Critical thinking is highly valued but difficult to teach effectively. The Reason! project at the University of Melbourne (Australia) has developed the Reason!Able software as part of a general method aimed at enhancing critical thinking skills. Students using Reason!Able appear to make dramatic gains. This paper describes: (1) the challenge…

In Canada, Aboriginal people remain highly disadvantaged relative to the general population. Structural factors operate in conjunction with cultural factors and other social practices like racism, such that they cannot be explained away through conventional analysis and isolated interventions. Schooling for Aboriginal people must incorporate and…

This research brief examines administrator perspectives on institutional mission and priorities, while taking note of regional differences in perspectives. In addition, this brief presents other dimensions of the institutional context such as the factors that keep administrators engaged and satisfied in their positions. Given the challenges and…

"Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development: Lessons and Voices from the Field," published by the Forum in partnership with the Urban Libraries Council, captures key challenges and lessons learned from an innovative, four-year initiative sponsored by the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds that awarded six million dollars to nine…

Natural disasters (droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, floods, wind storms) damage wellbeing, both in their immediate and long-term aftermath, and because the insecurity of exposure to disasters is in itself harmful to risk-averse people. As such, mitigating and coping with the risk of natural disasters is a pressing issue for economic development.…

The Excellence in Cities (EiC) policy was launched in 1999 with the aim of improving the attainment of all pupils in disadvantaged urban areas. Further Phases were launched in 2000 and 2001, by when EiC covered about a third of the secondary schools in England and over 60 per cent of the minority ethnic pupils in England attended schools in EiC…

This longitudinal study examined the multiple influences of social class and family socialization on intelligence at age 7, and on the development of cognitive competence from age 7 through age 15 in a sample of 121 urban Icelandic children and adolescents. Socialization condition was defined as sources of parental support and control strategies,…

To obtain information on workplace diversity initiatives and programs, 12 diversity experts were interviewed. Participants identified organizational and individual barriers to the advancement of diverse groups in the workplace. The following factors were most likely to influence diversity in the workplace: demographic changes, global marketplace,…

This book for children (ages 8 to 14) and the accompanying teacher/parent guide present the story of a young girl (who happens to have a physical disability and uses a wheelchair), her friends, and their experiences at summer camp as they search for a favorite horse. Information on the disability is presented subtly and incidentally to encourage…

This book is a collection of stories describing the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, based on the author's internship in the Italian preschools and a 4-year adaptation effort in one American school. The book's prologue describes the author's work before using the Reggio Emilia approach, the history of Reggio Emilia, the…

The New Economic Equation Project opened in May 1995 with a 3-day working conference for 50 national leaders. The equation was defined as follows: economic well-being = integration of work, family, and community. Conference participants identified key economic, work, and family concerns facing the United States today. Outreach activities in…

The "ERIC Review" announces research results, publications, and new programs relevant to each issue's theme topic. This issue is a compendium of resources, advice, and research to help guidance counselors, parents, and students plan for college. The first section, "Starting Out on the Path to College," contains the following articles: "Why Get on…

Yakima Valley Community College (Washignton) developed "A Living-Learning Community" in the Student Residence Center to create an intellectually stimulating and socially exciting environment for both resident and commuting students. The project strived to enhance the students' collegiate experience by providing them with a learning…

This book describes the special way one teacher, Jeanette Amidon, approaches children's thinking, with a particular focus on reading and writing instruction. The root value of her first-grade classroom in Massachusetts is respect for children's ideas, with the children's art and writing as visible signs of the teacher's respect for their thinking.…

This book uses the playground as a reference point for a phenomenological examination of risk in children's lives and the development of a pedagogy of risk. Chapter 1 defines risk and discusses the use of anecdotes as a methodological device. Chapter 2 examines how considering risk as challenge and adventure leads to questions concerning adults'…