During 1989-90, the teachers of a failing innercity Ohio elementary school embarked on a year-long inservice training workshop. They identified character traits associated with a positive outlook toward life, developed course guides in character education for each grade level, and designed activities and strategies to challenge and motivate…

A survey of 497 professionals attending educational programs on child sexual abuse found that 69 percent of the nonphysicians did not refer all alleged child abuse victims for medical evaluations (as recommended). The type of abuse and presence of physical and psychological symptoms were considered in making referral decisions. (Author/DB)

Describes the challenges involved in taking distance out of the context of institutions and applying it to community development in Canada and Southeast Asia. Discusses resources facilitators used: technologies, theater and communication techniques, and the Canadian, Thai, and Filipino participants themselves. (SK)

Describes an Illinois consolidated high school district's staff development program to offer teachers a variety of professional growth opportunities. Peer coaching, an important program component, succeeds only in an atmosphere of trust and respect. Other key factors are appropriate training for all participants and development of preconference,…

Most inservice education programs support a technological approach to education that is indifferent to values of the mind and the democratic process. The technological mindset is evinced by these programs' passion for incoherent details, their emphasis on decontextualized techniques, and their stoic indifference to seminal ideas. A machine cannot…

New roles and responsibilities for classroom aides necessitate updating the name of the job and professional development for these employees. This paper examines the necessary content and process of paraeducator professional development, explaining that the key to effective ongoing professional development can be assured only by developing a…

Presents suggestions for early childhood teachers and caregivers to make the most of professional development opportunities. Recommends setting goals for training, determining one's learning style, identifying one's stage of professional development, and selecting the appropriate type of training. Presents specific guidelines for program-based…

Good inservices result from effective communication among administrators, educators, and presenters. Common problems (beyond speakers' control) include ill-defined topics, unexpected audience members, audience size and deportment, unavailable equipment, overly ambitious goals, and lack of continuity. Effective inservices often use conference-style…

Explores views held by pre-service and in-service teachers regarding the nature of science and technology, particularly the characteristics of science and technology, the aim of science and scientific research, the characteristics of scientific knowledge and scientific theories, and the relationship between science and technology. (Author/MM)

Even though teacher education has been successful in preparing students for their future profession, the classroom reality can differ greatly from the inservice training. Many novice teachers therefore find the transition from student teacher to inservice teacher overwhelming To support beginning teachers, mentoring programs--where more…

Professional development that leads to change in teacher practice is hard to find, especially professional development focused on technology integration. The Teacher Institute for Curriculum Knowledge about the Integration of Technology (TICKIT) successfully answers both challenges. This article reports on a study aimed at understanding the impact…

The present study assesses barriers to identification and referral of domestic violence (DV) victims by staff at a health care institution following a 3-hr DV training program in which 752 health care providers participated. Focus groups are conducted with staff in hospital departments that serve a high volume of women. Responses to focus group…

A practical guide & reference manual, "Teaching Music to Students with Special Needs" addresses special needs in the broadest possible sense to equip teachers with proven, research-based curricular strategies that are grounded in both best practice and current special education law. Chapters address the full range of topics and issues music…

This is the second and final report of the Middle School Mathematics Professional Development Impact Study, which examines the impact of providing a professional development (PD) program in rational number topics to seventh-grade mathematics teachers. An interim report (Garet et al. 2010) described the findings after one year of PD. The current…

Itinerant special educators can be much more than "tutors" for young children with special needs. They can transform whole classrooms and help inclusion flourish--if they have the clear guidelines and best practices they need to make the most of their critical roles. This is the book that every itinerant early childhood special educator has been…