Many educators argue that the environment to which a child is exposed every day of his school career can and will have a lasting effect on that child. The physical environment of a classroom setting encompasses many areas, according to this point of view. If this physical environment is inviting, colorful, and gives off a "positive" feeling, then the student will begin to develop more positive feelings toward school and, potentially, more positive attitudes about himself.In the teaching-learning setting, student and teacher attitude are assumed to work closely together. When both are pleased and happy with their own physical surroundings, it can be argued that they will be better adjusted mentally. With a better mental adjustment, the student will be able to have a better attitude about himself and his work, and thus will be more likely to prosper and succeed. Due to these physical surroundings, and better attitudes it is assumed that the teacher likewise will prosper and succeed.As educators we need to supply a physical environment that will produce all these conditions. Studies show that an environment that creates a stimulus for learning is possible in any classroom setting, either large or small. Basic changes can be made to improve the physical environment of any classroom which can turn a nonstimulating environment into one that is inviting and positive and can stimulate learning.Many teachers often do not know how to create a stimulating physical environment. Due to the lack of resources and materials and, most important, the lack of time and money, teachers feel as if they can not accomplish this task. Therefore, a guide will be designed to illustrate to teachers how an inviting, positive, environment can be formed within a typical classroom arrangement. With basic tools and supplies, instructions will be provided to teachers to help them design an environment that will stimulate their students and themselves.Specifically, a handbook, "Improving the Physical Environment of Your Classroom," will be designed for voluntary use by teachers in Clay County Elementary Schools with limited funding. This guide, which will focus on modification of wall furnishings, furniture, and floor coverings, will be used and tested mainly in open-concept classrooms, but may also be applicable in self contained classroom settings.

Nonverbal communication was not considered a science until 1950, after Ray Birdwhistell conducted extensive nonverbal research. Thus, the research on nonverbal communication in the classroom is still in it's pioneer stage. The purpose of this project was to increase kindergarten teachers’ awareness of nonverbal communication and its effect upon students. This pilot study emphasized four specific nonverbal behaviors: eye contact, touch, smile and proxemics. Research has found these behaviors to be true indicators of one's psychological state at the given time. It was believed that by increasing a teacher's nonverbal behaviors he could change students' immediate responses toward school.

Text specific reading/learning strategies that reflect recent theoretical research in the reading process were incorporated into the 10th grade world history curriculum. These methods were intended to afford success for a specific group of students who had a history of failure and so lead those students toward independent reading and learning. They were also intended to motivate the world history teachers to use procedures that are congruent with the findings of research in reading and learning.

One purpose of this paper was to determine the teaching strategies and opinions of parents who home-school their children in Florida and south Georgia. Another purpose was to define the typical day of the children involved, and elicit their opinions and feelings about home-schooling. A multiple choice questionnaire was designed for the parents with twenty-six items, and a nine-item questionnaire was designed for the children. The findings of the study showed that children can receive a quality education in places other than schools, and the majority of parents involved in this study are well educated and concerned. The children spend typical days in an environment which is flexible, loving, and supportive. Their achievement on standardized testing indicates the high quality of education they are receiving. As a result of this study, school boards are encouraged to cooperate with the families and to offer resources to them as needed. Universities are also encouraged to support the home-schooling movement, and to conduct further research on learning in the home.

The purpose of this project was to research and develop a robotics curriculum appropriate to junior high school students. Specifically, this project developed a two-week, ten-hour robotic curriculum to introduce eighth-grade students to basic robotic concepts. After a careful examination of the related literature and after an evaluation of current trends in robotic education, objectives were developed. The objectives integrated content from industrial arts, science, college-level courses on robotics, and very basic concepts used in elementary schools as an introduction to robotics. Lessons were developed which used a multisensory approach and activities emphasized hands on experiences for students. Conclusions which were drawn after a review of related literature, development of the curriculum, and pilot testing are included along with recommendations for possible improvement and expansion of this project. The importance of keeping pace with developing technologies is stressed throughout the curriculum which was developed.

