This interview with Anthony Bates talks about the effects of technological change on distance education, its implications for colleges and universities, and how to prepare for it. Topics include infrastructure decisions; faculty support and training; and future possibilities. (LRW)

Suggests that social inclusion requires the development of communities of learners. To develop such communities, groups must have common interests, consider one another equals, and contribute to open, critical discussion of ideas. Learning must be considered a social activity requiring community development. Teachers must learn skills to…

Differentiates between alternative teacher certification programs, which involve waiving one or more state-mandated requirements for licensure, and other nontraditional routes to teaching, presenting 13 guidelines for quality in alternative and nontraditional programs. The paper recommends exploring four issues (program entry requirements, type of…

Describes programs at the University of Phoenix to develop and enhance faculty effectiveness. Discusses training for first-time online courses; continuous online training (including: the Faculty Writing Workshop; Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum; Grading, Evaluation, and Feedback; Learning Teams; and other courses); faculty peer reviews;…

Investigated the usefulness of retrospective self-assessments by participants in a faculty development program in combination with independent ratings of their teaching performance by their trainees. Found that both the retrospective self-assessments and the independent ratings by trainees showed post-program improvements and were positively…

Out of the moral panic surrounding the education of boys comes at least one good resource: this valuable book for teachers. While work on gender theory, queer theory, and the social construction of identity (Davies, 1995) have made huge inroads within the academy over the past dozen years, such theoretical thinking often seems exiled from K-12…

This article discusses some of the results of the CATCH (Classroom Assessment as a basis for Teacher Change) project. CATCH was meant to develop, apply and scale up a professional development programme designed to change teachers' instruction by helping them change their formative assessment practices. The authors focus on the analysis of three…

The purpose of this paper is to theorize the author's teaching in a course for experienced university teachers, in a context of increased attention to such courses. The focus in the course is transforming and enhancing ways of being university teachers, through integrating knowing, acting and being. In other words, epistemology is not seen as an…

School districts have two basic routes to incorporate online courses: Develop their own online curriculum or buy into an existing virtual school program. Decision makers might consider six strategic questions before moving ahead with their plans to build their own online course offerings. These questions deal with sizing up of existing providers,…

Professional development through the advanced planning of themed exhibitions provides art instructors in Howard County the impetus for many art problems. This art problem, centered on the art and writing contained in the storybooks of Holly Hobbie. In late summer, the art teaching staff of the Howard County Public School System gathered at the…

Standards define today's educational landscape. In physical education, standards at both the national and state levels have become a driving force that shapes curriculum and instruction. Although all students are expected to meet the learning standards, teachers are often challenged with offering instruction that allows students with disabilities…

Bruce Joyce has long been involved in efforts to develop collaborative professional inquiry. In this article, he looks back at some of those efforts in the hope that we can draw lessons from them and finally realize the vision that Mike Schmoker set forth in his February article. In the article featured on the cover of the February Kappan, Mike…

In this paper, N. L. McCaslin, director of the Professional Development Academy for the National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education, imparts his views regarding the elements necessary for a great professional development experience. According to McCaslin, professional development should align with the efforts of individuals as…

The end of this year is going to bring something that even veteran teachers have never experienced: the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law's "highly qualified teacher" deadline. NCLB's "highly qualified teacher" (HQT) provision is an attempt to put a well-prepared and capable teacher in every classroom. Most parents and teachers…

In a three year research study we addressed the question: "How does authenticity develop and what can we do to encourage that development?" We came to understand that becoming an authentic teacher is a journey during which an individual becomes more aware of him/herself apart from the collective. We came to define authenticity as a cluster of…