Education & Pedagogy

This combination literature review and annotated bibliography includes a summary of findings related to the following topics: the barriers to education and training faced by selected groups (women, ethnic minorities, refugees, individuals with special needs, individuals lacking basic skills, and exoffenders); innovations in open learning (open and distance learning practices, accreditation of prior experiential learning/achievement, work-based learning and training and paid educational leave, and quality issues); collaboration and working partnerships; transferable skills; broadening access to continuing education and training (funding, marketing, and guidance and counseling); and issues of special concern in Northern Ireland and Scotland. A review of the leading material published on access and delivery in continuing education and training in the United Kingdom since 1985 identified 1,248 publications listed in the bibliography. Each citation includes a brief summary of the publication along with complete bibliographic information. A list of abbreviations and addresses of organizations and a subject index are also included. (MN)

Outdoor and environmental education can play a vital role in multicultural education. Environmental education can promote global perspectives by exploring the common interests of different racial and ethnic groups in finding ways to live equitably and sustainably on earth. Outdoor and environmental educators can encourage racial and ethnic diversity among their members. To do so, they must focus on how environmental education can help meet the agenda of individuals and groups of color. Environmental education must also recognize the need to consider all human systems and cultures as factors in environmental problems and their solution. Outdoor education can offer programs that bring individuals together to share the strengths and uniqueness of people and build a common base of experience. Organized camping has recently played a role in building trust and breaking down barriers among interracial groups of teens. It is imperative that both environmental and outdoor educators find ways to address the environmental issues and outdoor recreational preferences of all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. A list of 31 references and resources concludes the article. (KS)

This directory of the South Dakota Department of Education and Cultural Affairs was current as of April 5, 1999. The first section lists personnel and contact information for boards and councils affiliated with the Department, divisions and offices of the Department, and education organizations in South Dakota. The chairpersons of education departments at South Dakota colleges and universities are also listed. Most of this document consists of a directory of schools, organized in the following categories: public school districts, non-public schools, tribal and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools, cooperatives and multidistrict centers, youth correctional facilities, special education schools, community-based service providers, state schools for special populations, and alternative programs. Each category is arranged alphabetically by school district or administrative agency and includes school enrollments, grade spans, and locations and contact information for key administrators. The final section of the directory lists NCA accredited schools, with their grade spans; South Dakota special education directors; and Title I directors. The directory is printed on colored paper, coded to represent each category. (CDS)

A workshop on Global Perspectives on Early Childhood Education brought together leading experts on preschool education and early learning in other countries. The workshop was intended to stimulate the exchange of ideas on early childhood education by providing an opportunity for early childhood educators, researchers, and policy experts from around the world to meet and discuss common concerns. This document contains the papers presented at that workshop. The papers and presenters are as follows: (1) "Global Perspectives on Early Childhood Education: Keynote Address" (Jerome Bruner); (2) "Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): Preschool Policies and Programs in the OECD Countries" (Sheila Kamerman); (3) "Italian Early Childhood Education: Variations on a Cultural Theme" (Rebecca New); (4) "Early Learning and Human Development: The Turkish Early Enrichment Program" (Cigdem Kagitcibasi); (5) "Comments on Early Education" (Robert Myers); and (6) "Beyond the 'Average Native': Cultural Models of Early Childhood Education in Japan" (Susan Holloway). Each chapter contains references. (KB)

The National Association of State Directors of Special Education, through its Research Institute of Assistive and Training Technologies (RIATT@NASDSE), has developed a planned approach to professional development in the area of assistive technology using distance education. This award-winning distance education program offers convenient, inexpensive training to professionals using multimedia materials at home. The program comprises 15 four-week long courses in which participants use multimedia materials and e-mail to complete their assignments and participate in class discussions. Participants may earn continuing education units and can work toward competency certificates in specific areas of assistive technology. Several universities accept RIATT@NASDSE courses for graduate and undergraduate credit. The program has been implemented successfully in several states, which report the following positive outcomes: renewed statewide enthusiasm, access to training by all rural professionals, enhanced communication among districts, increased participation at conferences, a common knowledge base, and satisfaction of related parental concerns. Brief profiles explain how the RIATT@NASDSE program has been used to enhance professional development in Kansas, Indiana, Maine, Ohio, Idaho, Alabama, New Mexico, and New York. (SV)

