Increasingly, higher education institutions and businesses are developing distributed learning systems to provide continuing job-related and professional education. Principles and examples of distributed learning and support systems that promote individual development are outlined, considering issues of motivation, speed of program development,…

Addresses some of the concerns surrounding the controversy of religion and public education. Finds some common ground in the ethical issues shared by character education and citizenship education and the nondenominational moral teachings in religious education. Outlines four broad strategies for maintaining productive community discussions. (MJP)

Describes a study of an antiracist professional development course designed to help white educators recognize personal, cultural, and institutional manifestations of racism and become more proactive against racism in their schools. Analysis of participants' written assignments indicated that over half took meaningful antiracist actions following…

FLAME (Foreign Language Alternative Mastery Example) is a model for foreign language in the elementary school (FLES), conducted after school and focused on development of a broad vocabulary base, especially cognates and terms relevant to the student's everyday environment. In the program, FLES student teachers collaborate with a university-based…

A study compared student ratings (n=472) of course and professor before and after a faculty development workshop in lecture presentation; all other aspects of the course were kept the same, including content. Results suggest student ratings changes were affected substantially by stylistic changes in instruction, not by what students learned.…

Discusses methodology and results of a study of Ohio graduates who earned associate degrees in early childhood education between 1987-1995. The study examines their professional experiences, continued education, and status compared with the National Association for Education of Young Children professional development model. (14 citations) (YKH)

Presents a biographical profile of Heinrich Roth, a psychologist and educator who had served in the Wehrmacht's political warfare division. Roth later experienced a spiritual and professional rebirth becoming completely immersed in U.S. educational theory. He devoted the rest of his life to developing a democratically-oriented theory of learning…

Analyzes how Canadian immersion education has developed from its origins to the present in terms of a cycle guided by the interplay between theory and classroom practice of second- language acquisition. Johnson responds by questioning the extent to which bilingual education theory and practices are universal or context specific. (38 references)…

Leadership education is intended to teach strategies for getting results through others. A Stanford University (California) graduate program for prospective public school principals uses complex problem-based learning projects in which students are required to develop a solution and a mode for presenting it as they would in an actual school…

Advocates the need for reading instruction to be a required class for all middle grade students in Indiana. Topics include decline of library usage, school organizational change, schedule changes and the shift to "language arts," time on task, questions for interviewing prospective reading teachers, a reading curriculum, useful…

Addresses the need for culturally relevant education on the Navajo Nation and explains why educational standards proposed in 1984 by the Navajo Tribal Council have failed to preserve Navajo language and culture. Outlines models based on the Dine Philosophy of Education and describes related educational practices for both preservice teacher…

Recommends that undergraduate journalism and communications majors receive more thorough training in local and public affairs education. Changes in communications technology have raised the importance and accessibility of local news for national candidates, often without a corresponding rise in sophistication of coverage. (MJP)

Criticizes the notion that secular humanists and religious educators can equitably agree on a common or middle ground. Maintains that the so-called middle ground is often primarily secular ideology with a token acknowledgment of the validity of religious thought. Argues for a more open discussion with both positions receiving equal consideration.…

Studied families in the Iowa Youth and Family Project for the social and developmental pathways by which adolescents approach decisions to relocate. Found that lack of socioeconomic opportunity, relatively weak and declining ties to family and religious community, and strong educational prospects were potent factors. Also found that plans to…

Describes a constructivist teaching exercise consisting of a group of teachers involved in regular instructional conversations. Raises issues related to conceptualizing frameworks for teaching and developing new teacher assessments, arguing that new assessments should reflect a comprehensive view of teaching based on a broad continuum of teaching…