Describes instances in which conversation topics are audibly formulated in a classroom during a one-hour science lesson and how this task may be problematic for both participants and analysts of classroom talk. (HTH)

Investigates the person/environment transactional processes of 75 elderly Cuban-Americans, using participant observation to learn about their adjustment to aging. Findings suggest the productiveness of the short-term exchange approach in understanding the older person's creative use of resources. (JAC)

Annotates six books dealing with (1) astronomy, (2) industry in space, (3) observation, (4) oceanography, and (5) robots. (FL)

Observation of teacher and student behaviors in four areas (teacher cognitive, teacher management, student on-task and student off-task) revealed that teachers spent 48 percent of total classroom time in cognitive activities. (Author/CL)

The paper reviews three main approaches for specifying behavior in a psychological assessment (interview, observation, and client self-report) and examines the place of behavioral assessment in the total field of assessment. (CL)

Reports two experiments relevant to the questioning strategies counselors use in testing their hypotheses about clients. Results supported the idea that counselors are able to take a tentative hypothesis about a client and test its accuracy against additional independent, unbiased observations of the client. (LLL)

In finding an accurate method of describing school administrators' behavior patterns, draws on script theory from cognitive psychology and speech act theory from sociolinguistics to supplement the structured observation approach. (JW)

Four stages of formative evaluation and questions concerning the process of the Individualized Science program are discussed. (DEP)

The author provides suggestions for teachers to assess mentally handicapped deaf-blind children with observational techniques. (IM)

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" discusses the results of a study designed to examine team composition, team planning, and team members' satisfaction in 26 different wraparound teams serving children with…

The voice of the government via the Reading Excellence Act gives the message that direct systematic intense phonics instruction will solve the reading problem, end debate, lead to student success in life beyond school, and provide teachers with the prestige of successful reading instruction. This paper takes a close look at systematic direct…

This handbook has been built around the experiences of teachers and cognitive psychologists working together in opera education to identify, design, and produce an effective approach to bring together the divergent approaches to assessment and evaluation, mandated testing, and authentic documentation of learning. The handbook is designed to…

This paper describes a study of a speech community, a group of approximately 10 women, aged 25 to 65, who met at least 3 times a month to knit, drink coffee, and chat. The paper notes that knitting circles have survived through history because they serve a social function that surpasses historical events--they are communities that co-construct the…

The Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP) was created by the Evaluation Group of the Arizona Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (ACEPT) as an observational instrument designed to measure "reformed" teaching. This document is a guide to its use. The theoretical concepts that guided the development of the…

This paper examines how teachers begin to think about ethics. A partnership between one elementary educator and one doctoral student writing her dissertation on educational ethics was formed. The project has grown to include four vantage points, or sightlines for viewing this issue. The four views come: (1) through the lenses provided by the…