Five brief essays are presented in response to an earlier article on leadership in college foreign-language departments. They address issues of curriculum redesign, pedagogical change, the nature of language teaching, the professional identity of language teachers, the role of professional organizations, and the traditional departmental model. A…

A study of 8 California school districts immediately following passage of Proposition 227, and another study of 39 districts a year later interviewed personnel, principals, and teachers about implementation of the English Only initiative. Specific implementation strategies reflected schools' previous programmatic efforts for limited English…

Describes creative methods of teaching elementary level science: eighth-grade hands-on experiments are made with rare rocks and gems via a "Mining by Mail" program; third-grade students use the "I Wonder" approach to examine questions of interest; process skills are adapted for different age levels. A staff development folder…

Focuses on the history of the whole language approach, which arose out of the ancient notion of teaching as an art rather than a science. The approach is unable to demonstrate its superiority with statistics, a requirement for introducing radical changes in education. The tendency to avoid substantial change in second-language teaching is expected…

Presents listening comprehension strategies used by students learning French. Through interviews, students described their conscious use of strategies in different contexts. All evidenced a familiarity with metacognitive, cognitive, and socioaffective techniques. (50 references) (Author/CK)

Describes a two-week lesson on electric fields that combined lecture, interactive video, lab experimentation, computer spread sheets, and computer-assisted-graphing. (PR)

Presents a secondary lesson plan based on primary sources recently released by the Central Intelligence Agency on the Cuban Missile Crisis. Provides a background essay on the event. Includes five maps and three documents, all of which have been declassified from top secret or secret status. (CFR)

Contends that the pledge by President Kennedy to land a man on the moon and return him safely "before the decade is out" was a Cold War tactic designed to bring national unity. Presents a lesson plan, a chronological chart, three primary documents, step-by-step implementation procedures, and related student activities. (CFR)

Presents four misconceptions surrounding communicative language teaching (CLT) and discusses the reasons for their existence. These misconceptions are: (1) CLT means not teaching grammar; (2) CLT means teaching only speaking; (3) CLT means pair work, which means role play; and (4) CLT means expecting too much from the teacher. (13 references)…

Explores commonalities and differences between the Reggio Emilia approach and the developmentally appropriate approach. Points to differences in eight areas: (1) scheduling; (2) grouping children for activities; (3) planning; (4) teacher attitudes; (5) products of work and play; (7) parent conferences; and (8) continuity. (BGC)

Considers the process through which a group of teachers enrolled in an art education course established friendships with selected works of art by regarding them as metaphors for their lives. Teachers connected with the art works through religious references, family bonds, formal contexts, and ties to nature. (MJP)

Considers the act of walking as a metaphor for reflection and self-discovery. Examines the use of postcards as art objects and discusses how they can be integrated into learning activities using the walking/self-discovery metaphor. Connects these activities to a process-oriented curriculum. (MJP)

A case study approach can help preservice teachers develop effective strategies for handling situations that arise as they teach diverse students in public schools. This article presents teaching hints for the case study approach, offering a sample scenario for a seventh-grade middle school physical education class. (SM)

Describes an interdisciplinary high school course that used contemporary films to illustrate overarching themes in the U.S. experience. Themes included individualism/social responsibility, isolation/internationalism, and liberal/conservative. Emphasis was on conceptual rather than historic relationships (e.g. "Norma Rae" illustrated…

Recommends using Chinua Achebe's novel of the 19th-century conflict between African tribal culture and English colonists in a world history class. Achebe's rich narrative, written in a graceful prose, is easily accessible to high school students. The novel replaces simplistic and abstract concepts with those more complex and concrete. (MJP)