The mission of the International Journal of Educational Reform (IJER) is to keep readers up-to-date with worldwide developments in education reform by providing scholarly information and practical analysis from recognized international authorities. As the only peer-reviewed scholarly publication that combines authors’ voices without regard for the political affiliations perspectives, or research methodologies, IJER provides readers with a balanced view of all sides of the political and educational mainstream. To this end, IJER includes, but is not limited to, inquiry based and opinion pieces on developments in such areas as policy, administration, curriculum, instruction, law, and research. IJER should thus be of interest to professional educators with decision-making roles and policymakers at all levels turn since it provides a broad-based conversation between and among policymakers, practitioners, and academicians about reform goals, objectives, and methods for success throughout the world. Readers can call on IJER to learn from an international group of reform implementers by discovering what they can do that has actually worked. IJER can also help readers to understand the pitfalls of current reforms in order to avoid making similar mistakes. Finally, it is the mission of IJER to help readers to learn about key issues in school reform from movers and shakers who help to study and shape the power base directing educational reform in the U.S. and the world.

Uses various folk-tunes and classical music pieces to teach non-English speakers basic English phrases.

This volume asserts that international and intercultural experiences are powerful vehicles for first-year college students to learn the perspectives and skills necessary to function interdependently in a rapidly changing and complex world. This thesis is developed through an in-depth case study of efforts to provide such learning opportunities in a project called the First-Year Intercultural Experience at Hartwick College, a 4-year liberal arts and sciences institution in Oneonta, New York. The focus is on one of the courses, "Europe in Transition," which included an off-campus component in Germany and France. Fifteen first-year students participated. Findings from the case study show the usefulness of working with young undergraduates and the importance of student-centered approaches to learning and teaching. The chapters are: (1) "The Context of Undergraduate Intercultural Education in the 21st Century"; (2) "An Overview of Hartwick College"; (3) "An Administrator's Perspective: The Development of the First-Year Intercultural Experience" (David Bachner); (4) "An Economics Professor's Perspective: Educational and Personal Considerations" (Laurence Malone); (5) "A Foreign Language Professor's Perspective: Educational and Personal Considerations" (Mary Snider); (6) "Student Perspectives: Learning Interdependence in an International Setting"; (7) "Evaluations of the First-Year Intercultural Experience"; and (8) "Five Conclusions about Learning Interdependence through the First-Year Intercultural Experience." An appendix contains sample syllabi and course descriptions for some other intercultural learning experiences. (Contains 91 references.) (SLD)