This paper addresses concerns about effects of current changes in higher education on development of leadership personnel (professors and researchers) in special education. It suggests that current changes are a consequence of external expectations and a failure of faculty to protect the cultural values of academia. The prominent role of departments of special education in the interdisciplinary study of disability as well as income generation is noted, as is the influence of federal investment in leadership preparation since 1958, and the passage of Public Law 85-926, the "Training of Professional Personnel for the Education of Mentally Retarded Children" Act. The paper goes on to list major trends in higher education since this law and concludes that special education programs within universities are highly vulnerable unless they persist as research and development academic units with an interdisciplinary focus on disability. Among 10 recommendations are: (1) keeping an R&D focus, (2) resisting restructuring that diminishes the special education identity, (3) remaining interdisciplinary, and (4)recognizing the importance of collegiality within the department. (DB)

This Digest defines service-learning as both a philosophy of education and an instructional method. As a philosophy, service-learning reflects the belief that education should develop social responsibility and prepare students to be involved citizens in democratic life. As an instructional method, service-learning involves a blending of service activities with the academic curriculum in order to address real community needs while students learn through active engagement. The Digest provides examples of service-learning activities in teacher education; distinguishes between community service, service learning and other forms of experiential education; cites reasons for integrating service-learning into courses; discusses approaches to integrating service-learning into teacher education programs; and cites a few research studies. Initial research results, teacher educators and preservice teachers all suggest that service-learning can be a worthwhile learning experience. But, there are many challenges to its successful use in teacher education including an already overcrowded curriculum, difficulties of arranging successful K-12 and community service-learning sites, and the linkage of service-learning to state and national teacher education accreditation standards. (Contains 14 references) (LL)

This document presents the master plan for Florida postsecondary education, with recommendations in the areas of access, interdependence, outcomes, and funding. An introduction offers a vision statement for postsecondary education in the state, reviews the planning process, identifies underlying principles, and explains the planning context. The section on access presents 20 recommendations concerning access, productivity, and technology. Next, the section on interdependence offers 17 recommendations which address preparation for postsecondary education, educational partnerships, and the preparation of teachers. The 14 recommendations in the section about postsecondary education outcomes focus on workforce preparation and economic development. The section on funding proposes 14 recommendations addressing the following areas: accountability/performance funding, funding for instruction and research, public education capital outlay, tuition and financial aid, and support for the independent sector. The concluding section reviews 10 broad goals. Appended materials include a list of planning commission members and staff, and exhibits which present further detail in support of each of the document's main sections. (DB)

This bulletin provides information about the positive changes that have accrued for persons with hearing loss in the education and public sectors, and identifies issues and concerns related to continuing the improvement of educational outcomes and services. The bulletin provides: (1) an overview of historical events, Congressional actions, and state activities in education of individuals with hearing impairments; (2) recommendations of the Commission on Education of the Deaf relative to education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students; (3) the proposed "Bill of Educational Rights for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children"; (4) a February 1992 statement concerning the initiative of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education in the education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, presented before the House Subcommittee on Select Education; and (5) several data tables from the Department of Education's Annual Report to Congress, specifically the tables indicating the number of children ages 6-21 with hearing impairments and with deaf-blindness, being served by each state. (JDD)

This book represents a compilation of the views and ideas of the late Hans Freudenthal, representing his last major contribution to the field of mathematics education. Rather than a presentation of new views, Freudenthal selected and streamlined old ideas, many gathered from his lectures in China, and formed a review of questions and issues in mathematics education. The book is divided into three chapters. Chapter 1, "Mathematics Phenomenologically", explores different aspects of mathematics: What is Mathematics?; "Didactical Principles", discusses the organization of the teaching/learning processes relevant to mathematics, and is divided into four subsections: (1) Guided Reinvention; (2) Bonds with Reality; (3) Learning Processes; and (4) Long-term Learning Processes. Finally, chapter 3, "The Landscape of Mathematics Education", explores the theoretical foundations of mathematics education, and relates it to the current research and practice in the fields in three subsections: (1) Theory of Mathematics Education; (2) Research in Mathematics Education; and (3) Practice of Mathematics Education. Included is a list of the author's publications on mathematics education containing 201 entries. (MDH)

