Presents results of a survey of teachers using basal readers in their classrooms. Responses included (1) though the concept is good, specific series do not satisfy children's individual needs, (2) most basal series are easily integrated with other approaches, and (3) a basal reader is only as effective as the teacher. (AEW)

Pasco, Washington, School District will complete its fourth year using Thomas McGreal's (1983) goal-based teacher evaluation process. Describes the model's progressive phases designed to build teachers' responsibility for their own improvement. The plan invigorated teachers and improved teacher-administrator relationships. (CJH)

Interviews with 26 regular education teachers regarding their perceptions of modifications made for mainstreamed mildly handicapped students indicated that teachers made more typical modifications (i.e., in format and procedures) than substantial modifications (e.g., of difficulty level) modifications. (Author/KM)

Two instructional strategies to help mildly learning handicapped students read and understand textual material are described: (1) previewing (use of introductory paragraphs, including questions, that provide a cognitive framework for approaching a textbook passage); and (2) text summarization by students themselves as a follow-up activity.…

An evaluation paradigm which describes interagency coordination as a multidimensional (climate, resources, policies, people, and process), interactional, and developmental effort is presented for use in special education as a: training tool for those involved in coordination efforts; guide for developing and evaluating interagency coordination…

A review of problems and prospects regarding the communicative approach to second language teaching considers learner needs, syllabi, "real" communication, teacher concerns, and future prospects. While there is a set of shared assumptions about the concept of a genuine communicative approach, there is no one specific communicative method. (CB)

Describes the SOLO Taxonomy, a five-level hierarchy designed to help teachers evaluate the quality of students' thinking. Illustrates how the taxonomy may be used to construct questions and score responses to test questions. Concludes that the taxonomy has broad curriculum applicability and can make a substantial contribution to improved teaching…

States that the proper treatment of issues relies upon the conversion of an interpersonal conflict into an intrapersonal one. Without such conversion, a student is prone to argue with other students and the teacher, rather than himself. Describes five types of statements useful for promoting thoughtful discussions of controversial issues. (JDH)

This article describes teacher behaviors that frequently cause trouble for student teachers and suggests some approaches to help overcome these obstacles. (MT)

Examined the effects of separate answer sheets on the California Achievement Test scores of third, fourth, and fifth graders. Students recorded their answers on their test booklets, separate answer sheets, or separate answer sheets after being trained in the use of separate answer sheets. Found no response mode treatment effect and no evidence of…

Describes two studies of word meaning acquisition among children. Concludes that (1) even very young children can learn new words and their meanings on basis of linguistic expressions and in absence of direct experience with referents, and (2) that particular forms of discourse (e.g., narrative and dialogue) can render new meanings more accessible…

Reviews the development of writing paradigms from Aristotle's emphasis on invention, to eighteenth-century emphasis on induction and style, to the recent process approach, and the current expressive and cognitive approaches to writing instruction. Notes problems left unresolved by process theory and recommends the socio-contextual approach which…

Describes use of the programing language "Logo" and the Apple II computer to teach high school students how to write extended definitions. By defining procedures in Logo for drawing simple geometric patterns, students learn that good definition requires precision, rewriting and, in complex tasks, recursion, an aspect of extended…

This essay proposes the use of assessment centers, designed to simulate real-life situations and identify managerial skills, as a possible solution to dilemmas of current administrative personnel selection practices in academic libraries. Background, setting up the assessment center, obtaining assessment expertise, and legal implications are…

How the computer as a metaphor affects our understanding of the processes of learning and teaching is explored. After describing reflection and recursion in mathematics and their roles in thinking and learning, models of the mind and teaching effects are discussed, with self-awareness as a theme. (MNS)