This article discusses the effects of the Regional Technology Assistance Program (RETA) on the teaching practices and collegial behaviors of its participants and instructors. It presents findings that suggest that, as a result of their involvement in RETA's ongoing, peer-directed, constructivist-based professional development workshops, teacher…

This conference paper discusses the results of a study that investigated the effectiveness of the Total Family Strategy (TFS), a home-based family support program funded by the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County, Florida. The program was initiated as a means of introducing a family empowerment model of early intervention into the array of…

This book, which is about five alternative points of view or perspectives on teaching adults, is the result of several years of teaching and research in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States. The perspectives were obtained through a study of 253 teachers of adults. The book is organized in three sections. Section 1 contains…

In this study, hypermedia technology was used to support prospective elementary teachers in publicly articulating their personal pedagogical theories, revisiting and revising them over time in light of new experiences and learning within the context of an innovative teacher preparation program. Given the need to incorporate opportunities for…

Written by major players in the small schools movement, this collection of essays points to the ways that school restructuring strategies connect to the ongoing pursuit of social justice. Activists, scholars, practitioners, and theorists review how and why small schools work for students, provide thick descriptions of the small schools strategy in…

This paper explores the use of the long-term project as an educational tool in early childhood classrooms. In particular, it focuses on the way in which long-term projects can reflect John Dewey's notion of the "dynamic aim" as a primary force in education. In "Democracy and Education," Dewey suggests that when teaching is…

This paper responds to the questions: "How do we shape classroom life to reflect a spirit of social justice and equality, of tolerance and respect?" It presents a philosophy and a set of practices by which preschool classrooms may become communities that work for everyone. The paper begins with an observation of a preschool classroom and notes…

Despite the ready admission of historians of the subject that "education" encompasses far more than schools, families, churches, apprenticeships, and other institutions there is no reliable, general account of why schools, especially "academically" oriented ones, have become so cardinal to the U.S. way of life. This paper…

The act of exemplary teaching requires the orchestration of subject matter knowledge and pedagogical knowledge with pedagogical content knowledge. If this last component is not sufficiently present, then we may be quite efficient in presenting students with rote information. If this last component is sufficiently present (and carried out well),…

The design of this curriculum project allows teachers to introduce the rich Indian culture in a non-threatening way to learners who struggle with writing material. It was initially developed for special education students who read and write significantly below grade level. Some of the project's lessons include showing the students artwork and…

This study examines the changed and changing mission of community colleges in the 1990s in the United States and Canada. By narrowing the focus to the geographical area of the Pacific/ Western region, the study seeks to identify the development of international cultural connections consistent with the region and to explain how the globalization…

This book compiles articles, interviews, student writings, and other offerings first published in SKOLE, the Journal of Alternative Education, 1995-99. Sections include: (1) talking about education (seven interviews on the foundations of learning, the Modern School movement, educational philosophy at the Albany Free School, life at a Japanese free…

Until very recently, with the exception of adult religious education, spirituality has been given little attention in mainstream academic adult education. This may be because spirituality is difficult to define and can be confused with religion. The subject of spirituality is currently a theme in workplace and human resource development…

This study examines the nature of education policy regarding students with special needs in Italy, Ireland, and the United States. It begins by reviewing the definition of inclusion and then explores the nature of legislation pertaining to special needs education and inclusion in the three countries. Results of the study indicate: (1) the most…

In the current education literature, the World Wide Web, a subset of the Internet, has an image of freedom and liberation based on its capacity to transcend the conventional notions of time and space and its potential to offer unlimited educational opportunities. This paper suggests that the use of the Web in education tends to reproduce…