The current educational reform movement differs from past efforts primarily because of the greatly expanded role of teachers and their organizations in school management and improvement. This broader context of teaching is reflected in such innovations as participatory decision-making and school improvement teams with teachers as equal partners.…

Describes a successful project in Philadelphia that paired students from Germantown Friends School with children at the Home of the Merciful Savior School for Children with Cerebral Palsy. States that the arts staff at both schools composed a musical which the two schools performed together. Concludes that performing the musical taught acceptance…

Instruction in computer-based business communication is vital to prepare students for the current environment. Course design should include hands-on training using electronic messaging, a simulated environment in which to practice networking, and encouragement of teams and collaboration among students. (SK)

Summarizes theories of group development encompassing the stages of orientation, conflict, integration, achievement, and breakup. Relates group development stages to leadership styles and the leader's relative concern for dimensions of task and relationship. Applies the five-stage model of group development to the progress of groups involved in…

In two undergraduate business courses, students in instructor-assigned multidisciplinary teams analyzed organizational processes. The project emphasized cooperative learning, the interdisciplinary nature of work, and teamwork, with a total quality management foundation. Common rewards and resource dependence fostered positive interdependence. (SK)

States that advertising educators have been concerned with the lack of cooperation between advertising and marketing disciplines. Describes a cross-functional educational experiment in which two instructors (one from marketing and one from advertising) formed cross-functional teams for two projects. Concludes that the experiment was successful,…

When transitional programs are left to chance, there is no guarantee that such programs will be effective. This article describes two articulation teams' efforts to meet the needs of students entering and leaving a Baltimore, Maryland, middle school. The two-tiered program helped relieve students' anxieties, introduced them to teachers and staff,…

Analyzes the communicative activities of a project team in a large corporation in the computer industry, exploring the relationship of written text and authority. Discusses how written text is used in a number of specific ways to maintain group authority. (SR)

Biggest obstacle to Eugene, Oregon's plans to integrate middle school curricula is finding time to enable staff to develop a common vision of the future to build upon. Despite adoption of a flexible scheduling pattern, more time is needed for staff development, training, and cooperative instructional unit development. Creating teaching teams to…

Describes differences between total quality management and self-directed teams in terms of job design, decision making, flexibility, supervision, labor relations, quality, customers, and training. Offers suggestions for which method to choose when. (SK)

Boldt et al. describe economic resources available on the Internet and illustrate ways to integrate the information into introductory courses. Baker shows how to use electronic mail to expand student-teacher involvement and group interaction/teamwork. (SK)

This article presents a family-centered perspective in rehabilitation of individuals with cognitive-communicative impairments following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The approach focuses on capacity rather than dysfunction in families and includes family members as collaborators in rehabilitation. Suggestions for understanding family responses to…

Teams avoid pitfalls of hierarchies but have their own drawbacks related to five categories: leadership, accountability, the nature of the task, multiskilling, and human imperfection. Instead of being viewed as a panacea, teams should be recognized as another way of organizing human beings to get the job done. (JOW)

Used correctly, teams can increase productivity, raise morale, and spur innovation. Tips for effective teams include using the right team to do the right job, creating a hierarchy of teams, building an atmosphere of trust, and addressing interpersonal issues. (SK)

Explores how schools and community agencies collaborate to meet needs of at-risk youth, focusing on four youth services teams located in two rural Oregon counties. Challenges included loose structure, lack of defined objectives, lack of common understanding of related roles and responsibilities, school leadership burden, time management, need for…