Education & Pedagogy

Fifty-five of the projects sponsored as part of Project QUILL (Quality in Liberal Learning) are described. Funded by the Ford Foundation, Project QUILL was designed to support creative efforts on campuses that will enhance liberal education. The grants have been made to a wide range of public, private, two-, and four-year institutions. Grants for Project QUILL center around three themes: (1) helping cross boundaries between or among the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences; (2) strengthening the liberal learning component of continuing education; and (3) helping integrate liberal learning with career and professional education. It is noted that proposals for projects come from faculty at liberal arts colleges, technical schools, community colleges, and large universities. They reach a wide variety of students including college freshmen, mature women returning to college, students in technical training programs, and adults looking toward retirement. The important role that college faculty play in providing fresh approaches to this type of liberal education is emphasized. It is suggested that the success of QUILL reaffirms the importance of liberal education and demonstrates that through faculty action liberal learning can be made relevant to life in modern society. (Author/SF)

A two-day workshop was held in Wisconsin to identify secondary-postsecondary vocational teacher and vocational teacher trainer needs as they relate to bilingual/bicultural vocational education and to design a delivery system for meeting these pre- and inservice needs. The conference agenda was designed to provide information on the latest developments and concepts in bilingual/bicultural education and to generate methods and plans for its improvement. Following the presentations, two discussion groups generated lists of needs which were synthesized and prioritized as follows: (1) needs assessment, (2) planning and coordination, (3) educational needs (social and cultural), (4) development of special programs, (5) supportive services, (6) mass communication, (7) employment development, and (8) monitoring of program effectiveness. The groups then developed action plans for each and concluded that three measures were required to implement them: conducting regional inservice seminars for administrators, teachers, counselors, and paraprofessionals; conducting a needs assessment for bilingual/bicultural education in Wisconsin; and establishing target dates for vocational education to meet the needs of bilingual/bicultural students. As a result of these meetings, two projects were proposed for federal and state funding, and provisions were made to offer a course in the principles of vocational, technical, and adult education to bilingual/bicultural educators. (ELG)

A study was done to define the general image of vocational-technical education in Indiana as represented by a statistical sampling of respondents from a variety of categories of the general public, including junior and senior high school students, elementary and secondary teachers and school personnel, parents, and employers. A stratified random sample of twelve school systems was selected from a total population of 341 systems in Indiana. Utilizing a sixty-two item instrument, telephone interviews were conducted with 399 respondents. The conclusions were the following: (1) vocational education in Indiana is perceived more favorably than unfavorably; (2) the program areas within vocational education are not all viewed in the same manner by the population; (3) perceptions and opinions of vocational education are influenced more by personal and physical exposure to vocational education programs than by indirect or passive means; (4) school personnel have the rather negative perception that vocational education is low status; (5) junior high students, senior high students, parents, school personnel, and employers differ in their perceptions of various aspects of vocational education; and (6) respondents are not decisive regarding the appropriate levels at which career education should be included in the educational program. Five concise recommendations based on these findings are offered. (The interview instrument is appended.) (EM)

In 1977 more than 500 Native Americans attended Wisconsin's vocational, technical and adult schools located in the state's 16 vocational-technical districts. While many problems still lack a clear identification and many new programs are needed to meet the needs of Native Americans, a great deal of progress has been made. A group of four Indians and one non-Indian made recommendations to the Wisconsin State Plan of Vocational, Technical and Adult Education pertaining to identification and assessment, recruitment, personnel development, student retention, and program directions. These recommendations, approved by the Council on Indian Education, included that vocational-technical education programs within the state include Indian tribes in the identification process on the reservations; that the vocational-technical programs work with an advisory group composed of representatives from the Great Lakes Intertribal Council in developing a referral system in the hiring of Indian personnel; and that a long-term counseling training program for persons employed by Vocational, Technical and Adult Education (VTAE) schools as counselors be set up. This report discusses Wisconsin's progress regarding Indian vocational education; the VTAE districts; the Great Lakes Intertribal Council, Inc.; Great Lakes Intertribal Council Education Committee; Council on Indian Education; Native American Study Committee; the development of Indian vocational education programs; current programs and projects relating specifically to Indians; student financial aids programs; and the recommendations. (NQ)

This report summarizes the proceedings of a European seminar on early childhood education held by the World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP). The 40 participants, representing ten European countries, emphasized the social and educational aspects of preschool education. The report includes three papers presented at the seminar. The first paper presents the welcoming remarks of the representative of the Council of Europe and describes some of the activities and projects of the Council of Europe which affect early childhood education. The second paper summarizes the social and educational functions of nursery schools, focusing on some of the problems and goals facing early childhood education. The third paper emphasizes the need for professional education for early childhood teachers, with reference to the situation in Norway. The next section of the report describes preschool education in the 10 countries participating in the seminar. The summary for each country focuses on four basic issues: social and educational functions, teacher education, integration of handicapped children, and working conditions for preschool teachers. The report also includes a draft of recommendations for preschool education that are related to these same four issues. The final section of the paper includes a copy of the program for the seminar and a list of seminar participants. (BD)

