Education & Pedagogy

The purpose of this guide (intended for use by special education teachers, regular education teachers, environmental educators, park naturalists, therapeutic recreation specialists, and anyone else interested in learning how to make environmental education accessible to all students regardless of their ability level) is to show educators how they can use already existing environmental education materials with students who have physical, developmental, and behavioral disabilities. Section 1 provides an overview and offers a philosophy of environmental education for all students that includes those with disabilities. Information on inclusion and appropriate communication is also reviewed. Section 2 focuses on adapting environmental education activities for inclusive groups and the factors to consider when modifying activities. Section 3 contains activities and their adaptations developed by teachers. Section 4 discusses getting involved in community service projects while section 5 discusses lessons learned by using this resource guide. The appendix contains an annotated bibliography divided into the following categories: (1) Environmental Education-General Activity Guides and Curricula; (2) Environmental Education-Community and Action Projects; (3) Environmental Education for Students with Disabilities; (4) Outdoor Education/Camping/Adventure Programs for People with Disabilities; (5) Science for Students with Disabilities; (6) Inclusion-Environmental/Outdoor Education; (7) Inclusion-General Resources; (8) Disability Resources; and (9) Resource List for Recreation, Integration and Advocacy. (JRH)

Despite the expansion of technical-vocational education and training (TVET) in nearly all Asia-Pacific countries during the past 10-15 years, many of the region's policymakers have called for greater and more effective integration of technical-vocational components in basic and general education curricula. The idea that technology education should be part of the general education curriculum is not totally new to Asia-Pacific countries. Technology education was introduced into the curricula of some Asian countries after World War II. In Australia, the National Training Reform Agenda, which sought to strengthen the links between senior secondary schooling, general education, TVET, and postschool options, emerged in the early 1990s. The Korean government decided to provide technology education for all secondary school students in 1989 and revised its curricula to include the following competencies: working with others in teams; communicating ideas/information effectively; solving problems and thinking creatively and critically; and using office technology. Increased attention toward curriculum integration has been increasingly evident in the United States, India (where efforts to vocationalize secondary education were initiated in 1986), the Philippines (where an entrepreneurship development was introduced in schools), and Japan (where technology education has been expanded to reflect environmental awareness and global considerations). (MN)

This paper looks at trends toward more inclusive education for students with disabilities in Sweden in the context of budgetary cut-backs in school resources. It reports on a project that investigated processes of defining target populations for special education in Swedish schools. Special educators (N=27), classroom teachers (N=35) and principals (N=18) were interviewed about how the concept of special education was defined in terms of practice and asked to describe special education activities in their schools. The study also analyzed data from a longitudinal database that included 5,000 pupils born in 1977 and 10,000 pupils born in 1982. Among findings were: (1) classroom teachers and special educators recognized that special education lightens the work load of teachers in regular classes by offering more or less permanent solutions to the problem of difficult students; (2) among individual child characteristics, socio-emotional disorders were the most common reason for referral to special education; (3) most special education takes place outside the regular classrooms in part-time settings; and (4) more than half of interviewees reported that Individualized Education Plans were never used. Results suggest that definitions of target groups for special needs education vary greatly among schools. (Contains 25 references.) (DB)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) education vision is to promote excellence in America's education system through enhancing and expanding scientific and technological competence. In doing so, NASA strives to be recognized by the education community as the premier mission agency in support of the National Education Goals and in the development and implementation of education standards. To realize this vision, NASA has clearly defined and developed three specific goals to promote excellence in education. Specific objectives and milestones are defined for each goal in the body of this strategic plan. Goal 1: To maintain that segment of NASA's current education program that is judged to be effective, based on internal and external customer measures of success. Such maintenance involves individual program revision, expansion, or elimination. Goal 2: To implement new education reform initiatives which specifically address NASA mission requirements and national education reform. Goal 3: To significantly expand the impact of the NASA education program by developing partnerships with external constituencies. This plan also delineates three "enabling systems" which support all of NASA's education programs and contribute to the achievement of the goals. These are: evaluation, educational technology, and dissemination. In order to implement the strategy, four broad-based management priorities have been identified to guide the process of change. (Author/MKR)

Inservice training and staff development for rural schools are complicated by limited access to advanced training programs, limited financial resources, and a high attrition rate among rural educators. One way in which rural schools and universities can collaboratively work to fill this void is through distance education, which can help rural schools offer courses for which a certified teacher is not available, or deliver inservice training for faculty and staff. Because there are a number of distance education technology systems available, it is important that rural schools consider which system best meets their needs. One example of a rural training program that uses distance education in Project CREST (Collaboration in Rural Education for Special Teachers), undertaken by the Department of Special Education at Bowling Green State University (Ohio). Project CREST provides preservice and inservice training in special education service delivery and problem solving appropriate to rural areas. CREST faculty spend 1 week each month on site with participants. During the remaining 3 weeks, the Internet is used for videoconference transmission. Participants demonstrate competencies and skills at practicum sites. Since there are typically no long distance telephone charges, use of this configuration may provide a low-cost approach to the delivery of professional training in rural schools. (TD)

