(1994). English to Speakers of Other Languages. Resource Guide. Second Edition. The resource guide is designed for administrators, teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL), counselors, grade-level teachers, content-area teachers, and other school personnel who work with or make decisions regarding ESL students. Sections synthesize information on and suggest techniques for a variety of topics related to ESL. A section on student rights under federal law addresses legal responsibilities regarding language-minority students and includes relevant federal laws, litigation summaries, and legal interpretations. Another section offers suggestions for addressing first-day issues of enrollment, placement, and scheduling. A third section outlines 13 specific strategies for both ESL and grade-level teachers working with this population, and another offers specific approaches to cultural issues affecting teachers and students in a diverse classroom. Georgia Department of Education policy regarding ESL students and the state-funded program is also detailed, including… [PDF]
(1995). Teachers' Perspectives on Their Work with Families in a Bilingual Community. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, v9 n2 p85-95 Spr-Sum. Reviews research on teacher-parent relations, integrating three teachers' perspectives on their work with families in a bilingual community. Describes observations and interviews with teachers and parents over a school year that offer data for an in-depth analysis of teachers' perspectives on teacher-parent interactions in this setting. Discusses resources to support teachers' work with families. (AA)…
(1995). Using Storybooks to Acquaint Children with the Continent of Africa. Social Studies, v86 n6 p248-52 Nov-Dec. Describes a third-grade instructional unit that begins with a basic introduction to African geography and culture. Children's books, from sources as diverse as current politics and Masai folk tales, are used to illustrate key concepts and places. Includes a list of children's books used in the lessons. (MJP)…
(1994). Child Care Policy in Canada: An Annotated Bibliography. This bibliography annotates research reports, key informed opinion, and survey articles from Canada, the United States, and other countries which are relevant to child care policy in Canada. Rather than a comprehensive list of materials, the bibliography is intended to provide information about the most recent and/or key materials on the topic. The annotations from research studies only identify findings that were statistically significant, and different findings from the same study may be described in different sections, as appropriate. The bibliography is arranged by subject in reverse chronological order. The following topics are covered: (1) family policy and child care in Canada; (2) family policy and child care in the provinces and territories; (3) child care and the broader social context; (4) the economics of child care; (5) family policy and child care in other countries; (6) the effects of child care; (7) parental child care needs and preferences; (8) quality; (9) health… [PDF]
(2001). Learning Interdependence: A Case Study of the International/intercultural Education of First-Year College Students. National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition This volume argues that international/intercultural experiences are powerful vehicles for first-year college students to learn the perspectives and skills necessary to function interdependently in a rapidly changing, increasingly complicated world. The authors develop this thesis through an in-depth case study of efforts to provide such learning opportunities within a project called the "First-Year Intercultural Experience at Hartwick College," a four-year liberal arts and sciences institution of 1,400 students in Oneonta, New York. Examined in detail are both the promise and problems of this approach, and, in the end, the authors conclude that, on balance, the effort to implement the First-Year Intercultural Experience was well worth the investment of resources. The book begins with acknowledgements, and an introduction. After the introduction, the book contains six chapters: (1) The Context of Undergraduate Intercultural Education in the 21st Century; (2) An Overview of… [PDF]
(1996). Somewhere between White and Black: The Chinese in Mississippi. OAH Magazine of History, v10 n4 p33-36 Sum. Explains that the marginal position of Chinese in Mississippi, neither white nor black, played a vital role in the development of their identity. Discusses the social, economic, and cultural influences that produced a Chinese American community in the south markedly different from the one in California. (MJP)…
(1997). Reforming Personnel Preparation in Early Intervention: Issues, Models, and Practical Strategies. The 21 papers in this collection address changes and reforms in the preparation of teachers and other personnel concerned with early intervention with children having or at risk for disabilities. The papers are: (1) "Ecological Perspectives on Personnel Preparation: Rationale, Framework, and Guidelines for Change" (Pamela J. Winton, Jeanette A. McCollum); (2) "State Perspectives on Meeting Personnel Challenges: Closing the Gap Between Vision and Reality" (Tweety Yates, Ann Higgins Hains); (3) "Community-Based Approaches to Personnel Preparation" (Patricia W. Wesley, Virginia Buysse); (4) "Creating New Visions in Institutions of Higher Education: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Personnel Preparation in Early Intervention" (Jennifer L. Kilgo, Mary Beth Bruder); (5) "Designing Effective Personnel Preparation for Early Intervention: Theoretical Frameworks" (Jeannette McCollum, Camille Catlett); (6) "Needs Assessment and Evaluation… [PDF]
(1978). Political Issues in Education. A Report of the 1978 Chief State School Officers Summer Institute. Collected in this volume are the papers presented at the 1978 Chief State School Officers Summer Institute. The program was devoted to political issues in education and focused on a number of current educational problems. Political issues were discussed in relation to a number of areas, including federal education priorities, federal-state relations, the education-state government relationship, local control of education, school finance reform, competency testing, vocational and career education, bilingual and bicultural education, teacher education and certification, past and future trends, and curriculum reform. Each issue was examined in the light of four interrelated questions: What actors are involved in the decisions? What ends do they seek and how? What reallocations of power, financial support, or other resources will have to be made to satisfy varied interests? and What action-alternatives are open to state school officers? Presentations were made by noted scholars and… [PDF]
