The teacher of a college seminar on education in contemporary American society, addressing sensitive personal and political concepts, used one-minute essays to "take the pulse" of the class daily. Daily summaries of essay content provided students with evidence of the teacher's commitment to monitoring the process, added a level of…

Steps taken by instructional designers in constructing a case study for use in faculty development are outlined, from the original case study idea to selection of an appropriate classroom incident, writing the case, and planning the teaching process (identifying relevant issues, preparing discussion questions, and organizing discussion). The text…

Explores helping students of color, particularly African Americans, who for various reasons are underserved by urban schools. Twelve European American cultural practices are described that could create discontinuity for African American students or for any student who is culturally different. (GR)

Describes a National Science Foundation (NSF) project that addresses changing the science curriculum and how science is taught in college classrooms to increase participation of all students in science, especially women. Preliminary results based on qualitative and limited quantitative data suggest that the project is meeting its objectives.…

Describes the ways one middle school teacher works with students to develop the unique culture of the class. Considers the use of collaborative projects, and notes how the classroom functions as a setting for the developing social group in which experience is continuous and intertextual and communication is referential. (JPB)

Explores socio-institutional dimensions of German-American telecollaboration and ways they may shape foreign language learning and use. Intertwines socially and institutionally contingent features of language valuation, computer know-how, Internet access, and learning accreditation, and the micro features of situated classroom interaction.…

Course management systems (CMSs) enable teachers to easily post assignments, lesson plans, announcements, and course documents. They also allow students to participate in online discussions and chats and turn in assignments online. Unfortunately, commercial systems are often expensive to purchase and maintain, removing them from the reach of many…

This article discusses how teachers and parents can help build children's communication skills. Children's language develops in predictable stages. Here, the author outlines these stages. She also gives suggestions to parents on how to help build their communication skills at home. Language learning takes place throughout the classroom. The author…

A number of descriptive studies of language classrooms have identified recasts as a frequent form of feedback used by teachers following learners' nontarget-like oral production. Some classroom-based researchers (e.g., Lyster, 1998) have suggested that recasts are less effective than other forms of feedback because of the ambiguity of their…

Problems in comprehending the language of instruction may contribute to language minority children's difficulties with different educational tasks. In this project the relationship between difficulties in language comprehension and task solutions was explored by studying in depth the concrete interactions and communications in mathematical lessons…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) states that "Communication is an essential part of mathematics and mathematics education" (2000, p. 60). In fact, communication is one of the five process standards emphasized by NCTM. The communication standard highlights the importance of young children communicating their mathematical…

Classroom management capabilities are of great importance not only for teachers working in schools but also for instructors working in universities. Given the age of university students, instructors need to be careful when interacting with students. It is not wrong to assume that among the important variables influencing the quality of the courses…

As the culturally and linguistically diverse population of the United States continues to increase dramatically, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and special education teachers in particular face the challenge of how best to assess and teach those students whose primary language is not English. The changing U.S. demographics are driving a need…

Based on interviews with teachers and students, the paper looks at some of the ways in which teachers' use of English as a medium of instruction sometimes frustrates the students' learning efforts instead of facilitating them. While options for change may include adopting mother tongue as an alternative medium, there are theoretical reasons for…

Drawing from a six-month ethnographic study, this article explores the negotiation of gendered identities through classroom literacy practices in an urban high school, paying particular attention to how gendered identities are interwoven with those of race, class, and other social identities during literary discussions. I draw upon the notion that…