Maintains that, as students develop, they can begin to acquire the skills of historians by investigating not only the facts of history but the human motivations the why of history. Provides recommended resources for helping student construct historical meaning, local historical and community resources, and for family history. (CFR)

Contends that few educational issues rival the California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) for comment, controversy, and confrontation. Defines the CLAS test and discusses its characteristics, anticipated student responses, and scoring procedures. Outlines four implications for instructional methods. (CFR)

Describes the field experience component of Hawaii's PETOM (Preservice Education for Teachers of Minorities) program. Student teachers visit rural schools, becoming acquainted with their future students and schools. PETOM offers experience with many classrooms and teaching modules. Students are encouraged to reflect and analyze, thus developing…

Maintains that primary age children are capable of absorbing and understanding the significant questions addressed in the National Standards in Civics and Government, if they are connected to familiar schema and experiences. Suggests incorporating knowledge of the classroom environment (rules, consensus, cooperation, and others) into lessons…

Focuses on encouraging teachers to become critical and reflective practitioners, researchers of their own professional life and agents of change. Four characteristics defining theory, research, and practice in the context of situated research are listed. Teacher research cannot be limited to quantitative research nor to the classroom. (24…

Describes two main groups of home schoolers, "ideological" and "pedagogical." Highlights include a family's success with nondirective teaching; teaching styles; religious factors; the social impact; research results about use of public libraries; and 12 suggestions of how libraries can serve home schoolers information needs.…

Maintains that the use of electronic mail to link students from other states and nations is an effective way to heighten student interest and improve instruction. Describes electronic pen pal programs linking students in New Zealand, England, and Kansas. (CFR)

Contends that, although many teachers feel discouraged about working with at-risk students, social studies courses provide the ideal place for teachers to intervene with these students. Defines and discusses at-risk students and their needs. Includes 18 recommended instructional strategies for working with high-risk students. (CFR)

Maintains that educators can achieve instructional goals if students are provided with effective and interesting curricular activities. Describes the Entrepreneurship Economic Education Project in Clark County, Nevada. Asserts that it could serve as a model for community involvement in economics education. (CFR)

Maintains that California teachers are now responsible for preparing students for the new California Learning Assessment System (CLAS) test. Discusses the multiple choice, written response, primary source, and essay writing sections of the test. Provides suggestions for scoring essays and having students evaluate each other's writing. (CFR)

Asserts that visual arts education contributes to a more profound understanding and appreciation of civilization. Maintains that art criticism offers teachers an opportunity to interact with students about their personal reactions to art and to involve them in critical thinking. (CFR)

An Australian preservice teacher education course used interactive television to present real-life, rural teaching situations as examples of best practice. These were integrated with problem-based learning scenarios focusing on dilemmas faced by practicing teachers in multigraded rural classrooms. Evaluation revealed positive feedback from both…

Argues for a sociological analysis of effective schools as opposed to the positivist paradigm. Maintains that the practice of schooling cannot be separated from the broader social, cultural, and political aspects of the local community. Profiles four high schools and their educational philosophies. (MJP)

Equity pedagogy involves teaching strategies and environments that help diverse students attain necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes for functioning effectively within a just, democratic society. The article examines how equity pedagogy interacts with other dimensions of multicultural education (content integration, knowledge construction…

Describes a culturally relevant Spanish program in a high school that helped native speakers avoid failure due to culturally inappropriate teaching. The class maintained Latino students' native language and increased language fluency by developing thinking, oral, and written Spanish skills. Eventually, students previously labeled "at…