This paper investigates the origins of the Open Education movement in the United States and traces its development throughout the twentieth century. Pioneers of the movement are discussed, with an extensive description of John Dewey's work provided. Political and social forces which affected Open Education throughout the century are described. Finally, current trends in education are examined to determine whether Open Education remains in practice. Conclusions and implications for classroom practice are included.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the use of a school-wide token economy program on middle school students' achievement, behavior, and attitudes toward school. This involved the comparison of two similar suburban middle schools, one of which used a school-wide token economy program. A nonequivalent control-group design was used to examine: (1) the effects on achievement as measured by grades and honor roll status; (2) the effects on behavior as measured by numbers of students attaining perfect attendance, numbers of punches earned, and numbers of detentions and suspensions; and (3) the effects on attitude as measured by the School Attitude Measure (SAM). Data were gathered from school guidance and disciplinary records. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship between the token economy program and student achievement as measured by grades and honor roll status in the A/B honor roll (p Implications and limitations of the study are discussed. Suggestions for further research are presented.

This study examined the relationship between first grade teachers' theoretical orientations toward reading and their classroom instructional practices. The study, which was conducted in Duval County Florida, used the Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile (DeFord, 1985) and the Luciano Reading Instruction Practices Survey to gather self-reported data from the 102 study participants. The sample teachers reported the frequency with which they used 25 specific instructional practices to assist students in learning to read. Ten percent of the sample teachers were observed by the researcher for thirty minutes and their instructional practices were documented on a checklist which corresponded to the Luciano survey. These observations found that 48% of the reported practices were present. Raw scores on the TORP instrument indicated that 22.5% of the sample teachers held a phonics orientation towards reading, while 77.5% scored in the mid-range indicating an orientation which supported a mixed theoretical orientation of decoding skills and whole language approaches. No significant mean difference was found when teachers' survey scores were used to categorize them as supporters of either phonics, whole language, or a combination approach to reading instruction. However, a correlation of r = .46 (p < .0005) was found between raw scores on the two instruments indicating a moderate relationship among teachers' theoretical beliefs and instructional practices. Descriptive statistics of instructional practices obtained from the Luciano Reading Instruction Practices Survey (RIPS) indicated that 72% of all the sample teachers allowed students time for freereading on a daily basis, 66% reported emphasizing letter sounds, 59% reported using consumable skills workbooks every day, and 56% of the study teachers activated student interest prior to each reading experience. RIPS scores also indicated that sample teachers who used a combination of phonics and whole language practices comprised the largest group (46%) in the study. Nearly 1 0% of the sample used a majority of phonics-based practices and 44% reported utilizing mostly whole language-type activities. The results of this study provided insights as to the current methods being used to teach reading at the first grade level in a large urban school district and indicated moderate support as to a relationship between teachers' theoretical orientations and classroom practices.

There is a concern that children with poor, i.e., below grade level reading ability, have trouble in content area subjects. The subjects of social studies, science, and health are often taught in the elementary grades through the use of textbooks. Because these texts prior to 1979 were written with a readability level at or above the grade level for which the book was designed, the poorer reader cannot read, and therefore learn, the subject matter presented.Children need knowledge of these content areas to function in today's society. They also need the ability to read to increase their knowledge and to develop their interest in these areas. Our society also expects that certain aspects of social studies, science, and health will be taught to children. As teachers there is a responsibility to teach these objectives. The children are also graded and evaluated at the end of each school year in these subject areas. They I therefore I must acquire this knowledge to perform well on these tests. However, children with poor reading ability face difficulties acquiring this knowledge through a textbook oriented curriculum.The problem to be dealt with in this project is how to teach social studies to children with poor reading ability. The ojective is to aid these children in obtaining an understanding of specific social studies concepts. Few materials in the content area are available in Duval County for working with the reader who is below grade level.Specifically, this project will develop a curriculum of teaching techniques and materials to use with third-graders in the social studies area of map skills. This area was chosen because it is tested extensively on the third-grade Stanford Achievement Test. These materials will be used with a class of thirty third-grade students at Hyde Grove School in Duval County, Florida. These students are poor readers who read at least one grade level below their current grade in school, as measured by the Stanford Achievement Test reading section. The curriculum will attempt to facilitate map concept attainment for these children.

There has been much concern recently about the lack of basic map and globe skills among America's youth. Map and globe skills are a basic tool of social studies used throughout the rest of students' academic, professional and personal lives. These skills incorporate the development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills. The focus of this project was to develop a map and globe skills curriculum for teaching these skills to sixth-graders in Putnam County, Florida, when they first encounter daily social studies classes.