To truly develop as teachers, we need to be free to explore teaching, and exploration can be based on a set of principles and ways to explore. Principles can include: (1) transcending the goal of improving our teaching by aiming at seeing teaching differently, (2) taking responsibility for our own teaching while recognizing the need for others,…

This paper reports on developments in teaching and learning for first year employment relations students at the University of Wollongong based on creating conditions of learning informed by Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development" theory. Essentially, this meant emphasising collaborative learning (group work) in the lecture theatre and…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) The "Data Wise" Improvement Process: Eight Steps for Using Test Data to Improve Teaching and Learning (Kathryn Parker Boudett, Elizabeth A. City,…

Politicians, academics, and business and community members all seem to be raising concerns that America is not as globally competitive as it once was. This is due, in part, to the fact that public schools in America are not producing high school graduates with the math, science, and technical skills to succeed in higher education or be employed in…

This report describes workplace conditions that support effective instruction and professional growth according to recent research. Key workplace conditions include: fair teaching assignments; opportunities for teachers to collaborate with colleagues; extra induction support, ongoing professional development, and expanded career opportunities;…

What is equity? What does it mean to work for equity in schools? What does it mean to make equity central in our work as teacher-researchers? "Working Toward Equity" explores these and other questions in thirteen narratives from a broad spectrum of educators chronicling their real work in classrooms, schools, districts, and professional…

This study investigated the types of preservice training received by Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) and assistant language teachers (ALTs) before participating in team teaching (TT), also assessing how they described their experiences with TT, the kinds of knowledge and experiences they believed should be included in teacher education,…

A highly practical resource for special educators and classroom teachers, this book provides specific instructional guidance illustrated with vignettes, examples, and sample lesson plans. Every chapter is grounded in research and addresses the nuts and bolts of teaching math to students who are not adequately prepared for the challenging middle…

This book demonstrates how high achievement can exist in high-poverty, high-minority schools. By drawing on the best practices of 13 exemplary schools, the book highlights the specific means by which ethnically diverse (namely, African American and Latino) students can attain educational success. The book offers seven strategies for principals to…

This book provides information to help teachers use the Internet in the classroom. Tips from 28 educators note potential pitfalls and offer many perspectives on teaching with the Internet. The educators present their own classroom materials, lesson plans, Web sites, and words of wisdom. Interviews with renowned experts in the field address key…

This report presents the case-study findings from a cross-state investigation focused on Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, intended to deepen understanding around the influence of high stakes accountability on teacher learning and the capacity of districts and schools to support instructional practices…

Nine San Francisco (California) second-year teachers who had conducted structured weekly meetings during their preservice program continue to meet monthly with two Stanford University researchers. At these meetings they discuss emerging values, philosophies, and pedagogical practice. The meetings involve formal check-in times for individuals to…

This paper examines a Midwestern site of the National Writing Project for teachers, a professional development summer institute that fosters collaborative learning, increases teacher confidence and enthusiasm, and promotes reflection. The examination involves observations of and interviews with 19 Midwestern Writing Project (MWP) participants and…

This report describes Project CREEK (Community Resources Through Environmental Education for Kids), a collaborative 3-year project between the University of California at Davis, the University of Maryland, and a large, rural K-5 elementary school in central California, and a sister site near Baltimore. Specifically, this report examines changes in…

This study examines the role of dialogue and collaborative reflection in guiding teachers' identification of issues and contextual barriers in their practice. It analyzes teachers' social interactions and academic self-efficacy during the dialogic process and evaluates the quality of inquiry that teachers proposed to change their practice.…