Constructivism assumes that people create knowledge from the interaction of their existing knowledge or beliefs and the new ideas or situations they encounter. While constructivism is emancipating and empowering, classroom application is neither widespread nor systematic. Teachers should construct feasible, well-conceived implementation plans and…

Describes a teacher's approach to classroom management through positive discipline, using positive reinforcements to teach children positive behaviors. Students who feel affirmed can begin to believe in themselves and begin to take responsibility and build successful relationships. Five steps to positive discipline are outlined. (SLD)

Unlike stimulus-response models based on external controls, the Educational Responsibility program thriving in many New York State schools is designed to strengthen student empowerment and responsibility. Teachers learn to create needs-fulfilling classrooms, using strategies such as building team involvement, offering choices, increasing value for…

Describes an urban high school's homeroom classroom calendar that is maintained by students who are deaf and hard of hearing. The calendar is used to record students' schedules, including individualized education program meetings, assemblies, doctor appointments, and other events. It assists students in taking responsibility for their own…

Describes a course with three primary goals: to help students reflect on the complex relationship between humans and technology; to reflect on students' responsibility for shaping this relationship in contemporary contexts; and to provide opportunities within which to practice composing this relationship in personal terms. Concludes that in such…

School abandonment is a systemic failure that affects poor and affluent students alike and threatens our country's well-being. Such "educational suicide" is primarily a motivational problem. It is time for educators to replace coercive, constraint-laden techniques with autonomy-supportive techniques and to supplant error-proof lessons with…

Students can and should learn to discipline themselves. This article describes results of one teacher's reflective deliberations on how to handle certain problem students by shifting responsibility for appropriate behavior from the teacher to the student. A brief guide for teachers, "Handling Typical Discipline Scenes," is included. (IAH)

Examines a shift in American culture away from the Protestant ethic, which emphasizes personal responsibility and effort, towards the "cargo cult," which emphasizes factors beyond individual control such as luck. Discusses the implications for education, which is based on the Protestant ideology. (FMW)

Teachers who regularly "enable" or rescue students are inadvertently reinforcing irresponsible behaviors that undermine students' self-esteem. This article discusses how and why "enabling" occurs in schools, how it affects students, and how "codependent" adults can minimize behaviors allowing students to avoid responsibilities and opportunities…

Describes a midwestern high school's serious student publications program. Over the past 20 years, students here have published major stories on incest, homosexuality, teen pregnancy, cheating, divorce, fatal illness, and other topics without prepublication scrutiny by the principal. Recommendations are provided to ensure fair coverage, relevant…

Traditional high schools don't work for some teenagers with serious behavior problems. This article summarizes programs at three alternative high schools in Texas, Kansas, and Iowa. The Texas program has a basic curriculum and some strict rules but functions like a college. The Kansas program offers entrepreneurial training, and Waterloo, Iowa's,…

Describes the silent environmental threat posed by acid rain. Caused mainly by manmade pollutants, acid rain damages water and trees, decreases visibility, corrodes monuments, and threatens public health. The article includes guidelines for action. (SM)

Teachers who understand the dimensions of cognitive style and cognitive control can significantly affect their students' academic performance. This article explains students' information processing system, learning phases and skills, and instructional implications. Teachers can use overlearning and meaningfulness to help students move new…

In a community college marketing education program, students assumed responsibility for their learning and their grades. Using the program developed by the Marketing Education Resource Center (MarkED), outcomes and objectives were determined and the class schedule was reorganized. Results show that students work at a higher performance level and…

Describes how to boost elementary students' confidence and nurture responsibility by making students resident experts at review stations. Students rotate from station to station where the experts are learning at their own pace, spending more time on material they do not understand, and receiving personal attention and immediate feedback. (SM)