In 1987, National Science Teachers Association commissioned the Search for Excellence in Biology Teaching Task Force. This article is a distillation of the task force report, highlighting the criteria for excellence in biology teaching, grades 7-12. The criteria for excellence are in five subsections: Goals, Criteria for Curriculum, Criteria for…

Academic achievement was negatively correlated with television viewing. This correlation was independent of the child's verbal ability. Partial correlations showed maternal ratings of stress related to life events and father's marital satisfaction were associated with television viewing. (Author/BB)

Describes the processes developed in the Sandia National Laboratories (a Department of Energy multiprogram national laboratory) Technical Library to provide and improve desktop access to Sandia-generated documents. Discusses procedures for cataloging these electronic reports, including identification of the bibliographic information and MARC tags…

Presents a history of the use of technology in second-language instruction, beginning with the 1960s and the grammar translation method; through the audiolingual movement and language laboratories; into emerging use of tape recorders, videotapes, and computer-assisted language learning; and up through computer-assisted instruction, distance…

Describes the development of a statistical experiment to assess and compare the effects of traditional lecture and laboratory technology methods of teaching introductory computer programming concepts. Discusses the use of performance measures including tests, quizzes, homework, and projects to assess students' learning, retention, and success…

Individual students in two different sections of an undergraduate civil engineering laboratory were tasked with preparing three professional-quality laboratory reports. The teaching assistant and/or instructor used established criteria to grade the first two reports prepared by students in one section. The first two reports prepared by students in…

Students of biology must learn the scientific method for generating information in the field. Concurrently, they should learn how information is reported and accessed. We developed a progressive set of exercises for the undergraduate introductory biology laboratory that combine these objectives. Pre- and postassessments of approximately 100…

Documentation of children's projects is advantageous to their learning process and is also a good method for student teachers to observe the process of learning. Documentation panels are a unique way to help student teachers understand how children learn. Completing a panel requires a student teacher to think through a process. Teachers must learn…

This book reviews the history of the University of Chicago Laboratory School established by John Dewey in light of the current resurgent interest in the ideas and work of this educator. Chapter 1 deals with two lessons: the social nature of learning and developmentally appropriate practice. Chapter 2 examines the laboratory school idea as…

This project originated with the desire to offer general biology students a laboratory experience which emphasizes scientific thinking rather than a review of lecture content. To create investigative laboratories without many of the practical problems of their implementation, this project uses a combination of "methods modules" for…

Personal writing is not only valid in such places as the academy, it is vital--even though Daniel Horowitz, in his essay "Process, Not Product: Less Than Meets the Eye," said that "teaching students to write intelligently on topics they do not care about seems to be a more useful goal than having them pick topics which interest them." But…

The evolution of a 2-week summer honors program in French for high school students, inaugurated in 1980 and conducted on a university campus, is chronicled. The program was designed to offer enriching experiences in language review, new skill building, French culture, understanding of French phonology, and conversation on topics of interest to…

These presentations examine the use of a new Macintosh Lab in Commercial Art Technology, Spanish, and English Composition classes at Clark State Community College. The first paper describes the Commercial Art Technology program at the college, highlighting the use of the Mac Lab installed in September 1993 and discussing the Electronic Publishing,…

This curriculum guide for a 1-quarter or 1-semester course in computer graphics is designed to be used with Apple II computers. Some of the topics covered include the following: computer graphics terminology and applications, operating Apple computers, graphics programming in BASIC using various programs and commands, computer graphics painting,…

This curriculum for a 1-semester or 1-year course in product design and planning contains information about the following topics: creativity, idea production techniques, problem solving, design fundamentals, design requirements, graphic communication, materials and processes, and safety. Course content is organized around the laboratory activities…