sketch journals, journals inscribed with insights, and drawings gleaned from the classroom, as a means to gather information and help teachers reflect on their learning. Suggests that sketch journals helped teachers find natural ways to…

Describes a 7-year-old whose mathematical performance in class embodies much of what is important according to "Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics". She speaks little English and therefore scores low on standardized, norm-referenced tests. Concludes that changes in curriculum and classroom instruction require changes in…

Examines the scientific concept of evaporation. Attempts to show how students develop their understanding through the levels of the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) taxonomy. Shows how designing learning experiences to suit the learners' developmental stages in understanding a concept is paramount to the overall growth of the…

States that the traditional instruments used to measure teacher performance at the end of the semester promotes a student-as-consumer analogy. Presents an alternative end-of-semester questionnaire that enables students to assess their own efforts and responses to learning processes. Includes a copy of the student opinion survey and lists…

Reviews the history of and describes what biology educators should know about the topic of bioterrorism. Suggests materials that can be used to communicate more effectively with students and the community and prepare a classroom discussion on bioterrorism. (KHR)

Develops a set of educational evaluation criteria for online continuing professional development (CPD) courses using Kolb's experiential learning cycle theory. Evaluates five courses provided by online CPD Web sites, concludes that these online courses neglect parts of the learning cycle, and suggests improvements. (Author/LRW)

Describes the Head Start Classroom of the Future project, which is being introduced into inner-city centers in Grand Rapids, Michigan; a classroom for children of Hispanic migrant farmworkers in Holland, Michigan; and a classroom for Native American children at the Isleta Pueblo Head Start near Albuquerque, New Mexico. (BB)

Discussed is the teaching method called the learning cycle and how it can be incorporated into science activities. Included are examples of how teachers and students can use the learning cycle to produce instructional materials. (KR)

The extent of the direct and indirect influence of quality of instruction, motivation, quantity of academic coursework, and homework on academic achievement was investigated using path analysis. Data from the High School and Beyond Study of 28,051 high school seniors were used. (SLD)

Assumptions of a servocontrol model of test item feedback were tested in a study of 94 junior and senior high school students receiving feedback or no feedback with 2 retention intervals. Results support the assumption that response certitude is related to the learner's ability to comprehend a given item. (SLD)

Discussion of the use of computers in education focuses on ways to teach with limited computer resources. Learning processes with computers are described, the teacher-student relationship is examined, and examples of instruction using only one computer are given, including simulation programs in physics and the use of spreadsheets in mathematics.…

Proposes an approach to school laboratory experiences which leads to gradual acquisition of inquiry skills based on the idea of advance organizers. Presents a design which is context familiar and can serve as an introduction to scientific inquiry. Discusses student achievement, and teacher and student attitudes. (CW)