Describes an adventure activity in which a group achieved a seemingly impossible goal by changing the way it imagined the task. Discusses the sequence of steps in metaphor development that led to the triggering of a generative metaphor: a new image of the task that allowed reframing of the problem and its eventual solution. (SV)

Presents a role playing exercise that provides students with an introduction to forensic psychology and the insanity defense. Reports that 87% of the students found this exercise to be an enjoyable teaching technique and useful in providing an understanding of the insanity defense. Concludes that the exercise increases student interest and…

Used focus group interviews to compare the first-semester experiences of students clustered for both their first-year seminar and English composition class and students taking only their first-year seminar together. Found that clustered students were more satisfied with the seminar, experienced greater peer support, enjoyed better relationships…

Substance abuse following recidivism is high for both men and women. Studies conducted at DePaul University suggest one type of recovery home for alcohol abuse recovery has potential. Within this self-help communal living setting, recovering alcoholics were able to maintain employment, thus increasing personal responsibility and possibly impacting…

Recounts how an Iowa junior high school improv company (called "Pressure Points") tackles tough issues, educating their audiences about the dangers of alcohol and drugs; the effects of divorce; the realities of AIDS, rape, and suicide; and about the difficulties of growing up in a risk-filled world. Describes the troupe's work methods,…

Demonstrates how the Gestalt Approach can be useful in facilitating systems design for educational change. This approach focuses on awareness of the process that the group is involved with and helps to create an environment where individual and group concerns can be integrated and harmonized. Discusses the "Cycle of Experience" and…

Describes a group activity that uses a tree as a metaphor to reflect both group and personal growth during adventure activities. The tree's roots represent the group's formation, the branches and leaves represent the group's diversity and capabilities, and the seeds represent the personal learning and growth that took place within the group.…

Teacher support groups can promote professional development by encouraging ownership of the professional agenda, enhancing collegial interaction, and reducing program fragmentation. A survey revealed that teacher groups formed by teachers enabled members to find personal and professional support within the group, while groups sponsored by the…

Examines how much progress has been made in racial equality, what "wider access" for black college students means, and their actual perceptions and experiences. Results show colleges and universities still have a long way to go in achieving racial equality and that black students are questioning institutional commitment, while experiencing…

Discusses guidelines for music educators when scheduling conflicts occur involving curricular music performances, both during and after school, by musical groups that practice during school hours. Provides justification for regular attendance and addresses why directors should be flexible in certain cases. Offers the Scheduling-Conflict Resolution…

Focuses on the way norming sessions can function as sites of professional development that generate both individual classroom-based inquiry and group inquiry among teachers. Explores the effect of a site-based and rhetorically based model of assessment that attempts to engage teachers in continuous collaborative inquiry directly related to their…

Community Performance Theater is a vehicle for creating collective knowledge based on oral history, opening dialogue in an urban setting, and paving the way for social change.

The author of this paper, Matt Bailey, has taught for six years at Northcliffe School, Doncaster, where he is the NUT representative, and Head of Science. A member of the NUT's national working-party on academies, he outlines here the first successful campaign waged by a local community to thwart the imposition of a privately-run Academy in place…

This article is about a training project run by Central England People First (CEPF). CEPF has been doing workshops, conferences and other training for over 10 years. It seemed like a good idea to help other people with learning difficulties to learn how to be trainers. This would help them to speak out about their lives and the services they want.…

In today's business world, the ability to work efficiently and effectively with others in a group is a mandatory skill. Many employers rank "ability to work with a group" as one of the most important attributes for business school graduates to possess. Therefore, it is important for instructors to understand the factors that influence group…