Childhood Education articles from August 1997

Childhood Education archives from August 1997

Making education special for all young adolescents.
August 6, 1997... Not long ago, a teacher I know asked, with a sense of urgency, to meet with me. Having recently returned to teaching, the woman felt bewildered by middle level students' disinterest, disorder and defiance. She told me, "The students are so mean...

An interview with Dr. John H. Lounsbury. (Dean Emeritus, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, GA)(Interview)
August 6, 1997... Dr. John H. Lounsbury, Dean Emeritus at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia, is the Publications Editor for the National Middle School Association (NMSA). His career began over 40 years ago when he first strove to...

Exploring the possibilities of interdisciplinary teaming.
August 6, 1997... Many middle level educators consider interdisciplinary teaming to be the "cornerstone" of responsive middle level schools. When properly implemented, this approach allows teachers to work together in small focus groups to meet young adolescents'...

Perspectives and profiles: the professional preparation of middle level teachers.
August 6, 1997... There have been many calls for the specialized professional preparation of teachers of young adolescents (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1989; Dickinson & Butler, 1994; Douglass, 1920; McEwin, 1992a; Van Til, Vars & Lounsbury, 1961)....

Four principles for reforming middle schools.
August 6, 1997... What happens to children when they reach the middle school years? Some "A" students begin to make "F's." Some rambunctious boys turn sullen. For too many of our youth, middle school leads to emotional, academic and social loss. Although adults...

Beyond early childhood: restructuring efforts at the middle level.
August 6, 1997... A debate now rages in the U.S. that focuses on the curriculum, instruction and environment of elementary and middle schools. The two sides seek similar results, but oppose each other in terms of how to reach the goals. One group embraces a...

Holistic language learning at the middle level: our last, best chance.
August 6, 1997... Nothing had prepared me for the experience of teaching an 8th-grade language arts class in a typical suburban junior high school in Ohio. In the same classroom, I had a little buy whose idea of a good time was to spend an hour playing with his...

Using social proclivity to enhance literacy learning for young adolescents.
August 6, 1997... Middle schools teem with language. Students eagerly relate stories about their activities. Mounds of notes are passed, read and answered over the course of a normal day. Young adolescents enthusiastically read, write, speak, listen and think...

When affect informs instruction.
August 6, 1997... Life gets so confusing And hard to figure out I'm growing up so fast, What's it all about? Things are changing quickly, Time is flying by. I'm becoming a different person, Sometimes I wonder why. Sometimes it gets real scary And I want to run...

"Covered lives" or patients? pondering the essence of an international organization.(ACEI Exchange. (Assn for Childhood Education International))
August 6, 1997... I recently attended a meeting where a physician was discussing the future of medical schools. In talking about the issue of supply and demand for doctors, the speaker indicated that there was currently an oversupply of doctors in New York State....

The challenges of new professionalism for Finland's teachers.(ACEI Exchange.)
August 6, 1997... Teacher preparation in Finland is conducted in state universities, which provide free tuition for all students. The high status teachers hold in the Finnish society contributes to rigorous admission requirements, including an entrance examination...

Peacemaker's ABC's.
August 6, 1997... Early childhood educators searching for new materials to teach nonviolent conflict resolution skills will appreciate Peacemaker's ABC's by Rebecca Janke and Julie Peterson. The authors have filled this manual with developmentally appropriate,...

The electrified classroom: using technology in the middle grades.
August 6, 1997... My first introduction to the word "technology" came in 1987 when I was serving as assistant chairperson of the Department of Education at George Mason University. The chairperson, with the encouragement of the dean, developed a proposal for...

Multiple intelligences, culture and equitable learning.
August 6, 1997... "Knowing that a relationship exists be tween cultures and education is a prerequisite to effective teaching, but continuing to teach with styles and strategies appropriate only for middle-class Anglo learners fails to meet the needs of culturally...

Creating an antidote to Beavis and Butthead: urban young adolescents building a culture of achievement.
August 6, 1997... Adults often wonder why young adolescents are attracted to Beavis and Butthead. Young adolescents can somehow identify, both socially and intellectually, with these two media characters. Beavis and Butthead symbolize, in what they think about,...

Meeting the needs of young adolescents on interdisciplinary teams: the growing research base.
August 6, 1997... Middle schools organized around interdisciplinary teams, an approach that evolved over the past 30 years, are now the most common type of school serving young adolescents (McEwin, Dickinson & Jenkins, 1996). In interdisciplinary teams, two or...

Are you a middle school drop-out parent?
August 6, 1997... According to a Department of Education survey of more than 12,000 parents of children in the 3rd through 12th grades, parental involvement in the education of their children drops off sharply after elementary school. The report goes on to say...