This booklet examines four philosophical approaches which undergird the tenets of middle school: (1) invitational education; (2) democratic schools; (3) constructivist teaching; and (4) reflective teaching. An introduction discusses the history of the middle school movement, lists characteristics of exemplary middle schools, presents…

In fall 1996, a learning community (LC) involving a biology, a philosophy, and an English composition course was conducted at the Superstition Mountain campus of Central Arizona College. Entitled "Brave New World," the LC met the syllabi-required outcomes for the three courses, while also concentrating on environmental, political,…

Adult educators' philosophies of learning and teaching have a major impact on their evaluations of students. The evaluation methods used by adult educators are often incongruent with their apparent teaching-learning philosophies. Effective evaluation must be intricately woven throughout the teaching-learning process. Teachers must look at their…

This manual is intended to help regular and special educators and related professionals to better serve special learners in inclusive settings through identifying practical strategies for the classroom and school, and techniques for overcoming barriers to inclusion. The manual is written in a question-and-answer format. The first chapter addresses…

This paper critiques current "school-to-work" practices in rural schools. A look at the rural context reveals that rural workers are more likely to be unemployed and are paid less than workers elsewhere, resulting in high rural poverty. In addition, many kinds of rural decline (in services, transportation, job availability) are tied to…

This book describes and reports on a new approach to higher education that is experiential and democratic. The approach uses discussion and interaction, laboratory work and field learning, community involvement and service, democratic citizenship and skills training, and student-initiated participatory learning in courses, projects, and clinical…

A study was undertaken to summarize the results of the first 2 years of the Model Technology Schools (MTS) program in California. Research and evaluation reported from the five MTS schools were analyzed to provide information about basic questions. MTS projects involved the use of technology in instruction, administration, and school-community…

This conference presentation is offered as a prolegomenon, or introduction, to a paper and research project. The issues of whether prolegomena are modernist explanatory devices and whether postmodern prolegomena are possible are discussed. The paper proposes a research inquiry into "postmodern teaching" initiated through the metaphor of…

This book focuses on the ways in which the work of principals is being shaped by transformational reform measures. Part 1 offers two chapters that analyze the challenges and possibilities for principals in restructuring schools and review the empirical evidence on the evolving role of the principal. Part 2 presents nine case studies, each of which…

This handbook is intended to aid in development of educational programs for gifted students in New Hampshire. The handbook is divided into seven sections. Section I, provides material regarding the specific policies that authorize and pertain to gifted education in New Hampshire and offers resources to assist educators in describing the present…

This paper looks at broad trends in education of the gifted and identifies elements that states should review and reconsider in terms of the current climate for educational reform. The 1972 Marland report is contrasted with the 1993 report of the U.S. Department of Education titled "National Excellence: A Case for Developing America's…

The Iowa Behavioral Initiative is a staff development venture designed to help educators with the increasingly complex student behaviors which seem to defy former standards of intervention. Participation in the Initiative activities provides general and special educators with practical, validated strategies for dealing with student behavior…

Research and controversy continues to surround the principles that underpin the teaching of English. English teachers, nonetheless, must understand and be able to articulate a rationale for what they believe to be important in the teaching of English. In Great Britain the introduction of a National Curriculum for England and Wales has produced a…

Employee training and development (T&D) in business and industry, as a critical function of human resource development, must reflect a whole-health, proactive orientation in helping today's organizations survive in an increasingly competitive market. A proactive T&D orientation is based on humanistic views of work and education and is reflected in…

Some personal reflections on instructional design and its relation to constructivism are explored. Instructional design in its present form is out of sync with the times in that its orientation, methods, and research base are behavioristic, or positivistic. However, a constructivist theory of instructional design is possible, particularly if…