Multicultural education (MCE) is one of four major goals of the Columbus (Ohio) public schools. The district is committed to providing professional development in MCE. The article details an MCE class implemented by Ohio State University and the Staff Development and MCE departments, noting the positive feedback from a program evaluation. (SM)

Describes inservice teaching seminars in Sierra Leone, West Africa. These seminars were designed to equip heads of departments with the ability to manage themselves and their departments effectively and give them guidelines on how to conduct in-school staff training. The seminars have produced a better working atmosphere in the schools. (11…

This case study argues that teachers are ill-prepared to give English-as-a-Second-Language students the instruction they need for integration into mainstream classrooms, and advocates ongoing teacher study groups as a replacement for traditional one-shot workshops. (Contains 21 references.) (LR)

Through a combination of workshops and distance education, rural Australian middle-school teachers learned outcome-based programming, teaching, and assessment designed to improve outcomes of students experiencing educational disadvantage related to rural isolation, poverty, or aboriginality. Workplace learning, supported by in-school collegial…

Describes strategies one teacher educator uses in an ethnic studies course designed to prepare teachers for the future (which is predicted to have more minority students and fewer minority teachers). Multicultural educational experiences are essential so teachers can gain social science, pedagogical, and subject matter content knowledge about…

Describes the development of a video for science instruction to be used for inservice teacher training in a distance education program in Italy. Production of the video by teachers, a scientist, and a professional production team is described; pupil activities are explained; and editing and evaluation of the video are discussed. (four references)…

Discusses the use of student assessment methods other than standardized tests. Topics addressed include the use of technology in assessment; performance-based assessment; the use of video; issues of technological equity; writing portfolios; and professional development to change educators' views of assessment. Five recent national studies on…

Universities and schools differ in their orientations toward the role of reflectivity and activity in collaborative restructuring efforts. This article describes and compares three models of school-university partnerships in relation to factors that may affect the balance of reflectivity needed for successful collaboration. (Author/IAH)

A center-based program for science student teaching at the University of Iowa is described. The characteristics that distinguish the science student teaching centers from the older, traditional approach are listed. A list of tasks associated with establishing a science student teaching center is included. (KR)

Discusses future directions for training teachers of students with visual impairments, based on relevant literature and the history of teacher preparation at George Peabody College (Tennessee). Two issues are examined: how to train enough teachers and how to provide the necessary competencies for teaching children with various abilities. (SM)

Reports the current state of preservice and inservice teacher education with respect to the use of technology in the classroom. Aspects of preservice education discussed include financial support, availability, student skills, accreditation standards for preparation, and field experiences. Aspects of inservice education discussed include technical…

Compared the problem-solving and computational skills of first-grade students whose teachers had participated in staff development to learn to teach using a Cognitively Guided Instruction framework to first-grade students whose teachers had not. Students in experimental classes performed significantly better in solving word problems and completing…

Describes efforts in the reform of science education, noting the importance of changing preservice and in-service teacher education. The article examines three national systemic reform efforts and discusses implementation efforts in Iowa. It also discusses Iowa's teacher preparation and offers assessment information arising from Iowa's efforts.…

Contends that the National Geographic Society's Geography Education Program continues to work on improving geography instruction and learning. Outlines future activities of the National Geographic Society including urban outreach and technology training. (CFR)

An award-winning program designed to increase the number of beginning teachers in urban schools, support experienced teachers functioning as mentors, and develop inservice and preservice teachers' interactive teaching practices has three components: developing a professional development school, a teacher observation system, and study groups…