The two parts of this book consider two main facets of nonformal curriculum development: theory and practice. Part I on nonformal curriculum theory has four chapters. Chapter 1 addresses the origins, meaning, purpose, and scope of nonformal education. Chapter 2 examines three major themes in discussions on nonformal education: nonformal education as an instrument of positive change, as a social control mechanism, and the context. Chapter 3 explores the rationale. Chapter 4 examines the rational planning model and three models that have relevance for curriculum development in nonformal education: psychosocial, liberal education, and Bhola's core-interface. The five chapters in Part II on nonformal curriculum practice consider the case of the People's Educational Association of Sierra Leone in integrating population education into adult literacy. Chapter 5 describes nonformal education in the Sierra Leone context where it is an educational response to the problems of out-of-school youth and illiterate adults and an alternative development strategy. Chapter 6 sets forth the rationale for population education and literacy. Chapter 7 describes the process of curriculum integration. Chapter 8 is a case analysis of the population education project. Chapter 9 highlights these conclusions: contingent nature of curriculum development in nonformal education; importance of learner participation; and need for staff development. Appendixes contain a 359-item bibliography and index. (YLB)

This study describes global education as one of the current trends in teacher education in the United States. In this study, preservice and inservice teachers who attended six outstanding teacher education programs in global education were asked to reflect upon: (1) what they valued in their program's content and experiences; (2) their processes of applying what they had learned to their own classroom instruction; and (3) the constraints that hindered their abilities to use what they had gained in the teacher education program. Overall, the teachers valued content related to the topics of culture, global interconnections, and the environment. They found working with new instructional materials and interacting with other teachers, teams, and people from other cultures as the most useful experiences. The teachers applied what they had learned by extending or revising what they already were teaching, adding a comparative dimension or multiple perspectives, or initiating interdisciplinary approaches to mandated topics. Major constraints on the teachers' abilities to apply their new knowledge in their own classroom instruction included their students' abilities (such as reading level or developmental age), the conservatism of the community, and their own personal experiences. (EH)

This anthology is a compilation of 59 articles that includes items previously published in the "Journal of Experiential Education" and presentations given at conventions of the Association for Experiential Education. Based on John Dewey's belief that "all genuine education comes through experience," this book aims to inform educators, administrators, and researchers in schools and institutions of higher education as they seek to put experiential education into practice. Section One covers theoretical assumptions, experiential curriculum design, and the place of experiential education in national school reform efforts. Section Two includes articles on community service and service learning, outdoor and environmental education, internships, apprenticeships, and working in multicultural and cross-cultural settings. Section Three examines applications of experiential education in the classroom, including general educational strategies, history projects, mathematics and science projects, language arts activities, working with special populations, cooperative learning, games, and working with young children. Section Four covers experiential components in college courses, teacher education, research and evaluation methods, and summaries of research and evaluation findings on experiential education. A combined reference list contains over 400 references. Includes author profiles and an index of original publication dates. (SV)

This pamphlet examines free appropriate public education (FAPE) requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, focusing on four concerns: (1) eligibility for a free appropriate public education; (2) how an "appropriate education" is defined; (3) how Section 504 provisions relate to FAPE provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and (4) how a "free education" is defined. In general, all school-age children with disabilities are entitled to FAPE. Characteristics of an appropriate education include educational services that meet individual needs, education with nondisabled students, nondiscriminatory evaluation and placement, and provision of due process procedures for the review of evaluation and placement decisions. Compliance with the requirements of a "free education" may be met by the district directly or through placement in an out-of-district facility. The requirements of FAPE under IDEA are more detailed than those under Section 504, and compliance with IDEA usually also results in compliance with Section 504. However, Section 504 applies to any program receiving Education Department support and not only to states receiving federal assistance under IDEA. (DB)

This report provides information on the administration and structure of all levels of education and initial vocational training in 17 countries--the 15 Member States of the European Union and Iceland and Norway. Country reports are arranged in a similar way to facilitate comparison. Chapter 1 contains information on each country, the basic principles affecting the education and training systems, the distribution of responsibilities, administration, inspection, financing, private education, and advisory bodies. The following chapters cover preschool, primary, secondary (general, technical, and vocational) education, initial vocational training for young people, and higher education. Sections dealing with curriculum, assessment, teachers, and statistics follow a general description of the objectives and organization of each level. Statistical data cover the number of pupils/students, teachers, institutions and, where available, pupil-teacher ratios, attendance or completion rates, and the options taken up at different stages. Initial vocational training covers programs that are usually outside the formal education system, such as apprenticeship, youth training, and vocational integration programs. After a general outline, the higher education section includes the following: admission, fees/student finance, academic year, courses, qualifications, and assessment. Diagrams of the systems, with brief explanatory notes are found at the beginning of each chapter. (YLB)

