This practicum report describes a community college program developed for the purpose of increasing the awareness of early childhood personnel in a central Ontario (Canada) community concerning the benefits of developmentally appropriate practices. The need for the program arose from a discrepancy between the emphasis in community college courses…

This document reports on teaching in culturally diverse classrooms from the perspective of mainstream classroom teachers. In-depth interviews with 36 California teachers on the challenges of diverse classrooms elicited their views of a teacher's role, descriptions of curriculum and pedagogy, and stories of the personal development that led to…

Language teachers recognize that improving their foreign language proficiency is an ongoing process. New ways of evaluating teachers' language skills, and curriculum changes emphasizing performance highlight skill inadequacies. Many teachers have not reached functional language levels, and language skill upgrading is a more relevant issue than…

Based on two studies, this report describes aspects of kindergarten teachers' contact with parents. The first study, which took place in Auckland (New Zealand) in 1983, looked at the way parents are introduced to kindergarten, particularly through home visiting and group pre-entry sessions. The second study was a national study designed to look at…

A teaching assessment workshop was sponsored by the University of Northern Colorado Department of Sociology and College of Education. The participants were educators from inner city schools, teachers working with at-risk students, and future teachers willing to work with minority students. The goals of the workshop were to: (1) assess strengths…

This multi-media package is designed for inservice training workshops for elementary and secondary teachers. The focus is not only on techniques for solving immediate discipline problems but also on long-term strategies that encourage appropriate deportment by reinforcing cooperative behavior on the part of students. Using a comprehensive…

This guide explains how to use an 11-unit resource pack designed to help trainers and postsecondary and continuing education staff meet the needs of special needs students in Great Britain. The pack aims to enhance the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and confidence of staff working with special needs students; indicate how staff and learners may…

The state-funded Quality Improvement Program Plan (QUIPP) for Special Educators provided professional development training to New York City special education teachers and paraprofessionals to improve the quality of instruction for students with mildly to moderately handicapping conditions. The program was designed to be participant-driven and…

The subject of peace education has shifted in the direction of global education and away from the traditional goal of building peace to include concerns for developing nations. Opportunities for political and social studies at school have widened in the past 20 years and Dutch society has shown increased interest in world politics. Measures taken…

This report reviews a variety of approaches for working with homeless students. Information was gathered from state Coordinators of Education for Homeless Children and Youth, regional coordinators of homeless programs, and national and local organizations. The programs described are organized into five categories. The first concerns educating…

This document describes a 3-day Wisconsin workshop on essential elements of instruction in vocational, technical, and adult education (VTAE). The workshop's content was based on the Univesity of California at Los Angeles' Teaching Model, which resulted from the work of Madeline Hunter. A three-page narrative describes some aspects of the model,…

Interschool visitation as a method of improving teacher morale and instructional effectiveness is discussed in this publication for school principals. The principals's role is crucial, and several steps that he/she should consider when planning and implementing a visitation are suggested; they include determining the need, choosing participants,…

The purpose of this study is to examine the training needs of caregivers of toddlers. Questions addressed include: (1) Is specialized training necessary? (2) Are caregivers receiving adequate training for providing appropriate environments for children of 1 or 2 years of age? (3) What are the obstacles and encouragements for caregivers of toddlers…

The purpose of (Colorado's) Clear Creek School District's strategic planning process has been to develop basic district-wide parameters to promote instructional improvement through a process of shared leadership. The approach is termed "sight-based" to indicate the school district's commitment to connecting curriculum and…

This book on competency-based instruction (CBI) is organized around three topics: (1) teachers deciding what their students should learn; (2) teachers teaching it well; and (3) teachers checking to see if students have learned it. Chapter 1, "A Matter of Accomplishment," gives an overview of competency-based instruction. Chapter 2, "Worthwhile…