Uses a question box for comments in large communication classes--61 questions deposited by 250 students in an introductory interpersonal communication course were used to construct a questionnaire to determine student perceptions of involvement, instructor quality, course quality, and learning as a result of the question/comment box. Attempts to…

Reports the experience of one teaching team's attempt to implement a "philosophy of choice" into a large lecture course at a major university. Assesses students' willingness to embrace innovation in the classroom, how choice-based learning impacted student self-assessed learning, and what considerations students take into account when selecting…

Describes 13 nonfiction works and the reactions of students to those works. Argues that nonfiction can entice readers into narratives of lives and events as intriguing as any work of fiction. (RS)

The responses of 18 phonologically delayed children, aged 6-7, to 3 types of pictured stimuli were examined. Results indicated that black and white drawings were less frequently identified than either colored line drawings or colored photographs. (Author/JDD)

This paper describes one piece of research that examines how girls interact within an electronic games environment. Girls were observed and interviewed to determine their interest in electronic games, how they play and watch others play; and how the presence of others affects their play. (49 references) (LZ)

Three experiments were conducted involving five people with profound multiple disabilities, to determine whether variations in alertness affected subsequent responsiveness to training programs. Findings suggest that existing levels of alertness do not indicate how individuals will respond during training and that alertness actually can be…

Describes the experiences of a teacher who inherited a drama program from a prior instructor, and the problems that the new instructor faced. States that, with the introduction of improvisation exercises from Viola Spolin (based on team play and noncompetitive theater games), the instructor saw a dramatic turnaround in student interest and…

This study examined the effects of five types of teacher directions (verbal, nonverbal, verbal with physical assistance, nonverbal with physical assistance, and physical assistance) on student responses. Seven elementary school teachers and their students participated. Although the most common type of direction was verbal, the most effective type…

Reports on a public elementary school in Colorado that suspends all activities once or twice a year to become a children's theater. Describes how the whole community participates in the experience. Emphasizes the importance of adult-child collaboration. Relates how the collaborators construct original plays, rehearse and produce them, and finally…

Describes how the topic of "sleaze" became the leitmotif of a high school English classroom for several weeks. Presents students' responses to the topic, which demonstrates that the students are reading, writing, and thinking about the topic over an extended period of time. (RS)

Provides information on how teachers can contribute additional encouragement, direction, and guidance for exploring and expanding intermediate-grade students' personal response to literature. Describes eight response options and offers guidelines. (PRA)

Describes the sharing of authority that occurred during a collaboratively taught course for basic writing students, supported by real-time computer exchanges. Discusses the computer classroom, curriculum, assignments, collaborative teaching, and student responses to the course. (SR)

Semistructured interviews with 14 high school students who had lost parents to death or divorce disclosed some important findings. School was deemed a place of security and safety. Students with divorced parents received more teacher support than those who had lost parents to death. Students basically wanted to be accepted and considered no…

Faced with an outbreak of meningococcal disease, an upstate New York school system swung into action. The district's plan included informing proper medical authorities, calling a planning meeting of key administrators and health officials, communicating with parents, keeping area districts informed, issuing daily updates for staff, designating…

Describes a suburban Wisconsin high school's crisis-management plan as applied to the accidental deaths of four sophomore boys. The school community survived this crisis because the school had a plan, improvised appropriately, and communicated well with the community and each other; because outside support people acted effectively; and because…