This document presents 22 tables that display information on the number of special education teachers and staff employed and needed in Maryland, as reported by local education agencies, state operated programs, and nonpublic schools for the disabled to the Federal Office of Special Education Programs for the school year 1992-93. Student information was based on census data as of December 1, 1992. Data provided in the tables include: ratio of special education student enrollment (ages 3-21) to special education teachers/teacher aides; ratio and rank order of special education student enrollment (ages 3-21) to special education teachers overall and by specific disability, for each Maryland county; number and percent of special education teachers reported in the cross-categorical program; related services personnel for local education agencies; and teaching and related services personnel for state operated programs and nonpublic state supported programs. Individual tables detail data for ratio and rank order of special education student enrollment to special education teachers in Maryland public schools for the following disabilities: mental retardation, hearing impairments, speech or language impairments, visual impairments, serious emotional disturbances, orthopedic impairments, other health impairments, specific learning disabilities, multiple disabilities, autism, and traumatic brain injury. (DB)

Student support in distance education depends on the market, the package employed, the delivery system, the image of the organization, and the culture in which it operates. If distance education is defined as an industrialized form of teaching and learning, lessons can be learned from the history of traditional higher education. The progress from individual to mass higher education highlights the dangers inherent in an industrialized approach if program developers lose sight of the goal: education of the individual and support that allows adults from diverse backgrounds to relate to the knowledge higher education provides. Distance education must recognize the needs of the individual student learning in an industrialized process where teaching is the dominant characteristic. The success or failure of student support is judged on a number of performance indicators, such as students' success rate. A major question is what the educational philosophy is in which the distance education support services are operating. The service industry should be the source for models of student support, since the dominant ethos of the distance education organization must be that of a service industry. Each student support system must be derived from the unique situation in which the distance education institution operates. (YLB)

This book takes the position that public schools can be saved if we can learn from history, discard ineffective methods and policies, and recognize the essential elements of quality education. Chapter 1 reviews reports that have portrayed a crisis in American public education. Chapter 2 examines disparities in public- and private-education costs. The third chapter examines education-reform movements, particularly the choice movement, and identifies the ingredients of effective education. The fourth chapter reviews the history of American public education, with a view to understanding today's school system. The legacy of racial discrimination is described in the fifth chapter. Chapter 6 considers American judicial landmark decisions and their effects on public education in the areas of bilingual and special education. Chapters 7 and 8 discuss court cases on school violence and public-school financing. Chapter 9 offers the following recommendations for improving American public schools: (1) return authority to the classroom teacher; (2) eliminate the segregation of class by age; (3) create magnet classrooms open to all children willing to abide a code of discrimination and conduct; and (4) eliminate teacher-certification programs and base teacher hiring on expertise. References accompany each chapter. (Contains 112 references.) (LMI)

This article derives from part of a larger study on sexual violence prevention in teacher education that analyses the narratives of fifteen teacher candidates in an Ontario university. It begins by providing a rationale for the research, which engages emerging teachers as key stakeholders in prevention education. Narrative inquiry was conducted to understand the experiences of teacher candidates who were troubled by the programme's lack of education and training on sexuality education and sexual violence prevention. Teacher candidates reflected that their first education about consent and sexual violence occurred in a postsecondary rather than an elementary or secondary school context. As part of the teacher certification programme, participants felt entitled to learn about sexuality education methodologies and sexual violence prevention education. As emerging teachers, they expressed the desire to know how to teach young people about sex and consent, healthy relationships, boundaries, and the sociopolitical contexts of sexual violence, as well as how to sensitively respond to disclosure. Most pointedly, participants understood the power that effective sexuality education by trained teachers may have in reducing victimisation, thereby contributing to educational equity. Findings are discussed in relation to the literature on feminist understandings of sexuality education and sexual violence prevention.

Open education is an education and instruction network that is widely used to overcome physical and temporal limitations. In the current study, an evaluation was made by taking the opinions of students on the application areas of the open education system in Turkey. In this context, the reasons for students attending open education high schools to switch to open education high schools were examined and a general perspective on open education applications was presented in line with their goals and expectations. To this end, phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods, was used and students' opinions and experiences about open education were elicited. The sample of the current study is comprised of 500 open education high school students registered through public education centres. An online questionnaire form consisting of semi-structured open-ended questions was used to collect data in the study. When the findings were examined, it was seen that the reasons for the participants' enrolment in open education differed. In the analysis performed, it was seen that the reasons for enrolling in open education were grouped under six sub-headings: individual-emotional reasons, familial reasons, economic reasons, health-related reasons, reasons arising from school education processes and environmental-stimulating reasons.