This publication presents a collection of papers on technology in urban schools, focusing on efforts by the Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and Milwaukee school systems. Interviews with teachers, technology directors, principals, and others about their experiences using technology provide the information for these papers. The papers are:…

This study explored elementary school teachers' perspectives on their evolving understanding of themselves and children as learners while they were co-researchers in inquiry about children's thinking. Through collaborative inquiry, professional reading, classroom experimentation, shared stories, and personal reflection, participants created a…

This publication presents a collection of tools that promote instructional coherence. It focuses on the importance of teachers collaborating to develop a deeper understanding of how children learn and exploring relationships between teaching and learning. Coherence leads to improved educational experiences for learners as teachers make their…

This is a compilation of the Executive Summaries from several documents: "Professional Development District Team Survey Results" (July 1997), "CSL Assessment Training Survey Results" (January 1999), "CSL Assessment Professional Development Evaluation Additional Data Analysis of District Surveys" (February 1999);…

This study investigated how elementary teachers used one particular form of planning time available to them. Interviews with and observations of 30 teachers from 6 suburban elementary schools examined their use of a 30-minute planning period. The interviews and observations produced 24 activities which were listed on a questionnaire and circulated…

The "Exhibition of the Hundred Languages of Children" (HLC) was organized in the early 1980s by the early childhood schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy to promote the study of their educational methods and to reveal the potential of young children for learning and creative expression. This report details an evaluation of the exhibition and…

This book's 10 chapters offer support and information on effective training of instructors of first-year college seminars. The included chapters are: (1) "Instructor Training: Rationale, Results, and Content Basics" (Joseph B. Cuseo); (2) "Teaching and Today's Changing First-Year Students" (M. Lee Upcraft and Pamela S. Stephens); (3) "What We Know…

This document reviews studies of professional development for teachers to examine benefits to students in science and mathematics education. A major finding from this review was that programs that focused on teaching classroom management strategies or attaining knowledge of how students learn specific school subject matter provided later benefits…

An evaluation model was designed to be a self-evaluation component to be used in conceptualizing and implementing personal and professional development plans. The personality dynamics model itself, beyond its theoretical bases, includes the following techniques to assist the individual in the self-evaluation process leading to plan development:…

This paper reports on an investigation of technology infusion at QiBao Middle School, one of the leading secondary schools in Shanghai (China). Major focuses of the study are models of professional development for teachers and how teachers enlist the help of their students. Results are presented related to: technology infrastructure; technology…

Rural school districts face unique challenges in cultivating a teaching force that possesses subject-matter expertise, a willingness to undertake difficult professional work at the local level, and attentiveness to rural practices and cultures. At the same time, many rural schools harbor significant strengths that districts might draw upon to…

An approach to faculty development activities that combines individual initiative with program needs in order to effect a more cost efficient and program effective system is described. The rationale for the convergence of developmental activities is given and a plan for the implementation of a feasible working model is described. (Author/MLW)

Several successful approaches used to create an environment that helps faculty members achieve their own and their department's objectives are discussed. Includes discussions of faculty load for teaching and professional affairs, recognition/evaluation of academic excellence (promotion criteria and annual merit raises), educational/instructional…

A symposium is described that provided instruction in research methodology to 12 college faculty members and required each to undertake a research project for instructional improvement. The symposium's content and format are outlined, and the results of the efforts are briefly noted. (MSE)

A humanist describes his reaction to instruction in research methodology, and specifically statistical measurement, from initial discomfort, through confusion, to reassessment and reinforcement of his own assumptions and instructional intentions. The experience in specifying outcomes helped enhance his intuition about teaching. (MSE)