(1993). Teaching Reading in Russian, Volume 1. Instructional Materials for the Less Commonly Taught Languages. These reading comprehension exercises, based on authentic Russian texts, are aimed at developing reading strategies in lower-level students of Russian. The exercises are designed for students reading at the Novice and Intermediate levels as determined by the American Counsel on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Educational Testing Services (ETS). They are meant primarily to develop reading strategies, especially that of activating background knowledge on a given topic. Several recommendations are made on using the exercises: (1) students must learn to live with the frustration of not understanding every word; (2) exercises should be done in class; (3) getting the "right" answer is not the main point of the exercises; (4) give students ungraded feedback in English; (5) intercultural understanding should be encouraged; and (6) the topic should be familiar. The activities presented are the result of a research project and have been created to study the impact of… [PDF]
(1983). Getting the Red Out: Grading without Degrading. The tendency to read for errors is an occupational hazard for writing teachers, but there is something profoundly wrong in measuring progress by measuring the reduction of errors. To begin breaking this habit, teachers must first recognize the fundamental hypocrisy in making correction markings that are at odds with the intended message (i.e., letters or word fragments to signify a sentence fragment). Also, many errors defy classification and cannot be remedied by such simple coded instruction. Most important, however, is the fact that doggedly reading for errors keeps the reader from seeing anything else. Error markings in passages by notable authors trip the reader on the errors, while reading those same passages void of the correction marks evokes in the reader the images and emotions intended by the authors. This is not to say that teachers should stop noticing errors altogether. They have a duty to help students correct errors that leap out and disconcert the reader, but they…
(1983). Seeking Safe Haven: A Congregational Guide to Helping Central American Refugees in the United States. Over the last three years, religious groups and communities around the United States have become increasingly aware of the arrival in this country of large numbers of Salvadorans and Guatemalans seeking refuge from violence and persecution but instead facing arrest and deportation as illegal aliens. This guide is an attempt to mobilize, orient, and support congregational involvement with the people and the issues. It offers the options both to respond to the immediate human needs of the refugees and to examine and respond to the larger issues provoking their flight and the denial of haven to them in the United States. The guide is divided into eight sections. The three initial sections provide overviews and background information on the refugee-producing situations and the conditions faced by the refugees, in particular in this country. The fourth section is a summary of the options for action, from the quick and simple to the more complex. Suggestions are provided for individual…
(1983). Using Fiction to Teach Introductory Anthropology. A discussion of the role of fiction in a college level anthropology course is divided into two sections. The first section describes several advantages of using fiction rather than a text to teach anthropology. Teacher and students share more or less equally in the teaching process with this approach. The teacher is no longer an authority on a subject because the teacher and students explore a novel together. With fiction, there are no right or wrong answers to inhibit discussion. Moreover, well-written fiction arouses higher interest than professional writing in anthropology. Fictionalized case studies offer opportunities to apply values, to integrate the real world with the theoretical, and to develop problem-solving skills. Teachers have a responsibility to help students understand themselves, their culture, and their physical-biotic environment. They must also help students learn to enjoy thinking and learning. Using a teaching method that is meaningful and interesting to the… [PDF]
(1989). Street Youth: Adaptation and Survival in the AIDS Decade. Street youth remain at the fringes of society reflecting larger inherent social problems. Whether due to the death of parents, as a result of war, poverty, famine, disease, abandonment or abuse the health and social problems of the world's 100 million street youth are profound. By 1987 it was accepted that street youth were a high risk population for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) due to their street activities and related survival strategies. Clinical cases of AIDS began to appear among homeless street youth still in their teenage years or former street youth in their early 20s. It is recognized that the health and social problems of street youth are similar everywhere and have been throughout time. The AIDS epidemic gives impetus to immediate and comprehensive preventive action. Given the current urgency of the AIDS problem on the west coast, nationally and internationally, long-term housing for street youth who are infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus must be…
