Begins with a brief overview of the origins of constructivist thinking among the philosophers and the major forms of constructivism. Continues with definitions and descriptions of models of constructivist classrooms and teams. And concludes with a comparison of constructivist and traditional approaches to learning. (Contains 27 references.) (WFA)

The article discusses conceptual principles which underpin development of consultation-based programing for students with mild disabilities, proposes informal standards for ecological evaluation of specific formats, and identifies factors (such as administrative support and participatory planning and decision making) that maximize the potential…

Cognitive and academic behaviors promoted by an ongoing, long-term Direct Instruction preschool project for poverty level children (N=109) are described. Children who received two years of training achieved at substantially higher normative levels than children trained for only one year and this advantage continued in first and second grades.…

It is proposed that cooperative learning and collaborative learning are related but essentially different processes, developed for educating people of different ages, experiences, and levels of interdependence and based on distinctive assumptions about the nature and authority of knowledge. Moreover, cooperative learning may undercut collaborative…

This article addresses four comparative issues in the development of conductive education programs for children with disabilities in the United Kingdom: (1) the cultural context; (2) the knowledge base of conductive education available in English; (3) the different outlooks of therapy and education; and (4) curriculum issues. (DB)

Critiques the argument made in "Transcending" that the consumer metaphor of education has a detrimental effect on teaching/learning practices, arguing that the paper fails to understand how people use metaphors in discourse. Suggests that, rather than taking the metaphor literally, educators use it to think in new ways about education. (11…

Flexible learning is an approach which can benefit students with learning difficulties, by meeting learning needs through the flexible management and use of a range of learning activities, environments, and resources, and by giving students increasing responsibility for their own learning and development. The approach involves reflection, review,…

Although Native Americans are among the fastest growing ethnic groups, educators and counselors frequently understand little about their cultural heritage and customs. This overview of factors such as cooperation/competitiveness, communication, and learning styles should help educators and counselors to promote multicultural awareness and to…

This article describes three field-tested approaches to planning educational programs in inclusive settings for students who are deaf-blind, making decisions about support services, and developing lesson accommodations to include the students in typical class activities. (Author)

This article presents data on Big Eight faculty involved with elementary science methods courses regarding their, rank, training, precollege teaching experience, college teaching experience, course load per year, publications, NSTA convention attendance, inservice presentations, and content of their methods courses. Concludes that these professors…

This article describes the development of a mechanism to organize a network in Florida for individuals who are at risk for diabetic retinopathy. The task force comprised representatives from governmental, academic, professional, and voluntary organizations. It worked to educate professionals, patients, and the public through brochures, resource…

This article suggests that acceleration and enrichment programing for gifted and talented students have differing approaches to problem solving (well-structured problems in acceleration and ill-structured problems in enrichment). To prevent learning mutually exclusive problem-solving strategies, an integrated approach is advocated. (DB)

Posits that a "democratic approach" to defining and evaluating educational quality is necessary, since the concept of quality itself is heavily subjective and value based, and that educational evaluation is best achieved through the involvement of all participants, including practitioners, parents, and children. (MDM)

Reports a study of the effects of short-term fitness education on low-fit female college students' knowledge and attitudes. Group A received handouts and lectures. Group B received handouts only. Pre- and posttesting indicated lectures were more effective than handouts. Both groups demonstrated significantly higher knowledge about health and…

This response to Gersten and Dimino (EC 606 357) claims that their paper: (1) does not emphasize the considerable research literature associated with both the whole language and direct instructional approaches; (2) does not help teachers make balanced instructional decisions; (3) focuses on extreme positions; and (4) considers motivation only in…