Examines challenges arising from a growing consciousness of environmental problems and their implications for education in general and for early childhood education specifically. Argues that cultures should consider both human rights and environmental protection, that they need to develop solidarity and create peaceful ways of living. Maintains…

Argues that attempts to incorporate critical-thinking skills into social studies instruction have been negligible. Outlines a framework for effectively helping students to become better thinkers that utilizes a model from the Critical Thinking Cooperative. The model considers such pedagogical factors as background knowledge, habits of mind, and…

Analyzes philosopher William James' writings on political representation and participatory democracy. Although he argued in favor of democratic principles, James also strongly supported the role of a well-educated elite serving as leaders. Attempts to reconcile these contradictory positions and considers James' influence on the development of…

Examines conflicting conservative-religious and liberal-humanist ideologies affecting public education. Citizens are divided, due to competing visions of a traditional and new America, parallel and purposive social structures, and modern and postmodern families. Both sides want to bolster parental authority and increase governmental/agency…

A charter school in Kenai, Alaska, offers back-to-basics curriculum and direct instruction. The school has drawn many home-schoolers back to the public school system, and consistently scores high on standardized tests. The school's success is attributed to teachers' collaboration and common vision, continuity across grades, high academic…

Examines various scripted rehearsals to determine if preprofessional teachers could differentiate between process and product educational philosophies by presenting them with process-oriented (conceptual) and product-oriented (nonconceptual) strategies in ensemble settings. Provides results and considers implications for teaching. Includes…

Recounts the experiences of starting a new school designed, built, staffed, and programmed around the following beliefs: all students can be successful learners; all can learn at significantly high levels; research should inform the instructional process; and curriculum content must reflect high expectations for students, though instructional time…

Argues that universities are as well equipped as and more obligated than most other social institutions to listen to, understand, and respond to problems in American society. Suggests that the great universities of the 21st century will be judged by their ability to help solve the most urgent social problems. (SM)

An Australian study investigated the congruence between intention and strategy in science teachers' qualitatively different approaches to teaching in introductory courses. Results indicated that the strategy adopted by the teacher matched his teaching intention. As anticipated, a student-focused strategy was associated with a conceptual change…

Examines the historical construction of classroom management, arguing that in order to understand its current metamorphosis in education, it is necessary to examine it within a genealogically apprehended historical context. The discussion reviews the general context from which the inquiry grew and its philosophical assumptions regarding the…

Reminiscence of a graduate education class that shifted students' focus from right answers to understanding illustrates how Foxfire teachers are never finished constructing their knowledge about teaching. Similarly, there is no single correct way to implement the Foxfire approach. Success is measured by the applications and interpretations of…

Examines the thinking and reasoning skills today's students need, reviewing promising approaches to understanding and improving these skills offered by cognitive psychologists and philosophers, evaluating the contributions of each approach, and suggesting how explanations offered by cognitive psychologists and criteria for evaluating students'…

Examines factors that will influence how distance education is practiced in the first few decades of this new century. Discusses developments in digital technology; the exponential growth of knowledge about the brain, as well as physiology, chemistry, and psychology of learning; the system relationship between individual learners and instructors;…

This response to an article regarding the tension between talent development and personal growth in gifted education argues that dissociation of these two aspects is conditional, not a constant state of affairs. Contingencies and processes responsible for the dissociation are identified and ways to integrated these two perspectives are discussed.…

Discusses the science curriculum of the Cultural Subjects area of the Montessori Children's House. Notes that the child's relation to matter and energy is described by the natural sciences, the relation to space by geography, and the relation to time by history. Details the appropriate preparation of the classroom environment and class activities…