Diverse teacher educators met regularly to discuss their beliefs about educational philosophy, teacher education, constructivist pedagogy, and authentic assessment. Participants made reflections, then listened to constructive criticism by other group members. Processes they used to explore their thinking about teaching practice and student…

Begins with a tribute to Professor G. Ram Reddy (founder of Indira Gandhi National Open University), then focuses on enhancing the role of open universities in providing borderless distance education. Highlights include the need for open distance-education; philosophy and vision; the distance teaching system; the role of information technology;…

Reviews some of the basic tenets of critical thinking as it applies to social studies, especially those articulated in Roland Case's and Ian Wright's article, "Taking Seriously the Teaching of Critical Thinking." Praises the article but suggests that it would be improved by tightening the central focus. (MJP)

Reports on the background philosophy, theoretical course structure, and the changing patterns of student choices evident in a course at the interface between natural science and social sciences. Based on observations of the first trimester. (DDR)

Examines the underlying philosophy of the corporate model in public education and the reform initiatives coming from this model. Focuses on the reform in New Zealand because it is an example of near complete implementation of this model. Explores different aspects of the New Zealand experiment. (CMK)

Discusses three educational ideas, demonstrating their incompatibility: (1) a focus on socialization; (2) Plato's notion that education is the process of seeking truth about reality; and (3) Jean-Jacques Rousseau's idea that the mind undergoes a developmental process and education furthers its development. Argues that education is learning to use…

This historical view of special education reform touches on civil rights of individuals with disabilities, highlighting the historical roots of arguments on the primacy of place (location) in discussion of special education policy. The paper examines the history of specialized social institutions and the emphasis on place in today's debates. (SM)

This article urges a constructive dialog between artists and educators in order to establish a new direction for the education of youth with special talents in the arts. The fundamentals of artistic talent are discussed, followed by consideration of effective means to identify potential talent and develop talents in all students, including…

The origins of the United States' land-grant universities is reexamined, and an alternative interpretation is offered. Establishment of these universities is seen traditionally as part of the educational evolution of the country; it is proposed that while educational reform played a minor role in their emergence, the primary motivation behind the…

This discussion of the relationship of gifted education programs to broader school reform efforts focuses on negative effects of gifted programs on schools at large; issues in the reexamination of the gifted construct; and suggestions to avoid positioning school reform advocates, gifted education proponents, and full inclusion supporters in…

Presents an account of a teacher's first year of teaching, focusing on her central metaphors for teaching. The metaphor "teacher is buddy" represented a driving force in her thinking about teaching and working in the classroom. The article discusses the benefits of using metaphors as windows into beginning teachers' thinking and…

Presents a naturalistic perspective on inquiry as a compelling philosophy for educational administration. Naturalistic inquiry is ethical, open, growing, self-corrective, fallible, and resembles scientific inquiry. Subjectivism, neo-Marxist critical theory, postmodernism, and identity politics are all creatures of the times. Thriving on relativism…

Examines underlying epistemological and theoretical assumptions of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). Concludes that IALS is primarily geared toward enhancing labor-market competencies but should instead make learners co-responsible actors of their own learning process and participants in a democratic debate defining the kind of…

Presents the Kindezian philosophy of early childhood education, a historical developmentally appropriate Africentric worldview. Describes the curriculum as predating Western curriculum development by centuries. Maintains that Kindezi affords children the possibility to develop their full potential and that it provides a framework on which to…

Discusses progress on three fronts in promoting pedagogy as a university discipline: (1) pedagogies of engagement such as community-service learning; (2) assessment of student learning; and (3) preparation of teachers for undergraduate teaching. Maintains that linking these is necessary to enhance undergraduate education; such a linkage would be…