This paper defines bilingual education and notes that because of bilingual education's broad definition, a number of vastly different types of programs and program goals are being pursued. Four broad categories of bilingual education programs based on four different kinds of community and school objectives are discussed in this paper. Each of these is illustrated by an existing or proposed bilingual education program for some Spanish Speaking community. Several rationales advanced for bilingual education are reviewed. Briefly discussed is the issue of how bilingual education might affect the future of language teaching and language learning in the United States. Most American bilingual education programs are viewed as academically compensatory and as socioeconomically compensatory for disadvantaged minority group children from non-English speaking families. It is noted that if bilingual education is sold as a "compensatory promissory note", teachers and citizens will be disappointed. A number of questions about bilingual education are discussed within a comparative and sociolinguistically-oriented framework. Among these are: (1) Must one language always be an "other" tongue? (2) Can the school "go it alone" for bilingual education? (3) Can community interest be too divisive for the good of bilingual education? (4) Does the world or mankind really need all those ethnic languages?. (Author/AM)

Results from a year-long study on the education-to-work transition are presented in the final report, with an examination of existing linkages between the two and proposals for their expansion and improvement. Background material is provided in a preface, summary of chapter content, and introductory chapter. Further chapters include: Framework for Studying the Education-to-Work Transition, discussing the subject area and how it has been handled; Survey of Current Linkages, presenting procedures and results of a four-State survey; Survey Analysis and Interpretation, and Alternative Linkage Approaches, combining to analyze survey findings and provide analytic structure for linkage development; an examination of Barriers and Proposals; and, Recommendations for Further Research and Development for the National Institute of Education. Nine figures and seven charts supplement the discussion. An extensive bibliography containing 244 titles arranged under planning, curriculum, guidance, manpower utilization, and evaluation is provided. The references represent the broader topic of career education as well as the relationship of education and work. Lists of consortium members, survey participants, and action proposals reviewers; a survey guide and related instruments; and Florida follow-up policy guidelines for community colleges are appended. A glossary of key terms is provided. (LH)

The Dale Avenue Early Childhood Education Project was developed in the Dale Avenue School in Paterson, New Jersey through funding the Elementary Secondary Education Act Title III. The Project was validated in 1973 by the standards and guidelines of the U.S. Office of Education as innovative, successful, cost effective, and exportable. As a result, the New Jersey E.S.E.A. Title III program is funding the project as a demonstration site to offer interested educators the opportunity to see the program in operation and receive training in its replication. Materials developed by the program are available at cost. It is noted here that the special area teachers at Dale Avenue School are teaching art, music, physical education, and home economics skills to very young children. Special area objectives for these early years were developed by the special area teachers, as specified by their Special Area supervisors and compatible with the Dale Avenue Performance Objectives, which are held to be based on the needs of young urban children. The objectives provide suggestions to special area teachers who work with young children. They are also deemed useful to prekindergarten through third grade classroom teachers as an aide in checking off the art, home economics, music and physical education skills children have mastered. (Author/JM)

Presenting six position papers, this publication is the second in a series of five volumes on American Indian education. Papers are titled as follows: (1) "The Theory of Indian Controlled Schools" (Indian control of education is perceived as the basis for a cultural renewal process in which the problems of contemporary identity and purpose are resolved); (2) "A Theory of Vocational-Technical Career Education" (vocational training models are considered in terms of the ongoing developments in non-Indian America and the progressive developments in Indian communities); (3) "Testing, Evaluation, and the Indian Education Act of 1972" (testing criteria, particularly the criterion-referenced test, are proposed for use in Indian education); (4) "Early Childhood Education Program Models" (drawing upon a longitudinal study of the "Follow Through" program, numerous models of early childhood education are considered); (5) "A New Curriculum Design for Native American Schools" (consideration is given to a curriculum designed to emphasize tribal history, culture, traditions, and the immediate community environment); (6) "Perspective on Manpower Planning" (consideration is given to a philosophy of educational manpower planning that emphasizes innovative programs designed by Indian communities to promote both interculturalism and pride in heritage). (JC)

Adventure is the most dynamic form of education currently available and as such should move from its peripheral position in British education to become a part of the core curriculum. This move will require that school administrators better understand the philosophy and content of Adventure Education and that staff receive more rigorous training for their demanding jobs. The objective of employing adventure in education is to help people mature through experiences which promote: physical, cognitive, and emotional growth; respect and love for others; and awareness of and respect for the environment. Adventure encompasses a wide range of activities (rock climbing, skiing, night journeys, man-made obstacles, etc.) which share with other outdoor pursuits a framework consisting of the need for safety in potentially dangerous situations; the need for technical, physical, and personal skills; and the goal of enjoyment and satisfaction. Of all the outdoor pursuits adventure is uniquely able to provide satisfaction because it presents the most meaningful challenge, i.e., it involves risk, a healthy degree of fear, and uncertainty about the final outcome. Until such time as adventure education for all students is a practical possibility, it is important to consider subjects such as drama, art, music, and sport which may provide, through different means, some of the challenges of adventure. (JH)

