Self-directed learning enables students to guide themselves and monitor their own progress towards specific goals. The positive approach towards self-management in developing alternative strategies to achieve the goals is discussed.

The act of reflection provides an opportunity for amplifying the meaning of one's work through others' insights; applying meaning to new situations; committing to experimentation or innovation; and documenting learning and sharing knowledge. Students and teachers need time for metacognitive reflections, collaborative dialogues, and portfolio and…

Interprets a range of affective evaluation practices, with a brief discussion of the strengths and limitations of each. Ideas for some new directions are also explored. (Author/JG)

By enhancing the cognitive abilities of teachers, supervision can help them make better instructional decisions in planning (the preactive stage), teaching (the interactive stage), analyzing and evaluating (the reflective stage), and applying (the projective stage). Seven charts and a 33-item reference list are provided. (DCS)

Presents strategies for helping students develop their metacognitive abilities. Teachers must specifically encourage thinking about thinking. (MD)

Emphasizing the linguistic nature of instruction and the importance of labeling, this article identifies seven starting points for creating a classroom language of cognition: (1) using precise vocabulary; (2) posing critical questions; (3) providing data, not solutions; (4) giving directions; (5) probing for specificity; (6) modeling metacognitive…

When the Stanford and CTBS achievement batteries were analyzed, two major findings emerged: (1) the test items included only nine of the 22 general cognitive operations; and (2) the required general cognitive operations had little to do with student achievement on these tests. Implications and alternative assessment techniques are discussed.…

A question-answer format on how specific teacher behaviors influence students' acquisition of information, ability to make information meaningful, and application of meaning to new situations. (Author/MLF)

To realize future continuous learning, thinking, and complex problem-solving goals and standards, educators must exchange content acquisition and knowledge retention as ends in themselves for more adventuresome, experiential learning strategies. Teachers will assume new roles as knowledge managers, team planners, collegial coaches, and…

Every student and educator needs a trusted person to ask provocative questions and offer helpful critiques. A critical friend understands the context of the work presented and the person or group's desired outcomes. Critical friendships begin through building trust; critical friends must listen well, offer value judgments on the learner's request,…

This article describes the inception and objectives of Project LEAD (League for Educational Administrator Development), an in-service consortium of school districts, county offices of education, institutions of higher education, and professional associations in the Sacramento, California area. Results of LEAD's in-service priorities assessment are…

Discusses several models for administrator development suitable to small rural school districts, particularly one cooperative external degree plan. (SJL)

Defines skill, performance, and competency, relates the concept of competency based education to the intent of the Hart Bill, the Stull Bill or AB 65, i.e., to insure that students master and perform basic skills of communication and computation, and considers some underlying assumptions that are the basis of educational legislation. (Author/RK)