A one-year pilot program at five videoconferencing learning centers addressed the use of videoconferencing as an effective instructional delivery model in distance education for post secondary teacher education. The need to offer teachers increased continuing educational opportunities has placed a significant demand on university training programs…

This packet is composed of several resources for teachers interested in prairie ecology and restoration. "A Guide to Restoration from Site Analysis to Management" focuses on the Prairie/Oak Savanna communities of Wisconsin and takes teachers through the planning and design process for a restoration project on school grounds including…

This paper discusses techniques and strategies to improve the effectiveness of distance education delivered via interactive video telecommunication. Advantages and disadvantages of three types of interactive video--telephone linkage, end-to-end fiber optic digital transmission, and satellite broadcasts--are briefly discussed. Prebroadcast…

This document provides a summative evaluation of an ongoing collaborative professional development project that focuses on a course in experimental science learning. Project goals include: (1) providing elementary school teachers with a professional development program for science education that is grounded in the National Science Education…

The fields of instructional supervision, adult development, teacher education and mentoring, and ongoing professional development are synthesized in this text. Examples and case studies are drawn from local systems in North Carolina as well as state, national, and international public school/university consortia to identify emerging trends in…

In 1996, Tennessee became the first state to connect every public school to the Internet via a single network, ConnecTEN. This case study examines the staff development opportunities made available to teachers for training in the use of computer-based technology, focusing on teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the training and their…

This report describes the Organizing for Diversity Project, which generated professional development modules to prepare teachers to work more effectively with diverse students. Prototype modules were developed in collaboration with teacher volunteers, then field tested. The final 11 modules, which included 33 hours of training, were designed for…

This paper shows that policymakers and researchers have changed their views about school improvement and the role of teachers in the process, suggesting that educational reform initiatives challenge classroom teachers to make sense of new policies, ideas, programs, and their own work. It examines calls for reform, highlighting: the 1957 launch of…

This report examines specific elements of the School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program (SVPDP) of the Center for Civic Education, providing data from an assessment of the first-year SVPDP implementation process. Chapter 1 examines the state of violence prevention and civic education in American schools. Chapter 2 outlines the 1999-00 SVPDP…

A study reflected on managing technological change in teaching and learning, with particular emphasis on staff development. It drew on two national reports in Australia. One report team interviewed senior management in 50 percent of Australian universities. The other reviewed 104 nationally funded information technology (IT) based teaching…

A naturalistic inquiry was undertaken to explore current instructional practice in three distance education settings. Perceptions of researcher, practitioner, and participants engaged in a doctoral field research study were explored, with a focus on the gap between instructional design skills and instructional strategies used by distance education…

This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a federally funded project designed to produce and field-test two computer-based interactive CD-ROMs: "PEGS! for Preschool" and "PEGS! for Secondary School". These programs, in a game format, provide beginning general and special educators with independent practice in…

This report describes the Collaborative Yearlong Teaching Experience (CYTE), an extensive 1-year internship program that promotes a coaching/mentoring model of preservice education and professional job-embedded staff development in Broward County, Florida. This student teacher program is intended to help preservice teachers meet the demands of the…

This paper describes the evolution of a Professional Development School (PDS) governance model that began with a one-school partnership and moved to a multiple site partnership network. The governance model is based on a union formed between a private university and a local school district. It emphasizes shared decision making and collaborative…

This annual report describes the work of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), noting that in 2001, it launched five new certificate fields and introduced the Next Generation of National Board Certification assessments. It also worked with local, state, and federal policy makers who provide incentives for candidates and…