How are vocational educators staying up to date in their occupational areas in the high-tech, high performance, 21st century workplace? Is the meaning of "up to date" the same as before? While traditional methods such as attending workshops and reading professional literature are still in use, distance communication technology has also led to the…

This fastback explains that better teaching is the key to higher student achievement, and improving the quality of both teachers and their teaching is an important challenge for departments of education and schools nationwide. The fastback focuses on: "Enhancing Teacher Quality" (content knowledge, licensure and certification, and…

This paper describes efforts to promote professional development among Brazilian elementary teachers via a 6-year public school-university partnership, presenting theoretical and methodological frameworks, general research characteristics, and results. Researchers investigated how a constructive-collaborative intervention that examined reflection…

The Office of Educational Research and Improvement funded nine projects exploring whether partnerships could help improve teacher education and induction. It created consortia of state education agencies, state agencies of higher education, teacher education colleges, and local school districts to collaborate on improving teacher education and…

This book provides advice intended to empower new teachers with the tools necessary to feel prepared, confident, and comfortable and to succeed, maintain enthusiasm, and remain committed to teaching. Among the numerous strategies and survival skills it promotes are time and stress management, effective organization, quality lesson plans, and…

This book, written by a team of professional educational technologists drawing on their own experiences at DeMontfort University (England), examines the impact of information technology and the Internet on higher education. The authors caution that the technological possibilities should not be allowed to obscure a fundamental aim of higher…

A study evaluated a faculty presentation skills training program for effectiveness in improving achievement and satisfaction of community college students. Nine female instructors and 352 students participated in the project. A quasi-experimental research design was used. Data from faculty and students were collected prior to and following the…

This paper explains how educational technology and multimedia materials can enhance teaching and learning for today's diverse students. The United States still carries the Puritan influence in education (attempting to build a single culture), with little recognition of the need to address diversity in California's K-12 classrooms. Recently,…

This publication presents case studies of 12 diverse Wisconsin school districts that developed and implemented comprehensive school health programs (CSHPs) using Wisconsin's Framework for Comprehensive School Health Programs. The Framework helps schools organize multiple strategies to promote positive youth development using six components:…

This paper presents background on distance learning programs at Morehead State University (Kentucky), focusing on the development of the MBA (Master of Business Administration) program. Distance learning faculty training that included use of the technology, pedagogy alternatives, and the basic "Do's and Don'ts" of distance learning is…

This document contains the facilitator's guide for three of 12 professional development modules under development by the Applying Technology to Restructuring and Learning project. The modules are designed for professional developers and teachers interested in creating technology-assisted constructivist learning environments in K-12 classrooms.…

This book examines the current standard practice of confining teacher preparation to 4 years of coursework, examining the growing interest in career-spanning teacher education. There are 12 chapters. Section 1, "Collaboration: Building Bridges to Transform Institutional Cultures," includes: "Overview and Framework" (Linda…

This manual aids professional development adult education (AE) facilitators in conducting AE workshops using Quality Professional Development (QPD) Project materials. A workshop outline is provided. Six sections correspond to the six manuals in the training package. Section components are as follows: objectives for five or six units; activities;…

This paper addresses a systematic approach to training faculty to teach via two-way interactive television (ITV). The following ten training modules are presented: (1) Introduction to the ITV System, including terminology and ITV history/development; (2) Making ITV Work for You, including syllabus construction, ITV equipment, and…

This study identified facilitators of and barriers to collaboration in Professional Development Schools (PDSs). Researchers conducted a meta-ethnography, which synthesized qualitative research and attempted to analyze processes and outcomes across many studies. Case studies of the collaboration process in PDSs were collected and screened, then…