Discusses the major benefits that emerge for students and teachers when groups of six students discuss a book they are reading without teacher questions to structure and guide their interactions. Shows that books mixing narrative and exposition have the greatest potential to enhance student discussion. (SR)

Investigates how teacher talk and social interaction influence children's discussions, by comparing the talk occurring within literature circles in fourth-grade classrooms where teachers were and were not present. Discusses the four roles teachers took (facilitators, participants, mediators, and active listeners). Notes strategies students used to…

Describes how the authors introduced and organized small-group literature discussions in a first-grade bilingual class. Discusses the four most frequent types of student responses in discussions: living through the experience; looking closely at text and illustrations; exploring social issues; and making connections (to other books, life…

This article advocates the formation of a network of teachers meeting on a regular basis for the sharing of ideas and encouragement; an attempt at such an activity, RAP (Return and Participate) at Indiana University, is described. (JA)

A mistake by a teacher turns out to be a blessing in disguise. Her students learn poetry and she learns about her students. (MR)

The Internet's defining characteristic is its interactivity, and one of the oldest tools for this America Online recently decided to drop Usenet from its services. This, generating howls of protest from some, has led others to question the viability et as a useful tool for individuals and businesses. Created in 1979 by two Duke University graduate…

My only experience with politics took place several years ago, when I helped write some campaign literature for my son, a novice politician who was running for the state legislature against a popular incumbent. It wasn't much of a race; my son lost the election by a huge margin. But what impressed me was the civility of the campaign. In their…

Describes the dialogue in an informal discussion group and asserts that because the group is interactive, dynamic, and applied it is an embodiment of the nature of evaluation knowledge. Discusses ways in which this group teaches about evaluation. (SLD)

This study explored the themes that comprise preservice teachers' attitudes regarding discourse in the K-12 mathematics classroom. The initial development of the theory underlying preservice teachers' attitudes regarding mathematical discourse is documented through the development of a 5-point Likert instrument. Analysis of the Preservice…

Lifelong learning programs continue to grow in span and scope. Few studies, however, have investigated how older adults themselves participate in group learning. The central question explored in our study was as follows: Does gender play a role in group dynamics for older adults? Two groups of volunteers (age 62 to 96 years) enrolled in a 16-week…

Newspapers often pick the most sensational, the most quirky, the most amusing science stories at the expense of other, perhaps more important, work. Despite offering a distorted window on science and technology, they can still be a useful launch pad for a classroom discussion or exercise. The key to using them is understanding what makes news and…

Hearing some fun facts about books and authors can bring books to life and help ignite students' interest in books and reading. Because most elementary school media centers and public libraries have many of the Newbery Medal books, students will have a better chance of finding books they decide they want to read once they hear about them. Reading…

Proceedings of the 28th Annual Conference on the Teaching of Psychology: Ideas and Innovations, sponsored by the Psychology Department of Farmingdale State College. The conference theme for 2014 was:" Infusing Issues of Racial, Religious, and Sexuality Diversity Across the Undergraduate Curriculum." The Conference featured a keynote…