(1986). Teaching United States History with a Constitutional Focus. The basic premise of the paper is that the Constitution should be the main theme of courses in United States history at grade 8. Students should study a unit on the Constitution, as is commonly done at that level. In addition, other units taught throughout the school year should emphasize constitutional principles, values, and issues. Three reasons support this premise. First, civic education is the central purpose of 8th grade United States history courses. Second, the Constitution in its history and meaning embodies core principles and values that lie at the heart of civic education and citizenship. Key concepts of American citizenship, such as liberty, equal treatment under law, consent of the governed, majority rule, and minority rights cannot be understood without knowledge of the Constitution in United States history and contemporary society. Third, adolescent students are at a period of cognitive development when they are able to comprehend and apply abstract ideas about…
(1988). Equal Access to Health Care: Patient Dumping. Hearing before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Government Operations. House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, First Session (July 22, 1987). This document presents witnesses' testimonies and prepared statements from the Congressional hearing called to examine the issue of equal access to health care and the practice of patient dumping which may take the form of transferring a patient to another hospital, refusing to treat a patient, or subjecting a patient to long delays, and which may involve discrimination on the basis of poverty, race, ethnicity, or appearance. Opening statements are included from Representatives Ted Weiss and Jim Lightfoot. Witnesses providing testimony include: (1) Fortney Stark, Congressional Representative from California; (2) Zettie Mae Hill and Jesse Green, who tell of their personal experiences with patient dumping; (3) Judith Waxman, managing attorney, National Health Law Program; (4) Arnold Relman, editor, New England Journal of Medicine; (5) Arthur Kellermann, medical director, Emergency Services, the Regional Medical Center, Memphis, Tennessee; (6) David Ansell, attending physician,… [PDF]
(1982). Single Mother's Resource Handbook. Funded under the Women's Educational Equity Act, the Assertiveness Training Program for Single Mothers was offered to mothers with children enrolled in the Omaha Head Start and Parent-Child Center Programs. The 16-week long program, providing a total of 40 hours of training, covered a wide range of topics in addition to the initial workshops on assertiveness. Human sexuality, parenting skills, relaxation techniques, positive thinking, and community resources (e.g., law, housing, credit) were among the topics discussed. Basically, the original goals of the training were that participants would (1) gain a positive self-image, (2) recognize the alternatives available to them, (3) be able to express their needs and feelings to others, (4) take advantage of resources at their disposal, (5) implement in their own homes positive actions that would influence their children, and (6) acquire problem-solving skills that would enable them to make decisions and accept responsibility for their… [PDF]
(1981). Standardization and the English Teacher in the Eighties. After 1580 the English language was no longer considered barbarous because important works had been written in it, its vocabulary had expanded, and it had been adorned with the devices of classical rhetoric. It did not have, however, a dictionary or grammar, the fourth quality that makes a language eloquent. Thus, the eighteenth century grammarians set out to "ascertain and fix" the English language, to determine the correct forms of English and prevent the language from decay by change. Their task was undermined by their failure to recognize that changes in language are often the results of forces too complex to be fully analyzed or predicted, their failure to recognize the legitimacy of divided usage or usage as the sole arbiter in linguistic matters, and their ignorance of the processes of language change. The most insidious effect of the principle of only one correct form is that students have been indoctrinated with the conviction that they are worthless because of…
(1955). THE ST. LOUIS STORY, THE INTEGRATION OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. INTEGRATION IN THE ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS WAS SMOOTH AND ALMOST WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY ITSELF HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING A PROCESS OF DEMOCRATIZATION OVER A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT DECISION. EXAMPLES SHOW INTEGRATION OF CHURCHES, DESEGREGATION OF THE ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY, AND DESEGREGATION OF HOTELS AND THEATRES. PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAD BECOME INCREASINGLY INTEGRATED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL DUTIES AND THE OPERATION OF THEIR PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. A THIRD FACTOR WAS THE CITY-WIDE HUMAN RELATIONS PROGRAM CONDUCTED ON A SCIENTIFIC BASIS AND UNDER EXPERT LEADERSHIP. THE PLAN FOR INTEGRATION THAT THE ST. LOUIS SCHOOL BOARD ADOPTED PROVIDED FOR INTEGRATION OF COLLEGES AND OF SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND CLASSES IN SEPTEMBER 1954. ALL HIGH SCHOOLS UNDER THE BOARD'S CONTROL, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM, WERE INTEGRATED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND SEMESTER, JANUARY 31, 1955. INTEGRATION OF…
