This panel discussion document about portfolio evaluation of student writing consists of three presentations from faculty members of Lynchburg College in Virginia, who describe the introduction of a portfolio-assessment system in their writing program. In this system students choose the three papers they want to rewrite for inclusion in their…

Using small groups with a cooperative class structure is useful and effective for children's active learning. However in this study, with one exception, six children who had experienced peer group dialogue as the principal means of mathematics and physical science instruction for 2 years (third and fourth grades) from a single teacher demonstrated…

A study examined the relative merits of individual and cooperative methods of vocabulary instruction in the seventh grade. It was hypothesized that socialization would act as a motivating force among these adolescents, and that those involved in paired instruction would show increased vocabulary retention. Students in both control (individual) and…

Between March 1983 and January 1984, the Hispanic Research Center conducted exploratory field research in a South Bronx (New York City) neighborhood in order to develop hypotheses and collect data which could be used in research relevant to the avoidance of delinquency by male Puerto Ricans considered at risk. The research highlighted the…

A study investigated the effect or lack of effect of peer collaboration on the writing of female freshman composition students. Four freshman composition classes conducted by two experienced instructors participated in a 3-week study. One instructor taught two classes by teacher-lecture and teacher-led discussions exclusively. Another instructor…

As an interesting development in recent literary criticism, reader response can enhance a composition class in many ways. Reader response, by incorporating both intellect and feeling into an aesthetic reaction to literature, restores the subjective aspect that some forms of criticism deny. Three main elements compose the repeated cycle of a…

These two studies, which were part of a cross-national project exploring the development of Italian and British children's understanding of sociolinguistic rules, investigated politeness in children's requests addressed to adults and children, and children's views on how requests addressed to persons differing in status and familiarity would be…

How do you transform your own practice, and the practice of your peers? How do you act as a change agent in a positive, open dialogue with peers? The author seeks to explore this complex, often difficult issue, hoping to encourage others to look at their practice, and the practice of their peers, and ask: "Can we do better?" Can we…

This paper addresses the problem of college students' consumption of alcoholic beverages. A brief look at student-oriented alcohol education programs developed by university student personnel administrators is followed by a description of "My Brother's Keeper" (MBK), one fraternity's approach to alcohol abuse prevention for its 10,000…

This paper compares the stress of inservice teachers and preservice student teachers. The situation of student teachers is compared to that of cultural anthropologists in the field. This paradigm aids student teachers to objectify and to cope with the stresses and strains of their own fieldwork. The student teaching practicum is viewed as a type…

DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF ADOLESCENT STUDENTS AND THE FACTORS UNDERLYING CONFORMITY-PERFORMANCE-DEVIANT BEHAVIOR WERE ATTEMPTED, AND A PREDICTIVE MEASURE OF NONCONFORMITY WAS FORMULATED. A QUESTIONNAIRE WAS DEVELOPED TO MEASURE ATTITUDES OF ADOLESCENTS TOWARD THE MAJOR VALUE AREAS OF AMERICAN CULTURES, ADOLESCENT PERCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL CONTROLS,…

THE ADOLESCENT PEER CULTURE WAS EXAMINED TO DETERMINE CONDITIONS AMONG ADOLESCENTS ASSOCIATED WITH DEPENDENCE ON, OR INDEPENDENCE OF, THE YOUTH CULTURE. A MODEL CONTAINING THE DIMENSIONS OF THE YOUTH CULTURE WAS CONSTRUCTED. ADOLESCENT YOUTH CULTURE ADHERENCE INCLUDES THE TENDENCY TO VIEW THE ADOLESCENT YEARS AS IDYLLIC AND DEVELOPMENTALLY…

FOR 5 WEEKS, 2 OBSERVERS MADE DAILY VISITS TO A LABORATORY PRESCHOOL TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON THE AMOUNT AND KINDS OF POSITIVE SOCIAL REINFORCEMENT CHILDREN GIVE TO EACH OTHER IN NURSERY SCHOOL. SEVENTY CHILDREN (AGED 3 YEARS 4 MONTHS TO 4 YEARS 9 MONTHS) WERE GROUPED INTO 2 OLDER AND 2 YOUNGER CLASSES. EACH CHILD WAS OBSERVED IN RANDOM ORDER FOR…

The study provided teachers with systematic opportunities to: (1) be videotaped in their classrooms; (2) privately view their tapes and receive verbal and written critiques of their positive classroom behaviors; (3) share exemplary segments of their tapes in regularly scheduled teacher inservice group meetings; and (4) view and critique, in the…