Suggests ways the U.S. Founding Fathers went about the task of interpreting the Constitution. Discusses literalism, arguments from history concerning original intent, moral reasoning, and the concept of precedent as interpretive techniques used by the founders. Sees this variety of techniques as the basis for the U.S. tradition of discussion over…

A variation of the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) for use in a needs assessment with key informants is described. The Missouri Department of Mental Health's planning staff, using the NGT, compiled key decision makers' perceptions of regional needs. The NGT helped in prioritizing the issues for each region. (TJH)

Describes a class activity demonstrating the reality of revolution to introductory political science students. Student "plants" rebel against a teacher's "injustice," overthrow the teacher when he calls on a higher authority, and mobilize the class to sign a petition. Follow-up discussion covers elements required for revolution. (LS)

Describes the Reporter's Reading Method, a student-directed reading system that requires students to write questions as they read, and use those questions as the basis for classroom discussion. (MM)

Describes a four-year race relations curriculum developed by "Sesame Street" Research at Children's Television Workshop that was designed to be more explicit about physical and cultural differences and to encourage friendship between people of different races and cultures. Notes on the discussion following this presentation are included.…

Describes two approaches to introducing a novel to elementary students. Maintains that the second approach, which encourages reader response, is more effective than the first, which mandates the learning of 100 new vocabulary words. Describes a discussion technique based on a "discussion web" or map of possibilities that helps students to explore…

Junior Great Books Curriculum model uses interpretive discussion within the reading process to help students of all reading abilities understand literature, or construct inferential and thematic meaning from their reading. Program was piloted in third-grade classes in 13 Chicago schools between 1989 and 1991. The model's cornerstone is the…

Argues that middle- and high-school students benefit from class discussions of personal and societal values and the role they play in decision making. Presents two stories of real-life difficult choices and their consequences. Presents brief descriptions of five current controversial issues (with suggested questions) for classroom discussion to…

Outlines techniques that teachers can use to help students develop base-10 numeration and other mathematics skills, using calculator explorations, problems that require strategies to solve, and group discussion activities. Examples of activities and problems for both primary and upper elementary grades are provided. (MDM)

Describes two electronic conferences (e-conferences) available on the Internet: e-mail-based discussion groups and Usenet news groups. Presents tips to help users of e-conferences increase the benefits of knowledge-sharing via these conferences. Sidebars present the largest library-related e-conferences, e-conferences gatewayed to Usenet, and an…

Describes Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS), a form of computer-mediated communication, which can be used to enhance discussions in college and high school classrooms. An example of a GDSS in a high school is included, and results of a questionnaire regarding student preferences are appended. (Author/LRW)

Uses the children's book, "The Rajah's Rice: A Mathematical Folktale from India," as the basis for grade-four activities involving doubling and powers of two. (MKR)

Reflects on a teacher's first year back in the elementary classroom after having spent 12 years in university teaching. Notes that the teacher defines her role as a facilitator of student learning. Discusses struggling with reading aloud, partner reading, literature discussion groups, and talk about content area inquiries. Appends a transcript and…

The fifth interagency conference explored ways that changes in technology, coupled with efforts to reinvent government, are redefining the policy and implementation issues of providing public access to federal information. Five groups were established to address issues and to develop recommendations; each group was divided into two sessions. Ten…

Patterns of topic discussion and elaboration related to gender and ethnicity were studied with 66 mothers and their 4-year-old children (Hispanic and Anglo American). Implications of the different patterns of topic selection and discussion for children's subsequent school-related activities and performance are discussed. (SLD)