This document is a report of a panel discussion on literacy conducted at an adult education conference in Quebec (Canada). Panelists included Leona Grise, Brenda Lee, and Nicole Snaauw; Ann M. Gauvin was the moderator. The discussion centered on student recruitment, the dropout factor, and alternate methods of learning for individuals lacking…

The six issues of this newsletter have the following themes: (1) home schooling, (2) promising practices, (3) parent advocacy, (4) the young gifted child, (5) "being out of sync," and (6) philosophy of giftedness. Major articles include the following: "Homeschooling for Gifted Primary Students" (Patricia Linehan); "Learning to Fly: A Home…

It is argued that the debate between qualitative and quantitative research for educational researchers is actually an argument between constructivism and positivism. Positivism has been the basis for most quantitative research in education. Two different things are actually meant when constructivism is discussed (constructivism and…

A survey of various reform efforts was made to clarify the similarities and differences between them and efforts to integrate vocational and academic education. The survey revealed four distinct approaches to school reforms: (1) teacher professionalization; (2) curricular and teaching reform; (3) schools of choice; and (4) restructuring. According…

People generally learn best when information is presented to them in a culturally and socially relevant context or framework. This issue is addressed by the Science of Alcohol Curriculum for American Indians through the use of the Medicine Circle, a model that represents the concepts of wholeness, interconnectedness, and balance in a manner…

In the West, science is assumed to be an integral part of Western culture. What interests Western educators and policy makers is achievement in science, particularly the comparative achievement in science among students of different Western nations plus Japan. Americans are constantly asking whether or not our students know as much science as…

Fixation on technique, erosion of autonomous and community interests, and efforts to increase professionalization of adult education (which tends to emphasize the differences between adult educators and adult learners rather than their common interests) have created a crisis in adult education. Contemporary practice and research on self-directed…

The curricular framework set forth in this document is designed to assist administrators and teachers in planning, developing, and implementing K-12 dance programs. The publication is organized in five major sections: the first section presents a philosophy defining the nature of dance in relation to society, the learner, and the school…

This book offers a reflective examination of the purposes of undergraduate education and argues for an integrated pedagogy that is intersubjective, interdisciplinary, and intercultural. The book is divided into three general parts. The first four chapters offer a systematic search for the first principles of education, including the educational…

This book's central thesis is that the relationship between school managers and teachers predicts the type of education offered children. That is, education can be seen as a handing down of information, or it can be viewed as a cooperative affair. The text is divided into two parts: 1895-1925 and 1961-1995. Chapter 1, which discusses America's…

This paper is based on a year-long inquiry into the possibility of democratic education in traditional environments. The study was guided by the questions: (1) what are the teacher qualities needed to transcend the structures of schooling to engage in democratic practices?; and (2) how are these practices manifested in the classroom? The…

This book reviews the history and effects of women's studies in American higher education and concludes that the rise of women's studies has challenged the university in the same way that feminism has challenged society at large. The history of the field is narrated within the context of the philosophical and political goals of its practitioners.…

Ten major art concepts and methods are presented in this Pennsylvania state curriculum guideline. These concepts include how artists invent and develop vocabularies, tools, and systems in the artistic process; how individuals and groups develop unique means and forms of artistic expression affected by their own experiences and culture; and how…

This symposium chaired by John C. Belland addressed the ethical position of educational communications and technology in society. Presenters created ethics scenarios and applied critical theory to provide insight. Intended to stimulate questions, the approach was philosophical, literary, and sociopolitical, and reflected Derrida, Foucault, and…

There exists a longstanding split in European educational thought. Schooling and higher education in the English-speaking world are dominated by the idea of curriculum; whereas in Germany, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe the intellectual work of students is shaped by the concept of Bildung (students are expected to be self-directed in their choice…