This paper considers different forms of classroom interaction, focusing particularly on cooperation, the different forms of cooperation, and the functionality of these forms with regard to learning opportunities. The form of student cooperation evaluated is defined as help. The research context is Gotz Krummheuer's project on the reconstruction of…

One of the most sensitive issues in K-12 education today is that of professional negotiations between administration and teachers. This paper describes the effects of mediation training on negotiation talks between teachers and management. Teams of representatives from a teachers' union and a board of education participated in a 1-week mediation…

This book aims to reorient thinking about how younger adolescents and their teachers, talking together, compose shared understandings that contribute to individual students' learning. Presenting a new conceptual framework that was derived from a study, the book argues that people learn not merely by being spoken (or written) to, but by…

The purpose of teaching speech is to give students enough basics and practice so they can become more confident and effective at the podium. Theory may be useful but there is no substitute for practice: students in a speech class taught at a community college gave six speeches during the semester, three of them solo speeches and two in groups. The…

In a creative writing workshop of seven male and nine female graduate students, two female students became increasingly aware of a sexual bias. Though the male instructor made an effort to create a non-hierarchical, student-centered environment, informal hierarchies developed among students that granted the male instructor and the male students…

A number of theoretical and practical issues are explored that need to be considered in the design of assessments that use group collaboration to be sure that collaboration works toward, rather than away from, the purpose of the assessment. The traditional purpose of assessment has been to measure individual competence of students in thinking…

A study examined the effectiveness of an experiential learning exercise in a speech communication classroom setting. Participants were 62 students in communication classrooms in a large southwestern university. The exercise, entitled "The Ace, Incorporated Hanging Tray Company Exercise" was done as a group communication exercise…

This book presents a logical problem-solving process and contains many tools and techniques to help groups identify, analyze, and solve problems successfully. It is meant to be used by anyone engaged in this activity whether they be facilitators, leaders, or members of problem-solving groups, or managers who have an interest in the problem-solving…

Whenever educators gather to achieve a common goal, every participant should arrive with a sense of purpose and leave with a feeling of accomplishment. This book explains how to make meetings more efficient and effective. It outlines: (1) the correlation between excellent meetings and excellent results; (2) how to plan, open, conduct, and follow…

This annotated bibliography contains 65 entries on outdoor experiential training, including journal articles, conference papers, newspaper and magazine articles, television broadcasts, books, and unpublished manuscripts. Most items are descriptions or evaluations of programs and models of outdoor-based experiential training for personal…

The creation of isomorphic activities can be accomplished when an instructor with a broad repertoire of activities applies a clear definition of purpose to a strong understanding of the clients involved. Experiential education is based on the use of experience to increase human potential. In order to capitalize on specific behaviors for focused…

This document was developed by the Kansas State Board of Education to help local school districts establish school-site councils and assist in their operation. The Kansas legislature requires all school districts to participate in the Quality Performance Accreditation System (QPA). As part of that legislative requirement, each school in every…

Research on learning styles has shown that students learn better when teachers plan class learning activities to fit students' learning styles. This paper describes three "ways of knowing" and discusses the role they play in "knowing the culture" of a school. The first part relates ways of knowing to the usual three domains of learning--cognitive,…

The Accelerated Schools Project (ASP) at the University of New Orleans (UNO) was established in spring 1990, funded by a 3-year grant from Chevron. Beginning with 1 pilot school in 1991, the UNO Accelerated Schools Center has expanded to 36 schools representing 19 school districts in Louisiana and 3 schools from the Memphis City Schools district.…

Sequencing in adventure education involves putting activities in an order appropriate to the needs of the group. Contrary to the common assumption that each adventure sequence is unique, a review of literature concerning five sequencing models reveals a certain universality. These models present sequences that move through four phases: group…