The editors of this book employ social, cognitive, linguistic, and political theoretical innovations to develop a new conception of critical thinking. They examine how such a construct might be taught in a variety of social settings and disciplines. Using a host of previously neglected perspectives--sociocognition, issues of political economy, complexity theory, and critical theoretical notions of epistemology and power theory--the editors and authors present a conceptually sophisticated yet accessible compendium on critical thinking.

The introduction guides readers through the...

This new volume shows why America's community colleges increasingly find themselves at the epicenter of social conflict, surrounded by unresolved questions such as: In a country based on the notion of equal opportunity, shouldn't all high school graduates have access to higher education? Are access and excellence really compatible? What is the real work of community colleges? Is it to provide transfer programs for students going on to baccalaureate colleges or training workers for careers in business and industry?

In this comprehensive guide, readers will find not only a solid grounding...

At a time when sports coverage inundates the airwaves, when coaches are routinely among the highest-paid school employees, and when professional sports recruiters are increasingly focusing on high school students, "Sports and Education" offers a balanced, thought-provoking look at a deep-cutting issue. Is it time for the United States to mirror a number of other industrialized countries and remove sports from educational settings, as many education and athletic professionals have suggested?

"Sports and Education" challenges many long-held assumptions and examines all viewpoints...

Community and school officials, parents, and educators often stay to the wee hours of the night at PTA meetings arguing about sex education and sexual behavior among young people. While some groups preach abstinence and attempt to sign as many youngsters as possible to their rosters, it remains a fact that 50 percent of U.S. teenagers, beginning at age 15, are sexually active.

"Sex, Youth, and Sex Education" is a wonderfully crafted resource that gives not only a statistical overview of sexual activity in schools, but also examines sex education, the scourge of sexual violence in...

Not long ago, literacy simply meant knowing how to read and write. Today, the study of literacy is a complex field encompassing many different areas, from computer literacy to geographic literacy, and including several degrees of competence such as functional, pragmatic, and cultured. In addition there are six kinds of readers: the submissive, the active, the semiotic, the subjective, the psychoanalytic, and the interpretive community reader, and at least two distinct ways of reading: aesthetic reading and rational reading.

In this comprehensive, accessible volume, two literacy experts...

In this comprehensive introduction to multicultural education, author Peter Appelbaum reveals that Native American-run schools in the early 19th century produced nearly 100 percent literacy rates--higher among western Oklahoma Cherokees than among whites in nearby Texas or Arkansas. Today, as the country rapidly becomes more racially and ethnically diverse, he discusses how success in diversity education requires that administrators, teachers, and students change the way they look at each other, the curriculum, and the structures and policies that govern schools.

"Diversity and...

"Middle Grades Education: A Reference Handbook" explores the distinctive middle school approach to helping adolescents develop as human beings and citizens as well as students, with coverage that ranges from the conceptual foundations of the middle school model, to research-based best practices, to sample lesson plans and activities.

Edited by Pat Williams-Boyd, with contributions from experienced, frontline educators, the book showcases a number of places where the ideal middle school has become reality, where individual talents are nurtured, families are involved, teachers serve as...

"Curriculum Trends: A Reference Handbook" presents the most expansive, up-to-date survey of curriculum development in the United States, ranging from its history and the origins of the cry for higher standards, to societal influences on schools and the legal challenges they face today.

Supported by examples illustrating both successful and failed school reforms, critical developments of the past 25 years and their impacts--including the rise of charter schools, home schooling, the standards movement, high-stakes testing, and authentic assessment--are carefully analyzed. The first work...