Educational technology is not about spread sheeting, word processing, or slick, "PowerPointless" student performances. Professional development should focus on curriculum-based teaching and learning strategies that enhance daily practice. Like gardening, fertilizer is needed via informal support systems, study groups, mentors, help…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of a collaborative model for making grading adaptations. Parents, students, general educators, and special educators collaborated to develop and implement personalized grading plans for four middle school students. All participants perceived the process to be more fair and effective than adaptations used…

Examined the evolution of a formal mentoring program, Mentor-Apprentice Collaboration, over 1 year, describing what the elementary-level beginning and mentor teachers learned from the experience. Participant interviews highlighted several productive mentoring strategies: sharing concerns and joys; building a sense of team; and establishing trust,…

This paper describes collaborative processes and strategies teachers of students with emotional/behavioral disorders can employ to plan effectively for the management of student crisis episodes. Also, legal requirements pertaining to positive behavioral support are described and individual and system responses regarding effective crisis planning…

This article presents seven sequential steps to completing a functional behavioral analysis and a behavioral intervention plan for a student with emotional/behavior disorders: (1) description of the behavior; (2) refinement of the behavior; (3) data collection; (4) data analysis; (5) hypothesis generation; (6) behavior intervention plan…

Discusses and provides historical background on the Michigan state content standards intended to improve social studies education. Addresses the role of statewide assessment in educational reform and the challenges in assessment. Considers (1) teacher preparation to support the standards and assessment and (2) the focus upon higher order thinking…

Describes the experiences of student teachers placed in peer groups at one school as part of a technology training partnership. Data from journals, interviews, and field notes indicated that the opportunity for peer collaboration during student teaching was very beneficial for preservice teachers. The supportive environment helped them share the…

Examined preservice teachers' field experiences in terms of discursive practices and co-participation among student teachers, highlighting how and why prospective and classroom elementary science teachers appropriated their thoughts and actions during co-learning situations. Results highlighted the need to examine more closely assumptions…

Suggests that prior to teaching reading skills all staff need to agree on a set of labels and determine how they will teach those skills in the classroom. Offers specific strategies for music and art teachers that can be used by any teacher. (NB)

Describes an elementary-level professional-development project designed to build a community of practice focused on inquiry-based science teaching (Guided Inquiry supporting Multiple Literacies). Presents the basic tenets that guided the development of learning experiences for teachers and illustrates how the principles influenced the design of…

Describes a university-school system partnership to provide high quality education to all students. Examines collaborative efforts of university and school faculty that resulted in a co-teaching model to eliminate separation between classroom instruction and Title I services. Experiences of a classroom teacher and a Title I director are presented,…

Following systematic training as peer coaches, six preservice general educators increased the frequency with which they engaged in relevant coaching interactions and improved the accuracy with which they implemented an innovative instructional strategy (Peabody Peer Assisted Learning Strategy) with three children with learning disabilities (ages…

This article describes a collaborative prosocial skills program. Steps of the intervention include forming teams of educators, targeting necessary prosocial skills, developing an instructional plan, determining the setting and collaborative roles, delivery instruction, and providing opportunities for student practice, reinforcement, and…

Focuses on using the World Wide Web as a means for creating large-scale collaborations that cut across institutional boundaries. Examines different strategies for employing these collaborations; in particular, centralized publishing using common guidelines and format, distributed publishing using common interfaces and protocols, and…

Applies a inside/outside reciprocity metaphor to the top-down/bottom-up combinations required for school reform. Sustained change requires internal change, active connection to the outside community, and a challenging, but nurturing external infrastructure. There is also a fusion of the spiritual, the political, and the intellectual. (Contains 13…