(1961). DESEGREGATION–A COMMUNITY DESIGN. ALTHOUGH DISCRIMINATION AND EXCLUSION ARE DOOMED ACCORDING TO TO THE LAW, THERE APPEARS TO BE CONSIDERABLE DISTINCTION IN MEN'S MINDS BETWEEN ABSENCE OF DISCRIMINATION ON THE ONE HAND AND AFFIRMATIVE MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT INTEGRATION ON THE OTHER. PHILADELPHIA HAS A GREAT DEAL OF DE FACTO SEGREGATION. AS THE POPULATION GROWS, NEGROES AND WHITES WILL BECOME FURTHER SEPARATED UNLESS FAIR HOUSING PRACTICES ARE INITIATED. BASIC STEPS ARE NEEDED TO BEGIN COMMUNITY INTEGRATION. PUBLIC EDUCATION MUST BE ADEQUATELY FINANCED AND REALISTICALLY ORIENTED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE POPULATION, INCLUDING THE NEEDS OF THE CULTURALLY DEPRIVED, SO THAT NEGROES WILL BE PREPARED TO COMPETE WITH WHITES FOR JOBS AND PROFESSIONS. THERE IS A NEED FOR CITY COLLEGES AND PUBLICLY-FINANCED SCHOLARSHIPS TO ALLOW ALL PERSONS, REGARDLESS OF INCOME, A RIGHT TO HIGHER EDUCATION. THE ECONOMY SHOULD SUPPLY FAIR JOB OPPORTUNITIES. TRAINING PROGRAMS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF FAIR EMPLOYMENT LAWS WILL GREATLY AID…
(1964). THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ADJUNCT AUTO-INSTRUCTION. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING ADJUNCT AUTOINSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR COLLEGE-LEVEL TEACHING AS COMPARED TO USING–(1) CONVENTIONAL MATERIALS AND (2) AVAILABLE PROGRAMED MATERIALS FOR SUCH ACTIVITY WAS TESTED. (ADJUNCT AUTOINSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS OPERATE ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE LEARNER IS AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT, AND MATERIALS AND PROCEDURES ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO–(1) CLARIFY AND EXTEND MEANINGS, (2) CORRECT MISUNDERSTANDINGS, (3) CONFIRM STUDENT CHOICE, (4) POINT OUT STUDENT ERRORS, AND (5) GUIDE STUDENTS TO CORRECT ANSWERS.) THESE AUTOINSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS WERE DEVELOPED FOR AND EVALUATED IN A COLLEGE COURSE ENTITLED "HUMAN GROWTH AND LEARNING." THE MAJOR CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING MATERIAL EFFECTIVENESS WERE–(1) LEARNING TIME TAKEN AND (2) AMOUNT LEARNED. OVER 230 STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE COURSE WERE SELECTED FOR EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE EXPERIMENTAL TREATMENT CONSISTED OF LEARNING EXERCISES IN COMBINATION WITH A "TRAINER-TESTER…
(1980). Moral Dilemmas of Young Adults. This study describes moral dilemmas that young adults (ages 18-24) formulate spontaneously and examines the relationship between these dilemmas and the subjects' environment and scores on a standardized test. Fifty-two subjects were tested both in 1976 and 1978, creating 104 subject-oriented dilemmas. Thirty-two were in college, 17 were not, and three were in college at the first testing but had dropped out by the last testing. Participants completed a Defining Issues Test (DIT), Comprehension of Moral Attitudes Test, Law and Order Test of Political Attitudes, a written moral dilemma test, and a short personal questionnaire. At the end of the tests, students were asked to describe their own moral dilemmas. The most important findings of the study were that the moral dilemmas that young adults write about are extremely diverse and changeable over time. Subjects described their dilemmas from three perspectives: social issues such as abortion, gay rights, the arms race; personal… [PDF]
(1979). The Child and World Order: Reflections on International Year of the Child. The Whole Earth Papers, No. 11. Reflection upon childrens' rights and needs and upon society's values with regard to children has been stimulated by the United Nation's designation of 1979 as the International Year of the Child (IYC). Conflicting images related to children and childhood have emerged as a result of this increased concern with young people. These include that children are innocent victims of environmental and political policies, cherished possessions of their families, the hope of the future, and dependents who are incapable of coping on their own. In IYC-related activities, the United Nations has called attention to suffering of children from ill health and economic disadvantagement, the need for effective child advocates, the dearth of resources available for children's needs, and the lack of research on the survival and well-being of children. A world-order approach to childrens' needs would focus on assessment of the present situation, diagnosis, projection of a preferred situation (in which…
(1972). Proceeding of Conference on Multi-Ethnic Curriculum and the Changing Role of the Teacher. The Program for Educational Opportunity, based at the University of Michigan and established by the Office of Education pursuant to Title IV of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, is an institute designed to assist school districts in the process of desegregation. The Program annually conducts a series of conferences; The Conference on Multi-Ethnic Curriculum and the Changing Role of the teacher, held July 10-13, 1972, was designed to explore concepts of multi-ethnicity and its implications for developing curricula and modifying the role of the teacher to respond to changing needs. The following papers are presented in this document: "Exploring concepts of multi-ethnicity," G. Gay; "The multi-ethnic curriculum–a mini approach for a maxi problem?" R. C. Gonzalez; "White students and a multi-ethnic curriculum," A. F. Citron; "Shared decision making, limitations and possibilities," R. Edmonds; "The role of the school in curriculum development,"… [PDF]