A consortium of the Colorado association of local directors of vocational education, professional staff of the Colorado State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education, and personnel of the Department of Vocational Education at Colorado State University planned and developed instructional packages and media for the in-service education of local vocational administrators. The products generated by this project enable the local vocational administrators to earn three semester hours of graduate credit upon completion of the fifteen modules. Existing vocational administrative materials and courses were adapted to a programmed materials format while videotapes, slide-cassettes, and other media to facilitate learning were prepared. Student learning guides and self-evaluation instruments were developed as well as feedback forms. Following the field testing and revision of the curriculum, media, and Teaching Activities Packages, the materials were then duplicated and disseminated. Upon completion of the project activities, it was concluded that the utilization of TV tapes, slide tape presentations, and programmed instructional material is an effective and efficient method for improving leadership and administrative skills for local vocational directors. (The appendixes include the three learning modules on professional negotiations in vocational education, vocational administrators' liability, and a systems approach for a safety and health program.) (ELG)

The overall objective of the 1977 national project was to assist participating states in increasing the number and participation of Native American students, teachers, and teacher educators in vocational and technical education. Participants in the major training activity (a 3-day workshop) were 15 3-member state teams and about 30 tribal and Bureau of Indian Affairs representatives. The workshops addressed four specific needs of Native Americans with respect to vocational and technical education: student recruitment, needs assessment, personnel development, and teacher and student retention. State teams developed action plans (included in the appendices) to meet the overall project objectives. An important workshop product was a resource manual for use in recruiting and involving Native Americans in vocational and technical education. At a successful special conference held after the workshop, project staff informed influential state vocational educators of the problems and special needs of Native American students. Staff concluded that vocational and technical education needs assessment projects should continue; vocational educators should advertise job opportunities appropriately to recruit Native Americans; and special teacher certification programs should be expended to better prepare Native American teachers. It was further concluded that vocational and technical education should be a priority at national, state, and tribal levels. (SB)

In the midst of a trend toward uniformity of education, parents, teachers, community groups, and government groups are struggling for control over what that education shall be. Regarding problems concerning religious and ethical education, the courts' interpretations of the establishment clause ultimately conflict with interpretations of the free exercise clause. Case origins of contemporary constitutional guidelines regarding parental rights over a child's religious education concern state regulations of private schools, prayer, Bible-reading, and evolution cases in public schools, and financial aid to religious schools. Parents who are not satisfied with public education have two real options--attempting to control and influence the public schools or pursuing alternative education at home or in private schools. Parents' ability to influence their child's public schooling is limited both by law and by practical considerations, as evidenced by court cases regarding the teaching of evolution or sex education, a child's exposure to sexually explicit or offensive material, and parents' right to determine a program for their handicapped child. Parents who pursue alternative nonpublic education have problems evidenced by court cases regarding state regulation of private schools. Parents who choose home instruction confront state laws concerning what constitutes instruction equivalent to that of public schools. (Author/JM)

This paper presents a rationale for including aesthetic education in the traditional elementary and secondary curriculum. By teaching students to perceive images as artists do and to make images as artists do, aesthetic education fosters imaginative perception and sensitivity to a broad range of feelings. Four factors contribute to the need for aesthetic education: (1) A citizenry uneducated in the forms of feelings is vulnerable to exploitation and manipulation. (2) Because the modern world is vastly interdependent, it is vital to understand other cultures; one of the most direct routes to learning is through the arts, which display the deepest concerns of a culture and the way the world is perceived by a culture. (3) It is the right of every child to examine the fine arts; aesthetic education should not be elitist. (4) Most important, aesthetic education creates an area in which imagination can transcend social and technological barriers to thought, action, and feeling. At the elementary level, students should acquire a familiarity with a variety of performance and creative skills. At the secondary level, students can be introduced to aesthetic criticism or the skills of viewing works of art as the artist and critic perceive them. Teachers can integrate aesthetic education into the classroom through creative workshops, arts programs, or an exploration of themes or historical styles. (KC)

In October 1978, the New England Junior College Council held their fall conference to consider the future of general education in the community college. This report of the proceedings includes Richard H. Sturgeon's introductory remarks, in which he acknowledged the conference speakers and introduced the question of the survival of the core curriculum. The keynote speaker was Dr. Arthur Cohen who considered the history of general education, its various definitions and its rationale, the integrated general education curriculum at Miami-Dade Community College, and concluded with suggestions for planning a general education curriculum. A summary of John Roeuche's presentation, "General Education is More than Subject Matter," reveals his concerns with effective learning strategies. Franklin Patterson, in his paper entitled "General Education: Shall We Reinvent the Wheel or Find a New Axle?" also sought to define general education and suggested that a core curriculum be organized around method, that is, around conceptualization, explanation, and verification. The proceedings also include the text of a discussion led by Dr. Cohen in response to the question of the different types of general education that must be made available. John C. Hoy, the Executive Director of the New England Board of Higher Education, addressed the issue of the role of the Board in his presentation. (LS)