(1996). The Harvard Education Letter, 1996. Harvard Education Letter, v12 n1-6 Jan-Dec. This document is comprised of volume 12 of the Harvard Education Letter, published bimonthly and addressing current issues in elementary-secondary education. Articles in this volume include the following: (1) January-February–"Early Reports From Kentucky on Cash Rewards for 'Successful' Schools Reveal Many Problems" (Miller), "New Ideas Like Collective Incentives and Skill-Based Pay Raise the Same Old Questions" (Sadowski, Miller); "Recognizing Signs of Stress Is the First Step in Keeping Kids from Living in the Streets" (Posner), (2) March-April–"Whole Language or Phonics? Teachers and Researchers Find the Middle Ground Most Fertile" (Matson), "The Case of Invented Spelling: How Theory Becomes Target Practice" (Miller), "Creating Family Stories Leads Students to a Richer Understanding of U.S. History" (Gow, Davino); (3) May-June–"Perception Versus Reality: School Uniforms and the 'Halo Effect'" (Posner),… [PDF]
(1985). Women at Work, Home and School. First Grade Social Studies: Susan LaFlesche, M.D., Mary McLeod Bethune, Dorothea Lange, Rachel Carson, Chien-Shiung Wu, [and] Nancy Lopez. Part of the National Women's History Project funded to promote the study of women in history, this unit will help first grade students learn about women's contributions to U.S. society. Equity cannot be achieved until equality is expected and until the contributions of all women are understood and accepted as a simple matter of fact. The unit contains six lessons based on biographies of women, past and present. The women were selected to represent the many ways women work outside the home. Their occupations range from medicine to athletics to photography. The women are Susan LaFlesche, Mary McLeod Bethune, Rachel Carson, Chien-Shiung Wu, and Nancy Lopez, representing major ethnic groups, and Dorothea Lange, representing disabled Americans. The lessons also help students explore the concept of work. Each unit begins with a biography that teachers are to read to students. Discussion questions. suggestions for classroom activities, and a student worksheet follow each biography…. [PDF]
(1999). Connections: Adult Learners and the Evolving University. Proceedings of the Annual Alliance/ACE Conference (19th, Saratoga Springs, New York, October 21-23, 1999). This collection of 38 papers has as its focus adult learners, and covers a wide range of topics including: electronic peer networks; workplace training (in Australia); health professional accreditation; students with disabilities; vertically integrated courses; balancing instructional modes through journal writing and student collaboration; on-line communities for distance learning; building technology skills in adult learners; distance learning opportunities and challenges; barriers to adult undergraduate education; "learners" and the learning process; strategies for evaluating on-line materials; educational persistence among nontraditional graduate students; Web-based distance learning graduate programs; graduate education; integrating multidimensional research and multimedia for conventional and nonconventional students; working with virtual students; ethical issues in academic mentoring; academic discourse and culture-centered context; quality citations and imposter… [PDF]
(1996). Reaching All Families: Creating Family-Friendly Schools. Recognizing the critical role parents have in developing their children's learning habits, this booklet offers strategies that focus on ways principals and teachers can communicate with diverse families about: (1) school goals, programs, activities, and procedures; (2) the progress of individual students; and (3) home activities which can improve children's school learning. A special emphasis is placed on making all school contacts friendly and welcoming to the diverse families being served, highlighting outreach strategies which encourage two-way communication through personal contacts including: (1) "Early Fall Mailings"; (2) "Home-School Handbooks"; (3) "Open House"; (4) "School-Parent Compacts"; (5) "Parent-Teacher Conferences"; (6) "Parent Liaisons"; (7) "Newsletters"; (8)"Positive Phone Calls"; (9) "Homework and Home Learning"; (10) "Parent Resource Centers"; (11) "Informal… [PDF]
(1993). Science Teacher Decision-Making in Classrooms with Cultural Diversity: A Case Study Analysis. The purpose of this study was to explore science teacher decision-making with students of diverse populations. The research site was a suburban middle school located in the southeast. The student body consisted of African Americans, Caucasians, and international students from 62 different countries. Extensive social contextual research was performed. Case studies of two science teachers, a veteran White female life science teacher and a first-year White male earth science teacher were conducted over an extended time. The teachers, their students, a student teacher, and key informants from the school and the community participated in extensive formal interviews throughout the study period. Participant observation and videotaping data collection strategies were used to collect data in the science teachers' lessons throughout the study period. Analytic induction and the constant comparison technique were used to analyze both textual and videotaped data. Findings focused on an analysis… [PDF]
(1994). Between Worlds: Access to Second Language Acquisition. This book, intended for anyone involved in the education of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students, explores the social and cultural factors in second language learning in the school setting. The first section examines the situation inside the classroom, looking at the characteristics of ESL learners, factors affecting their academic performance, influences on teaching practice, the practice of exploratory learning and teaching, processes occurring in \explorer\ classrooms, what is meant by language acquisition, principal theories of second language acquisition, focusing on learners and their strengths, and celebrating the student's first language and culture. The second section looks at what happens outside the classroom, including the effects of community attitudes and English-only politics on students, influences on teacher and student attitudes, value conflicts, developing an intercultural teaching orientation, and involving parents of ESL students in the language learning…
(1989). Growing Up Strong: A Mental Wellness and Life Skills Development Program for Fifth and Sixth Graders. Growing Up Strong (GUS) is a curriculum designed to develop strong mental and physical health in kindergarten through sixth grade students, with the objective of preventing subsequent substance abuse. This document contains a teacher's guide for using GUS in fifth and sixth grade classrooms (GUS 5-6) and duplication masters of materials that can be sent home with children to promote family involvement in GUS. Part I of the five-part teacher's guide provides background information about the program; the trademark cartoon characters Gus, Gussie, and their friends; GUS's multicultural approach and comprehensive prevention philosophy; and major components of the GUS 5-6 program and accessory materials. Part II includes information on using GUS, evaluating the program, and using the family involvement messages; and a sample message to families. Part III offers suggestions on classroom management and details classroom activities designed to reinforce refusal skills and activities designed…