This fact sheet provides an overview of the special concerns of siblings of children with special health and developmental needs, describes one model approach addressing these concerns, and outlines considerations for respite care agencies. Special concerns of siblings include feelings of loss and isolation, an unmet need for information about the…

This report presents summaries of speeches given at a conference held at Cumberland Lodge (England) in 1988 on the subject of education and training of young people between 16 and 19. The guarantee of either a training or an educational program for all in this age range is explored and the issue of deferring full-time employment to age 18 or 19 is…

CNN Newsroom is a daily 15-minute commercial-free news program specifically produced for classroom use and provided free to participating schools. These daily classroom guides present top stories, headlines, environmental news, and other current events, along with suggested class discussion topics and activities to accompany the broadcasts for one…

The paper briefly discusses pedagogical theory underlying the application of cooperative learning strategies in postsecondary environments and describes specific cooperative pedagogical strategies. Most of the paper consists of descriptions of the following exemplary cooperative learning techniques, with supporting data when available: (1)…

A study investigated the development of theme as five fifth-grade students read children's literature, recorded their responses in logs, and discussed their ideas in small, student-led peer groups. The five students met together as one group over the course of 5 weeks as they read historical fiction focused on Japan during World War II. Data…

Growing from a 1988 conference on educational technology, the Ocotillo Action/Research Groups of the Maricopa Community Colleges in Tempe (Arizona) have continued to explore ways of enhancing and developing the use of instructional technologies in the community colleges. This report presents the following annual reports of the groups, which…

This report synthesizes the findings of a week of focused group discussions during which Australian health care workers currently caring for people with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and tertiary educators involved in designing/delivering curricula in various health and social disciplines shared their…

This paper describes an academic assistance program designed to help ethnic minority students adjust to the demands of university life and succeed both academically and personally. The Excel program has three major components: a two-semester, two-credit core seminar; weekly instructional support groups; and peer led tutorial/discussion groups. The…

A discussion about the meaning of time that took place in a combined grade 3 and 4 classroom in Toronto, Ontario, Canada is described and analyzed. The paper begins by explaining how a failed classroom demonstration of a water clock resulted in an animated class discussion that led to the successful redesign of the clock. Next, recent work in…

This document proposes a case study approach to U.S. history instruction. The method which the document suggests arises from an actual class discussion of the My Lai massacre that occurred during the Vietnam War. A sample class discussion concerns the setting of standards to guide national and international affairs and the particular standards…

Peer action groups generally begin with adults who form a peer group because they are participating in the education or parenting of a common group of teenagers. This paper contains seven sections which address questions connected with establishing peer outreach groups for junior and senior high school students: (1) Who are "at-risk…

A 3-month unit on folktales with two sixth-grade classes proved to be a highly motivating means of developing critical reading skills. Lessons, which generally occupied from four to six class periods each, involved four steps: (1) the teacher stated the skills to be learned and told students what was planned for the reading period each day; (2)…

There are compelling reasons to use talk in the writing classroom to improve both expressive and expository writing. First, speaking is natural, and students come to the writing classroom linguistically well-developed and confident. Second, talking encourages exploration of words by slowing down the thought process without completely stopping it.…

This activity unit on human and medical genetics for junior high and middle school students emphasizes variability and diversity in genetics. Twenty-five activities are organized into five sections: (1) individual differences among human beings; (2) causes of similarities and differences among humans and between generations; (3) variety in living…

A follow-up study was conducted, using a sample of 10 teachers from two of five school districts that participated in an original project on wait time and classroom interaction. A workshop was conducted focusing on the elements of classroom discussions. In this workshop, transcripts containing short wait times were contrasted with ones with longer…