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1990 represents the largest amount of federal funding ever authorized for vocational education. Effective July 1, 1991, the act enables Congress to spend up to $1.6 billion per year on state and local programs that teach the "skill competencies necessary to work in a technologically advanced society." The new law differs in several ways from the original Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984: (1) emphasizing the integration of academic and vocational education; (2) providing greater opportunities for vocational education to disadvantaged people; (3) requiring states to be more accountable for their vocational programs; (4) distinguishing between the secondary and postsecondary levels of vocational education; and (5) encouraging local districts to provide greater leadership in reforming and improving vocational education. The changes in the reauthorized Perkins Act of 1990 present vocational educators with an opportunity to assume a leadership role in state and local efforts to reform education. (This research summary contains an annotated list of 17 print resources and 5 resource organizations.) (KC)

This Digest introduces dance as an art form characterized by use of the human body as a vehicle of expression. Organized into three sections, the first examines the rationale for dance programs in education, presenting opportunities for development of critical thinking and analytical skills; cooperation and teamwork; self-expression and self-esteem; organization and problem solving; cultural literacy; and communicating emotions through movement. Section 2 discusses the status of dance education. Fifteen states have developed dance curriculum guidelines. Many of the curriculum guides contain specific content, goals, objectives, and limited measurable outcomes for such areas as techniques for social, modern, and ethnic dance; aesthetic perception; kinesthetic sense; creative expression; choreography; and dance criticism. In elementary and secondary schools dance is usually taught as part of the physical education curriculum by physical educators. A number of magnet programs, located throughout the country, draw students because of a special interest or ability. The final section, on issues in dance education, addresses professional preparation; teacher certification; multiculturalism in dance education; and research needs. (LL)

This bibliography contains 140 citations (some with annotations) for selected rural education literature entered into the AGRICOLA database between January 1979 and September 1991. The publications, all in English, include books, commission papers, journal articles, legal documents, reports, academic theses, and audiovisual materials. Each entry contains information on title, author, publisher, date and place of publication, and the call number of the National Agricultural Library. Topics related to rural education include: (1) alcohol and drug use; (2) education reform; (3) rural development; (4) economic development; (5) characteristics of rural youth and rural schools; (6) educational and occupational aspirations of rural youth; (7) community education; (8) vocational education; (9) school finance; and (10) higher education. The document includes information about document delivery services provided by the National Agricultural Library to individuals and libraries. It also contains a description of the Rural Information Center, which provides information and referral services to local government officials, community organizations, health professionals and organizations, cooperatives, libraries, and rural citizens. (KS)

This tip sheet provides information on key educational reform issues and advises education writers on covering vocational education. Part one, Key Educational Reform Issues Areas, addresses three issues: integrating academic and vocational education, tech prep, and performance standards and measures. Eight integration models are described: incorporating more academic content; combining academic and vocational teachers; making academic courses more vocationally relevant; curricular "alignment"; requiring a senior project; initiating an academy model; developing occupational high schools and magnet schools; and focusing on occupational clusters, career paths, and occupational majors. Other policies for course approval, funding, and teacher training are outlined that could be used to support academic and vocational integration. Seven types of tech-prep programs are identified: traditional agreement, advanced placement, "two plus two", enhanced technical education, more information, nonduplication, and modified curriculum. Measures and standards are addressed in three broad categories: learning, labor market, and accessibility. Part Two, Covering Vocational Education, lists reading materials, suggests important issues and questions to ask, and presents information on NCRVE resources and ordering. (NLA)

Although there are many different approaches, statements of aims, and definitions of multicultural education, an examination of literature by specialists in the field indicates that there is a high level of consensus about its aims and goals. A major goal, as recognized by specialists in the field, is the reform of schools and other educational institutions so that students from diverse racial, ethnic, and social-class groups can experience equality. The current debate about the extent to which the histories and cultures of women and people of color should be incorporated into the study of Western civilization has complicated the search for clear disciplinary boundaries within the field. A look at the history of the multicultural education movement and the construction of knowledge about multicultural education reveals insights into the problems and promises of multicultural education today. The most important implication of a review of multicultural education research today is that it must be conceptualized and viewed broadly if it is to bring about meaningful change in education. (Contains 260 references.) (SLD)