This study examined teacher characteristics influencing the frequency of computer use in preschool classrooms and explored the effectiveness of a 3-hour computer workshop emphasizing social collaboration at the computer on enhancing teacher perceptions. Participating in the study were 38 Head Start teachers and day care providers in rural Western…

In this first issue of Forum Focus, we summarize emerging research and practical evidence that quality matters and push forward to ask the questions: Is quality measurable? Is it malleable? We bring a youth-centered lens to our review, looking for examples that define quality from the perspective of what young people need to heal, grow and…

The Rating Ethical Content System (RECS) was developed for adults, but the question remains whether children can recognize moral themes in media with the same competency as adults. The current study aims to test a modified version of the existing scale (RECS-K) for use by children in order to determine whether children can recognize ethical…

The Fifth National Forum of the Coalition for Community Schools (Baltimore, Maryland, June 16, 2006) provided a historic opportunity for participants to hear two of America's most distinguished educators, Drs. James Comer and Edmund Gordon. These giants in their fields engaged in an animated and thought-provoking exchange on the educational…

Can we assume that because someone is intellectually aware about gender-inclusive pedagogy they will actualize this awareness in their classes? No, for that reason, the aim of the current study is to explore and widen an understanding whether an individual can walk the walk as well as talk the talk. This is a qualitative study in nature, conducted…

This is an activity-based teacher's guide to fostering positive group interaction through imagined experience and discussion at Key Stages 2 and 3. In a series of interactive workshops, each one providing a context, a scenario and a list of characters; pupils are invited to engage in discussion, debate and negotiation to solve problems and meet…

This research is the product of blending two pertinent questions. The first question is: "What are the guidelines and behaviors that define a Constructivist classroom?" There have not been a great number of pedagogical tools that discuss and summarize concrete, observable Constructivist behaviors. The second question is: "Is there a unique form of…

This collection of lesson materials for high school teachers and students focuses on the study of ethics and values that underlie the political process in the United States. The collection is meant to encourage teachers and students to examine the value conflicts that frequently appear in the electoral process and stimulate student thinking about…

In a number of states, students from kindergarten through high school have won the right to refuse to dissect or kill animals and the right to substitute an alternative project. This booklet was designed to help college science students take an ethical stand by refusing to participate in dissection exercises. The booklet begins with an overview of…

This paper discusses an expanded definition of the concept of emotional giftedness in children as defined by Annemarie Roeper. In contrast to examples of academic and artistic prodigies, cases are reviewed that illustrate less tangibly measured examples of children's giftedness, such as expressions of compassion, moral sensitivity, positive…

This study assessed the relationships between human values and the psychological construct of world-mindedness. Fifty-one college students and 58 high school students in a town in the Pacific Northwest completed the Values Questionnaire (Schwartz, 1992, 94) and the Cross-cultural World-mindedness Questionnaire (Der-Karabetian, 1992). A stepwise…

This resource guide is intended to facilitate cooperation and exchange of knowledge among civic educators around the world. The guide is divided into six parts. Part 1 consists of three civic education papers: "Education and Democratic Citizenship: Where We Stand" (Albert Shanker); "Civil Society and Democracy Reconsidered"…

This book on ethics in higher education examines the current condition of faculty isolation and organizational fragmentation, and the concomitant "insistent individualism" at many institutions. A philosophical model that reflects the academy in its current state is suggested, along with an alternative relational model that involves creation of an…

Although there is considerable anecdotal evidence concerning the success of a large number of programs for women in science in Canada, no well-controlled studies had been conducted. This publication reports on results from an outcome evaluation of the Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST) Summer Research Program for…

Given the growing demands and intricacies of today's schools, teacher preparation programs must foster meaningful learning experiences conducive to meeting those complex conditions. Since teachers do not face compliant social conditions within schools, they must have optimal learning opportunities during preservice education. Teacher professional…