The author describes how he instructs students in his introductory film course to show how one can reveal a film's ideological dimensions in teaching. In this article, the author traces the progress of his student's arc of learning, from their relative lack of awareness of film's influence on the construction of identity to a more sophisticated…

Over the past several decades film and video have been steadily infiltrating the philosophy curriculum at colleges and universities. Traditionally, teachers of philosophy have not made much use of "audiovisual aids" in the classroom beyond the chalk board or overhead projector, with only the more adventurous playing audiotapes, for example, or…

For the past six years the authors have been working together on a major study of early childhood education in China, Japan, and the United States. This study, "Continuity and Change in Preschools in Three Cultures," is a sequel to "Preschools in Three Cultures," a book by Joseph Tobin, David Wu, and Dana Davidson that was published in 1989. In…

A paradigm shift is occurring in the approach to teaching in the education system of American Samoa. This shift can be characterized as the movement from a traditional, teacher-centered approach to a constructivist, student-centered approach. One factor that has contributed to this shift arises from the training of teachers through the University…

Four and a half years have passed since four teachers from Cohort VI in American Samoa graduated from the University of Hawai'i with bachelor of education degrees and with teaching licenses from the state of Hawai'i. This article highlights changes and developments in the beliefs and practices of these four teachers who, in the midst of full time…

In spite of the changes that 100 years of Americanization have produced, the American Samoa people overwhelmingly identify themselves with their culture. They are proud to be Samoan; they are committed to the "fa'a-Samoa" or the Samoan way of life. The desire to balance American ways with the unique values that make up the Samoan sense of identity…

Despite Hawai'i's location at the northern apex of Polynesia, visual arts education in Hawai'i is predominately west facing in its orientation. Defining visual arts solely along European/American conventions and history, arts education as practiced in Hawai'i does little to acknowledge and engage the diversity of cultural perspectives long…

In 2000, state agencies and foundations in Hawai'i were poised to support readiness efforts to improve educational outcomes for children. There was, however, a lack of shared understanding of the construct of readiness to guide these efforts. Parents, teachers, and school administrators all play a critical role in the education of young children.…

The purpose of this article is to develop, validate, and field test two readiness assessment instruments, "Schools Ready for Children" and "Children Ready for School." The authors first describe the development of the assessment instrument dealing with policies and practices of "ready" schools. The items on this instrument should indicate the…

As teachers, an important part of planning curriculum is considering the relevance of what they teach their students. The author believes that project-based learning that integrates technology, language arts, and critical media literacy can be a powerful tool for learning. Not only does this kind of work connect students to the curriculum, it also…

'Olelo Community Television has served the O'ahu community for over 16 years. It offers community members training in television production, and it provides access to Oceanic Cable channels 52 through 56--the five cable channels that 'Olelo currently manages. 'Olelo is a non-profit, public, educational and government (PEG) access organization that…

For many years, teacher education has been the subject of persistent concerns, many of which were reflected in a 1997 evaluation of the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP). The evaluation noted the lack of a common view of the purpose of STEP, resulting in "contradictory practices and mixed messages"; fragmented coursework; faculty turnover;…

In many ways, the changing history of the Dutch windmills reminds the author of the many teacher education programs she has worked with and, in particular, the one she now works with at the University of Washington. To those who are unfamiliar with the inner workings of teacher education, programs that prepare teachers probably appear much as they…

Over the past decade the phrase "making a positive difference in the lives of others" emerged and stuck as a statement--part vision and part goal--for the University of Vermont (UVM) College of Education and Social Services (CESS). The phrase captured the energy and intention of the educator preparation programs and signaled the role of these…

Although doctoral education in the United States is highly regarded and commands international respect, it is now under close scrutiny from a number of perspectives. Those who aspire to the doctorate (the students) and those who prepare doctorates (the faculty) have often offered their opinion on the quality of their experience and suggested…