This report analyzes recent learning sciences research and provides nine recommendations to address a critical need: how can education policy support and align with the science of learning and development? Research on how students learn and develop is providing teachers, practitioners, and policymakers with insights on how to help students learn…

Suggests that the socialization of children works against their creativity. Argues that increasing children's exploratory opportunities results in raising the likelihood of new discoveries. Concludes that the establishment of a structure for fostering creativity is a key factor in promoting child development. (SG)

The teacher's guide presents a set of eight lessons designed to help students develop the skills necessary for making responsible and effective decisions. The lessons focus on: (1) the need to make many decisions daily; (2) alternatives to decisions; (3) decisions based on values; (4) the future consequences of decisions; (5) decisions that are…

To encourage students to do routine homework assignments, teachers might occasionally assign silly homework assignments (such as "Brush your teeth with the hand you usually don't use"). Class discussions and parent reactions provide feedback. A list of suggestions and a reproducible page are offered. (JL)

Discussion of the use of creative dramatics with gifted students considers the value of creative dramatics; components of creative dramatics (structure, open-endedness, a safe environment, and feedback); the actor's elements (voice, body, character or imagination, and group work). Specific exercises to develop the actor's elements are described.…

Based on the philosophy that children learn best in functional, natural settings when a desire for learning persists, this book provides classroom-tested strategies for teaching children how to monitor and improve their own comprehension as they read a variety of texts. The goal of the book is to empower students to become successful, independent…

Minnesota plays an integral role in the worldwide increase in the exchange of goods, services, and ideas. It is imperative that the state's citizens be able to relate to an increasingly interrelated world and to gain the skills, attitudes, and knowledge needed to participate intelligently in such exchanges. Educating to these ends is essential.…

Teachers may unconsciously convey stereotypic notions or behave in discriminating ways. Teachers have been observed to pay more attention to male students and to praise female students more for nonacademic performance. A quiz to help teachers assess their sex bias is included. (DF)

Students sometimes respond to writing assignments automatically, almost as if they were a generic form, rather than by investigating the idiosyncrasies and unexpected possibilities of each assignment. Writing assignments can be structured to help students transcend such habits, shifting the focus from accumulating information to creating meaning…

Curiosity can be developed and nurtured through application of such educational principles as the rewarding of questioning, the use of open questions, delaying answers, accepting incompleteness in existing knowledge, etc. Teaching techniques for stimulating curiosity include brain questioning, role playing, hypothesizing, and pursuing curiosity.…

Discusses "Object LOGO," a symbolic computer programing language for use in the creative arts. Describes the use of the program in approaching arts projects from textual, graphic, and musical perspectives. Suggests that use of the program can promote development of creative skills and humanities learning in general. (SG)

A fourth grade teacher examines the ever-changing and developing student teacher relationship. As students move on each year, past teachers still feel some degree of responsibility, and students learn about changing relationships. (SM)

This brochure is intended to be a useful tool for assessing students' development along a continuum of oral language growth as well as for providing information about the competencies that students are expected to learn in second-fifth grades. On the continuum in the brochure, descriptors list specific behaviors that detail students' development…

Over the years there have been different terms for the idea of educating for character. Some of these are moral education, moral reasoning, values clarification, and ethics. But the basic idea of using schools to produce people of good character has been around for many generations. This volume explores the importance of including character…

Reviews the literature on the benefits of mentor relationships for both the protege and the mentor. Suggests that experienced developmental educators mentor colleagues new to the field and that developmental students be encouraged to find and cultivate mentoring relationships. (DMM)