Illustrates, through the example of a classroom "trial" in an urban junior high school, how letting students control classroom discussion (within an orderly overall framework) set the stage for increased learning and better student participation. (SLD)

A study of 89 educators who participated in a workshop course on educating students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (AD/HD), found these educators demonstrated increased knowledge, positive attitudes, and perceived competence for educating students with AD/HD. Course evaluations, journals, and interviews provided information about…

Identifies key elements used in a comprehensive effort to establish anti-racism as a core value in the Newton (Massachusetts) Community School District. A professional-development course on anti-racism and effective classroom practices provided a common language and conceptual framework for moving to actively inclusive practices. Contains 11…

Presents strategies from six schools and two districts that won this year's U.S. Department of Education Model Professional Development Awards. Some of their strategies include teacher collaboration to plan professional development; teachers as leaders of learning for themselves and their peers; external partners providing expertise and resources;…

Describes the experiences of a teacher during her year as Virginia Community College System's faculty-in-residence in instructional technology. States that the year rewarded professional-development opportunities as well as opportunities to participate in system activities, and was appealing because it offered the opportunity to do concentrated…

Sustaining reform requires district leaders to develop a supportive infrastructure, nurture professional communities, reduce turnover, and use facilitators to build capacity. Bringing educators up to speed means providing abundant staff development, balancing pressure with support, providing adult learning time, and reducing fragmentation and…

This epilogue to a series of articles on the management of dysphagia in students and the role of speech-pathologists emphasizes the need for a team approach to the management of children with swallowing disorders and the importance of interaction between clinicians in the school setting and clinicians in medical environments. (CR)

Details a partnership between the University of Michigan and a rural Head Start grantee to facilitate teacher dialogue and shared activities. Examines characteristics of effective school-university partnerships. Describes how a group of Head Start teachers became a community of learners through teacher visits, consultations, and presentations…

Describes the Learner Centered Sites Project in Buffalo, New York, a program designed to establish a model child-centered classroom at each early childhood center or site. Discusses how the program evolved in response to teachers' needs, concerns, and goals. Presents guidelines learned from 3 years of program operation and future plans. (KB)

Questions whether self-assessment helps teachers develop new conceptual structures in the context of integrated science. Examined 22 inservice teachers with concept maps, interviews, and questionnaires while they used teaching materials for eight integrated topics in the German PING Project. Discusses the importance of using self-assessment to…

Describes statewide professional development programs in Michigan that were developed to train teachers in technology use. Discusses Teach for Tomorrow, which combines online learning with local facilitators and peer support networks; and the Great Lakes Education Network Best Practices project, which combines lesson plans from the Web with…

At a Portland (Oregon) weeklong summer workshop, K-12 teachers connect with their peers, learn from professional writers, and develop skills for teaching writing. As follow-up, participants get four guest writers for weeklong classroom residencies, $400 for books, and additional meetings with fellow participants. The program has improved teaching…

Current practices in faculty education pertaining to college students with learning disabilities are reviewed. Discrepancies between the evolving faculty role and current education practices are examined, and guiding questions are proposed for expanding education efforts to keep pace with the faculty role in providing access for students with…

Reports on the methods and outcomes of a teacher development project that exposed teachers to inquiry as it is practiced in the discipline of ecology. Explores factors that are potentially effective on teachers' professional development experiences in ecological inquiry. Examines the variations of teachers, starting points, grade levels, and…

Describes the issues and problems encountered in the development of a teaching, research, and professional development collaboration between faculty in a large research university and K-12 teachers focusing on the Transforming Education through the Arts Challenge that is a privately funded project for arts education reform. (CMK)